Atkinson Event and A Giveaway!

What great fun we all had at the Terry Atkinson Event that Sew On-Sew Forth sponsored earlier this month. I have put together a short (2 minute) video of some photos from the day.[My very first video!]



Terry's books and patterns were well represented by the entries for the sewing machine giveaway. I'm sure you are all wondering who won the sewing machine that Sew On-Sew Forth was giving away in honor of Terry Atkinson's visit. Drum roll please ... the winner was ...

Darla from Buffalo.She made the Breadbox Bag from Terry Atkinson's bag book Big Bags little bags. The bag had hand sewn crystal beads and crystal bead handles. (My photography doesn't do it justice!)

In honor of Terry's event here in Rochester, I have decided to have a giveaway of my own. You have the opportunity to win one of the following:

Terry's newest quilt pattern: Fire Escape

Terry's newest table topper / tree skirt pattern: Happy Holidays

Terry's bag book: Big Bags little bags

or Terry's latest book on bags and table toppers: Let's Do Lunch

Here's the scoop (what you need to do to be entered)...
1. Write a comment on this post for one entry.
2. For a second entry, become a follower of my blog and then write another comment on this post letting me know you are a new follower.
3. If you are already a follower, just remind me in a separate comment on this post.
4. Blog about the giveaway and link back to my blog, leave another comment on this post for a third entry.
5. For a fourth entry, tell me what you would like to see on my blog and leave me a comment on this post :).

Each comment on this post must be separate so you will have 4 chances to win if you do every item! They all must be individual comments so that I can keep track.

***You must also have a way for me to contact you, email or blog is fine.***

The giveaway will remain open until Midnight EST on December 16. I will do the drawing on December 17, 2009.

Good Luck to everyone!!

Tuesday Night Quilters

Last night the Tuesday Night Quilters met. (Do we need a more original name than that or what?) We all had a quick bite to eat and then it was time for Show and Share.

Lisa and Katie just finished up a craft show this past weekend. I attended the show in Henrietta and all I have to say is Wow! There was lots of variety and really something for everyone. Here is a really cute tote that Katie had at the show. Any avid birder would want this tote.
Katie also had this adorable Advent Calendar. What a cute idea. How much fun it would be to search for the date to find a little something in the pocket in anticipation for Christmas?

Kristine, who was new to our group this evening brought along this dramatic Babbles and Beads quilt. I believe her husband choose the border fabric. How's that for support on a project?

Pattie brought along her finished top of our Keyboard Kaleidoscope quilt project. What a great idea to use a stripe fabric for the keyboard, don't you think?

Pattie also brought along a terrific looking Happy Holidays table topper. It just needs a binding and it will be perfect for my kitchen!
Seeing Pattie's table topper reminds me that Terry Atkinson will be here in Rochester this Friday! I'm soooooo excited; I can't wait!

If you have any ideas for a more original name for our Tuesday Night Quilters; please leave me a comment and I'll be sure pass the ideas on. Thanks.

GVQC - Genesee Valley Quilt Club

This past Thursday, the monthly meeting of the GVQC started to gather around 9am. This photo only shows about a quarter of the activity taking place before our business meeting which starts at 10:15.

There are several activities happening during that hour and fifteen minutes. I'll share just a few with you.

Our club has monthly workshops that are put on by our guest speaker for that month. Here you see Nancy explaining to Karla (a new member), about some of the upcoming workshops.

Each month our guild has a monthly raffle, ($1 per chance) to benefit some aspect of our guild. The quilt each month is donated by a member. Here you see Margaret, in her fancy hat, selling tickets for that beautiful Christmas quilt behind her. This months winner was Patti Goodwin. The club raised over $200 for our Comfort Quilt Committee.

Quilt basting was taking place near the back of the room. Lynn, Beth, Ann and Meg were busy placing stitches in Ann's quilt.


Once the business meeting started it was packed with tons of information.
Our guild had decided to dedicate some of our money to co-sponsoring with the Arts Council of Greater Rochester, grants for fiber artists. What a wonderful idea and it will be great fun to see who applies for the grants.
We again were sponsoring the quilt group which is under the auspices of Compeer, a local peer mentoring group here in Rochester. All funding has been cut severely here in New York state for such organizations, and it is wonderful that the guild saw fit to give a very generous donation to them as well!

A major announcement that took place during the business meeting was:

Yes, the 2011 Genesee Quilt Fest will be held at RIT on June 3, 4 and 5. Lisa Feor, Julie Brandon, and myself will be joined by Val Schultz as the quilt show chairs. We are all so very excited! If you want to see what our 2009 show looked like, take a look at my June Post.

