…usually has several good reasons! Colin and I were busy only one week ago packing for our trip to Calgary where I taught two workshops. Mid-afternoon our overnight company arrived. Cathy Miller, the Singing Quilter, and her husband John Bunge stopped in on their way home from their latest tour. We had connected last in July in Drumheller and there was much to chat about and share about what each couple has done since the summer. Cathy and I spent a little time in my studio. Thanks to John for taking the picture!
Our drive to Calgary was uneventful – and the snow stayed away which is always a good thing when I accept teaching engagements this late in the year. For several years I only taught workshops from April through the end of October… and last year I broke my self-imposed rule for the first time. This year I decided to “test” the weather and roads once more. I taught in Calgary in early September and left just in time to escape the three day freak snow storm. This time the snow arrived overnight Saturday to Sunday. I was not surprised as that is Calgary, however it does make it a little difficult for workshop participants. Saturday and Sunday I taught my Kantha workshop for the Alberta Quilt Study Society. 15 participants came from within the city of Calgary, one student arrived from her home near Drumheller, another came all the way from Kamloops, BC. Another creative group that was excited to explore the great options with this effective technique steeped in history. Thank you Sharla and Katherine for inviting me to meet your members. It was a pleasure to work with you toward and during the event. Here are some images to show how everyone progressed:
Monday morning saw me reconnect with a number of eager quilters I met in September. At that time several participants expressed strong interest in my “Introduction to Design” workshop I generally only offer from my studio. Luck would have it that I am actually in Calgary three times in three months and I agreed to present this workshop. Eleven aspiring designers came together after navigating snow covered roads to explore design…
… They traced, painted, examined value and texture, explored options and possibilities to go home with a long homework list… We gather again on December 10th and I can hardly wait to see what each participant comes up with. A special thank you to Alison for being my liaison for this workshop.
It is always heart warming to see products conceived in workshops. I love to receive images via email but it is particularly exciting when I get to see a completed project in person. Mei was an Art Quilt Campus participant in Muenster, SK last July. Mei was brand-new to quilting, in fact she had never created a quilt before Art Quilt Campus. Mei was inspired by a brick wall in her daughter’s apartment in Kopenhagen and brought along a picture. Based on that she dyed the fabric, cut the rectangles and strips and pieced them together. On Friday I was invited to her Calgary home for tea and show-and-tell. The quilt had been returned from the longarm quilter, Debbie MacLeod (a mutual friend) who operates Whispering Hills Quilts in Athabasca, AB. Mei had just finished attaching the binding and was proud to show off her very first quilt. Congratulations to Mei – her first quilt… I can’t wait to see what she creates next!
All around, our trip to Calgary was full of visiting, reconnecting with new and old students and friends. It’s time to unpack and get organized and immediately repack for my next teaching excursion to Whitehorse. I heard from the Kluane Quilters’ Guild there that there are still a few spots left in the Kantha Class and the Art Quilt 101 workshop. Interested? Check my calendar on this blog for contact info.
Anna Hergert, Art & Design 