Posts Tagged ‘Quilt Festival’

Stretching Classes – Houston 2009

Friday, August 14th, 2009

I will be teaching 3 “Stretching for Quilters” classes at the International Quilt Festival in Houston this year.

They are scheduled as follows:

• Wednesday 10/14 from 8-9am – Class # 300

• Thursday 10/15 from 8-9am – Class #401

• Saturday 10/17 from 8-9am – Class #700

If you are coming to Houston and are free one of these times, please sign up and take one of these classes with me. The classes will focus on gentle stretching and range of motion exercises to help reduce tension and stress often associated with sitting and sewing. The class is suitable for everyone. It is not a class that will make you sweat and can be done in normal street clothes, though you might not want to wear anything too restrictive.

Stretching for Quilters

Stretching for Quilters

Note: I know I have blogged a lot about the shoulder issues I have had due to the extreme overuse I have put them through over the years…but I have structured my surgery around Houston…..it is an important event for me…so I will be fit as a fiddle for these classes and to be able to fully enjoy Houston 2009.

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Home from Houston 2008

Saturday, November 8th, 2008

Houston was a lot of fun, despite being at the tale end of a nasty head cold. The cold probably could not be helped as many people where I work and elsewhere in my life had colds the week before I did. It was bound to hit.

I taught 3 Stretching for Quilters classes. I am very happy to report that the class attendance increased every day. The first day I had 30 participants, then 50, and then over 70 by the 3rd day. Everyone seemed to enjoy the class. My friend Hollis was pumping the class, both to her email list in the weeks before Houston and to her classes at Houston. I think the classes went over very well, with many people telling me that they felt strangely relaxed yet energized after and many wished for me to return next year. I sure hope to be invited back next year.

I test drove every longer arm, table mounted machine that was at the show (5 or 6 machines total). I really loved the new Bernina 830. It had the control over stitching I was used to on my Bernina 430, but had a full 12” of space to the right of the arm (instead of less than 7), great for the larger work I do. It was amazing. But, the show special, with free table included was $12,000, so there was no way I was going to be getting one of those bad boys. I also test drove several other machines, many of which I also liked. I think I liked the Bernina 830 instantly because it felt and behaved the same as what I am ready used to, but with lots of space.

Here are 2 pics of me at Houston 2008 beside 2 of my quilts. I never got a picture of me by the 3rd piece I had hanging there, but you can see Escape here. I didn’t win any prizes, but I was thrilled that my work was accepted.

Bee’s Knees

Randy at Houston 2008

Reflection

Randy at Houston - big piece


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Houston 2008

Wednesday, August 20th, 2008

I mentioned in a prior post that I will be teaching 3 “Stretching for Quilters” classes at the International Quilt Festival in Houston this year. They are scheduled as follows:

· Wednesday 10/29 from 8-9am – Class # 357

· Thursday 10/30 from 11am-noon – Class #469

· Friday 10/31 from 11am-noon – Class #559

If you are coming to Houston and are free one of these times, please sign up and take one of these classes with me. The classes will focus on gentle stretching and range of motion exercises. The class is suitable for everyone. It is not a class that will make you sweat and can be done in normal street clothes, though you might not want to wear anything too restrictive.

I am also very happy to report that both my submissions to the judged show were accepted. My quilts “Reflection” and “Escape” will both be there. In addition, my quilt “Bee’s Knees” will be hanging as part of the “Celebrate Spring” exhibit. All 3 are also for sale.

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Lot’s of updates

Thursday, March 13th, 2008

Hello everyone, life has been somewhat busy for me lately. A few folks have contacted me about the lack of blogging on my part, so here goes a blog to update you on the last month and a half of my life.

Vacation

I took a very nice and relaxing vacation to Florida and then took a cruise. Friends from LA flew down and we all visited friends in Fort Lauderdale. The house we stayed in was very lovely and our hosts were superb. The 6 of us had a great time, just like we did when we cruised around the Baltic Sea last year.

Drawing Class

Here is the picture of my last drawing – of hands and feet, done in very early February. Because the start date for my new job was moved earlier, I was unable to take my final 2 classes, but the instructor has allowed me to put them on hold. I hope to make them up at some point (before a year is up).
Hands and Feet

Job

The new job is going very well. The project is a very exciting project and the project team has some great people on it. I am learning lots about library data and more about the reasons that this new software project is needed. It is a very complex situation. In fact, there are all sorts of initiatives brewing in the library world.

Pillows

These pillows are the last creative thing I have done, and again this was in early February, before I started the new job. Due to a snow and ice storm, my plans for the day were cancelled and I had a whole day at home. I probably should have worked on a drawing or a quilt or cleaning or any of a hundred other tasks, but I felt drawn to make these pillows via a little game I made up. My rules were as follows. Start with 2 squares of matching linen, each 18” square. Use one as the top and make only vertical slices (at least only have vertical slices that went from edge to edge). Do not draw out or otherwise plan the piecing, but just cut. These are what I came up with. It turned out to be a bigger project than I had thought and it took me most of the day to make the 5 tops. It took me half the following day to insert the invisible zippers and complete the pillows. And now the pillows’ new home seems to be on the floor beside the couch as there are far too many of them if you actually want to use the couch. Basically it was a bad idea all the way around and making a batch of cookies would have been more rewarding.

Pillow 1 Pillow 2 Pillow 3 Pillow 4 Pillow 5

Houston 2008

I am very excited that I have been accepted to teach 3 “Stretching for Quilters” classes at the IQA fall Houston show in late October. The class will be a 1 hour class and will be timed in such a way that people can still take my class even if they are enrolled in half or full day quilting classes. I will primarily be focusing on stretches and breathing to make sewing and quilting time more enjoyable and less fatiguing to the body.

Quilting…argh!!!

I absolutely MUST find a way to get something made in time to submit to Houston this year. I have no idea if it would get accepted or not, but I have to find a way to get something made to submit….and I only have about 2 and a half months to do it in. My friend Hollis has told me that I had good success in 2007 and that I can’t just “disappear” because I am working full time. It will be hard, as I teach 7 exercise classes a week and am working full time, but I will try to find a way.Stay well and stay in touch and I will try to post again soon.

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At Houston

Tuesday, November 27th, 2007

randy-houston-2007.JPG

Here is a picture of me standing in front of my quilt “I Remain” at the IQA quilt festival in Houston earlier this month. The trip was great and was my first trip to a major quilt show. My friend Jean accompanied me and I thank her for that, even though we were both feeling a little rough the day we left (she blames the wine and bourbon, but I am not convinced).

I also want to thank my friend Corinne for her work in getting both my website and this blog underway. I am truly blessed to have wonderful people in my life.

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