OK, so I surfed over to see my friend Susan Brubaker Knapp’s blog this Sunday morning, and she had a post mentioning the new Lark Books contest and hotlinks to the books the winners would receive.  One of those books is Pretty Little Mini Quilts. Well, about a thousand years ago I sent in a couple proposals, and one was accepted for the book (it must be at least a year since I sent in the quilt).

So I clicked on the hotlink, and LOOKIT what is there:

Yes folks…. I (somewhere up above the clouds at the moment) found MY Amazing Crested Batiki Bird ON THE COVER!

That makes two for two…. my pomegranate notebook cover made it onto the cover of Creative Quilting with Beads, too!

WOW…. THANKS LARK!

Despite being a relatively unknown teacher, I was thrilled that my Wednesday class was FULL!  It is called Tame Fussy Fiddly Threads for Machine Quilting, which is really my “More Machine Quilting” class but with a better name.  It is for folks who are comfortable with free-motion quilting.  You don’t have to think you are good at it, just willing to try it!

The photo above shows the four 15″ square samples I made for the class.  (Click on the photo for a larger view.) The one on the top left is on the cover of my book.  Since I kit up the threads, and the ones I used in that sample didn’t match the kits, I decided I needed to make up three new samples to match what was in the kits because many students want to “make it just like that.”  I always encourage students to make it their way, but many will follow the class sample for practice.

When I teach this class locally and for guilds where students have their own machines, we work on a thread tension sampler (the pattern/instructions are in my book) so folks can learn how to achieve a balanced tension no matter which combination of thread, needles, fabric and batting (well, there may be impossible combinations, but we talk about that, too).  However, I learned the hard way in Paducah in Spring 2008, that doing a tension sampler on a borrowed classroom machine isn’t the best idea.  SO, I developed the leaf sampler so students can actually make a small item in class while testing different threads and tension settings.  I also hand out the instructions for the tension sampler so they can start on it when they get home to have their own personalized ready-reference quilting tension guide.

Anyway, the morning was spent making the freezer paper stencil template and painting:

The colors the students combined were GREAT!  I loved the pink and green tinges to the copper and gold:

Here are three happy students….the lady (my classroom helper…thank you!) on the left used a gray/black print that looked great in the real… it didn’t photograph as well, but is really cool:

The one in the middle used the Brytes thread, a heavy poly from Superior Threads, for the stems very effectively:

Lynn was one of the few who totally wanted to go her own way…yippee!  Instead of using my leaf, she drew and stencilled an oak leaf:

And here is Lynn  in the middle of quilting—thanks to Janome America for sponsoring several classrooms of machines!

And of course, a whole bunch more of fun quilting and stencilling and quilting.  Some students preferred to mark guidelines for their stems and vines:

and even more pictures:

I really like Barbara’s composition, colors and that swirly vine:

and here’s a detail:

Next post about classes, I’ll share the Fun Fabric Postcards class!

Well, I’m a bit of a dolt… here I get to teach in Houston at Quilt Festival, which frankly is a GINORMOUS career leap, and I forget to take the camera to take pictures of my classes not just Monday, but Tuesday as well!  So, I only have a couple pictures from Fine Finishes (the bindings class) and Machine Applique 3 Ways.  Sigh….   This picture is of the front of the room.  I was lucky to be in the Janome classroom, the same one, all four days, so I could just lock up my stuff at night and didn’t have to pack and move.  The IQA staff are the ONLY ones with the keys–not even the convention center has them for the duration–so your stuff is safe!

Of course, I took home the laptop, videocam (for live demos projected up on the foam-core in lieu of screen) and digital projector.  Have I mentioned that a prime requirement to being a quilt teacher is a strong back and wheeled everything?  I think the worst thing about traveling to teach quilting is airports and air travel; the second worst thing is schlepping stuff everywhere…being a human pack mule!  Anyway, I did something fun (inspired by Jan Krentz‘s classroom intro), and did up a pre-class slide show set on autoplay of Where I Live… how many miles from Camden, ME to Houston, TX, what our neighborhood looks like, and our lovely town and, since everyone is always curious, my studio/workspace (with the requisite  pics of the adorable pug).  I’m happy to say it went over well.  As soon as class began at 8, that show went off and class began.  FUN!

