'Tis the Season...For New Class Samples!

Every fall/winter I devote nearly three months worth of time creating new class samples and rewriting and updating my self-published handbooks.  It's always a huge and daunting task but by the end of January, when most of it is done, I'm very thankful for time well spent. 

I was very lucky to be the recipient of some beautiful donated  orphan blocks from three of my students/retreaters and it gave me just what I needed to create some really fun samples for my upcoming classes and workshops.  Since my brand new Ultimate Backgrounds have been born I've been desperate to create some good samples to demo techniques and I thought you would enjoy being in on the "being born" stage of things to come!

This is a close up shot of a block where I was able to use the baby size of the Basket Weave stencil to create a beautiful texture in the basket.  The baby size of the clam shells was used for the background.  Kimono silk thread was used for both.

Speaking of baby clams, these are going to be used in these pieced triangles to provide some great movement.  I love using repetitive lines in almost all of my quilts...These lines will be added in a bright orange silk  to provide both movement and texture.

This block shows how I divided up the center and corner sections into smaller squares and then  filled with the mama sized Twisted Clams background.  Triangles will be filled with free form feathers.

I am loving the diamonds/triangles background...This silk sampler will show several different ways of filling the space with repetitive lines and cathedral windows.

I am desperate for some samples using The Ultimate Stencil.  This  drawing is used on my easel demo...I thought it was way past time to put that drawing onto silk.  Basket Weave background has been added.  Can't wait to start on this one!!! 

I love the Twisted Grid stencil...loads of things to do with this one!  I am showing it here with alternating repetitive lines...

By removing every other vertical line I was able to create a beautiful twisted grid basket weave...

...and then, of course, there's always the favorite Cathedral Windows in a twisted grid.

I have a huge stack of samples just itching to get into the machine.  For those of you who get my handbook updates you will be seeing all of these and more in your new books next January-ish.  For those of you joining me in the classroom next year you'll get to see all of these up close and personal there.

By the way...it's a perfect weather day here in Chico, California....cold and WET!!!  We are getting some long awaited, much needed moisture for our drought-stricken state.  Mmmmmmm....

Hugs, Cindy :)