New quilting class

At the beginning of the year I signed up for a beginner's machine quilting class at one of my local quilt shops.  This past Tuesday was the first class.  It will be once a month for about 8 or so months.

Our first class went over a lot of basic stuff, some of which I already knew but it never hurts to hear it again or hear it from a different teacher.  We also learned the proper way to use a rotary cutter and ruler and how to cut our fabric into strips and squares.  I bought a new Creative Grids ruler which I had been wanting for awhile.  In all the quilting classes that I took at the Houston Quilt Festival, the teachers all loved Creative Grids.  So far I've loved it too.

Our block for the night was a simple nine patch.

I think mine turned out pretty well.  I'm getting better at matching up my seams and keeping things straight.  Also, I'm trying to sew my seams slower so that I get a proper 1/4 inch seam.

This is the rest of the fabric that I'll be using with the different blocks.  Our next class will be the Shoofly block.

When I finish the quilt, I may donate it to a local children's charity mostly because there is so much pink in it and my house full of men won't like it.  I'll keep you updated on the progress of the quilt.

PS.  I haven't forgotten about my Handmade Whimzy shop.  I've made a bunch of eye pillows which I've been listing a few at a time.  I'm currently working on 4 new aprons for the shop and I hope to get them finished so I can start listing them by Monday.  They are all springy patterns.  Very cheerful.  Keep a watch out.

Also, if you've been wondering why I make my print so big on my blog, it's because I've been having trouble with my eyes lately and this size print is easier for me to see.