Exclusively Quilters

Exclusively Quilters is a website submitted by Carol R, she says it has many many patterns and it does.  The fabrics are lovely too, I think the peacock panel is unbelieveable.  To find patterns, go down to free section.  If you want to see their newest collections you can check them out too.  The poppies on the home page are pretty spectacular, what is it about poppies that make me want to purchase any fabric with poppies on them.  Enjoy.

Cluck Cluck Sew or How Do You Feel About Chickens?

I thought that title might get your attention!  But really, CluckCluckSew is a nice blog with a good many tutorials that you might like.  Just click on Allison's tutorial button and she has an Easy Double Hourglass quilt, the Orange quilt looks interesting and that fall Pillow with all the leaves is great.  She also has some other block patterns for wonkyblocks and fun stuff.  There is also a section with her patterns that are for sale.  Not sure about the clucking part, but chickens are comforting little critters so maybe that's it or probably she has her own flock.

Whats with the cold this morning?  We had -0, I guess thats worse than just 0...its just plain cold again.  We are dug out from the snow but the driveway is rough.  Freezing, then thawing, then mud, then snow, then freezing.  Not a good thing for driveways.  My husband says I'm the ultimate optimist as he sits surrounded by little tomato, brocolli and basil plants and we have two feet of snow blowed around us.  I don't think its optimism, I'm just a little hopeful thats all.  Hope you all have a great Sunday and spend a little time with your tomato plants too.  Diana

Some weekend patterns to view

I was checking out a site and found these.  The collection put out by Lecien has some terrific patterns, I'm crazy about  the Flower Sugar Woodland Fairies wallhanging and the Lanterns pattern.  Also, the one called From Little Things looks fascinating.  Has anyone used the Cosmo embroidery thread that they feature?

What are you working on this weekend?  Has the snowfall inspired you to start something new, finish up projects, or just get a bit depressed?  I'm trying to finish up projects but looking at my messy sewing room is depressing, got to get out some of those new beautiful bright spring colors.  My granddaughter had her seventh birthday and so I put together her sewing basket.  My other granddaughter helped me pick out fabrics from my stash for her, frogs and flowers, kitties, pet shops, ducks and rainbows, all excellent advice from another seven year old.  Also giving her a first pair of "real" scissors, the razor edge part of the description on the package has me squirming a bit but she's responsible and eager to cut.  No rotary cutting yet, not sure when to start that, what's a good age.

Happy Friday Night!  Some of the bloggers do a Friday Night Sew In and then they post about what they've been up to and get accomplished on that night.  Maybe thats something we can do too?
Diana

AQS - Lancaster Winners Announced

The American Quilter Society Quilt Show & Contest was held in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on March 16-19. The winners have been announced, so if you would like to check out the winning quilts click here, and then once you get to the AQS site, you will see listings of the winners in different categories.  Just click on the quilt names and a picture box will pop up....go enjoy and become inspired by these beauties!

Submitted by Laurie

March Show & Tell

We had a small Show & Tell for our March meeting.  Below, Chris shows a couple lovely wall hangings that she has made.

The "Love" quilt was made from a panel, and she added a couple borders to finish it off.  The quilt below has some curved piecing, and looks like a nice companion to the "Love" quilt.

Sue's "Fish Quilt"  (below) will be donated to Wisconsin's Children's Hospital  in Madison.  The pattern called for button eyes, but since she is donating it to the hospital, for safety reasons she will be adding some fabric eyes to the fish instead. 

What a fun quilt, I am sure it will be enjoyed!

Deb shows the purse she made .

Sweet Easter Project

Easter is coming up, can you believe it with all the snow thats being predicted for us?  I'm not ready for another storm but I don't think Mother Nature cares if we're ready or not, kinda like childbirth.

There is a nice blog called Red Brolly that has a very cute Easter project made especially for those who love to embroider.  You can look at it here .  The blog is very well done and worth taking a look around, its done by a lady named Bronwyn Hayes and I think she's from Australia.  What a great name she has.  You will enjoy looking at the project even if you don't have time to embroider it.

