Back to School!

Things have been a bit quiet around here, Sir Pinkying and I managed to sneak off for a quick break before the madness of the last 6 weeks of the year.  The first stop on our tour was Canberra.  I've been wanting to take a machine quilting class for a long time, and I knew that I wanted to take a class with Deb Louie, and Canberra was the best chance for me to take it.

For anyone who doesn't know who Deb is, she is a very well known quilter who used to professionally machine quilt for others on her domestic machine.  Yep, that's right, you heard me.  No long arm.  Machine quilted for others, on her DOMESTIC machine.

The first day was focused on pin basting technique, design consideration, marking and machine quilting with a walking foot.   We did quilting in the ditch, a cross hatch, stops and starts, and a cable, all with the walking foot.

Day two was all about free motion quilting.  This is what I was really really excited to learn about.  I haven't done much of it, and I'm getting sick of sending my quilts out to be quilted.  I want to be able to do it them myself!  Here is a shot of my test piece from the second day. 

Deb breaks the designs down for you and demonstrates them, and then gets you to try them.  Here is my first very sad attempt at a swirl

but a couple of rows later I did these two, so a definite improvement!

We also learnt flowers

and interlocking squares

 flowers with stems

stars and lots more!

Deb is a fabulous teacher, and I can't recommend this class highly enough!  I learnt so much, and still have more to learn.  Most importantly I have to practice practice practice!  I'm really looking forward to sitting down at the machine again to apply all the things that I learnt.