OVER MANY LAP QUILTING SERIES WE HAVE CERTAINLY PROVED THAT TODAY'S QUILTERS ARE IN LOVE WITH THEIR SEWING MACHINES.

BUT SEWING MACHINES HAVE TAKEN ON NEW TASKS WHEN IT COMES TO THE HAND-GUIDED QUILTING MACHINES.

YOU WILL BE AMAZED AT THE POTENTIAL OF THESE MACHINES AS WE VIEW THEM AT THE QUILTERS SHOWCASE, A YEARLY EXHIBIT THAT FEATURES THE RESULTS OF USING THESE LONG ARM MACHINES.

THEN TRAVEL TO MCKINNEY, TEXAS AND THE QUILT DEPOT.

♪ COULD YOU IMAGINE A MORE CLEVER OBJECT?

♪ WARMS THE BODY, IGNITES THE MIND.

♪ ♪ A CHILD SLEEPS UNDER MOTHER'S CREATION ♪ ♪ TOGETHER FOREVER.

♪ ♪ THE ART OF THE HEART AND DESIGN ♪ ♪ OF THE MIND PUTS YOU TO BED ONE DAY AT A TIME.

♪ ♪ THE ART OF THE HEART AND DESIGN OF THE MIND.

♪ - LAP QUILTING WITH GEORGIA BONESTEEL IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY GRANTS FROM OXMOOR HOUSE, PUBLISHER AND DISTRIBUTOR OF NEEDLEWORK AND CRAFT PUBLICATIONS, INCLUDING AN ASSORTMENT OF QUILT BOOKS AND RELATED PRODUCTS.

BY BERNINA, MAKERS OF SEWING MACHINES MANUFACTURED WITH THE CARE OF TRADITIONAL SWISS WORKMANSHIP.

NOTHING SEWS LIKE A BERNINA.

NOTHING.

BY GAMMILL QUILTING MACHINE COMPANY, OFFERING LARGE THROAT, MOBILE, HAND-GUIDED QUILTING MACHINES.

ADDITIONAL FUNDING BY OMNIGRID, THE ORIGINAL PATENTED BLACK AND YELLOW RULER.

AND THE WARM COMPANY, MAKERS OF WARM AND NATURAL COTTON BATTING AND STEAM A SEAM FUSIBLE WEB.

- NOW THE HAND-GUIDED QUILTING MACHINES HAVE THEIR OWN SHOWCASE.

IT'S LIKE A WHOLE NEW WORLD OF QUILTING.

WE WILL ALWAYS APPRECIATE AND GLORY IN A HAND QUILTED QUILT, BUT TODAY WE CAN REALLY APPRECIATE HOW LONG IT TAKES TO PUT THOSE LAYERS TOGETHER.

YES, THERE IS ANOTHER FASTER WAY, THE QUILTING MACHINE.

AND AS QUILTERS WHAT WE REALLY LIKE IS THAT IT ALLOWS US TO GO ON TO THE NEXT PROJECT.

JUST LISTEN TO SOME OF THE CLASSES CONDUCTED AT THIS SYMPOSIUM.

FREEHAND AND TRAPUNTO.

INDUSTRIAL THREAD PLAY.

LINES, CURVES AND BORDERS.

LASER LIGHT MAGIC.

DIMENSIONAL QUILTING.

YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S MORE THAN JUST A CONTINUOUS DESIGN FROM EDGE TO EDGE.

NOW YOU CAN DO OUTLINE QUILTING AND SECTIONAL WORK WITH THOSE FANCY THREADS.

JUST GAZE AT SOME OF THE BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLES DONE ON A QUILTING MACHINE.

MANY OF THESE CLASSES WERE TAUGHT BY AN EXPERT PROFESSIONAL, LINDA TAYLOR.

SHE CAUGHT EVERYONE'S UNDIVIDED ATTENTION AS NOTES WERE FRANTICALLY TAKEN.

NOW COME WITH US TO A SMALL BUT BUSTLING TOWN JUST NORTH OF DALLAS.

HERE IN MCKINNEY, TEXAS, LINDA SHARES SPACE IN THE QUILT DEPOT SHOP.

THE STARS AT NIGHT ARE BIG AND BRIGHT, DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS.

AND THIS QUILT SHOP HAS A 10-GALLON HAT WELCOME FOR US.

TUCKED AWAY IN THE CORNER AT THE QUILT DEPOT IS AN ENTIRELY NEW BUSINESS, LINDA'S ELECTRIC QUILTERS.

MEET LINDA TAYLOR.

