Teaching for quilt guilds is always a treat for me and I was thrilled at the opportunity to teach with the Portland Modern Quilt Guild over the Valentine weekend. Portland is home for me in many ways, so it was a delight to return to the city.
I arrived in Portland on a beautiful, sunny winter day, but the next day we woke to several inches of snow! It wasn’t completely unexpected, but it certainly upended plans.
Instead of getting to see new and old friends in-person, I presented my program over Zoom from my Airbnb’s kitchen table. It was a bummer as I’d really been looking forward to see folks in-person, but snow is pretty rare in Portland and I loved getting to see it. Plus it did give me some time to get some hand-sewing done since we couldn’t go anywhere without a car or Ubers!
Luckily the snow melted enough by Saturday morning that we were able to get a ride from the program coordinator and meet with others in Multnomah Village to make our quilt coats, using my Elemental Coat pattern.
One of the things I love most about teaching these quilt coat workshops is discovering all the ways the pattern can be laid out on a quilt. Each design works differently and it’s a joy to watch the discovery of the options. In this class, we had self-made quilts, mass-produced bedspreads, custom-made Quilted Elements, kantha cloth, quilted fabrics and several quilts from local thrift stores.
Here are just a few of the before and after shots from PMQG workshop attendees:
My favorite part is seeing the transition from quilt to coat and how surprisingly great it can be. We had a fab time playing with layout, construction and binding choices on all 15 coats that day.
Thanks again to the Portland Modern Quilt Guild for inviting me to present both the Quilt to Coat lecture and workshop—what a wonderful experience. And I can’t wait to be a member again later this year!
If your guild or LQS is interested in scheduling a lecture or workshop, have them reach out to me at teresa@crinkledreams.com.
Happy sewing!
