Yesterday I took a 6 hour machine quilting workshop with the very talented Diane Gaudynski. I had been looking forward to hearing her speak at the GLHQ meeting on Thursday ever since I heard she had been scheduled to come.
I own both of her books on machine quilting but admittedly, barely cracked them open. Why?
- Too intimidated
- Too impatient
- Too scared
- Too many other fiber hobbies
- Too little time to practice
- Too many other people who can machine quilt for me
So yesterday I took the plunge. Friday night I tried to gather all of the tools and fabric needed for Saturday's workshop. I had shopped on Wednesday for some things: 18" ruler, wool batting, size 70 Microtex needles, and a new ArtBin carrying box for the items. I found them at JoAnn's instead of my local quilt shop, which was out of everything and seemingly disinterested in helping me.
Next I had to find the large custom table that fits around my Bernina. Where-oh-where did my roommate put it when he was 'cleaning' the house up a few months ago?? I searched high and low, then high again. I moved things around, looked in cabinets, behind cabinets, under tables. Eventually I found it (probably around midnight) - tightly wedged between the dryer and the folding table. Relieved, I carried on. Now that I found the table, where did I stick that bag of the feet that go to the table??? I could see in my mind where the bag used to be, but I too, had tidied things up and it wasn't where it had been for the last 5 years since I bought the table.
I gave up and went to bed at 1:30 am but I slept fitfully since I hadn't resolved that problem. In the morning I started searching again, certain I'd find the feet. I looked through another plastic tub, then some drawers in the craft room. Voila, I found them - under a pile of papers on the corner of my bed. I found my Supreme Slider, chose the fabrics (pressing them quickly), packed it all up and headed for the church for the workshop.
I am always nervous taking workshops from well-known people, especially when I'm not very skilled in the subject. I set up my workspace and started applying what Diane was teaching. I did horribly on several of the 'tests' but once I warmed up I was mildly successful. I like doing leaves. Funny, because Diane talked about one of her students who couldn't do anything but leaves and now only does leaves and wins awards with her quilts! No, I'm not going to win any awards, I know that, but at least I have something in my repertoire that I can use if/when I need to machine quilt something.
It was a long day but at the end we took time for a photo:
There were about 20 of us in Diane's workshop and I think everyone went away a better quilter. I know I learned a lot.
- I love the large sewing table that fits on my Bernina
- I love the #24 open toe foot that my friend Diane sold me
- I love the wool batting I found at JoAnn's
- I love the Aurifil thread I used in the bobbin and top
Later my friends Joyce, Diane, and I went to dinner with Diane Gaudynski at the fabulous McCormick & Schmick's restaurant in Troy. Yummo! We all had fish so I chose a bottle of Chenin Blanc for us to share. Not quite as tasty as the one I had taken to Diane's house for dinner on Friday but it was good. We finished off the meal by sharing a a flour-less chocolate cake slice that arrived for my friend Diane's birthday, which is today!!
A perfect way to end a great day!
P.S. Happy Birthday Diane!!
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