Lessons from Glamp Stitchalot 2016

 

I was lucky enough to attend Glamp Stitchalot in Ann Arbor last weekend. The event was put on by Pink Castle Fabrics and included 6 great instructors. I wanted to share the key lessons I took away from the weekend.

• Curved piecing
  • I completed my first curved piecing based on the class from Violet Craft.
  • We used templates to cut the two curved pieces.
  • It was surprisingly simple. Three pins, a scant 1/8″ seam, and pulling the fabric outward as you sew.

• Fussy cutting prints
  • I was familiar with the idea of fussy cutting prints to feature or center an image from the fabric.
  • The new concept around fussy cutting (from Elizabeth Hartman) was to fussy cut prints so that the pattern will match or flow across a block. This minimizes the disruption of the seams in the overall block.
  • Here is an example with the orange fabric in the block designed by Rashida Coleman-Hale.

• Different paper piecing techniques
  • It was great to get tips from the different instructors on paper piecing.
  • Don’t include a paper border around the outside. Penny Layman cuts the paper to the final size. Then when the block is all sewn together, trim the block with the 1/4″ seam. Here are two of the blocks from Penny’s row. I loved the mountain more than I thought I would. (Plus check out the fussy cutting on the mountain!)

• Include the paper border around the outside but tear that paper when you sew blocks together. Carolyn Friedlander uses this technique so that she doesn’t have small amounts of paper to tear. Here are the two parts of the rows that Carolyn designed. I love how they look but not together. 

I had a wonderful time quilting, spending time with friends and meeting new people. It has inspired me to start this blog and join Instagram. Check me out here.