I’m booked in to a Technique Class – Perfecting Circles

I’ve just received confirmation of my enrolment in the AQS Perfecting Circles class which is a full day workshop being held in September. According to the enrolment confirmation I’m going to learn how to create perfect circles and spirals, how to insert circles into background blocks and how to applique *perfect* circles in different ways. Sounds good.

I have my receipt from the rather grand-sounding Symposium Committee and a rather daunting supplies list.

I am reluctant to go out and buy supplies that I might not use again after this course is done. I’ve been down that path way too many times before with various craft classes. So I’m going to buy what I must, make do with what I have and acknowledge that there might be some gaps. After all I have no idea what some of these things even are.

One of the mystery items is templastic, which I assume to be some kind of plastic used for cutting templates. It doesn’t seem to exist at Spotlight and I couldn’t find it on eBay. It probably goes by another name, but I don’t know what that name is. I’m also supposed to bring: clover white marking pen, Karisma wax pencil, permanent pen for marking plastic and pigma pens.

Of all of those, the only one I have is a permanent pen for marking plastic. I also have a Birch red quilters pencil for marking fabric, but that’s it. I can probably rustle up a tailors chalk pencil too, from my old dress-making days and maybe even a plain old lead pencil. But I won’t be rushing out to buy the rest because it will get to be too expensive and I may never use them again. At this stage applique is like a foreign country – somewhere I just read about and think I might like to visit some day.

DIY Pressing Mat

The equipment list also specified a portable pressing mat. I am not paying the silly prices they want for a June Taylor portable pressing mat in this country so I made my own, with a little help from my beloved. I found some useful instructions from Patchwork Posse and a video called Sharon Schamber’s Perfect Pressing Board.

I hope I don’t feel embarrassed turning up to the class with my cobbled together set of equipment and my 1980’s sewing machine in chocolate brown.

Update: I’ve done a little research since writing this post and I now know what a Karisma wax pencil is. I may be wrong about this, but I believe the Karisma brand is no longer available. The Staedtler Chinagraph pencil is the same type of thing and is available at art supply shops. Mine cost AUD $2.20. It seems to be a lot like a crayon encased in wood to make a pencil. Its claim to fame is it can write on anything. Be warned, when you sharpen this pencil, be very careful with the shavings. Those little waxy coloured shavings can move around and make marks where you don’t want them.