HQN, Part 3

(Clicking on a picture makes it larger. I highly recommend it, because some of the details pop when you do that. Simply hit the browser back button to return to this page.)

So, here's round 3. I have devoted this one for the professionals that I just really don't want to recommend. It's not that they are bad quilters. I just don't think they are "right" for me or for the guild.

Linda Everhart has appeared on Simply Quilts with Alex Anderson. I remember watching her make a stunning Statue of Liberty quilt, and the technique seems fairly easy. She also seems to have a love of bright colors.

See. Bright bright bright.
The technique is basically reverse applique, and she uses both parts.
But it's just not for me. The more I look at it, the more I really don't like the idea of the black bias lines in her reverse applique.

Speaking of applique, that's what Kathy Delaney teaches. I guess it's because I have carpal tunnel syndrome and just really can't hold a hand needle for very long, but hand applique is just not for me. But if this guild turns out to be like my last guild, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her.

Is this the place where I say, while her work was beautiful, I wasn't particularly pleased with her personality?

Tresa Jones also does applique, but she also does some historical lectures. This block is from the lecture "From Whence Comes Inspiration."

This professional sat at my table in the morning. Her name is Martha Heimbaugh, and she is a fairly nice person. She also does a lot of techniques, particularly about fabric painting and marbling. The keys in this picture, I believe are sunprints.

And while I would personally enjoy this type of workshop, I don't believe she is right for our guild. (That and the fact that she stated up front that she is one of the most expensive professionals in the area.)

Another quilt historian is Libby Wallis. Again, it's just not for everyone.

I have one last picture to show you. Unfortunately, I don't remember which table it was at. But, it's a good finish to what could have been a very negative post.

I hope you have enjoyed my stroll through the Heartland Quilt Network spring meeting. And if you are on a program committee, then I hope you have also gained some ideas. After all, that is the idea behind the network.

Happy Quilting!

HQN, Part 2

(Clicking on a picture makes it larger. I highly recommend it, because some of the details pop when you do that. Simply hit the browser back button to return to this page.)

Okay, so it's time for part two of the Heartland Quilt Network Meeting. I'm warning you again.... major picture-age.

The ladies at this booth are sisters Cathy Audley and Sue Chafee. They call themselves Sisterspeak, and they are just some of the lovliest ladies I have ever met. They offer postcard workshops, which are becoming one of the hottest trends in quilting.

They also offer workshops on machine quilting. Mainly bobbin thread work and trapunto. It also appears to be whole cloth quilts and is just fascinating to look at.
One interesting tidbit: the sister who focuses on these whole cloth quilts hides a secret message in her quilts.
I will say that if I recommended these ladies, I would recommend the machine quilting, because I know how to do the postcards, and I feel I could teach it pretty easily to my guild.

The next quilter is another technique teacher. Patti Buhler of Quilted Arts Studio teaches how to add color to your quilts after you have finished quilting them. She also has a few talks about longarm quilting. But see the cats in this following picture? They are stamped on there.
I don't know if she did the cats in this batik, but I thought it was interesting.
See the flowers in this picture? Again... stamped. Or maybe inked with marker of some sort.
The leaves were stamped.
I'm not sure I would recommend this lady or not, but if you are interested in learning different techniques, I would say go for it.

The next lady, Betty Lenz specializes in Crazy Quilts. She was a very nice older lady. She said, "I like crazy quilts, because if you make a mistake, you can just slap a patch over it." :)
Here's a close up.This type of quilting doesn't particularly appeal to me. I'm more interested in newer and different techniques. But I thought this would appeal to the ladies who hand quilt or applique or who just like the history.

Okay, are you ready for part 3? I promise it's the last one.

Heartland Quilt Network

Are you prepared for some major picture-age? (and yes, it is a word. Even if I made it up, picture-age is a word.)

(Clicking on a picture makes it larger. I highly recommend it, because some of the details pop when you do that. Simply hit the browser back button to return to this page.)

On April 5, while my quilting guild was at the annual retreat, I got to attend the annual meeting of the Heartland Quilt Network. This would be a guild for guilds, and is a fantastic way to see what other guilds are doing.

There are some quilting professionals who are also part of this network. They come, show some of their work, and talk about the types of lectures and workshops they present.

