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I taught my two-day “Curvaceous Squares Quilt” workshop again over the weekend – this time in Canberra. The workshop participants were mostly members of Canberra Quilters – a group that I belong to and have great affection for, partly because they have been so supportive of my quilting journey for nearly 7 years.

Two of my workshop samples are  pictured above. Raspberry Lime Splice was featured in Down Under Quilts magazine, issue 128 (January 2009) as a project.

Every time I teach this workshop I marvel at the creativity of my students. My Curvaceous Squares technique is fairly forgiving, in that the piecing and freehand curved cutting don’t have to be perfect to create a successful quilt. But to see how each student comes up with something so special, and has fun doing it too, is one of the greatest gifts a teacher can receive.

I am also really inspired by the clever variations that students come up with in this class. I have been planning to write a book about my technique, and I can see that when I do get down to writing it I will have plenty of wonderful quilts – made by my students – to showcase in the Gallery section and also to demonstrate many possible variations.

So today, I am smiling big time just thinking about how joyful it is to teach something I love so much myself. It is such a pleasure to share my passions with others in this way. Fiona very happy!

 

Here’s a sneak preview of my beading project for the June issue of Australian Beading magazine (due out mid-June).  Kelly (the magazine editor) has given me permission to talk about my projects that will appear in the magazine – thanks Kelly for allowing me to share some of my designs on my blog.

I think the name of my project will be slightly different in the magazine, and they’ll have taken their own photo – which will be better than mine, but you can at least see how the necklace looks.

It is made using square stitch (for those of you who aren’t beaders, that is a traditional off-loom beadweaving technique, using beading needles and thread). I’ve used size 9 and size 11 seed beads (Delicas) in this necklace.

I don’t like to be drab at any time, and especially in winter. So I designed this necklace to be a colour pick-me-up for the cooler months.

This desire for vibrant colour in winter goes back partly to the time I lived in Tokyo (1985-1987), and saw how dark and drab (to my eyes) the fashions were there in winter. I made it my mission back then to wear as many bright colours every day as I could. I got lots of stares, but that happens to all gaijin in Japan anyway, so I just considered myself a sort-of side show while I lived there. It was fun!

Got an email from my friend Erica the other day (check out Erica’s blog here: http://creativedabbling.blogspot.com). She went to a lovely quilt show at Eastwood (in Sydney) last weekend, and what do you think she saw? A gorgeous quilt made from my project “Raspberry Lime Splice Quilt” in the January issue (no. 128) of Down Under Quilts magazine. Wow! Erica had taken some pics at the quilt show, so she emailed a pic of the quilt made from my project – I was so impressed by it.

I don’t know who made the quilt, but Erica said the maker had even acknowledged my project on her quilt label. How fantastic is that?! All quilt designers are thrilled when people who make their designs think to acknowledge the designer too – so whoever you are, not only is your quilt beautiful, but a huge thank you for citing me as the project designer. Very much appreciated.

This is only the second quilt project I’ve had published, though I’ve had many beading/jewellery projects published over the last year or so. It is really heartening to see that someone I don’t even know, and who has not attended one of my workshops, was able to create her own Curvaceous Squares Quilt following my instructions in the magazine.  I wonder if anyone else out there in quilter-land will have a go.

Makes me so happy to think that someone liked my project enough to have a go – and make something that is really beautiful too.  I am smiling big time right now!