Spring Fling!!

We had a great turnout at our Victoria Quilters' Guild "Spring Fling" workshop yesterday.  My workshop was based on this book:

We created and used the 'ribbon' template using simple template plastic.  It was definitely a skill builder.  Here are some photos from the workshop (starting with my finished centre block):

I love my colours but my piecing...not so much.  I wish I had my starch with me as the angles really stretch very easily.

It's funny where we get our inspiration from.  I ride the bus daily to work and on this particular trip (2 days before the workshop) I was still thinking about colour choices.  I happened to be wearing a beige top and a black suede jacket.  I happened to look down, saw the combo and the decision was made.  Beige and black together!  I love it!!  AND the best part - I had lots of beige in my stash.  I added some black fat quarters with interesting patterns, and voila!

Most of the class participants used batiks.  Here's the teacher's sample (Mae Peterson):

Don't you just LOVE the movement in this quilt?  And the quilting enhances the curves.  Just gorgeous!

Here is my friend Terry's:

and more from the design wall, all done in batiks:

 

I'm finishing mine as a tablerunner.  I'm not sure quite how but the block will soon speak to me!   Terry is working on a quilt for her granddaughter and her block with be a centre medallion of a big-girl quilt surrounded by sampler blocks.  So much variation from one little template!

I spent the evening recovering from the workshop with feet up, wine poured, and glasses on.  I wanted to read through the book cover to cover, which I did.  I'm so guilty of buying design books and looking at the pictures and putting them on the shelf.  Case in point ~ as soon as the teacher showed us the book, I realized that I had this book on my shelf in my studio and hadn't cracked it!  So busted!  I want to master this technique of curved piecing from strip sets.  There is so much inspiration in this book.  It's time to try something new.  So besides wanting to finish 12 UFOs in 2012, I'm declaring 2012 "the year of skill-building!"  And I ended up ordering the second book in the series which I will be USING, not just ADMIRING!!

Until next time,

Mavis