Original Sewing and Quilt Expo!

We had a full house last night! The class, "TEE SHIRTS THE EASY WAY!" was a great success!

Besides that, we had a lot of fun! Isn't that why we sew? And to enjoy what we do?!
I thought I'd share some of the pictures from the class. Thank you ladies, great job! I love teaching and sharing that love with all of you! A special thank you to Miriam from Janome sewing machines! You were delightfully helpful!

Weeding through the PhDs (projects half done!)

Like so many of you, I belong to a sewing group where we meet once a month to get together and SEW! We call ourselves Twisted Stitchers and been meeting for about ten years now. In the beginning (we actually started off as a miniature quilt making group) we all hauled our sewing machines and necessary supplies to work on projects. Ahhh, life was good. Then it happened. One by one we started not bringing a sewing project, but a shiny new quilt magazine to peruse.Then it was new quilting books we'd acquired. Then we showed up with nothing but money in our pockets for lunch and shopping! It was all fun and games as they say.....until I felt as though I wasn't getting anything accomplished and my time was wasted..... just a little....The company was ALWAYS good! Oh I love that group of women! So, I now take something every month to work on. Currently I'm on a binge to get my big basket of PhDs completed! This is the result of the first. It is a kit I purchased in Paducah in 2013. It is from Modern Quilts (formerly known as Fun Quilts) by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr. This particular pattern is called "Follow the Leader". For any of you that know me, that title has never been a good fit. I have to do things my own way....I did make it a little bigger than the pattern and am anxious to get it quilted as soon as I choose the backing fabric. This was certainly a mindless project. Just what I needed before teaching at the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo at the end of the week in Cleveland! Check them out! http://www.sewingexpo.com/

                                          
 

Log Cabin on the Hand Crank Singer

​I decided to get my much loved, 1923 Singer "Annie" hand crank machine dusted off and hummin'! And yes, I name my machines! 

Currently I'm working on a log cabin project started a few years ago stitched entirely on this beautiful machine.  Annie's decal is a Memphis Sphinx... especially fitting since I was born in Memphis, TN! Actually this old machine is just one in my whittled down collection. I use a treadle, featherweight, a 404, 185J among others.  I'll choose a project and complete it using one of them.
Its like sewing with an old friend.

At one time I had at least one machine from each decade beginning in 1900. Now, I'm down to just a few, but love them all for their simplicity and the absolutely beautiful stitch they make. After all, that is what they were made for....straight stitching! It always brings me great joy to sit down behind one of them electric or not and wonder about the lives of the women in past who used them and what they created with them. It somehow connects this old soul with the past.

SewHappy!

Teaching again!

Wow! Quite a long time since the last post! Time does fly as they say.....
Currently I'm working on finishing touches for class samples for Joann Fabrics. I'm very excited to be teaching all kinds of quilting and sewing classes for them! We've scheduled all the way through August 2015! That's a new concept for me, lol. I usually am queen of the last minute.
One other very important piece of news! I will be teaching a few classes at the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo in Cleveland this March. I was fortunate enough to have taught Teddy Bear making classes for them several years ago. I will now be offering a Tee Shirt Quilt class and a Mini Log Cabin class. It's so wonderful to be teaching again. Made me realize just how much I missed it. If you're interested, look at all the great classes they have to offer this Spring and beyond at  www.sewingexpo.com.

This is the mini log cabin we'll be making at the expo......scrappy civil war reproductions...

Quilted car?!!

Yes, it will be a quilted car! Lorain County Piecemakers Quilt Guilt is creating a quilted car for their fall quilt show in October. And next year we'll use it in conjunction with the Artist As Quiltmaker  show in Oberlin ...
Yesterday was the third day we met at the Main Street Community Center in Downtown Amherst to work on the quilted car. We had so much fun! I'd say we're probably about half way done with the project. We still have to add the screening and the binding and some minor adjustments for completion. I'll keep you posted.... thank you ladies! ....

Home At Last! (from Paducah, KY!)

 

Paducah is the sweetest little town! I love, love, love visiting ! This is my dear husband Jim sitting at a picnic table right along the river. I say "dear" in every sense of the word. Not many guys would take their wife to a quilt show...not to mention QUILT WEEK, and really enjoy it! He did ALOT of waiting for me during Quilt Week! He really should be the poster child for patience! This was his first quilt show and he was totally blown away by some of the work in the quilts! We were lucky enough to see "innocence" by Hollis Chatelain. This quilt is one that stays with you... time and again I think of that beautiful piece of art. Both of us do ... It was Jim's favorite from the entire show. Well, it wasn't in the show but in the museum on special loan for the week. Hollis is teaching a class later this year in California (I think) and boy would I love to go...maybe next! I am in such awe of her work! So glad she is part of the quilting world AND shares her talent through teaching!

 

 

Home at Last was awarded 2nd place in the Miniature Category! So humbling, there were SO many stunning little quilts! I just loved the little green whole cloth. OH the work, the beautiful stitching and just the right shade of green!! Unfortunately I couldn't get a good picture of it. All the minis were under glass and the reflection prevented it.Of course the pictures just don't do any of them justice.

This antique appliqued quilt is from the class "Dating Fabric" with Linda Honsburger. I was in hog heaven in this class! Linda is a superb teacher! Wish I could "copy and paste" all her quilt knowldege right into my head! thank you Linda!! I took many photos but think this is my favorite... this week! I plan on going next year to take more classes!
 

 

Kaye Koler Wins Second Place at AQS QuiltWeek in Paducah