Alex Anderson Workshop Tomorrow -- Woo Hoo!

Quilt Basket Rendezvous by Alex Anderson

I am SO EXCITED to be attending a quilting workshop with the legendary Alex Anderson tomorrow!  The workshop is hosted by my Bernina dealer, Lee's Creative Sewing and Vacuum of Charlotte, Hickory and Shelby, North Carolina, and we're going to be making a smaller version of Alex's Quilt Basket Rendezvous project.  I really love her version made with Kaffe Fassett prints, shown above, but my Bernina dealer says the kits for tomorrow's workshop are all batik fabrics.  This makes me pout -- I love me some batiks for applique projects, and I like to mix them with other fabrics, but I'm not a huge fan of quilts that are made ONLY using batiks.  I don't even like the idea of making a quilt using fabrics that someone else picked out for me...  But I'm not taking the class for the quilt per se, I'm taking the class so I can meet Alex Anderson!

Smaller Batik Version of Quilt Basket Rendezvous for Workshop

If it were up to me, I'd probably choose 1930s reproduction prints for this project, but I'm just going to have to make the best of whatever kit I get stuck with.

Alex Anderson

What I love about Alex's quilting books is that she is so encouraging and makes quilting accessible for total beginners.  Whereas some of my other favorite quilting authors like Harriet Hargrave, Diane Gaudynski and Sally Collins go into excruciating, exacting detail to teach mastery, Alex's books give new quilters the essentials they need to get started and achieve results they can be proud of -- without overwhelming and intimidating them with too much information.  I'm looking forward to meeting her and learning as much as I can from her class.

Also, since Bernina is providing machines for us to use in the workshop, I'm curious about which machines we'll be using -- and grateful that I don't have to pack up my beast of a 750 QE sewing machine to take to class.  If any of you in the Charlotte area are going to be in the workshop with me tomorrow, please say hello!

Happy stitching, everyone!