Hello Mother, Hello Father: Here I Am at Camp ...

Recording my Summer Camp class

If you're of an age — I am — you grew up singing "Hello Mother, Hello Father. Here I am at Camp Grenada." The list of reasons to avoid summer camp was long: Rain, hail, missing campers, poison ivy, tomaine poisoning, alligators, malaria, and more. While I loved this song, I looked forward to camp all year. I've missed it in recent years but not this summer. I'm part of the faculty for Quilt 2024 Summer Camp, a creative learning experience for quilters created by Bea Byrne of California.

You don't have to pack for this camp as you will tune in from home, giving new meaning to Staycation. You can sign up for free and watch more than 30 classes for 24 hours from the time they go live from July 17-21. There are also pay options — Friend ($20) and VIP ($49) — that give you access to the classes for longer periods of time up to early next year. There are give-aways, sew alongs, live panel discussions and more. Check it out: https://www.quilt2024.com. After you register, check out my teacher interview with Brandy Maslowski.

My one-hour romp through the highlights of my Demystifying Design for Foundation Paper Piecing class will go live at 8 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time Sunday, July 21.

Sign up now for Summer Camp for a whole lot of quilting fun. I promise you won't encounter rain, hail, missing campers, poison ivy, tomaine poisoning, alligators, malaria or any downsides. But you may find yourself singing from the rooftops about all the new quilt techniques you've learned.

Amazing Response to Workshop on Insetting Circles

Offer a workshop for free, and they will come. That's what I learned when I opened registration for my upcoming July 9 Insetting Circles free workshop. I offered the workshop as an introduction to my Stepping Beyond Drunkard's Path class that will meet the second Tuesday of the month from August 13 through December 10.

If you missed the chance to enroll in the free introductory workshop, don't worry. For a reasonable fee, I will be making a link to the recording of the workshop available to those who think they'd like to take Stepping Beyond after July 9 and first want to understand the process that will be taught. I'll send a link to sign up for the recording soon.

You don't have to wait to enroll in Stepping Beyond Drunkard's Path. Register now to guarantee you'll get a seat. By the time you complete this workshop, insetting circles will have become nature.

Green Fuzz, Hummingbird Buzz

Wild iris are among the first wildflowers to emerge in my Rocky Mountain neighborhood. Photo by Dana Jones©

I've scheduled two classes in which I hope you'll enroll. Information on them is near the end of this blog post. If you've taken these classes and have time to recommend them to others, please share the link to this blog post. I can really use your help getting the word out about what I'm offering through open enrollment via Zoom. Thanks in advance for forwarding information to your quilt buds.

And now I have big news to share: Spring has arrived!!

Scratching your head at this declaration?

Spring likely came to your area a month or more ago. When you live at 9,200 feet in the Rocky Mountains as I do, late May is the beginning of spring. You know it's here when a walk outside invites a hummingbird to buzz your head, a not so subtle reminder it's time to hang the feeders. The pine-pollen shower can't be far behind. Soon the deck, the car, my lungs, everything will be coated in light green fuzz. The arrival of an afternoon rainstorm will be welcome to wash away the pollen.

The whole world seems to be celebrating. Mama moose stopped by for lunch and to show off her new baby. The sunshine appears early then transitions to midday clouds before it returns to shine again before setting the stage for a night sky full of stars. The aspen leaves begin to open, and Colorado's pesky but environmentally important miller moths begin their migration into the mountains. Chipmunks chase each other around the yard teasing my two pups to distraction.

Life in the Rockies is good. It is the perfect place for me to quilt and regroup after a busy first quarter of this year. I've been on the road and online teaching and speaking for guilds and shops, and spending time with family and special friends. 2024 is great so far!

What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas, or Not

Above, members of Desert Quilters of Nevada

In my last blog, I said what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. I lied. I just have to show you these fun shots from my time with the Desert Quilters of Nevada, with their permission of course. Those who signed up for my "Goodbye Ruler, Goodbye Rotary Cutter" workshop embraced the spirit of quilting on Caohagan Island as they free cut and crafted images of houses, animals, flowers and more. Check out Janice McClellan's quilt below. My thanks to guild president Jeanne Spala and all the guild members for their above-and-beyond hospitality.

Quilt by Janice McClellan of Desert Quilters of Northern Nevada. Photo courtesy of Janice McClellan.

And Then Came Vacation

A day to kick back in LasVegas — a relaxing meal and a visit to the Neon Boneyard — then it was time to meander home with stops at national parks and monuments and other gorgeous sites in Arizona and Utah. Here are some highlight photos.

Above left, Zion National Park full-moon hike along a rushing river. Above right, Goosenecks State Park overlook, southern Utah. Photos by Dana Jones©

Hermit's Rest trail at Grand Canyon National Park. Photo by Dana Jones©

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Utah, at sunset. Photo by Dana Jones©

Above left, Canyonlands National Park, Needles Area. Above right, Natural Bridges National Monument. Photos by Dana Jones©

Delicate Arch at Arches National Park, near Moab, Utah. Photo by Dana Jones©

To Quilt or To Travel? Yes. Both, Please.

I've been asked if my blog is a quilting blog or a travel blog. The answer appears to be "yes" to both. Now for more on quilting.

