I love attending Wisconsin's statewide quilt guild (you do not need to be from Wisconsin to be a member). Where else can you go and take classes from nationally renowned teachers at such a modest price. Jane Townswick was one of the teachers this weekend at the WQI meeting. The design above was appliqued by Jane and comes from her book "Applique Takes Wing: Exquisite Designs For Birds, Butterflies and More" available from That Patchwork Place. Jane's command of color in her applique work is phenomenal, her stitches delicate. All of the students raved about her class.
I took Barb Vlack's paper piecing class on Sunday. Barb has a unique and revolutionary paper piecing technique. I have never liked paper piecing. While I love the accuracy, I hate having to remove the paper once the sewing is done. Barb's technique teaches you accurate piecing using freezer paper without the need to sew the paper to the block. I am now a huge fan of this process. Thanks Barb! We had a lot of fun in this class. Every one had their own unique take on colors for this project. I can't wait to play around with this technique. 
I am off to Des Moines on Thursday with my friend Sue. We will visit Grandma Virginia, who is 104, before we attend the AQS quilt show on Friday. You can see some earlier posts about Grandma here and here. I took time off of work this week so I could spend some time with my husband in between events.
