Let's Stitch Every Day (that's what she said)

I am so thrilled with how this hand embroidery class has just taken off!  My first trip to Winnipeg was my trial run with "Come for Tea & Stitch with Me".  That was only 6 weeks ago!  Since then,  I am about to offer class # 4 and 5 at Creative House in Saskatoon.  Each class has been tweaked a bit afterwards, and I feel really good about about the content now.  You never know with the first class how things will work or what can be covered in the time allotted.

12 weight Wonderfil cottons on aida cloth

In my class, we discuss needles, thread, threading, knotting, and hooping.  First we practice some basic embroidery stitches with floss/12wt threads, and silk ribbon.  Then we experiment with different fibres and see what certain stitches look like together.  I have been working out some samples for myself over the weekend... and now I'm actually craving to make a crazy quilt!  (That is crazy.)  Never say never I suppose?

designing my own hand embroidered borders

Aren't they PRETTY!?  I love my 12 wts.  I can't weight to get back to Creative House and buy up some more.  When I visited Heather Lair in Gimli, I let her pick some spools to keep as a gift, and she picked all my favorite colors!!  lol  That's awesome Heather.  : )  I look forward to replenishing my stash for sure.  I miss my chartreuse.

I got the BEST feedback today!  Linda - the woman who hosted this class at her home in Winnipeg - told me that their group had such a good time that they get together regularly now to practice more stitches.  They call it 'come for tea and stitch with me'.  Awe - too cool!!  I hope you ladies like my samples here in today's post and will try out some of your own designs.  

all one stitch done with different colors of 12 wt Wonderfil

My next Hand Embroidery 101 class is Wednesday June 12th.  It filled up immediately (!) so I'm running it again on Monday June 24th during the day.  These are at Creative House (Janome & Wonderfil dealer) in Saskatoon.  To register, you will need to phone Wendy at 306.652.0455 / Saskatoon.

On the way home from an embroidery class, I was told that one little girl told her mom, 'that was so inspiring.  Let's stitch every day."

YES.  Let's.

xo

Winter / Spring Classes

I thought I would update you an a few classes I'm running locally before I head off to Manitoba in May.  They are:

* Friday February 1
Advanced Postcards Workshop (handwork, machine couching, free motion, bobbin work demo)

some of my personal postcard swap collection - I LOVE EACH ONE!

Friday February 15 (Full)
Basic Threadpainting 101

Class sample in progress, bird photo courtesy of Edith Maracle

* Friday March 1
Basic Threadpainting 101 (specific to Janome owners)

simple free motion embellishment sample

* Friday March 15
Do It Yourself Dresdens (make your own templates to take home, learn precise Dresden construction, understand how to make any template of any size & # of petals)

Sunday March 17 (private)
Creative Quilted Postcards Workshop
Dundurn Quilters Guild

My collection as a result of many, many trades. : )

* Friday April 5
Doodle With Your Sewing Machine (for children during school break.  Basic machine sewing skills required.  Classroom machines available for use.)

Tuesday May 7 (private)
Postcards I & II full day guild workshop
Manitoba Prairie Quilters, Winnipeg

previous class samples / projects

I'm excited to run these as it will help pay for travels & food for that week in May.  I said I wouldn't teach at all this spring.  Oops.

The ones that are marked with an asterix have space available last I hear, and if you like you can reserve a spot online through the Creative House website in Saskatoon.  They have paypal & everything.  They have a LOT of classes & teachers too.  Oh... and thread.  (A little birdie told me that all their rayons are in now!!)  The class fees are very affordable but space is limited. You can read more about them either on the website or on my Workshops tab at the top of the page.

Unfortunatley I am unable to run any evening classes in Saskatoon this spring due to family scheduling.  The classes listed are during the day.

All the best,

Roller Coasters & Bouncy Houses

In preparation for my travel & stay in Winnipeg for the upcoming show, I tried to apply for some kind of arts funding to help cover my costs.  I have good news, bad news, more bad news, and finally good news.  (ie: roller coaster ride!)  The first grant was approved.  It was a doozie.  YAY!  But they ran out of funding.  Aaawe. 

Confused?

Yeah.  So was I!  That's twice now.  The next travel grant I found was all good.  I met all the requirements.  YAY!  Then it was pointed out that my show is not a curated one.  That made my request completely ineligible.  Aaawe.  So here I am, with only a few months to go.  I was quick on my feet and took up some teaching to be able to pay my own way.  That makes perfect sense.  My mom always taught me that if I can't find what I need, then I can always make it myself. 

