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Postcard Class at Cote Brothers, Auburn, ME
This past weekend I taught my postcard class for a second time, this time at Cote Brothers in Auburn, and boy was it FUN! 
The students this time were really ready to branch out, even though some of them had never done anything remotely art quilty…boy did they succeed! It was especially fun because several of the ladies were returning students—that always makes me feel wonderful, because it means I’ve managed to teach them something well enough that they want to come back for more…HOORAY! and thank you. (Left to right are Sharon, Sue, Victoria and Rachel. Pam was over at the register I think, and Dawna had had to pack up and bolt before I remebered to take out my camera!)
I gave the students an overview of the techniques we’d cover including fused applique, using Angelina fibers (including ironing it over a stamp to get an impression), making a freezer-paper stencil and using both textile paints and Shiva paintstiks, making rubbings with the Shivas, free-form cutting (break loose from that template thing!), and making an edge-finish from yarn.
The first time I taught the class, the students had a hard time without a pattern to follow, so this time I made up 8 samples for possible postcards but encouraged them to “go for it.” I’m thrilled to say ALL of them did!!!!! No one used my patterns—HOORAY! I don’t know if it was the difference in the students, or that having the pattern there as a “safety net” to fall back on actually freed them up to wing it…who cares, I’m thrilled!
Sue spotted an applique quilt hanging on the wall (opposite where she is sitting), and launched into cutting this adorable snowman card (and given the near-arctic wind-chill outside, it was appropriate!). Here she is working on him, 
and in the “group
photo” below, he’s on the left. She cut the letters free-hand, and I think they look perfect!
Sharon made the postcard with two flowers saying “Heal” for her uncle, and Pam made the two on the right, including the lady with the bright “angelina” hair. 
Pam had brought a hideous / wonderful fabric, asking “what could you do with it, it’s SO ugly” It is pretty ghastly– pictures of the heads of LOTS of ducks…..I took one look at it and said no it’s not awful, it’s great…it could be rocks! Well, she got the idea: the loon’s neck is now striped socks on her lady and another head is the pocketbook (bottom right postcard in the group photo)!
Rachel barely made it to class, deciding to come only at the last moment. She brought some great upholstery fabrics and one or two commercially printed “hand-dyed look” fabrics. She used the latter and, loosely following one of my patterns, but cutting things free-hand herself, made this mountainscape with Shiva-paintstik through freezer-paper stencil snowcapped peak:
And Victoria made this Easter postcard, stencilled a great bolt of lightning, then added angelina to make it even more lightning-ey. We picked a couple different yarns from my stash (I take a bunch of stuff from my studio so students don’t have to buy a ton of stuff, which they can try and donate a modest fee to the “replenish the stash fund” and, if they like, then go buy themselves), and thought the gold and variegated tan twisted together looked best.
I’m SO happy with the postcards these ladies made! I’m finding that my estimate of students being able to make four or six postcards is way too high…most made one or two, but it has these folks bursting out of the box…COOL!
February 3rd, 2007 at 2:24 pm
You must be a very good teacher! Great postcards!
February 3rd, 2007 at 4:18 pm
One of the challenges of planning a workshop is getting the right balance between the “teaching” and the “doing”. It looks like you have the balance just right!
February 5th, 2007 at 7:58 am
Sounds like fun. You must strike the right balance between teaching the How To’s and the Go For IT–your own way.
I saw some fabric postcards on sale at an art gallery shop this past weekend, for $6. I was really disappointed to see how simple and unartistic they were. Makes me realize that my stuff is more creative.