Just teaching a class at the Quilt Retreat...

Back to the bags. THIS was the thing that started the whole bag saga off. (I have made, I believe, 44 bags and I have two more on order...) (Although one of those might not be a Maddin bag...)

So first. The bags that I made at the retreat! There they are.

The theme of the retreat was ReUse, Reduce, Recycle. And the committee did an amazing job of following their theme. There was a Swag Bag - made of a used t-shirt (mine is a perfect laundry bag!) It included (among other things) a mug - so that you weren't drinking out of styrofoam cups, and a reuseable shopping bag from Berwick Nova Scotia - I just love it!!

The bag pictured above is biggish and designed so that you could use it at a retreat. The front and back pockets are chop suey blocks - which are scrappy blocks, designed to use up some of your stash - you actually make so many that are the same that we shared them. Anyway, the pockets are big enough to put your notes from the class. The inside is big enough for the project that you are making. There is a pocket with a zipper so that you can find your keys and wallet at the end of the class. There are two loops to hold your water bottles upright. And on the other side there is a divided pocket with a pen holder and two divisions big enough for your phone and your iPod.  Also on the inside, there is a place for a false bottom to hold the bag flat - I got a pile of placards from our local municipal election - with permission! And they are perfect!

So. That's the bag. Here's the teaching of the bag.

I got to the hall on Friday in the afternoon. The class started on Saturday morning at 9 am. I really, really knew how to make the bag AND I had written a pattern for each of the students - but I asked them not to open the patterns until after we were done.

I had 5 students (I actually had 6, but the 6th one had a medical condition and couldn't attend the retreat at all. She got the pattern and hopefully one of the other students can give her a hand if she needs it.) Two students finished their bags on Sunday in the early afternoon. One student fell behind - she was ill on Saturday and had to sit quietly for awhile. And one was doing a lovely job, but elected not to exchange her chop suey blocks which set her behind. (I wish I could see her completed bag - what she got done there was gorgeous.) And one lady only attended the retreat in the day time on Saturday. We continued to work on the bag on Saturday evening AND then again on Sunday morning and early Sunday afternoon.

I desperately wanted everyone to finish, and had to work to keep from rushing everyone. I tried to keep a balance between keeping the class together AND keeping the people who were working faster from sitting with nothing to do (which didn't happen - I just kept them going). I also didn't want the people who were not able to keep up, for whatever reason, to feel panicked that they weren't keeping up. I got good reviews at the end of the class, so I must have managed to do it just about right (but I worried about it at the time.)

Prep for the class:
In order to prepare for the class I had all the cutting that I had given everyone for homework done for TWO bags. I had ONE of the bags partially done, so that I could show HOW to do it - and then say, "And this is what it'll look like when you get that part done." And I could hold up the partially completed one. (The lady who had to sit quietly on Saturday didn't have her homework cut out either, so she started off behind.)

By the end of the class, I had finished my two bags (one had had several parts already done - zipper plackets made, zippered pocket done, divided pocket done and bottle loops made.) I already had enough chop suey units made to make both of my bags - although I traded around with the other 4 ladies who were trading, otherwise I would have had a lot of repetition!)

Included in the pattern for the bag was the pattern to make the Chop Suey Quilt as well. Which is also known as Hidden Pinwheels because of the secondary block! (And yes, this picture is sideways - the quilt looks better this way - even though it means the room in the background is standing on its head!!)

I don't think this is a very entertaining blog - but it gets this off my chest. I had a terrific time at the retreat - the ladies were lovely, the food was delicious. The COFFEE WAS AMAZING!! (BLISS!)

There were draws and contests, table favours and the ladies who didn't take the class were making the most gorgeous projects - and were happy to share and talk about them.

I had a terrific weekend. I came home on Sunday evening and on Thursday I was sick with a cold that knocked me down for the count. I was sick with it for 6 weeks - but I was REALLY sick for two weeks. During those two weeks, I didn't get into the Quilt Studio AT ALL - I must have been at death's doorstep! :-)

Anyway. All is well now, and my next topic will be the Festive Craft Market in November!!!