Volume 3 is due to be released this spring - I think in April. It is totally about triangles and very detailed. We actually went over on page count, but C&T graciously allowed the text to stay and have given the book a few extra pages so that we didn't have to eliminate anything. You will be working with 8 different methods of half square triangles, quarter square and 3-piece triangle squares, four methods of flying geese, and feathered stars. There is an amazing amount of information in the book, and a lot of really pretty and fun quilts. I'm giving you a heads up to hopefully motivate the home study quilters to get through the first two Volumes so that you are ready to go when this book is released.
I do hope that if you are enjoying working with the Quilters Academy books that you are sharing your enthusiasm with your friends and quilts guilds. The biggest problem all authors and publishers have is to get the word out about books that really need to be in the hands of many. I was dismayed that almost every quilt guild I was at last year, the number of members that had not heard of the books at all. There is no way I can travel with enough books to supply to those who really got excited once they found out about the series. Local quilt shops also didn't seem to have a clue. There are not enough advertising dollars to get books in front of everyone, so we rely on our students and readers to help. Please write a review for your guild newsletter, do a review at a meeting, tell your quilting friends, etc. to help us continue to help struggling quilters improve their skills and truly learn to piece and quilt.
Thank you for your support and enthusiasm. Please post what you are doing so I have an idea of how people are using the books and what your successes are.
Harriet
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
I can't believe that it has been 2 months since we posted anything. Needless to say, I am not a good blogger. If you haven't checked out Lesley lately (patchnblock.blogspot.com) you will be amazed and I hope very motivated to keep up your work with Quilters Academy and Heirloom Machine Quilting. I got a lot of wonderful Christmas cards from students sharing their successes using my books and it was the best gift I could get. As I am trudging through getting Volume 4 written, it is really evident how important it is that you work through all the books as they are written. I am making a quilt for Class 430 in Volume 4 that is 60 degree diamonds that create 15" stars. So far, every point is coming out spot on, but only because I am checking every strip set one strip at a time, pressing to get exact seams, checking and double checking each 60 degree cut from the strip sets, and carefully aligning each seam as the segments are joined. I am making one star an hour, so think this is coming along really well, and I love the look - 20 fabrics in all.
I hope that everyone working through Quilters Academy have a desire to make these wonderful, but more complicated and time consuming quilts in the near future. Remember, we are not looking for perfection, but excellence. Perseverance really pays off, as demonstrated so perfectly by Lesley. She is my inspiration when writing, as I want to make sure the instructions are complete and explicit enough that she can continue to excel on her own. I know all of you can do it!!!
I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and wish you the very best for the New Year. Make more quilts!!!!
Harriet
I hope that everyone working through Quilters Academy have a desire to make these wonderful, but more complicated and time consuming quilts in the near future. Remember, we are not looking for perfection, but excellence. Perseverance really pays off, as demonstrated so perfectly by Lesley. She is my inspiration when writing, as I want to make sure the instructions are complete and explicit enough that she can continue to excel on her own. I know all of you can do it!!!
I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and wish you the very best for the New Year. Make more quilts!!!!
Harriet
Friday, October 22, 2010
While we are addressing issues, I overlooked adding yardage for the large 9-patch blocks for the quilt Four Patch Chain on page 70 of Volume 2. The yardage should be 2 2/3 yard of white. Carrie and I are really hoping that everyone using these books are truly doing what we are teaching and figuring each quilt on your own to develop the pattern and yardage for yourself and to really understand the process before you start. We apologize for any thing we have overlooked, such as this, but also hope that if you are truly studying this as a college course, not using the book as a typical pattern book, you will discover these issues and know that there is an error and also know the correct answer. This is the whole reason we are doing this. We are not trying to get off the hook for our mistakes - believe me, it is humiliating to find the errors after the book is in print. We read the books a minimum of 7 times and think we have found the problems, only to find that an obvious problem crops up - like Townsquare in Volume 1. However, as Lesley stated in the very beginning, she knew she was right and the book was wrong because she did her own math and her numbers were right. That is truly what we want for everyone. By doing this, you are getting closer and closer to being able to take a photo and dividing it down to a block, a grid, a recipe, and a yardage chart - all on your own. The step after that is to design your own original quilts and be able to write your own instructions.
I will share with you that one of the hardest parts of writing instructions is that you have no idea what your readers do and don't know, and what they do and don't do as far as following instructions. This being said, there will always be problems with the written word and having everything perfectly understandable for everyone. We really want to teach our readers to contemplate and analyze the quilts and the patterns, not just follow the pattern.
