Embroidery Retreat with Joan Friedrich, Day 1

Joan Friedrich

embroidery machine and

stabilizer expert

from babylock

was our presenter today - 

what a bunch of lucky gals were we!

This is a beautiful purse she designed herself -

it is completely done within the hoop and we'll

be making them tomorrow afternoon!

Here's the back outside pocket

Here's a pleather purse she made

using stabilizers and metallic gold thread

Beautiful cross stitch

from the embroidery machine!

(Can you imagine the possibilities here for quilt squares?!?)

One for the hunter's we love

This little lambie received special embroidered trim around the bottom of the blankie

Isn't this the truth?!?

Today I made a size 6 child's T-shirt

and plan to give it to my littlest grandson Aaron

for his fourth birthday in April

here the fusible stabilizer is going on the inside of the front

Here's the babylock Ellissimo demo machine I was using today during the class - what a Cadillac!

(I own a six year old Elageo)

All kinds of tricks she taught us to get things just right...

stabilizer straight-talk, how to properly hoop (not drum tight!), etc.

Joan has worked extensively with Nancy Zieman and was published with her in a book for Serging crochet - Joan invented this technique and we'll get to see this in action tomorrow!

Serger Crochet Book and DVD

PLUS!  She'll be BACK in June to teach "Quilting in the 21st Century"!!!

when:	JUN. 3, 2011-JUN. 4, 2011
event:	Quilting in the 21st Century
educator:	Joan Friedrich
location:	Bismarck Sewing & Quilting - BISMARCK, ND 58503 (more) 1331 E. Interstate Ave. BISMARCK, ND, 58503             (701) 258-5139       map To see where Nancy Zieman, Eleanor Burns and John Deer will be presenting next, please visit here: BABY LOCK EVENTS

Here's the little monkey ready to embroider onto Aaron's T-shirt - how cute!

This little monkey reminds

me of the story,

"Ten little monkeys jumpin' on the bed, one fell down and bumped his head, so nine little monkeys were jumpin' on the bed....."  Do you remember that story?  This shirt will be a conversation-starter!  LOL!!

=======================================================

Awesome links:

Creative Machine Embroidery website

and

www.lunchboxquilts.com

Can't wait to show you my finished purse project tomorrow!

...PLUS pictures from Joan Friedrich's Trunk Show!!!

=======================================================

February end-of-the-month Goal Review

February Goals:

1.  Harrriet & Carrie Hargrave's "Quilting Academy:  Freshmen Year" lesson five  DONE

2.  Civil War BOM February Block  FOUR, DONE

LINK TO CIVIL WAR QUILT

3.  Harriet & Carrie Hargrave's "Quilting Academy:  Freshmen Year" lesson seven, Harriet's Woodland Winter Quilt top  DONE

4.  Harriet & Carrie Hargrave's "Quilting Academy:  Freshmen Year" lesson lesson seven, Carrie's Cowboy Corral Quilt top  SEW TOGETHER FINAL ROWS - ALMOST DONE

5.  Make a pillow case for charity.  DONE - one for my Dad's birthday  TO DO - one for charity

MILLION PILLOW CASES SERVICE PROJECT LINK

Additional To Do's"

Attend two day Embroidery Workshop the last weekend of February.

finish pajama pants for daughter

finish sewer's helper:  ironing mat/catch-all/pin cushion set

Chain piecing tips and Embroidery Retreat weekend coming up!!!

This is my sixth month of learning to quilt....

Chain-piecing tips from Carrie and Harriet Hargrave's "Quilter's Academy Vol. 1 Freshman Year":

Chain piecing is an absolute breeze - now that I've caught on.

Tricks to it:  The longest string is going to be the top - this will help remind you where you are.

Instead of repeating Rows 1 and 2 like with the Woodland Winter quilt top, this time I finally figured out how to add the first two rows together and then add a third, fourth, etc. until I got to the last 11th row.

Beginning with the third row, go back to the first section and then move your marker (bobbin or eraser, etc.) to the next section as you continue to place the top piece right side down onto the square and then sew up the right hand side.  This simply continues all the way until the end.  Once you are to the bottom, however, you need to stop and iron towards the solid block (horse block).

Here I've managed five of nine rows across, all held together with 1/4" thread between the rows.

and finally here is the entire chain pieced top...

tomorrow to pin and sew the rows together into one solid, pieced top.

I was thinking....if I left it like this, it could be pretty chilly!  LOL!!!

I believe that on a Saturday, if you started early, you could take fabric, starch it, cut it, sew strips and cut those, then piece an entire top together in just one day, minus borders.  On a second day, you could already pin and quilt it together, possibly even finish the binding.  I never realized that before!  A small revelation here!

Which reminds me of that lovely song from the seventies..."We've Only Just Begun...."
=========================================================================
Happy Dance!  I'll be attending the Embroidery "TLC" Retreat this Saturday and Sunday with some really good sewing and quilting friends - can't wait!!!  I have an Ellageo that I need to learn lots more about and am hoping to do just that at this conference.  I'll be sure to post the results right here for you!

Embroidery TLC Retreat Info

=========================================================================

"Quilter's Academy Vol. 1 Freshman Year Project 3" Carrie's Cowboy Corral begin

My version of

Carrie's Cowboy Corral quilt

pg. 36&37 "Quilter's Academy Vol. 1 Freshman Year"

Getting ready to cut out the final color of three strip sets:

My "right hand" or "left hand" - goes both ways!:

Cheating?  Maybe...but it makes it possible for me to quilt after having overextended the ligament in my right thumb muscle near the palm.

On pg. 36, it says Block size 4 1/2 x 4 1/2

(but it didn't say "finished", so...I cut my squares out incorrectly...

on pg. 36 under "Making the Quilt", it says "The finished panel square is 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 (5 " x 5 " cut)."

So, since my blocks were cut first, I then needed to change the size of the strips....

so I went with 1 1/2" strips and then cut the blocks down to fit.

(4 1/2" squares below)

1 1/2" strips

Blocks and strip sets in a new size:

We're looking good now!:

The rows are all ready to chain sew together....

This top was fun and challenging because of my mathematical miscalculation...but in this business, you have to work around obstacles to still come out with something nice...you've gotta have a "can do" attitude!

(Note to self:  include a note when you get to the borders, since the size will now be smaller than what the original in the book calls for.)