YOUR MACHINE IS UNIQUE AND YOUR BUSINESS IS UNIQUE.

TELL US ABOUT IT.

- WELL, THESE ARE HAND-GUIDED QUILTING MACHINES.

THEY COME IN DIFFERENT SIZES AND YOU DO YOUR QUILTING ON THESE.

- WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A HOME MACHINE AND THIS HAND-GUIDED?

- WELL, THE FIRST THING, OF COURSE, YOU NOTICE IS THAT THIS MACHINE IS SO LARGE AND WE NEED IT TO BE LARGE BECAUSE THIS MACHINE WILL BE ABLE TO GO BACK AND FORTH OVER THIS LARGE AREA SO YOU CAN QUILT A FAIRLY LARGE AREA AT ONCE.

THE OTHER DIFFERENCE IS THAT WE ACTUALLY SET THE QUILT UP ON THE TABLE LIKE THIS, ALMOST LIKE THE OLD FRAMES EXCEPT IT ROLLS AND THEN THE MACHINE MOVES INSTEAD OF THE QUILT.

SO THAT'S THE BASIC DIFFERENCE.

OTHER THAN THAT, IT'S STILL ALL HAND-GUIDED AND YOU DO THE PERSON WHO'S WORKING THE MACHINE IS THE IS THE ARTIST, THE QUILT ARTIST ON THIS.

- WE ENJOYED THE SPRINGFIELD CONVENTION AND FELT THE ELECTRICITY IN THE AIR.

YOUR CLASSES WERE JAMMED.

WE COULD HARDLY GET A CAMERA IN THERE TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON AND THE QUILTS WERE INCREDIBLE.

GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED AND WHAT WE SAW.

- WELL, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED WITH THESE QUILTING MACHINES, BASICALLY WE SAW A LOT OF THE PANTOGRAPH PATTERNS AND SO FROM BEHIND THE MACHINE WE WOULD FOLLOW THE PANTOGRAPH PATTERNS FROM BEHIND THE MACHINE WITH A LITTLE STYLUS.

NOW WE'VE GRADUATED TO THE STYLAZER SO WE HAVE A VERY TINY LITTLE DOT TO FOLLOW THOSE PANTOGRAPHS AND ALL THE OTHER PATTERNS WE DO SO WE CAN BE VERY, VERY ACCURATE.

BUT ALSO THE CONTROLS HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED SO THAT THEY'VE ALL BEEN MOVED HERE TO THE FRONT OF THE MACHINE AS WELL AS ON THE BACK SO THAT WE CAN GET HERE REAL CLOSE IN THE FRONT OF THE MACHINE AND SEE WHAT WE'RE DOING, DOING STITCH IN THE DITCH, FOLLOWING THE PATTERNS IN THE IN THE QUILT THEMSELVES AND ENHANCING THOSE QUILTS JUST LIKE A HAND QUILTER WOULD DO.

- SO YOU'RE BASICALLY ABLE TO DO OUTLINING AND THEN ISOLATING PATTERNS.

- YES, AND CROSS HATCHING AND DOING BORDER DESIGNS AND A LOT OF FREE HANDWORK.

- AND THREAD SKETCHING, WE WERE VERY IMPRESSED WITH WITH SOME OF THE CREATIVITY WITH JUST THREADS AND MAKING YOUR OWN DESIGN ON THE SURFACE.

- OH YES, THE DIFFERENT MEANDERING PATTERNS AND THE STRETCHING THE FEATHER DESIGNS IS BECOMING A VERY POPULAR THING TO DO AND IT BECOMES, THIS BECOMES A LARGE CANVAS THAT YOU JUST CAN PAINT ON AND WITHOUT THE WORRISOME AND THE TROUBLE OF HAVING TO HOLD THE QUILT AND THROW IT OVER YOUR SHOULDER ETC.

YOU CAN JUST REALLY BE FREE WITH WHAT YOU'RE DOING HERE ON THESE MACHINES.

- WE SAW A TRAPUNTO.

- TRAPUNTO IS VERY EASY TO DO ON THESE MACHINES BECAUSE YOU CAN PUT IT ON WITH THE BATTING AND THE TOP AND YOU SET YOUR DESIGNS AND THEN TAKE IT OFF AND CUT IT.

THEN PUT YOUR TOP BACK ON WITH YOUR REGULAR BATTING AND LINING AND GO RIGHT BACK OVER IT.

SO EASY.

- I WONDERED HOW THAT WAS DONE.

YOU JUST EXPLAINED IT.

AND OF COURSE NOVELTY THREADS NOW AND PUTTING THREADS IN THE BOBBIN.

