It bears repeating…I love teaching machine quilting!!

I love teaching machine quilting.  Each student and each machine gives me something to think about and a new approach to how I teach.  This morning two of my students had these beautiful “Aha!” moments as Sarah Vedeler calls them.

I always talk to my students about speed, that a good even, medium speed will make a huge difference in how consistent their quilting will become.  In my last class, quite the feisty group, I started issuing “speeding violations” when a couple of the gals would just race the machine.  With several of the gals I’ve done this in class, much to their amusement, but they’re getting it, slow down a bit and their quilting will improve.  As one of the gals worked with her machine she gets it, the machine slows down, the shoulders relax and the stitching improves.

Next gal, has a simple basic machine and has been doing ok.  There have been several speeding violations issued, usually within moments of one another.  Today I invited her to sit at my machine and quilt for a while.  Her amazement as she gained control of the machine, her shoulders relaxed and the stitching improved was amazing.

I love this.  I love watching students who struggle with quilting as it is so counter-intuitive to how we’ve been taught to sew everything else we sew.  I love watching students who just get it and move on through the whole process and I can help them move into something beyond what they’ve been doing.  I love how I get to share this gift of quilting with each quilter.  There’s nothing better for this quilter.

When I quilt I use the Freehand Embroidery Foot #24 for my machine.  Renee, after taking a class on machine quilting, suggested that I purchase this foot for quilting.  I did and WOW what a huge difference this made for me visually.  At a class I had another student, again having her sit at my machine just to see how the visual field opened up with this foot had her “Aha!” moment.

I’ve also recently invested in a single hole stitch plate for my 1080.  Love it.  Absolutely love it.

When I’m not teaching or working I’m listening to the World Series and quilting microfiber.  Yep, you read that right microfiber.  I’m making myself a new pocket book.  I finally finished the quilting and will have photos most likely tomorrow.

My new friend Susan Brubaker Knapp has a book out called appliqué Petal Party.

should be quite a lot of fun!  Congratulations Susan on the release of your book and your Best of Show!  How cool is that!

Happy Quilting!

Teri