The Influence of a Good Teacher Can Never Be Erased

It’s Teacher Appreciation Week and I’ve definitely had some good ones.  The freshman English teacher that encouraged my writing; or the choral director that helped make the whole musical experience a joy.  Of course, there were the ones that I didn’t particularly like because they pushed me into doing things I didn’t want to do (or think I could) which helped make me a better person in the end.

As for my sewing career, my mother was the most influential teacher. Followed by my Home Economics teacher in high school.  Is that even a course anymore?  If not, it should be.

Now, in present day, I have Craftsy classes.  An online site where you can take 1100 classes including cake decorating, woodworking, or paper crafts.

Jacquie Gering first taught me improvisational quilting using the slice and insert technique.  I was able to take what I learned to give a presentation to the Modern Athens Quilt Guild.

Creative Quilting with your Walking Foot was the second technique I learned from Jacquie.  I could now quilt my own quilts on my domestic machine.

I had a long-time fear of inserting circles for my quilts.  I did take a class from Anita Heady at Sewcial Studio and while her applique methods are impeccable, I’m not much of a handwork person. Cheryl Arkison came to the rescue with her Inset and Applique Circles by Machine class.  My fear is now out the window.  I also took that technique and taught it to the Modern Athens Quilt Guild.

Anita Heady also taught me how to do string piecing.  A technique I've used many times.

From Elizabeth Hartmann and her Creative Quilt Backs and my friend, Marybeth, who says that a plain quilt back means you don’t care about your quilt, I have learned to make my quilts reversible (if you don’t think that the label gets in the way).

Making Leather Handbags with Don Morin was my next adventure.  I didn’t quite have the confidence to use real leather on the first one I made so I used upholstery fabric and pleather.  I was encouraged and have been making leather handbags ever since.

The sewing group I belong to in Atlanta called City Wide Couture had Mary Ray as a guest speaker a while ago who taught quilted jackets.  Being so impressed, I signed up for her Craftsy class The Fashionably Quilted Jacket.  They included a jacket pattern with the course but it wasn’t quite me and while I planned to make it anyway, I never got around to it.  I did use her techniques on a winter coat.

My last class is Fabric Patterning with Wax Resist with Malka Dubrawsky.  I love her use of color and I’ve even bought the wax, the dyes, and electric skillet to try my hand at it.  So far, I haven’t even opened the skillet box.  I will.

I so appreciate all the teachers in my life and I’m glad that they share their expertise with so many of us.  Hooray for teachers!