Hibiscus Class in Winters

I love teaching the Hibiscus pattern. Maybe because this flower makes me remember Hawaii but I think it's    because they always turn out so beautiful in any colorway.  I get so thrilled as the class progresses and I start to see the flowers bloom.  My students think I am crazy because I start to giggle about 1/2 way through the first day.  They can't see it yet but I know what is about to happen. So thrilling. 

 These flowers are from a 2 day class I taught a few weeks ago in Winters, California at the Cloth Carousel. 

The flowers are all at different stages, but you can see how the dark fabrics in the center pieces add such depth and perspective to all the flowers.  It's all in the values of your fabrics.  Light colors come toward you and the dark colors recede. 

You can really see that in these flowers.

This yellow flower had a pink center with red vines and then flowed out into pale yellow as you went to the edges of the petals.  This student's color palate was inspired by a photo. 

The best part of this class was that the students where not afraid to change the color and make the hibiscus their own. We had 10 different colorways and 10 different flowers.   If we had 1 more day, I think we could have started the quilting. 

But have no fear, I am going to teach a Renegade Thread Play class there, sometime in September.  Check with Cloth Carousel and Stitchzz, 9 Main Street, Winters, Ca 95694 (530) 795-2580, for times and dates.  That way, if you have made one of my flowers in the past, or just want to learn a new thread play technique, this is the class for you.   

There are some tricks to sewing  through the fusible web but once you learn them you will find that this is easier than traditional quilting.   It also makes you a better traditional quilter.  That is, if you ever want to go back to that again.  

Just make sure that before you get to any free motion class, you know how to work your sewing machine.  That means you have used it before and know where all the buttons and controls are on it.   I will also be teaching another flower class. This time the California Lupine or, if you are from Texas,  the Bluebonnet. 

If you can’t make it to Winters, try a week at the beach over Easter at Empty Spools Seminars.  I still have a few openings. It may be a while before I get back to Empty Spools so don’t miss out.