Ingrid Whitcher

What a busy few weeks. I have been working on samples for my November Guild Meeting program on Machine quilting. I think all the samples are done. Now I just have to organize my thoughts! This is no laughing matter.

I also have been working on the PQG Quilt show ribbons for this next March. I know it sounds like a long time away, but not when there are 120 to do and I pick a really time consuming design. On the positive side, I have needed and have recaived a lot of help. It has been so much fun getting together in small groups and talking – I mean working ion getting them done. If I ever get volunteered for this again, I will either advise buying them or I will design something that does not require hours of paper-piecing.

I had the opportunity last week to speak at the Pensacola Quilters’s Guild meeting. For the past year I have been the Program director (VP) for the night meeting and several months ago presented a lecture on curved piecing and design. The day meeting VP asked me to do my program again for the day group. The program seemed to go over well at both meetings. This past year has definitely stretched me – I am not a public speaker! I would much rather teach a small group (10) something hands-on than to stand up in front of 90 people. Hopefully, I will have other similar opportunities in the future and it will get easier each time.

I sure had fun designing and making the samples. Here are some pictures of the quilts that went with the lecture.

This is a small quilt in which the 4 center squares are the same and have been machine pieced. I really enjoyed the quilting and embellishing with the crystals. I named it my “Bling” quilt.

This quilt features a more complex center using 4 similar blocks with a complex pieced border. I discovered while piecing this that I do not enjoy having to piece several difficult curves more than once!

This is a free-form drawing I used for one of the other samples. I really enjoyed piecing it.

This last picture is the work in progress.

I don’t even know where this month has gone. The kids all started school and projects piled up. I was able to take a trip to Indy for our 6th annual Quilt Show and Sale. Pictures will be available on the generations quilters web site in December. I left my camera up there so no new pictures until then.

I have made great progress on several projects including my entry for the 2008 Pensacola Quilters Guild show. Their theme this year is a New York Beauty block. I think I have gotten my fill of paper piecing for awhile. My husband helped me with the geometry needed for designing this original quilt. Now comes the fun part, planning the quilting.

I also have been trying out some thread painting. I guess that is a natural progression when you like doing heavy machine quilting. I saw some really neat pieces @ the AQS Nashville show and will enjoy sitting and trying it.

I just got back from the quilt show in Nashville. I got to spend 4 days with Mom, Jen and Holly. We had a wonderful time. It is so much fun to see other people’s reactions to the quilts. The vendors were really good and I found a lot of fun stuff (beads, fibers and threads). I also got to see a demonstration by a wonderful fiber artist. There were so many different things to see and try. My favorite part of the show was the Guild Challenge quilts. They really showed how each quilter views things different from each other but then how they all flow together.

Hopefully this week after all the laundry is caught up and the family is into the school routine, I can get back to some serious sewing. There is nothing like a quilt show to get the creative juices flowing. The problem is that there are so many unfinished projects lurking about. My goal for the next few weeks is to finish piecing my New York Beauty design that needs to pieced by October.

I was able to teach my first machine quilting class this past week. It was mainly for beginners and went over the basics of batting, threads and the such. I had 5 students and we met for 4 hours. I really had a good time. The quilting is my favorite part of the whole quilt-making process, so it was fun to pass along to others what I have been learning over the past 9 years. I hope this is something I will be able to do on a more regular basis. The students all did so well; I am looking forward to seeing their progress over the next few months. We are planning to meet again in the future and play with more advanced stitches and design.