Saturday, July 29, 2017

Doin' Brigham City with Bonnie

What a time we had for two days in Brigham City, Utah! Bonnie has more energy than I think I ever have had in my whole life. And she is a constant source of hints and tips for better and more streamlined quilt making.
Here she is in front of her Garden Party quilt, which was our first class.
This quilt has 100 posy blocks that finish at 5". I planned to make my blocks finish at 2.5", and only do a mini with about 20 blocks. Last week I was up in the wee hours cutting and kitting my fabrics for the two quilts we would be starting here.

So how did this happen?

These teeny things are going to finish at 1.25"!
Did you catch that I had done my cutting in the wee hours of the morning? Well, as I sat in class this week I realized that my pieces were not all cut correctly. There was a part of the block that I had miscalculated in my sleep deprived stupor. My only option at this point was to go smaller. So I had to cut my size in half again! Could I do it? Apparently.


Here you see one of my little finished blocks by a block in Bonnie's quilt. If you go to Bonnie's post here, you can scroll down and see my blocks in a bowl with a penny in the center for comparison. In her post you will also get more info and shots of the venue, which was amazing.

This is The Academy Conference Center (a former ballet academy) from the middle, looking toward the front, as Bonnie gave a demo.
 This is the same room looking from the middle toward the back.
Here is Bonnie giving my friend and roomie, Kim, a personal demo on pressing. In the background you can see where we were served our lunch.
 
Kim spent her time focused on making Scrap Crystals. Bonnie was teaching this later in the week at another venue, but we could not make that class. 


The first day we had fun getting to know Wendy and Courtney (who came from Minnesota to take the class with her friend) as we worked. 
The second day we had the table to ourselves. The class was only about 2/3 full that day.

 
Following class, the LQS provided  some retail therapy. It was fun to see Bonnie shopping in one of my favorite little quilt shops.
 






That night we had dinner at a local iconic restaurant, Maddox. There were 15 of us from the class that day, and two that would be in class the next day.


Our second day was Midnight Flight (shown below). I had to leave a little early that day. As we got started that morning I made a management decision to make my color placement a little different. As I worked, I realized it wasn't a good choice, so I had to start over again sewing my strips and making my 4-patches. That left me a step behind the rest of the day and by the time I had to leave I had not finished a block. Maybe I can get some finished next week and share them with you.
Kim, Bonnie, and me in front of Midnight Flight.
It was about 6 1/2 years ago that I bought Bonnie's "Adventures With Leaders and Enders" on Amazon. That led me to her blog (my intro to quilt blogs), and eventually got me blogging. I had many fun email exchanges with Bonnie back before she had a bazillion followers, when she actually had time to respond. It was delightful to finally meet her! She is as real as they come, and an excellent teacher. If you have a chance to take a class from her, I highly recommend it!
 Until next time,
Janet O.


 

40 comments:

  1. How fun!! Looks like you had a great time and what a wonderful venue!! And oh my gosh, those blocks are almost nonexistent!! I just don't know how you do it, but dang, you sure do it GOOD!! xoxox

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  2. What a wonderful post featuring two of my most favorite quilters......Janet O, and Bonnie Hunter! I am so pleased you were able to take not one, but 2 classes from her! What a beautiful venue! Thanks for not shocking me and making a normal sized block! LOL

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  3. Great post and what a wonderful venue! As much as we love our blogs, there's nothing like meeting together in person right? It always will be the best way to learn and connect. Your little miniature blocks or starts of blocks are so cute and colorful!

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  4. I saw that bowl with your mini pieces on Bonnie's blog--I was sure you'd lost your mind! Haha
    Bonnie is very energetic, must be from all the exercise she gets. I enjoyed her friendly manner and enthusiasm during the class I took. Sorry your second class didn't go as planned with your fabrics. Hope you can redo it to your liking!! I only got two blocks made during the class I took. Glad you had a good time!

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  5. I knew those were your tiny blocks before Bonnie sadi "Oh, Janet O"! I'm SEW glad you got to finally take a worklshop with her. It was fun to watch for you. I'm still working on my Row by Row. I haven't touched my Garden Party or Midnight Flight since I got home mfrom my Bonnie Retreat. I loved shopping in the Bringham City Shop too.

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  6. What a magic time you have had! I hope you had a few good nights sleep while away? Now those blocks are so small they would not cover a mouse to keep him warm! Holy snapping ducks you amaze me! The venue looks fabulous. I love Bonnie's books, I have made a a couple of her creations, a class with her would be awesome. Kiwi Hugsxx

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  7. Wee your little blocks are adorable and look perfectly pieced !
    What a beautiful room for your workshop/lunch. Great space for sewing and pressing.
    Looks like you are having a great time with Bonnie. She is so upbeat I met her in NJ years ago.
    That Dinner looks amazing - glad you're having so much fun!

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  8. I saw/read that you made the headlines in her class...Janet O. Of course, when I saw the tiny blocks I knew. So glad you got to go and have some therapy with such a great teacher and quilter. Loved the venue, so pretty.

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  9. What fun! I love her Garden Party quilt. Can you tell me which book that one is in?
    Good job on the mini blocks!

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  10. Each time I read a quilter took a class with Bonnie, that quilter was the happiest of the world ! So I'm not surprised that it was very and very fun for you too !

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  11. Oh, how exciting you were able to attend a couple of Bonnie's workshops. I like your idea of making smaller blocks (and smaller projects) and hope to do more of this myself going forward.

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  12. I can't wait to see the finished top. Mini for sure.