After the business meeting, we had Show and Tell. What wonderful, beautiful quilts were shown. Here are just a couple:



... and then Ann showed us her beautiful quilt that was being basted. She is certainly one of our star hand quilters! She is an expert in all phases of applique and quilting. I can't wait to see this done - her hand quilting is exquisite! The border design she appliqued here is based on her Welsh roots.



Everyone took a break for lunch before our guest speaker took the floor. Paula Schultz who owns a shop called Cotton, Etc. near Oneida,NY was our speaker Thursday. She is a wearable artist and did a trunk show for us. She spoke on her inspirations, and showed a variety of garments. Paula encouraged each of us to enter juried competitions and challenges.

To round out the afternoon, several other groups,(Vintage Quilt Study, Fiber Artist, In-house Workshops) got together after Paula was finished. It is always a very fun filled day at GVQC.

Blank Day: Fabric Speaks

This past weekend in Spencerport, NY at Betty's Quilting Etc. Dolores Joshua the Blank Fabric representative paid a visit. Dolores was nice enough to spend her Sunday afternoon showing us all of the latest and greatest that Blank Fabric has to offer. Nancy Dill, the owner of Betty's Quilting Etc. wanted her customers to help decide what we (the customers) would like Betty's to carry. I thought this was a great idea. It's lots of fun for the customers, Nancy gets a better idea what her customers like and Dolores get to hear feedback from quilters who buy Blank Fabric.

Dolores said that for the first time in quilt history, designers today are dedicated to designing for quilters in mind. Quilters are not needing to use the scraps from dresses, shirts or other clothing, as they did in the 30's, to make and design quilts.

Dolores introduced the "KISS" quilt concept to the group. Keep It Simple Sewing quilts. These are Opportunity quilts. Quilts that we all need and want to make for charity, for someone who we may work with whose daughter's friend had a baby and we feel the need to make a quilt for them as a gift. She also suggested to listen to the fabric, let the fabric speak to you.

Here are a couple of great quilt tops with this concept in mind:

This Coverlet fabric line designed by Mary Koval, for Blank Fabric makes a great looking Opportunity quilt. The entire center of this quilt is one piece of fabric. Can you imagine how impressive this top will be once it is quilted? Wouldn't you be pleased to give this top away?
This next Opportunity quilt uses the Shade Cascade line from Blank Fabric. What a stunning two or three hour to piece baby quilt for that co-worker's daughter's friend; don't you think?

How about using a black and white print, some Pentel Fabric Fun crayons, that you heat set to make this exquisite Opportunity quilt?
Or maybe you want to create a quilt with a little more piecing for someone using some black and white fabrics from Blank. Here is a really striking quilt that has had a few select blocks colored again using those Pentel Fabric Fun crayons.


What about creating a patch posies/kaleidoscope quilt without all the extra work by using Blank's Iris Fantasy fabric line.

Here Dolores shows us the fabric board for Mirabella in a beautiful blue and yellow combo.

This quilt made from the Mirabella fabric line from Blank Fabric, is called Irish Reel and can be found at QuiltWoman.com. You will notice that Nancy is pointing to the points; or should I say lack of points on this quilt next to the inner border. The construction of this quilt is all made in straight square rows - not on point. So if you are not real fussy about cutting points off near the border, and you want an easy pattern to make then this may be just the one.

Here are just two more fabric boards, out of the dozens that we saw on Sunday.
Garden Party fabric line:
Deco Rose fabric line would make a really fantastic Stack-n-Whack quilt:

I just thought this bag that Dolores showed from Cheryl Burgess called Show and Tell was a neat bag to carry all your quilts to a guild meeting. There is an open ended zipper on the top.

Dolores Joshua from Blank Fabric gave an informative and thought provoking presentation. I encourage all of you who happen to be lucky enough to have Dolores for your Blank Fabric representative to have her give a presentation in your shop for your customers. If you are a customer why not ask your shop to have Dolores for an afternoon; so you too can learn all about how to listen to what the fabric is saying.

Be sure to leave me a comment and let me know which Blank Fabrics you like and how you might use them.

Giveaway from Quilt Market

Jackie from Canton Village Quiltworks is having a giveaway on her blog ... hurry over and comment to win! There is not much time left to enter. She is giving away 5 really neat prizes ... including a Moda Sampler Box (brand new item),
layer cake and jelly roll, a book and more...
I must say I really do want the layer cake and jelly roll! Love Chez Moi.