Here's for the good news.  I'm doing four classes at Creative House locally, and am getting booked to run some in Winnipeg while I'm there!  YAY! 

Did you know you can buy a class online now?!  That's convenient. 

* * * I should clarify - these are not online classes.  They are in-house classes that you can pay for online to ensure a spot in the class.  There a loads of classes from a variety of teachers too!

I suppose now the bad new is that I need to put on the brakes again, find some balance between teaching and my rare moments alone to create & ensure I can get all my art done in time for the deadlines.  I'm not booked for Judy's Studio On 9th - but she also has a whole host of wonderful classes & teachers to check out as well (see HERE). 

My schedule is in the new tab above called "2013 Schedule of Events".  I think everything is there except for details on the classes in Winnipeg.  I will get back to you on that.  I know I'm booked to speak.  They call it 'lectures', but as a mom with three little kids, I get a completely different vision of giving a lecture to a group of 150 women.  lol  THAT would get me into trouble.  : )  Instead, I'll be sharing my story and doing trunk shows.  That sounds much friendlier, doesn't it?

Speaking of friendly, wow Winnipeg!  I have to say a preliminary thank you to the people I've contacted so far: bloggers and art lovers and guilds alike.  You've been all so very accomodating!  It's like you are all blowing up a big bouncy house and inviting me to jump in!  I'm looking forward to it for sure.

The Children Rock It!

I had the BEST time ever teaching kids on Monday at Creative House.  It was the first time I had taught children how to free motion stitch.  I was nervous.  I mean really...  This could be a disaster.  Needles would smash, machines would get jammed... imagine the chaos!  It's challenging enough helping seasoned adult sewists to learn how to free motion sew. 

Boy was I wrong.  

Boy did I underestimate them.  

Speaking of 'boys' I had three boys signed up for "Doodle with your Sewing Machine".  They were all being pulled from school to come to this Monday morning class that I had expected homeschoolers to snap up.  In the end, one boy couldn't come so his sister took his place.  The kids ranged in age from 9 to 12.

My expectations: It will take an hour or more to talk, show examples, guide them through converting the machines to free motion sewing, and do a demo for them before they can began stitching.

In reality: it took them 5 minutes to learn to convert their machines.  They spent the next hour and a half sewing and sewing and sewing some really cool pictures.  NO ONE BROKE A SINGLE NEEDLE.  No machine jammed.  No one had tension issues.  I did no instruction beforehand about coordinating speed of foot & hands... they just went right to it!  It blew my mind.  I went around and gave them tips as they sewed, adjusted some speed settings, and taught them how to pull up the bobbin thread & snip tails.  They were fearless.  It was awesome.

he jumped right in... endless ideas and no fear

I asked them, "do you know how long it takes for adults to get to this point!?  You took five minutes."  One boy shrugged and replied, "Ah... it's evolution."  Well then.  Maybe the little dude has a point.

whipped through pages - they didn't want to stop sewing : )

I showed them some Youtube videos of  'P. Nosa Sewing', which they loved very much.  He's a free motion doodle artist who tours and has a solar powered sewing machine that is also hooked up to a bicycle for power on cloudy days.  You should google that.

the snowman and his train of thought : )

The biggest difference I saw between adults and children was SO clear.  When the kids had trouble, they would stop and say, "what did I forget to do?" or "what did I do wrong?".  Then they would repair the situation, and restart.  When grownups hit a snag, they tend to throw their hands in the air and say, "something is wrong with this machine!"  : )  I think we could learn a lot from the children.

THANKS KIDS!  YOU ROCKED IT.

Skills.

Skills.  You know... everyone needs "skills". : )  Okay, so I'm quoting Napoleon Dynamite.  He's right though.  I happen to be teaching a skills class on Monday, October 1st at Creative House in Saskatoon just on that topic.  (Skills: free motion quilting skills to be exact).

one of my first attempts at meandering

"Free Motion Quilting Skill Builder" is a workshop where you can learn how to understand and tweak your sewing machine for good quality quilting stitches.  You will learn valuable tips to do free motion quilting well and with confidence.  We'll review tools of the trade, and I have handouts with lots of easy exercises for practicing... because you know, practice does makes better.

All you need to bring is your machine (with free motion foot), some thread, and some sandwiches.  Sandwiches?  Yes, Sandwiches.  That is: several 8x10" precut pieces of backing, batting, and top fabric.  Quilt pins & gloves would be handy too, but not necessary.  They do sell those at the store if you need them that day.

