If anyone knows where May and June went, please let me know. They are lost and it would be very nice to have them back!
Summer is the time to pull together all details for Baltimore on the Praire as September will be here quickly. We will welcome quite a few returning attendees and of course several first timers.
Two friends and I did take a break and traveled to Omaha for a one day class with the Crow Girls. Leonie Bateman and Deirdre Bond-Abel are friends, partners and owners of the quilt shop The Quilted Crow located in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Their shop is located in a sandstone church built in 1865. While in the US for quilt market, they made a stop in Omaha to teach 3 days of classes for Lyn Bourne-Weick, owner of the shop More Sew For You. More about Lyn and her shop in July's post.
Deidre is on the left and Leonie on the right as they explain the class project at the beginning of class. They do a lot of wool applique; sometimes wool on wool and other times wool on cotton. This class was wool on wool using a buttonhole stitch.
This table runner was our project with the background being black instead of cream. There was one curious item on the supply list that is rarely listed for applique classes and that was of a stapler and staples and preferably a long stapler. Staplers have been requested in cutwork classes where freezer paper is folded, stapled and cut - ala paper snowflake style - to create lovely designs but for wool applique?
Their technique is to use freezer paper for templates, glue stick them to the background and staple away! No fusibles are needed here. The wool is very forgiving with the holes the staples make and it is secure.
That pot isn't going anywhere!
The same stapling technique is used for reverse applique off block-construction.
And here is the table runner with all pieces stapled on, sans the reverse applique flowers, waiting for the stitching to begin.
Another interesting twist of their buttonhole technique is to use just 1 strand of DMC floss as shown with this leaf.
With previous wool applique projects I've used perle cotton but it's difficult to find in my area so matching floss colors to the applique pieces is now very easy. One needs to make their stitches closer together than when using fusibles but it does create a nice edge for the applique. Stay tuned for the completed table runner!
Quilters and appliquers can't help but spread their supplies all over the tables and new friendships are formed.
The Crow Girls first book: "Elegant Quilts, Country Charm" was recently published by Martingale and a 2nd book is in the works along with their first line of fabric. We'll need to be on the lookout for that.
A lovely display of samples from the book was set up at the back of one of the classrooms.
It was a most enjoyable day with lots of applique, new friends and exposure of new techniques and styles. To know more about the Crow Girls and their shop, visit their website at http://www.thequiltedcrow.com.au/.
The quilt shop More Sew for You in Omaha is currently changing locations. We will be visiting them soon and hope to have photos of their new shop. Lyn and the shop will also be the vendor at Baltimore on the Prairie this year and the plan is to preview them in the next blog.
Have a great summer and take care,
Tresa
