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  • San Diego California

    Posted on by HeleneKnott

    I have to get better about blogging, it does not come easily for me. I have returned from a trip to teach and lecture for the Friendship Quilters in San Diego which was a great trip. I stayed with a wonderful hostess and met many talented and enthusiastic quilters in the guild. The weather – well that was not the greatest, it was hot and muggy and though I was leaving a hot spell in Portland, the weather in San Diego was more oppressive. Never mind, I really enjoyed the trip even with the weather.

    Between lecture and class, I got to see some of the sights including the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. LOVE those tigers but the only glimpse I got of a cheetah was crashed out in the shade, couldn’t see more than a spotted ‘carpet’. I took lots of pictures of animals, inspirations for future designs. I also went to the Visions Gallery where I saw a fabulous exhibit of quilts by Caryl Breyer Fallert. They were all smaller than her work that I have seen in quilt shows and frankly, I think these were the best pieces of hers I’ve seen to date – EXQUISITE!

    Onto the workshop – students made miniature landscapes in a choice of two scenes, a seascape and a marsh. Though students worked from kits I created, they were encouraged to play with the selections and swap any fabric they did not find appealing and several chose to do so. Following the pictures of the students at work are several photos of some of the projects. I would dearly have loved to get a group shot of the students holding up their quilts but one of my failings as a teacher (depending on your point of view) is that I get so immersed in the class that I often forget to stop and take pictures until the class is over and the students have left. Note to self – TAKE MORE PICTURES!

    Mini Landscape Lecture
    A lecture on how to achieve great effects with fabric for landscape quilts precedes the class
    Mini Landscape lecture 2
    Attentive students listen and learn
    Students at work
    Students at work on their projects
    student at work 3
    Cutting and fusing the landscape
    Students at work 3
    One on one advice regarding border selection
    Landscape kits
    Each kit is unique based on the fabrics selected
    Landscape 1
    Student project #1
    Student project #2
    Project #2 - note the borders being 'auditioned'
    Project #3
    Project #3
    Project #4
    Project #4 - auditioning inner border
    Project #5
    Project #5 - with potential borders
    Project #6
    Project #6 - seascape

     


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  • The Winds of Change: Quilt Shops on the Move

    Posted on by HeleneKnott

    Pioneer Quilts has a new home!

    A lot of tears were shed when Pioneer Quilts announced they were closing, Linda was crying when she told me several months ago and it was all I could do to keep from crying myself. It is said “when the going gets tough, the tough get going” and going they are – right into a gorgeous new location, the Broetje House, in Oak Grove. I have seen pictures that Linda showed me of the interior as well as the outside; I can’t wait to see it in person. Best of all – Pioneer Quilts will own the property, no more being at the mercy of the whims of a landlord.

    Visit Pioneer Quilts’ Facebook page to see pictures of the new shop and keep up to date on when they will reopen. While there, please ‘like’ them to show your support and plan on visiting them personally as soon as they reopen. I for one and jumping with JOY!

    Pioneer Quilts new home
    Pioneer Quilts new home

     

    The New Folks in Town

    There is also a new shop opening in Wilsonville, wonderful news for all of those living in the southern Portland Metro area as well as those willing to take a field trip to explore new quilt shops.

    The new shop Sewn Loverly is located in downtown Wilsonville across the street from Lamb’s Thriftway. They will be having an open house this Saturday September 6 and I will be there from 10 am to 1 pm with samples of my quilts for classes I will be offering there. Stop by to say hi and welcome them to our wonderful quilting community.

     

     


    Classes Events

  • APWQ Symposium

    Posted on by HeleneKnott

    Time is running out to register for the 2014 APWQ Symposium. There is a wonderful slate of teachers on the faculty including yours truly. I am offering two full-day classes and a third half-day class. On Friday August 1, I am teaching Animal Totems, a lovely blending of reverse applique and either Seminole or Foundation Piecing. There are several animal patterns to choose from – a Salmon, Bear, Wolf, Jaguar, Seal and Bird. I have designed a few new designs as well including a Deer, a Horse and a Turtle so there will be more choices beyond those listed in the brochure. This is a great project for beginners as well as more accomplished quilters. These quilts are beautiful as is but also provide fertile ground for those who enjoy embroidery and embellishment and some of the inset panels can be a good way to use up scraps.

    Salmon Totem #1
    Jaguar Totem
    Salmon Totem #2

    My Saturday, August 2, class is a tide pool themed wall hanging that is completely reversible. Hang it one way for a while and when you are ready for a change turn it around for a fresh new look – two quilts for the price (and effort) of one! The process is much easier than you may think and again is suitable for embellishment – particularly beading.

    Rock Stars - side A
    Rock Stars - side B

    My final class on Sunday, August 3, is a Folk Art Embroidery class. I’m a huge fan of ethnic embroidery styles and these were inspired by the heavily embellished stitchery of India and Pakistan. There are two patterns to choose from – a Cat or a Peacock. Once the stitching is completed, the embroidered motif can be cut out and applied to a quilt block or panel or sewn and stuffed to make a holiday tree ornament. The stitches are fairly basic and can be combined as desired to make a unique one-of-a-kind project.

    Embroidered cats on black felt
    Embroidered Peacock design
    Embroidered Cat ornament

    At the time of this post, there is still room in all these classes though the hand embroidery class is almost full. Visit the APWQ Symposium webpage for registration information.

     


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