"Inspirational Quilting" program begins in January

Most of us call ourselves "quilters," a title that conveys humbleness and modesty. We make careful selections and sometimes struggle with confidence about color, balance or design—yet we choke on taking credit for accomplishing something "artistic" when the work is completed. We often forget that through our quilted creations, we do tap into the “artist” within ourselves—either consciously or subconsciously.

The Choo Choo Quilt Guild is launching a program in 2011 to change some of this. The yearlong program is called, "Inspirational Quilting," and the goal for the monthly exercises planned is to learn to appreciate the marriage of the art and the heart that is enveloped into even the simplest of our projects. For centuries, our fore-mothers knew that quiltmaking served as an artistic outlet. Let us again be reminded of that.

The program begins Monday, January 17 with a lesson called “Learning to See Again.” For Monday’s meeting, please bring:

• a 9” x 12” (or larger) sketchpad,
• a pencil for drawing,
• your copy of "Fearless Design for Every Quilter" by L. Torrence and J. B. Mills; read the "Laying the Groundwork" section for the meeting,
  
• a willingness to relax, experiment, learn and grow.

Rest assured that what is learned through this series of programs will be applied to whatever style of quilting is your personal preference. Be prepared to check self consciousness at the door and surprise yourself! Come ready to experiment, play and learn.