Canadian Talent

Today and for the next little while I'm going to focus on Canadian Talent in the quilting industry! I know I have so many favourites, but I want your input! THAT MEANS YOU! Do you have a hidden gem in your community with a passion for quilting who inspires like no other? Was there a superstar speaker who just made your quilting weekend? What book has inspired you to go off on a quilting rampage? We want ALL CANADIAN CONTENT here folks. If you follow this blog I want your input. And invite your friends to sign up too.

Who is your favourite Canadian in the following categories?

1. Pattern Designer?

2. Author?

3. Teacher?

4. Speaker?

5. Fabric Supplier?

6. Quilt Shop?

7. Fabric Designer?

8. Blogger?

9. Fibre Artist?

If you think I missed a great category...then let me know! They MUST be Canadian, so take a close look. If you can't think of any off the top of your head, it's a great excuse to dive into your library to find a Canadian author. I challenge you! Let's spread the word about our brilliant Canadian quilters. Let me know what you think in the comments! Tell me who you love and why. Lets put the spotlight on our great Canadian Quilters!

Study, study, study...

Tonight the boys are at a hockey game and I have a few hours to myself. I thought I might watch a movie, piece my sample for an upcoming class, or even take a long bath....but NO. I am realizing that what I really must do is cozy up with a good book and get reading.

The thing is, I love quilting, and I love reading, so I have accumulated this ridiculous collection of books and magazines, but it may be true that over 80% of them I've never had the time to read. On top of that I am studying for my quilt judging and there are required books for that.

I've met a couple wonderful new friends who are also taking the course and it seems they are way ahead of me with their wonderful study habits, so I'm feeling compelled to catch up!

Here is one book on the required reading list that I'll focus on tonight...

When I pulled this book out of the library, I saw the gorgeous vintage quilts on the cover and thought, "Yikes, this is very old and very thick!" (yes, I really say "yikes" all the time - ask my son) But it is actually printed in 2011, so it's quite new. The detailed diagrams are brilliant and the monochromatic colour scheme throughout the book is very easy on the eyes. I also like the mass amounts of little diagrams which make it a quick read like a comic book, except with better content! It is a must read, especially for me, in this course because I am very much a quilter turned fibre artist. I've affectionately dubbed this book PQA in my study notes. 

There are optional books on the list as well, and I can choose to focus on all time favourites as well as books with techniques that I have less experience with, so I'd love your input. 

What is your absolute favourite book in the quilting industry? Let me know...

Explore Fibre - NEW CLASS!

Looking for a sneak peek of my new Explore Fibre class? It tried out the lesson plan and teaching components on my local guild last week and it was so much fun. The teaching time frames and drying times worked out well and every student had wonderful successes. (I don't need to tell you how inspired I am by my students' colour choices and design play because I blog about it all too often!) I was left feeling that the only thing better than exploring fibre all day is doing it with your friends. What I can tell you without spilling the beans too much (a book is in the works) is that it involves Shiva paint sticks, dissolving stabilizer, and thermofax screen printing along with all kinds of embellishments.

Can you imagine anything more fun? The photos are of hand dyed fabric adorned with a delicious assortment of colourful fibres and then a few beads stitched in for good measure. AND on top of that the class supplies are a bunch of fat quarters and scraps that you can surely pull from your stash. You can book this class for your guild already (and, of course, learn more detail) by inquiring online at Brandy Lynn Designs, but I'll announce it here soon, so stay tuned!