Back from MQS

I'm home and full of new ideas and tools and threads and ... and ... and!!! I took a couple of maintenance, thread tension classes and learned so much about thread and batting and fabric! It reinforced once again my feeling about prewashing fabrics....PREWASH EVERYTHING! It changes the final look of your quilts and makes the quilting stitches lay smoother within the quilt sandwich.

AND! Stop using sheets on your backs!! I never really like the end result as the thread count on sheets is usually at least 200 and quilt fabrics are about 78! The problem is that the needle punches through and leaves a perceptible hole in the threads...it just doesn't look as nice when it is finished. Although I don't love the look of plain muslin it is still better for a less expensive option than sheets.

Ooooh...I bought a bolt of bamboo batting!! It is so incredibly soft it makes a brand new quilt drape and wrap like one of those old old quilts that has been used to bits! I can't wait to use it. It is more expensive, but after all the expense you put into your quilts, why not spend another 15 bucks for something to make it perfect!

Just a few pics of quilts from the show. These quilts are quilting within an inch of their lives and not really made for everyday use, but they are so beautiful.

Off to MQS!!!

Well, I'm off to Machine Quilter's Showcase 2010!! Yay! I go to this nearly every year even if it is only a quick trip. This year I'm headed out for 3 days. I'm attending 3 classes and I'll have the time to browse and shop and really look at the quilts. AND...I get 2 nights in a hotel all by myself! I love hotels (by myself anyway)!! It is pouring down rain here so I imagine my drive will be a bit damp. Oh well. It will be a good trip...and my Meg created a special stone for me with her own magic to keep me safe while I'm gone:)

My little one (well, not so little at 11) will be missing me, and I her. She is used to me being here even if she doesn't need anything. But her daddy has promised to keep her busy with fun activities and even a campout in the back yard. Last time they did this (I hate camping:(), our great pyrenee and one cat slept with them. Bella (the pyrenee) is such a good travel, camping, and overall companion dog. They should have a good time and Meg will be looking forward to seeing what I manage to find for her while I'm gone.

I have so many new quilts/table runners/stuff to put up on my site when I get home!!! The weather here has been dreary everytime I get the chance to take pics. So hopefully, things will clear up, dry off and I can get some things posted next week while I prepare for the art show on the 22nd!! If anyone is from Des Moines, check out the art in the garden show at Ted's Garden Center in Cumming! It is a beautiful place and I didn't even know it existed until now!

Okay, off to pack up the car and head out for inspiration!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Favorite On-line Shops

I added some of my very favorite shops to the side bar. Etsy has so many very talented artists ... I just can't get enough! Greenlee's forest jewelry is run by a dear friend who is so very talented. I have many pieces from her and the beauty and quality is unsurpassed!!

Art in the Garden

Well, I committed to do the art in the garden show. I'm very excited about it even though I'm fully aware that I may sell nothing:) I want to make some sort of banner advertising Etsy as well as my quilts. So many people still don't know what Etsy is and they could have so much fun buying really cool items on there. It is a dangerous place for people like me! Lots of preparations to be made and many projects to finish in time for it.

I made some business cards on my scrapbook factory program. They turned out rather cool, but I still love my amy brown angel from my old cards (the woman who made them is out of business:() hmmm. cannot get to my new design right now. oh well.

Tons of new projects completed in the past couple weeks. Gotta get some pics up and get to quilting them all! Speaking of which I'd better get to it now...I have much to accomplish over the next couple of weeks!

New section in my Etsy shop

I decided to try a new "customize it yourself" section in my Etsy shop. I posted a few unquilted tops yesterday (and have many more!) with the option to have it personalized with names, dates, words...anything. I started this years ago with my customers. I put names and words throughout the quilting so the quilt has special meaning for each recipient. My daughter has a ducky quilt I made her years ago with all the pet names she had acquired over the years written in the borders. I also made a wall hanging for my best friend with the names of all her children and many words throughout that have meaning for her. She told me they had so much fun finding all the different ones. This is a pic of the center of that quilt...sadly you cannot see all the quilting...my digital camera was not as high quality back then. I'll have her send me some newer ones and repost later.

Country Threads Quilt Shop

On our way home from our trip to Minneapolis we stopped at one of my all time favorite quilt shops. This place was so much fun for my entire family. They live on a farm with chickens, goats, lots of kitties, and a couple of dogs and the quilt shop....well, it was amazing!!!

My dogs were welcomed both indoors and out! They ran through the shop and greeted everyone...so cute! And, a shop with cats running around is always a welcome sight for us. The owners were soooooo nice and such wonderful animal loving folks. One owner takes her time and gas to pick up condemned dogs from one area of MN into Minneapolis to be adopted every week. They have my undying devotion both for running a fabulous quilt shop and loving animals as they do.

My favorite fabric line purchased that day can be seen in the as yet unquilted table runner in the pic above. This stuff is fabulous!!! I wish I'd purchased much more of it. Maybe I'll have to go back...it's only a couple hours away. Here's a link to their shop www.countrythreads.com. They publish a quarterly newspaper called the "Goat Gazette". You can purchase a subscription (they gave me one free...probably because I spent a small fortune there)...it is worth the $12/year.

Neglectful

I have been a bit neglectful of this blog of late. March and early April are always busy times with my daughter's birthday falling on April 4 and easter coming along somewhere in there. We have spent the last 4 days in MN visiting my husband's cousin and going to the Mall of America to do the American Girl store and Nickelodeon Universe/aquarium and such for Meg's bday. Am. Girl store was much fun for her...found many treasures and had the chance to eat twice at their little restaurant. I'll post pics when I return home:) Overall it's been a nice trip. We'll return home today and hit a somewhat famous quilt shop on the way home...a little something for mommy.

I have been busy quilting back home...5 baby blankets to quilt/bind then get put up on my site. Still waiting for my banner...will have to contact her when I return.

I've been asked to do an 'art in the garden' show in May...not sure yet as the logistics of getting things there, dealing with possibility of rain and such are tough. I don't have a truck to transport or a tent to utilize at this point so although it may be fun, I may not do it. Not sure it is really the place for my quilts, but you never know until you try, right?

Ok, all for now. Will post pics tomorrow :)