Yvonne Menear

WELCOME TO MY WEBSITE

Educator, speaker, author available to come to your group function to speak on specific topics about quilting, machine embroidery, digitizing, basic computer skills, and computer programs supporting the sewing industry.  Available to teach hands-on classes, give seminars, give private lessons on using Brother PE-Design digitizing software, Electric Quilt lessons, and keynote speaker/educator for  retreats. Author of the EQStitch companion book.  Owner/educator of the Langley Machine Embroidery Group.

Information and registration  for EQ7/EQStitch retreat June 2013 Download EQ retreat

Quilting for Others

Each year my hometown quilt guild, Langley Quilters Guild, makes quilts for kids with cancer at the BC Childrens Hospital.  The sick children draw pictures and the hospital produces a calendar of thier drawings for the next years calendar.  The quilt guild takes the calendar and members of the guild make those drawings into quilts and presents them to the sick children.  This is a great way to give back to our community.  I pray for the sick child I am quilting for and pray a prayer of thanks to God that my children were born healthy.  Creating quilts for others keeps me focused on the greater needs in the community and keeps me very humble.  It is so easy to be caught up in our own issues and have all our energy focused on what we feel is important in our own personal life.  Quilting for others helps us to see that no matter what our concerns are, there are so many others with issues that are so much worse than our own.  It keeps everything in perspective.  I enjoyed making this bright quilt that is full of hope and healing for all children.

Exponential Learning

Who would have thought that because I love to quilt and machine embroider that I would learn so many new things along the way?  I love learning new things and it certainly can expand my horizons.  Because I have an embroidery machine, I needed to learn how to use a computer to get designs into my machine.  Because I wanted to make my designs unique to me, I needed to learn to digitize to create my personal embroidery.  From there, I began to travel to find the information I needed to learn  because no store in my local area supported the learning I needed.  Since I learned so much, my local stores began to hire me to teach others.  From there, I began to write lessons and publish my ideas in quilt guild newsletters and then moved onto writing for magazine publications.  For the magazines I needed to know how to photograph my quilts and clean them up for high resolution publication.  That meant learning to use a photoshop program.   I started having clubs for Electric Quilt software, machine embroidery software, and sponsoring retreats.  That meant learning how to set up group emails and organizing bookings of facilities to teach in.  My love of quilitng and machine embroidery lead me to the Electric Quilt company and the request to write a book in support of their new EQStitch software program.  I learned so much more about the power of the Word program I use for writing.  Working with editors, programmers, and publishers was a learning curve that was new to me.  Now this has lead me to speaking on the international level.  All of this just because I quilt! I have learned how to set up a chat group on Yahoo and how to moderate the group.  Now I am teaching with the use of computers and the internet to reach others worldwide.   Learning is not necessarily one little step at a time.  It has been an explosion of growth for me that continues to grow exponentially.  I love every moment of it and feel so very blessed to share my learning experiences with others.  I encourage everyone to reach out and try something new everyday.  It certainly keeps you from falling into a set routine and standard way of living when you constantly stretch yourself to try something new.  See my newest magazine article published in Quilter's Connection magazine (Spring 2013 issue #15).

 

 

Pride in My Students

Imitation is the best form of flattery.  I am so proud of my  machine embroidery students that take a stitch file I create for them and then watch them interpret the designs in so many different ways to create unique projects of their own.  They add the influences of color, texture, and projects in creating their embroidery designs.  This week I am teaching at a  sewing and crafting show in western Canada and my embroidery club students are the main display at that show. This is perfect because the vendors will be selling machines that support quilting and embroidery.  The students are showing interest in learning how to digitize their own designs and many of them are trying the new EQStitch software program created by the Electric Quilt comany that combines quilting and digitizing  machine embroidery in one program.  I had the privilege of working with the company in developing the software and then writing a book to support the new EQStitch digitizing program.  Congratulations to the students for being allowed to show their works at such a large show!

Retreats are the best!!

I was away at a 3 day retreat this past weekend.  It was in my hometown so I could go home and sleep in my own bed at night.  Also, since it was close to home, I could pick up things I forgot to take with me each day.  There were about 22 of us and we stitched up a storm.  I find it so stimulating being in a group of people who love to sew.  I was inspired to think outside my box when observing what everyone else was doing.  The chatter and bursts of laughter kept everyone going.  Of course, because I teach, most of my projects were samples for upcoming classes, but I did get a lot accomplished.  If I could afford it I would take every class and go to every retreat that came along.  I would suggest to everyone that they try to go to at least one retreat every year.  It opens your mind and expands your learning just from observing others alone.  My next retreat is one in which I am teaching EQ7/EQStitch for the entire weekend in June 2013.  Although it is work for me, I do get inspired by the questions the students ask while they are there.

 

 

Creative Stitches Sewing Shows

Join me in classes I am teaching for the Creative Stitches Sewing Shows in Victoria and Abbotsford, BC in March 2013.  Classes are both seminars and hands on classes.  The Langley Machine Embroidery Group I facilitate will also be the major display area of the Abbotsford show.  Check it out on the website at www.creativestitchesshow.com

Designing When We Are Not At Our Best

I never get sick.  Of course, this year, over the Christmas holidays, I got that terrible flu that was going around.  Here it is weeks later, and I still do not feel 100%.  Why is this important?  I tried to do some designing for quilting and machine embroidery during this down time.  I have a wonderful friend who helps me with my test sewing when I am not at home near my machine.  When I sent the embroidery files to her, she was really clear that this was not anywhere near my best work.  Obviously my mind was muddled with the flu virus.  The mistakes in the files were really blatantly awful!  Thank goodness I always test sew everything before I give them out as part of the lessons for my students!  I had to redesign everything I did while ill.  This is a lesson to myself to work well ahead of my class times in order to cover for times when I just should not be doing anything by concentrating on getting well.  No matter what I am going through, my students deserve the best I can be.  They pay for the lessons and take time out of their busy schedules to come to my classes, so at the very least,  I need to respect that with my best work.  This is the year I will try my best to work well ahead of my schedules in order to be ready for what is to come.

