Elizabeth's Working in a Series

In her Working in a Series class, Jane asked that we work on three pieces simultaneously this day and keep them fairly small in size.  I enjoyed working on multiple pieces at once because when you started to feel tired or overwhelmed about one you could go on to another.  They seemed to gain energy and ideas between each other too.  My 3 pieces met Jane’s working in a series qualifications in several ways.  They all used thermofax screens, fish was the subject, and they all used a hand dyed background fabric.  These are some of the elements I started with.

Jane does most of the quilting prior to adding the design elements of the quilt and then if she needs to add additional machine or hand quilting as embellishment, she does not hesitate to do that either.  These are my 3 mini quilts that I worked on in class.

Of course, when the week of the class arrived I realized that my travel/take to class sewing machine had already “traveled” to New Hampshire for the summer so my neighbor, Kathleen, said I could borrow a small Brother machine she had bought at Costco.  This little machine was a trooper.  It has a self- threading option and enough decorative stitches to last through the day.  It quilted well, was lightweight to carry and was a pleasure to use.  Something to consider when you don’t want to or can’t haul a machine like “Super Baby” in and out of hotel conference rooms.  

 All things considered, this class was a great opportunity.  I practiced some design techniques, got further in the creative process than usual (starting with background quilting is a cool option!), tried out a different machine, and had a "mental health" day off from work.  Not to mention learning from a respected teacher.  Well worth the price of admission!