Getting Ready for Ricky Timms

Tomorrow I’ll be spending the day with Ricky Tims (with a few hundred other quilters!) He’ll be in Ottawa for  a quilting seminar. That means we'll be listening and watching him as opposed to bringing our sewing machines and quilting.  

The doors open at 8:30 and our ticket says that it's on till 8:30 pm! Here's the schedule:

• Lecture 1: Fear not the "A" Word (Appliqué)
• Lecture 2: Out of Your Mind (This one sounds like it's right up my alley since it's about design)
• Lecture 3: Just a Quilting Fool (Machine quilting on a domestic sewing machine)
• Concert

I sure hope that Ricky is well rested - that is one full day of performing. He's probably an extrovert and gets energy from crowds and performing. As an introvert, a schedule like that would kill me!

Ricky Tims Convergence Quilts

To get ready for this event, I bought Ricky Tims' Convergence Quilts book. Since I'm procrastinating so well at this time, I read the book and started on my own convergence quilt!

What I learned:

• Ricky Tims has really worked through his technique, so when he suggests that you do something, even if you don't think it's necessary - DO IT! In the end, he's right!!!!

• It wasn't a difficult technique but you do have to be accurate when sewing it all back together.

I haven't added a border yet, but I really do like the effects. Once my brother's quilt is quilted, this project is on the top of the list!

I also learned that my blog doesn't want to play nice with other fonts! It seems that I'll have to use the html to keep it consistent.   :-)

Ricky Tims and some of his fans!

Update: August 2, 2013

The day with Ricky Tims was amazing. He taught, entertained, serenaded and inspired us. He seems so authentic. It was a real treat. I was able to buy some of his hand-died fabric, without paying for shipping (at least not directly).

Here he was, signing autographs and chatting.

There were three of his quilts on display - and would you believe that he encouraged us to touch them!

This was a wonderful quilty day!

Finishing Projects or Procrastinating?

I have to machine-quilt a quilt by next week. What am I doing? Finishing projects, starting new ones....and learning how to use my new-to-me Jenome Memory Craft 5600. What a machine! I feel like I just bought the Jaguar of my dreams!!! It purrs, has even stitching and the bobbin winds at the touch of a button. OMG, it’s amazing.

Except that I still need to quilt my brother’s quilt!

While I was procrastinating, I finished an embroidery I started at least a year ago. I bought the book “Encyclopedia Of Embroidered Flowers” by Barbara Baatz. From the book, I made a pattern of eleven of the flowers and bought a lovely frame for it. I embroidered most of the flowers within a short time – and hadn’t touched it in over a year. Well, procrastination on one project can be a good thing for another – the embroidery is now finished!

What I learned:

• I need to keep working on my short and long satin stitch; and
• I have to figure out what to put behind my embroidery to stop it from puckering.

It was a great project – I’m glad that it’s done.


I also made the cutest mini-messenger bag using a free pattern from All People Quilt website. I chose some lively fabrics but my daughter thinks that they are too juvenile – and since she’s the family style consultant, we listen to her! So this lovely mini-messenger bag will go to Denmark with my niece!
I have great plans for another one in fun but adultish fabrics. Any bets on when I’ll start quilting my brother’s quilt?

First Paper Piecing Project



Craftsy



I seem to be in a major learning mode - the stars must be aligned! Love it!!!

Since I'm addicted to learning, I've become a very good customer of Craftsy's. I've bought more classes than I have time to do, but since I can watch them anytime, it suits me. 

Since I was intrigued by my initial trial of paper piecing in April, I thought I would learn more about it. Of course I can't just follow along with the course. I watched the first four lessons of the Mastering Foundation Paper Piecing with Carol Doak and then went off on my own. In the course resources, there are tons of 3 inch paper piecing blocks to make. I chose three that were fun and that might appeal to my niece and then went to it.

My first block was these cute crayons. That was a lot of fun. I got lots of practice since I cut it too small and had no seam allowance left to sew it to anything....oppps!

My next piece was the framed picture. I love how it turned out.

I then pieced the bird house. How cute is that?

I framed all of the blocks and Voila! A wall hanging for Anna.

I'm linking up with Sarah Goer's Show Me Something...Mini.

Moccasin Vamps Completed!

On May 24th, my Learning to Bead blog was about creating moccasin vamps (tops) for the “Walking with our sisters collective art project”. It’s been a great learning experience.

Beading can be a very meditative undertaking. Once I’d decided how to bead a section, it was then just a matter of doing. These vamps carry many prayers for suffering women around the world, particularly our first nation sisters.


The design on the vamps is a modification of a quilt block since that’s part of my culture and passion. They are also bound as a quilt would be. Although the beading is less crammed, a little more space would have been good. I guess that’s a good metaphor for putting less stuff in our lives and accepting a little more space for being.

I’m looking forward to seeing the finished project when it comes through Ottawa.

Miigwech

Update: These are the vamps that our group sent in. They are so wonderfully diverse!