tutorials and learning how to teach my oh my!!!

(Click on the line above.)I like this site because I found "how to's" for making certain quilt techniques.I found an easy way to do 'FLYING GEESE BLOCKS'.Its really COOL. I learned it in a guild but I couldn't explain how to do it real well. also I like the fact that they show you how to make all sizes of them. I added the Featherweight links sites for anyone who wants to know something about them and sites for help.

I also added some more links to the links site. I have so many saved sites bookmarked its a wonder I have any room on my computer left lol. It seems I am always looking and always learning I love to share that with others...............Speaking of that
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I have met a lady this summer. Her name is Wakako Okuno. She and her husband are visitors from Japan. Her and her husband are guests in our duplexes via Zimmer corp. I am getting quite an education from people around the world. Anyway ......back to Wako. Shes here for 2 months while her husband is being trained for quality control for his work in Japan. I asked her if she quilted . she said no "I'd like to learn." So I dove and I asked her if she'd like me to teach her. she replied "Yes.".... well I would learn what its like to become a teacher. I don't know if I was prepared but I showed up with sewing machine in hand.I had an extra I wasn't using lol.. Yes I have several. I haven't traded them up, I have just collected. She was all ready at the door and waiting to come with me. I guess something got lost in the translation that I was coming to her . She had no car. My husband helped me to carry the machine and other things in. I had an applique pattern for an easy block. It's was a vine with 4 flowers. I had emailed her a link to Pats Sloan's website to familiarize her with applique.. She was several steps a head of me. Little did I know she had gone to Walmart and had picked out her fabric and a Pat Sloans pattern. She was ready to work on a sewing machine pattern. I 'the teacher'thought I was well prepared with what I thought would be a good project to start with Applique .I had learned backbasting at my Maple Leaf guild .I thought it would be a good way to teach her. well we worked on her pattern for the sewing machine lol....She had picked out a sewing pattern with curved pieces.It looked like a wedding ring pattern .well we all know how tough that is with the melons to do as a starting quilt!!!!.I told her she had picked out a 'college' pattern to start .I was thinking more on 'Jr high' level for her. She hadn't sewed since Jr high. Shes in her 30's....Ok well we were off and running. I was starting to learn about the student teaching the teacher .....


When I came back I showed her where she should tear it out and redo some of the curves. Really she done a pretty darn good job !!!. I was happy .The next time we got together she had her own applique pattern she wanted to do. She had been to the store and found a Pumpkin applique.I really didn't want to dive in before she practiced some. I knew time was limited in how much I could teach her. so.......next we are on to applique, thinking she has time to sew everyday on the machine pattern. I said she could do applique in between when she got tired of the machine. Since she had picked out her applique pattern she wanted to do.I talked her into waiting till I could take her to Shipshewanna In. They have 2 large fabric stores just packed with luscious fabrics. She picked out her fabric there. So I took my pattern back home .I had started a vine to applique and so I did manage to get her to understand she had to practice on that before she went on to 'college' level of applique. Now you throw in the mix of shes Japanese and doesn't know much English. Her husband had been in Chicago learning our language for 6 weeks. Ok also the biggie, Shes LEFT HANDED lol. She can read some English. she has just taught herself (I can see me learning Japanese by myself.) I wondered if I might have bit off more than I could chew. we got threw the applique and it went pretty well. I showed her 4 different ways to do that .I gave her some Templar plastic for templates.

I wanted to show her how to do a hand quilting stitch before she left. well I'm glad I had Alex Andersons example of 'lefties'... also so did Luxin Newman (hmm might have that wrong.)I thought I should have been a 'professor' when it came time to show her how to hand quilt. ....Now Wako being a Psychology major when she was in college, wondered why we had to do it that way lol. well ,I guess I finally showed her that with the rocking motion you get a rhythm and the stitches evenly. I really had some figuring out how to explain to her that there was a reason to do it the way I was showing her. I haven't done that much hand quilting, but I know how to do it. She was trying to sew it. I know she was frustrated and so was I. I just kind of left feeling defeated about that technique. I think we did real well considering all the road blocks or obstacles though.

I took Wako to Pierceton In.to see the art and quilt show.It was a small show but really nicely done. She got to see some real 'live' quilts. The quilts were mostly mini's.The first is Wako and a quilt that told a story by the blocks names. The 2nd quilt is a velvet quilt not finished. The third is I believe a miniature of half square triangles. The 4th is a miniature of a fan quilt. The 5th and 6th pictures are a variety of miniatures. She left on the 22nd of this month. Frankly I am going to miss her.I felt like a Mother teaching her daughter. Since I have a son I told her how much I have enjoyed doing this for and with her.















I hope she'll take it home and run with it. ..So .......I 'learned' how to teach.......It was great !!!!!