Quilting with a Rock Star!

My friend Janet is a scrap quilter. I save all my scraps that I deem too tiny to use and put them in the "Janet bag" for her. Janet also likes to use recycled fabrics, such as old plaid shirts. It has been her dream to take a class with Bonnie Hunter.

In case you've been living inside a quilt vacuum, Bonnie Hunter is a very talented and famous quilter, known for her love of scrap quilts. She has published five books (a sixth one coming soon!), writes for quilt magazines, has an amazing website http://quiltville.com/ with tons of free patterns, and blogs daily (even multiple times).

In 2012, Joannie, Sue and I were lucky enough to take a class with Bonnie Hunter at the Vermont Quilt Festival. Janet was unable to join us. Bonnie is one of my quilting idols too!

We did a shout out to Janet from our class. She was so surprised to see us on Bonnie's Quiltville Facebook page with a note for her.

Janet was disappointed to miss out on Bonnie's class because she loves Bonnie too. So she was delighted when she found that Bonnie was going to be teaching several classes at a nearby quilt guild in Florida this month. (Janet is a Snowbird, spends half her time in MA and half in FL).

Janet almost missed her first class. In an email she sent me, she wrote:

Oh, I have to tell you that on Wednesday morning I was on my computer checking out her blog when I saw her opening line. "Hello Punta Gorda.  Are you ready for My Blue Heaven?"  I jumped up and yelled, "My quilting class is today!!"  I had the days mixed up and thought it was Thursday & Friday, instead of Wednesday & Thursday.  I washed my face, brushed my teeth, ran a comb through my hair and literally threw clothes on.  Eddie made me lunch and out the door I went.  The drive is a little over 1 hr.  I was only about 5-10 min. late.  Not bad.  Not a good way to start the day, but I had a table to myself and soon calmed down. All the girls were very friendly, 3 coming over to my table for lunch break. I also got invited to go out to dinner with Bonnie and a few others last night, 8 total.  It was nice to get to chat and  be up close and personal with her.  I forgot my camera both days.  What a dunce.  Someone took a picture with my phone camera for me.

Janet, at right, meets her quilting idol, Bonnie Hunter

Janet was fortunate enough to take two classes with Bonnie, My Blue Heaven and Pineapple Blossom. I look forward to seeing her quilts when she comes home from Florida. Janet brought four of her quilts to show Bonnie. Three of them are from Bonnie's free patterns on her website. The bottom quilt is a pattern that Janet found in a magazine. The photos and captions below appeared on Bonnie's blog.

The patterns below are:
Ohio Stars and Rails
Boxy Stars
Scrappy Bargello

If you ever have the opportunity to take a class with Bonnie Hunter, jump on it! She is just as nice as you can possibly imagine and an excellent instructor. She is a rock star (at least in the quilting world.)

And since every rock star needs a music video, here is a link to a music video (not related to Bonnie) using sewing elements for all the visuals. My friend Judith, who blogs at Made by J in Australia found this. I had to share.

I am linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Richard and Tanya Quilts and CrazyMom Quilts. Thanks for visiting.

Have a great day!
Pugs and kisses,
Nancy