Spider Web Workshop

Yesterday I gave my Spider Web Workshop at Atelier Quiltgebeuren.  Can I just say straight off that it was heaps of fun?  As a teacher you can't ask for better than a group of fun, eager, and willing students ready to learn and try new things.

After going through the basics and the preparation, we got out the fabric scraps and bits and made a wonderfully colorful mess and got to the business of sewing....

or so I thought.....did I miss the coffee run.....?

at least there are a few left...

ah!  there they are!....can you hear the silence of concentration?

Gerda is doing this by hand....or will she change her mind and get behind the machine?

Marijke is also working by hand, and also wondering if she should do this by machine.....

Jeanette and Menda are hard at work after deciding their color schemes

Ah! this is what I like to see!  students happy and busy!

And there's progress!  As they finish them, units of the block are put up on the wall.

To the left with the border, is Janine's sample, and to the right, is my chaotic sample.

Gina had a mean little machine that sounded like it took off every time it sewed!

Marijke and Gerda in sync....

Menda dared to cut up some amazing african fabrics and wow, I can't wait to see this one complete!

Here's the result of their work - not bad for all the chatting!

Ladies, you were amazing students, and made my easy and a pleasure to teach.  Thank you Nel, Heleen, Gina, Gerda, Marijke, Jeanette, and Menda for a great class.  I can't wait to see what I know are going to be fabulous results!

in a right mess...

You don't want to be here in my sewing room: ankle-deep in fabric scraps
in all colors. Closet doors, boxes and bags open and their contents on the floor. I'm just grabbing blindly, and sewing them down...
I'm trusting in the Universe that this quilt will work out.....
But for now, it's great letting go!





Do any of you like to work like this?



- iPad reports: cause I can't reach the keyboard.....

Thank you Steve...

on a sunny Saturday...

...while the boys went out to do this:

I went and did this:

My first Camelot block.

I had most of it completed at home, and put in the last wedges during the Camelot Bee at Atelier Quiltgebeuren where those participating in with this B.O.M. get together to share in the fun of making this quilt.  Janine and I are running this Bee together, guiding and helping those who need it with working with circles for the first time.  The Bee was great,  I really enjoyed the relaxed and friendly atmosphere, and how everyone was excited to try something completely new to them!

I chose to work with my own fabrics instead of going with the lovely fabric pack that Janine prepared.   I'm trying to experiment more, expand the repertoire of fabrics I normally use within a project, mix them up, toss them about, and see what happens.  After all, I have a nice collection of Reproduction, Japanese, Handwoven/dyed, Modern, and what-not fabric in my closet.  This means I will be working without a compass on this project, and will really have to work the instinct!

One thing I can tell you, although I'm casting about in the dark, it feels right going in this direction to find my own voice in my quilting.  The Camelot quilt is my experiment.