 

December Preparations

Most people are preparing baking goods and sewing Christmas gifts at this time of year.  My children are grown and moved away and my husband and I don't exchange gifts anymore.  So December for me is the time I look ahead to the next year and begin preping for classes that are coming up.  I teach at sewing shows in the Spring and they publish their classes months in advance.  That means I need my class descriptions and class samples done by December to be ready for thos shows.  This year I have the opportunity to teach at the Houston International Quilt Festival in November.  My class proposals need to be in for December in order to be a part of that show.  Adding to all the class preparation, I have been writing a book for the Electric Quilt company about how to use their new digitizing software called EQStitch.  This should be launched in the next few weeks.  That means a round of teaching the new software to clients.  The prep for these adventures takes a huge amount of time.  The reward is that I get to spend time with students teaching all these ideas.  The feedback from students keeps me inspired.  I love the questions they ask and the applications of the knowledge they gain from the classes is so impressive.  Hard work, dedicated long hours of preparation, and sharing the information is so very rewarding.  I look forward to meeting many people this next year through quilting and machine embroidery classes.

New Twist on Old Technique

When digitizing designs for my machine embroidery club, I have to keep in mind that not all my embroidery students quilt.  I place almost all of my embroidery on my quilts.  This makes it easy for me to go to classes and shows and take a quilt with all the samples in the quilt design itself.  Taking small stitched sample pieces usually results in loosing some of the samples along the way.  An entire quilt has never gone missing after a class.  I wanted to teach a machine embroidered trapunto technique without it necessarily being a quilt.  Trapunto is traditionally a quilting technique.  So I designed a machine embroidery design that can be used as a traditional appllique and also be used as a trapunto design.  This was accomplished by adding the batting to the top of the background fabric with the embroidery being done separately and then laid over the batting and tacked down with a decorative stitch.  You still get the raised effect of trapunto without it being a quilted project.  Leave the batting out and you get a traditional applique.  Problem solved!

Where have I been?

Life can send you on a different tract for a while.  It takes time to come back around to doing what you love.  I love to write and share ideas with students.  I do this every month with my machine embroidery club. http://members.shaw.ca/lmeg/  I get so very inspired by my students who love to combine their machine embroidery with quilting and sewing projects.  This summer I spent a great deal of time writing a book that will be a companion book to a quilting software program to be announced later this year.  I did not make the software, I only worked with the company in writing the companion book for the use of the software program.  What a learning experience that was!!!  Writing for yourself or for students who you will be teaching in a hands on class is so very different than writing a book where you won't have direct communication with them as they learn the new software program!  Working with a suppportive company and a team of experts at the company to produce the book has taught me so very much.  My next step will be traveling and teaching the software after the program has been launched.  I love to travel and teach because I meet such wonderful people and they inspire me with their questions and applications of the information I pass on to them.  I did very little quilting and embroidery this summer, but it was limited because of the dedication to writing.  I am looking forward to revisiting my embroidery machine again.

Doing work for others always a nice challenge

When I sew for myself, I usually accept anything that is 'good enough'.  When I teach or do some work for others, it has to be right.  I am much more picky.  It makes me slow down and think through every step of the process to get the finish just right.  Even my samples for my embroidery club need to be respectable as they are a source of inspiration for my students.  When teaching, students really inspect their educators work very closely.  When doing commissioned work, I feel a great sense of responsibility for the work that I am charging money for.  I would prefer to teach someone how to make something rather than make it for them, but from time to time I do sew for others.  Recently I made a commissioned quilt that incorporated design layout, quiliting, and machine embroidery all in one project.  It had to be just right.  The results were great.  I could be proud of the work I did and the receiver was happy with the piece.

Use technology to your best advantage

Technology is an amazing thing. Just consider the new cars that parallel park themselves. What an imaginative concept!! And consider the new sewing machines we have available to us today with all their bells and whistles. What took forever to do by hand is accomplished in mere minutes with these wonderful inventions.

As an educator, I constantly see students struggling with their sewing machines. Some of the problem is operator error (just not knowing how to use the machine properly). Some of the problems are due to the limitations of the machine itself. Older machines (really old) were made of cast iron and were exceptionally sturdy. I still see some of these machines in classes today. Some of the machines are all plastic and bounce around on the table when you are trying to sew. This leads to poor control of straight stitching.

When teaching a recent free motion quilting class, I suggested people bring their free motion quilting foot and the throat plate with a single eyelet hole opening rather than the zigzag plate with the elongated hole opening. So many of the students showed up with a walking foot and the zigzag plate. Several did not even know what accessories were in their sewing machine box that could be used with their machine. These wonderful accessories were even still stored in their original wrapping and the machines were over 20 years old!!

You don’t always need to have the most expensive machine on the market to achieve the results you want. But, you do need to know how to operate the machine you do have and to make sure it is well maintained. Even the most amazing machine needs to be cared for with regular cleaning. You can’t possibly expect to have good results with layers of dust built up inside the bobbin case and upper thread slots on the machine.

Speaking of bobbins—do you know how to place it in the bobbin race (case) properly. Not a class goes by without me finding at least one student who has their bobbin in backwards and not in the tension slot. Invariably, they blame the poor quality of stitching on the machine. Also, stitching with a dull needle will give poor results. Needles are the least expensive accessory we use and we should feel comfortable replacing it regularly. And have an assortment of needle sizes and types. Not all stitching can be done with the same universal needle. Just like each of us is unique, each of our projects is unique and may require different needles and threads.

If you are considering purchasing a new machine, I suggest you buy the biggest and best machine you can with all the bells and whistles you can afford. Even if you don’t use all the options now, you can grow into the machine. Since machines are so very expensive, you do not want to have to keep purchasing a new one each time you grow in the type of stitching you want to do.

Most of all, learn your machine inside and out. Practice the settings and the stitches available. Read your manual. Try all the accessories and know how they work. The technology in our machine is amazing and you can be very creative if you just know how to use your machine effectively.

Quilting Through the Ages

I recently had the opportunity to speak to several different seniors groups about quilting and how it has changed through the ages. Quilting through wars, slavery, homesteading, Victorian era, Industrial era, and right up through to the new 'modern quilters', society has greatly influenced us as we create our quilts. Incorporating machine embroidery, fabric painting, photo transfers, and thread painting has all changed our idea of the traditional hand made quilts of yesterday. This was a great opportunity to reach out to generations of the past and thank them for all we have learned from them over time and how we use that knowledge and add our new perspectives to create the quilts we have today.

 

Participate in your local quilt shows

It is that time of year again. Many sewing and
quilt shows are in full swing. I amproud to be a member of the Langley Quilters Guild and I absolutely love their semi-annual quilt show. The show gives me many opportunities to review the work I have done on quilts over the last two years.

I have several quilts that are tops only. This is because I have to make a new quilt every month as samples for my classes that I teach. I don’t usually get them all quilted before I have to make another sample. Therefore, when the quilt show rolls around, it is my signal to complete all my quilts and get them ready for the show. Having this deadline helps me to clear out my
sewing room from all those incomplete quilt tops.

