My sister Julie has been involved with Project Linus via a group in Lutterworth set up 5 years ago by a former bellydance Student of mine Lynda Hill. Since then Julie has become a quilting addict ! As I am usually teaching of a Wednesday evening I have never been able to make it along to one of the Piecemakers meetings but as fortune would have it Gail's talk fell in half term and I was able to make the meeting as well as the workshop the next day. I'm so glad I did! Gail is a very engaging speaker; funny, informative and very warm.
Lutterworth Peicemakers
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| Long Suffering Sister Julie working out which fabrics to use where on the design. |
This is only the 2nd sewing workshop I've been able to attend. I am a dance teacher so am used to attending classes and workshops but sewing is something that my sister and I taught ourselves as kids, and have always just got on with. Going to class to learn more techniques can be really scary as you almost feel like you should be able to teach yourself, why are you asking for help? If you just applied yourself you could learn it. But the world doesn't work that way as there are work and time pressures everywhere - sitting down to sew for fun! Ha we have bills to pay. But if you can let go of your control worries and give yourself a whole day to go to a class, away from the distractions of work and home life it is such a treat.
I LOVED this workshop, it was pure colour therapy - I spent the whole day thanking my sister and exclaiming "this is so much fun!" I had been quite terrified of the whole thing and left all the planning up to poor Julie, she sourced all the fabrics and materials needed and I just went along and hoped I wouldn't feel too much at sea. The other ladies were all very lovely and helpful and Lynda let me raid her fabric box and use some of her lovely batiks in my picture, I thought I had died and gone to heaven!
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| Reverse Applique completed |
Gail is a really great teacher too, throughout the whole workshop she was available to all, at no point did I see her sit down and relax. She was always wandering around looking over your shoulder and just carefully checking that everyone was alright. There is always that moment of shame you feel as a student when a teacher does this and you can feel like you want to curl up and die, but Gail was straight in with a non-nonsense tip, word of advice or encouragement - preventing you from making a mistake without making a big deal of it and congratulating you when you had made progress. This is the kind of teaching that everyone needs and is unfortunately so often lacking, if you want to learn to sew or teach take one of Gail's workshops and learn from a master.
I needed this workshop for so many reasons.
I have had a truly awful few years, although I have been strong and just got on with it I did have a pretty bad wobble and was worried I was heading for another mental breakdown. I'm not saying that this workshop has averted it as it is soon too to tell but it has certainly made me feel a lot better since and all you can ever deal with is the current moment.
We did reverse applique in the first workshop I went to with Julie too, you need to do a technique a couple of times to feel like you have got the hang of it and I now feel that I will use this technique.
Gail's tip on using the scissors flat on to the fabric is one of those tips that can revolutionise the way you do things!
Inspiration is something that is so hard to obtain sometimes, but I do feel like I will finish this project and use these techniques in my own projects.
Gail Lawther
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| Use Scissors flat on to fabric to get as close a cut a possible without cutting holes in your fabric. |
So next week I am doing another workshop, this one is on Machine Embroidered flowers with Gillan Travis and is alas without the protection of my lovely sister Julie, but she is looking at the workshop requirements for it as I type and making sure I have the right kit. Love you Sis. Will let you know how I get on...
