American Quilter Magazine

WE'VE MOVED!

2011-06-15T15:36:00.002-06:00

Thank you for your readership, your support, and your comments on this blog over the last couple years. To give our readers a more pleasant and full experience, AQS has launched a new, comprehensive quilting information site: http://www.QuiltViews.com/.

You can find all my past and future blog posts at this site. Since the Quilt Views site will include content from me as well as my American Quilter’s Society colleagues, I think you’ll be very pleased with the amount of information we have pulled together.

Our upgraded website already has over 500 articles, with more added daily. All my previous blog posts are already live on that site, including the most recent comments from readers.

This website is hosted at a new URL, so please be sure to update your bookmarks, RSS feeds, and e-mail subscriptions.
Please visit us at our new, improved online location. Be sure to check out the site organization, including categories, tags, and techniques. And I hope you’ll sign up for e-mail updates to keep informed of the latest news.

You can find me now at http://www.quiltviews.com/

See you soon!

Chris

Barn Quilt Unveiling

2011-06-10T15:11:00.002-06:00

This was a red-letter day in Fremont, Nebraska. Or maybe it would be better described as a red barn day! Candace Door, a Nebraska resident, was announced as the grand prize winner in AccuQuilt’s 2^nd Annual Barn Quilt Design Contest, and her original quilt block design was unveiled on the side of the AccuQuilt headquarters building here in Fremont. From over 600 entries submitted, 100 semi-finalists were posted on AccuQuilt’s Facebook page where 10,000 fans voted for their favorites. The three top winners were then selected by Alex Anderson, Ricky Tims, and Eleanor Burns. (The winning designs are posted on AccuQuilt’s website, www.AccuQuilt.com.) Eleanor was on also hand today to congratulate the winners and entertain the crowd with her rowdy Barn Quilt show, accompanied by music, laughs, and “live” farm animals including a rare flying pink pig, while promoting her new book, Quilt Blocks on American Barns.

The idea for painting quilt designs on barns in rural America originated in 2001, where Donna Sue Groves meant to simply honor her mother and the five generations of quilters in her family with a colorful Snails Trail (or Monkey Wrench) design painted on the side of the family barn in Adams County, Ohio. In ten years, the concept has been eagerly adopted by historical societies and grass-roots art groups, and traditional block patterns now adorn over 3,000 barns all around America. The barns have become something of a tourist attraction in some states, with barn quilt trails popping up in rural counties nationwide.

Although the barn quilt contest event was certainly today’s highlight, the primary reason I am in Fremont is to participate in AccuQuilt’s first ever (and if you ask the attendees, first ANNUAL!) retreat for consumers, shop owners, or anyone who owns or uses an AccuQuilt Studio, Go!, or Go Baby! fabric cutter. Both the products and the company are quite remarkable, but I’ll save all those details for my next blog in a couple days.

In the meantime, take a peek at Eleanor’s book on the AQS website, www.americanquilter.com/books_supplies/item_detail.php?id=8337. She illustrates a variety of techniques to create 20 pieced blocks from 3” to 18”, including barn blocks. Sampler quilts photographed for the book showcase how the blocks can be adapted to a variety of styles and colorways as individual as America’s barns. AQS members receive a discount on book purchases.

Thank you from New Zealand

2011-06-06T11:24:00.000-06:00

Just a few days ago I received this letter and photos from Yvonne Roberts, a 20-year quilter who is actively involved in the quilting community and quilting organizations in New Zealand.

Yvonne writes:
“When tragedy strikes, quilters want to do what quilters do: make quilts for all those who have suffered. Just after the devastating February earthquakes in Christchurch, I contacted some quilting friends in the U.S.A. for help and it and it snowballed from there.

From the quilters of Marlborough, New Zealand, I would like to offer thanks for the more than 2,000 quilt blocks and 20 tops that were kindly send by quilters around the world, including hundreds from the U.S.A. It was heartwarming to know so many people thought of us—without hesitation people packaged up blocks and quilt tops and sent them halfway across the world.

Beautiful, colorful blocks of all shapes and sizes arrived at my door daily. As the number of blocks arriving was beyond my wildest dreams, I asked five quilting groups in the Marlborough area for help: Picton, Linkwater, Havelock, Seddon, and Marlborough Quilters.

Over a weekend in May we held a 28-hour quiltathon, with 40 people coming and going and some stalwarts spending the full 28 hours there. It was a mighty effort by everyone, with 59 quilts made during this time.