I know we are supposed to have a label on everything we make so the future generations
will know where a quilt came from. Unfortunately, knowing and doing are not the same for me. During a quilt show year, I am forced to put a label on my quilt in order to have it accepted into the show. I should just make up a pile of generic labels and have them ready in advance for all my quilts so I don’t have that mad rush to get them all done for the show.

A lot of people make a temporary hanging sleeve to go on their quilt back. I make mine permanent by sewing them into the top binding area of the quilt. It does not bother me to have a hanging sleeve on the back even if it is not currently being used to hang. Sometimes, I change my décor and decide to hang a quilt instead of having it on the foot of my bed or the back of the couch. With the
sleeve being permanent, it is ready to go no matter how I choose to use it.

Another big benefit of the quilt show is the opportunity to produce a challenge
quilt. This helps me to keep my quilting fresh. I have to change my perspective
to match the rules of the challenge. These quilts are never my best work, because I am not traditionally an‘art’ quilter. Artistic expression is usually needed to meet the challenge. I
always do the challenge as it helps me ‘think outside my box’. It is never meant for me to be a challenge where I can win recognition for my work, but rather an experience for me to
learn more ways to express myself. I hope everyone takes the opportunity to work in a challenging endeavor in orderto grow their own personal perspective. If anything, it helps me define what I don’t want to continue to do! I also experience the feeling of creating something different and unique for me. Either way, I win because I have gained a new way of thinking about a
project!!

In a local small quilt show, everyone has the chance to enter. There is no expertise requirement in order to enter the show. That means, beginners and advanced quilters alike, we all have a chance to stand back and look at our work and celebrate the effort it took to create the project. I love to see what everyone has done and I come away from the show being totally inspired by everyone that participated.

Education Keeps on Giving

There is an ancient quote that says “Give a man a fish you feed him for a day, but teach a
man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”.

This goes for education also. Once a concept is
learned, then it can be applied in different ways forever.

Several years ago at a quilt retreat I learned to let go of my normal perspective of
quilting and was encouraged to create an artistic quilt with different
embellishments. That was way different
than anything I normally do, but it was fun to play with my favorite fabric
colors and threads. The results were a
very definitely artistic expression quilt and I hang that quilt in my sewing
room to make me consider different options as I create my quilts.

As an educator I need to come up with presentations for large groups. I usually am asked to do power point presentations with a few samples of my work to go along with the topic of the
presentation. Lately, when traveling to sewing shows with other educators, that artistic quilt helped me with my presentation. It also helped another educator with her presentation and she used the quilt to promote the technique she was working with in her class.

I looked at the quilt carefully and saw that it would work in two different ways for
classes. One class was on color. Because the fabrics used in the artistic
quilt were all my favorite colors, they all blended together well. I was able to speak about color theory to my class and have to sample of my quilt to show them how colors work
together. The other class I taught was on freeing yourself from the traditional square or rectangular quilt shape and to consider adding interest to your quilt by having different, asymmetrical
edges on the quilt. This artistic quilt was completely free-formed with edges of every shape. Because the quilt also incorporated some beading, another instructor borrowed the quilt to show it as a sample in her class on machine beading.

This same quilt was used in a television presentation about the 2011 Victoria Sewing Show
on CHEK TV. The bold colors and unique shape with lots of beading showed very well on the news presentation about the sewing show last year.

Because of a good educator encouraging all students to step outside their box and try
something completely new to them, the resulting quilt has kept on giving. Each time I look at the quilt I am inspired all over again by the educator and her ability to teach a new and different
direction for me. This was the gift of an education that keeps on giving.

Education Keeps on Giving

There is an ancient quote that says “Give a man a fish you feed him for a day, but teach a
man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”.

This goes for education also. Once a concept is
learned, then it can be applied in different ways forever.

Several years ago at a quilt retreat I learned to let go of my normal perspective of
quilting and was encouraged to create an artistic quilt with different
embellishments. That was way different
than anything I normally do, but it was fun to play with my favorite fabric
colors and threads. The results were a
very definitely artistic expression quilt and I hang that quilt in my sewing
room to make me consider different options as I create my quilts.

As an educator I need to come up with presentations for large groups. I usually am asked to do power point presentations with a few samples of my work to go along with the topic of the
presentation. Lately, when traveling to sewing shows with other educators, that artistic quilt helped me with my presentation. It also helped another educator with her presentation and she used the quilt to promote the technique she was working with in her class.

I looked at the quilt carefully and saw that it would work in two different ways for
classes. One class was on color. Because the fabrics used in the artistic
quilt were all my favorite colors, they all blended together well. I was able to speak about color theory to my class and have to sample of my quilt to show them how colors work
together. The other class I taught was on freeing yourself from the traditional square or rectangular quilt shape and to consider adding interest to your quilt by having different, asymmetrical
edges on the quilt. This artistic quilt was completely free-formed with edges of every shape. Because the quilt also incorporated some beading, another instructor borrowed the quilt to show it as a sample in her class on machine beading.

This same quilt was used in a television presentation about the 2011 Victoria Sewing Show
on CHEK TV. The bold colors and unique shape with lots of beading showed very well on the news presentation about the sewing show last year.

Because of a good educator encouraging all students to step outside their box and try
something completely new to them, the resulting quilt has kept on giving. Each time I look at the quilt I am inspired all over again by the educator and her ability to teach a new and different
direction for me. This was the gift of an education that keeps on giving.

Meet the people

As an educator I get to have the privilege of traveling to many different places to speak to various groups.  I love the travel because each region has it's own particular styles of quilting/sewing/embroidery.  Sometimes I am very surprised by what I see.  I normally expect little isolated towns to have more traditional quilters and yet you find many modern quilters instead.  This is probably because most small towns don't have the advantage of large fabric shops with numerous classes available to the patrons.  Also, a lot of small towns don't have quilt guilds and quilters often have to travel to larger towns to participate in classes at the guild.  I am blessed to live in a metropolitan area that has all the amenities I need and want.  I can also easily travel long distances to major sewing and craft shows.  I love taking classes in other areas to see what is new or different from what I have in my own locale.  At sewing shows I tend to visit the vendors a lot to see what new products are coming our way.  Although sewing has not changed much over the years, the tools we use have significantly changed.  The most obvious changes are being driven by the computer industry.  Our computerized sewing machines are evidence of this.  But also, we now have the advantage of designing our projects on computer software programs for sewers.  And the modern quilter learns most of their quilting projects on line with you-tube videos.  My goodness how our world is changing!  I love all the changes, but sometimes I long for the good old days.  I have been speaking to a lot of senior citizen groups lately and I can see how much we have lost over the generations.  The elderly are a wealth of information about how we did things in the good old days.  Sewing was slower as it was mostly by hand.  This gave time for socializing with others in quilting bees to catch up on the local gossip while learning new techniques from fellow quilters.  We have lost the sense of community with each other in our busy world.  Often I am isolated in my sewing room many days on end working on my projects and preparing lessons for students.  I really enjoy going out to teach because this is where I get rejuvenated and learn new ideas from all I meet.  I hope as this new modern quilter age progresses, we take time to look back and appreciate all the crafters that have gone before us.  I still love to do hand tatted lace to insert into my quilts.  And although I use my embroidery machine for embroidery designs rather than do them by hand, I do some homespun looking blocks by hand stitching them.  I feel there is plenty of room to blend the old with the new ways.  I hope others are taking the time to re-learn skills from our elderly before they all leave us.  We can learn so much from them just by spending time with them talking about how things used to be.  We can at least have a better appreciation of how far we have come.  It is up to us individuals to determine if we are better off today or if we have loss so much over the years.  Keep being creative with your sewing/quilting/embroidery.