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  13. What fun! I saw your tiny blocks on Bonnie's blog. :) I enjoyed Box Kite and would have liked to have taken Garden Party with her when she was in my area a few weeks ago. Looks like you had an incredible venue for your classes. I agree with you, Bonnie is a great teacher and she has so much energy and so many helpful tips! I hope I get to take a class with her next year too.

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  14. How Fun! I look forward to Bonnie coming to our area in 2 years. I'll be planning for that class a long time. Ha! I can't wait to see your mini version. I'm so sorry you got way laid by miscalculations. I did that myself this week too.

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  15. Looks like you had a GREAT time, Janet!! So glad you were able to do two classes!!
    Love the pictures... and I really think you need to consider medication for your very tiny problem!! ;-))

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  16. Quilting with Bonnie--it just doesn't get any better. Looks like everyone had a great time and more beautiful quilts have been made

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  17. What a fun time! I need to put Bonnie on my bucket list of quilters to take a class from! Can't wait to see your minis!!!

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  18. What a fun post. So glad it worked too take a BH class and meet her.

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  19. Sounds wonderful! A once in a lifetime adventure!
    I cannot believe you went even smaller with your blocks!!
    You'll have to use a magnifying glass to sew them! LOL

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  20. Sounds like you had lots of fun! Looks like the ladies you shared a table with were a hoot, matching T shirts, almost as good as a quilters T shirt! Good luck getting the blocks finished, I have no doubt you can do it. I have so many quilts I want to make, but a class with Bonnie is definitely on my to do list, one day when she comes to Australia!

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  21. So happy to hear about your classes with Bonnie. I have a couple of her books, and it's easy to tell, before even meeting her, that she's going to be a fabulous teacher and the classes will be inspiring. Looking forward to seeing how your blocks turn out when you finish them.

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  22. Miniature Garden Party?! AWESOME!!! Sorry that you cut incorrectly and had to go even smaller. That will happen when you cut fabric in the middle of the night!!

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  23. I checked Bonnie's blog a few times to see if I could see you in any of her pictures, and I did. In some of them you were taking pictures, so I couldn't see your face. Hee Hee! A friend of mine from Texas was at one of Bonnie's workshops - her name is Peggy Billingsly and she lives in Utah now. I couldn't tell if she was in the same class as you were or not. She used to be the secretary of the guild I belonged to in Texas and she moved to Utah before I moved to Oregon. I did take one of Bonnie's workshops in Texas and she is really inspirational!

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  24. Janet, your blocks are so tiny!!! Amazing! The ballet studio is gorgeous with all those huge windows. It looks like you had a great time!!

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  25. What an awesome experience. I'm sure Bonnie was totally amazed at your interpretation of her blocks

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  26. How fun! I can't believe you made those blocks that tiny!
    Mary

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  27. So glad to hear that you had a grand time with Bonnie! I didn't realize the blocks were that tiny from her pictures. At least you were able to salvage your middle-of-the-night cutting snafu! Do you still plan on just making 20 blocks? For a mugrug, perhaps?! We find out this week if we get into a October Bonnie class...it will be my third if we do and while the class choices aren't my fav, I might borrow your friends idea and make a different Bonnie Quilt in class...

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  28. Your tiny piecing is going to be so dang cute! Can't wait to see it all together. Now I'm really excited for my class--only nine more days. I'm going to recheck my advance cutting--lol! That venue was beautiful too.

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  29. I searched all Bonnie's pictures until I found you. So happy to see you were able to take her class. I wish she would come to our area, but no such luck. Love your teeny, tiny blocks.

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  30. so glad you got to take some workshops...and you ARE a powerhouse scrap quilter....6 big quilts!!! awesome...and thanks for the hug...vic gave me from you...you were missed...

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  31. Well, you did it! You wowed the queen of wow! LOL! Your garden quilt looks just like a field of flowers - really cute! Sounds like you had a delightful time! I remember reading about that building being renovated but didn't realize it was finished - a perfect venue!

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  32. Yikes, those blocks are weensy! Glad you had a good time with Bonnie! We missed you at Marden's but exchanged extra hugs on your behalf!

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  33. Oh what fun! I am so woefully behind on Blog reading and commenting! I got such a hoot out of your quote unquote mistake. Mistakes like that are right up your alley! So tiny and so beautiful! Can't wait to see it all together. Enjoy the day.

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  34. Looks like you had a great time although your quilt pieces got smaller and smaller! (How is that possible?)!!

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  35. So much fun Mom! Your quilts are always delightful...the smaller the better :)
    We need to do more classes together! :)

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  36. Oh my gosh, your blocks are the tiniest I've ever seen, Janet. And the site of your workshop is gorgeous. It's too bad it wasn't able to continue as a ballet academy, though, if it had, you wouldn't have had it for Bonnie's workshop.

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  37. Hi Janet, looks like you have a name to live up to for the tiniest blocks. I guess you can't go back to regular size. I agree with you, Bonnie is a fantastic teacher and is loved by all. The room you all had in the Conference Hall was really great, all that space and light was perfect for sewing. I will be looking forward to seeing your finished blocks.

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  38. What a blast you must have had. Indeed Bonnie is full of energy. Honestly I don't know how she keeps the pace. That Conference Hall is just awesome, beautiful, bright, spacious, WOW! How do your fingers hold on to these wee blocks? Looking forward to your finishes - Sandi =^.^=
    Funny that my Mom and I are next to each other once again in comments on your blog!

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  39. I have to say those teeny tiny blocks are so cute and I think I like them better than the large blocks. Are you going to make more than you intended to sew now that they are even smaller than you meant them to be?

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