- OH YES, YOU KNOW WE PUT MANY MANY THREADS ON THIS MACHINE THAT YOU CANNOT EVEN USE ON YOUR OTHER MACHINES BECAUSE THEY JUST WON'T TAKE THE THICKNESS OF THOSE THREADS.

SO WE CAN DO A LOT OF BOBBIN DRAWING FROM UNDERNEATH AND WE'VE ALSO DEVELOPED ALL KINDS OF WAYS TO PUT JUST YOUR REGULAR THREADS UP HERE.

ANY KIND OF A DECORATIVE THREAD THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO USE WILL COME EASILY AND WORK OVER HERE ON YOUR MACHINE JUST AS EASY AS IT DOES ON YOUR HOME MACHINE AND WORKS SEEMS TO WORK A LITTLE BIT BETTER.

- OKAY, WELL HOW ABOUT A LITTLE BIT OF DEMONSTRATING AND PERHAPS START WITH SOME OF THAT SIMPLE STRAIGHT LINES.

- WELL THE FIRST THING OF COURSE ON THIS I'VE SET A DESIGN IN HERE BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THE CAMERA CAN PICK THAT UP VERY WELL.

YOU HAVE A SPEED CONTROL RIGHT HERE ON YOUR MACHINE SO YOU COULD GO VERY VERY VERY SLOW OR YOU CAN GO REALLY FAST.

NOTHING IS CONTROLLED WITH YOUR FOOT.

YOU DON'T HAVE A FOOT PEDAL THERE AND THIS IS THE NEEDLE POSITIONER WHICH IS JUST DOING ONE STITCH AT A TIME FOR ME.

I JUST TOOK SOME LITTLE LOCATOR STITCHES THERE AND THEN WE USE TOOLS TO HELP US AND GUIDE US IN BEING ABLE TO DO OUR STRAIGHT LINES.

NOW I'M JUST GOING TO SHOW YOU HOW YOU CAN GO JUST VERY VERY SLOW HERE IF YOU WANT TO OR YOU CAN TURN THAT UP AS YOU GET BETTER.

LEARNING TO USE THE RIGHT TOOLS IS WHAT IS GOING TO HELP YOU TO BE ABLE TO STAY IN THE DITCH OR DO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO HERE.

I MIGHT EVEN WANT TO DO SOME CROSS HATCHING ON THIS.

OH AND I THINK HOW LONG THAT WOULD TAKE ME TO DO BY HAND.

AS I COME DOWN HERE TO THESE LITTLE SQUARES I CAN, I'M GOING TO TURN THIS STITCH LENGTH UP A LITTLE BIT HERE AND SHOW YOU HOW EASY IT IS TO CROSS HATCH USING THESE RULERS.

WE TRY TO DO EVERYTHING IN A CONTINUOUS LINE.

- AVOID STOPPING.

- SO WE CAN AVOID STOPPING AND STARTING.

[MACHINE WHIRRING] - AND YOUR BASIC FOOT BECOMES A PROTECTOR DOESN'T IT FOR YOUR FINGERS.

- OH YES.

AND THIS TOOL THAT I'M USING, THIS ACRYLIC RULER IS HIGHER THAN THE FOOT SO THE FOOT CANNOT JUMP UP ON TOP OF IT.

SO IT WORKS VERY VERY WELL.

SO OUTLINING IS A BIG PART OF WHAT WE DO ON ANY OF THE QUILTS.

SOMETIMES WHEN YOU GO HORIZONTALLY YOU CAN JUST EYEBALL IT LIKE THAT AND YOUR FINGERS ARE UP HERE CONTROLLING THIS.

- NOW HOW WOULD I, DO YOU LOCK IT IN PLACE WHEN YOU STOP?

- YES IF I'M GOING TO STOP RIGHT HERE I CAN TAKE, JUST LIKE YOU DO WHEN YOU'RE MACHINE QUILTING AT HOME, YOU CAN TAKE THREE LITTLE LOCATOR STITCHES, GO OVER, GRAB YOUR LOOP THERE, GO DOWN IN THE SAME HOLE.

THAT BRINGS UP YOUR BOBBIN AND TOP SO YOU CAN TRIM THEM THERE AND YOU DON'T HAVE ANY TAILS UNDERNEATH TO GO BACK AND TRIM.

- THAT'S A REAL PLUS.

WONDERFUL.

NOW FOR AN ISOLATED PATTERN HOW WOULD I, HOW WOULD YOU MARK THAT?

HOW WOULD YOU DO THAT?

- LET'S GO OVER TO THIS OTHER QUILT.

