Timna Tarr at Marc Adams School of Woodworking on Off the Wall Friday

This is why we asked Will for more tables!

 Is anybody surprised that a week after getting home, not only am I just feeling normal again but my
studio is not unpacked?  Gosh!!  There it all sits in the middle of the room just waiting to get back to its proper place.  It really was a great class....exhausting...but great.  After spending 2 years isolating it was so odd to be around people for most of the day!

Back in the early 90s, Marc Adams had the vision to start a woodworking school in the middle of a cornfield in Indiana.  Since then it's grown to 100's of classes given annually from March - October by world-class teachers.  On top of that, he's been adding alternative crafts to the schedule so that family and friends can join their favorite woodworker.  That's where Timna Tarr came into play.

Timna Tarr  is a quilter, teacher, fabric designer, and now an author.  Her book, Stitched Mosiac Quilting comes out in August (taking preorders now).  What I loved about this class was the technique wasn't terribly hard but you could make it as easy or complicated as you wanted.  Everyone was using the same technique but all of our projects looked totally different.  Honestly, after I finish this one, I want to explore what else I can do with it.  

Timna's Example - Seriously how did she do that???

Why I Recommend taking a Timna Tarr Class

• She's nice...no I mean it ... she's really nice.  In this world of division, Timna has learned the skill of being kind, thoughtful, and supportive.  I'm personally annoyed I couldn't take her home with me and make her my new best friend.  The remarkable thing is I bet that everyone in the class felt that way.  
• She knows how to meet her students at their skill level.  If I was going to be honest, I didn't need a lot of help figuring out colors and values and such....what I did need was encouragement and cheerleading.  Timna was there all week and never looked too tired to do it.  
• She knows her technique.  This lady knows this technique inside and out.  She makes it look super easy - which it is NOT (go figure).   She always had the time to show you exactly how to get the look we wanted.
• She's enthusiastic.  You can tell she loves what she does and that is infectious.  I never got the feeling like she was the teacher and we were all below her as the students.  It was more like we're all in this together kind of atmosphere.  Her attitude never changed from 8 in the morning to 6 at night.

So if you get a chance, take a class with Timna virtually or I would highly suggest it in person.  (Did I mention how nice she is?)

Now a little about Marc Adams School of Woodworking

• It truly is woodworking paradise.  They have all the best equipment, all the best teachers and the best spaces to work.  My husband truly loves it.  Just ask him.  He'll tell.  A lot! I mean really, don't ask him about the school unless you have some time on your hands! (grin)
• Lunch, snacks, drinks (coffee, tea, fountain pop, water) are included with your tuition.  The food was great and you won't go hungry.  They accommodated my blasted food allergies easily.
• They have their own ice-cream machine - yes you read that right  - their own ice cream machine that you can use any time of the day.  Our class decided that 3 o'clock was renamed ice-cream o'clock.  (I got that tip from my husband who could live on the stuff!)
• Classes go from 8 am - 6 pm with all machine equipment shut down after 6. Then  people are allowed to use the building as late as they want for hand, design work or socializing.  Luckily sewing machines could be run after 6...BUT let me tell you that is a LONG day to sew.  That is a long day for Timna to teach!
• Tuesday night is considered pizza night and if covid allows lecture night where the teachers share their work. (that is included as well)
• Our classroom came with a "Will".  Will kindly checked on us periodically during the day to make sure we had all we needed.  Funny how every time he came the first couple of days we asked for more tables.  He also did a lot of the cleaning up at the end of the week since at the school you are expected to leave the room as you found it.
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  Our Class 

  
  
• The school has artwork and samples throughout.  Plus it has a media room and a library of woodworking books.  A lot of Gabriel Lehman's work is featured ... that's how we ended up with his painting on our wall,
• The school employs a photographer to  document your week.  All the photos from this post were taken by Diane who does an excellent job!  Each student gets a class photograph plus a wooden nameplate to take home as a souvenir.  The nameplate has the class and date on it.  Paul has 22 of them  - I now have my own!
• Marc does have some rooms to rent in nearby houses, but other than that you'll have to find a place to stay.  With bed and breakfasts nearby, airbnb etc it's not that hard.  There are plenty of places to eat within a few miles.

Paul working on his Apprentice Class Designing me a Table

To tell you the truth the only thing I would have liked is a rolling, secretary chair that would go up and down for my 5 ft self.  I was too low all week even with a pillow under me.  

So that's my story of how I took a great art quilt class at a woodworking school in Indiana.  

Marc asked our class for suggestions of other quilt classes and teachers we would like to see come to the school.  I have my ideas but I was wondering if you had any?  Please leave them in the comments!!

So What Have Been Up to Creatively?

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