My first quilting class in 1988 was wrought with high expectations, nervous apprehension, and absolutely no clue that I would be hooked into a lifelong passion that eventually superseded the full gamut of my creative endeavors. In those early years while learning the basic construction techniques and various block patterns, my penchant for perfection ranked higher than ever in my new found hobby.
Perhaps the cost of fabric, a total dislike for ripping out stitches, and the wasted time of doing things wrong were even bigger motivators, but I have relaxed myself on all accounts these past 23 yrs.
One undeniable truth is that I am easily inundated with learning new things, especially if the material comes at me fast and furiously, so I now enter every class situation with an attitude of listen carefully, watch closely and don't sweat it if you do absolutely nothing during class! As long as I have written material to use at my own pace after the class, I can systematically work my way through just about anything at home when there are no distractions.
Perhaps the cost of fabric, a total dislike for ripping out stitches, and the wasted time of doing things wrong were even bigger motivators, but I have relaxed myself on all accounts these past 23 yrs.
One undeniable truth is that I am easily inundated with learning new things, especially if the material comes at me fast and furiously, so I now enter every class situation with an attitude of listen carefully, watch closely and don't sweat it if you do absolutely nothing during class! As long as I have written material to use at my own pace after the class, I can systematically work my way through just about anything at home when there are no distractions.
I'm certain that this philosophy no doubt served me well during Vikki's two full class days (April 31 & May 1) covering Improvisational Quilting and Fabric Manipulations. Vikki proved to be an exceptionally gifted teacher not only for the material she presented but the fun and relaxed approach she delivered her techniques with. This class was suitable for choosing what you wanted to experiment with while having her expertise available to trouble shoot. Our class of 2o or so was the most enjoyable quilting class experience I've had in ages. I know there were others who felt 'out of their depth' at times, but I don't think anyone was left feeling they couldn't execute Vikki's techniques shown in her book:
With the new tricks I learned in class, my art quilting will most certainly benefit from more complex looking compositions and the ease in which to realize them. Hopefully I will be posting some of them soon.
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