Another blog that I enjoy is Tall Grass Prairie Studio by Jacquie.  She has a lot of tutorials down the right side of her blog which include a fun looking Wonky Logcabin Pillow, Starry Forest Tree skirt and Pocket Change Quilt and much more.

Stay warm and happy quilting.
Diana

BOM's and some really great patterns

Where has the weekend gone?  The nice weather is drawing us outside a bit more and isn't it amazing what the melting snow reveals?  Our dog was a busy little boy this winter...
Here is a link for a mystery quilt and she also designs some really nice patterns that she shares so generously.  Cindy Carter has some fun stuff so go see what she has.

Diana

New Spring Mystery Paper Piecing Series

A new paper piecing series has begun.  Rita has sent this information about a new weekly Spring Mystery paper piecing series.  So if you love a good mystery and paper piecing as well you can check it out here, and then click on free patterns on the sidebar.  This link will also be added to our BOM page. 
Submitted by Rita

National Quilting Day

March 19 is officially National Quilting Day even though the month of March has been made into a quilting month.  Is there someone you can show the joy of quilting this month and pass on the traditions?  Can you get together with friends and just sew because you want to!?  Do you have an extra quilt that you can pass onto someone in need of a hug or just because you care about them?  How about finishing up a UFO or starting a project that you've looked forward to.  These are all ways to celebrate this day or month.

I know many of you sew with daughters or grandkids, how great is that.  Peg just recently sent me a photo of her granddaughter sewing on her first quilt, what a sweetheart!  (Both of them!)  It doesn't get better than that.  One of my granddaughters has a birthday this month and she told her dad to tell me that she wanted her own "sewing kit" for her birthday.  How fun will that be for me to buy...finally I'm getting her the real stuff, real scissors, needles, etc.  She likes to hand sew already and the girls fight over the Featherweight.  Quilting is a communicable disease!

There is also an official Quilting Day quilt pattern offered as a free download.  If you like log cabins you'll love this.  Its called Build Your Own Log Cabin and designed by Barbara Harrell.  Check it out.

Rhoda's Dancing Diamonds Off to Paducah!

I entered the Dancing Diamonds in last October's Quilt Show and most of you saw it when Donna brought it to the guild and showed  it since I was back in Nevada then.  The entry to the AQS show in Paducah had to be in by January 2, which is a stretch with Christmas and New Year's and all.  The pictures were to be on a CD and include one of me along with pics of the quilt along with the $25 entry fee.  I did front, back of the quilt and close up of the quilting as that really makes it.  Then they said the letters would be out March 11, which is today (Friday).  Monday a big envelope came and it began CONGRATULATIONS!  The jury has accepted your entry Dancing Diamonds for further consideration in the AQS Quilt Show and Contest in Paducah, Kentucky, April 27-30, 2011.  Your contestant name badge and ribbon are enclosed.

Needless to say I was VERY surprised and excited.

Then there were more forms to fill in and design permissions to obtain along with more money for shipping the quilt back and money to order the show catalogue.  I sent these off today.

I have permission from the quilt pattern designer, and the quilter. (Diana)

Along the way I contacted the pattern company to learn about the pattern designer and also learned about batik fabrics from an article sent to me by Mary Scott of Bold Over Batiks in St. Paul who put the pattern together with the batik fabrics which I used to make the quilt.

So wait and see what happens next.  Here is how it came to be.

Quilt Pattern designed by Sheryl Mycroft of Random Threadz in Kalispell, Montana.

Fabric from Bold Over Batiks in St. Paul MN (Mary Scott) made in Malaysia.

I bought the kit minus the black fabric from Quiltique here in Henderson, NV.

Started it at Homestead Retreat in Hillpoint, WI.

Diana Napier quilted it (Silver Hill Quilting) in Mountain, WI.

I finished the binding in Lakewood, WI and entered it in the Pineneedle quilters Quilt Guild, where it tied for  third place.

Detail of quilting.

So, I have to put a black sleeve on the back per AQS instructions before I send off the quilt between April 1 and April 8 to Paducah.

