I is for International Quilt Show

                              I

is for the International Quilt Show in Houston Texas.

2nd Place Novice quilt by
Lilija Kostenko, Netherlands

The show runs for a week, and every day is needed. There is so much to see and absorb.

Pictures and memories from the 2012 show have had to sustain me, as I missed last year’s show. This year though, I plan to attend.

The show has everything; international quilts, like the winning quilt shown above, unusual displays, vendors, and more quilt.

Since the show is held the first of November, sometimes it runs into October and Halloween. That happened in 2012 and some of the vendors, to add a little more fun to the event wore “Halloween things.” Like this vendor with the spider on her head.

Spiders don’t stop us from quilting

I’m guessing they have fun and unusual displays every year. They certainly did in 2012. Ever seen a quilted Yurt? Goodness, I’d never even seen a Yurt except on television.

And another view

A quilted Yurt

The Quilted Yurt was the brain child, and work of Linzi Upton. If I didn’t live in windy Oklahoma I’d consider constructing one for myself.

One of the quilts on the inside of the yurt

Amid all the quilts is the opportunity to see live and in person a quilt mentioned, or shown on Facebook, or in a blog. Like this quilt, Anni in the Modern Quilt Showcase by Heather Jones, a quilter and blogger I follow.

 

 

In addition to seeing all the cool quilts, learning about new tools, and meeting new people is the opportunity to actually participate in the show. In 2012 they had a mug rug exchange. Quilters brought a mug rug to contribute, and took a mug rug home. Very fun to see even if I didn’t have a rug to exchange.

 

Aren’t they pretty. I especially like the egg shaped ones. The International Quilt Show in Houston is definitely on my list of quilty places to visit.

Have you ever been to the Houston Quilt show?

What would you enjoy most about going to the International Quilt Show?

What would scare you the most about going?

This month I am participating in the A to Z challenge. I hope you’ll visit some of the other bloggers following the alphabet with their posts.

Quilt Gardens

G is for Garden.

Gardens are beautiful (especially if I don’t have to do the work). Flower gardens, those with beautiful blooms are preferrable to the all green of some gardens.

 

Maybe it’s the quilter in me that loves all the color, I don’t know. I do know that on my list of places to visit is Indiana to take a quilt garden tour.

Just imagine. Wondering around a flower garden inhaling the intoxicating scents of the different plants. Enjoying the riot of color as the patch of one color and flower met with the patch of another.

Why, it might even spark a different color combination idea, or plant the seed for a quilt design.

Enjoying time in the garden is always a pleasure and I’m looking forward to the day I can enjoy both quilts and gardens at the same time in a quilt garden.

 

Have you ever visited a quilt garden?

Have you ever considered trying to plant a quilt garden?

If you were doing a mini-quilt garden which quilt blocks would you try to replicate?

 

Today is for the seventh letter of the alphabet (G) in the A to Z challenge. Due to some family challenges I am a few letters behind. Stay tuned, I will catch up.

 

Amish and Quilting

 

The A to Z challenge begins.

A is for Amish. While Ohio and Pennsylvania are known for their Amish communities. Oklahoma also has a couple of nice size Amish areas and they have auctions each year featuring their quilts. Clarita is the home of Since this blog is about quilts and quilting,

Visiting the Clarita Amish Auction means lots of walking, eating good food, and admiring beautiful quilts. The ladies make quilts using traditional patterns as well as new ones.

A couple of years ago, Paula Nelson, my friend, and partner in my local quilt store, Prairie Notions, designed this quilt for one of the Amish ladies to make.

While the price of the quilts put them well past my spending range, looking at them is free.  The food however, I can afford and enjoy sampling their wonderful cooking at the auction as well as purchasing breads, cakes, and candies to take home and savor.

Is there an Amish community near your?

Have you ever had the opportunity to purchase an Amish quilt?

Have you ever sewn a quilt by hand?

Joining other bloggers with  the A to Z challenge.  Stop by and see what some of the other bloggers are up to.

 

Best Present, Worst Present

The worst present I ever received was also the best present.

the house shortly after moving day.

In 2006 he signed the paperwork for our very first house. The first house we (along with the bank) would own. The first house we couldn’t lose because someone else decided they wanted to sell it, or some family member needed a house. The first house where he could build his pig barn just the way it wanted, and it would add value.

