Shout-Outs from QuiltCon

My work from QuiltCon workshop Log Cabin Circles taught by Maria Shell.

Thursday was my first day at my first QuiltCon, and it didn't disappoint. It did exhaust. A shout-out to QuiltCon planners, the Modern Quilt Guild folks, who have created a first-rate event with a vibe of community unique in my experience of national quilting events. QuiltCon leaders, you get my first shout-out.

My first attempts to work in Adobe Illustrator toward creating a pattern for foundation piecing a portrait of a girl I met in a refugee camp in Palestine. Photo by Dana Jones.©

My second shout-out goes to Angela Bowman, teacher of Portraiture in FPP (foundation paper piecing). From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Angela knowledgeably and patiently led 24 of us, some with minimal skill with Adobe Illustrator and all working on both computers and tablets, in creating FPP patterns. My brain was close to fried by day's end but equally engaged at the possibilities. I have lots of study and practice ahead. Thanks to Angela, I know where to begin. To any of you who taken are enrolled in my Demystifying Design for Foundation Piecing classes, this class would be a great follow up for you. My brain is cranking on what I can incorporate from it into my teaching.

After a quick walk of the vendor hall and first look at some of the quilts on display, it was time for my second class, Log Cabin Circles taught by Maria Shell. It was my fourth class with Maria, whose a great teacher. She goes shout-out No. 3. Results of my first efforts using a new technique is at the top of this blog. Lots of fun with lots of possibilities for use in future quilts.

Tomorrow will be more relaxed so I look forward to time to check out more of the exhibition quilts. If we're allowed to take photos, I'll post some in my next blogs.

Unmistakably Arizona

Up the hill from my campsite at Lake Pleasant Regional Park in Maricopa County, Arizona, is an overlook of the lake. Photo by Dana Jones.©

Driving 400-plus miles can be exhausting. It can also be exhilarating. My drive from Moab, Utah, to the Phoenix area was the second. An early start meant I arrived with several of hours of daylight to spare.

My extra-wide campsite.

I can lose sleep worrying I'll have to back into a campsite. Folks at this park must have known. They assigned me a site that is double — make that triple — wide compared to most RV sites. And there is a huge turnaround area even before the driveway into the site. I whipped around and backed straight in. A couple walking by with their dogs — Arizona pups wear sweaters when it's 60 degrees F — applauded. Then we laughed. My challenge was, well, not challenging.

Build It and They Will Come

The first thing you need to know is I love baseball, and I love baseball movies. "Field of Dreams" starring Kevin Costner is a favorite. Even if you're not a baseball fanatic, you likely know the uplifting message of this movie.

I had a Field of Dreams moment recently. I posted the next session of my "Demystifying Design for Foundation Piecing" workshop on my website. It was late when I finished. Promotion would wait.

The next morning, I woke up to my phone dinging repeatedly telling me someone then someone else and someone else had signed up for the workshop. In a few hours, eight people registered and several more emailed with questions. The class filled within a few days.

The actual quote from the movie is "build it and he will come" but close enough. Build it and they will come. Talk about an exhilarating experience.

House quilt design© by Vicki Zerfoss.

I'm pretty sure I have Vicki Zerfoss, who took the class in January, to thank for this response. Vicki signed up for the workshop with a purpose. She wanted to design three foundation-piecing patterns of three houses that have special meaning to her and her family.

If I have the story correct, Vicki posted a photo of her quilt pictured above to a Facebook group of diehard foundation piecers. She mentioned my workshop. A huge shout out to Vicki for filling my March workshop and an even bigger shout out to her for her amazing quilt. I can't wait to see the other two.

If you're interested in the workshop, I've scheduled a session for May. Check it out on my website: https://www.danajonesquilts.com/technique-classes.

QuiltCon starts tomorrow. I'm signed up for two classes. Check out what I learn in my next Road Trip blog post.

Road Trip!

R-Pod hitched to Pilot, ready to roll.

• R-Pod dug out of snow and ice: ✓

• Propane on and food in fridge: ✓

• Quilts to bind and stitch plus sewing machine packed: ✓

• Drawers and cabinet doors secured: ✓

• R-Pod hitched to Pilot: ✓

• Goodbyes to puppies: ✓

And so my road trip to Phoenix and Daytona Beach begins. I invite you to join me through these daily blogs.

Today I drove from my Colorado mountain home to Moab, Utah, en route to my first QuiltCon. I probably signed up for too many classes but there were just too many must-take offerings with teachers not to miss. I'll let you know how I survive those in the coming days.

It was good to be on the road. Long distance driving is creative space for me. I pulled over a half dozen times to make notes and sketches of the quilt and quilt teaching ideas that began flowing back to back once I was over Loveland and Vail passes.

From left: "Log Cabin Fever," my design; "Proclaim Liberty," my design; and "Baker's Dozen," Jen Kingwell design. All quilted — wish you could see the quilting — by Rita Meyerhoff.

Upon arriving at my hotel — I'll start camping tomorrow night — I had an email from our Gilpin County librarian. He and a volunteer finished hanging three of my quilts in the rafters of our library to promote a Quilting 101 class I'll teach there next month. I think they look pretty cool. It was a challenge to hang them where folks can't touch and sunlight can't fade but Michael and Harv pulled it off beautifully.

We selected these three quilts because I'll be teaching the log cabin block. In Gilpin County, Colorado, we live in the woods, many of us in cabins, so this was a no-brainer.

Tomorrow I'll share highlights — what will they be? — of my drive from Moab, Utah, to the Phoenix area plus exciting news from my field of dreams. Eat your heart out Kevin Costner.