The other is a smaller wall hanging that features Cook Inlet (right outside of Anchorage… I used to look at it almost every day!), and Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau. Of course I threw in a fireweed as well. When I get it back from the quilter I will add some applique vines and leaves, maybe some forget me not flowers.

Quilting on the Kenai

ALSO I got pictures of the quilt I taught in a workshop at Chisholm Trail Quilt Guild. Here are the photos Gail sent me… her quilt came out stunning!

Gails Blue Jamaica quilt

Also, for those of you that have been asking: we have decided that we will print the Vanilla Jamaica pattern again and offer it on the website. I just got back quotes from the printer for the oversize pages that contain the large applique images and rewrote the instructions to make sure they are clear with no errors. As soon as I can I will send this on to the printer’s, then start the folding and stuffing process and get them on the website and out to my distributors so they will go into the stores. Whew.

AND good news: I have been designing some new quilts. they are Easy Peasy quilts that will use strips and fat quarters. I’ll let you know when they are out, too. I am still working on learning all I need to know to offer patterns on the website as e-patterns. The hats on my head are getting higher!

Before class started

This quilt used Green Tea Bali Pops

I was honored that they asked me back for a future session. Now we have to come up with another project they will like.

I wasn’t allowed to take the art work I saw home, but you should see the League of the Arts building where they all play. It is so wonderful to have a facility like this. My mom came along and was able to look at all of the different types of art that people create there.



Mom is a painter and works in watercolor, acrylic and oil: very versatile in the mediums she plays in and so artistic. Seeing the different works displayed, plus prowling the halls looking at the sculpture work and weaving was inspiring.

For those that took the class, I put together two short videos to remind you of the techniques you learned in class. Some of the students only wanted to make a couple of blocks to learn the technique. There were a few that had enough material to make a larger top, though, so I hope this helps you remember what you learned.

Here is the first video…

Lynn was very helpful, being a teacher of quilting; Thank you Lynn. And Betty was the initiator on this and was the one that picked the project for the class. Way to go, Betty! I am looking forward to seeing what we come up with for the next class.

Here is the second video.

I can’t wait to see what we come up with next.

Waiting to board the ship

I’m back from the cruise I taught on. We went to Jamaica, Montego Bay, and Cozumel. What a wonderful time!

champagne greeting

the first class

Classroom 2

the third classroom

We had 2 rooms for the classes. One room housed two classes. The two classes were separated by fabric panels (what else?) and although it was a bit crowded we all had fun. The second room was actually a dining room where a portion of it was turned into a sewing area during the day. It was just around the corner from the main classroom so we were never far from each other.

There were three of us teaching: Myself, Debby Maddie, and Sarah Moe/Miller. We rotated so each class got a different teacher for the three days of classes at sea. WE moved so they didn’t have to. Sewing machines were supplied so no one had to lug their own. That was also a benefit as we were sailing into international waters. I don’t know how that would have been with customs questions and all…

We had early seating in the dining room and boy, were the waiters/waitresses ever professional. Not to mention being entertaining. They sang to us, danced for us, and brought us some of the best food you have ever tasted. Of course, there were lots of things to do onboard so you had no opportunity to be bored. Pat and I attended a comedy show one evening but truly, I was so tired out from all of the options that I didn’t take advantage of near enough of the opportunities on board.

Debbie had lots of games for our quilters and a TON of giveaways for the students. You could earn tickets according to different tasks you were to complete. Of course, the more tasks you did, the more tickets you had and the better your chances of winning a prize.

Every day Deb gave away a quilt! You all know how long it takes to make one of those so we all were very excited to see them and have the chance at winning one (well, my mom and Pat could win… it would be pretty bad if one of the staff won a prize!). We even had a fat quarter toss. Watch out, we were all throwing fat quarters at the students as fast as we could go and people were wild! The fat quarters were to give everyone a chance to play the game LCR. Never played it? Me either, but it sounded like fun.

My mom came all of the way down from Fairbanks, AK, graced me with her presence and put up with me in our room. My dad kept my husband, Tom, busy while we gallivanted around the open seas. Oh My GOD! Our room steward was fabulous! I wanted to bring him home with me but my husband might have objected. And every day we found a new little creature made from towels. So cute.

Towel Frog

My friend, Pat Edmunds, from Anchorage also joined us.

Pat and I

View from the bobsled in Jamaica

Our Carnival Conquest ship

Linda

Alice Wilhoit

At the end of the cruise Deb gifted me with a marvelous massage. I must have looked a little tense, but believe me, by the time my massage was done I was as relaxed as a cooked noodle. Thanks, Deb, for treating us all so well.

I’m campaigning to teach on a cruise to Alaska in fall 2011. Up the inland passage. Mmmmm. If I get to go, I want to bring my mom, my dad, my husband, my son and his fiance. No, I won’t come close to break even but who cares? I’m going to start saving now for the trip in hopes that I am asked to teach. Even though I lived my whole life in Alaska and have visited Southeast (as well as other areas in that huge state) I miss it! It will be good to see it from a tourist’s standpoint, too. I have been developing a whole slew of new patterns for Alaska that should be ready to go up there for this summer season. I’ll show you a preview of some of them in the next post or so.

I used to pooh pooh the idea that I had to square up units or trim them because most of the time it was a sliver of fabric that I was removing. Plus, who wants to waste the time!??!

Then I realized, I am dealing with 1/4″ seams and the more accurate the units are, the easier it is to have beautiful blocks. Trimming before I continue piecing has saved me ripping out many times. I am not as frustrated and if there is a place where my unit swerves in a bit, maybe a little too small, I can easily see that when I sew the units together. It lets me accommodate the discrepancy in the seam allowance or lets me know when the error is too big to fudge when sewing…in other words, it lets me know I need to rip out and re-sew a seam. And my quilt points come out, my top lays flat, and the pieced top is square when it is completed. YAYYYYY!

I hope this video helped you.