This is the “store” area with my book, patterns and assorted stuff folks might need (but forgot to bring) in class. I ONLY sell things I will use, so if they don’t sell, I have a goodly supply of stuff I like!

The ironing station, as you can see, is just to the left.

Here’s a view of the classroom from behind my table, at the front:

Since I have a TON of pictures from the Wednesday class, Tame Fussy Fiddly Threads, I think I’ll do a separate post tomorrow with those, then later in the weekend the Thursday postcards class.  The latter was small but boy did those ladies have fun! So did I!

When I wasn’t working in a booth to promote my book, I got to dash around Market madly getting an overview of things, dropping off my pattern packets for the distributors and meeting old and new friends.

I FINALLY got to meet Susan Brubaker Knapp, an amazingly talented woman, internet friend, and fellow working mom.  Here is her website and blog, and a picture of happy Susan at Market:

We have written back and forth for several years.  Our careers are both taking off on parallel but forward-moving tracks.  Check out Susan’s blog and booklet/pattern Applique Petal Party from C&T (I’ll have more on that and a give-away of a copy in the not too distant future!).

A few moments later, the ever-lovely Bonnie McCaffrey came by; she is now the official videographer for IQA, so if you see any cool videos on the Quilts, Inc., website about festival, they are Bonnie’s handiwork (click on that link to get to various videos).  She is also an amazingly talented art quilter and teacher!  Here we all are:

Later, I happened by Linda McGehee’s booth, and fell into severe zipper lust:

I can see a Frayed Edges zipper challenge (and an order to Linda’s website, Ghee‘s)!

One of the best things about Houston is meeting on-line friends in person.  Since Marie was home this year (she is my regular roomie!) I got lucky, and roomed with Larkin Van Horn.  Larkin lives out near where I used to live and Marie still lives, and she stayed with me when she came out to San Juan Island to teach six or so years ago.  During Market, we went to dinner in the hotel, so here we are (well, I’m behind the camera):  Larkin on the left, Bonnie across from Larkin, and Lyric Kinard (author of Art + Quilt, just released   and in my reading pile–I’ll review it when I get it read but so far it looks great!) in red:

We talked books, and I am currently REALLY enjoying some mysteries (recommended by either Larkin or Lyric?) by Julia Spencer Fleming… some much needed mental R&R!

Quilt Market is THE trade show for the quilt industry.  It takes place every fall in Houston, and in spring at a sequence of cities around the U.S.  I had only been once before–in 2003 I think it was–in Portland, Oregon, with my dearest friend Marie.  What an overwheleming experience and eye-opener!  I knew within 30 minutes that I did NOT want to do the “designer and have a booth at Market” thing for my career, but that I DID want to be a part of the industry.

This year, AQS really  put on the extra push to get my book into print in time for Market, and arranged book signings both in their booth and in Peterson-Arne, one of the major distributors to quilt shops.  The photo above is the AQS booth, and you can see that they included two of my quilts on their wall, including The Wall right under the AQS banner (with my book smack dab under it!), and Tea over on the right.  The two projects on the table are in the book!

Marge Boyle, the AQS marketing person, put together some very nice name cards and easel-display thingies which I was able to use later when doing book signings at Festival, in my booth, and later here in Maine at book-signings.  Thanks Marge!  Here is the close-up of the center of the booth’s wall:

The booth was at the back of the hall….right near the ladies room!  As Libby Lehman walked by while I was signing, one of the editors immediately went over to say hello, brought to introduce her to me, and we gave her one of my books.  Needless to say, I felt quite sheepish–I mean, I’m just me, and she is the Queen, Master…Empress??? of Thread (except she is so nice and friendly those all sound too uppity–she’s just the master!).

To my utter delight, on Thursday one of my students from MOnday came dashing in…she was in Libby’s class that day, and of the three books Libby recommended for machine quilting, MINE was one of them!   MY OH MY!!!!   It is SO AFFIRMING to have someone with Libby’s expertise and stature say good things–after all, she doesn’t know me from a hole in the wall, and for her to think I’ve done well… WOW!   I know I did my best, but it sure makes you feel wonderful to know that someone who is THE expert agrees that I’ve done a good job.  PHEW!

And a view of another table in the booth:

Life is good!