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Saturday with Mary Ellen

I went to see Mary Ellen Hopkins on Saturday. Her trunk show/lecture was sponsored by Patched Works, the shop in Elm Grove, WI. She's petite, energetic, funny, and wise. She teaches design concepts, not how-to-make-a-specific-quilt.

"If it's cute, keep going. If it's dumb, quit." (You can abandon a project!) "The simpler the block, the longer you can play with it." "Make the fabric do the work." "Don't match it up; you'll kill it." "Solid black will get you out of all kinds of trouble. It will make your quilt bright and sparkling." No plain vanilla! Have backgrounds with interest in the print--multidirectional lines (angles) (not necessarily stripes) are great. "Buy long." (Long quarters rather than fat quarters, when cutting strips.) If you get stuck or your project isn't turning out: "When something is already done, it's too late. Give it a rest."

and, on getting too uptight: "It's a QUILT. It's not a ticket to heaven."

Great fun, and greater inspiration!

Nann

Reply to
Nann Hilyard
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That sounds like so much fun. One of these days I would like to see/hear MEH. I think that my teaching/quilting philosophy is very close to hers. Quilting should be fun; it doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful and allow yourself to control what you are doing, not let "it" have control. If it works for you, it is "right".

Pati, > I went to see Mary Ellen Hopkins on Saturday. Her trunk show/lecture was

Reply to
Pati Cook

I've heard Mary Ellen on two occassions. Both times my face was hurting by the time it was over. I had a continual smile for over an hour each time.

Reply to
KJ

I have heard over and over of Mary Ellen Hopkins but can't find much about what her technique involves. Can some of you tell me, what is a connection or connector? And what is her method? I have read a lot of interviews and articles, and I'm afraid to buy her books because of bad reviews on Amazon.com of several. I understand she's a dynamic speaker, but what is her quilting method?

Sunny

Reply to
Sunny

Sunny: Mary Ellen's 'method' is to ENJOY quilting! She is a mutilator, who strongly encourages patch workers to improvise and play with blocks. She is NOT one to provide strict project patterns. She does provide suggestions and fantastic ideas.

Connectors are very simple blocks that ME uses to separate more complex blocks, resulting in a unique quilt setting. (Some quilters call these alternate blocks.)

Funny you should mention the connectors ... a few days ago I discovered I own two copies of her book Connecting Up #4. So, Sunny, you don't have to buy a book and not like it. If you send me your snail address, I can send you a copy! If you like it, fine. If not, please pass it along to another quilter.

I'll look for your email! PAT > I have heard over and over of Mary Ellen Hopkins but can't find much

Reply to
Pat in Virginia

does ME MUTILATE quilts?? and people *like* her?? amazing!

Reply to
Jessamy

Sunny: Mary Ellen's 'method' is to ENJOY quilting! She is a dynamic motivator, who strongly encourages patch workers to improvise and play with blocks. She is NOT one to provide strict project patterns. She does provide suggestions and fantastic ideas.

Connectors are very simple blocks that ME uses to separate more complex blocks, resulting in a unique quilt setting. (Some quilters call these alternate blocks.)

Funny you should mention the connectors ... a few days ago I discovered I own two copies of her book Connecting Up #4. So, Sunny, you don't have to buy a book and not like it. If you send me your snail address, I can send you a copy! If you like it, fine. If not, please pass it along to another quilter.

I'll look for your email! PAT > I have heard over and over of Mary Ellen Hopkins but can't find much

Reply to
Pat in Virginia

Reply to
Pat in Virginia

What wonderful concepts, Nann! I saw her on TV some time ago (Simply Quilts?), and she seems like a fun person to be around. :)

Reply to
Sandy

Another thing she recommends is taking your own PPM (personal private measurement). You stich the more complex part of the block, then take its PPM and make the other sizes fit! The think I like about her books is that she looks at complex blocks and tries to figure out an easier way to piece them, using less pieces. I have simplified several projects by using her point of view!

Reply to
Susan Torrens

Reply to
Pat in Virginia

Howdy!

Yee-Haw!

MEH: Isn't she a hoot?! Spending the day with her is fun, funny, educational, reassuring, and did I mention Fun? (How many smoking breaks did she take? ) She's been one of my quilting gurus for years, ever since I first read the "It's Okay If You Sit on My Quilt" book and then heard her say, "It's just quilting!" Indeed! ;-D

Cheers! R/Sandy -- love MEH even tho' she doesn't hand quilt ANYthing

Reply to
Sandy Ellison

Howdy!

Go back to Amazon.com & read the reviews for her "It's Okay" book (except Junior who just doesn't GET it! ). Those reviews (altho' too many focus on "simple") explain pretty well what MEH is about, making quilting easier, more fun, creative, encouraging us to use some imagination, and really working w/ the geometry of quilting (my favorite part besides the handquilting). Using squares & triangles, she shows how to look at a pattern, break it down into a few steps and get it done. When she introduced her method of "find your own seam" which she calls PPM, Personal Piecing Measurement, many quilters who had struggled w/ the 1/4" seam were liberated. Whatever your seam size, when making these basic blocks, keep that seam size consistent thru'out the quilt.

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I've kept my It's Okay book, gave away the Fons&Porter Quilter's Complete Guide, 2 of the standards in quilting; MEH inspires.

R/Sandy --have never let a review, esp. a free > I have heard over and over of Mary Ellen Hopkins but can't find much

Reply to
Sandy Ellison

that darned spell check!

LOL-ing...

Reply to
Jessamy

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