Category: teaching

Reminders

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I chatted with a friend yesterday that was full of reminders, good reminders. In the quilt life we need good teaching, teachers, and good reminders.

Here’s a few good reminders:

You can machine quilt. It takes a little time to find the best way for you to do it, however You can machine quilt.

You can make quilts that make YOU happy. It takes a little time to find the fabrics that make your heart sing, it’s possible, and glorious.

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two of my favorite tools, seam ripper and stiletto

You can cut well. Finding the rotary cutter, ruler, mats, and other tools take a bit of time. You’re worth the time and investment to find the right tools.

Seam rippers were invented for a reason.

There’s more than one way to quilt and whatever we choose is the right one.
machine quilting whole cloth quilts of my own design, check!
competing – check (yes, this makes me happy)
teaching is the best experience!
writing is fun
I’m unique, and interesting, and weird.

Comparative thinking is part of what we do, it’s self-damaging, and getting over that is the one of the best things we can do for each other.

I’m available to come teach here’s the link to my classes. If your guild would like to hire me to come lecture and teach or  you have any questions please contact me terificreations at gmail dot com.

Happy quilting!

Teri

 

 

I’ve gone and done it now

I’ve gone and done it now

Serendipity As Well full viewI’ve added a Retreat to the list of classes. I’ve wanted to add a retreat for a very long time, now seemed as good a time as any. A three or five day retreat to explore the world of thread, batting, design, and color. Find the eclecticness of you, the freedom to explore and push the current boundaries of how quilting works every day.

In a directed retreat we’ll work on Moon Over Manhattan or Twilight in the Bronx as the base, we can also choose Serendipity letting the color and motif run amok with frivolity, and laughter.

Have you visited my RitDye Studio?
Check out Instagram because not everything that I post there, ends up here
what about facebook? oh and let’s not forget Lucy’s Nickles because exploring the boundaries of quilting never gets old.

Happy Quilting,

Teri

reading is fun-damental & a nip o’fun

I have a whole big bunch of e-books sitting in my to read in a file on my computer. It’s a great file to go to for quilty inspiration. Jean Wells has an update on Intuitive Color & Design that I’m looking forward to spending time with. Her work has influenced nearly all of my quilting life. So digging into this is high on the priority list.

All the Light you cannot see is next on the reading list, got it from the library. Tomorrow I’m flying out to St. Louis for Quilt Market and will have a layover in Atlanta. Reading time!

Today is some final Market Prep, laundry, packing, checking in for my flight. Making sure I have all of the electronic stuff necessary. Two meetings for Generation Q.

I’ll be doing facebook live vids from the show floor on both the GenQ page and my own personal page. The live vid with Tracy and Cheryl should be Sew Much Fun.

If you’re going to be at Market here’s your reminder about a few Market classes to take. And the Spring Clean Your Studio Blog Tour.

Oh! Oh! Yes the Dutchess Heritage Quilt Celebration.

There are classes to teach. And quilts to make. And fabric to fondle.

Happy Quilting!

Teri

Reading

For the last little while most of the books on my nightstand are either work related: meaning reading to participate in blogs for the magazine or faith related, it is Lent after all. Through our local library I picked up a copy of Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. After reading the first couple of chapters I skipped to the end of the book. Yes, it’s very much like reading the end to a really good novel before reading from beginning to end. And in Dr. Who fashion I can hear River Song saying, “Spoilers”.

This isn’t so much spoilers as it is curiosity. I know the book is a worthy read I’m simply trusting my gut. So her last thought is:

“Creativity is sacred, and it is not sacred.
What we make matters enormously, and it doesn’t matter at all.
We toil alone, and we’re accompanied by spirits.
We are terrified, and we are brave.
Art is a crushing chore and a wonderful privilege.
Only when we are at our most playful can divinity finally get serious with us.
Make space for all these paradoxes to be equally true in your soul, and I promise – you can make anything.
So please calm down and get back to work, okay?
The treasures that are hidden inside you are hoping you will say yes.”

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There are so many words rattling around inside my brain seeking escape at the tips of my fingers. And yet none of them seem the right words for this moment. Other than Yvonne was right

Shine your brightest light.

So, I’m going to go fold laundry, make a plan for tidying up the studio and get quilting. I started something new yesterday. Got annoyed with myself too because the makings of a whole bunch of 9 patches got dumped on the floor under the cutting table and now I can’t remember what I was doing.

Happy Quilting!

Teri

Character & Confidence

Character & Confidence

uhw wrought iron fence and gateSlowly, ever so slowly, there are changes happening here. Much ado about character on the blog lately. This conversation will continue. Character and confidence work hand in hand, they build each other, and with that. when we show up to do the work our creativity increases. All of this takes practice. I’ve struggled with confidence in quilting. Oh hell, I just struggle with confidence sometimes.

I have, with some hard work, and a husband who believes in me, some really great friends grown in that area. There’s room to grow. Of course there is, and that’s the best thing ever. There is room to grow. There is room to grow in quilting, there is room to grow in teaching, there is room to grow in confidence.

Just show upWhether I get it or not I’ve applied to offer three seminars later this year. If I do get to offer them then I’ll be expanding the type of work I offer. It’s a bit of a leap, however sometimes ya gotta take a leap off a cliff so you can fly.

And the winner is:

#6 – Jean Congdon! Congratulations. I’ll contact you for your address.

Happy Quilting!

