QuiltCon Together 2021

Oh my goodness... it's been a while and I have SO much to tell... Let's do the big stuff first. I attended my first QuiltCon - which is the Modern Quilt Guild's national conference. And because of the pandemic, it was virtual this year. You might think since there's no in-person aspect of the quilt show that it was a subdued event. You would be wrong! I have NEVER been more excited to be a quilter and more inspired by this art! Let's hit the high lights!

When the pandemic hit, the Modern Quilt Guild had to switch their in-person from Atlanta to a virtual setting. I think everyone, including the MQG board was worried how the new virtual setting would be received. As far as I can tell - it was absolutely amazing! Last summer I signed up for four workshops from the dozens of tempting offerings. I choose an Electric Quilt 8 class covering how to make modern quilts by Cheryl Brickey (@meadowmistdesigns); there was a how to photography your quilt class by Julie Shoening (@builtaquilt). And because conquering curves is a personal goal, I signed up for two different circle techniques from two of my favorite Instagram quilters: Steph Skardal (@stephskardal) and Daisy Aschehoug (@warmfolk). (Don't worry, I'll list all their info below.)

I don't want to give spoilers for these classes because, seriously, if you can take a class from any of these people you should do it. It's worth it! But here's some of the results and completed assignments from the week.

I've been using EQ8 for a couple years now - I even taught my first class in EQ Basics (more on that in the future). It's a very versatile tool and I love it. Cheryl Brickey offered four different classes on advanced EQ8 techniques; and I honestly wish I'd taken all of them because the Modern Quilt Designing was very thoughtful and thorough. Here are just a few of the mini assignments from the class. I will definitely be making use of this class!

Confession time: I own a DSLR; that's a digital single-lens reflex camera: you know, something a bit more professional than a point-and-shoot camera or a smart phone. My Nikon D40 is sadly sitting in the back of closet collecting dust. I can hear it calling to me for use, and that's probably why I signed up for the quilt photography class by Julie Schoening. And while I didn't breakout D40 for this class, it did give me the confidence and knowledge to create better quilt photography. I really appreciated this class because it was tailored for any camera, whether it's a DSLR, point-and-shoot or even a smart phone. She gave lots of practical tips and encouragement. Here's a couple photos from the two assignments: a quilt components photo and a completed quilt. Thanks, Julie - I already feel like a better photographer.

Curves - my latest obsession... I tooked Giant Nested Curves from Daisy Aschehoug and Foundation Paper Pieced Curves from Steph Skardal. Both techniques while very different were a lot of fun to learn. I can see myself using both techniques. GNC may become my new go-to for scrappy quilts; and the utter precision of FPP Curves calls to my soul - already have ideas of how to expand on this technique. Here's my finished blocks: