Time for a quilt show

So we'll go back a few days and catch up for a nice quilt show. This is the Kaw Valley Quilter's Guild Show in Lawrence Kansas that was held last Saturday and Sunday. Their venue is at the Douglas County, Kansas fairgrounds, and it's nicely lit and quite a lot of space. My friends and I started off having lunch at Panera Bread, then we felt fortified enough to visit the show and vendors!

A friendship group did this quilt in various sizes and fabrics. Interesting how the blocks pop!

This was my favorite of the show. It is a combination of McKenna Ryan patterns to represent the quilter's home in the country. It's going to be used in a palladium window.

Terry Clothier Thompson recreated this strawberry pattern from a rare antique quilt.

Graphics grab me.

I love the tiny sawtooth border and the feathered stars in the corners.

Great use of a border fabric.

These colors are inspiring.

Love the graphics in this, but since I don't do paper piecing......

This is their Opportunity Quilt

On the way home, we stopped at Pendleton's Country Market for fresh asparagus. The purple asparagus was ready, too, so I brought a pound of each home. You can either pick it yourself or they have it ready to go. Since it was so windy, I chose to not go out in the fields! Thanks to Marj, I now grill it with granulated garlic and olive oil and it is so yummy!

Did you know that asparagus keeps in the refrigerator for 2 weeks if you stand the stalks upright in a container of water and cover it with a plastic bag? I didn't. Of course, it never lasts two weeks at my house, but all the same - good information to know!

Since asparagus season runs until Memorial Day, I should be able to make at least two or three more stops since a couple of my friends are coming to town. First, Margaret from Indiana will be in town for the Machine Quilter's Showcase, and I'm just certain we'll have to go to Sarah's Fabrics in Lawrence. Then, Bonnie Hunter, Queen of Scrap Quilting is coming to town on the 16th and I'm taking her to Kaw Valley Guild on the 17th for their speaker and workshop event. THEN, I'll bring her back home on the 20th for an overnight with us.

What a fun month May promises to be!!

BIRTHDAY Fling!

TODAY was my birthday! And it was a wonderful day, too! It happened to coincide with the Lee's Summit Quilter's Guild Spring Fling. What better way to spend the day than with friends sewing and laughing?

First of all, I got an absolutely terrific surprise from Becky, who made a special birthday cake for me! Chocolate is my very favorite, too! Thanks, Becky!

Remember the snowflakes I learned how to do from my CA friend, Wendy? Today we had a short "lesson" on how to make them. At our quilt college, Donna show the Accu-cut tool, and cut all the pieces we needed to make the snowflakes. I had already bonded the fabrics together, so we were able to provide kits to the Spring Flingers to work with. This is what got produced today, and there were several more that made it to the box before I left. Aren't they gorgeous?

Thanks everyone for making the day very special!

You're going to notice a few changes to the blog in the next few days/weeks. I am adding tutorial pages of things we are making for the Guild Boutique. Hopefully, you'll find them useful, too! Just check over on the right side of the blog, under tutorials. Clicking on the title should take you to that individual page. Then when you want to come back to the main, blog, you will click "click here" line on the tutorial page. Right now, there is only one tutorial, but when I get more time, I'll get some more out there, too.

I know I haven't posted the weekend pictures from the quilt show the Babes and I attended, but that can be for tomorrow. I wanted to share my special day with you FIRST!!

(and I am having some issues with Blogger and the size of type it chooses...it's Blogger or me - not YOUR eyes!)

Keep stitching!

Another Birthday AND Guild news

No, the birthday isn't mine! This is another Amazing Quilt Babes birthday event. As you might remember, my stitch group celebrates our birthdays by sharing a full stitch day sewing together. BUT! We sew whatever the birthday girl wants us to, just for her. She comes prepared with the quilt already cut out, kitted up and instructions ready to sew. She also brings the dessert that will go with our sack lunch. How great is that? Well, today it was Shirlee's designated day.

She chose to make the Ohio star block and used 6.5" blocks she already had on hand from a friendship exchange for the centers. Didn't they turn out beautiful?

Here are the blocks on the design wall.

We sew in my dining room, now, instead of my stewdio like at my other house. It's a rainy day outside, and the flash focused on the window instead of the room. My walls are really red, not brown, and we really had more light when we were sewing, too! You can see the "kits" in the center of the table.

On another note, my quilt guild is putting together a cookbook which we are going to sell at our quilt show in November. They should be ready in September at the latest, and it looks like one of the better cookbooks I've seen. If anyone is interested in having one or more, just zip me an email, and I'll put you on the list. They will make great Christmas presents! I'm chair of the project, and I feel compelled to make every one of them I proof. The recipes all look so good, and I'm certain I've gained ten pounds! LOL!

I made the Monkey Buns for the grand kids, and they were a HUGE hit!

The bread rolls need to be thawed for the Monkey Buns.

Of course, you need a kitchen assistant.

(Just in case something drops onto the floor!)

