Craftsy Quilting Class // Try It Tuesday
Today's Try It Tuesday is a fun one--I'm giving away a Craftsy quilting class! [More about the Craftsy platform at the end of the post].
When the Precision Piecing Class by Norah McMeeking of Bella Bella Quilts was announced, I knew it was something I was interested in. I am *not* a particularly precise piecer, and I am sure my quilting would improve if my precision did. Ms. McMeeking's style is very different from mine, but I figured that anyone who could make a Venice Rose Quilt that looks like this could teach me a thing or two (or 100) about careful piecing. As a bonus: she has a great idea for raising your cutting surface in the first five minutes, which I need to try.
I have watched most of Precision Piecing (thanks for the class, Craftsy), and I've learned a lot! Ms. McMeeking has suggestions for everything from what kind of pins to use, the best way to pin seams for diamonds (new to me), how to mark seams, suggestions for sewing y seams, foundation piecing tips, etc. [Note: I really like the secondary patterns in this project, entitled Amish Pinwheels. I think it would look great in varied neutrals and color + white prints].I have learned that precision piecing = patience. Perhaps that is why it isn't my forte. However, based on what I have seen, I would recommend the class; I think that if you follow her tips, your precision WILL improve, in some cases pretty dramatically. Her advice on sewing diamonds from the Amish Pinwheels section (above) might convince me to finally tackle a long awaited second try at a Lone Star Quilt!Giveaway Information: Enter the giveaway for the Precision Piecing Class here. You can use your existing Craftsy login or sign up for a Craftsy account to enter! One entry per person please. The giveaway will be open until Friday, May 17 at 10pm ET. If you have trouble seeing the giveaway page, use Firefox as your browser.Please let me know if you have any questions!
More on Craftsy below:
Are you familiar with Craftsy? It's an online platform for teaching and learning a variety of handmade arts and crafts, including knitting, sewing, cooking, cake decorating, and of course, quilting classes! Craftsy also has a pretty robust pattern shop--my Summer Sampler Series Anthology is available there--as well as a fabric shop, which has some pretty great deals. (Ask me how I know.)
I have spent a lot of time learning how to sew by trial and error, from friends, from my mom and mother-in-law, and of course from blogs. I haven't taken a lot of classes, mostly because there aren't a lot of classes at a convenient time near my house that I'm interested in.Enter Craftsy--you can sign up for a class at any time, the classes aren't very expensive ($50 is the highest price), the instructors are excellent, the classes are technique and project based, you can access the online classes at your leisure (and forever), and the instructor is around to take questions for a year--what's not to love.A tip for anyone who has signed up for classes but has trouble finding the time: I watch them on my laptop while folding laundry. Not at all glamorous, but it works for me.