It was an anniversary gift of sorts. Since he was a teacher, and in the early years we moved during July, our anniversary month, our private joke was he got me a house for our anniversary. Of course, we’d lived in Stuart for 28 years, so there hadn’t been any “house presents” in recent years.

It was a fabulous present to ourselves, our own home.

Except, we never lived in it. WE never lived in it, I do. Oh, we both moved. Just to different “homes.” He actually moved home, to live with God. I on the other hand, moved to our new house, the place that was to be a home.

Now, after seven years, it almost feels like a home. Every day I’m thankful for his worst, and best present to me.

What was the best present you ever received?

What was the worst present you ever received?

What is the best present you ever gave?

Hooking up ( a couple of days late) with Lisa Jo Baker and Five Minute Friday.

Three Considerations when Looking for Quilt Show Venues

Location is the first consideration when planning a quilt show. You can read all five important ingredients for a quilt show here.

Your location will depend on where you live, and what is available to you. You can make almost any location work. Some may take a little more creativity, ingenuity, and even elbow grease.  However, before you can begin scouting for the appropriate location there are three factors  consider.

1.Indoors or out? Is your show going to be a one day outdoor event, or do you prefer an indoor venue?  This will affect where you locate.  An outdoor quilt show can be fun and successful, although you do need to have a contingency plan in the event of inclement weather.

There are several successful outdoor quilt shows held each year including: Eureka Montana Quilt Show, August 3, in Eureka Montana. Winters California Quilt Show, June 22, in Winters California, and of course,The Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, held the second Saturday in July in Sisters Oregon.

2. Finances. How much can you afford to pay for the use of the facilities?  For small groups a free location is best,  as they don’t usually have a lot of money in their treasury. Some locations to consider for a free, or low-cost use are: school auditoriums if  the students are on a break. Churches, often have a dining hall or activity center they are willing to have used for a quilt show. Town halls, or community centers often have a large open space perfect for a quilt show. Some farmers and ranchers have large barns or shop buildings that are empty, or can easily be emptied, during certain parts of the year, they may consider allowing a quilt show in their barn. The Clarita Amish Auction held the second Saturday in September includes a quilt display (before the auction) in one of the barns. Once your finances are established, it’s easier to narrow the location search.

Sometimes quilt shows are held in huge convention centers.

3. Accessibility. You want people to be able to get to your quilts to view them. Adequate parking is one consideration, if you use a farmer’s shop building, your customers need to be able to drive and park on his pasture, unless of course, the shop is located right next to the road. You want to avoid the need for people to park in the road, it’s not safe, and will deter some possible attendees from stopping.  A nearby parking lot is your best option, if available. You also want your venue to be accessible to those in wheelchairs, with walker or pushing strollers. If stairs must be climbed, you’ll need to install a ramp, a temporary one if necessary, for those needing one. Most public venues will be wheelchair accessible, it’s just something to keep in mind. You want your beautiful quilts accessible to everyone who wishes to see them.

Questions:

1. What is the most unusual location you’ve visited for a quilt show?

2. What is the most difficult obstacle your group has had to overcome to have a quilt show?

3. How far will you drive to attend a quilt show?

Beauty Surrounds Us

According to the saying, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. ” But it is so much more. As I drank my tea on the porch this morning, soaking in the beauty pf God’s handiwork, I thought about what was beautiful to me.

The birds chirping and singing, add a beautiful sound to my world. The flowers blooming are beautiful to look at. The Honeysuckle growing on the pasture fence add a beautiful scent. The smell of fresh cut grass is almost intoxicating.

All of that is beautiful, but the most beautiful gift is time.

Time to help someone, time spent with another. Today, I watched my son sitting on the tractor as he cut the grass in the pasture surrounding my house. The little pastures aren’t big enough to bother trying to get a baler in them, and I don’t have any cattle to eat the grass down, so the tractor it is.

The gift of his time using the brush hog on my pasture was made more beautiful by the time spend driving to my house. My son lives over an hour away, yet he gave his time, on a holiday weekend to come and help me out.

Time. A beautiful gift.

Today I’m linking up with Lisa Jo Baker and Five Minute Fridays. Rules are simple:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat with no editing, tweaking or self critiquing.

