Ruth McDowell class 2nd week 04-13-12

There are always many flower designs in Ruth McDowell's classes.  This year there were a lot of orange flowers.  Once Ruth does the sketch the student must turn it into a drawing and enlarge it (Kinko's is handy) to a size that she feels she can piece.  Ruth presents sewing methods for tiny pieces, but the student must judge what size pieces she can handle.

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This first project by Trace Nickels looks like flowers, but the photo is actually of umbrellas hanging upside down in the lobby of the Ballagio in Las Vegas. 

 
Ruth didn't hesitate and started marking the circles.

 
This is the most unusual piecing diagram I have seen in a Ruth class.  The drawing needs further segmentation of the circles. The letters are the sewing order.  That large "A" piece is where the sewing begins.  Add "B", "C', "D", etc.  The "S" in the middle is the last piece to be sewn in. 

 
Trace is auditioning fabrics.  She is considering not piecing the dome, but quilting in the lines. 

 
I think there are fifteen segments in the "S" piece.  Trace has used a great range of red/orange/pink.

 
Ruth works on the lines for a hibiscus flower submitted by Charlotte Coomes.
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First the section lines.

 
Then the segments to grade the color from maroon in the center to white/cream on the outside.

Charlotte completed her drawing, numbered all the templates and added the tick marks.  Then the fabric selection began.  Try everything - ask yourself: Are you happy that fabric is there?  Do you miss it when you take it away?

 

This is where Charlotte was on the last day of class. 

 
Cristie McGuire worked on a cluster of Clivia flowers. Design complete, numbered and ticked.

 
Cristie had a huge selection of orange fabrics.  This is where she was on the last day.

 
I don't know what Ruth was saying, but love this picture of her.

 
Gail Abeloe started a hydrangea design 19 years ago when she took a class with Ruth.  But she could never make it work.  She brought this picture to make another try.

 
Ruth starts marking each petal.

 
She talked about the shape of the individual flowers in the "puff" of the flower head.

 
Gail did the drawing and then mirror imaged it to make the "puff". She added the elegant leaves and took the drawing to Kinko's to have it greatly enlarged - to a size that she feels she can piece those tiny petals.  Here she has pinned up clips of fabric to audition - impossible to see if large pieces are pinned up. 
  

 
By the last day of class she had a nice selection of hydrangea colors along with some leaves and background.

 
Jan Sheets is taking a different view of fabric selection for her poppy.
 

This is where she was on the last day of class. I think it will be spectacular.