I THINK YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE HOW WE DO THIS.

WE MOVE THE LASER LIGHT TO THE FRONT OF THE MACHINE AND FOLLOW THAT WITH OUR LASER LIGHT.

- OH GOOD.

LINDA HOW BEAUTIFUL.

NOW THIS IS CALLED A FRONT LASER TECHNIQUE.

TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THIS.

- THIS IS USING, WE MOVED OUR LASER LIGHT WHICH WE NORMALLY HAVE ON THE BACK TO DO THE PANTOGRAPHS.

WE'VE MOVED IT UP HERE ON THE FRONT.

I GOT SO TIRED OF RUNNING BACK AND FORTH FROM FRONT TO BACK, PLACING THE DESIGN HERE AND RUNNING BACK THERE AND SEWING IT FROM BEHIND.

SO, WE DEVELOPED THIS TECHNIQUE HERE AND HAVE REALLY ENJOYED BEING ABLE TO DO ALL OF THE STITCH IN THE DITCH AND SETTING THE DESIGNS RIGHT HERE FROM THE FRONT BY FOLLOWING THIS LITTLE LASER AROUND IN THE FRONT.

IT MAY NOT SHOW UP AS WELL IN THE CAMERAS BUT IT REALLY IS A VERY TINY LITTLE DOT SO WE CAN BE VERY ACCURATE WITH THAT.

- THE LIGHT COMES FROM ON TOP AND REFLECTS RIGHT DOWN HERE ON THE PATTERN AND USE VARIOUS SIZES OF PATTERNS TO ACCOMMODATE THE SIZE YOU WANT TO GO IN.

- OH YES, WHATEVER SIZE YOU'RE GOING TO PLACE YOUR PATTERN INTO THAT SQUARE OR TRIANGLE OR WHATEVER YOU'RE GOING TO DO THERE.

- NOW THIS IS A PRACTICE PIECE, WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU GOT GOING ON HERE?

- WELL WE DID SOME FUN THREAD PLAY ON THIS ONE.

WE'VE GOT SOME COUCHING HERE THAT WE COULD DO AND I'LL SHOW YOU HOW EASY THAT IS TO DO.

I HAVE SOME RAYON FLUFF HERE.

WE CAN JUST COME OVER HERE.

WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO DO THAT WITH THESE MACHINES YOU CAN JUST GO DOWN AND GET YOUR BACK TACK LIKE THIS AND THEN IF YOU WANTED TO YOU JUST SORT OF DO A ZIGZAG EVEN THOUGH THESE MACHINES ONLY SEW STRAIGHT STITCH YOU CAN MAKE IT DO KIND OF A ZIGZAG HERE OR IF YOU WANTED TO COME OUT AND JUST DO SOME FUN STUFF OUT HERE, CIRCLES AND GENTLE CURVES, THINGS LIKE THAT.

YOU JUST KIND OF GO ALONG LIKE THAT WITH YOUR DECORATIVE THREAD.

SO IT'S REAL EASY TO DO COUCHING ON THESE MACHINES AS WELL.

- I WANT TO SEE SOME OF THAT FANCY FEATHER WORK THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING.

- LET'S GO OVER TO ANOTHER PROJECT HERE AND WE'LL DO SOME OF THAT.

I'M JUST DOING A FEATHER NOW AND I ALWAYS SET MY STEM FIRST ON THE FEATHER.

THIS IS ALL FREEHAND AND THEN JUST COME BACK WITH THESE SHAPES THAT ARE SIMILAR TO YOUR HALF HEARTS.

SO EASY TO MOVE THESE MACHINES AND SO FUN TO DO.

AND THEN COME BACK WITH THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FEATHER.

YOU CAN SEE YOU COULD JUST GO ANYWHERE.

YOU CAN DO BORDERS, YOU CAN FILL IN SPACES AND THEN YOU COULD CONTINUE TO ECHO THAT OR DO MEANDERING AROUND IT, STIPPLING, WHATEVER YOU WANTED TO DO.

SO THE FREEHAND TECHNIQUES ARE JUST LIMITLESS.

- I THINK WHAT YOU'RE ALSO TRYING TO POINT ACROSS HERE, LINDA, IS THAT NOTHING HAS BEEN MARKED AND THAT YOU CAN HAVE THE FREEDOM AND SECURITY ONCE YOU LEARN THE MACHINE TO JUST WORK THOSE HALF OVALS AND COME UP WITH SUCH A CREATIVE LOOK.

- IT REALLY IS.