I also made a double batch of the Mostaccioli, thinking I would have some leftovers. Wrong, wrong, wrong. It was completely cleaned up! Making marinara sauce for the Mostaccioli sure made the house smell delicious!

So that's it for today. I am meeting up with the Babes for yet another quilt show. This time it's in Lawrence KS. Stay tuned for a virtual quilt show later! In the meantime, keep stitching and cooking!

A Quilt Show and BBQ and the Blues

I started a perfect day today by going to the Olathe Kansas Quilt Guild's show. They held it in a local mall (inside) in a vacant store, and while the venue was very nice with it's bright lights and space, it was difficult to find because of the lack of signage outside. But, my friends and I persevered and find it we did.

It was a nice show, and the boutique was nicely organized. I came home with just a little bit of fabric (like a fat quarter) to add to the Mayo pile - like I didn't have enough, right? So without further ado, here's my favorites from the show. I seem to gravitate to the ones that are very graphic, either in their colorations or the pattern.

This is their opportunity quilt for this year. I love these Snail's Trails.

Soft embroidery teacups.

I liked the change up in the quilting on the backround.

Isn't this and interesting border? It's one piece of fabric!

A nice study in value.

I love this hankie quilt. This is a closeup of one block.

This is the overall quilt. It's from Hooked on Hankies, Laura Sinema and Suzanne McNeil. I think this book is going to have to go on my birthday wish list.

The quilter did a wax batik process to get this beautiful iris and the quilting is gorgeous too.

This is only one of the two quilts you get from one pattern. The other one looks like bamboo, and I got interrupted, then forgot to take the picture. Here's a website with the pattern by Diana McClun and Laura Nownes. I actually have this pattern (somewhere), but I really like it done in all batiks. Don't you?
So that's it for the quilt show. Now, I have more inspiration than I have time!

Tonight we went to dinner with our best friends, Darlene and Byron at a local BBQ joint, B.B.'s Lawnside BBQ. Nothing fancy at all: just beer, BBQ and great music. Tonight was Fast Johnny Ricker and John Stephenson. You know you are getting old when you have to leave after the first half hour because you are yawning in spite of yourself! I'd say today was just about a perfect day, including the spring weather and beautiful spring blossoming trees everywhere you look.

So that's it for this week. Next up for me is a dental appt, a haircut, a doctor's appt, a lot more mystery audits (that's my new job), starting a new commission piece, and rounding up loose ends here and there. Happy stitching until next Sunday!

David Taylor Workshop

Sharon and David

Wow! What a busy week! The time I spent with David at his workshop was just absolutely mind boggling, and so fabulous! If you ever get a chance to hear his lecture, see his trunk show or take a workshop with him - GO. His work is gorgeous, and meticulously done, and he has some great insights on how to make the fabric work for you.

David stayed at my home during the time he was here. He arrived Tuesday afternoon, and our workshop began Wednesday, and he left after lunch with the class on Saturday afternoon. There's an advantage to having the artist stay in your home. Here's David showing and explaining his work to Hubby.

One of the four tree seasons.

My favorite of the tree series.

Close up of Maynard. This quilt is 7' tall! The machine quilting absolutely phenomenal!

Back side of the Maynard

My absolute favorite of all time - Tinker!

Back side of Tinker

More detail of the back side of Tinker. All this is his quilting threads!

Now, on to the class projects. It was intentionally a small class of 8 people. We arrived with our subjects already blown up to the size we wanted to work on. David says that bigger is better, and that a black and white blowup is just fine as long as you have a color copy to work from. Nothing is painted, inked so a large selection of fabrics is a must! Wednesday we talked about fabrics, and our subject matter. Then we got to work and started making our tracings, and freezer paper patterns. Some worked faster than others. Then, before we went home, we went to the quilt store and shopped under David's direction.

I work so doggoned slow that I was still working on my freezer paper patterns long after the rest of the class had already begun cutting and placing their pieces on their backgrounds. Oh well, I will persevere!

Thursday and Friday were spent pursuing the perfect piece of fabric, no matter how small. Not only did we look at the front side (a side) but every bit of back side too (b side). Don't forget you get twice as much fabric for your money when you work this way! Saturday was a wrap up and pack up. Just too soon for my piece. But you'll see more here as the summer progresses.

So without further ado, here are some of the class projects. Aren't they grand?

Nancy's family farm in Michigan

Umm, Lucy....don't giraffes have spots?

Can you see the spots, Lucy?

Nancy's giraffe with spots.

Donna's three grandchildren dressed as Disney princesses.

Laura's barn clapboards.

Can you see the beginning of Mayo? I've used pins to hold it together so I don't lose those tiny pieces traveling back home.

Do you think I have enough Mayo fabric?

There were more projects being worked on, but the angles weren't too good to get pictures that showed anything. So you'll just have to wait for our class reunion with finished projects! Now that I have my two big quilts done, I think I can concentrate on getting this piece going for sure!

Be sure to check out David's website for more information on his quilts and tours.