Traditional Quilting Course - TQC201 - MugRugs OPEN FOR REGISTRATION

Traditional Quilting Course (TQC) - August 2016 

Free Online Machine Piecing Course

This new class was first offered in May, and it went over fabulously! So, here it is again...a TRADITIONAL machine quilting course…this is NOT crazy quilting. For this course, we'll be creating a group of Mug Rugs...like the photographs throughout this blog post. Each has an optional embroidery panel attached to the quilt block we will be piecing. The embroidery designs are provided in the course...or you can use your own designs...or you can use machine embroidery...or you can omit the embroidery all together and create a square Mug Rug rather than these rectangle ones.

As you may (or may not) know…I’ve been quilting and teaching quilting for decades. While classes that are "taught in person" are honestly still my favorite...as they give me great joy is instructing students and watching their faces light up as they “get it”. I really have missed that so much being retired and not living near my quilting guild friends any more. But, I have found unexpected peace and joy in teaching on-line courses to fill this void in my life and share my love of quilting. It was odd at first, but now…I’ve gotten a process down that is easy for me and seems very beneficial to the participants.

So far, crazy quilt classes have been the main focus. But, even crazy quilts have to begin by piecing a block…so these "crazy" quilters can also benefit from a traditional quilt course. Plus, folks that might want to learn about traditional quilting may stumble into the crazy quilting classes too! So, win – win either way!

This course, as all of my courses, are free. There is no fee to sign up or to take the class. Of course you do need supplies…as we can’t produce quilts from thin air!

I’ve tried to keep the costs as low for you as possible by designing a course that consists of small quilt blocks, rather than create blocks for a large quilt. Also, these blocks will be “used” as part of small projects rather than stored away in a drawer or box. The finished project will be a set of “mug-rugs” which could be a gift or a personal keeper.

You will need some tools for machine piecing of quilt blocks. Here too, I’ve tried to keep the costs down by creating my own patterns and guides for your use…printable of course. And the fabric costs are low because the amounts needed are minimal. While there is still an “up-front cost” for a rotary cutter, mat, rulers…at least the other costs are at a minimum requirement.

You can use whatever cotton fabrics you have on hand…or select a nice palette of pretty cotton fat quarters from your local quilt shop or online fabric store.

The genesis of this course is my Adult Education Course that I sometimes teach at the local community college. That course produces a full-size quilt using 12-inch blocks. So, the lessons had to be totally re-done to accommodate the smaller 6-inch blocks in this TQC module.

There was a plan to adapt these Adult Education Course instructions for use at my friend Shari’s Yahoo Group – StitchMAP. We spend many hours working towards that goal. But, it was just too time consuming for us to complete and did not work out as we had expected or hoped. I am thankful for Shari’s help in the editing of the drafts and the use of a few of her vintage embroidery patterns. But even more so, I’m thankful for her friendship.

The embroidery work is optional, but I think that the projects really benefit from that. The quilt squares are paired with this small embroidery panel to create a finished 6 x 9 inch rectangular Mug Rug. If the embroidery is not stitched, then the panel is omitted and the finished size will measure 6 inches square.

A Mug Rug is basically like a quilted coaster or hotpad. It sits on your table and you place your hot cup of tea (or other beverage) and perhaps a wee little treat (chocolate anyone?) on it. It protects your table top…and looks pretty alone as well.

The course will include general information at the beginning…then we will work each Mug Rug as individual tasks. The first Mug Rug to be created will be at Task #4 and there will be nine of these all together.

As the course progresses, each quilting block technique introduced at the Tasks will get progressively more technically complex. Not harder (well maybe a bit harder)…just more Thought Provoking…and probably requiring more Patience. Here is how the course Tasks will be issued:

Task #1 – Orientation to Quilting and Obtaining Supplies

Task #2 – Learning to Sew Precise Seam Allowances on the Sewing Machine

Task #3 – Learning to Cut Precise Strips and Shapes from Fabric using a Rotary Cutting System

Then we begin the Mug Rugs…actually sewing!

Task #4 – Simple Nine Patch Block: Learning the Basics of Assembling Rows and Columns of a block design

Task #5 – Bars Block: Learning strip piecing techniques

Task #6 – Diamond Bars Block: Learning to create corner triangles with “flip-squares”

Task #7 – Churn Dash Block: Learning to create double triangle patches from square pairs

Task #8 – Card Game Block: Learning to piece with bias edge patches

Task #9 – Star Block: Learning to use a paper grid system for piecing smaller patches

Task #10—Dresden Plate Block: Learning to piece wedges, adjust seams, and applique a curved edge

Task #11 – Fan Block: Learning to piece convex and concave curves together

Task #12 – Flower Block: Learning to paper piece

The course will run from a Blogger class blog. You’ll receive an invitation to this blog before the course starts. When received, accept the invitation…and remember the URL of the site. The invite only works once, so it is good to bookmark the class blog once you have arrived at the site. If you need help, let me know by emailing me at shaw.kathy@yahoo.com

Each lesson in the course has a “TASK” at the back of the handout. It is clearly marked by a red box. Once you have completed this task, a photo of your work will be uploaded (posted) to the class blog. I’ll see that and leave you some comments on the class blog. If you have problems…email me…don’t post about them as I see my emails several times a day but may only check the class blog once or twice a day. Also, once I’ve left you some feedback below your blog post…I may not be going back to that post again since you have completed the task.

When I finish leaving feedback on all of the current class blogs (this course and the crazy quilt courses open at the moment)…I’ll send out new tasks. So, when you have finished a task…posted your photo of that finish…I’ll comment to that..and THEN will send out the next task to you. This may take a day. However, if you see that I have left you a comment on the class blog post…and have not yet sent you the next task…email me. I do sometimes mess up and forget to send the next task. I try not to…but, it does happen…so, this is my admission and request for your help. 

So…if you are interested in taking this course…Registration is NOW OPEN. It will close at midnight, CST...on Wednesday night, 31 August. 

Here's how you sign up for the class: Just email me this information about you:

Name

State/Country

Email that you want to use for this course (handouts will be sent here)

 

Once I get your registration information...I'll add you to the class roster and email you back with a "Welcome" to the course. Then, in the next day or so...I'll also have a "Class Invitation" emailed to you so you can access the class website; remember this URL once you get to that site.

 

THIS IS AN ON-LINE CLASS...so you must be a little knowledgeable about reading and getting to a blog. But, since you are on THIS one at present...that should not be too hard to do. If you have problems...email me and I'll try to help.