It seems like we just unpacked but it was time to pack up again and head off for another workshop...this time in Canberra. One of the best parts of traveling is the opportunity to catch up with friends so we veered off the highway to say hi to Sally and her four boys. Sally was once our steadfast shop gal and one I have missed having around for four years. We had a quiet hour before the pounding footsteps of her four boys were heard pounding down the street and then it was ON! Chasing, laughing, hide and seek...I suddenly realised how much I have aged when surrounded by the energy of these gorgeous young 'uns. It was touching to be remembered and I had to hold back a tear when I got a quick and easy hug upon their arrival. Boys that still want to talk to me...what a treat.
It was then off to the hotel and venue to prepare for the Friday night trunk show. While I am counting my blessings I might add how wonderful it was to pack the car and not worry about the weight of my suitcases! Should I take extra quilts...Absolutely!
The Canberra Quilters have a fantastic set up. Design walls went up around the room just before I started providing the perfect tabula rosa for what was about to happen. Power chords were hanging from the ceiling instead of being taped to the floor...sewing machines, cutting tables and tools were on hand making the space a joy to work in over the weekend.
I had the opportunity on the Friday night to suggest that workshop participants bring as much fabric as possible so they had lots of options. Despite that advice I had to laugh when these four boxes arrived full to overflowing with fabrics! Part of the process of this workshop is about sorting through the options so this stash was a great place to start.
The space was great to work in but the quilters were also exciting. It started out rather quietly and I worried for a minute that I might be boring but I soon figured out they were thinking and thinking hard about what they wanted to achieve.
As they were given the opportunity, blank walls started turning into colorful explosions.
The Modern Wedge workshop is great fun as there are so many options. We talked through working with fabric and by the end lots of people suggested that they may never see fabric the same again....which is of course my goal. Regardless of the stash fabrics brought to the workshop, people were able to expand their ideas of combinations, technique application or layout.
Dynamic fabric combinations filled the room and there were lots of oohs and ahhs.
There was so much achieved on the first day that by the second day we were exploring background options.
Soon the walls were full to bursting.
Thank you to the Canberra Quilters for having me for the workshop and hosting me in such style. Everything was so nicely organised and the participants were a joy to work with. It was interesting to get to know first hand what an interesting collection of quilters there are in Canberra. It is a thriving community of textile lovers that exercise lots of avenues of quilting from traditional through to art and into modern styles. I look forward to seeing these quilts finished in the near future!
It is a Monday morning now and the day beckons...what to do first? Grocery shopping? Cleaning? ugh. It was fun to be immersed in color and pattern all weekend but it is now time to pay the piper!!! k
Aah, remember when our boys still wanted to talk to us? Mine is just actually starting to again thank goodness!
Love that modern wedge....so much fun!
Posted by: Cardygirl | Tuesday, 24 June 2014 at 04:28 PM
Thank you so much Kathy for travelling down and not only giving such a great trunk show, but also giving so much of your time, knowledge and energy! Quite possibly I have just completed one of the best workshops of my quilting life. Was fabulous fun, I really stretched myself, and I think I finally "got it"! Can't wait to clear the other quilts off the design wall so I can get my vintage spin quilt up and going again!
See you in a couple of weeks at the show :)
Posted by: Michelle | Wednesday, 25 June 2014 at 09:23 AM