Our quilts are being delivered through churches of all denominations. My sister,Coral Kay, is a counselor and has been able to target the areas most in need. The first quilt went to a baby born amongst the mayhem, which we thought rather appropriate—a new life, a new beginning. The oldest recipient so far is an 86-year-old woman, previously a survivor of the London Blitz in WW II. She is now too frightened to sleep in her bed so has made a nest under her dining table with her quilt.

What a delight we have had making these quilts! Already 180 quilts have been delivered to earthquake victims, and by mid-June when the project winds down, we are confident the total will be over 200.
To those for whom I don’t have e-mail addresses and haven't been able to thank personally, I’m sending this special thank you through AQS for your contributions. They are much appreciated.”

The Wedding Quilt

2011-05-31T09:34:00.001-06:00

I wasn’t at the AQS Paducah show this year and there’s a very good reason. My only daughter, unaware that the 2011 show was one week later than usual because of Easter, scheduled her wedding for May 1st in South Carolina. As much as I love meeting all the contest winners and catching up with friends new and old every year in Paducah, I could not shirk my long awaited mother-of-the-bride duties and pleasures that week.

From all reports, it appears the AQS staff, teachers, vendors, AQ contributing editors, and attendees pulled together under dire circumstances and did a remarkable job of coping with the unexpected flood warnings and weather conditions. Special thanks go to my contributing editors Iris Frank, Kathie Kerler, and Marjie Russell; amidst all the chaotic conditions, they managed to interview the major prize winners and wrote the text you’ll read in the Paducah show section of the July 2011 issue of American Quilter.

But back to the wedding! Of course there is a wedding quilt in the works. After showing my daughter (Leslie) and her fiancé (Jonathan) a dozen or so books from which to choose a quilt pattern, they found three designs they liked. All were from the same book, City Quilts: 12 Dramatic Projects Inspired by Urban Views by Cherri House (C&T Publishing). The couple currently lives in Denver, and Jonathan originally hails from New York City, so the contemporary quilts in this book were right up their alley.

Of their favorites, the design most suitable for a signature quilt was City Lights, featuring brick-shaped blocks set in vertical rows. I redrew the design in Electric Quilt (EQ7), working with the couple to come up with a color plan that felt right for both the wedding theme and their home décor. My rendering, which is slightly modified from Cherri House’s original, is shown above with permission from C&T (it is a copyrighted pattern).

Before the wedding, I cut out brick-shaped blocks and taped the edges with masking tape so guests wouldn’t write within the seam allowance. Many of the wedding guests had never seen or even heard of signing fabric blocks for a quilt, but our wonderful wedding planner made sure there was a table and chairs both at the outside reception and later indoors at the wedding dinner for this purpose. I asked my quilter friend, Pat Thompson, to handle this task, and she did it beautifully.

It will probably be the couple’s first anniversary before they receive my completed gift, but like all wedding quilts, I hope that this one serves as a permanent reminder of a special day filled with love, respect, commitment, and the importance of friends and family.

City Quilts: 12 Dramatic Projects Inspired by Urban Views by Cherri House is available for purchase at www.americanquilter.com/books_supplies/item_detail.php?id=8191 and AQS members receive a discount.

Fabulous freeform filler strips

2011-05-17T12:34:00.001-06:00

Quilter, author, and pattern designer Gail Garber has come up with another winning concept for interpreting traditional quilt patterns in a more contemporary style. She calls her technique Freeform Fillers—they’re basically curved rows filled with a variety of foundation-pieced designs such as Flying Geese and Picket Fence. These colorful pieced fillers can be used to create an entire quilt, or they can simply add a dramatic border or center to your next project. As you can see from these photos, Gail's fillers have a graceful swooping and dipping bird-like quality, not surprising when you learn Gail is also director of Hawks Aloft, a New Mexico non-profit organization that works to protect indigenous wild birds.

Gail outlines her technique and shows you how to design your own fillers in the July 2011 issue of American Quilter magazine, which will be mailed to AQS members the first week of June. If you’re not yet an AQS member or if you joined after May 3, 2011, you can purchase this issue on newsstand in mid-June or order a copy now through our member services department at 800-626-5420. (This issue is supersized to 114 pages and features all the winning quilts from both the Lancaster and Paducah AQS shows. It's always a quick sellout.)

And if you want to explore Gail’s technique even more, check out her book Flying Colors – Design Quilts with Freeform Shapes & Flying Geese (C&T Publishing), available for purchase at http://www.americanquilter.com/books_supplies/item_detail.php?id=8319.