Please bring your sandwiches to class.  : )

It runs for about 3 hrs, starts at 10 am, and it's cheap.  $25 with no kit fee.  There are several spaces left in this class.  Call Wendy at Creative House to sign up (306.652.0455) if you are interested.

Postcards

This morning, I taught my Creative Quilted Postcards Workshop.  I've taught this one a dozen times now, and it never ceases to amaze me how creative it can be.  It's always fun to dare the women in the room to put a stamp on the darn thing and mail it!  The typical reaction is, "Ha!  Yeah right," while clenching their new little gem close to their heart.  Really!  You can trust the mail.  Stick a stamp on the back, mail it 'naked' (no envelope), and it will arrive.  Look how many times I've done it!

4x6" postcards mailed to me, which means I have mailed away just as many...

And here's more...

I have even more than that.  I keep them in a shoe box and tote them around for show & tell.  A few personal ones are up on my wall, and a couple more are framed in a shadow box.  NEVER ONCE has a postcard ever gone missing or arrive destroyed - at least not in any swap I've been part of.

So mail them!  I dare ya!  : )  Here are the cards that the women made this morning at Creative House.  It was a small group and we had a great time.  I picked the theme of autumn and away they went.  Each card is unique, and super-creative.  Aren't they pretty!!??

Creative Quilted Postcards Workshop - Autumn 2012 group

Thanks again ladies!  : )  I hope you make lots more.  This gets me excited for fall.  Off to stitch...  I have some postcards to make for a swap I signed up in.  If you love to make postcards, try it out!  There's a link to Postcard Cottage on my sidebar if you are interested.

Preparations

Summer is nearly half over.   ~shudder~   Before you know it, September will be here.  I'm putting things together for the Showcase of the Arts which is the first week of August here in Saskatoon.  Creative House will be having a booth there and they've asked for their teachers to supply class samples.  I got a little bit done last night.  I think it will be a mug rug.  I really can't stand that name though.  lol  It's as ugly as the word "blog", don't you think?  BLOG.  ick.  Mug-rug on a blog.  ick ick.  So, I'll call it a Coffee Cup Coaster.

Rachel's scraps and some Tutti Wonderfil thread.

Here's a list of classes I'm offering with the corresponding dates.  I picked the Mondays that alternate with our Saskatoon Quilter's Guild meetings so that there's no overlap.  I'll also do some classes at the Studio on 9th in the evenings, and I'm getting booked for some private Sunday afternoon classes as well.  I'll post those once I know.

At Creative House, Fall 2012

Monday September 17 - Creative Quilted Postcards Workshop

Monday October 1 - Free Motion Quilting Skill Builder

Monday October 29 - Teens / Homeschoolers Doodle with you Sewing Machine

Monday Tuesday November 13 - Basic Threadwork / Threadpainting 101 (Rescheduled for stat holiday)

Monday November 19 - Dresdens Workshop

* * * You can read all the details of the classes HERE.  * * *

All of my classes are Monday mornings at 10 am and run for 2.5 to 3 hours, with the exception of November 12th.  Sign up is through Creative House by phoning 652-0455.  They have classes running all the time on so many topics, so check them all out! : )

Expanding Your Horizons

I had a good time on Saturday at Creative House.  It was a small gathering and more informal than we had anticipated.  Wendy bought SO much food.  Her grand kids and my children got to pig out on fresh fruit and cheese for the rest of the night, so it all turned out great.  : )  Thank you to the women who came!  I had a great little catch up with an old high school friend who showed up, not knowing that it was me she was coming to see!  ; )

Pretty Penny did a good job.  I am really surprised how often I meet Janome and Horizon 7700P owners that didn't know about awesome features or can't get something to work (hey- I was one of them!).  I had two phone calls this month plus an email asking for Horizon advice.

Did you know there's an extra-high presser foot lift?  That's great for stuffing quilts under, or a stabilizer hoop.

Did you also know that there's a little screw to adjust the height of the presser foot for free motion stitching?  You don't need a screwdriver.  You just use your fingertip to adjust it.  You'll want it lower if you are working on scrim or any thinner surface.  You'll want it higher if you are quilting a big fat quilt.  How high?  I tell people to set it at the lowest level you can that will not create any drag at all.  You want it somewhat close as it acts to stabilize the fabric at the point of quilting.  When the foot is too high, your fabric can bounce while you FMQ or threadpaint, and this will ultimately cause skipped stitches.

