Another Great Workshop

the inspiration- November’s class with (l-r) Susan, Marg, Gail, Susan, Barb and Patti

Yesterday I took part in another wonderful workshop. This time I attended the Fusion Paint class at Annie’s Quilt Shop in Orono, Ontario, where we created our own wooden barn quilt blocks. Gail, Patti and Marg all took part in this class in the late fall when I was still at the cottage so I wasn’t able to join them, but I did see their creations and wanted to make one too.

I was first signed up for the class in January, but unfortunately we had our biggest snow storm of the season up to that point and the class was cancelled. So, yesterday was the rescheduled class. Three ladies were making the 12” bird blocks and three of us were making the 24” barn blocks all under the guidance of our excellent teacher, Ashley. Not only did she help us with colour placement and colour choices, but she even mixed a couple of custom colours for us too. She was incredibly helpful, knowledgeable and friendly, and along with the owner of the store, Anne, made us all feel so welcome.

Ahead of the class we were each asked which of the four designs we wanted to make so that Ashley could prepare the wood with our chosen design by sanding it smooth and penciling in the registration marks. Aside from having to have a colour scheme in mind or inspiration photo for reference we didn’t have to do a thing except show up (and bring a hair dryer!). Each of us had a table to ourselves and all necessary supplies were set up at each station ready for us to begin.

The colour scheme I chose for my Carpenter’s Star was reflective of the colours I use in my home. Most of the walls are either soft grey or greyed down soft teal, my couch is deep teal, the livingroom chairs are grey, and the painted armoire and buffet/hutch that I did a few years ago are in Behr Paint’s Cracked Pepper (very dark grey).

Ashley gave pointers about how best to apply the painter’s tape (and where) and then left us to do that job while she gathered our first pots of paint. The Fusion Paint was wonderful to work with and dried very quickly, sometimes with the help of a hair dryer, but its use was not always necessary. Once the paint dried we could tape over it for the next section without worrying that it would peel away with the tape. Below you can see some of the steps as each colour was applied until we completed the painting.

Below you can see all the beautiful pieces that the ladies in our class did, and what a wonderful, friendly group to have had a class with. It’s a very different experience for me being on the “student” side of the class after having been so many years on the “instructor” side, but it couldn’t have been a better experience. I think I’d like to take the same class again, next time using my usual wild, funky colour scheme with a different block pattern. I had major colour envy when I saw what Lisa and Andi did with their blocks! If you live in the Durham Region of Ontario, I highly recommend taking this class at Annie’s…you won’t be disappointed.

Myra, Hope and Dawn with their bird blocks…so cute!

Lisa, Sharon, Andi, and instructor, Ashley