Thursday, April 18, 2013

Accuquilt GO!

Tonight I went to an Accuquilt GO! class at Out of Hand Needle Arts. I plunked myself down by two lovely ladies, Margaret and Maureen. (Hi ladies!) It's always great to meet people who love something as much as you do! It was nice to be welcomed and encouraged about the classes there. This was my first one, but Maureen has and says that they are great! I will be looking forward to the new classes coming up and hope to try my hand at needle-turn applique. I do like some hand stitching!

I went to take their class on "Accuquilt Acumen" by Jeneane Whyte for tips and tricks on how to use the GO! I bought mine there in January and have used it, but thought that I could use some more info and advice on what to do with it to really utilize it! It's always great to get into a group where you hear ideas from other people. I was listening intently and thinking to myself, "I never thought of that!", "what a great idea!", "ohhhh....and I could do......" All in all, it was a great class! Of course I had to come home with some more dies!

I was worried about the cutting mats being wrecked, but Jeneane showed us some mats that were warped. She said, "As long as you can't see the light of day coming through, it's good to use!" That made me feel better because I was worried that I was doing it wrong. When you cut with the Accuquilt GO! you CAN see the cuts into the plastic. I was worried that I was ruining it. The mats are designed that way, and you can use it over and over again. That in itself was worth going to class! I'm so glad that I took the time to go and I'm feeling much better about the investment of the dies. They really are not too bad if you buy them one at a time and once in a while. You will use them for many years to come!


Deirdre, was kind enough to order in the "feather" die for me and I thought the flower die would come in handy as you can also cut the petals separately for use as leaves and other embellishments! I learned about cutting wool with the GO! so I may have to have my hand at creating a little penny rug or something! I'm allergic to wool though, so I wonder how that will work with my hands? Will I break out? Start wheezing or the like? Never know until I try I guess. Cotton has been a pretty safe bet for me, but I sure do like the creations from wool!

Deirdre tries to have this class every session, so if you are thinking of buying an Accuquilt GO! it's worth going to the class to find out how they work! You get to try it out and look at the dies up close and personal, rather than peering through a package. You get great tips on how to use them (other than just the photo on the cover of the packaging!)

Happy Quilting Everyone!

2 comments:

Karen said...

Hi,
I am wondering if after using yours for awhile if you think that it would be a good for me. I am having trouble with tendonitis or carpo tunnel (or maybe both, going to doctor soon). I am having great trouble using a rotary cutter. Causes me too much pain. Didn't know if cranking the Go would be as bad.
Thanks,
Karen

Margo said...

Hi Karen! I have issues with my left hand that they diagnosed with arthritis. I too thought it was carpal and I hate cutting because of it. Even though I use my right hand, just leaning on the ruler with my left hand hurts! Just so you know ... my three year old grandson can crank the handle of the Accuquilt GO! and he loves it and wants to cut MORE! Its a big investment, but I figure it will pay for itself through the years. Watch for sales and do your homework as to the dies you can use over and over again. I also put dies on my wish list for Christmas and birthdays. Good luck and let me know how it is going! I can certainly relate!
Margo