2. Link back here and invite others to join in.

3. Go and tell the person who linked up before you what their words meant to you. Every writer longs to feel heard.

–

1. Write for 5 minutes flat with no editing, tweaking or self critiquing.

2. Link back here and invite others to join in {you can grab the button code in my blog’s footer}.

3. Go and tell the person who linked up before you what their words meant to you. Every writer longs to feel heard.

– See more at: http://lisajobaker.com/2013/07/five-minute-friday-beautiful/#sthash.shEOgHzf.dpuf

Quilts, Tied, Unsewn, Washed and Versatile

Playing catch-up today.

Tied or tacked quilts are most often relegated to the functional uses. In fact there are some, like my father, who don’t consider a tacked quilt a “real” quilt.  In his world, a tied quilt was a comforter and a stitched (quilted) one was, well a quilt.

My father isn’t alone. There are quilt shows that limit the exhibition to those quilts that are stitched together.

I think it comes down to how you were raised and what type of quilts you were exposed to. In my father’s case, his mother made both stitched and tied quilts. However, the stitched quilts were the ones given as gifts, and with the more intricate designs.

The tied quilts were those the family used every day. Thus, for him, a tied quilt wasn’t a real quilt.

I didn’t grow up with quilts or quilters and taught myself to quilt, with the help of my mother-in-law. For me, a quilt is a quilt and I love them all. Plus, every quilt has a story, tied, or stitched.

What about you? Are tacked quilts “not real quilts?”

Tied quilt my mother-in-law made, probably in the late 30’s. The 9patch’s are flour sack fabric.

Almost every quilter has a manually operated Unsewing Machine. Otherwise known as a seam ripper. However, a few weeks ago, Alex Anderson unveiled the latest in sewing innovations, a stitch eraser. Enjoy.

Quilts are one of our most versatile household items. A quilt can wrap and calm a crying baby. Give comfort to a grieving adult. Children love hiding in, and playing pretend in their quilt forts.

There are quilted table cloths for both fine dining, and picnics at the park that can double as a cover up should the need arise. Quilts are perfect cushions at outdoor events, ready to be used for warmth should the  temperatures drop.

A quilt can be folded and placed on the foot of the bed for decoration, yet still available as a cover.

Quilts can be made into clothes, stuffed animals, and totes. Whatever the need, the versatile  quilt is sure to be available to fill it.

How do you wash your quilts? My quilts are made for everyday use, they get thrown in the washer and hung out on the line. However, I do have some special quilts that don’t get washed.

They don’t get used, I place them on the bed from time to time to relax the threads and let them air out. Other than that, no washing.

If a special quilt must be washed I wash it in the bathtub. Actually, it soaks in a solution for delicate fabrics. The water is then squeezed out and the quilt rinsed, and re-rinsed. Then, it’s placed on a sheet outside, with another sheet covering it (to protect it from direct sun and bird droppings) until it is dry.

Yes. It is a lot of work. No, I don’t do it often. However, there are times when a washing is just what is called for.

How about your quilts? Washable? Non?

After – A Five Minute Friday

Veering off of the A to Z challenge this morning to post my Five Minute Friday post. There was some thought of combining the two, but I couldn’t mesh After, which was the prompt word for the Five Minute Friday, and the letter E. I thought about Ever after, but naw, that was too much of a stretch.

Instead, I posted about embroidery for the A to Z challenge and wrote the following in five minutes for the Five Minute Friday link up.

AFTER

After the rain comes growth. Flowers bloom, ponds rise to take in more oxygen for the fish swimming in its depths.

After the rain comes fun. Splashing in mud puddles. Twirling on the still wet grass.

After the rain is good. What about after the pain? What comes after the pain?

Joy? No, not really. Joy does return to our lives after the pain, but the pain doesn’t bring the joy. Joy isn’t a result of the pain the way the flowers are a result of the rain.

Happiness? No. Like Joy, Happiness returns after the pain, but isn’t a result of it.

So what comes after pain?

Healing. Healing comes after pain.

Whether the pain is a broken bone or heart, both heal. Scars may linger, but the healing is the important benefit of pain.

When we’re in pain we think we will never again experience Joy, Happiness, or Fun. We just have to wait for the Healing. During and after the healing (sometimes healing takes a long time) Joy, Happiness, and Fun will find their way back into our life.

