Boot Camp at Quilts on the Corner

Jo, Joy, Renae, Ruth Anne, Paul, Pam and Shelly

Boot Camp attendees August/Sept 2016 

at Quilts on the Corner in Sandy Utah

Just spent an incredible week with these amazing people! In addition to those of us pictured here are Renae's staff at the shop, equally as amazing! Janene, Roberta, Vicki, Cindy... all so nice and helpful from setting up our class to lunches for everyone everyday! 

Renae customized the classes for each of us, letting us decide each day what we wanted to learn be it computerized or hand guided. That is incredible in itself because it makes more work for Renae to teach. 

Day 1: Pantos: Shelly was all hand guided and was set up with a paper panto. Pam has Pantovision so Renae set her up on an Innova set up for that. Joy, Paul and I spent the first day on Mach3! Each of us on our own Innova machine set up with the new computerized system! We were in heaven...

Here I am Day One on Shrek, the big guy, a 32" Innova set up with Mach3 doing a panto!

Behind me is Fiona, a 26" Innova, also set up with Mach3 and where Joy worked all week. 

Jo, Roberta and Joy

Janene, Vicki and Roberta all help Renae run her shop. Roberta and that wonderful smile greeted us each day. She helps Renae with the classes anticipating each of our needs and is she good at it! Each time she and Renae spied someone with that 'deer in the headlights' look, they were at our side! Renae does a wonderful job of teaching. We spent each morning with Renae sitting at a table taking notes and discussing our goals for the day. Then, we each spent the day at our designated longarms. 

Day 2: I chose to do hand guided and spent the day on a different machine, a 26" Innova like I have here in my studio. Wow, I learned so much about design, tools and markers. Used lots of different methods from using a stencil, laser from the back, laser from the front, free hand and ruler work. We started out the day cleaning our machines, learned how to change out the feet, set the needle bar, center and adjust the height of the foot and time the machine! Some of this I already do on my machine and it was good to do it again with Renae, learned some new things including using the new Timing Tool. LOVE it! So much easier. Prior to this I had trouble with timing. Needless to say, I purchased the tool! It will pay for itself the first time I need to use it because the price is about the same as a service call. Then we got to play on our machines the rest of the day using all of the tools provided to each of us in a box... rulers, circles, markers. Another day of heaven!

Day 3: We played with thread and winding bobbins... ALL kinds and brands... Metallics, silk, cotton, polys. I went back on to Shrek and used Mach3 to stitch out designs, while learning how to adjust the tension for each thread. Another fun day! 

That was the end of Boot Camp. Shelly and Pam are hand guided only so left us at the end of day 3. The top photo was taken just before they left. Ruth Anne is Paul's wife and partner, working together as a team. Ruth Anne did hand guided, she is the piecer and applique artist and is she ever good at applique!

Day 4: It was just three of us... Paul, Joy and I learning how to do a custom layout with Mach3. I was on Shrek again all day. Prior to this I was sitting on the fence about purchasing and using the new software.  I jumped that fence and came home with the new software! 

Renae and I at Shrek on Day 4 doing a custom layout with Mach3

What a difference learning hands on with Renae, a person that not only knows the Innova longarm, but knows how to do custom computerized quilting. She not only answered all of my questions, I got to do and see what the new system offers hands on. That's how I learn best. Thank you Renae... you are the best! 

btw... the quilts on the walls are quilted by Renae, just seeing her work is amazing! Altho she knows digital, her award winning quilts are hand guided. Did you notice all of her ribbons lining the wall in the first picture? The best of her quilts are not there because they win Best of Show and now live in the AQS museum. I did get to see the newest one she is working on at the shop in her office on her Innova. Wow! Renae works with Karen Kay Buckley who does the piecing and all of the applique work, it's gorgeous!!! For all of her accomplishments, Renae is very humble and down to earth human being. I would recommend attending her Boot Camp or taking a class from her when she is out on the road. She has a couple of shows coming up this month... Las Vegas next weekend and Utah Quilt Festival Sept.21 thru 24th. Wish I was going!!!

What an experience I will never forget. 

Tot ziens, Jo