We would like some feedback on this if anyone has any thoughts.
Harriet
I will share with you that one of the hardest parts of writing instructions is that you have no idea what your readers do and don't know, and what they do and don't do as far as following instructions. This being said, there will always be problems with the written word and having everything perfectly understandable for everyone. We really want to teach our readers to contemplate and analyze the quilts and the patterns, not just follow the pattern.
We would like some feedback on this if anyone has any thoughts.
Harriet
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Volume 2 Sashing Instructions
Well... there seems to be some problems with the sashing for the Cabin in the Cotton quilt on pages 43-48.
Using the formula on page 85, you get a sashing strip that is 25 1/2" long. However if you have cut your side setting triangles the full 8" as stated in the instructions for this quilt, you will have a quilt top that is not even at the outside edges.
My quilt was this way when it was completed because I then trimmed the quilt down so that the binding would be right at the edge of the corner of the sashing, meaning most of the fabric that hangs over on the side setting triangles is trimmed away.
This not being well explained has caused some issues, here are a couple of thoughts/ considerations for you to take into account.
First, if you know that you are not going to add another border to your quilt or don't want your blocks to "float" in the background, only add 2" to the measurement of the block to get the needed size for the side setting triangles... in the case of Cabin in the Cotton you would then be cutting 7" squares in half twice diagonally (see page 47, at the top).
If however having an uneven edge on your quilt makes you crazy, you can amend the formula on page 85 to read this way:
(Finished block size x number of blocks) + (cut sashing size x number of sashes) + 1/2"
By figuring using the cut size of the sashing, you add extra inches to the length of the sashing as well as the 1/2" for seam allowances, giving you more sashing length to play with and space for trimming.
I apologize for the confusion this may cause or have caused and hope this will help.
Carrie
Using the formula on page 85, you get a sashing strip that is 25 1/2" long. However if you have cut your side setting triangles the full 8" as stated in the instructions for this quilt, you will have a quilt top that is not even at the outside edges.
My quilt was this way when it was completed because I then trimmed the quilt down so that the binding would be right at the edge of the corner of the sashing, meaning most of the fabric that hangs over on the side setting triangles is trimmed away.
This not being well explained has caused some issues, here are a couple of thoughts/ considerations for you to take into account.
First, if you know that you are not going to add another border to your quilt or don't want your blocks to "float" in the background, only add 2" to the measurement of the block to get the needed size for the side setting triangles... in the case of Cabin in the Cotton you would then be cutting 7" squares in half twice diagonally (see page 47, at the top).
If however having an uneven edge on your quilt makes you crazy, you can amend the formula on page 85 to read this way:
(Finished block size x number of blocks) + (cut sashing size x number of sashes) + 1/2"
By figuring using the cut size of the sashing, you add extra inches to the length of the sashing as well as the 1/2" for seam allowances, giving you more sashing length to play with and space for trimming.
I apologize for the confusion this may cause or have caused and hope this will help.
Carrie
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Hello to everyone that have posted. I do realize that if I wrote more, you all would too! LOL Welcome to all the new quilters that are finding out about the books. We really appreciate your help in spreading the word to new quilters who could learn so much by working through the books. Carrie and I truly are interested in helping everyone improve their skills so that we can get back to making awesome original quilts without having to be an artist or designer.
I have been busy piecing hexagons and diamonds, and actually having fun doing it. It is time consuming, and I am finding it hard to illustrate and write about the different shapes. By the time you are all through Volume 3, you will be ready to settle in to some really fun piecing. It is really restful, since you can't speed piece these shapes.
Boot Camp - we are having the first one this month. The ladies are really up for some long sewing days. We are going to try to get through the entire book in 5 days. They will be making 3 - 4 quilt tops, depending on how fast they sew. I am excited to see how this all goes. I know they will be long days for some - we will be working most days from 9:30 in the morning to 9:30+ in the evening. The best part is Carries meals - my personal favorite part. We will be scheduling more Boot Camps for machine quilting, machine applique, and Quilter's Academy 1 and 2 later in the year for 2011. The new web site will enable us to notify everyone about what is going on and making the supplies more easily available.
Keep the postings coming. It's really good to hear from all of you!
Harriet
I have been busy piecing hexagons and diamonds, and actually having fun doing it. It is time consuming, and I am finding it hard to illustrate and write about the different shapes. By the time you are all through Volume 3, you will be ready to settle in to some really fun piecing. It is really restful, since you can't speed piece these shapes.