Another tips with the Horizon is to get the needle plate engaged for FMQ.  Again, this stabilizes the fabric while quilting and will prevent those horrible skipped stitches when you free-motion pretty curls. Read your manual.  It's easy to do.

Hands down, the Horizon loves Topstitch needles.  I do use a lot of Wonderfil thread, and they also suggest topstitch for nearly all their threads.  Maybe that's the variable.  So... Topstitch it is.  It has a long, long eye and I never get shredded threads ever.

When most people free motion quilt on a domestic machine, they lower the top tension to achieve even stitches that meet-in-the-middle of the quilt sandwich.  If the top is too loose or the bottom is too tight, you will get those horrible eyelashes / feathers on the back.  With the horizon, you can leave it on auto tension for the top, and change to this alternate 'blue arrow' bobbin case.  The blue arrow bobbin case is pre-set with a lower tension and creates PERFECT FMQ stitches.  You don't have to fiddle and test on a sample first.  I used to get eyelashes all the time no matter how carefully I sewed or how precise I thought I was setting my machine tension manually.  I found that when I tightened up the top thread, I would ended up getting my top thread snapping during quilting.  Everything was too tight: top and bottom.  That's enough to make me cry.  This blue arrow case is brilliant, it's only $25, and OMG it fits my old non-computerized Kenmore!!  wow.

With that in mind, I popped my other loosely-set 'play' bobbin case (yes - I have another case for bobbin work) into that old 12 stitch Kenmore.  It worked!!  I marked it green for fun with nail polish.  This is the one I play with and set very loose according to the cord / floss I use.  I don't want to play around with my other ones because they are perfect and I would like them to stay that way.

bobbin play sampler

Now I'm really looking forward to doing bobbin sewing on my Horizon - all the pretty stitches she has!

So I was thinking...
If any other Horizon owners would like to get together to experiment with the machine together, or if you need help troubleshooting, I would love to gather at Creative House in the sewing area.  We can set up and sew together for a couple hours. If you are upgrading from a Kenmore to a Janome, the presser feet are the same on the low shank machines FYI.  The bobbins & bobbin cases are all the same for high or low shank Janome & Kenmore. 

I'm linking this in as a "Tips on Tuesdays".  I hope many of you find this helpful.  : )  And yes - I drop the dogs, especially when threadpainting on a low, thin piece.  On quilts, I don't notice drag if I forget.

Have a great day everyone!  I hope this was helpful.

Creative House 'Showcase of Possibilities'

This is just a reminder that Creative House is hosting a Spring Sneak Peek Art Show of my work THIS SATURDAY March 24th.  I'll have the pieces I've made for Gardenscape on display for viewing only, and the "Wish You Were Here" art cards will be there for sale.  (Gardenscape is the weekend following.)

Wish You Were Here #30

Don't come too early!  I'll need to set up by 11 am.  At 1:00 pm I will be doing a little show & tell... actually, it will be a tell and then show.  ; )  I'll introduce myself and my work and then I'll sit with Penny and do some demonstrating of various features I like about the Horizon.

Come meet me, 'Penny', the Creative House owners and super-terrific staff & teachers in the solarium.  They are at Avenue I between 21 and 22nd street West.  There is LOTS of free parking.  We have a few surprises up our sleeves too, but oh gosh - cross your fingers that Canada Post will pull through!  : )

HAPPY SPRING!

A Special Event this Month!

The fine folks at Creative House Sewing & Education Center twisted my arm... They are graciously hosting an event for me.  Here's the card they made:

Isn't that cool!?  It's Saturday March 24th.  That's one weekend before the Gardenscape Art Show & Sale.  I'll have some of my current threadpaintings on display there in the solarium as a sneak peek to Gardenscape.  At 1pm, I will talk a bit about my sewing machine and my art.  Then I'll demonstrate some of the bling that the Janome 7700P Horizon has and answer people's questions about it.  I've had mine for almost 2 years and I love it for free motion work.  I'm a bit nervous about sewing publicly, but George and Wendy have refreshments and door prizes to lighten things up.  Sounds like a fun day!  The event is free.  I will have a big stack of prairie postcards for sale if you are in the market for that.  (The postcards won't be for sale at Gardenscape, FYI.)  I'll also take names of people interested in upcoming classes there.

Creative House is at 129 Ave I South in Saskatoon.  There is lots of free parking.  Mark your calendars and wish me luck with my nervousness!