Yesterday, I went to the most awesome lecture/trunk show and workshop at our local guild meeting and by the end of the day, I felt like I was flying!!!!
Carol Taylor came to visit us from more westerly upstate NY and boy, did she bring some awesome quilts, ideas, photos!!! You have to check out the photos of her studio on her website!!! And below her studio, she has a dyeing center!!!!
Remember this quilt on the cover of QNM?!!!
It's Carol's and I got to see it up close and touch it!!!She talked at length about how she works in a series and her ideas evolve and she tries new ideas out on a theme. Her quilts were so awesome, I felt .... like flying (sounds better than crying, anyway!)!!!!! It was so exciting!!!!!
I didn't take too many photos of our day, but here is Carol setting up her inventory of threads prior to the workshop....
and some of the goods.... 
and the book (which I bought) which features her skinny quilt on the cover...
The workshop was a 6 hour program crammed into 3 hours and boy did we learn (and fast too!). It was all about free motion machine quilting (and I apologize for the quality of the photos but I took them last night when the sun was going down at home...). We had all prepared small sandwiched pieces for practice.During the workshop, Carol gave us great pointers on tension, types of thread, and showed us a bunch of patterns to try...
I had the most trouble with squares and triangles...
and even these hearts were tricky!
She likes to use 30 wt rayon, 30 wt cotton, 12 wt cotton, metallics all with YLI invisible/monofilament in the bobbin... 
How about this leaf?!
These are supposed to be flames (sorry so blurry!)...
and I am so in looooove with these circles 
(which you start with in the middle on your darning foot and switch to your walking foot, using the edge as a guide!)...
and this gorgeous metallic...
It was just so much fun...
The 'connection' lines were straight free motion quilting, stop, change to zigzag, start zigzagging, stop, change to straight line....
This is the octopus flower...
and some sort of sun!
I was just so inspired by this afternoon that I came home feeling like I could fly (or at least machine quilt just a little bit better!)
And I wanted to share these photos of our area as we went apple picking on Friday afternoon...
It is definitely peak leaf peeping season...
and the colors are so fabulous...
It was a gorgeous day...
This is the 12 wt cotton ...
and this gorgeous metallic... It was just so much fun...
The 'connection' lines were straight free motion quilting, stop, change to zigzag, start zigzagging, stop, change to straight line....
This is the octopus flower...
and some sort of sun!
I was just so inspired by this afternoon that I came home feeling like I could fly (or at least machine quilt just a little bit better!)And I wanted to share these photos of our area as we went apple picking on Friday afternoon...
It is definitely peak leaf peeping season... and the colors are so fabulous... It was a gorgeous day...and some great pickin'
How could you not have that feeling of flight, of just sheer excitement, when you come over the hill and see this....???????!!!!!!
That looks like a lot of fun. I really want to try some new free motion quilting patterns.
ReplyDeleteYour pictures really make me miss NY. I'm originally from Hyde Park, and I always get some homesick this time of year, because the falls are just not the same here.
Oh Wow your quilting looks great. Now I'm bummed I didn't stay for the workshop. I can't wait to see what you come up with on your next quilt top. I know what you want to try and yes people she was almost flying out of her seat when some of the quilts were shown, right up her "runway".lol
ReplyDeleteI had never heard of Carol Taylor before today, but I JUST opened up my mail and saw that she's teaching at the Hudson River Valley Workshop next year -- and then you have a posting on her! Should I take that as a sign?
ReplyDeleteLooks like you're going to have a lot of fun now!
You are awe-inspiring! Keep 'flying!'
ReplyDeleteAll that quilting is so inspiring...
ReplyDeleteWOW! Your freemotion quilting is looking really really good! WOWOWOW!
ReplyDeleteLove the flying. Its fun to see a theme in our life. It brings things together in an upbeat perspective. And that is so good for us. Love the quilting.
ReplyDeleteWow Lisa fantastic class ... I am so envious! What I wouldn't have given to have done that one with you!!!! I have heaps of questions! But for now I have to finish my binding! Expect an email! :)
ReplyDeleteHey Lisa,
ReplyDeletequestion for you, was all the stitching done one a regular sewing machine? Even the 12 weight cotton?
...I'm having machine quilting issues,... I did three quilts just fine. now it breaks comstantly adn doesn't start without getting all munched up... I've brought it in, its all fine and dandy, but really it isn't... driving me crazy...