As it was this time two years ago, the ads are vicious. There’s a lot of money flowing into the state from those who have absolutely no skin in the game. Some of the TV spots are so inaccurate that they’re laughable. I thought the media had a duty to at least fact check some of what is aired. Guess it doesn’t apply to commercials.

There are two differences this election cycle. The good: no politics in the mainstream quilting/sewing universe that I’ve seen so far. The bad: there’s no getting away from the political ads, period. I can turn off the television and radio. But there’s one on a billboard along the highway. The ads are still on FB, websites and even when I watch a YouTube video. Perhaps I’ll need to invest in a 3 month subscription to YouTube premium to avoid the commercials.

I find it ironic that I didn’t see that many political ads when I was in Kentucky. The ones that I did see were tolerable. It was so refreshing. Perhaps it’s because both political parties don’t see Kentucky as a key battleground state? I don’t know. We’ve been debating where we’d like to wind up next. Away from Atlanta for certain, but perhaps out of Georgia, too. Time will tell.

Last week, my sister-in-law and I headed to Murray, Kentucky to attend a Sew Purty Workshop hosted by Ray Elkins. The focus of this class is vintage machine restoration. Ray is unique in that he welcomes nonworking machines at his workshops. His rationale is you’ll learn more from a seized up machine. I tend to agree. My sister-in-law took a Singer 27 treadle machine from 1899 to work on. It was a lot of HARD work, but my SIL was able to get her seized up machine to turn freely and sew a nice stitch!

I took a 1935 FW (Jane) that was originally purchased at a local estate sale to be my repaint machine. The lead time for good FW painters is at least 2 years. I figured I would use her as my learning machine during that time. Well…after this weekend, I think it’s safe to say she’ll remain as she is. Ray was right. Jane (the FW) has a story and her wear marks tell it. I can take her anywhere and not worry about scratching up an expensive custom paint job. The old girl had a complete makeover inside and out. I’d performed a basic machine service when I first got her to get her stitching, but she never ran as well as the early Featherweights are reported to operate. Now she does!

Much of what I learned at the FW spa day class back in 2019 has served me well. This class took things to an entirely different level. I got inside the machine – taking out the presser bar and needle bar assemblies, light housing, complete stitch length lever assembly, hook assembly, and tension unit. (The only parts I didn’t disassemble were the mechanisms involving the toothed gears and motor.) Everything was cleaned, inspected, lubricated, repaired/replaced as needed and put back in place, except for the vintage thread cutter, which gets in my way! The exterior was cleaned using Ray’s methods and every bit of chrome was polished using my new, knock-off Dremel. I cannot tell you how much grime came off the machine. It was so gross. A coat of Renaissance Wax was applied and buffed out. Her after picture is what you see in this post.

Learning how to properly set the presser foot height, needle bar height, hook timing and how to put the old-style tension assembly back together (without a picture) were huge for me. I have the adjuster/service manuals, but things didn’t click until I made the adjustments myself under his watchful eye. Ray also shared some tips for carbon brush replacement and motor maintenance. Others FW owners in the class advised giving the 221 case the “Ruthie” treatment prior to coating the box inside and out with Howard’s Feed & Wax. Let the case sit for several days and then wipe off any residue. No more stinky FW case!

Jane will get upgraded to a numbered tension dial and the bare spots on her bed touched up with black paint. She’s already sporting a new Superbelt, bed cushions and an LED bulb. Her foot controller is an early metal style, but I’m not sure if it’s original to her. It works, but needs some serious TLC. That’s a project for another day. I prefer the newer electronic foot controllers anyway.

Some of my stitchy friends have requested an introductory FW/maintenance class. Oh, I can certainly do that!

Keep on quilting!

Quilters appreciate educational opportunities. You can learn independently via a book, DVD or online class, but an in-person class with an instructor still seems to be the preferred method for learning. What’s the going rate for quilt classes these days? It depends on the event venue, teacher and sponsor. Let’s explore.

National Events

Three big national quilting events all happen the same week in February 2023:

QuiltCon – Atlanta
AQS Quilt Week – Daytona Beach
Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival – Hampton Roads (Virginia Beach), VA

QuiltCon’s brochure states the fees are $120 for a 3 hour class and $240 for a 6 hour class. I am amazed when I look at some of the classes being offered, given one could easily replicate said class with a couple of YouTube videos or a book from the library and save $120. I get that it’s QuiltCon and classes are geared toward newer and younger quilters, but still. Many will sign up and happily get whatever class they can simply because it’s QuiltCon. The event organizers are well aware of this and take advantage of the opportunity to charge a premium for their class and lecture offerings.

Contrast this with AQS and Mancuso Quilt Fest who charge about half of what QuiltCon does. These groups host multiple events around the country throughout the year. I believe they have a better handle on what the average quilter is willing to pay for a class. I paid between $75 and $95 for my classes in Greenville and Pigeon Forge, depending on the instructor. Half-day classes at the Garden of Quilts event in Utah (where I’m headed in three weeks) are $69 per class. 3 hour classes at the Kansas City Regional Quilt Festival were $75 in June 2021. The going rate for national events seems to be about $75 for a half-day class before any member or package discounts.

Local Events.

Prices for local events vary regionally. That said, I’m sure you have one business in your area that, like QuiltCon, charges a premium for instruction because they can and have customers who will pay their price. As with the previous discussion, we have a business in my area that advertises classes for about double what the local quilt shops and hobby stores charge. They can charge this fee and get it because the nearest competitor is at least 30 minutes away and ATL traffic reeks. PSA: If you want to learn how to make a French seam pillowcase: Google hot dog or burrito method pillowcase. It’s the same thing!

In my area, class fees are $25-$40 for a 3 hour class taken at a quilt shop. Fees may be slightly higher if the shop brings in a special guest. My local guild charges $50-$60 for an all day workshop with a nationally known instructor.

My advice is to try to take a class locally through a guild or quilt shop first. You’ll save some money and support a local business. Supplement with resources found online and at your local library. If there’s an instructor you’d like to learn directly from, see if they have an online course you can take. You’d be amazed at how much you can learn by following quilters who offer video tutorials on YouTube – Missouri Star, Fat Quarter Shop, JK Quilts, Lori Holt and Edyta Sitar – just to name a few.

As for me, AQS-Daytona looks to be very promising based on the instructor list. I’ll see what the class offerings are and make my decision in November. Fortunately, the show is scheduled before the spring breakers arrive.

Mountain Quilt Fest, Kansas City Regional Quilt Festival and Shipshewana Quilt Festival are all on my potential list for June 2023. Have a feeling I’ll be going to Indiana as more than one person has told me I need to experience Shipshewana.