Breaking the border-cutting "rules"

2011-05-16T08:26:00.001-06:00

American Quilter magazine pattern editor Marje Rhine shares her views on cutting fabric borders:

"Quilters are usually taught to cut quilt borders parallel to the selvage. There are a couple of good reasons for this. First, there is less stretch in the fabric parallel to the selvage so less likelihood of wavy borders. Second, the borders would not need to be pieced with adequate yardage.

But we all know there are no quilt police and there are good reasons to occasionally break the quilting 'rules.' I often cut my borders across the width of the fabric (WOF) from selvage to selvage. The borders usually need to be pieced but less fabric is required. And if the fabric is one of those large-scale prints so popular today, the borders may look better cut across the fabric width.

For example, here is a large-scale print I want to use as the outside border for my quilt.

For the next figure, I have superimposed cutting lines on the fabric to show the difference in the appearance of the borders after the fabric is cut. Although there is quite a bit of the blue I want in the print, some border strips cut parallel to the selvage will have almost no blue. Also, the same motifs repeat often in a lengthwise border strip. The border strips cut selvage to selvage have more variety in color and motifs.

See the difference in these quilt mock-ups below. The quilt with the borders cut across the WOF is more balanced and interesting to look at.

Don't be afraid to break the rules if, in the end, you like the quilt better."

Springtime in Colorado

2011-05-12T07:57:00.000-06:00

Having lived in wonderful Colorado for nearly 20 years now, I often joke that the unpredictable weather is perfect for people with short attention spans. It’s not unusual to have 40 or 50 degree temperature variations between morning and night on the same day, and the weather can go from heavenly to devilish in a matter of hours.

Well, this week has been remarkable even for Colorado! It was 81 degrees in Castle Rock two days ago, and since then we’ve had over six inches of snow. And it’s still snowing! The hummingbirds are usually busy finding nesting places in the nearby scrub oak but when they see the snow piled up on my feeder (photo above), they’ll probably head back to the Gulf of Mexico for an extended winter stay.

The good part about this kind of weather—and with the advantage of working from a home office—I’m spending lots of extra time indoors, exploring new ideas for future issues of American Quilter magazine. One of the things that makes AQ unique is the variety of voices in which the articles in each issue are told. Quilting does not have a narrow spectrum, and one of my goals as editor is to encompass fresh new stories, techniques, patterns, lifestyle ideas, and author voices to make each issue special and unique. Maybe that “short attention span” thing comes into play here, but you won’t find a humdrum formula in AQ from one issue to the next.

The supersized July 2011 issue, with photos of 77 winning quilts from both the Lancaster and Paducah AQS shows, goes to press today. AQS members can expect to see that issue arrive in their mailboxes (though delivery is highly dependent on your local post office!) beginning the first week of June. But please be patient, and perhaps read my posting from March 25, which offers a little detail about magazine delivery. If you just joined AQS and did so AFTER May 4, your subscription will begin with the September issue. However, you can still order a copy of the July issue through our member services department (800-626-5420 or memserv@aqsquilt.com) or purchase it on newsstand after June 14th.

What is springtime like where you live?

Coming attractions: Supersized July issue!

2011-04-21T07:10:00.001-06:00

The next issue of American Quilter magazine (July 2011) will be published in mid-May, shortly after the annual AQS show in Paducah. To accommodate all the winning quilts from both the AQS Lancaster and Paducah shows, we've added more pages to the issue: "Yes, supersize that, please!"

In addition to the show winners, you'll find terrific articles on The Modern Quilt Guild by Iris Frank; Remarkable Hand Dyed Fabric by Mark Sherman; and Window of Imagination, in which Michele Byrum shows you how to create gorgeous floral appliqué from the most unlikely fabrics.

Two complete patterns, including my own quilt Meditation above, will be in this issue, plus instructions for an easy-to-make cotton bandana quilt as a free web bonus.

This issue is always a sellout, so be be sure to check your AQS membership expiration date to ensure this issue arrives in your mailbox in early June. Not yet an AQS member? As long as your membership is received and processed by 4 P.M. (Central time) May 3rd, your American Quilter magazine subscription will start with the July issue.

Inspired by Carol Taylor

2011-04-13T14:51:00.000-06:00

Quilt artist Carol Taylor of Pittsford, New York, is a talented teacher as well as a frequent award winner in AQS and other quilt competitions. Last year she wrote a wonderful article for American Quilter called Transparent Beauty, about using sheer organza fabrics in a variety of colors to create shadows and layers in her art quilts.