Boot Camp - we are having the first one this month. The ladies are really up for some long sewing days. We are going to try to get through the entire book in 5 days. They will be making 3 - 4 quilt tops, depending on how fast they sew. I am excited to see how this all goes. I know they will be long days for some - we will be working most days from 9:30 in the morning to 9:30+ in the evening. The best part is Carries meals - my personal favorite part. We will be scheduling more Boot Camps for machine quilting, machine applique, and Quilter's Academy 1 and 2 later in the year for 2011. The new web site will enable us to notify everyone about what is going on and making the supplies more easily available.
Keep the postings coming. It's really good to hear from all of you!
Harriet
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Can you believe that September is already here? We don't feel that we got anything done but work all summer. Not one day in our majestic mountains or sitting on the porch. Now is canning season and this weekend will be very busy in the kitchen putting up this winters food. Yes, Carrie and I are very old fashioned and we still can - tomatoes, peaches, pears, beets, pickles, and corn, beans, and brussel sprouts in the freezer. Can't wait to till up the garden and be done with that job for the winter.
I do have two new kittens that have been fun. The lure of babies in a cage is dangerous. My enabler daughter didn't try to talk me out of it, so there are now three tabbies wandering around, walking on keyboards and hindering progress at the sewing machine. A lot of re-typing has been taking place, as their keyboard skills aren't up to speed yet.
We have been busy planning and writing Volume 4. Volume 3 is in the works, due to be released in April 2011. It is heavy on technique and lessons, every conceivable way to make half square triangles, quarter square and 3 piece triangles, four methods of flying geese and feathered stars. That being said, we are finding that those of you working through the books are having trouble keeping up.
I was in McKinney, Texas last week and taught a 2-day Volume 1 and a 2-day Volume 2 class, and found that most of the students that took the Volume 1 class last year had not worked through the entire book, and found it more difficult to work through Volume 2 than it should have been. So, I want to emphasize again that these are not project books. Each quilt and lesson build on the previous ones, and by skipping around you are likely to miss some very valuable hints and techniques that you will be using as you go forward. If you are keeping up with Lesley in Tasmania, she did every lesson in depth in Volume 1 and has quilted (she is new and learning this also) and finished every one of the quilts. The progress she has shown is awesome! If you haven't checked out her blog, please do, as it is truly inspirational for beginners and more experienced alike (patchnblock.blogspot.com). If any of the rest of you are blogging your way through the book, please post your address so we can keep up with your progress.
Volume 2 still uses blocks made of strips and squares, but things change a lot with diagonal sets - especially the math and figuring yardage. Please try the design work using the linking blocks and chain blocks in the worksheets. If you do not know how to use graph paper, this will give you a good start in designing your own original quilts.If you can't find our graph paper packet, call the store and we will get it to you. It will be on the new web site. 303-424-2742
So... with the things I have been hearing and seeing on the road, we have decided to have Volume 4 and on come out once a year instead of every 9 months. Many have told me that they weren't done with Volume 1, now 2 is out, and 3 is looming ahead of them and they know they can't keep up. C&T has agreed to go to every 12 months, with each book coming out in the spring. This give everyone more time to get through the books, and we also are going to need more time, as the more difficult the techniques, the longer it takes to make the quilts. We are having a lot of fun working on the set-in pieced lessons for Volume 4. 60 degree and 45 degree angles afford endless design possibilities.
We will have a new web site up and running the first of October. Our old one is 12 years old and limping along. We will be able to feature the books as well as the rulers and tools we use in each book and make supplies easy to get for those of you having trouble finding some of the items.
If you still haven't discovered the true joy of piecing with Presencia 60/3 thread, please let us know and we can supply you with it. We have about 98% success the first try on getting the perfect seam allowance with the Perkins Dry Goods ruler and 60/3 thread in a 70/10 needle. If you are having any problems with accuracy, seam allowances and pressing are most likely the culprit.
If you have never used the Reliable Digital Velocity iron, you don't know what you are missing. In every class I teach, we try to have at least one of these irons, and within a few hours, students are waiting in line for the "good" iron instead of the typical cheap irons. If you are a Rowenta owner, you need to look into these irons (page 39, Volume 1). They are not that much more expensive, but do not leak and last for years.
It seems that I like to post LONG messages instead of lots of short ones. Hopefully I will hear from you out there and get an update on how you are progressing. I'm here to help if anyone needs it. The long evenings of fall and winter are looking inviting to get lots of sewing done.
Looking forward to hearing from you.....
