Many Hands Make Many Blocks

Hello Everyone, 
You might remember I mentioned in an earlier post about the Irondequoit Quilt Club making quilt blocks to be pieced into quilts for Wounded Warriors at Fort Drum, NY.  The guild gave those who wanted to make blocks each month a fat quarter each of red, blue and white fabrics. I have completed two blocks. One for March and one for April.

March 2013 BOM Antique Tile

April 3013 BOM Mrs. Taft's Choice

Each month the blocks are collected and then either someone from the local quilt shop, or someone from the Irondequoit Quilt Club pieced them into quilt tops.

Quilt Blocks and Top pieced by members of Irondequoit Quilt Club.

At the April meeting this beautiful top was presented to Judy Merritt, the owner of Cafe Sewciety quilt shop in Webster.

Judy Thanks Irondequoit  Quilt Club

Judy explains to all of us how much these quilts mean not only to the soldiers but their families as well. The goal is to make sure each wounded soldier is given a quilt either when they arrive or when they leave Fort Drum.
 
Until next time… 
Happy Quilting, Kathy

Smile, Smile, Smile

Hello Everyone,  

Have your ever wonder about the process behind creating patterns for fabric companies and magazines? Many of the members of the Webster Quilt Guild have. Last Friday they were treated to a wonderful presentation and trunk show from Heidi Pridemore. She walked them through her design process while her gracious husband showed her quilts.

Heidi Pridemore

I am sure that you have seen her work. It has appeared showcasing fabric lines in quilt magazines; quilt patterns in those quilt magazines and for her own business, The Whimsical Workshop. When you see a quilt designed by Heidi it will surely bring a smile to your face.

Here are a few of the quilts she showed to the Webster Quilt Guild last Friday.

Crazy Courthouse Steps

Sunshine

Twisted Ribbon

Whimsical Tree

Under the Sea

One Fish, Two Fish

Zebrina

You never know what will bring a smile to your face at a quilt guild meeting.
 
Until next time… 
Happy Quilting, Kathy

Down the Aisle and Around the Corner

Hello Everyone, 
No matter where you looked at MQX your eyes were delighted with beauty. Every aisle you walked down, every corner you turned was filled with extraordinary quilts. My photos do not do these quilts justice. Take a look for yourself.

Flashy Spectrum Play
Pieced by: Fern Harvey
Mt. Vernon, OH
Quilted by: Catherine Carr Gynn

Flashy Spectrum Play

Cluck Cluck
Pieced by: Marta Price
Grass Valley, CA
Quilted by: Marla Monson

Cluck Cluck

Show your Colors.......
Pieced by: Kristen Vierra
Lincoln, NE
Quilted by: Kristen Vierra

Show your Colors......

Town Squares
Pieced by: Kim Loar
Lancaster, PA
Quilted by: Kim Loar

Town Squares

Batik Beauty
Pieced by: Michelle Civetti
Medway, MA
Quilted by: Michelle Civetti

Batik Beauty

Evolution of the Crop Circle Project
Pieced by: Stephanie Adams
Kansas City, KS
Quilted by: Lisa Sipes

Evolution of the Crop Circle Project

Elsa's Knot
Quilted by: Clem Buzick
Fargo, ND
Pieced by: Ann Helbling

Elsa's Knot

I hope you enjoyed this little trip down the aisle and around the corner.

Until next time…  
Happy Quilting, Kathy

QOV at MQX

Hello Everyone,  
One of the best parts of going to MQX is seeing all my friends that I have made over the years. Three friends of mine can always be found in the Quilts of Valor booth. That was one of the first places that I stopped.

When I arrived at the booth, I was just in time to see Holly accepting this beautiful quilt. The women pictured was thrilled to be able to donate this quilt. She brings at least one each year to MQX.

A quilter donates a beautiful quilt.

My friend Joyce was very busy longarming a quilt that had been donated earlier in the day. 

Joyce hard at work.

I wanted to show you a close up photo of one of the QOV quilts that Joyce had quilted. Joyce designed and digitized the quilting motif on this quilt. She is a very talented women.

Detail quilting on a QOV quilt.

Joyce's sister, Janice had pieced, quilted and attached the binding to the front of this Disappearing Nine Patch quilt. Janice was busy one afternoon at the show hand stitching down the snazzy striped binding.

Disappearing Nine Patch quilt.

If you would like more information on how you can help this organization check out their website: www.QOVF.org

Until next time…  
Happy Quilting, Kathy

Bargello Gone Wild!

Hello Everyone, 
Last week was that time of year again. Time to renew and regenerate my quilting education. So off to New Hampshire for the New England Quilt Festival. (aka MQX - Machine Quilters Exposition)

Come one, come all!

I want to share with you a special exhibit that was on display. Four friends from Ohio got together one weekend and went on a quilt retreat together at the Historic Mill in Yellow Springs Ohio.

Anna Fricker, Susan Hill, Chris Landis, Mary Miller

While on this retreat they decided they would make bargello quilts using a design in the August 2011 issue of Better Homes and Garden. They took this project to new heights; all four women used the exact same fabrics for the bargello.

Hanging from the 3rd story window.

With a pile of 464 two-inch strips and strips set at 174 inches long, they realized that maybe, just maybe they should have read the complete directions before beginning. They each completed piecing their respective bargellos. Once they left the retreat each one cut the massive bargello, added borders and created two quilts!  Here are the results of their weekend retreat. Can you tell which two quilts came from the same bargello?

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Eight.

I hope you enjoyed the wonderful bargello quilts these four women created. Maybe this will inspire you and a few of your friends to go on a weekend retreat and make the same quilt, (with reading all the directions first), and get totally different results.

Until next time…  
Happy Quilting, Kathy