Fire!! Now What Do You Do?

 We want to support our local sewing/quilt stores.  We rely on them for fabrics, supplies, and our sewing machine service.  Recently, Tom’s Sewing in Surrey, was destroyed by fire and smoke.  The clean-up is astronomical.  The effort required to sort through all the merchandise that belonged to customers to see if it can be replaced or repaired is a slow process.

As an independent educator, I had quilts in the store as samples of classes I would be teaching there this Spring term.  The store received mostly smoke, ash, and water damage.  Now it is my turn to be a student instead of an educator.  How do I salvage my quilts?  Maybe I should just start over and make a new quilt.

Research on restoration and care for damaged quilts was suddenly at the top of my list of things to do.  The internet has a wonderful source of information for us, but the information can be confusing if not darn right conflicting information.  One site on the internet gently reminds us that smoke damage can be from an all out building fire, cooking that created burned food and created smoke, or even cigarette smoking.  Some smoke damage is just odour, but some smoke damage results in ash being ground into the quilt fibers.  Extreme heat can cause melting of fibers, and of course water can cause stains when it is full of ash.  Threads, especially polyester based threads, can actually melt in high heat.

Most of the information on the internet was for companies wanting you to purchase their product/service to restore your quilt.  But you can do some basic steps at home to help the restoration process of your beloved quilts.  The first step is to assess the total damage.  Is it just the smell you want to remove?  Are the fibers actually damaged?  Did the thread or fabric melt?  Is there ash ground into the fabric?  Is there discoloration of the fabric?  All of these things need to be determined first.  The type of damage will dictate the restoration required.

The most interesting fact I found on the internet about damaged quilts was to keep it wet.  If it dries out it will be harder to remove the offending issues.  Washing needs to be very gentle in a tumble/spin washer rather than an agitating washing machine.  If the quilt is all ready dry and has ash on it, gently vacuum the item before you wash.  Some sites recommend a gentle wash with vinegar in the water to start with.  Several washings may need to be done.  Use a gentle detergent with a deodorizer component to the soap to help absorb the offending odours.  Wash the item several times before sending it to the dryer.  The dryer may set stains that are not completely removed during the washing process.

If you have any hesitation at all in trying to rescue your well loved quilts, it may be worth the cost of a professional restoration service.  Insurance agencies or even the fire department may be able to give you a lead on good quality fire restorers in your area.

 

Simple Words Build Us Up

I have had the pleasure of teaching others quilting, sewing, machine embroidery, and computer skills classes for several years now.  You get all levels of students in your classes from novice/beginner to an advanced level student.  Designing a class to satisfy all level of students is difficult.  When I take a class I am thrilled if I come away with one new idea, or a new way of doing an old technique.  But others want so much more from their classes.  As an educator, after the students leave you never know if they enjoyed and completed the class projects at home.  Often there is little or no feedback at all from students.  This especially happens when you are teaching at a large sewing show where there are hundreds of students and they are only passing through.  I enjoy classes that repeat monthly (clubs dedicated to one idea or area of sewing).  With repeat attendance you can hear a bit of feedback about how the students liked the class the month before.  This week I received the most wonderful letter of appreciation from a student about the class I taught.  That one letter of thanks did so much to help make my spirit soar and make me want to continue teaching like I love doing!  Simple words of encouragement are so lasting.  Thanks to all the students who support me.  I actually learn volumes of ideas and concepts from the students as I watch them apply the ideas from the lessons.  The learning and appreciation is a two way street.  I encourage all crafty people to share their love of what they are doing with others.  You never know when someone will be especially blessed from your words!Langley Machine Embroidery Club

Class Inspirations

 

Sewing Trade Shows, Store Classes, Quilt Shows and Private Classes are all opportunities for learning new skills.

 

Happy New Year and welcome to 2012! May this New Year bring you many wonderful opportunities to expand your love of sewing. This time of year we get all kinds of flyers and emails enticing us to participate in classes of every type. Sometimes it is hard to find the time to schedule all these opportunities into our schedule.

Just like you, I enjoy being a student in a class from time to time rather than being the person responsible to teach the class. I too need new ideas to come my way to stay inspired. I love taking classes of all types. It is my goal to pick up at least one new idea in each class I attend.

Learning opportunities are all around us. Guilds offer us classes at the best price. It is a benefit of membership in guilds that allows us to have amazing classes. Often classes are much more expensive to take at our local sewing stores. Time can be restrictive for guild classes, but is a great learning opportunity for us.

Classes in stores may not work for us if it requires too much travel for us. Also, stores may have a minimum number of students required for the class to run. It is always disappointing to sign up for a class and buy all the supplies only to be informed at the last moment that the class is cancelled due to low registration numbers.

Puyallup, Washington has the largest sewing and crafts show in North America. It is an experience that many sewers just love to participate in. It is a social event as much as a learning experience. Classes at this show are very reasonably priced and you can take many classes in one day.

Remember, you can also learn new concepts and techniques from vendors at shows as they bring the newest sewing gadgets into their stores. Often these new gadgets help us do an old technique in a newer and faster way. I personally love all the new tools we have presented to us during these shows.

Of course, Quilt Guild shows offer yet another opportunity to learn new things. Our own Langley Quilters Guild Show is coming this May and we can learn new ideas from each other here. I love the show years because I get to see all the creativity of my fellow quilters. Also, the guild challenge is another way to expand our experience. Pushing myself to be more creative for the challenge encourages me to research new ways to do things in quilting. A challenge is a smaller quilt that is a great place to experiment with the things I have learned.