I recently received a letter and photos from Janet Gajewski of Lenoir City, Tennessee, about Carol and this article. Janet shares:

"I first saw Carol Taylor’s art quilt Bountiful in the March 2010 issue of American Quilter. I was inspired by the design and technique, so I drew my design on paper and began what turned into a real challenge. Although I'm an experienced sewer, I have been quilting for only a year. My nine-patch background consists of cotton fabrics plus several home dec fabrics. The first border is home dec satin; the second border, binding, and backing are batik. Some of my leaves are double fused. For example, I had bright red organza, so I fused a soft gold over it to get the desired color. For the peach leaves, I fused a peach polyester curtain fabric over light peach cotton. The finished size is 20” x 20” and I named it Nature Dances.

My learning experiences were phenomenal! I experimented with different threads for the embroidery stitching and discovered that a quality thread like Guterman rayon worked best. I also discovered that a narrow buttonhole stitch worked better for me than a tight zigzag, especially for the berries. It was a lot of fun doing something so different and creative, and I am happy to share these pictures with my family and friends."

Thank you, Janet, for sharing your beautiful quilt. AQS members can access Carol's article at http://www.americanquilter.com/.

Quarter-square triangles: Efficient cutting

2011-04-11T13:37:00.001-06:00

(Submitted by Marje Rhine, pattern editor for American Quilter magazine)
Some quilt patterns call for quarter-square triangles (QST), which are triangles cut from a square on both diagonals (fig. 1). These triangles are used instead of half-square triangles when the quilt designer wants the fabric's straight of grain to fall on the long edge of the triangle. This adds stability to the block.

Fig. 1
Often the large outside setting triangles for on-point quilt layouts are QSTs (fig. 2). One square produces 4 triangles, but sometimes a pattern calls for fewer than 4 QSTs, so there may be some left over after cutting. For small triangles this is not a problem, but it can result in a waste of fabric if the original square is large, as is often the case for setting triangles. Or, there may not be enough fabric left to cut a large square for additional QSTs.

Fig. 2
Special rulers may be purchased to help you cut these triangles one at a time. However, it is easy to do with just a large, square rotary-cutting ruler that you probably already have on hand.

First, make sure the strip or piece of fabric is at least as long and half as tall as the square size given for the QSTs. My pattern called for one 11 1/4" QST, so my fabric must measure at least 11 1/4" long x 5 5/8" tall.
Straighten the edge of the fabric.
Make small marks on the long edge of the fabric 11 1/4" apart (fig. 3).

Fig. 3

Rotate a large square ruler so the starting point for the measurements on 2 sides of the ruler are at the top point. Place the ruler on the fabric so the edges of the ruler touch the marks on the fabric.
Maneuver the ruler so the same measurement mark is at each of the 2 marks on the fabric. In this example the marks on the fabric fall just inside the 8" lines on the 2 sides of the ruler (fig. 4). Cut out using a rotary cutter, and you'll have one 11 1/4" QST.

Fig. 4

Reader quilt: Morning Star (Baby Greeensleeves pattern)

2011-04-04T07:36:00.000-06:00

One of the patterns published in the January 2011 issue of American Quilter magazine was Baby Greensleeves by Claudia Clark Myers. Several readers, including Terri Kohlbeck of Kalispell, Montana, have let me know they enjoyed making this foundation-pieced quilt. Terri gave me permission to share her photo and letter here:

"Here is a picture of my Baby Greensleeves quilt. I named it Morning Star. It is all done in metallic fabrics. I have been quilting for about seven years after a traumatic experience with anaphylactic shock. I had a lot of brain trauma and believe the quilting helped me heal, and of course I became addicted. Quilting has been such a blessing. I entered Paducah this year and have been juried in to the show - what a shock and so exciting. Claudia has given me permission to show the quilt. I will have two quilts in the show.

I so appreciate the American Quilter's Society and their magazine (American Quilter) and all the wonderful people who work so hard to keep it all going. Quilting has become my passion and I do appreciate all the expertise I get from the designers and the magazine."

Thank you, Terri, for sharing your inspiring story and your beautiful quilt. And congratulations for having two quilts juried into the Paducah show; that is an honor in itself!

The pattern for Baby Greensleeves is available online at www.AmericanQuilter.com for all AQS members.

Will this issue arrive in your mailbox?

