2020 31 Day Blog Writing Challenge - Day Eleven - Most Impactful Class

 I have had several classes that I consider impactful. 

My very first class covered hand quilting but I cannot remember the lady's name who taught the class. I took that class at a nearby quilt shop - The Tattered Rabbit. We gathered round her Q-Snap frame and took turns learning the rocking stitch. I came home with a small Q-Snap frame to practice. 

Martha Nordstrand - the best applique stitch

I have taken several classes with Martha Nordstrand. The first one was on making prepared applique shapes. Her technique for making them was to either trace the shape or print it on un-scored sticker paper which was then adhered to the right side of the fabric. Then you flip the piece over and use glue stick and two tiny screwdrivers to manipulate the edges against the pull of the sticker. The second one was a technique using a 8 x 10 sized picture inside a page protector to build your applique - you traced the major shapes onto the sticker paper and turned the edges using the glue stick and tiny screwdrivers. But the BEST thing I learned from her is the applique stitch - come up from the back, right thru the fold and go back down thru the fabric you are appliqueing to 1-2 thread(s) behind where you came out. Reason being that if you go forward, the stitch is always going to be visible, but if you go backwards, the stitch will sink into the edge of the applique.

This is the flower piece from the first class.

This is the piece from  landscape class - I used it as the center of a round robin for embellishing so 3 other friends worked on this piece - one did all the lovely ribbon roses, another did the embroidery on the house, the fields and the two pots on the left and another did the trees. I added the sheep (those white blobs!) and the wee horse button. The picture was of the very famous scene in Val de Or in Tuscany.

Rosa Rojas - Apliquick tools

Martha's mini screwdrivers foreshadowed the invention of the Apliquick tools by Rosa Rojas. I got to take a class with her last year at Road To Ca. At first I was not too convinced that I would like the tools, but I do. Took a class from Diane Kirkart where we used the tools, but then decided since Rosa was going to teach at Road, that I would take the class from the inventor herself.

This is 'Little Boy' from the class. And those wee buttons on the bottom...those are turned with the tools and it is almost magic how they turn out. Rosa can do even smaller ones (but she has had a LOT of practice!)

Jenny Bowker - tool to 'see' color value

The class I took from Jenny was one of her techniques where she does an applique 'center' then uses traditional blocks to build out the quilt until it is the desired size. First you have to decide on a center! Print it in color. Then you trace the essential elements onto a piece of plastic using a Sharpie. That gets blown up using a projector, which you throw up onto the wall where you have taped a piece of paper that is at least bigger than the block you are making! Trace the projected outlines with pencil, then go over it with Sharpie so the lines are dark. Then tape a piece of muslin over the pattern. Then the fun part starts - picking fabrics that will fill those shapes, In order to actually 'see' the colors, Jenny has this neat tool you make from an index card. Snip a small diamond in the bottom of the card and one or two  larger ones nearer the top. Laying the small diamond on the original photo, you can use the larger diamond to audition fabrics. Corrects for the biases we all have when looking at something recognizable.

This is the center I did and the picture that it was based on. It is pretty amazing seeing these centers built. Original picture at bottom.

Link to the Muppin Blog Writing Challenge