My Bucket List: VQF Class with Catherine Redford.

Quilty Life

Jun 22

Class sample from Intro to Folk Art Stitching with Catherine Redford - VQF, June 2021

If you have followed me for a while, you know that my favorite quilt show is the Vermont Quilt Festival show , held annually in June in the neighboring state of Vermont. This week, continuing on last week’s blogpost about bucket list quilts (and events), I took my first ever class in Vermont.

It won’t be my last - and I may even sneak in another class or two before the end of the Festival on Sunday. The show has already announced it’s dates for next year - inked in the back of my 2021 planner, just waiting - and the Board is listening to feedback from all as it decides the path forward to 2022.

With an eye towards the end of my infamous Neverending Embroidery project looming large – I’m currently stitching block 20 of 21), I wanted to expand my knowledge of handwork stitches. Neverending embroidery has 4 stitches in it, and those are basic stitches that I had learned as a child. I wanted to take a proper class with foundations and techniques, and more advanced stitches. Catherine Redford’s Intro to Folk art stitches certainly delivered on that incentive.

I had never taken a handwork class before this - and I found the pace much more enjoyable than taking a machine based class. Perhaps one of the reasons I’m so drawn to the handwork is the zen of the rhythm - and compared with other classes I’ve taken, the modest size of the supply list was a welcome treat. And I confess that at this point in my sewing journey, I’m much more likely to enroll in a process class, rather than a project class - famous last words, I know!

The supply list arrived about two weeks before the class, with everything needed - even the needles, the threads, beads and embellishments, bobbins, and a pre printed panel on which you can play.

This is the full color, multi page booklet which was sent to me by Catherine - the stitches are indexed to the front page, with a key telling you which stitches are hardest to master - and which are easiest.

With this show, you have the option to sign up for classes up to the night before they are done, which gives them time to make sure everyone gets the zoom link when it’s sent out early the next morning - and I would imagine it makes it easier for moderators to streamline that process as well. The zoom link was waiting for me when I logged in at 8, and I had no issues accessing the class, or seeing or hearing the teacher.

This was my first class with Catherine that I’ve taken, although I’ve known her professionally for a bit of time…she was funny, easy going, patient - and very well versed in the subject matter. I will confess that although I thought I was following her closely, I had a moment or two when I had to literally stop and ask for help…it’s one thing to see a video, but when you’re looking at a thread and a needle - it’s not always as effortless as Catherine makes it seem. The threads I was working with are perle 8s from House of Embroidery in South Africa - beautiful hand dyed colors and textures…I will have no issue working with this new medium.

Once I finish the Neverending Embroidery project later this summer, I’ll be looking forward to playing with this new set of toys. Stay tuned!