Teaching the "Pretty Crazy" Pattern

I didn't tell my delightful students this, but yesterday was the first time I have taught my "Pretty Crazy" pattern to sane quilters.  I can't express what a thrill this was for me.....because.....they got it!

My two hour "Make and Take" class at the Northwest Quilters Expo was sponsored by one of the top rated quilt shops in the country, Greenbaum's Quilted Forest, of Salem, Oregon.  The way we set up this class, Greenbaum's would supply kits for the students to buy in class, and I would come to teach it.  I had to have faith that their kits would be good, as Salem was too far for me to go to check on them in person.  I worked with their office manager, my friend Lisa Encabo, to give them all the information they needed.

Well!
I was just blown away by how beautiful and professional those kits were.  Look!

Here is the kit from the front...included is enough to make a four block "crazy pillow" variation from the pattern.  And the back....

Just beautifully, enticingly done!

At 10:30 yesterday morning, my students arrived and I had 2 hours with them.  My goal was that each would master the "concept" of this pattern, getting one block sewn by the end of class.
Remember, these are sane quilters.  Crazy quilting, with all the strange supplies and out-of-the-box, improvisational sewing is not the normal way they work.  But they have great sewing skills.

Oh, they took to it like ducks to water.  I was sooooooo happy.  And even though they all had the same kits, everyone's block looked a little different.  Bingo!
I think my job as a teacher sometimes is to guide students in how to play.  I hope that doesn't sound presumptious, really I don't.  But what fun it is to have that as my work!

Kathleen was concentrating!

Robin was cranking!

I was too busy to take any more pictures than these, but it does illustrate that my ladies were engaged and emerged successful at the end of class.
A teacher could ask for nothing more.....   ;-)