A LOT OF IT IS CONFIDENCE IN YOURSELF AND HAVING THE PROPER TRAINING ON THE MACHINE AND JUST FEELING GOOD ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND KNOWING THAT YOU'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING ON IT IS ALSO A GOOD PART OF IT.

- WHAT DO YOU SEE FOR THE FUTURE OF THESE HAND-GUIDED MACHINES?

-I REALLY TRULY BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE LIMITLESS POSSIBILITIES.

THERE'S NOTHING THAT WE HAVE FOUND THAT WE CANNOT DO ON THESE MACHINES THAT CAN BE DONE ON A HOME SEWING MACHINE AND MANY THINGS THAT WE CAN DO THAT CANNOT BE DONE AND SO MUCH FASTER.

AND WITH OUR WORLD SO CAUGHT UP IN SPEED RIGHT NOW, THIS SEEMS TO BE THE KEY.

- RIGHT.

WELL, I DON'T SEE WHY QUILTERS SHOULDN'T USE THE MOST MODERN DEVICES THAT WE HAVE AT OUR HANDS.

AND YOU BETTER HOLD ON TO THIS.

OUR PRODUCER WANTS TO TAKE THIS HOME.

SO I'VE NEVER SEEN STITCHES LOOK MORE BEAUTIFUL ON A DARK BACKGROUND.

THANK YOU.

- THIS IS DONE WITH A 30 WEIGHT RAYON THREAD, BEAUTIFUL THREAD.

AND THE THE DESIGN THAT WAS SET IN HERE HAS BEEN TRAPUNTOED AND THEN JUST FREEHAND EVERYWHERE AROUND IT.

AND I DID IT AS A BIG PIECE AND THEN CUT THE CUT THE BEST PATTERN OUT OF THAT.

- WELL, WE THANK YOU FOR ALL THE TIPS AND THE KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US TODAY.

- WELL, THANK YOU.

AND I WOULD LOVE-- I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A HAND-GUIDED MACHINE, GEORGIA.

- WELL, IT'S NOT AS UPDATED AS YOURS.

THIS TRIP'S GOING TO COST ME SOMETHING, I CAN TELL THAT.

BUT I WOULD LOVE TO PRESENT YOU WITH THESE VIDEOS.

I HAVE DONE THESE VIDEOS TO GIVE PEOPLE THIS KIND OF TRAINING THAT THEY NEED SO THEY FEEL CONFIDENT ON THESE MACHINES.

AND I WOULD LOVE YOU TO TAKE A SET OF THESE HOME.

- OH, NEAT!

THAT'S WONDERFUL.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

- YOU'RE VERY WELCOME.

- TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS WONDERFUL SHOP, WE NOW TURN TO SHARON WILHELM AND JANE MITCHELL FOR A TOUR.

- AS YOU COME IN THE FRONT DOOR, THE FIRST THING YOU'RE GOING TO SEE ARE FAT QUARTERS HANGING ON THE LINE.

THOSE ARE THE LATEST FABRICS THAT ARE IN OUR STORE.

AND WHEN QUILTERS VISIT US OVER AND OVER AGAIN, THEY WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE NEWEST THING IS.

AS YOU TURN LEFT, YOU WILL SEE A HUSBAND'S CORNER.

AND THERE WE PROVIDE A PLACE FOR OUR HUSBANDS TO SIT TO READ MAGAZINES.

AND THEN UP THE RAMP, YOU'LL FIND A CHILDREN'S CORNER WHERE THERE'S TOYS TO PLAY WITH.

AND AS OUR CUSTOMERS COME IN AND HAVE CHILDREN, THEY REMEMBER WHERE THAT PLAYHOUSE IS.

SO THEY RUN TO PLAY IN THE PLAYHOUSE, SOMETIMES EVEN CRYING BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO GO HOME.

IN THAT SAME BUILDING, YOU'LL ALSO FIND THAT THERE ARE CHRISTMAS FABRICS THAT ARE HERE YEAR-ROUND.

WE ALSO HAVE BLOCKS OF THE MONTH THAT ARE SHOWN THERE WITH ONE OF OUR FAMOUS MASCOTS, TRIXIE Q.

TRADE.

SHE KNOWS ALL THE TRICKS OF THE QUILTING TRADE.

WE DID A BLOCK A MONTH WITH HER, AND IN THAT SERIES, WE TOLD A STORY.

EACH MONTH, THERE WAS A CHAPTER OF THE STORY WITH A CLIFFHANGING ENDING.

THERE WAS A PATTERN, A TOOL OR GADGET, AND A PACKET OF FABRIC.