I must say this group is extremely organized.  I have already received an email from Erin Ulrich asking if I have any questions.  Winners are chosen by the evening of April 26. Keep your fingers crossed.

Pretty exciting, and I am excited,

Rhoda E.

Quick Cute quilt

Here is a link to a really sweet, easy quilt pattern.  Think of a quick present for a birthday or a baby quilt all from your stash...And CrazyMom Quilts designed it for us to use.  That one layout reminds me of a rail fence or is it fence rail, never remember that one.  Anyway, I think you could finish it in a weekend.

Just a reminder, take a look at all the shows coming up. If you get to some of these quilt shows, maybe you'd like to submit a short article about the show.  Take pictures of yourselves and if you get pictures of quilts, can you ask permission if we post them on our blog, I think that would be polite.  Also, if you do any road trips to shops, write an article for us and maybe you can get permission to take a photo of the shop. Most owners are proud to have their shop featured on blogs. For those who can't make all the shows or shop as much as they'd like, it can be fun to  live through your journeys.  Are their trends that you see in the shops now?  Inquiring minds would like to know.

Why Do We Quilt?

This is a topic I've been thinking alot of lately.  As waves of political chasms sweep our state, world disorder seems to be the norm and now natural disaster strikes yet again, this time in Japan; I beat a hasty retreat to my upstairs and the sanctuary of my sewing room.  It looks like chaos in my room but I can reach over and find the fat quarter that I knew was there, the pattern that I needed today and that pincushion with just the right needles poked in it.  There is a great relief in my organized disorganization and after all, I am in charge in this place. I control the fabrics, the colors, my choice of threads and what I will put my time into.  With one sweep of my hand, I can dismiss one project and happily start another.  I can't think of anywhere else I can do this, so I think that is why I quilt.  Not to make wonderful quilts for my family (though that is a great side effect of this obsession), not to use up my stash or even totally as a creative outlet.  I think I like the control, I am the queen of my little quilting kingdom!

So that is my weekend question.  Why do You quilt?  Are you the queens of your little kingdom too?  Please leave some comments as I think it will be really interesting to read responses.
Thanks.
Diana, Queen of the Realm of Tangled Threads and Tiny Scraps

Drunkard's Path Quilt - The Easy Way!

Enjoy, I plan on using this technique myself!  You can check out their website and they have a lot of the Layer Cakes, Jelly Rolls, and the rulers that she always mentions.  I think her videos are great.  What do you think?

Diana

Judy's Hen House

Our guild had a pincushion contest this month and Judy S was the winner with her delightful cluster of chickens.  Each was unique and named and pretty funny. 

Blogger finally let me post two of the photos she sent me, one was rejected by served with and ! exclamation mark, whatever that means.  The whims of the internet continues to confuse me but I feel happy to get these two for you.  If anyone else has photos of the pincushions that they'd like to share, please email in and thanks.

Stay warm and stay safe in this current snow storm, don't you just love it?

Fast Pinwheels

There are a lot nice videos on You Tube. This one looked fun.

Judy S sent me some nice photos of her chicken pincushions but Blogger hasn't let me upload them. I will try later today.

How did the sewing session go yesterday? I had a sore throat and sinus stuff going on and was unable to make it so missed you guys and then missed Moonlight Quilters too. Not a good day. Hope you accomplished a lot on our mystery quilt and I'm anxious to get the third page of clues.
Diana

Beauty In Unexpected Places

Your "wandering president" has returned from her travels to North Carolina.  I was able to check the blog along the way to see what was happening while I was away...was even able to leave a comment.  It was nice to be able to stay updated and in touch that way.  I had a nice time and the scenery was wonderful, and even worked a couple quilt shops in along the way, as I couldn't just quit my quilting "cold turkey"!  Besides my planned "quilt fixes", I also found quilts in some unexpected places...we stopped into a neat place for a lunch in Beaufort, N.C. called Clawson"s.  The restaurant is located in what used to be an old 5 & 10 cent store. 

To my delight hanging from the ceiling was little antique quilt show!  I thought of all of you, and wanted to share it with you when I got back home!  It was a pleasant surprise to find these beauties.

