Show n tell and it's ON TIME!

Don't anyone fall off their chairs, especially the girls in the table runner class! This is THE show n tell from yesterday's class.

I had a wee bit of spare time yesterday when I should have been doing something else, but I was in the mood to edit pictures and there were a lot so I went ahead and edited everything from yesterday.

It was great to get back to class and see everyone after our break over the summer. There was a LOT of non-table runner show n tell and I've got that lined up to show you this week as well.

I'm happy to report that the studio is ready for eight of us to sew today. That was not a pretty sight to clear away all the stuff. But I hadn't even unpacked from classes this past week. It was pretty bad.

To refresh everyone's memory of the table runner class, it was all about learning how to quilt. I mean stitching the three layers together. Learning new designs, taking those first steps and getting a table runner or two done in the process.

It's been a challenge for some, some are happy to bring in their output and others are happy to sit and absorb. We all have our ways of learning. I'll bring the material to the class and they can do what they want with it.

So let's go.......................  I might even remember names this is so fresh in my mind!

The first one is Susan. This was a large table runner or should I say bed runner. The idea was to quilt those large expanses with some background quilting or feathers. She has started to get some of the logs done and it's great so far. After some further suggestions on how to quilt those areas, I think she'll be good for the next class.

Susan's runner

Next up was Lynne. Lynne is struggling with free motion quilting and has decided to get familiar with her embroidery machine as a way of quilting things. I say whatever tool or method that you have to work with and you are comfortable with it - use it!!!

This is the front of Lynne's runner. She used a matching thread on the top and you can't really see the quilting, but when you look at the back? Well, that'll blow your socks off.

Lynne's runner

She found a square embroidery design that is similar to a Greek key. She quilted three large squares in the big squares of the table runner. Then in the triangles left, she matched the quilting and did it with her walking foot. It was so even and perfect. The part that she had done with the walking foot was as even as the part done with the embroidery machine.  Spectacular!  Now I'm going to issue a challenge to Lynne. She needs to learn the software that goes with her embroidery machine and she wouldn't have to do those triangles with the walking foot. I forgot to ask her why she was struggling with free motion.

I was very impressed and I tried to get a picture of the back, but the quilting doesn't show up very well. Needless to say - it was an amazing piece. Now imagine if this quilting was visible on the FRONT????

The back of Lynne's table runner

This next one belonged to JoMarie. She hasn't had a chance to quilt it yet, but the colors are so fun. It's bright and cheery and not a color combination that I've ever used but I would like to. Heck - I don't think I even have those colors in my stash. I love it though!

JoMarie's table runner

This one belongs to Kathy. Not quilted yet, but she's going to be working on it. It was basted and ready to go. She ran out of that bright background fabric so a large square in opposite corners filled in nicely. 

Kathy's table runner

The remaining photos belong to Ronda who was busy this summer. She took a class on the Westalee rulers. This is the results of her class. I'd say that she has a pretty good handle on the rulers.

Samples from Ronda's class with Westalee rulers

More samples from Ronda's class

On top of that, she also brought in a table runner that she had quilted. It's made with the tumbler block and Christmas fabric.

Rona's Christmas table runner

Not sure if you can the pattern or not, but she used one of her rulers (which looks like a light bulb when the unit is quilted standalone) and then did a free hand squiggle to the center of the next block and rotated the ruler so it looks like strings of lights. I love that concept and she did a super job with it!

Detail of the quilting

And there you have it - the show n tell from the table runner class.

That was a bit short, there were a fair number absent yesterday and a few that didn't have a show and tell.

So I'm going to send you on another show n tell. This time it's the winners from the Fall Paducah show. Some spectacular quilts. There is NO WAY a quilt of mine will ever hang in the high-end shows. I don't have the patience to spend that much time on ONE quilt. But I love to look at them.

There are a fair number of Canadians amongst the winners, including the top prize. That's exciting to see that our talent is equally recognized or that we have that caliber of talent here.

On that note, I'd better get myself organized for the day!  It's SIT and SEW!!!!!  I should snap a picture of the studio setup - there are seven very empty tables and ONE HUGE MESS in the corner where I have two sewing machines set up and I'm going to sew amongst the chaos!!

In case you did not get a chance to see the Property Brothers episode where my studio was referred to the Kingdom of Quilts - check it out. We had a blast that night and I love watching the video. And I'm happy with the results. You know sometimes this kind of thing can go bad, but we all looked great. Good editing on their part!

Have a great day!!!!

Ciao!!!!