The first weekend in February always finds me in Cannon Beach, Oregon for my annual Mystery Class, sponsored by the awesome Center Diamond quilt shop. This is the class where students have no idea what they're going to make - just suggested fabric for things like water or trees. Last year I suggested fabric for "your favorite heavenly body", meaning the sun or moon, but later on in class one gal said, "I thought you meant me....30 pounds lighter!". Needless to say, it's always fun to see how my suggestions get interpreted.
In addition to seeing a number of returning students, there were several folks new to my Mystery Class, which is always such a treat. Another special treat this year was the spectacular weather - it was calm and 63 degrees on Saturday and almost as warm on Sunday! Some of the old-timers reminisced about the year of the wind storm that knocked out power to Cannon Beach until 2 pm on Saturday....that made for an interesting class! But no such drama this year - just perfect beachcombing weather when students wanted to take a break from quilting.
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This year I told students to bring water fabric, some green fabric, and their favorite flower color. The water lily is a quilt I've wanted to make for quite a while. This flower is often seen as a flower of enlightenment, inner peace, and strength because it usually grows in a difficult environment. I also just happen to think it's a beautiful flower! I also wanted to incorporate machine quilting into the overall design, so the flower reflection is done entirely with quilting.
As is typical, half the fun for me is seeing what folks in class will come up with. Most gals used a variety of fabrics to create their lily, which looked just gorgeous. A few gals lowered the flower and added a moon. One gal used silk fabric for the entire piece. Another gal changed the overall dimensions to match her Waterdance (last year's Mystery quilt) and she plans to hang the two pieces side-by-side when completed....awesome!
So, if you're interested in going to a class with only a scant idea of what you'll be making, consider joining us next year. The class will be held on February 2 and 3, 2013. Contact Center Diamond about signing up....but don't wait too long. The class usually fills six months in advance. And since I already know what next year's quilt will be - here's a hint....you often see these while standing on Cannon Beach (HA....how's that for vague!?!).
Center Diamond Contact Information:
www.CenterDiamond.com
503 436-0833
1065 South Hemlock
Cannon Beach, Oregon 97110
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