Wherever you prefer to do your learning, participate whole heartedly! Continue to strive to learn new things on a regular basis. It keeps your brain sharp and your outlook stays fresh and young. Every day is another opportunity to learn something new.

New Year's Goals

Do you set goals for yourself?  How far in the future do you project your plans?  When you are an educator you need to think far ahead and plan for all the teaching opprotunities in the coming year.  This can be overwhelming or inspiring.  Be sure to allow time to change your mind if you plans don't work the way you thought.  Also, don't over schedule yourself.  Leave time for playtime for yourself.  You need to get inspired by participating in other groups besides your own.  Seek inspiration in the small events in your life.  Take time to smell the roses.  I wish you a very happy and prosperous New Year.

Christmas Colors for Inspiration

Sometimes it is easiest to just use one color of thread or fabric when quilting or doing machine embroidery.  You save so much time changing your thread on your machine.  And, one color designs can indeed be very dramatic.  But this is the Christmas season, and I see amazing color everywhere.  I am inspired by the blinking multicolor lights, the bright colors of the wrapping paper, and all the bling on the Christmas clothes for sale in the stores.  Color is usually the first thing that catches the eye and the design elements themselves are usually secondary.  Color selections can compliment your project or ruin your project if you don't choose wisely.  Color theory is a major study for artists.  Enjoy your colors and play with them frequently to see what you can create.  Sometimes, just the smallest hit of color can make a major impact on what you are designing. 

What can a good educator do for a class?

 

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING AN EDUCATOR CAN DO FOR A STUDENT?

 

 

 

EDITORIAL—FROM AN EDUCATOR PERSPECTIVE

Submitted by Yvonne Menear

Ever taken a class and been disappointed by the lesson? Ever had an instructor recommended to you only to be disappointed when you attended their class? There is a logical reason for this. Everyone has a different learning style. Some like to learn through reading, some through listening (seminars), some by watching, and some by doing hands on classes. Whatever style works for you will not necessarily work for your friend.

Educators need to be sensitive to peoples learning needs and have all teaching styles present in every class they host. Also, handouts that are very detailed with lots of step by step instruction with photos are really important if the entire project is not completed in class. Sometimes we don’t get back to the project we started in class for several weeks and can forget the finer points of the lesson. We can refresh our mind about the process if we have a thorough handout to follow.

Have you ever taken a class from an instructor at a store or guild meeting and then no one knew how to contact them for follow up information? A good instructor will have their name and contact information on the handout so they can aid you in the future with any questions that may arise once you are home.

The very most important thing an instructor can do is to

encourage you along the learning process so you have a positive experience no matter what the project is. As a child, when I tried something new, my father would say "Good for you! That shows you are thinking!" Even if what I did was not perfect or beautiful, I felt the positive recognition for my efforts in just trying something. That is not always what happens in some classes. Sometimes, the instructor only knows one way to do something so they become intimidated when a student goes off in another direction with the lesson plan. That is when you hear things like "That is wrong—you will have to rip it out and start over".

Feel encouraged even when what you tried turns out awful. At the very least, you have learned what not to do the next time. We learn more from our failures than we do from our perfect outcomes that were accomplished with very little effort applied. Remember, we crawled and stumbled along before we ever learned to walk. Celebrate your baby steps along the way!!

Are you an artist or do you just like to sew?

 

EDITORIAL—FROM AN EDUCATOR

Yvonne Menear ycjm@shaw.ca www.yvonnemenear.com

Are you an artist? Do you consider yourself able to express your artistic creativity in fabric and thread? Or are you like myself and consider yourself a person who sews and has no real intrinsic artistic ability?

I was watching a Sunday morning news show and saw the most amazing thing. It was an introduction to Crystal Bridges American Art Museum in Arkansas built by the Wal-Mart heiress, Alice Walton. One of the art displays was a wall of spools of thread. When you stood back and looked at the wall in its entirety, instead of seeing individual spools of thread you saw the depiction of The Lords Supper painting. Wow! I could not believe what I was seeing! It sure got me thinking about fabric and thread in a different light.

When I walk into my sewing room I see walls of threads and fabrics stacked according to color. I thought I was just making it easier to find that right shade of blue without going through piles of other colors to find the blue I needed. But when I stand back and look at it with an ‘artistic’ eye, I see waves of colors flowing over the shelves. Like a bargello quilt that has an array of colors moving in columns and rows over a quilt top to create a design, my shelves have a flow of color to them. When looking for that specific color of thread or fabric, my eye often wanders to another fabric that inspires me to think of an entirely different quilt opportunity. Perhaps this is the first step of my artistic inspiration for a ‘non artist’? I am not sure.

Color is the first thing that attracts me to a quilt. The design is secondary for me. The actual quilt stitches are the final thing I see. Yet, as I look at the piece in its entirety I am emotionally moved with the detail in each step of the design process. I often hear students say "I could never make that". But if you break it down into segments, each element is not so daunting.

I encourage you to look at the elements of the quilt designing process and see in which stage of the process you feel most comfortable. Do you enjoy the designing, the piecing, or the quilting? Is your favourite time

picking the perfect thread to work with? Or do you get stopped at just thinking of the possibilities of quilts you would like to make and spend all your time dreaming of that and never really get started on anything? This is all part of the artistic expression of the quilt making.

As an educator I like to encourage the students in each step of the process. If I can understand what they value most, then I can guide them through the rest of the quilt construction using that inspiring element that they enjoy. You automatically do this in your explanation of the quilt you have made. We often speak of the inspiration that made us create the quilt. Sometimes, it is just that someone asked us to make a quilt. Sometimes, it is just that we wanted to try a new technique. Sometimes, it is the inspiration of color (like the changing color of all the leaves we have happening outside our windows now).

Think of yourself as an artist. You are the creator of your project. You started with nothing more than a thought and created something tangible. Whether you work in paint, clay, metal, or fabric, you are indeed an artist and your art is developing with each new project.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q='after+the+last+supper'&view=detail&id=33F2EC6584AA7902D722082C4B948112B7CE6974&first=31&FORM=IDFRIR

Class Supply List

 

FROM AN EDUCATOR’S PERSPECTIVE

—YVONNE MENEAR ycjm@shaw.ca

The Class Supply List—who is responsible?

Supply lists are the backbone of the class preparation process. Have you ever attended a class and not had the correct supplies? Have you ever signed up for a class and the sponsoring group did not have the supply list for the class? Have you ever received a supply list only to find out it was the wrong one? Have you ever had a supply list that had huge amounts of supplies required only to find that they were not used in the class at all? Who is responsible for this and what is a basic expectation of what a supply list should include?

