A class with Di Ford. Pour L'Amour Du Fil #7

This last post is about the class with Di Ford or shoud I say a dream that has come true! I had been dreaming of attending a class with Di Ford since I first opened her book. I love her quilts.

I am still working on Mountmellick, the Quiltmania BOM that Di ford did last year, and it is such a pleasure to piece this quilt. 

For me, broderie perse is a real discovery and opens up new creative possibilities.


This is the model we've been working on in class. The aim was to discover broderie perse, how to cut the fabric, how to stitch tiny points and how to make the flowers in the border.

I love opening a kit and discovering what it contains... it is like a package a possibilities. It is also the reverse process from what we usually do as quilters. What I mean is that I usually choose fabric and try to guess what the effect will be depending on the fussy-cutting I will do or on what part of the fabric I will use. When opening a kit which contains the same fabrics as the sample piece, this is just the reverse process. It is discovering from which fabric Di obtained such an effect in the block. And let me tell you that it is really instructive. It opens up your mind and teaches you to look at fabrics with a different perspective.




Di also showed us what tools and pens she usually uses.


Di was very open to our questions and that was great because I wanted to learn her technique for reverse appliqué. So she showed us in great detail how to do it for a perfect result.



We were also very lucky to see pieces of future works...


... as well as a red version of Mountmellick.


At the end of the class, Evelyne, showed her version of Phebe, one of Di's quilt. It was really impressive! Such a beautiful version and the details were amazing. I suppose it must be fantastic for a quilt designer to see how their creativty is such a source of inspiration for many of us.



I was also happy to meet people who knew me from my blog. And in this class, I met someone from England. I am glad she introduced herself and was happy to meet her ;-). That is so nice to be connected with many people sharing the same passion.

Thank you very much Di for creating so many wonderful quilts. Mountmellick should be finished very soon and I am already looking forward to handquilting it.

I am also looking forward to seeing your fabric collection in the shops.

This is the last post about my quilting journey to Nantes. No need to tell you that it has been a very special moment. This quiltshow is unique. It gives all of us the opportunity to see wonderful exhibitions, meet quilt designers in a very friendly atmosphere and to attend classes to learn new techniques or share a special moment with your favourite designers.

I have already marked the dates for next year. I do not know yet whether I will be able to attend but will do my best not to miss it.

Until later,

Comments

  1. This was a great series of blogposts on this show, I enjoyed each and everyone of them. I was lucky enough to follow 2 workshops with Di Ford at Petra Prins' shop in Zutphen, The Netherlands in the past and found Di a wonderful person and great teacher. And her quilts, so elegant... but so much work....Phebe and Sarah Morrel are among my wip's.... ufo's.... shame on me!

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    1. Thank you Phillis. Yes, indeed a great teacher. Looking forward to seeing you WIPs ;-)

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  2. Thank you for yourself time, David, I know it takes it to choose the pictures and to describe the emotions in a post. I really appreciate it.
    I wish Di had some classes here in Sydney, I have never heard about her coming to us...

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    1. You are right, it does take time, but when I was not able to go myself, I was pleased to be able to read personal reports about the show, so, I thought this might be the case for other people ;-)

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  3. I am going to a workshop with Di in August to start Pendle Hill. I'm pleased you enjoyed her class so much.

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    1. You will love this class Dorothy. And the project is really beautiful ;-)

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  4. Hello David. I have just found your blog via Pinterest and I have seen you and your work on Facebook. I shall look forward to seeing how your Pendle Hill progresses. I did the class with Di in Cornwall, England just a week ago. Di and her quilts are amazing. Now I am hooked on pentagons.

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  5. Ce travail est magnifique !
    Comme à chaque fois que je vois tes ouvrages, je suis époustouflée par la précision de ceux-ci et leur beauté.
    A la vue de tes photos, je pense que les tissus choisis vont être du plus bel effet. J'ai hâte de voir le travail quilté.
    Bon dimanche David. Bon quilt !

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  6. Bonjour !! J'aime beaucoup les quilts de Di Ford et j'en ai réalisé deux...quel dommage que nous ne puissions trouver en France de la vraie broderie Perse !
    En tout cas, j'ai senti à travers tous tes postsl'engouement qu'a suscité ce salon pour toi et tu nous l'as bien transmis ! Merci ! :)

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  7. It looks like a wonderful class, and what beautiful quilts.

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  8. Juste merci David pour ces belles images du salon nantais sur ce post et les précédents ! Des images qui confirment qu'il FAUT absolument que j'y aille l'année prochaine !!!
    Cat

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  9. It sounds like it was a special moment in your life doing a class with Di, we all feel the same. Enjoy all the new projects Di has designed for the coming months you will be so busy.

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  10. Thank you for sharing the quilt show with us, I've enjoyed visiting it with you.

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  11. Hi David, a fellow embroidery artist sent me your blog link as I'm doing some research on men and embroidery. I'd love to know some more about you and how you came to embroider. I too write a stitch journal http://gopikanathstitchjournal.blogspot.com/

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  12. David, it sounds that you had a wonderful class. Yes blogging makes friends over the world. I like that too. You are lucky too meet some of them in person.

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