What follows is my brief synopsis of who I saw, what they teach, if I recommend them for my guild or not, and pictures. :D (I love pictures.)

The first lady is Marilynn Bilyeu. She designed these organizers, and wrote a book called Take-Along-Totes. You can make them for ANYTHING....

scrapbooking,

of course, quilting,

and even for children!

Needless to say, I was impressed with her work, and I am going to try to get her scheduled to come speak. I only hope that my guild would like this workshop.

The next quilter is actually a man. Bryan Grove lives on the prairie in Kansas. His focus is on the creative process. He teaches on reacting to the environment (in his case, the Kansas landscape) and using techniques you know in new and different ways. He loves experimenting with surface design and textures. This is another speaker I would love to have come to our guild.


I kept coming back to this lady. I was fascinated by Kathy Caswell. First off, she teaches you how to draft 7 pointed stars. Then she teaches you how to paper piece them without sewing through the paper.
Another workshop she does is applique puzzles, where you can make these fantastic fabric .... well, paintings, almost. I believe she said it's a similar process to the 7 pointed stars.

She does lectures as well. This one is called "The Dysfunctional Quilter."
I really enjoyed her work, and I hope to see her again. She does the type of work that makes me wish that professionals offered one on one lessons.

This was a fun one. This is a couple of gals, Angela Medows and Judy Lyon, who teamed up to form MeadowLyons Design. They are famous for continuous line quilting. Very unique. And their personality was great, too. I think my guild would like them.

This was another lady who I kept going back to her table. Mindy Smith does some fantastic work. She also focuses on the creative techniques. She also does free motion quilting, landscape quilting and journaling. If you ever get a chance to see her work in person, you will be amazed. (Yes, she's a recommendation.)



Well, that's it for part one of this post. Yes, there's more. I told you it was major picture-age. :D

I forgot something

I forgot to add the fact that my guild is also wanting to put together a calendar of quilts that they make/made. Somehow, I found myself volunteering to take the pictures, so I need to learn how to take good quilt pictures, and see what the standard is. Oh, and one of the members asked me if I could possibly take a picture of her quilt to enter it in a show, so I have to find that criteria as well.

What was I thinking?? Oh yeah..... I get to practice my photography, and I would get exposure as a photographer. Somebody stop me!

Time flies....

I'm sorry to my faithful readers (all 3 of you) for not posting in a while. I have been busy. I am in charge of the pantry at church, and I seem to have taken off with ideas in the past few days.

I was also an election judge in the local elections last week, which honestly, is never one day. It's amazing how much work is involved in just sitting. I'm always exhausted, and take at least one day to recover.

Then, we are dealing with some health issues in Little Bit, and had some appointments last week.

To top it off, we have started house hunting. It's exciting and scary and a little bit frustrating as well. I seem to be spending all my computer time looking for "the right one."

Oh, and I forgot to mention that I've been asked to be the vice president of my quilting guild. It basically amounts to program chairman, but still. I have a lot of ideas on this as well, and after I take office in June (or is it July?), I can see myself with even less time than I have today.

Don't forget, today is also laundry day. Poor Little Bit doesn't have any clean socks. :) LOL I am excited to have a house where I can do laundry once a day instead of hauling it down three floors once a week.

Well.... that's all I have for right now, because I really need to get back to work. I just wanted you guys to know that I am okay and here. Just really really busy.

Easter Dresses

So, because we had the flu on Easter Sunday, we wore our Easter dresses last Sunday.

Here is Little Bit. I have to tell you the story behind this dress. My Momma made this dress for Sweet Pea when she was 3 years old. I was very pleased to see that it fit Little Bit.
I'll have to find the picture of Sweet Pea in this dress. You would be SHOCKED to see how much they look alike.
Here's Sweet Pea in her dress. But I must say, we weren't having a good hair day. (shh!)
I love seeing the two of them hugging and playing.

And now for Princess Little Bit. Doesn't she look grand? This is another dress that Momma made. And it was also for Sweet Pea. Who wore it in Auntie Boo's wedding. :D I love the fact that we can pass these dresses down.

Well, I'm through with Easter dress pictures. I hope everyone had a better Easter than we did. Maybe next year.