Quilting classes a good start on new hobby

Published 9:00 pm Saturday, January 21, 2006

I n celebration of the new year, we’re adding some new elements to the Craft Corner column.

Until now, our philosophy for the column – for the most part – has been to feature crafts that can be completed quickly and do not require intensive instruction.

While we’ve tossed a few local class lists and tool and kit recommendations into the mix, we’ve stayed away from long-term projects such as quilting, scrapbooking, woodworking and other endeavors that take more of a time commitment and instruction than our weekly column can accommodate.

Realizing that this policy excludes a number of very popular pastimes, we’ve decided to branch out a bit and provide information on where you can learn more about some of these hobbies and take instruction in them if you choose.

Once a month or so, we’ll feature a local shop or instructor offering long- and short-term classes. While we will go through some of the classes, time constraints prevent us from involvement in all of them, so we’re going to rely on the recommendations of Craft Corner readers as well as on our own investigations.

If you have taken a class that you particularly enjoyed, drop us an e-mail or letter, or give us a call and tell us about it. We won’t be able to do a story on every suggestion (for instance, this week’s column is about a quilt shop, so we won’t be doing another story on a quilt shop in the near future), but we will include a “Readers’ Recs” box in the column whenever we can that will include the name of the class, where it’s offered and the name of the Craft Corner reader who recommends it.

So if you’d like to suggest a class or instructor, send the information to: Jonetta Coffin, C/O Herald Features, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206; jrocoffin@aol.com; or call 425-238-4985 and leave a message so that we can return your call.

Be sure to include the name and phone number of the instructor or class, as well as a phone number where we can reach you.

All we ask is that you be someone who has actually gone through the class and that you are not the owner or an employee, or otherwise affiliated with the shop or class suggested.

And never fear: While we’ll be adding these new features to our column, our main goal will still be to present fun and simple crafts for all ages on a regular basis.

That said, we begin by focusing on The Quiltmaker’s Shoppe in Arlington, a cozy little shop on Olympic Avenue, owned and operated by longtime quilters and Snohomish County residents Marty Hammer, Kim Moff and Eileen Crutcher.

The shop was recommended by regular Craft Corner reader and master crafter quilter Cindy Martinez, who described it as a fun place run by several very nice women.

Cindy was right. We checked it out and found it to be a very comfortable and friendly environment in which to learn about and work on quilting projects – and they have some absolutely gorgeous quilts on display to boot.

In addition to numerous two- and three-hour classes, The Quiltmaker’s Shoppe offers “Introductory Quilting” and a “Gift of the Month” workshop.

“Introductory Quilting,” a six-week course with instructor Pat Mitchell that covers the basics of quilting, begins Monday, Jan. 23. The cost is $55, plus fabric and tools, and classes are three hours per session. Spaces in this 6 p.m. class are still available.

The “Gift of the Month” workshops are a great way to get a jump on your holiday gift list. Each three-hour class costs $25 (pattern included), and the winter schedule features a simple table runner on Jan. 28, a ruler tote with flying geese patch on Feb. 18 and a mini thread carrier on March 18.

Other winter classes include a Valentine hanging/table topper, cost $30, on Feb. 2 and 8; memory block photo quilting, a great way to display a favorite photograph, cost $35, on Feb. 9; and hand quilting with Kim Moff, cost $25, on Feb. 15.

You’ll finish a pre-selected project in each class or workshop, and we do suggest that you stop by and take a look at the lovely samples on display throughout the shop.

The Quiltmaker’s Shoppe, 315 N. Olympic Ave. in downtown Arlington, also features a wide selection of books, fabric and quilting supplies, and publishes a quarterly newsletter full of quilting tips, local quilting events and a class schedule. Call 360-435-3993 or e-mail thequiltmakersshoppe@hotmail.com to register for classes or for more information.

While we have focused on The Quiltmaker’s Shoppe in this column, we know that there are many excellent quilt shops and quilting groups in Snohomish County. A fairly comprehensive list of Pacific Northwest quilters’ groups can be found at www.northwestquilters.org.

Contact Jonetta Coffin at jrocoffin@aol.com.