Holiday Card Class

Yesterday, I took a class at the Cotton Patch in Lafayette. It was taught by my friend Tekoa. What fun; and to make it even better Cotton Patch set up a loaner Bernina 335 for my use. I did not have to lug my sewing machine there. I also tried very hard not to bring too much fabric either.

I made two cards during class: a pumpkin and a house. They both came out cute and, with Tekoa's paper piecing technique, there was no need to tear out the foundation. We used a type of non-woven Pellon-type  interfacing, the non-fusible type, and left it in.

The first card I made was a pumpkin.  It was made in two sections, so probably not the easiest choice for my first card, but I succeeded. I even fussy cut a little chicken in the lower corner, since he (she?) was one of my orange print scraps. Yes, I did have all that many different oranges in my stash. Per Tekoa's advice, I made sure there was enough contrast among them to make the effort of the piecing show up.

My next card was all one section, but this time I picked a variety of colors rather than monotonic. I fussy cut the fabric around the door. This scallop scrap was from the "throwaway" border of a Stacy Hsu Coral Queen of the Sea mermaid doll panel I sewed  back in 2017 for my granddaughter(s). I still have well over a yard of it left.

Tekoa hand draws these templates to custom fit the size of the photo cards she likes best. She had a large selection of these sheets free for the class attendees to pick from and take home. She was quite generous with her time in drafting them in advance and printing them out for our choosing. I picked this particular pattern to try next because of the steep angles that challenge my brain more and because it was a portrait format and the pumpkin and house were landscape format. Also, this time at home, I tried to piece onto a more slippery paper rather that the vellum-type feel of the foundation I used in class.

To be sure I did not forget what I learned in class, I made up this flower when I got home. I did goof on one of the sections of white dotted background by attaching it wrong side up; but I got to practice picking it off and trying again, successfully. I did have to pick off one of the darker leaves and do it again also because I trimmed it along the wrong line when I flipped it. I am proud at least that I got the dark leaves to face the way I wanted them to. The flower is my least favorite of the three, but it really made me think and learn — which is the purpose of a class. One additional plus to sewing at home was that I got to use my trusty Pfaff. Muscle memory is a strong thing to buck, especial when established over decades on the same machine.  All during class, I kept reaching for where the pressure foot lift was positioned on my Pfaff; its orientation is different on the loaned Bernina.

This is the sum total of the scraps I brought — a very, very, very small percentage of those I left home. Over to the left side of the shoe box are some leftover bindings from quilts I have made. When the center fold is ironed out, they work as well as jelly rolls for small scraps. I added a few fat quarters in the center mainly for pale or dark background options. The quart-size zip lock bag has some more square-ish and less narrow scraps. "Not bad. I done good." 

I learned something new, improved on my tendency to drag too much to a class, tried out a different brand of sewing machine, enjoyed time with a friend, and have three cards I can send to someone. I was hooked enough that when I got home I ordered more photo cards and more of the vellum-like foundation paper. Also of non-negligible enjoyment was the absolutely delicious home-baked pumpkin bread somebody brought to class to share. There was chocolate, too!  Taking this class was indeed a wise decision.