Harriet
I do have two new kittens that have been fun. The lure of babies in a cage is dangerous. My enabler daughter didn't try to talk me out of it, so there are now three tabbies wandering around, walking on keyboards and hindering progress at the sewing machine. A lot of re-typing has been taking place, as their keyboard skills aren't up to speed yet.
We have been busy planning and writing Volume 4. Volume 3 is in the works, due to be released in April 2011. It is heavy on technique and lessons, every conceivable way to make half square triangles, quarter square and 3 piece triangles, four methods of flying geese and feathered stars. That being said, we are finding that those of you working through the books are having trouble keeping up.
I was in McKinney, Texas last week and taught a 2-day Volume 1 and a 2-day Volume 2 class, and found that most of the students that took the Volume 1 class last year had not worked through the entire book, and found it more difficult to work through Volume 2 than it should have been. So, I want to emphasize again that these are not project books. Each quilt and lesson build on the previous ones, and by skipping around you are likely to miss some very valuable hints and techniques that you will be using as you go forward. If you are keeping up with Lesley in Tasmania, she did every lesson in depth in Volume 1 and has quilted (she is new and learning this also) and finished every one of the quilts. The progress she has shown is awesome! If you haven't checked out her blog, please do, as it is truly inspirational for beginners and more experienced alike (patchnblock.blogspot.com). If any of the rest of you are blogging your way through the book, please post your address so we can keep up with your progress.
Volume 2 still uses blocks made of strips and squares, but things change a lot with diagonal sets - especially the math and figuring yardage. Please try the design work using the linking blocks and chain blocks in the worksheets. If you do not know how to use graph paper, this will give you a good start in designing your own original quilts.If you can't find our graph paper packet, call the store and we will get it to you. It will be on the new web site. 303-424-2742
So... with the things I have been hearing and seeing on the road, we have decided to have Volume 4 and on come out once a year instead of every 9 months. Many have told me that they weren't done with Volume 1, now 2 is out, and 3 is looming ahead of them and they know they can't keep up. C&T has agreed to go to every 12 months, with each book coming out in the spring. This give everyone more time to get through the books, and we also are going to need more time, as the more difficult the techniques, the longer it takes to make the quilts. We are having a lot of fun working on the set-in pieced lessons for Volume 4. 60 degree and 45 degree angles afford endless design possibilities.
We will have a new web site up and running the first of October. Our old one is 12 years old and limping along. We will be able to feature the books as well as the rulers and tools we use in each book and make supplies easy to get for those of you having trouble finding some of the items.
If you still haven't discovered the true joy of piecing with Presencia 60/3 thread, please let us know and we can supply you with it. We have about 98% success the first try on getting the perfect seam allowance with the Perkins Dry Goods ruler and 60/3 thread in a 70/10 needle. If you are having any problems with accuracy, seam allowances and pressing are most likely the culprit.
If you have never used the Reliable Digital Velocity iron, you don't know what you are missing. In every class I teach, we try to have at least one of these irons, and within a few hours, students are waiting in line for the "good" iron instead of the typical cheap irons. If you are a Rowenta owner, you need to look into these irons (page 39, Volume 1). They are not that much more expensive, but do not leak and last for years.
It seems that I like to post LONG messages instead of lots of short ones. Hopefully I will hear from you out there and get an update on how you are progressing. I'm here to help if anyone needs it. The long evenings of fall and winter are looking inviting to get lots of sewing done.
Looking forward to hearing from you.....
Harriet
Monday, August 2, 2010
Book update...
We are sorry to have not written for a while!
Just a quick update- Harriet is feverishly working on Book 4, Carrie just completed one of the editing rounds on Book 3 and is starting to make the quilts for Book 4.
We have our first Quilter's Academy 5 day boot camp coming up in September- it is full and so we are looking at other dates in 2011 to schedule at least two more QA 1 boot camps. You can check out all the information of the boot camps on Harriet's website at www.harriethargrave.com and click on the "Retreats" link on the left hand side of the home page.
Keep your comments and questions coming so we can keep tabs on your progress!
Happy Quilting!
Carrie & Harriet
Just a quick update- Harriet is feverishly working on Book 4, Carrie just completed one of the editing rounds on Book 3 and is starting to make the quilts for Book 4.
We have our first Quilter's Academy 5 day boot camp coming up in September- it is full and so we are looking at other dates in 2011 to schedule at least two more QA 1 boot camps. You can check out all the information of the boot camps on Harriet's website at www.harriethargrave.com and click on the "Retreats" link on the left hand side of the home page.
Keep your comments and questions coming so we can keep tabs on your progress!
Happy Quilting!
Carrie & Harriet
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