The supply list starts with the educator. Ideally they will have their name, phone number, and email on the supply list so if there are any questions before class, the student or sponsoring group/store can contact them easily if there are any questions about the supplies. Supply lists should clearly indicate if there is any before class preparation. It should also list if there is a kit fee associated with the class and if the fee is payable to the sponsoring group/store or directly to the educator. The supply lists can either be a hard copy or as a computer file. If it is a file, the sponsoring group/store can easily forward the list to the student and print copies if they require a hard copy for someone who does not own a computer. The computer file should be supplied as a word .doc, adobe .pdf, or a Mac document as you do not know what type of computer the student has. The supply list should stick strictly to the items that will be used in class. Listing accessory supplies (nice to have) that are not necessarily used in class should not be listed but may be talked about as alternative items in class. The supply list should also include a picture of the project to be made so the student can visually see how the finished project will look. This will help them in the selection of the fabrics and threads that will be used. The learning outcome should be stated on the supply list. EX: "This is a techniques class" "We will create a quilt top only in class" "The entire project will be completed in class" Ideally, a completed sample should be supplied to the sponsoring group/store so there is a tangible item the student can view before registering for the class.

The second person responsible for supply lists is the sponsoring group/store. It is important to have the supply lists on hand to give the student at the time of registration. Some stores require the educator to use the supplies they sell. The store should point out the supplies noted that they have for sale and if there is a discount on the supplies purchased for class participants. The sponsoring group/store needs to let the educator know if they need more supply lists or be prepared to print more so they have them for all the registrants. It is the responsibility of the sponsoring group/store to care for the samples provided by the educator and have them available the day of the class.

The final person responsible for supply lists is the student themselves. Students should request the supply list at the time of registration. If the sponsoring group/store has no more hard copies available, request that they email the list to you or that they contact you when more hard copies are available. The student needs to carefully read the supply list and bring exactly what is requested. The student should not decide that they are not going to bring the stated supplies and assume they can just substitute something else. There is a possibility they may not be able to make the project without the proper supplies. The most important supply is a machine in good working order. How often have you cleaned your machine? Does it require oiling? Do you have the proper bobbins for your machine? Do you have an assortment of needles for your machine? The machine and its’ accessories are just as important as the fabrics and threads required for the class. Make sure you have the contact information of the instructor when you sign up for a class so you can contact them directly if you have any questions. Contacting the staff of the sponsoring group/store is not the best as they may not know exactly how the project will be created and could accidentally give the student the wrong information. The student should ask to see the sample for the class so they can better visualize what exactly is being made in the class.

So, who is responsible? Everyone is accountable!! Any of the parties not being prepared with supplies can cause a disappointed student in class. Preparation is half of the creative process and needs to be valued by all parties involved.

Writing articles

I have been so busy writing class lessons, sewing show seminars, and newsletter articles for the Langley Quilters Guild.  I love writing, but it is time consuming and it has kept me from updating my blog page for a while.  Rest assured, I am still here and working diligently with students in classroom lessons.  Coming up with projects for all my technqiues takes a lot of time also.  Right now I am also writing a power point presentation about the Canadian Quilters Association last quilt show in June of 2011.  I will be presenting this for the local quilt guild later this month.  At least I am gaining inspiration for more quilt projects of my own by viewing all the lovely quilts entered into the annual national show in Canada.  So many ideas and so little time to make all I would like.

Club? Yes or No?

How many clubs that relate to sewing do you belong to?  I facilitate an embroidery club, and I belong to a social club/group that meets to embroider and quilt.  I also belong to 5 different quilt guilds.  I also sew with ladies at my church to send items to missionaries overseas. I am considering starting another embroidery club that is social and related to one specific topic only.  I don't think you can belong to too many groups.  As we age and leave the work environment, we need to have a purpose to go out and be with others.  When we share a love of sewing with others in these groups, we automatically have a shared interest and can bond easily with each other.  We learn from each other different techniques and approaches to our designing and sewing process.  There is a wealth of information out there with other ladies.  I especially appreciate the older ladies who have been sewing for decades and they can share how things used to be done and the value in still doing some things the old ways.  I also enjoy the younger ladies with their fancy machines and their creative/artistic approach to making some old new with a new expression.  Yes, there can never be enough groups or enough time for me to participate in it all.  I love every minute I can be with anyone who shares my enjoyment of sewing/quilting/embroidery.

 

How do you describe comfort?

When times are rough and you need a little uplift, what do you do for yourself?  For young children and elderly alike, sometimes a nap under a special quilt made just for you will do the trick.  But the process of making the quilt for a loved one can be just as comforting.  As I made a red/white/and blue quilt many years ago, I kept thinking of my Father while I was designing and sewing.  Little did I know at the time he would die a couple months later.  While finishing a quilt top that my Mother had started in her youth I kept thinking of what it took for her little hands to create the small squares and patch them together.  Little did I know she would die a couple months later.  These are precious keepsakes for me now.  They bring me comfort when I see them.  As I work on designing quilt and embroidery designs I wonder how they will end up and who will be comforted by them--myself or the individual who recieves them.  These items we create/sew are lasting projects that will affect others to come.  That is why we value the blessing of creativity we have been given.

 

SLOW DOWN WORLD!!!

 
Things just happen faster and faster all the time.  Instant gratification is the way of the world now.  But, holidays are still in the same month every year, so why do we have to think of them so far in advance?  I really dislike Christmas in July and Back to School just after the school year ends.  Now, it is planning for Halloween and Thanksgiving in August.  Just look at the websites for embroidery and quilting.  Everything is months in advance.  I know it takes a little time to prep items for these holidays, but it sure ruins the spirit of the season for me.  By the time Christmas comes around I have been working on designs for several months and can hardly wait for the season to be done with.  It takes the joy out of each and every celebration we have through out the year.  Anticipating a holiday used to be half the fun when I was young.  I just want to get that feeling back again.  I don't know if it is technology that is pushing us along so fast now or what.  Stop and smell the roses while they are here.  Everything could be gone tomorrow.  Anyone else feel this way or is it just me?

Where Oh Where?

