Project journal: 20.02.14

Thanks for the great response to my reinvention of this space, it's so nice to know people are still reading, I already feel more inspired to post and share here :) And I had a lovely message from someone who discovered the great patchwork shop Amitie through my last post and found that they not only loved it but were a long lost friend of owner Jenny Kingwell! And see, that is what blogging is really all about to me. Connections, tips, sharing and inspiration.




Speaking of Amitie, I finally popped in there today so rifle through their bins of fat 1/8ths to grab a few more prints for the teal/neutrals single quilt I'm working on (it's happening, Kirsty!!). The selection did not disappoint, as usual but unfortunately my trip to nearby(ish) Darn Cheap Fabrics wasn't as successful. I'm after a french terry knit to make a Victory Pattern's Lola dress at this coming weekend's Craft Camp and found nothing of the sort, total bust. I'll have to divert to Rathdowne Remnants on my way out of town and see what I can dig up.

So anyway, yep, off to Craft Camp this weekend and can not wait, although I'm feeling a wee bit guilty as my mom is here from Canada and I'm heading off. But who am I kidding, she's really here to see the kids and is probably pleased as punch to have them all to herself for the weekend. And I will be more than pleased to work on a few garments for moi and get some work done on a few quilts including the one above. I have a cot quilt, started last year, that is ready for binding so that is on the list for tomorrow (I'm attempting to make continuous bias binding for the first time, using a fat quarter of my Biased print - wish me luck) and I started a freeform patchwork* in linen and linen/cottons with small sections of my cotton canvas dropcloth, excited to get a bit more done on this one.



And speaking of Freeform Patchwork, I have two workshops teaching this technique next month and I cannot stress highly enough how FUN this class is. When I taught it for the first time at The Craft Sessions last year, I was initially worried that people would find it too easy, like they'd feel ripped off that they wasted workshop time on such a simple concept but in actuality it was amazing. Folks were challenged and confronted, not by the physical task of the patchwork but by trying to overcome their own perceptions about what piecing should be. I think everyone found it to be a truly valuable and inspiring exercise. I ran into one of the participants recently who told me the workshop last Spring had completely changed the way she thought about quilting (for the better) and if that isn't the highest praise there can be, I don't know what is.

So come play and stretch yourself, even if you've never done any patchwork, even if you've done patchwork for years. I bring all the scraps you need and you just know there will be some choice Maze & Vale gems in there! It's all happening at Handmaker's Factory on March 15th and at Treehouse Textiles the following weekend, March 22nd.