THEY WOULD COME FOR THE CLASS, AND WE'D TEACH THEM HOW TO USE THAT TOOL OR GADGET.

THEN WE WOULD READ THE STORY, AND THEY WOULD LEARN HOW TO DO THAT BLOCK OF THE MONTH.

- AND THEN YOU'VE GOT FLANNELS, A WHOLE CORNER OF FLANNELS.

DO YOU THINK THAT'S... - YES, WE DO HAVE FLANNELS.

THEY'RE STILL VERY POPULAR HERE.

IT DOES GET VERY HOT IN TEXAS, BUT THE QUILTERS STILL LIKE THE FEEL AND THE SOFTNESS OF THE FLANNEL.

SO WE DO KEEP IT OUT YEAR-ROUND ALSO.

- AND THEN WHAT THEY'VE ALL COME FOR IS IN THIS ROOM.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR FABRIC DISPLAY.

- WE HAVE BOLTS OF FABRIC ARRANGED IN THE COLOR ORDER OF THE COLOR WHEEL.

IN THE SPRING AND SUMMERTIME, WE HAVE THE LIGHTER FABRICS ON THE TOP SHELF AND THE DARKER FABRICS ON THE BOTTOM.

NOW, WHEN WINTER COMES, WE WANT TO BE WARM AND COZY, SO WE FLIP THOSE FABRICS AND PUT THE DARKER ONES UP ON TOP.

YOU WILL FIND UNDER EACH BOLT FAT QUARTERS FOR THAT BOLT OF FABRIC.

QUILTERS USE THOSE TO DESIGN THEIR QUILTS LIKE A PALETTE, TUBES OF PAINT, AND THEY CREATE THOSE COLORS AND MAKE THEIR QUILTS.

SHOULD THE BOLT OF FABRIC RUN OUT AND WE STILL HAVE FAT QUARTERS, WE PUT THOSE IN THE ORPHAN BIN.

SOMETIMES QUILTERS JUST NEED THAT ONE MORE QUARTER YARD TO FINISH OUT THEIR PROJECT, AND WE HAVE THOSE OVER IN OUR ORPHAN BIN.

WHAT A GREAT CLASSROOM YOU HAVE.

- TELL US ABOUT THE CLASSES.

- WE TEACH CLASSES MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY AND ON MONDAY NIGHT, AND THOSE CLASSES ARE VERY EXCITING.

THE SAMPLES ARE PUT UP ON THE WALL.

A NUMBER IS PUT BESIDE THEM.

YOU CAN LOOK INTO THE CLASS SCHEDULE AND SEE WHAT CLASS GOES WITH WHAT SAMPLE, AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING IN YOUR CLASSES.

TWO PEOPLE RUNNING ONE SHOP.

WHAT IS THE SECRET TO THIS SUCCESS?

THE SECRET TO THAT SUCCESS IS SHARON RUNS THE SHOP.

I COME IN ONE DAY A WEEK WHEN THE RIPS, THE FABRIC RIPS COME.

WE HAVE, WE'RE TOTAL OPPOSITES IN WHAT WE LIKE, SO THEREFORE IT GIVES US A VERY GOOD VARIETY OF FABRIC BECAUSE SHE BUYS WHAT SHE LIKES AND I BUY WHAT I LIKE.

THE REST OF THE TIME I'M AT HOME AND I AM WORKING AT HOME MAKING SAMPLES FOR THE SHOP.

WELL, I THINK IT'S WORKING.

WHATEVER YOU'RE DOING RIGHT, IT'S VERY EXCITING, AND WE APPRECIATE THE TOUR AND LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING ALICE AND IN HER SAMPLER CLASS.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

I MIGHT BE FAR FROM HOME, BUT I FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE IN A SAMPLER QUILT CLASS WITH ALICE WILHOYT.

TELL ME, YOU'RE IN CHARGE OF ALL THESE CLASSES, BUT SPECIFICALLY TODAY THE SAMPLER CLASS.

YES, I AM THE TEACHER COORDINATOR HERE AT SHARON'S QUILT DEPOT, AND WE HAVE 13 TEACHERS.

TODAY I'M TEACHING THE BEGINNERS CLASS BECAUSE THAT'S MY LOVE.

YOU'VE HAD LOTS OF STUDENTS.

I UNDERSTAND YOU DIDN'T KEEP TRACK OF THEM.

NO, I WISH I HAD.

I'VE TAUGHT THOUSANDS OF BEGINNERS, AND I WISH I'D TRACKED EACH ONE OF THEM.

THEY'VE GONE ON TO BECOME TEACHERS THEMSELVES.