Teri

Puddle Jumping

img_20170124_163916Every now and again in front of my machine I sit and stitch. That’s it. There’s no plan or purpose other than reconnecting with the machine and the rhythm of stitching. The stitching leads to thinking, that’s sometimes a good thing, and sometimes not so much. Either way the level of enjoyment is increased with each stitch. That is, after all, the purpose of quilting, enjoyment.
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As one fat quarter filled and the next begun the weather influenced the choice of motif a bit. Thoughts of puddle jumping filled the space between. I can do puddle jump with the best of them, and have fond memories of doing so while dating my sweetie. The center circle is where the rain drop lands causing ripples. There is something calming and meditative with rain drops landing on water, each ripple just a little different, influenced by the effect of the other drops and ripples. When I started quilting the intent was one full spiral, about the fifth round out it became apparent that wasn’t happening. Uh-uh. Nope. Because the reminder of rain drops is simply beautiful.

img_20170125_173408-1And going with the rain drops seemed the only way to continue. At first overlapping and connecting. Then going a little rogue not necessarily connecting them, or having them overlap more than one other rain drop.

Puddles are glorious. Puddles give happiness for such a short time. Puddles are there for jumping, and rain drops, and worms, and inspiration. Puddles are delightful. Like rain drops sliding down a window, wandering hither and yon until they reach the intended destination. Rainy days in the summer beckon me outside, rainy days in the winter drive me to the studio with all the lights on. *The fabric used for the project is Sumi-é by Frond Design Studios.

Once all the quilting is complete the two pieces are destined for greatness! Yes, dear ones, they will be made into a new bag and wallets for me.I’m going to remove the hardware and strap from another bag that has completely fulfilled it’s obligation and use it for the strap on this one. What a great way to repurpose a well loved bag. There will be cork involved in some detail work, how I’m not entirely certain at the moment but a plan is forming in my head that will come together at the right moment. This one is just for happiness as I work on a few other things. One I have to get a mosey on and finish this weekend. I’ll be posting that “need to finish and write about it” on the Gen Q blog. It’s something different and kind of fun.

In a few days I’ll reveal the quilt design for the Lucy’s Nickles – Creating Confident Quilters one Stitch at a Time group. After some serious contemplation we’re going to work on a piece based on a couple of quilts and tease out the stitching and design from there. The thing that makes drawing out the design easier for everyone, that is the great hope anyway. You’re welcome to join the group and play along for as long as you’d like.

Happy Quilting!

Teri

 

…or wait for it, lemon curd and the toast goes from okay to sublime

I’m going to start this blog post in something of a strange place. Ready?
I’ve been thinking a lot about learning style. At some point down the road that thinking will end up as an article for Generation Q Magazine. Intrigued? Stay tuned, I’ll let you know when that happens.

I doodle a lot. So much so that ever since the beginning of teaching free motion machine quilting I’ve had a doodling class. Doodling complements the work of quilting like butter complements toasted bread. Add cinnamon and sugar, or a favorite jam, or oh! lemon curd and the toast goes from okay, to sublime.

When I teach And now what?! or Doodling Your Way to Better Quilting we start with what looks like a quilt block on paper, chat about what might look good and what you, as the quilter, might want to stitch out. We talk about this as a group as there is something really cool that happens – Jane might stitch out stippling on a 9-patch, while Melissa might want to do Baptist Fans, and Debby might play with some Ribbon Candy, well that gives Amy the thought that she might like to stitch clamshells, while Adam might starts thinking about nautilus shells, and Teri, well she thinks about champagne bubbles because, tiny bubbles.zen tangle

We then spend about 4 – 6 minutes drawing those ideas out on the quilt block. The doodling needs to just be there. Four to six minutes doesn’t seem like a lot of time right now, however, it can seem like a lot when you’re plotting the perfect quilting for the quilt you have in mind. Because we all have that one show quilt in mind.

If the quilters are comfortable we share what they doodled. Every quilter does something a bit different. Every quilter chooses different colors – to represent a color of thread they might use for stitching. As we share faces over the room start showing that “oh, that looks cool I’m going to have to remember that!”

There are a couple of blocks that I ask the quilters what they see, what is their first impression. One that I do this with is based on a fabric that I practiced quilting on a long time ago – it’s a long rectangle with offset one inch dots. I used that fabric to learn how to make swirls in a defined space. What’s fascinating is how the students see the possibilities, and then what is doodled might be completely different from the chat, because by the time we get to this block the creative energy is starting to flow. Quilters are using multiple colors to fill in the space, and the room gets really quiet. I think this is one of my favorite blocks to watch happen.

One of the things that I found important as a I practice machine quilting on paper is to use my non-dominant hand. It’s a hot mess! But doodling with my left hand helps develop the eye/hand coordination needed for machine quilting. I have to Think through the design, give thought to how I will move my hands, and at what speed.

I’ll show you how I will stitch out any motif and in some cases I’ll show you both right and left handed.

Join me on Friday November 11th at Pinwheels and Friends in Sturbridge, MA at the Sturbridge Host hotel for Doodle Your Way to Better Quilting. I’m bringing all the supplies for class, you just get to show up and doodle with me. There are going to be some amazing teachers at this event run by Maria Tamaoka of Pinwheels – think Daiwabo Taupes and Oakshott Cottons, and teachers: Debby Brown, Sue Pelland, Karen Altabef (tatting! – her designs will lead to some great quilting motifs!), click here for a complete list and here for the vendors.

Happy Quilting!

Teri