Traditional Quilting Course (TQC) - August 2016
Free Online Machine Piecing Course
This new class was first offered in May, and it went over fabulously! So, here it is again...a TRADITIONAL machine quilting course…this is NOT
crazy quilting. For this course, we'll be creating a group of Mug
Rugs...like the photographs throughout this blog post. Each has an
optional embroidery panel attached to the quilt block we will be
piecing. The embroidery designs are provided in the course...or you can
use your own designs...or you can use machine embroidery...or you can
omit the embroidery all together and create a square Mug Rug rather than
these rectangle ones.
As you may (or may not) know…I’ve been quilting and teaching
quilting for decades. While classes that are "taught in person" are honestly still my favorite...as they give me
great joy is instructing students and watching their faces light up as they “get it”. I really have missed that so much being retired and not living near my
quilting guild friends any more. But, I have found unexpected peace and joy in
teaching on-line courses to fill this void in my life and share my love of quilting. It
was odd at first, but now…I’ve gotten a process down that is easy for me and
seems very beneficial to the participants.
So far, crazy quilt classes have been the main focus. But, even crazy
quilts have to begin by piecing a block…so these "crazy" quilters can also benefit from a
traditional quilt course. Plus, folks that might want to learn about
traditional quilting may stumble into the crazy quilting classes too! So, win –
win either way!
This course, as all of my courses, are free. There is no fee
to sign up or to take the class. Of course you do need supplies…as we can’t
produce quilts from thin air!
I’ve tried to keep the costs as low for you as possible by
designing a course that consists of small quilt blocks, rather than create blocks
for a large quilt. Also, these blocks will be “used” as part of small projects
rather than stored away in a drawer or box. The finished project will be a set
of “mug-rugs” which could be a gift or a personal keeper.
You will need some tools for machine piecing of quilt
blocks. Here too, I’ve tried to keep the costs down by creating my own patterns
and guides for your use…printable of course. And the fabric costs are low
because the amounts needed are minimal. While there is still an “up-front cost”
for a rotary cutter, mat, rulers…at least the other costs are at a minimum
requirement.
You can use whatever cotton fabrics you have on hand…or
select a nice palette of pretty cotton fat quarters from your local quilt shop
or online fabric store.
The genesis of this course is my Adult Education Course that
I sometimes teach at the local community college. That course produces a
full-size quilt using 12-inch blocks. So, the lessons had to be totally re-done
to accommodate the smaller 6-inch blocks in this TQC module.
There was a plan to adapt these Adult Education Course instructions for use at
my friend Shari’s Yahoo Group – StitchMAP. We spend many hours working towards
that goal. But, it was just too time consuming for us to complete and did not
work out as we had expected or hoped. I am thankful for Shari’s help in the
editing of the drafts and the use of a few of her vintage embroidery patterns.
But even more so, I’m thankful for her friendship.
The embroidery work is optional, but I think that the
projects really benefit from that. The quilt squares are paired with this small
embroidery panel to create a finished 6 x 9 inch rectangular Mug Rug. If the
embroidery is not stitched, then the panel is omitted and the finished size
will measure 6 inches square.
A Mug Rug is basically like a quilted coaster or hotpad. It
sits on your table and you place your hot cup of tea (or other beverage) and
perhaps a wee little treat (chocolate anyone?) on it. It protects your table
top…and looks pretty alone as well.
The course will include general information at the
beginning…then we will work each Mug Rug as individual tasks. The first Mug Rug
to be created will be at Task #4 and there will be nine of these all together.
As the course progresses, each quilting block technique
introduced at the Tasks will get progressively more technically complex. Not
harder (well maybe a bit harder)…just more Thought Provoking…and probably
requiring more Patience. Here is how the course Tasks will be issued:
Task #1 – Orientation to Quilting and Obtaining Supplies
Task #2 – Learning to Sew Precise Seam Allowances on the
Sewing Machine
Task #3 – Learning to Cut Precise Strips and Shapes from
Fabric using a Rotary Cutting System
Then we begin the Mug Rugs…actually sewing!
Task #4 – Simple Nine Patch Block: Learning the Basics of
Assembling Rows and Columns of a block design
Task #5 – Bars Block: Learning strip piecing techniques
Task #6 – Diamond Bars Block: Learning to create corner
triangles with “flip-squares”
Task #7 – Churn Dash Block: Learning to create double
triangle patches from square pairs
Task #8 – Card Game Block: Learning to piece with bias edge
patches
Task #9 – Star Block: Learning to use a paper grid system
for piecing smaller patches
Task #10—Dresden Plate Block: Learning to piece wedges,
adjust seams, and applique a curved edge
Task #11 – Fan Block: Learning to piece convex and concave
curves together
Task #12 – Flower Block: Learning to paper piece
The course will run from a Blogger class blog. You’ll
receive an invitation to this blog before the course starts. When received,
accept the invitation…and remember the URL of the site. The invite only works
once, so it is good to bookmark the class blog once you have arrived at the
site. If you need help, let me know by emailing me at shaw.kathy@yahoo.com
Each lesson in the course has a “TASK” at the back of the
handout. It is clearly marked by a red box. Once you have completed this task,
a photo of your work will be uploaded (posted) to the class blog. I’ll see that
and leave you some comments on the class blog. If you have problems…email
me…don’t post about them as I see my emails several times a day but may only
check the class blog once or twice a day. Also, once I’ve left you some feedback
below your blog post…I may not be going back to that post again since you have
completed the task.
When I finish leaving feedback on all of the current class
blogs (this course and the crazy quilt courses open at the moment)…I’ll send
out new tasks. So, when you have finished a task…posted your photo of that
finish…I’ll comment to that..and THEN will send out the next task to you. This
may take a day. However, if you see that I have left you a comment on the class
blog post…and have not yet sent you the next task…email me. I do sometimes mess
up and forget to send the next task. I try not to…but, it does happen…so, this
is my admission and request for your help.
So…if you are interested in taking this course…Registration is NOW OPEN. It will close at midnight, CST...on Wednesday night, 31 August.
Here's how you sign up for the class: Just email me
this information about you:
Name
State/Country
Email that you want to use for this course (handouts will be
sent here)
Once I get your registration information...I'll add you to the class roster and email you back with a "Welcome" to the course. Then, in the next day or so...I'll also have a "Class Invitation"
emailed to you so you can access the class website; remember this URL once you get to that site.
THIS IS AN ON-LINE CLASS...so you must be a little
knowledgeable about reading and getting to a blog. But, since you are on THIS one at present...that should not be too hard to do. If you have
problems...email me and I'll try to help.
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