SOCIAL MEDIA

Thursday, July 14, 2016

My new Website!!!

I had purchased the domain name in January! And it was on my list of to-do things for quite some time.

Last week was horrible! First I was sick in bed for a week.

As soon as I felt better, I woke up to a dead phone (which will be replaced/repaired on this coming Sunday)

I had only come to terms with it when I went to my studio, to find that during the record breaking rains in Sangli, my Studio roof was leaking and had dripped water right on my sewing machine(s).

While I did not see any dampness/water on Emily (my Bernina 330), I did find traces of water on Ross (my Bernina 710).

I opened it up and used a hair dryer to dry it out. But am keeping it in a well ventilated place for a week (probably more) to dry out completely. I am scared for my life that Ross might need some severe damage repair!

So, the point is, my life right now sucks... But you know, when life throws you lemons...

Make lemonade!

While I was on a forced vacation, I decided to tackle the monumental task of getting my website up and running! And i'm so happy with how it turned out!

I had originally intended to make it using Wordpress.org, but I just could not get my head around doing that. So I ended up making it in Wordpress.com. So basically it is a blog that is disguised as a website.

I will  continue blogging here, but my main hub will be my website

www.shrutidandekar.com



Do drop by and say hello!!!

Cheers!!!
www.fatquartershop.com





Wednesday, July 13, 2016

52 Prompts to Blog Every Week : Week 28

This month on the 52 prompts series, we are talking about Notions. Our favorite ones, the ones that we hate, the ones we desire...




Today, we are talking about Rulers and Templates!

I'm not a person who lives by the 'rules' and that applies to my quilting approach too!

When I started out I bought the 6" x 24" Omnigrid ruler and a set of 4.5", 6.5", 9.5" & 12.5" square Omnigrid rulers!

I must say that the only one that is used the most is my 6"x 24"

Unless I am cutting something that is (a lot)  smaller than 24" do I use the other rulers.

So yes, the basic 6" x 24" ruler is my most favorite quilting ruler EVER!



Later I bought the Hex-n-more ruler designed by Julie from Jaybird Quilts

I LOVE THIS RULER!

Can I say enough about it? NEVER!

It takes the confusion out of cutting hexagons (or half-hexagons) (or triangles)


image credit : www.jaybirdquilts.com

This ruler is my favorite one apart from the 6" x 24" basic one! I love making hexagon quilts (made of half-hexagons or triangles). And this is the next best thing I have come across EVER!

About templates, I normally do not buy them. If I need one, I just make one with either a piece of template plastic (thats just a fancy name for the plastic sheet I have cut out of some old file or folder lying around).

If I want to be able to print out templates directly, I iron a layer (or two) of freezer paper to the printed paper (on the wrong side, of course) and cut it out with a pair of scissors!

Which is your favorite ruler? And do you have some templates that you love? Or some other easy method to make a template? I'd love to hear what you have to say!

Cheers!!!


www.fatquartershop.com





Tuesday, July 12, 2016

What to expect...

I have mustered all the courage I have and sent off emails to a lot of people telling them that I am interested in teaching at their guild/retreat/shop... actually anywhere that people (if any) are ready to come and learn from me!!!

So, I thought it would be good to write a post about what you can expect if you invite me to teach.

I do teach a number of classes locally (in India), but for the international ones, I have chosen two that I feel reflect my best works! 

So first up, ABSTRACT Expressions



This quilt is inspired by the work of the Canadian artist Martina Shapiro. The process of making this quilt was just so much fun that I had to share it with others!

The plus point

This is a GREAT workshop for beginners!!! If you can sew a straight line, you can do it!
You DO NOT need to be an artist!!! No sketching/drawing/painting experience necessary!!!


I conduct this workshops in two formats.
First is the TWO day format. Here is how it goes :

This workshop is divided into four quarters. In the first quarter, we will be talking about basics of Expressionism and Fauvism. We will also discuss the basics of portraiture and the effects of light on the faces. 


We will then spend some time getting acquainted with the process of portraits by Martina Shapiro. Playing with acrylic paints comes next before lunch time!

By the end of the first quarter the students will have made an abstract portrait in paint.


This is the time when people start having a little confidence in themselves (and me). 

In the second quarter, we will begin working with fabric. And by the end of the first day, we will be done creating the outline of the face the students will make into a quilt.


On the second day, students start working on the colors of the face. This is the most interesting process, as they think about colors and the way they blend. It is absolutely fascinating to see how faces and their expressions evolve! And this part of the workshop gives me pure joy!!! 


At the end of the two days, the class  leaves with  completed portrait quilts. Each quilt is unique and I find that more often than not, you can find a glimpse of the maker in their quilt! By this time, the fears of making a 'portrait' are all gone and people are already wondering what their next portrait will look like.


I also have a shorter version of this class that I conduct. I do prefer the TWO day format though. It makes it fun for the beginners as well as the experienced quilters!

In the ONE day class, We skip the painting part. The students just sketch the portraits in their notebooks and get started on the fabric portrait. Also, we discuss the details about Expressionism and Fauvism while the students work on their portraits instead of keeping dedicated time for it.

This class might feel a little rushed for some people, but they can always get in touch with me via email if they have any doubts.

In both the classes, I have also (now) prepared handouts that I give to the students for them to understand the process better.

Click here to download the supply list for this class.

Now we come to my second class ABOUT face


This class is based on the REVERSE Applique technique that I teach in my eBook ABOUT face.

It is my claim that this is the fastest method one can use to make a portrait quilt. You DO NOT have to be an artist. You DO NOT need to know how to draw.


How fast, you want to know - It took me 3 months of working 3-4 hours of work everyday (it amounts to about 270 hours) to make the portrait of Dada Ajoba. But the iQuilt, which has 3 shades, took me just 7 days with 1-2 hours of work everyday (about 10-14 hours) and the Alex Veronelli quilt, with 5 shades, took me 3 weeks with 5-6 hours every WEEK (15-18 hours). Can you make a portrait quilt faster than that?

If you know how to do 'follow the lines' Free Motion Quilting, and you wish to make a portrait quilt. This is definitely the class for you. 

The first quarter will be all about taking/ selecting  photographs, editing and printing them. By the end of the first quarter we will finish copying the image onto the base fabric.


In the second quarter, we will be stitching the design and we will start cutting away unwanted fabric, revealing the design underneath.


This is a class where the students are much more busy than I am!!! As they cut away layer(s) of fabric, they are simply overjoyed to see their portraits taking shape! By the end of the third quarter the design will be all cut away!!! And the quilt top will be ready!


In the last quarter, the students will learn how to quilt the face so that they can enhance their work even further.


At the end of the TWO day workshop, the students will leave with a finished portrait quilt of about 24" x 30" in 2-3 colors.

I guarantee that you will finish the quilt if you make it in 2 colors. But if you want to make a  quilt  in 3 colors, you might have to go home with just the quilt top (finished) and you can continue doing the FMQ at home.


If you need any more information about my workshops, please feel free to email me.


www.fatquartershop.com





Wednesday, July 6, 2016

52 prompts to blog every week: Week 27

Today in the 52 Prompts series, we are going to talk about our cutting tools!!!





My most basic and favorite cutting tool is my Olfa Ergonomic Rotary Cutter




I dont know what I would have done without it! I did not know that this one was better when I ordered it. My brother was in Singapore and I had ordered it online from an Etsy shop. She realized did not have the regular one only after I had paid for my order. She gave me this one instead.

Afterwards, I did buy the regular Rotary cutter, but I'm not as happy cutting with that one and so this remains my treasured tool.

What is your favorite cutting tool?


www.fatquartershop.com