While Ros was at breakfast, BJ, Andrea and I loaded up the cart and loaded up the truck. Some of our stuff was at the church in the sewing room, locked up tight so we didn't even have it all and two of us had rollies besides all this. Yes sewing retreats, especially with show and tell of quilts, requires WAY TOO MUCH STUFF!
For the "My Blue Heaven" workshop Bonnie also demoed how to use the rulers (Easy Angle and Companion Angle) and also did sewing demos. I have made lots of Bonnie quilts and have used these rulers often, but the Easy Angle has always confounded me. We finally came up with a way to use it with decent success, but after listening to Bonnie explain that you start out (if you are right handed) with the words right side up and use the ruler from the bottom to measure, then after cutting you pretend it has hinges on the right side of the triangle and you flip it over and cut again. Then repeat, lots. I cannot tell you how many minutes I have wasted trying to remember how to use this ruler each time I sit down with it. Guess I should have read the directions, or maybe I did, but Bonnie's SIMPLE explanation and demo was the first little gem I picked up. There were more...
Very early in the day--since it was Valentine's Day--a delivery showed up for me! Kathy sent me a dozen chocolate covered strawberries which I shared with those at my table at lunch time. They were delicious! She also got me an ipod (I finally want one!) and a Packer phone cover, though I already switched back to my otter box because I am used to it!
This is my first puss block! Now to do enough to fill this quilt!
For this workshop a few of the gals from the day before were not here and a few new ones came in. In the shuffly of it all, Andrea lost her spot but happily she fit in at our table. We each had a full table to work at, and it was actually too much room! So here she and Maria are with their first blocks! Andrea is newer at quilting and is working on Celtic Solstice, but she sews beautifully already!
The day FLEW by, seriously I didn't feel well in the morning (little migraine) and Bonnie had some kind of bug herself. After lunch we had show and tell again!
Love this bright Lazy Sunday!
Celtic Solstice!
Zuckerwatte, not sure if I am spelling that right...cotton candy!
Already forgot this gal's name but her husband is from Racine, Wisconsin and is a Packer fan! What a small world. We had a chat at lunch and I will have to ask Jacki her name because she sat across from her both days! Mary maybe?
Crabapples...not sure if that is the name of that one, I might have to make it one day. And Auntie's Anvil, which I have in a slightly smaller size. Love that...and it is the same layout as Playing with Jacks!
Some pictures of everyone's blocks. So many great color choices. I don't think you can go wrong with this pattern!
I made a few more than this at the workshop. I was on a roll with the puss blocks, but was slower with the star blocks! Bonnie convinced me (as many quilters have tried previously) to stop using my mat to measure when I cut. I now know how to correctly cut fabric with my ruler and think I am going to be happier with my sewing efforts in the future. I mean what good is getting my quarter inch seam right if my fabric is off when I start sewing? Lesson learned! Bonnie also showed us how to do the flying geese and doing it her way seriously improved my geese! No more starting anywhere and not matching things up the Bonnie way! I was amazed at the accuracy of things now that I know there is a way to do it right. :)
On day two, Andrea sat with Maria and I and we had so much fun getting to know each other.
Above are Andrea's blocks--which we decided look like Delft dishes! Below are Maria's blocks. My new favorite color is turquoise. Beautiful!
This was great workshop, I am still Bonnie's #1 Fan!!!
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1 comment:
Looks like you had a lot of fun and learned tons from her. I'd love to take a class from someone with her experience.
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