THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES - CLASS OF 2012

I did not start teaching Quilting 101 until mid-year, and I think I missed taking a photo of a couple of classes - but here they are (almost all of them) - Quilting 101 Class of 2012.  Lots of quilting joy to you in 2013 and beyond, Ladies and Gentleman!

This year, I will really try to take a shot of each class, so the graduation picture of the Class of 2013 should have a lot more faces!

A NEW LITTLE QUILT THAT I JUST WHIPPED UP

I saw a quilt that was similar to this on Pinterest, and I had the day off today, so I decided to make a little quilt out of some of my stash.  It took me all day, and I quilted it on my Pfaff, not on the long arm.  I think it came out pretty cute!

DECEMBER 2012 QUILT

21" X 21"

QUILTING 101 STUDENTS

Tonight I taught my first male student!  He did really well, too!  His block came out to exactly 14" square, just like it was supposed to.  Before class, I asked him what made him decide to take the class, and he said, "I have a sewing machine and I'm bored.  I might as well learn to sew!"  Before taking my class, he took Sewing 101, and his teacher told me that he did really well there, too.

STUDENT'S LITTLE TRIP AROUND THE WORLD

One of my Quilting 101 students also took my class the makes the Little Trip Around the World wall hanging.  I love her color choices!  It came out looking like shades of soft leather.  Very nice!

QUILTING 101 STUDENTS

No matter how many times I teach this class, I still have fun sharing my knowledge with new quilters.  And they have fun, too!

QUILTING 101 STUDENTS

And a few more days later, a few more new quilters!

QUILTING 101 STUDENTS

As usual, we had a great time in Quilting 101!  Four new quilters!

MY PRIZE WINNING QUILT - SUNSET ON THE CORAL SEA

My original idea for this quilt was to make it in all blues, greens and teals.  But when I went to the quilt shop and saw all the beautiful batik fabrics, I decided to use more colors.  I asked the store clerk to cut 1/8 yard of every batik in the store!  I brought them home, folded each piece into a small square and laid them out on the floor.  My husband Bill and I kept rearranging the squares until we were happy with the colors.  I paper-pieced the blocks, and after I assembled them, I decided to add the piano keys border.  I quilted it with an original design on my Gammill Classic long arm quilting machine, which I owned from 2001 to 2004.  This quilt won second place in the 2003 Heritage Quilters Guild Bi-Annual Quilt Show in the "Large Quilts" class.  It now has a place of honor on a prominent wall in my home, illuminated by art lighting.

I call it "Sunset on the Coral Sea."  The coral is in the center, the beach is on the bottom left, the waves are crashing in from the right bottom corner, the waning sunset is on the top right and the night sky is coming in at the top left.

CALCULATING HALF-SQUARE TRIANGLES - HELEN CAIRNS

I can never remember how to do the math...  When you want to make a block out of two half-square triangles (and who doesn't!), how big do you cut out the original squares before you sew them and cut them into triangles?  If you want an 8" finished block, do you add 5/8" to the original blocks?  7/8"? 

I googled it just now, and came across a great website that had the answer, so I am posting it here so I will never forget.  I suggest that you visit Patchwork-and-Quilting.com to find the answer to this and many other questions about quilting.

By the way, the answer to the question about half-square triangles is 1".  Add 1" to the original squares and then cut them down slightly to get the exact size you need.  You can read about it here.

HOLLY'S HEARTS QUILTING PATTERN

This was a big job, and I took the opportunity to take a few shots that show off the long arm quilting pattern, called Holly's Hearts.  I've used this pattern twice now, and it's quite lovely.

THE FLEA MARKET AT THE CENTER

I thought I would try to sell some of my quilts and jewelry holders at the Center's Flea Market in Palos Heights.  It was not much of a success.  I sold six jewelry holders and one small wall hanging.  At least I learned something - don't do another flea market.  People are looking for stuff that they can buy for $1.  I basically made enough to cover my space rental and the gas it took to drive there...

MORE BABY ZIG ZAGS

Here are three more students that created their versions of my Baby Zig Zag quilt.

QUILTING 101 STUDENTS

MARGARITA SUNRISE QUILT

To see the instructions for this gorgeous quilt, click here.

CHEVRON BABY QUILT

I made this blog post because the original web page was unpinnable to Pinterest.

To see the tutorial for this quilt, click here.

BABY ZIG ZAG QUILT FROM START TO FINISH

Only one day after taking Quilting 101, one of my students started my Baby Zig Zag Quilt class.  She made it a kid-size quilt, not in baby colors and not in a zig zag pattern.  This shows how you can really make a pattern your own, and it came out so great!

MORE QUILTING 101 STUDENTS

 This class was held on August 23rd.  Four great ladies are on their way to being great quilters!

QUILTING 101 - FOUR NEW STUDENTS

I had the pleasure of meeting four great ladies today at Jo-Ann.  They were all new to quilting, although some had sewn before.  We had a great time learning how to use a rotary cutter, mat and ruler, how to make perfect 1/4" seams, how to piece patches together and how to interlock seams.  The block they made is called "Hole in the Barn Door."  Here are (left to right) Becca, Barb, Lisa and Marie, proudly holding up their finished blocks, and looking forward to their next project:

MY FIRST DAY WORKING THE CUTTING COUNTER AT JO-ANN FABRIC

I worked four hours today, cutting fabric and batting for customers.  The first part of the day was orientation, getting my uniform, etc., and then learning how to do my new job.  At first, I was pretty overwhelmed and asked a lot of questions, but I started getting into the swing of things pretty quickly.

I'm looking forward to working again on Friday.

FUN TEACHING QUILTING AT JO-ANN FABRIC

I recently got to teach a new student at Jo-Ann Fabric in Orland Park.  Her name is Sherry, and she took my Quilting 101 class a few weeks ago and then learned how to make my "Little Trip Around the World" wall hanging during classes last week and this week.

Although we did not have time to finish in class, here is a photo of her quilt mostly done, and she promises that she will send me a photo update when she finishes the machine quilting and binding, which she learned how to do in class.  She taught herself how to quilt, and now is taking classes to learn how to put into practice all the little tips and tricks that make quilting more enjoyable and more precise.  It's been a pleasure quilting with Sherry, and I hope we'll get to get together again real soon!  She really enjoys quilting and is a natural. 

This is a closeup of Sherry's quilt.  The tiny light blue border is actually a little flange and gives the quilt dimension and just a spark of adorableness!
The same color will be used for the binding.  I helped Sherry choose the colors for her quilt, and we are both very happy with the way it came out.  Sherry tells me that she is keeping this one for herself!

QUILTING DESIGNS FOR YOUR QUILT

On this page, you will find many of the quilting designs that you have to choose from when you bring your next quilt to Rebecca's Quilting.  Be sure to make a note of the names of your favorites so we can discuss which ones would work best with your latest work of art!

I currently have over 100 quilting patterns available for no extra charge.  If you would like to choose a pattern that I do not already have, I can purchase it for you and there will be a $10 surcharge added to your cost for quilting.