2011-03-25T09:56:00.003-06:00

The May 2011 issue of American Quilter (shown above) is at the printer now and will arrive in AQS members’ mailboxes during the first few weeks of April. Many of the email messages I receive each day concern magazine subscription inquiries and AQS membership. As editor-in-chief, I do not have direct access to the membership database so I always forward these inquiries on to our member services department for follow-up. However, I would like to address several common situations here.
"I joined AQS two months ago and haven't yet received a magazine."
That is possible! There are six issue of American Quilter published per year, and your subscription always begins with the next issue published. Each issue is published two months prior to the named month on that issue: the March issue is published in January, the May issue in March, etc. For new members, your AQS membership must be processed by the last business day of the month BEFORE the next issue is actually printed in order to receive that issue. That is because the magazine mailing labels are printed on the first day of the month of issue publication. So, someone whose membership was processed on January 2nd would not receive the March issue, which is typically published early to mid January and mails in mid to late January. If that same person had joined AQS on Dec. 31st, they would have received the March issue. Using the same example, the January 2nd new member’s six-issue subscription would begin with the May issue, published in mid-March.
If you are a new AQS member and would like a magazine before your first issue arrives, you have two options. The complete digital version of the issue can be read online, or you can contact member services and purchase a copy of any issue still in stock.
"I didn't get the most recent issue and I'm an AQS member."
Most times when we get this inquiry, the member has simply forgotten to renew his or her subscription. Members receive a reminder inserted in the last issue remaining on their membership year. If you renew promptly, there will be no break in service or missing issues. Several other reminders are sent out to you after the first one. Depending on how long you delay renewing, however, you may miss an issue because of the same timetable described above. But remember AQS members can read digital issues online or purchase any earlier issues still in stock.
"I tried to renew my membership online but couldn't get it to work."
It is quick and easy for members to renew online at www.AmericanQuilter.com, but you can only do this by logging into your online “account” with your AQS username and password, which can be sent to your email account. (Of course you can always renew by mail or phone.) In addition to being able to renew your membership quickly, there are many other reasons to visit our website. You'll get updates on shows and AQS news, have access to all digital issues of American Quilter, and find many free patterns not in the magazine. Members can purchase books at a discount and read reviews of recent titles. You can view the Readers' Quilts gallery and enjoy photos of quilts made by our readers from American Quilter patterns. One of the most valuable resources is our online magazine index, which goes all the way back to 2001.
"No one in my local guild has received the current issue and it's already on newsstand."
When a large number of AQS members from a small geographical area inquire about a missing issue, it is typically a post office situation and not a membership problem. This happened recently in the Rockford, Illinois, area. Your local post office receives magazine copies for all the members in that zip code area at one time. Because magazines are considered periodicals and are not first class mail, the post office has flexibility in when those issues are actually put on trucks and delivered to customers. The issues usually go out promptly, but occasionally the post office will hold them for days or even weeks if they are overloaded with other periodicals. If this problem happens in your area, please inquire at your local post office and then contact AQS.

Want to avoid missing any of our top-rated issues? Please renew your AQS membership promptly and establish an online presence to enjoy all the many perks of AQS membership. For specific inquiries or other membership inquiries, please contact memserv@aqsquilt.com .

Lancaster show winners announced

2011-03-16T15:17:00.001-06:00

Congratulations to all the winning quiltmakers at the second annual AQS Show & Contest in Lancaster, Pennsylvania! A complete list of winners plus photos of the winning quilts are now posted at http://www.americanquilter.com/shows_contests/lancaster/2011/quilt_contest/quilt_winners.php

Best of show was awarded to Cindy Seitz-Krug of Bakersfield, California, for her quilt SIMPLY SANTA FE (photo above). Before starting the day’s tasks, this mother of two and owner of a commercial catfish farm gets up early and quilts from 5AM to 7AM every morning. “Quilting is my favorite part of the quiltmaking process,” Cindy says, “and I start thinking about the quilting as soon the quilt is designed.” As she did in this quilt, Cindy often chooses Cherrywood Fabrics for their rich appearance and how well her quilting shows up on them.

