Texture

I received my requirements list for my new course recently. For some reason it includes materials for each semester of work over the next three years. I certainly don't need to get hold of all that stuff right now, but reading through and imagining the work in my future is exciting--tantalising, even!

This term we need paper of different textures. Next term it's different textures of fabrics. Already I've tucked away some scraps of flannel and corduroy. Here's part of this morning's load of washing:

Two different types of towelling and a frayed selvage . . . slightly different qualities of cotton, arrangement and length of the pile, wear and tear . . . and that's just doing my routine chores. How much variety will there be when we really focus on it!

Requirements

The calendar's done it to me again! It's nearly August already and last time I looked, August was a long way off.

Way back in first term I taught a beginner patchwork class at the Neighbourhood House. The plan was to keep it simple, so we made nine-patch quilts. That means all the blocks were made of squares. At the end of the course, the students were keen to learn more, so I promised a follow-up class to teach the basic techniques of working with triangles. I kept an eye out for my sanity and resisted the pressure to do it right away. First I needed time to work out a design and make up a sample. So the triangles course was scheduled for August. At the time, August was ages away. But the last few months have been really messy for me and now it's just about August already. I've had a few polite calls asking for the requirements list for the new class. But my sewing room isn't in a fit state to be used yet. Yesterday I had another look at the sewing room and threw up my hands in despair. Then I scrounged out the things I need to make a sample block and cleared off the kitchen bench:
I found my quilting rulers and rotary cutter--they were under the insurance files on my desk! The cutting mat was in the shelf with my fabrics and I had a selection of fabrics in a "to be sorted" box left over from my last project back in March. I'd found the graph paper and sketched out a design last weekend. Now I have done all the cutting and I've marked and pinned the pieces for the centre star. I think I can have it all done this weekend and mail out a requirements list on Monday. OK, I think that's achievable.