I love getting together with friends to sew, quilt, embroider, whatever.  The hard part is finding a space where we can all get together on a regualr basis.  Churches used to have meeting rooms that could be used.  Recreation centers used to have rooms available.  Some housing subdivisions have clubhouses.  The problem is, they are becoming very expensive to rent.  I have to look every year for a reasonably priced facility to teach my machine embroidery club.  I also sponsor a sewing group once a month.  I have found a Senior Center that will allow me to use the rooms if I become a member of the center.  Ideally they want all my group participants to be members also.  This seems to be the best option for me right now as it is the most affordable.  Sewing stores have classrooms but they are not the best place to meet as they want you to purchase items from them.  It is a continuing problem and may result in future start up groups that are about sewing will not be able to afford any meeting places.  I am sure you have run into this problem for your own groups also.  Retreats are also another big item you need to book for several years in advance.  Who knew that wanting to get together with people who have a love of fabric and thread would be so challenged!!!

Threads

I love my threads.  It is like candy to me.  The colors and sheen attract me to want to reach out and touch.  My favorite threads are Superior Threads.  It is expensive for me to purchase from the USA so I go to my Superior thread dealer in Canada.  That is Cindy Threadworks on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.  She has a great website with a newsletter and blog. http://www.cindysthreadworks.com/blog/  Cindy recently did an interview with me about my quilting and machine embroidery.  Visit her site and see what we discussed.

 

Stabilizers

I like having my items to quilt or embroider very stable.  It gives the very best stitch when then fabric is stable.  I do not like stability to be stiff as a board.  I have recently changed my stabilization to be a fusible interfacing on the back of my fabric and when embroidering, I also place fusible interfacing on an inexpensive muslin and hoop it very tightly first and then float my embroidery fabric on top of it in the hoop.  This gives maximum stabilization without making the embroidery design stiff (bullet proof).  This is how Steve Wilson of Anita Gooddesign embroidery company does his stabilization.  I can do free motion quilting with decorative stitches much more effectively if I stabilize my top with fusible interfacing first.  It does not add a lot of bulk and the fabric keeps its drape.  It may seem that all this stabilization would be costly, but it is less expensive that buying tear away or wash away stabilizers.  The fusible interface is readily available at all fabric stores.

Artist or sewer?

I love art quilt and the amazing designs they bring to the quilting community.  I am not an artist.  I can sew.  I can be more expressive artistically on my quilts because of my embroidery machine.  Intricate designs can be created and incorporated into my quilting projects to add that edge of 'art' to a basic utilitarian style of quilt.  I can not draw, but I can trace.  I also learned as a very young child how to color inside the lines.  I may not have drawn the lines, but I can color inside the lines created by my embroidery machine.  With the use of permanent ink fabric pens I can color my designs for added depth and interest on my quilts.  I don't get shading, depth, color blending, etc. but I can add just a bit more interest with my fabric pens.  I have used the fabric pens in the past to fill in areas of stitches that the embroidery machine did not quite fill properly.  I have also used the pens when sewing garments and hiding raw edges that are not the correct color (like the cut of the button hole opening).  I am trying to challenge myself to create more interesting projects.  Hopefully, using fabric pens to complete a design will help me to achieve a feeling of being a bit of an artist.

 

Have you looked at the bottom of your machine lately?

I was stitching a machine embroidery design that took about 3 hours to complete.  After about 2 1/2 hours of stitching the embroidery hoop jumped to the side and the foot banged against the edge of the frame.  I got an error message that there was a mechanical problem and I needed to turn off the machine and turn it on again.  I tried that and the embroidery arm tried to slide over and then froze in place.  I took off  the hoop and looked at the embroidery arm.  The bed of the machine and the bed of the embroidery arm were not in the same plane.  I removed the embroidery arm and looked underneath the machine to see why it was not sitting even on the table top.  There are five little rubber feet on the bottom of the machine.  One of the rubber feet had disintigrated and was causing a slight tip to the machine.  Such a little part caused such a huge, expensive problem.  I have asked the technician to replace all the feet on the machine so it would not happen again.  The embroidery arm has to be recalibrated now also.  We spend thousands of dollars on our machines and a little rubber foot can bring the entire thing to a screeching halt!  Now, besides cleaning my machine constantly, I will flip it over and look at the bottom of the machine also.

Where do you find quality embroidery designs?

It is difficult to know the quality of embroidery designs just by looking at them on a website.  How they stitch out can only be determined once you have made your purchase.  There are a number of reliable embroidery design sites on the internet.  Check to see if you can get a rebate from a company if the design you purchase is less than acceptable.  I like the site called embroiderables.   If you love cross stitch designs, I recommend Becky J designs.

www.yvonnemenear.com

http://www.embroidables.com/store.php?page=affiliateprogram.

Websites

There are many good websites out there that offer any number of designs for embroidery, quilting, sewing, etc.  One of the sites I enjoy is Embroidables.com.  Take a look at their products on their website.

<a href="http://www.embroidables.com">
Embroidery Designs</a>

Embroidered lace

I have the pleasure today working with some ladies learning how to digitize lace.  It is a complicated process with really exceptional results.  But where do you use lace?  Lace can be cutwork, free standing, lacey designs on a back ground fabric, lace combined with applique, etc.  The designs usage is limitless.  I often use lace designs in my quilts.  Think of the Latte Quilt that was so popular several years ago.  Although it was a quilt, it was full of lace designs.  Explore lace more deeply to see where you can use it in your projects.

 

Use what you've got!

I just came back from a couple days at an embroidery class for the past two days.  There was a professional digitizer teaching his embroidery designs.  He gave us tips for sewing out embroidery designs in different styles.   I was familiar with the process of stitching out the designs offered.  What I spent my time doing was watching the unique stitches being formed that created the over all designs.  I asked the teacher how he designed specific stitches.  He uses a different digitizing program than I do and his stitch options were built into his program.  I really wanted to be able to design like this so I really thought about the stitching process and then used the program I have to create a very similar stitch design using the tools I have in my program.  I remember my parents telling me to "use what I've got and do the best I can with it".  I figured out how to create the desgins I wanted.  The whole process was a learning experience.  The most famous form of flattery for people is to have others try to emulate what they are doing.  This is not just copying others.  It is taking an idea you get from others and trying to do it for yourself in your own unique way.  This is what we do when quilting, sewing, or doing machine embroidery.  Be creative with what you've got and stretch your own imagination.

 

 

What to know about each machine?

I teach at several different stores and each store has different machine makes.  I also have an embroidery club where every machine type is welcome.  Keeping all the machines straight in my head is a bit of a nightmare.  Basically, all machines thread similarly and bobbins load similarly.  Some models have quilting, embroidery and sewing options and some are just meant for sewing.  It is a good idea to be familiar with all the different makes and their respective features that are unique to them.  I am constantly taking training on all the different machines.  The competition between the companies to have unique features can be overwhelming.  Right now, the big thing is cutwork needles for the machines.  Also, the built in camera feature on some machines is uniuqe also.  The best advice I give people is still that they need a reliable store for service after the sale.  I also suggest they purchase the biggest machine with the most bells and whistles they can possibly afford.  You will be able to grow into all those features as your sewing abilities increase.  Also, computer software that supports the sewing machines is important.   I prefer user friendly features on machines and software.  The easier it is to use, the more likely you will use it to the full potential.  My favorite is the Brother line of products, machines and software.  Each person will have to carefully consider their needs and wants to decide what is best for them.  Our sewing habit is very expensive, so take some time to consider everything before you make a purchase. 