THEY'VE WON BLUE RIBBONS.

THEY'VE MADE A REAL IMPACT IN THE QUILTING WORLD.

- YOU START OUT VERY BASIC.

GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT YOU TEACH.

- YES, THE BEGINNERS CLASS CONSISTS OF, FIRST OF ALL, THE DRAFTING, DRAFTING VERY SIMPLE PATTERN.

THEN THE FIRST WEEK IS HAND PIECING.

I BELIEVE THAT ALL BEGINNERS NEED THAT FOUNDATION.

THEN THE SECOND WEEK IS MACHINE PIECING.

THE THIRD WEEK IS HAND APPLIQUE, AND THAT'S MY FAVORITE.

FOURTH WEEK, THEY LEARN HOW TO CUT THEIR SASHINGS AND CORNER SETS AND BORDERS.

AT THAT POINT, I INTRODUCE THEM TO THE ROTARY CUTTER, WHICH MAKES ALL OF OUR LIVES A LOT EASIER.

THE FIFTH WEEK, WE BASTE THE QUILT WITH THE BACKING, BATTING, AND THE QUILT TOP.

THAT'S THE WEEK THEY DON'T HAVE HOMEWORK.

WE DO THAT HERE IN CLASS.

THEN THE SIXTH WEEK, WE'RE HAND QUILTING ON OUR SAMPLER.

EVERY WEEK, THEY ARE BRINGING THEIR HOMEWORK IN AND SHOWING THE RESULTS.

- YES.

ARE THERE ANY PITFALLS ALONG THE WAY?

- I THINK ONE OF THE BIGGEST PITFALLS IS WHEN YOU'RE LEARNING SOMETHING NEW, WHEN YOU'RE TOTALLY GREEN, TOTALLY NEW TO QUILT MAKING, AND THE FIRST CLASS IS JUST REALLY OVERWHELMING.

WHEN YOU GO HOME, AND IT'S LIKE, "WHAT DID SHE SAY?"

SO I PROVIDE A NOTEBOOK THAT HAS SIX CHAPTERS IN IT, AND EACH CHAPTER COVERS WHAT I COVER IN CLASS WITH THEM, SO THEY CAN REFER BACK TO IT.

- THAT'S WONDERFUL.

I UNDERSTAND YOU ALSO MAKE THE EMPLOYEES HERE AT THE STORE TAKE THE CLASS.

- YES.

WE HAVE A LOT OF EMPLOYEES, AND I CAN'T ALWAYS BE HERE IN THE STORE.

WHEN A BEGINNER GETS PANICKED AND DRIVES NEAR TO MCKINNEY TO GET HELP, I WANT HER TO GET IT.

SO EACH EMPLOYEE IS OFFERED A FREE BEGINNER'S CLASS, AND THEN THEY'RE ABLE TO HELP ANY BEGINNER THAT COMES IN.

- GOOD REASON TO WORK AT THIS STORE, RIGHT?

- YES.

THAT'S A BIG PART OF IT.

- THANK YOU, ALICE, FOR A TEXAS SAMPLER UPDATE.

YOU KNOW, THE SPRINGBOARD FOR MANY A QUILTER, THE MAINSTAY OF MANY A TEACHER.

IN QUILT SHOPS, AT COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AND GROUPIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY IS THE SAMPLER QUILT CLASS.

LEARNING THE BASICS THROUGH BLOCK CONSTRUCTION AND APPLIQUE TECHNIQUES ENABLES MANY TO REALLY ESTABLISH A BEGINNING IN THE QUILT WORLD.

MY HOME PIECE SAMPLER HOME WAS CREATED FROM MY FREEDOM ESCAPE CLASS.

WE GAVE OURSELVES A YEAR TO MAKE THE SAME 22 BLOCKS OF OUR OWN CHOOSING, BUT IN VARIOUS COLORS ACCORDING TO EACH QUILTER'S PREFERENCE.

NOW, I CHOSE WHITE AND OFF-WHITE KNOWING I WAS GOING TO HAVE A RED WALL IN OUR LIVING ROOM.

JUST LOOK AT ALL 22 BLOCKS AS THEY FORM THE WINDOWS, THE DOOR, ROOFTOP, AND CHIMNEY FOR A VERY UNIQUE SAMPLER SETTING.

WITH GRANDCHILDREN, THIS LOFT HIDEAWAY BECOMES A SPARE BEDROOM AND JUST LOTS OF FUN.

INSTEAD OF A RUG, MY EXTRA ONE-INCH SQUARES FORM A FLUFFY SOFT FLOOR COVERING.

