Handi Quilter Academy 2015

I didn't register this year for the Handi Quilter Academy in Salt Lake City....but I did get to go.  I went with WonderFil Specialty Threads and had such fun!  

Our booth under construction

The only downside of the trip was that I stepped off a speed bump (don't ask) and turned my ankle as I was leaving Calgary.  I then "dragged" my suitcase through two airports and a hotel with a very sore ankle.  I was quite worried about how I was going to function during the week.  My suitcase was filled with all our display quilts and was quite heavy.  It wasn't until I was setting up the booth that I realized why it hurt so much to walk and "drag" my suitcase along!  Guess I need to get a new suitcase before my next trip.

One of these wheels is not like the other!

I had some great times chatting with quilters from all over North America as well as putting some faces to names that I see in the groups I am in on Facebook. We talked about where we're from, what machine(s) we have and what classes we were registered for..and I helped to educated them about WonderFil threads.

One day at lunch every registrant received a lovely box of thread from WonderFil.  Andrew had an opportunity to share a little bit about the spools of thread in their boxes.

Aren't these the cutest boxes?

  

I slipped into a ProStitcher class the first afternoon and in 10 minutes got my biggest stumbling block cleared up!  I've already practiced and feeling so much more confident.  I learned that you have to do something 21 times before it becomes a habit...I have a lot of sewing to do!

I was able to slip into more classes during the week and sit at the back and observe and learn!  

Applique and Couching on a longarm.

Got hugs with a few old and newer friends

Debby Brown showing off her new thread FabuLux

We went on a tour of the new Handi Quilter headquarters and were allowed to walk around the offices and go into any office and look at the quilts on the walls. I saw a lot of inspirational quilts.  My favourite was the Lone Star that hung just at the front door.

 

The flights home were wonderful.  I had plenty of room and got a short nap on both flights.  I couldn't resist taking pictures of flying above and through the clouds!

 

We're Waiting......

In July I was invited to join the WonderFil Specialty Threads team and set up and manage a Handi Quilter Rental Studio and write and publish a variety of newsletters for WonderFil Specialty Threads. There will be two of us looking after the Threaducation Centre and the Rental Studio. Come by for a visit!

We'll have 2 HQ Avantes; these are 18" machines on 12 foot tables. 

We'll have a ProStitcher on one of the Avantes; a computer system for quilting.

We'll have 2 Sweet Sixteen sit down models.













To rent, you will be required to take a 2-3 hour certification course to learn how to use these fabulous machines. Once certified, you can rent machines.....Aren't you excited?

The studio is very empty....but soon, we'll have the walls covered in quilts and the floors full of machines!

Our Classroom Space doesn't look like much yet, but we'll get lots of inspiration up on the walls soon!

Look at all these threads you can use!   

4 Patch Stack Quilt

A few month ago I listed all the quilts I want to get done this year....still working on this list. But as I have been sorting and organizing and getting my life in order, I have found more projects.  Some needed a bit of stitching to finish.  Some, I needed to be honest about and admit I would never finish them...they went to new homes. Some, like this 4 Patch Stack needed to be quilted and bound and sent off to a new home.

This quilt started as a class sample.  The 4 Patch Stack is a simple quilt that can be made with any print fabric.  I like this better than a regular Kaleidoscope Stack and Whack....only 4 squares make up the block. I have spent some time looking for a good tutorial to show how to make these blocks.   Here is one tutorial. 

Before we go any further......I apologize for the quality of the pictures.  I need to check them carefully on my larger screen (computer) before I give away the quilt!

This is the original fabric.  I loved the paisley swirls...and all the colours were inspiring.  It created delicate little blocks.

At the end of May I attended the Handi Quilter Academy in Salt Lake City and took some classes with Sue Patten. I learned so much!!!!  I am still working my way through all my notes.  One of the things I learned from Sue was how she loads and secures her quilts on the frame for quilting.  She loads the quilt.  Ditches the border.  Stitches her border and then the center of her quilt.  

I ditched (stitch in the ditch) around the outside blocks along the edge of the border.  Then I stitched the candy ribbon variation I learned from Debby Brown at Handi Quilter Academy in May.  I then quilted inside the blocks and the sashing posts before I tackled the border.

Again, I learned so much at the Handi Quilter Academy.  My very last class at the Academy was with Suzanne Hyland.  She talked about taking a variety of quilting motifs and combining them into a unique and cohesive all over stitch design.  I like the little feather paisley sections along with the circles (repeat of the circles in the ribbon candy as well as the curves.

I had a moment of panic when I was finished quilting.  I couldn't find any fabric for the binding.  I had half a dozen possible choices, but I really didn't want to introduce another fabric.  So, the quilt sat draped over my frame for a week until one of those fabrics suggested "spoke" to me.

Low and behold as I was cleaning out some more boxes, I found a chunk of the red fabric (just enough) and a good chunk (about 1 meter) of the block fabric.  Yea!!!!   The binding was cut, sewn and on Sunday I gifted it to a lovely lady in our church.  My prayer is that this quilt will bring her much comfort and warmth.

HandiQuilter Academy, Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort

What a wonderful week I had last week!!!!  I attended the 2nd annual HandiQuilter Academy.  Cant wait for the third!

My wonderful hubby gave up his winter vacation so that I could attend this fantastic learning experience.

These a some shots from my hotel room in the Cliff Lodge at Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort...

 

 

 It was a few short steps from the hotel to the ski hills.  Most of the snow melted while we were there.

 

 This is one corner of the hotel I stayed in.....I need to take better pictures, sorry.  My room looked down on the creek.

The path from the conference centre to the hotel was along a very steep hill into the creek.  Beautiful!