 

 

Make your quilt pictures into a puzzle

I made my quilt into an online puzzle at Jigsaw Planet.  Hop online and play a puzzle game that will give you my AccuQuilt Go Arabesque Quilt I made.

 

Sewing and Crafts Show

I just finished 3 days of teaching classes on quilting at  the Abbotsford Sew and Crafts show at the Tradex building.  There were thousands of ladies there all eager to learn about all the new ideas surrounding our love of sewing and crafting.  This is the best way to learn a lot of different things all in a couple days.  It is inspiring and informative all in one.  If you have a chance to visit a trade show in your area, I encourage you to do so.

 

Machine Embroidery Club

I have the privilege of running a machine embroidery club once a month.  It is open to all types of machines and we explore the different types of embroidery we can create with our machines.  We incorporate our designs in different projects.  The students are given the designs and the stitch out process is explained to them.  They then decide if they want to do the project suggested or if they want to use the idea in a different way.  I love to see all the personal interpretation of the presented project.  I do digitize the designs we use and convert them to all the different machine formats for the individual machines.  The ladies are wonderful at sharing ideas and lending a helping hand with each other.  Belonging to the group is a great experience and I suggest you find a group in your area to attend.  You can view our embroidery club on a website that was created by one of our members. http://fortlangleyembroiderygroup.blogspot.com/  You can also view past projects in my machine embroidery club photos on this blog.

 

What is the best machine?

I am often asked in classes I teach which is the best sewing/embroidery/quilting machine.  All machines are the same in that the needle goes up and down.  The designs are created by moving the fabric in different directions at different speeds.  I suggest to people to buy the biggest, best, most bells and whistles machine they can afford.  That way they can grow into their machine as their needs change.  I have purchased many machines to fit just my needs at the current time only to need another machine as I change the way I sew.  Machines are very expensive so buy the best you can afford so you don't need to buy more.  I tell people to look for good local support of the machine after the initial sales.  You will need support for repairs and minor tune ups from time to time.  I also suggest they buy a machine that is user friendly (easy to learn).  I love the Brother (Babylock) line of machines and own several myself.  I also like the Janome (Elna) machines.  Try them all under different conditions before you purchase.  In Canada the Bernina company has withdrawn all their dealerships and it is now near impossible to get support for those machines.  Do your homework and choose wisely.

 

Quilt and Embroidery Tools

My favorite tools save me time and give me quality results. I like to combine embroidery and quilting in most of my projects. My favorite new tool is the AccuQuilt Go cutting machine. I can prepare my applique shapes and add machine embroidery as an embellishment for the applique design on my quilt. I rely on Nulagh at www.stitchintheditch.com for all my AccuQuilt products. The Accuquilt company now has embroidery design disks available to combine with the AccuQuilt shapes.

Multi-tasking: Good or Bad?

I get bored easily and therefor I have several projects on the go at once.  If I am bored with one I just switch to another project.  Teaching keeps me busy with classes now and preping for classes in the future.  The problem is, you can get too much on your plate at once and become overwhelmed.  Time management is critical even if you are only sewing for yourself.  Also, I have learned I need to take time for myself.  If I don't get personal inspiration from my sewing friends around me, then I am no use to anyone.  I love learning and growing in different directions all the time.  Through that I can share my passion with others.  I encourage everyone to share their love of sewing with others, take classes to keep learning themselves, and share what you have  accomplished with your students.

 

Quilters Connection Magazine

I have written an article on the Accuquilt Go cutting machine for Connections for Quilters magazine. http://quiltersconnection.ca/  The article shows several quilts that I made with the Go cutter.  Take a look a see what you think

 
 

 

TV Interview with CHEK TV

I was just interviewed by CHEK 6 Television in Victoria, BC in regards to the sewing show in town this weekend.  I am an educator for the show and I am speaking on technology related sewing topics and new tools that make our sewing easier.  I am spending one day teaching the Electric Quilt 7 software program.  This is a quilt design program on the computer that you can design your quilt from the basic block right through the block layout and onto the quilting of the layers.  I am also teaching on how to set your machine to do bobbin work.  These computerized sewing machines are very technical and we need to understand the the mechanics of how they work so we can alter them to work the way we need them to work for the specific projects we are doing.  I am also speaking on the amazing new Accuquilt  cutting machine and its benefits and applications in the quilting we do.  If you are going to be in Victoria, BC this weekend, stop by the show at the Victoria Conference Center.  February 24-26, 2011

 

Speaking at Quilt Guilds

I often speak at quilt guilds on a variety of different subjects.  I recently spoke with the Boundary Bay Quilters Guild in Ladner, British Columbia.http://www.boundarybayquiltersguild.ca/  This was a very delightful group of people to share my tme with.   Although I usually do a power-point presentation, this group asked me to do a presentation of quilts I have made over the years.  As I showed my quilts and spoke to them, I told them what I learned while making each quilt.  Some techniques I would do again, and some techniques I would never do again.  We often find a style of quilting that we enjoy and stay on that type of quilt.  It can be fun to try other techniques if you approach it as a learning opportunity and not necessarily with the thought that you will create a masterpiece.  Often, learning a new technique or style of quilting can be disastrous.  But, you always learn something in the process.  Join a local sewing group or large quilt guild and share you endeavours with others.  You will be inspired with what you see and learn.

Blind Quilter

A friend of mine sent me this link  to a video about a blind quilter.  We are all so picky about how our quilts turn out.  We put our nose a 1/2 inch away from the stitches and say it is not perfect enough.  Judges tear apart our work when we enter  quilt shows and call it constructive criticism.  I wish we could all quilt with the perspective of this blind quilter.  She is truly blessed in her skill, attitude, and strength to continue in her quilting endeavours.  I was really humbled by this video! Celebrate what you can do and not what you can not do!

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=7lfaSmDxVZQ

 

Incredible Quilt Video

You have got to see this video! http://www.nfb.ca/film/quilt/?ec=en20110209  This is all about quilt designs that are made from a basic block pattern.  I work with EQ7 to design my quilt layouts, but this is absolutely amazing!