Licensed to Cut Loose--post 2

Progress at the end of day 

The second day of class, my focus was on the butterfly body as there was just one of those so my scraps would work well. I also planned to map out another two sections of the wings with fabrics to show better contrast. Having a plan, made me feel like I could tackle the project again.

Susan's second critique was that she liked the smaller pieces of the wing that I had done first. I showed her some small scrap triangles that I had saved from a project and she gave me an idea of how to incorporate them into my piece which I loved! I was working on adding a wing section that was darker and she felt I was on the right track. My second day was so much better than my first!!! I am a beginner at this cutting loose stuff!!

I found Susan's lectures about how she adds tulle and netting as trims, how she finishes her quilts and how she edits her quilts to be full of valuable information. I have so much more to consider now! I look forward to finishing this project. I think it would be a fun activity for Miss J and for Miss K too. I will try to have a palette ready for them to play with me. Let's see what happens!

This was the third class Susan had taught since leaving her home state of Maine two weeks earlier. On the first day of class, she was coming down with a bad cold. I was impressed with her professionalism. She soldiered on in spite of how she felt. Many of the participants were oblivious to her predicament. I've taught when I didn't feel great and know what a challenge that is! Susan wrote a post about her classes in Sisters. You can read it here. The slideshows are GREAT!

Buck deer in the hotel parking lot

Unfortunately, a student in the class wore perfume that made me ill so it was really difficult to work. I didn't get to have a second critique from Susan as I just couldn't take the perfume smell!!! The class list was specific that no perfume or scented body lotion be worn during the class. My friend, JoJo, listened to Susan's lectures but, didn't participate in the class because the scent affected her breathing to the point of her maximizing the use of her quick acting inhaler. We spent a lot of money for the class and I was surprised that the issue, when brought to the attention of an employee, wasn't followed up on.

Does having breakfast in the hotel's grass

I appreciated that lunch was part of the class fee. We had a plethora of choices from The Depot which was almost across the street from the classroom.  I liked walking to lunch and having a change of scenery for an hour. The classroom had good lighting.  I liked that the parking was close to the outer door or the classroom.

I liked the Ponderosa Lodge (Best Western Hotel) where we stayed. The staff was super friendly and helpful. The breakfast that was part of our room was extra nice. We learned the eggs, sausage and potatoes were catered from The Sisters Saloon! We sampled the hotel amenities and had a personal view of the local wildlife.

On our first morning in Sisters, JoJo opened the curtains and saw a couple deer munching on the hotel grass.  Later, they moved just outside our patio door. As we were leaving for class, we saw two bucks that were munching the shrubbery outside the Hotel office!

I enjoyed a couple of dinners from Sno Cap during our stay too. If you are in Sisters, visiting Sno Cap, a little burger joint, is a must for the milkshakes alone! When I was a kid, it was the biggest deal to stop for a milkshake there. Had my family had more funds, I imagine that we would have been treated to burgers and fries too. The food is made to order and I chuckled at the signage that read "This is not fast food!"

All in all, it was all a terrific experience. I grew up in Central Oregon, actually about forty miles north of where Sisters is located. It was nice to reacquaint myself with frosty mornings and 70 degree afternoons! It was extra special to share the experience with JoJo. As for the "rest" of the story with the butterfly, I have many more hours ahead. As I play with the pieces and get more of the sections filled, I'll post my progress.

Next up is stitching the font samples of alphabets in my embroidery software.