Went a tad over 5 minutes, but had to finish my thought. Linking up now with Lisa Jo Baker.

In case you don’t know, The Five Minute Friday is the brainchild of Lisa Jo Baker and some of her friends. Joining is easy, just:

1. Check what the prompt is on her blog, here.
2. Write a post in only five minutes on that topic on your blog.
3. Link over here (on her blog) and invite friends to join in.
4. Select the permalink to your post {so not your blog url http://www.lisajobaker.com but your post url http://www.lisajobaker.com/2012/07/five-minute-friday-2/ }
5. Using the linky tool at the bottom of her Five Minute Friday post enter your link.
6. Your post will show up in their Five Minute Friday linky.
7. Be sure and encourage the person who linked up before you!

It’s easy, I can do it, you can do it, and it’s fun.

Caring for your Quilt

Today is letter C in the A to Z challenge.  Which means today, the subject is caring for  your quilt.

Taking care of an heirloom, or other special quilt isn’t hard. Here are five tips for taking care your special quilt.

1.  Limit sun exposure.

For your quilt, keeping it away from the sun’s rays is important. Not only will the sun cause the fabric to fade, but it will also weaken the fibers making your quilt more likely to tear. Of course, this doesn’t mean you can’t display or even use your quilt, just display it away from direct sunlight.

Limited sun exposure for your much used quilts is also helpful. It will keep it from fraying and wearing out too fast. This doesn’t mean you can’t take it outside and use it for a picnic blanket, or to wrap up in at an outside activity. When it’s not in use, keep it away from the sun’s harmful rays. If  you keep it in the car, slip it into a pillowcase, it makes a nice cushion or pillow, and protects the quilt from the sun.

2. Reduce stress.  Refold a treasure quilt a couple of times a year to avoid stressing the fibers in the fold. Even better is to roll the quilt and avoid creases. When hanging the quilt for display, use a sleeve that go across the quilt, or evenly spaced clips.

You can avoid stressing your much-used quilts by washing them in a machine that doesn’t use an agitator. Since hanging them on the line, or using a dryer are both stressful, choose the method you prefer.

When using a dryer, add two or three clean dry towels to the load to help dry the quilt quicker and add some cushioning from the tumbling and heat. Remove quilt from the machine as soon as it’s dry.

For line drying, drape the quilt over two or three lines to lessen the stress on the fibers. Hang upside down, with the front side not showing to reduce fading. If possible wash and hang outside on a warm cloudy day, even less sun stress or in the shade.

3. Chemical free quilts. I know, you’re thinking who uses chemicals and quilts? Well, no one, unless they’re storing their treasured quilts in an untreated box. Yes, our grand, and great grand mothers did store their quilts in hope chests, and quilt boxes that often were made of cedar. They did it to protect the quilts.

True, but our grandmothers weren’t thinking about saving our quilts for a hundred years or more, just until next winter or sometimes for the next generation. Also, they had a choice, a box giving off gasses that will weaken the fibers of the quilt, or risk critters getting to the quilt and chewing holes. Besides, our grandmothers didn’t know the gases given off by unsealed wood existed, except in the case of cedar, and they didn’t think about it harming their quilts.

For best results store  your quilts inside a pillow case, in  your inside (away from an outside wall) linen closest. If you prefer (or need) to store them in a quilt box, use one that has been painted or otherwise sealed.

4. Allow it to breath. Give  your quilt air.

A treasured quilt that is stored away needs to breath. Avoid storing it in any type of plastic, not a plastic bag or a sealed plastic box.

A much used quilt might be stuffed into a plastic bag for transport, however remove it from the plastic as soon as possible.

Plastic will suffocate a quilt just as it would a person.

5. Enjoy your quilt. A treasured quilt stored away in a pillowcase, in the dark recesses of the closet brings joy to no one. Bring it out of the closet occasionally for your enjoyment. It can be placed on a spare bed or place it, still folded, in a display cabinet. I have a couple in my china cabinet since I’m not a big china person, and the quilts are special.

A much used quilt has no problems,  you have it out and in use.

Most important, enjoy your quilts. Whether they are heirlooms passed down from generations past, or are new this year, they are all special. Quilts meant to be further passed down the generational line, and those meant to be used and loved now will all last a little longer with some loving care.

Linking up with AtoZ and the Ultimate Blog Challenge.