HAVE YOU MADE A SAMPLER?

I HAVE A HISTORY IN SAMPLERS.

AT THE AGE OF 10, I CAN RECALL DOING EMBROIDERY WORK ON STORE-BOUGHT PRINTED SQUARES.

I ALWAYS THOUGHT HOW CLEVER OF SOMEONE TO MAKE VARIEGATED THREAD FOR THE BUTTERFLY.

MY GRANDMOTHER PUT THAT TOGETHER AS A CHERISHED REMEMBRANCE AND IT WENT TO OUR FIRST GRANDCHILD.

TEACHING SAMPLERS WAS A BEGINNING FOR ME.

I RECALL THAT BLUE DENIM SMALL SAMPLER.

WHY, IT EVEN WON A RIBBON.

I WAS INTRIGUED WITH DRUNKARD'S PATH, SO I TRIED AS MANY WAYS AS I COULD FOR THOSE CURVED PIECES.

IT BECAME A SAMPLER OF SORTS.

MY FIRST LAP QUILTING LESSONS CREATED EITHER 20 PILLOWS OR THE BEGINNING OF A FULL-SIZE QUILT WITH JUST THE CONNECTION TO COMPLETE THE WHOLE QUILT.

THE MORE I TAUGHT, THE MORE ADVENTUROUS I BECAME.

CURVED BLOCKS IN THE CORNERS TO FRAME A QUILT, PRINT BORDERS, SCALLOPED EDGES, THEN BLOCKS OF VARIOUS SIZES.

WHY, EVEN A QUILT DEDICATED TO CONNEMARA, THE CARL SANDBURG HOME IN FLAT ROCK.

BLOCKS SET ON POINT MAKE NEW SETTING CHALLENGES.

MEDALLION ARRANGEMENTS WITH A CENTRAL DESIGN FRAMED BY SAMPLER BLOCKS WAS ANOTHER OPTION.

COMBINING APPLIQUE AND PATCHWORK MEANT FOR GREATER INTEREST AND OF COURSE LEARNING NEW TECHNIQUES.

MY FELLOW QUILTERS ALL STARTED WITH SAMPLERS TOO.

IT'S FUN TO SEE HOW THEY HAVE GROWN AND CHANGED IN THEIR PERSONAL PATCHWORK.

PENNY WERTMANN MADE A CHARMING CHRISTMAS SAMPLER AND THEN WENT TRADITIONAL WITH ROMANCE OF THE ROSES.

LOOK AT JANE HALL'S SIX-INCH BLOCK SAMPLER.

LINDA CANTRELL, THAT'S HER FIRST SAMPLER AND I BELIEVE BARBARA SWEENEY'S FIRST ONE TOO.

THEY HAVE ALL GONE ON TO BECOME PRIZE-WINNING QUILTERS BUT STILL OWE A LOT TO THOSE FIRST SAMPLER STEPS.

AS FOR IDEAS, DON'T FORGET ABOUT BAR SAMPLERS, LOG CABIN SETTINGS, INSPIRATION FROM TURN-OF-THE-CENTURY QUILTS.

REMEMBER, OUR BLOCKS ARE NOT SET IN STONE EXCEPT FOUNTAINS.

THIS ONE MADE BY MR. FERGUSON WHICH GLORIFIES PATCHWORK ON THE CAMPUS OF MARS HILL COLLEGE IN MARS HILL, NORTH CAROLINA.

GET BUSY AND MAKE THAT SAMPLER.

NEXT TIME WE GO TO THE WEST COAST.

SEE YOU THEN.

[MUSIC] ♪ - LAP QUILTING WITH GEORGIA BONESTEEL IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY GRANTS FROM OXMOOR HOUSE, PUBLISHER AND DISTRIBUTOR OF NEEDLEWORK AND CRAFT PUBLICATIONS, INCLUDING AN ASSORTMENT OF QUILT BOOKS AND RELATED PRODUCTS.

BY BERNINA, MAKERS OF SEWING MACHINES MANUFACTURED WITH THE CARE OF TRADITIONAL SWISS WORKMANSHIP.

NOTHING SEWS LIKE A BERNINA.

NOTHING.

BY GAMMILL QUILTING MACHINE COMPANY, OFFERING LARGE THROAT, MOBILE, HAND-GUIDED QUILTING MACHINES.

ADDITIONAL FUNDING BY OMNIGRID, THE ORIGINAL PATENTED BLACK AND YELLOW RULER.

AND THE WARM COMPANY, MAKERS OF WARM AND NATURAL COTTON BATTING AND STEAM-A-SEAM FUSIBLE WEB.