FUN ZOOM WORKSHOP

 Saturday morning, 18 quilters were on Zoom, ready to start at          9 a.m.  Everyone enjoyed sewing in their own space, not carrying sewing machines, and all the extra necessary items to a different location.  It was also a good way for some of our newer members to be able to put a face to the name, a difficult task with a large group!

Of course, everyone worked at their own pace, and several needed some extra help, but everyone had a good time, including me!

By the end of our session, all the runners were just waiting for the binding.  We each shared our project before signing off, and I asked for a picture to be sent to me, so I could share all of them at our next meeting.

I chose to make mine Easter on one side, and Valentines Day on the other.  I love the binding that also matches each side!

This was a trial workshop for my guild, and everyone's opinion was asked, and although there are benefits to holding our normal workshops, I think the safety for our members in these extraordinary times outweighed the difficulties in showing the fine details, or being able to help the fastest in the room continue to the next step ahead of others, or being able to help new quilters with some of the details and terms that they may not be familiar with.    We are hoping to be able to book some workshops on Zoom in the future.

Now I'm back to my string piecing project........

ASSEMBLING BLOCKS AND UPCOMING ZOOM WORKSHOP

 I have finally begun assembling the blocks for my string pieced quilt.  There were so many parts to make, and I've been making them in groups of 10, to make it easy to keep track of how many I have finished.

While making one of the parts for the project, you end up with 320 half square triangles, so I can see more red and neutral projects in my future!

In between, I've been working on the pattern, and preparing my samples for a zoom workshop that I am holding for members of my guild  tomorrow.  We are making a table runner, and I have taught the pattern several times before to my Florida quilting group.  I sent out cutting instructions to all the members that registered a while ago, so they could find fabric during out latest lock down for Covid 19.  The final instructions were emailed yesterday, and some of the group are anxious to get started, but I asked them to wait until tomorrow morning!

I've been reading about all the people suffering from the deep freeze in the US, along with power outages.  Hopefully, the weather will cooperate, and warm up soon.  We have been lucky this winter.  We live on the north shore of Lake Ontario, near the east end, and although we have had several snow storms, the amount of snow that has accumulated so far isn't too bad.  Often the snow drifts south of us, and we just catch the edge of the storm.  I can remember years when we had almost hip-deep accumulations.  This is our first winter at home in over 20 years, and since we are spending most of our time at home, due to the virus, we choose when to go shopping, and will cancel appointments if the snow is extreme.  I had to learn how to drive in snow all over again!

BACK TO STRINGING ALONG

I have all the red string blocks completed for my project, and have spent the last few days cutting more fabric.  I searched through my cream neutral fabrics, and picked out all the shorter lengths to cut into strips, 2.5, 2, and 1.5 inches for the next round of string blocks.

 I also cut red rectangles and neutral squares, and a ton of half square triangle pieces.  Now I have to get sewing!  

I have also been busy registering guild members for my upcoming workshop on February 20th.   This is my first time teaching using Zoom, and we have to check out "camera angles", and have a run through with the two Zoom administraters from my guild, so we work out the kinks before the actual date!  Wish me luck!

Now back to string piecing.......