Detail of Bird on a Branch by Dana Jones; quilted by Rita Meyerhoff.

Sign Up Now:

"Demystifying Design for Foundation Paper Piecing (FPP)"

Register now for the next session of my popular "Demystifying Design for Foundation Paper Piecing" workshop, which will be Sundays, June 9 and 16. You'll learn what I call the Paper Police© rules as you design a block then create a pattern for a pictorial quilt based on a photo of your choice. You'll be amazed how easy the process is and how quickly you'll be designing your own FPP patterns.

The class will meet for two three-hour sessions from noon-3 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time (2-5 p.m. Eastern, 1-4 p.m. Central, and 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Pacific).

Register now.

Detail of Warp Speed by Dana Jones; quilted by Rita Meyerhoff.

Don't Miss "Finding Your Design Sense" Workshop

This workshop is truly unique. Particpants have said the workshop is "fun," "challenging," "intense," and "life changing." One said, "It went beyond my expectations. It's way more than an introduction; it's worthy of college credit." Another said, "A great investment of time and money."

Are you ready to design your own quilts but aren’t sure where to start? This class will introduce you to the basics of design — balance, unity, variety, line, shape, value, color, pattern, texture and more — through in-class activities and at-home play. You’ll learn what appeals to you toward developing your design style. In this class, you will:

• Learn concepts of design you can use to design quilts and to adapt other people’s designs;

• Be stretched to try new ideas, some that will push you to a new place and some that will affirm your ability as a designer;

• Discover how nature inspires design; and

• Become confident you can design quilts unique to you.

The class will meet once a month for five months, allowing time between classes to practice what you learn. And there will be a final critique session for those who are interested. 

This class will meet from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time the second Tuesday of the month from June through October. Meeting dates are June 13, July 11, August 8, September 12 and October 10. (Class time will be noon-3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Central Daylight Time, and 9 a.m.-noon Pacific Daylight Time.)

Register now.

What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas

Actually, I'm hoping Desert Quilters of Nevada won't hold me to this so I can share the work they create in the two workshops I'll teach there week after next. Emma — my high-maintenance BFF, aka Rpod camper — and I will head out from our home in the Rockies April 15 for Sin City. I imagine my biggest sins will be having too much fun with these quilters and visiting too many quilt shops.

En route home, I'lI visit Zion, Grand Canyon and Arches National Parks and Bear's Ears National Monument. My camera and sketchpad are packed. Emma's preparing for the trip with a complete tune-up, oiling her stabilizing jacks, and repairs to her door hinges and weather stripping. Did I say high maintenance? If you have a camper, you understand this is the nature of RVing, which unfortunately I find way too enjoyable to stop doing just because poor Emma is always in need of repair. Fortunately, she has a close relationship with the entire crew — Jeff, Connie, Matt and more — at Jefe's RV Service in Commerce City, Colorado. At just 18 feet, I think she is their favorite baby.

Before this road trip, I plan a quick fly-in-and-fly-out trip to the LosAngeles area to participate in Northern California Quilt Council's Meet the Teachers in-person event. I'm looking forward to meeting the leaders of this great group in person for the first time. If you'll be there, please stop by my table and introduce yourself. It will be a quick trip. I hope I can grab at least a few photos to share here.

Make Barb's Day

After my last blog post, Barb signed up for my new "Warp Speed" workshop. She has her heart set on taking this Zoom class May 14 and 21. You can make her dream come true by registering for the class.

In this workshop, you'll select a traditional block to "warp." You'll change design proportions and nest, twist, turn, flop and reverse blocks, and more. You'll design a quilt using your warped block, and as an added plus, you'll learn to calculate yardage for your quilt.

The idea for this class has its roots in two classes I took. The first was a class on warping the grid taught by Sarah Nishiura of Chicago. https://www.sarahnishiura.com

In Sarah's workshop, we learned to create the look of three dimensions in a flat quilt by varying the size of the grid into which we put half-square triangles. The pillow top we pieced appeared round but there is no curved piecing. The warped grid combined with value create the illusion.

Next I took Maria Shell's "Riffing on Tradition" class in which each person selected a traditional block then began manipulating it for a variety of designs, all of which referenced the block but which took it in new directions. I worked with the Ohio Star block. https://mariashell.com

I'm now working with the Churn Dash block, focusing on overlapping blocks and nesting them as I did in "Don't Call Me Girl." Nesting is concept I've been intrigued by since childhood. My fascination with grids emerged when I began designing newspaper layouts as a young adult working newspaper copy desks. Warp Speed brings these loves together in quilt designs. Each participant designs a unique quilt.

The first ever open enrollment session of Warp Speed will meet from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time (noon-3 p.m. Eastern, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Central and 9 a.m.-noon Pacific) Tuesdays, May 14 and 21. Register now.

Check Out My Other Classes

Want to see what other workshops I've scheduled? Just head to my home page and follow the links. I hope to see you in class soon!

Tiny Bites

Over the next few weeks, I plan to do periodic blog posts, each one introducing one of my workshops. I hope you'll find one you want to take and/or share with friends who will be eager to enroll. If you've taken my classes, I'd love to see your work if I haven't, and I'd love to get your feedback and suggestions. Are there new workshops you'd like me to offer? Just send to danaellenjones@gmail.com. Thanks in advance!