I am a beginning quilter who has been a beginner for a few years and haven't really progressed very far. I've started projects with enthusiasm only to find that my seams haven't matched or my points have been cut off. I feel like I've been on a quest to find that magical formula to make the perfect scant 1/4" seam all the time. What this blog will do is document my quest to make good quilts by working through Harriet Hargrave's and Carrie Hargrave's "Quilter's Academy" books. Volume 1 - Freshman Year, Vol 2 - Sophomore Year, Vol 3 - Junior Year and Vol 4 - Senior Year are out now and I'll start with Vol 1.
For the past five years, I have been able to take classes with Harriet. In 2008, Laura Kay Houser, owner of the Happiness is Quilting store in McKinney, TX, brought Harriet to teach machine quilting. Laura Kay's shop (fabulous place) is about a 25 minute drive from my home in Plano, TX; I was visiting the quilting stores in the area one Saturday and signed up for the class on the spot. The class was on machine quilting. I had found Harriet's book on "Heirloom Machine Quilting" in Half Price books in early 2006 when I was looking for suggestions on how to set up my sewing space. The quilts were so beautiful in the book, I decided I had to learn how to quilt. When I took Harriet's class in 2008 and again in 2009, I wasn't ready to learn how to quilt as I hadn't yet perfected my skills on piecing the quilt top. Tip: You really can't "quilt it out" when your piecing is really bad. :)
Also in 2009, Harriet taught a piecing class from Vol One of the Quilter's Academy book and it was great. In 2010, I took her second class from Vol Two. In 2011, I took a third class from Vol Three and last week I took the fourth class from Vol Four. However, taking four classes from a Master Quilter does not make you a great quilter. You need to work at it and sew all the projects! Harriet is a born teacher and gave us so much good information. You will "hear" it here and it is also in her books. I plan to sew all the projects and document my progress. Harriet says that if we work through all 6 of the books, sewing all the projects, we should also become Master Quilters. That is my goal!
I plan to write and show everything - the good, the bad, the ugly - no matter how embarrassing. Why am I doing this in public? First of all, it will keep me focused and accountable and second, I've found it's really freeing to share my mistakes and warts. Hiding things or keeping secrets uses a lot of energy, leaving less energy for living, while releasing things releases that pent up energy making it available for living. If that made sense. I will share what I do and what I have learned.
For the past five years, I have been able to take classes with Harriet. In 2008, Laura Kay Houser, owner of the Happiness is Quilting store in McKinney, TX, brought Harriet to teach machine quilting. Laura Kay's shop (fabulous place) is about a 25 minute drive from my home in Plano, TX; I was visiting the quilting stores in the area one Saturday and signed up for the class on the spot. The class was on machine quilting. I had found Harriet's book on "Heirloom Machine Quilting" in Half Price books in early 2006 when I was looking for suggestions on how to set up my sewing space. The quilts were so beautiful in the book, I decided I had to learn how to quilt. When I took Harriet's class in 2008 and again in 2009, I wasn't ready to learn how to quilt as I hadn't yet perfected my skills on piecing the quilt top. Tip: You really can't "quilt it out" when your piecing is really bad. :)
Also in 2009, Harriet taught a piecing class from Vol One of the Quilter's Academy book and it was great. In 2010, I took her second class from Vol Two. In 2011, I took a third class from Vol Three and last week I took the fourth class from Vol Four. However, taking four classes from a Master Quilter does not make you a great quilter. You need to work at it and sew all the projects! Harriet is a born teacher and gave us so much good information. You will "hear" it here and it is also in her books. I plan to sew all the projects and document my progress. Harriet says that if we work through all 6 of the books, sewing all the projects, we should also become Master Quilters. That is my goal!
I plan to write and show everything - the good, the bad, the ugly - no matter how embarrassing. Why am I doing this in public? First of all, it will keep me focused and accountable and second, I've found it's really freeing to share my mistakes and warts. Hiding things or keeping secrets uses a lot of energy, leaving less energy for living, while releasing things releases that pent up energy making it available for living. If that made sense. I will share what I do and what I have learned.
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| Harriet Hargrave and me at Quilter's Academy class at Happiness is Quilting |
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