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.