4/4/12

Lesson 1

I thought I'd share what I'm planning for my lesson 1 on Saturday. I'm going to talk about how my Grandmother and Mother inspired me to quilt and bring a couple of my early hand quilted quilts to show. Then, I'm going to move into my machine quilting and buying my Bernina and my mentor.



I'll bring these two quilts. They are the first and second quilts I ever free motion quilted.










This is EARLY in my quilting. My mentor showed me her tumbling block quilt and I had seen one or two on Simply Quilts with Alex Anderson. I new the angles, and I didn't know any better than to try it without any additional instruction or pattern. I was so proud. (Look at all those bad corners and "off" angles) I quilted this one in a large stipple. Not at all like my stippling now. But, ya' gotta start somewhere.












This was my second quilt. I marked it from a plastic template. This is to show where I started and where the class participants should expect to be at the end of the class.



And, I'm thinking of renaming the class from...

Quilting with a Domestic Sewing Machine (big yawn) It was never supposed to be more than a working title, but after I wrote the lesson plans, I was out of creative thought.



to.....drumroll please?



Just add Practice.



ta-da...duh, but better.






Because I want to show how you get from that burnt orange quilt to this quilt that is traced from the same template. To get from one to the other just takes practice and that's what I can't teach. But, if I share everything else I know, they "Just Add Practice."





Quilting with Lane. AKA what I learned from Harriet, Diane, and Leah.



Leah (and a lot of other professional quilters) have been blogging about copyright. I'd hate to think that teaching what I think of as my own method, but is based on what I've learned from studying Harriet Hargrave, Diane Gaudynski and Leah Day could ever be a problem. I've taken information from each of them. I'll always make sure I give credit to them and to "the hundreds of other creative quilters that inspire me". All I do is put their ideas together in my own way, I think that's what Leah meant when she said "all art is dirivative". And I added practice to what they each shared with me through their writing.



I know it's not a problem now and I doubt it would ever come to that. I'd actually be flattered if some teacher in a few years taught a class that was inspired by Harriet, Diane, Leah, and Lane. I'd love to be added to that list.



Everybody have a great Wednesday.



Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to work I go...



Now, tell me you didn't hear the whistling in your head after that.



Lane

11 comments:

Becky said...

Your post is a bright spot in my dreary, rainy day!! You're going to do fine!

One Minnesota Quilter said...

It is always encouraging for the beginners to see that the expert started at the very beginning just like them. They will like seeing your quilts.

I think you actually didn't do too bad on your first two quilts!

Now, to get that rid of that earworm.....
Judy

Auntie Em said...

Sure wish I could be in your class, Lane! You have so much information to share. I like the new class title, too.

Laura said...

There's a similar class at my LQS called 'Quilting on a Rinky-Dink Sewing Machine'.

vivian said...

I like your new title and it is so true!

Shevvy said...

I have no idea what flaws you are seeing in the first quilt - it looks great to me.

Marjorie's Busy Corner said...

I wish I could take your class too...The quilting in stunning!!I agree about the copyright thing too

qltmom9 said...

Oh, how I wish I could learn that.

Lucy~

Elizabeth said...

It's too late to hear whistling. I'm up way past my bedtime. There is never enough time in the day. Except you seem to move mountains before breakfast. I'm always amazed at how much you get done. Do you sleep?

But I digress . . .

I think I read the post where Leah said "all art is derivative." Was it a while back? Everything is influenced by what we see around us. Quilt patterns, that have been passed down for generations, can't really be copyrighted, and shouldn't be. Someone who writes up instructions for a pinwheel doesn't really have a claim to copyright it. Same goes for someone who makes a paper piecing pattern for a five-point star. Credit where credit is due, yes. But copyrighting traditional quilt patterns or quilt designs, or limiting their use {especially when you sell them} is kind of ridiculous. If you've sold a quilt pattern, you've made your piece of the pie. Limiting how or where someone can use it is ridiculous.

Hmmm. Lookie there. Where'd that soapbox come from? I'd better put it away. It is late.

I'm so glad your class is coming together! I hope you enjoy it!

xo -E

Carla said...

I heard the whistling. LOL
Flaws what flaws.. I have a feeling if I tried that now it wouldn't look like tumbling blocks. It would look more broken up blocks.
I know Practice Practice. I'm working on it. ;o)

Vesuviusmama said...

So, what is that first quilt pattern called, the empty tumbling blocks one? I'd like to try one like that.