Meeting Carrie Nelson!

Nicole and I arrived at the Buggy Barn early Monday for our first day of classes, hoping we could stake out a good seat and vy for teacher's pet.  Into the Buggy Barn walks Carrie Nelson, just like a regular person!!!  Well, of course, she *is* a regular person, but to me and Nicole, she is a ROCK STAR!!!

If you have ever made a Miss Rosie's pattern, Carrie was just as funny, warm, and friendly as she comes across in her charming pattern descriptions.  The classes both days were much smaller than I imagined - only about 12 or 13 students.  This allowed us lots of room to spread out, and also lots of one-on-one time with Carrie - including having her at our lunch table on Tuesday!

The kits that the Buggy Barn put together for Carrie's 2 new designs were fabulous (I heard Carrie say a number of times that she wanted a kit too!) and the patterns were very typically Carrie - tradition with a twist and very scrappy.

The first day we worked on a design she calls Jellystone - a fabulous stylized bear paw.  Here are my first 3 blocks - not much to see, but we spent a good amount of time cutting and didn't get a whole lot of sewing done in the class.

This bear paw was a little tricky, further complicated by the diagram in the pattern which was shaded incorrectly.  Many people in class had trouble getting the paw unit to come out right, including poor Nicole.  She finished her first one, and seeing as how we were front and center, Carrie picked up Nicole's block to show the class, then pointed out that the pieces had been oriented wrong.  Carrie handed the block back to Nicole and said "This can be your humilty block."  Nicole immediately muttered under her breath, "I am NOT having a humility block!"  I wish I had a recording as it was the funniest thing I've ever heard!  Nicole soon got back in a rhythm and I know she completed more blocks than I did!

We were able to get the kits for our Tuesday class and took them home to do our cutting, so we were able to just sit and sew the following day.  No photos of the second quilt because I didn't think you would find my 3 little finished 9-patches very exciting to look at.  The quilt is actually really simple, but the fabric choices and the setting make it very charming.  The blues Carrie used in hers are the fabulous florals from Moda's Chocolat collection, although our kits contained fabrics from the Roman Holiday line.  I'm adding a few of the Chocolat florals to make my borders a little more scrappy.

Since blocks we worked on Tuesday were a gazillion 9-patches, it was a much more relaxed day.  We spent lots of time visiting and talking to our idol.  Carrie's aunt Marilyn was also at the classes both days (she lives in Washington state) and in talking to her, I discovered we used to belong to the same guild, although our paths never crossed.

The ladies of Reardan's Presbyterian Church fixed us the most fabulous, gourmet lunches and desserts both days.  We were truly pampered!  Carrie also had many of her finished quilts on display in the classroom, and gave each of us a new little Schnibbles pattern that has not yet been released!  My quilt shop coworkers are GREEN with envy.

When we packed up to leave on the last day, I was in the hallway of the church and Carrie came out and gave me a huge bear hug and told me how nice it was to meet me.  I have a serious girl crush on Carrie, and also on Nicole - they are both the nicest people ever and I wish we could meet every week and just sit down and sew together!

More update after this weekend when I can get a little more unpacking done and show some of the wonderful fabrics I bought at the Buggy Barn.