What a lovely stained glass window; a fitting backdrop for these lovely treasures!

                                             

I especially liked this ship quilt, as the town of Beaufort is located right on the Atlantic, and has a rich history involving shipping, and Blackbeard himself!

May you find beauty in unexpected places!

Laurie

Crazy about Buttons

Just in case you have time to look at something really different, check out these button creations here.  These are pretty unbelieveable!  I love the ones with the chiffon fabrics, etc. around them. 
Diana

Even more Show and Tell

Here are two quilts by Leah G. being held up by Marge since Leah was unable to attend but we were sure glad she sent her quilts!  These are part of her 2.5" strips projects and they both were stunning.

 Barb V. showed us two quilts, one was an Over the River and Through the Woods embroidered masterpiece.  What a labor of love and then one called A Ribbon Runs Through.

 Carol showed us a great springtime quilt called The Egg Came First.  Just cute with embroidered chicken tracks in the border.

Sue G. finished up her Calendar Quilt and then really jazzed it up with sunflower applique.  It made it truly unique.

 
 Judy S. displayed her her pint size quilt, I call them her "Big Littles" as it takes a big amount of time to make such a little quilt but what terrific results!  The Pint Size gals are quite organized and get a lot done.
I believe this is Judy's BOM by Earlene Fowler from 2002, feels good to get that one done too I bet. 
 
 Here is Judy's Community Service block quilt, really nice.

 Karan V showed us a couple of her purses that she completed.

 Also Karan had a lovely tablerunner.

 Here she is showing her Bear sweatshirt designed for the purpose of taking walks out by her place which happens to be populated by quite a few bears...

This is Karan's spectacular Amish Quilt that she made with panels, quite a way to use panels!  It was very graphic and interesting, loved all the black bars of this quilt.

Bold Kathy T. displayed a a colorful and fun quilt done in bright batiks, she said it was sewed by her daughter Jenny and herself as a joint venture.  This reminds me of summer for sure.  No such luck with our snowy weather though.  Hope you snowbirds are happy!

I would like to get a couple pictures of the runners from Deanna's retreat as I was in the pictures and unable to take them so could someone send me them via our email?  Also, I forgot to get photos of the pincushion contest, my bad...but maybe someone took some of our cute pincushions at least of the winner who happens to be Judy S.  Congratulations on her fine flock of hens that gave us all a laugh.  There were some really creative cushions shown.  Now I only need pictures. 

Diana

More Show and Tell

Here are more photos from the February Show and Tell of Pine Needle Quilters. 

 Terri H put a lot of us to shame with the huge number of items she completed, each one as beautiful as the next too.  I'm not sure if I have all the names of each project correct but one was a UFO called Dixie.

I'm pretty sure this is her Valentine Runner.

 I believe this one is called Country BOM.

 This is a 4-Patch Posie.

 And one of Terri's quilts was called Country Windmill, I know I have some of these labeled correctly but a couple I'm unsure of so forgive me if I mess up a bit.  I will try and post some more later today so you can view them this evening now that the weekend is about to start.  I've noticed that we get our most traffic on the weekends.
Diana

Show and Tell from February Meeting

Finally the weather cooperated and we were able to meet.  We usually have a wonderful show and tell but with the UFO Club ending, it was even better than ever.  I am going to try and post a few photos every day or every other day until I post all of them.

 This is Mary G's Scrap Quilt.  I wish I had been able to take my photos a little closer but I'm afraid of standing in front of someone's view.  Next time I will get closer.

 Mary also completed this spectacular log cabin quilt that she calls Dove Log Cabin, it has a dove quilted in the center to represent a passed family member, a lovely tribute.

 Donna L completed a very old UFO which is a deer wallhanging.  She said it was laid aside and left unfinished until this year because the fusible was gummy and gummed up her needle.  She did finish it though!

 Joan H completed a lovely purple quilt called Stairway to the Stars, this quilt was started in a class.

She also showed up her wonderful Bargello quilt, the colors were great and of course a bargello pattern is always so dramatic.  Carol got to be in every photo, lucky her!  Just a great peak at our Show and Tell.