Homework!?!

 I started my six weeks' Gridified Art Quilts with Ricky Tims yesterday morning.  There were 120 people signed up from all over the world!

We spent most of the time learning about the class website and how to navigate it, which was fine.   Then we were given an assignment to do for this afternoon's class:  to develop one or two main theme blocks for our small quilts.  

I want to make something reminiscent of our trip to the Netherlands in 2019.  My inspirations are the bulb fields in Enkhuisen, the windmills of Kinderdijk, and the famous gardens at Keukenhof that we visited.  On the first day, I looked out the bus window and took this picture.  The views only got better and better.

In Kinderdijk, there are a large number of ancient windmills, all occupied by families who operate and maintain them.  Some of the mills have been handed down through generations.  We visited the inside of one that has been set aside as a museum, and it is cozy but very small with a traditional bed tucked into the wall in the main room.  I was pleased to see a Featherweight sewing machine there, too.

At this point, I'm not sure how my wallhanging will turn out.  There will be filler blocks here and there, but I plan to include a windmill or two, along with some tulips.  I will use Ricky's "Chantelle" tulip as a guide but make a different style top for those.  

It was hard to get the proportions of the mill right, but after a lot of drafts and the liberal use of  "White Out," I finally got it to fit a 6" square.  I'm looking forward to this afternoon's class to hear more about turning the drawing into a sewn block.  We were to upload our drawings for Ricky to comment on, and I noticed he drew lines on mine to indicate sections for piecing.

I assume we'll be making our blocks and posting photos to be discussed next weekend.  It's an interesting way to learn.