Whew, it’s a warm and muggy evening here in the Pacific Northwest. I’m still on a bit of a quilting high after the Quilter’s Affair and Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show several weeks back.

I blogged earlier about my 2-day class with Ann Shaw and her wonderful Chicken Challenge class. (Hint: Keep reading for another picture of my chicken below.)

Today, I want to blog about the inspiring class that I took with my sister with the amazingly talented, Angela Walters.

We took Angela’s Dot-to-Dot longarm quilting class and got plenty of hands-on practice using a HandiQuilter Avante 18. Angela is a fun teacher with a talent for thread designs on the HQ! She made the designs look so easy, inviting, and accessible for everyone in the class.

Here’s a look at the 3 of us in class together:

Me, Angela Walters, my sis (Kimberly)

The class had just the right amount of lecture, demonstration, and hands-on practice. The longarms were all set up in the Sisters High School gym and we did get downright cold at times, despite the heat outside. Although, I think I’d rather practice quilting in a room that is too cool rather than one that is too hot.

Here’s a look at some of our quilting with our sock monkey. Sock monkey followed us all around Sisters and even went hiking at Smith Rock one evening.

Quilting with Sock Monkey

Up until this point, the only free-motion quilting that I had performed was on my little Bernina Activa or on my mom’s domestic machine that she has set up on a Hinterberg frame. My mom’s set up has worked pretty well, but we were limited to about 4 or 5 inches of actual quilting space.

Here comes the surprise!! A local quilt shop called me to see if I would be interested in purchasing a used, stand-up Handi Quilter Sixteen with a queen-size wooden Grace frame. I wasn’t able to afford a new Avante (my dream), but this Sixteen was in my budget. I purchased it!!

I’ve been practicing on some solid fabrics, but gained so much confidence in Angela’s class that I decided to quilt up my first project this week – my chicken from Ann’s class.

Here’s a look at the chicken on the Handi Quilter Sixteen and Grace frame:

HQ Sixteen

I did a combination of some swirls, meandering, and some ruler work to practice the techniques we learned in class. For the backing, I used a solid fabric so that I could see my quilting (with a Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show fabric panel and my label as a remembrance).

Here are some photos of the quilt back:

Back of Chicken Challenge Quilt

Close-up view of quilting on Chicken Challenge back

I am so happy to have this machine, and I can’t wait to get really proficient with it. One day, I may be able to trade up to the 18, but until then, little 16 and I will be great friends!

Thanks to both Angela and Ann for some amazing classes in Sisters!

Enjoy,
~Jennifer