Fun in the Cotton Patch

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of teaching a workshop for the Cotton Patch Quilters of Athens, Georgia. What a great group! 


This was my Wholecloth Painting workshop. Students worked from one of three of my original photos to create a small painted fabric piece. Here are my samples for the class (shown painted, before stitching):

Here are the students in action:

 

And here are some of them with their pieces at the end of the workshop:

 

I was so proud of what this group of students achieved. Some had painting experience, but had to adjust to working with a different type of paint, and on fabric. Some had never painted. It was amazing to see how different each woman’s work was. While some struggled at first to make theirs look like my sample, I encouraged each student to do what came naturally, and develop her own style. They all turned out great in their own way.  

I also tried hard to discourage “negative talk” and get each student to think about what they liked in their work, rather than the things they were not so happy about. Or to frame their criticisms in a constructive way, so that we could work on changing what they did not like. Too often, students listen to that little devil on the shoulder whispering put-downs.

The workshop was held at the Lyndon House Arts Center in Athens. What a marvelous place! It has gallery space, as well as wonderfully equipped classrooms and meeting areas. 

A special thanks to Mary and Fay, who made everything so easy and pleasant for me. These kind of program chairs are a joy to work with!