Monday, November 9, 2015

Learning To Teach.....

Today started out fast. I went to Donna's to get the light box from her, so I could have an extra one. After leaving there, I headed to the shop to get set up to get started.

I had everyone mark their blocks for back basting. Then I got them started on a sample piece - not the best choice of a starter piece. I showed how to get started on the applique. Not good. I had two of them just about ready to call it quits and leave, but calmed them down to get them feeling a little better about applique. Since I'm left handed, I found it is not easy to teach a completely new person to applique - to applique. One gal tried to applique like I do as left handed and was double backing on her stitches. Then I had to figure out the easiest way to teach her to go without backtracking. I showed her to applique with the piece above her, and applique the way they did 100 years ago. (The way mom was taught as a child even) That worked pretty good. She was getting it and felt better. Most were so tense that I keep telling them to relax and enjoy. I had them for about an hour and a half before mom arrived. She came in like a bull. She started in on how to applique and went over the same stuff I did. She showed how to do a skinny stem (not back basted), and told everyone that she doesn't care for back basting, so really wasn't much help with that. We got everyone ready for next week, and told them to do the pumpkin for the next class. Mom is so much better at teaching beginners. I did okay, but not as good as I would have liked. I thought it would work out better, but I think I rushed it a bit. There was so much that needed to be done, that I tried to move along. Hopefully next week will work out a little better.


Last night I did get a few stitches in on this.


I still have the border opposite the leave to work on. It's getting there.


And on the other end of the quilt, I need to work on the leaf. I ave the border done, but not the leaf. It's coming along great. After class today, I lost a little interest in working on this today, so came home and played. I will get back to it tomorrow probably.

I was reading another blog yesterday and saw where she was making a circle each day for 365 days. She's already got about 8 circles done. I thought that was a clever idea, but I'm not one that would want a quilt of circles. I'd probably do different sizes, but then not sure how I'd have a quilt out of circles. So, I thought about what I could do for 365, doing one thing a day......and I thought I could do leaves. Like the different leaves out in nature, do a leave of different sizes, kinds, and colors. I think that would be a little more fun. Will I do it? No clue, but I'm thinking in that direction. The thing is, I'd have to make the time to do it each and every day. Prep time would have to be added in that as well. OH! I could do that for the blocks in between the 9 patches! I'm thinking again....need to finish what I already have going!!

Even though today didn't go as I would have liked, and I'm a little down because I didn't do what I wanted in teaching...I'm still here, still moving, and still Happy Quilting!

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