World’s Fair of Quilts

Yvonne (my mother-in-law) and I went to the 2007 International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas the last week of October 2007. Ryan flew out there with us on Halloween. We stayed with Jason and Melissa Graham and their 3 children who are Yvonne's nephew's family, Darryl's first cousin. We all went trick-or-treating together and had such a fun time. Ryan was the "Selfish Crocodile" and he said "if you come in my river, I'll eat you all." (from one of his books) Yvonne and Ryan were so much fun to travel with.

The next day Yvonne and I hit the conference. It hit record attendance level this year. It is the world’s largest quilt show, sale, and Quiltmaking Academy. Some said, so much for the naysayers who’ve been spouting the theory that interest in quilting and home sewing is dying off! The founder and director of the festival wrote, "One thing that I was pleasantly surprised to see was the number of younger faces roaming the vendor and exhibit aisles. I think the 20-and-30 somethings are beginning to explore their artistic sides through quilting, fabric, embellishment, and related home décor projects,” Bresenhan continues. “And I was happy to see the veterans quickly embrace this new blood.” She must have seen me!

Some of my favorite things...the one hour classes, the quilt art (unbelievable) specifically the archeticure and landscape, the "Quilt of Belonging" (a 120-foot long, nearly 11-foot high tapestry of blocks representing every nation on earth and native tribe of Canada), fabric, fabric and more fabric. And my most favorite thing was a booth displaying and selling vintage printed table cloths and tea towels. They had several table cloths that been quilted and they were fabulous. I visited the booth many times and finally bought a turquoise, vintage tea towel with fly fishing flies all over it. How cool. After I got home I immediatly started trying to find the tea towels Ma gave me for Christmas one year. As of today, I can't find them but I am hopeful.

Darryl and Chase came out on Friday and met us. We had a great visiting with family and playing with the kids. This was the first time we were all together on a plane. What a 'trip'! Yvonne and I are already talking about going to another IQF.

Back to Work

While I was on maternity leave I was bound and determined to complete a small quilt project. Boy is my thinking faulty sometimes. First of all, did I think I would actually have a lot of spare time while on maternity leave? Secondly, is there such thing as a small quilt project for a beginner? It took me forever. It was a stretch but I did finish the project. I made a quilted bag. Vera Bradley, I am not, however it is pretty functional and a little pretty. It turned out to be a little bit bigger than I had pictured in my mine and it is definitely a little stiffer. I think I used 1" batting which I have found out is a lot. Lilly, my machine, did not like it all at. Overall, I probably won't tackle such a project again, however if I do, then I know now what to do.

Details: Hancock fabric, internet pattern retro-fitted to my tastes, no piecing, but I did make a liner with a pocket inside. Quilting lines followed the fabric design.

Tucked In Tight

This is my first (post-class) quilt completely finished, by me, from beginning to end. It was made for Ryan to go on his toddler bed. He moved into the toddler bed in Jan 07 in anticipation of Chase coming. I purchased the fabric the day after Thanksgiving at the JoAnn Fabrics in Knoxville. We had gone up there for the Thanksgiving weekend and I found a coupon in the paper. The second trimester energy boost had gotten me and I got up and was at JoAnn's by 6:20. What was I thinking. Actually it was a lot of fun. I purchased everything for the project and quickly got to work. I only had a couple of months to get it together. I worked nights after Ryan went to bed and weekends during his naps. I have fond memories of Ryan crawling and walking all over the incomplete project as it was being assembled in my bedroom floor. Right away he knew it was for him and his new "big boy bed". I finished it just in time. I made a pillow sham to go with it and eventually made a sheet also. My friend and old college roommate, Jane Anne, sent Ryan a cool blanket that matched and it made a handsome little bed. I was pretty pleased. The best part is tucking him in at night underneath the quilt. I will have to keep it all to myself forever to remind me of Ryan at 2 and 3 tucked in tight having sweet dreams. What an angel…..
Details: Jo-Ann fabric, No pattern, Strip-pieced what I could. Stitch-in-ditch quilting.

First Quilt (with instruction)

I need a hobby! My mother-in-law, Yvonne, inspired me to take up quilting. September 2006, I enrolled in a quilting class at my church that met once a week on Wed nights after supper. So, for 8 weeks we ate at church and I went to my class. It was so much fun!! I was hooked from the very first night. I was pregnant with Chase at the time. Lilly (that's my sewing machine) and I got very acquainted and after a while we had made something fabulous. Okay, well, not so fabulous, but pretty good for a first timer. Before the end of the class, each of the students brought in their quilts and we took turns pinning together each quilt. There were 6 ladies in the class of all ages and walks of life, and the teacher. They all helped to pin my quilt together and I will be forever grateful. It was a special time. After the 8 weeks, all the quilts were placed on the alter of the church for the Thanksgiving service. Most were still incomplete, but we prettied them up and they looked great. I was so proud and the service was really special. I will keep this quilt forever as it was constructed during a time of great anticipation of the arrival of Chase. Several special people had hands on it and it laid at the alter in God's house. Wow, I love it.

So, what is going on with the quilt today? One and half years later, I have only completed about 1/2 the quilting. I have insisted on doing it all myself and I have taken a couple of detours. I have done some stitch in the ditch quilting. I completed a class on free-motion quilting so that I could do the borders. The borders is all that remains for quilting. Then I plan to do the binding myself to. Something about the arrival of Chase and a couple of other projects have slowed this project down, however it will truly be an accomplishment when I finally do complete it.

Quilter's Diary

Okay, do you have to be 75 in order to have a passion for quilting? NO!! I have several times been labeled an oxymoron. The legend continues. I am in my thirties and I love to quilt. This is a diary of my quilting projects. Note: I have a husband, 2 children under age 3, and a full-time job, therfore it takes me a LONG time to finish a project. But here goes....