WIP Wednesday...

Hi everyone,

today's WIP is actually - this blog! :)
I am working on several tutorials for my new blog feature, Each One, Teach One that will be posted on Tuesdays - I am excited! :)

Decided to start with some VERY basics! Since I teach Beginners Quilting class in my local quilt shop (Threads of Time in Amherst, NY  - come visit if you are around!), I can see daily how important basic skills are and how many times one gets frustrated doing things in a harder way that can bring problems down the road. So, we will do these basic lessons:

1. Basic accurate rotary cutting
2. Easy way to have accurate 1/4" seam (no special foot needed!) or scant 1/4" if you want
3. Streamlined block piecing (featuring: "chain-piecing is your friend!" and "importance of nested seams")
4. Block or quilt squaring-up (yeah, no one likes to do it, but it should be done...)
5. Borders - mitering and all!
6. Basting your quilt - different possibilities and methods
7. Talk about machine quilting...
8. Good binding is a great finish
 

OK, so what do you think? Would you find it useful? Or if you are experienced quilter, can this help you teach someone else? Let me know if there are other areas of quilt basics that you want to learn more about? 

In the meantime, here are some photos from many of my Beginners Quilting classes - I love, love, LOVE teaching beginners, we have lots of fun and there is nothing more satisfying and gratifying for me than a happy quilter who just made something beautiful! :)
This is where we work:

 One of my beginner's patterns - work in progress (borders are next!):

 And here is Frances with her quilt all done - quilted and bound! She was really happy and proud and so was I! :) Isn't it beautiful?

 Sometimes I manage to talk my beginners out of their shyness and make them come to our Guild meeting and proudly show their first quilts (finished or almost finished!) - so here we are:

 Another group of quilters-in-the-making was working on a different pattern - snowballs and nine-patches:

 Auditioning borders:

 A fun one for a new baby:

 Some elegant fabric choices and beautiful results:

 Finished and bound - yay!:

 Sisters came to class together - how fun is that! Look how different their quilts are, just using different colors:

 Another top done!:

 A different choice for background (burnt orange) and some other small changes in color placement make for a different and beautiful look, don't you think? :

This is my current group - we just completed tops last night and going on to some quilting fun next week:

 

Aren't these girls amazing? Besides the thrill of making something and teaching (me), we all always LOVE how different all the quilts look, despite using the exact same pattern! Different colors and sometime a bit of play in block layout make for each and every one being its own unique beauty! (Did I mention I LOVE teaching? :)  )

How did you learn to quilt? Class, friend or family or self-thought? I would love to know your story of beginning, so let me know would you? :)

Thanks for spending time with me today, have a fabulous Wednesday,

Marija