AQSG Seminar

All I can say is that I had such a fantastic time at the AQSG seminar last weekend that I didn’t take ONE photo! My head was spinning so fast catching up with old friends, meeting new ones and viewing fabulous antique quilts and textiles that I didn’t even think about pictures. Luckily some people did! Cyndi (Busy Thimble) took this one of Barb (Fun with Barb) and I in front of Barb’s fantastic charm quilt. 

I was so excited to meet up with some of my Blogging friends in person. Cynthia (Wabi Sabi Quilts), Dawn (Collector with a Needle), and Sandra Starley (Textile Time Travels).

We saw some fantastic fabrics in the swatchbooks from the Manchester Historical Association. I highly recommend a visit to the Millyard Museum and their research center. I learned so much about the mill and the local history. 

If you join the AmericanQuilt Study Group, you can see lots of great images on the AQSG Facebook page. 

If you are remotely interested in quilt history and antique textiles, you will want to become a part of this fabulous organization. The seminar will be in Bethesda, MD next year. With so much rich history and so many wonderful museums in the area, you will not be disappointed. Just remember to take photos!!

Wait a Minute Mr. Postman!

I had not one, but two delightful surprises in the mail today. My mug rug from Randy’s (Barrister’sBlock) swap arrived today and I must say Mona (no blog) outdid herself. Sorry Mona, but if you think I am placing my icky coffee cup on this gem, your mistaken. This is going in a place of honor on my sewing room wall. I adore it.

And look what else was in the package. An adorable log cabin key chain and handmade fabric clip. Mona calls herself a “lurker” to my blog so she knew how much I love yellow. Look at these fantastic fabrics. Delicious! 

My second package of the day was from Rose (Something Rose Made) who had e-mailed me a photo of this fabric and asked if I had it in my collection. Not only did I not have it, I had never even seen it. So… you can imagine how happy I was that she sent it to me. I have been searching for a fabric for the circles in my alternate blocks in my Noah and Matilda quilt. This one could not be more perfect. Since I am calling this Noah and Matilda’s Ruby Anniversary Cake, the overlapping circles will represent their wedding rings. Just perfect!

And as if this weren’t enough, Rose sent me these two stilettos that she made. Fantastic! 

Thanks Mona and Rose for making my day! 

I'm off to the AQSG seminar on Thursday and I hope to see many of you there. Cyndi (Busy Thimble) and I would like to meet up with our fellow bloggers for lunch on Friday. Let us know if you can make it!

Quiltfolk does it again!

I received my Quiltfolk issue #4 and read it cover to cover in two short nights. I just couldn’t put it down. This issue covers East Tennessee and features 3 of my favorite quilt people; the historian extraordinaire, Merikay Waldvogel;

quilt historian, quiltmaker and all around wonderful lady, Bets Ramsey;

and my quilt idol Linda Roy.

I was lucky to have met Merikay and Bets in the mid 80’s in my early days of AQSG. They were both so helpful to me as a newbie in the organization.

I have not yet met Linda Roy, but I hope to remedy this someday soon. I have adored her quilts for many years. 

The entire magazine is well written and filled with glorious images of quilts and people.

I have heard many comments about how “pricey” it is to subscribe. I would describe them as high quality paperback books which puts the cost in perspective. Any way you look at it, I’m pretty sure you will not be disappointed.

Check it out! Quiltfolk 

Oops, I did it again!

Guess I need to stop the 4:00 a.m. stitching! Two errors in one week, sheesh! I have precut all my backgrounds and bindings for my Noah and Matilda sew-a-long blocks. I grabbed what I thought was the right binding for this one, but… oh no! 

In my defense, they are quite similar, but not close enough to let it ride. 

My blocks are adding up. 

Only 32 to go! And then we have all the alternating blocks and the border blocks and...

I have cheated madly on some of them. I like to let the fabric do the work. I "modified" the pattern to incorporate this great neon print. (o.k., in this case it was really because I didn't want to applique all those layers!). 

I love how this Jo Morton fabric really looks like a cactus.   

People often ask if I cut out the backs of my applique. I do if the piece is large enough and if I want to quilt around it. Do you? 

I modified this one slightly as I wanted a splash of green and figured I could just add it to the center. I love this purple and black neon print! It is much brighter than it appears in the photo. 

I hope you all have a day of mistake free stitching!

Potholder Quilt Class

I taught a potholder quilt class over the weekend with a group of wonderful ladies from Evergreen Quilters in Kennebunk, Maine.

 I love teaching this method and watching student’s reactions to my little tidbits of information. These ladies were right on top of things as a few of them had already made a group potholder quilt.

 Thanks ladies for a fun day of potholder quiltmaking!

I participated in a fun little "Mug rug" swap with Randy of Barrister's Block, now that it has been received. I made a dual holiday mug rug with Halloween on one side and Christmas on the other. I have been careful not to join in too many swaps and sew-a-longs, but this was really doable!

I have made some progress on my Noah and Matilda blocks and Kevin's Sapphire Stars mystery quilt and will hopefully post some photos soon. I love Fall, but the shorter days do cause a bit of a problem in the photography department. I have to save all my photo taking for the weekend. Stay tuned!