Taking Time for Thanks

Jim Reeves, and other artists recorded a song, THE FARMER AND THE LORD.  It reminds us there is always something for which to be thankful. You can hear the song here.

Last year I found Janice Tanton and joined her journey to list five things I’m thankful for each day. Thursday’s I’ll recap the previous week’s gratitudes.

Friday, January 4

Someone willing to write a blurb for my book My second quilting devotional is finished, and I wanted to add a blurb on the back from another quilter. Barb is willing to be that person. The sunshine makes the day brighter, my kitchen is clean, I’m making progress on making a sewing room and most especially I’m thankful for PeeWee and her help in clearing out the future sewing room.

Saturday, January 5

Finding new blogs,  others’ blogs add variety, education and fun. I’m always thankful when I find a new one I enjoy. Five Minute Friday, the brain child of Lisa Jo at The Gypsy Momma and her friends. It’s where we write for 5 minutes about a subject she posts and then we post, no editing no second guessing. It’s fun? Courage found to do difficult tasks. Grandkids carrying on a tradition, showing in livestock shows, like their daddy and grandpa. Milk for breakfast cereal, because seriously, who wants to eat cereal and not have milk?

Sunday, January 6

Crispy potato wedges, I actually left them in the oven long enough to become crispy. I’m thankful for the patience and the taste. Policeman stopped me on my way home last night, I’m thankful it wasn’t for lawbreaking, so no ticket. Thankful he did stop me, to let me know my headlight was out, before it caused an accident. Grateful there are stock shows close enough to attend if I so desire. While the calendar says January, the temps say more October. Love and appreciate the lack of cold.

Monday, January 7.

I’m always thankful for the people in my life, and periodically I will list five of them for my daily gratitudes. Monday was one of those days. I met these five ladies through the internet and they have all blessed my life considerably. Amy Mullis is a funny writer. Really she is. Check out her venture, Stage of Life. I must warn you, it’s best not to have liquids in your mouth when reading her insightful prose.  She is a fun cheerleader and has boosted me several times when I’ve been down.

Mariam Kobras was promoting her first book, The Distant Shore, and caught my attention. Who knew she was a quilter before she became an author? We have become good online friends and I’m looking forward to meeting her this year when she once again is in the United States. Her blog, Author on the Porch, often includes snippets from her books.

I “met” Lauri Rottmayer through Mariam. Now how strange is that? An author in Germany connects two Okies? Lauri makes me smile every time I see her tweets. One of these days she and I will meet in real life and have lunch.

Rebecca Laffer-Smith, is another friend from “across the pond.” She is an Australian author. We  met at AbsoluteWrite.

Lisa Adams, is caring, encouraging, a mother, and a cancer warrior. I always look forward to seeing her posts. I worry and send up prayers for her when I don’t.

Those are just five of the awesome people I’ve met online.  Hope you enjoyed meeting them too.

Tuesday, January 8

In Your Words Blog hop, a group of quilters selected a word for the year and made a small quilt/wall hanging featuring the word. It’s great fun, not only to see the words others have chosen, but also the many creative ways of expressing the words. Pretzels, the hard crunchy salty ones. Had some left from the holidays and enjoyed munching them. Technology that works, because often it doesn’t. Book signings, always thankful to meet others who enjoy reading and quilting. Also it’s a fun  way to promote and sell my book. Fifth gratitude, finally, making progress on finding and establishing a routine.

Wednesday, January 9

I don’t often dream, or at least the dreams aren’t remembered, thankful to not only have and remember the dreams, but also the reconnection with those I love, even if only in my sleep. I love attending Toastmasters, and am thankful for the Atoka group that is only an hour away. Rain, filling the ponds, and adding much needed moisture to the soil. Having a safe trip, after dark and in the rain, neither are my favorite driving conditions, thankful the trip was uneventful. Red birds that brighten the dull winter landscape.

Thursday, January 10

Receiving cards in the mail, just because someone cared. The bills are all paid for another month and there was money to pay the bills. Places and people to visit or see, a reason to leave the house and be involved in life.

As Jim Reeves points out in the song, regardless of the down side, there is an upside, and always something to be thankful we have in our lives. Have you taken time to notice some of your blessings? Please share, either here or join us on Twitter, using the hashtag 5dailygratitudes.