The quilt design is Cindy’s original, as are the feather quilting motifs and the hand appliquéd flowers in the quilt center. The intricate quilted background fillers are adaptations of patterns Cindy learned in classes with Diane Gaudynski and Sharon Schamber. Cindy loves the symmetry of traditional quilts, but admits the colorful ribbon border presented sewing challenges posed by all the bias edges. She quilts on a BERNINA 440 without a stitch regulator, and estimates that the quilting took between 300 and 400 hours.
Congratulations, Cindy, and thank you for entering your quilt in this AQS show.
It's not too early to start sewing for next year's AQS shows. Here are the 2012 show dates:
Lancaster, PA            March 14-17
Paducah, KY              April 25-28
Grand Rapids, MI       August 22-25
Des Moines, IA           October 3-6

Announcing the Mystery Quilt contest winners

2011-03-14T05:43:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Amy Allen, Cynthia Felts, and Beth Schillig, the three winners of American Quilter’s Beyond the Block Mystery Quilt contest! And special thanks go to every quilter who completed the challenge within the short time frame required. You can see photos and read descriptions of ALL contest quilts in the Readers’ Quilts gallery located under the American Quilter tab at http://www.americanquilter.com/ or use the link below:
http://www.americanquilter.com/publications/readers_contests.php?id=1&year=2011

MYSTERY, 58" x 74", by Amy Allen, Honaunau, HI

DANICA’S PINK BUTTERFLY QUILT, 54" x 73", by Cynthia H. Felts, Rolla, MO

A MORNING IN MARBLEHEAD, 50" x 66", by Beth A. Schillig, Columbus, OH

It’s not too late to make your own special Beyond the Block quilt! The first installment of the mystery quilt pattern, designed by those “Crafty Ol’ Broads” Linda K. Johnson and Jane K. Wells, was published in the September 2010 issue of American Quilter, with the remaining two parts published in the November 2010 and January 2011 issues. All three parts are available at www.AmericanQuilter.com to AQS members.

In memoriam: Jean Ray Laury

2011-03-04T10:37:00.000-07:00

The quilt world has lost one of its icons; Jean Ray Laury of Fresno, California, died March 2nd. My sincere condolences go to her husband and family.
I was privileged to know Ms. Laury through occasional encounters and meetings at quilt shows, museums, and other quilt-related venues. As someone who began quilting in the 1970s, I always had the highest regard for Jean; she was instrumental in the renewed 20th century interest in quilting and expansion of the quilting industry. Jean was smart, accomplished, generous, and had a wonderful sense of humor, quite evident in both her quilts and her writing. I always enjoyed our conversations and and admired her extensive knowledge and creativity.
I will miss her.

69 Amazing mystery quilts now posted

2011-02-28T13:23:00.000-07:00

Sixty-nine quilters beat the clock to enter their completed Beyond the Block mystery quilts in our contest, which ended in January. From embroidery to applique to foundation piecing to photos printed on fabric, participants showcased an incredible array of techniques and styles in their focus blocks. All 69 quilts are now posted for your enjoyment at http://www.americanquilter.com/publications/readers_contests.php?id=1&year=2011, where you can read about the quiltmakers and their inspiration. Three winning quilts have been selected from these entries and will be announced next week. Photos of the three winning quilts will appear in the May 2011 issue of American Quilter magazine.

The spectacular quilt shown above is one of the contest entries. Marlene Oddie of College Place, Washington, wrote this about her finished quilt, which she titled Bordered Beyond the Block:

"The focus blocks were chosen from the Savannah line by Michael Miller. This fabric reminded me of a painting, My Grandmother Dreams in Peonies, http://www.stacybarter.com/images/peonieslowresimage.JPG by Stacy Barter, a high school work colleague and classmate. This painting received the Best in Show $25,000 Award for the 2007-2009 Museum Exhibition Tour of Blossom - Art of Flowers. The fabric was in my stash with a few coordinating prints I had been saving along with it to someday do something spectacular. The ad for the 2010 American Quilter magazine Beyond the Block mystery quilt said it would have a ‘stunning setting’ so I decided this was the project to get out the Savannah fabric and put it to use. The rest of the fabric was selected from my stash based on the mystery guidelines. I did use two fabrics for #6 Light.
Extending the borders was exciting. I had just written an article about extending centers into the border for the Country Register, so it was fresh on my mind. I experimented in EQ7 until I was satisfied with the final outcome. I used black Quilter’s Cotton Sateen in the border, backing and binding and wool batting. I quilted this on my Gammill Optimum Plus with a fair amount of stitch-in-the-ditch and the rest free motion. It is fun to look at the backside with a light on in the front of the quilt—you can see the quilting in a whole new way."

Marlene has graciously offered to share her instructions to make the extra extended border for this mystery quilt pattern. Contact Marlene via her blog at http://kissedquilts.blogspot.com/

Color of the Year

2011-02-25T13:35:00.000-07:00

“In times of stress, we need something to lift our spirits. Honeysuckle (2011 Color of the Year) is a captivating, stimulating color that gets the adrenaline going – perfect to ward off the blues,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “Honeysuckle derives its positive qualities from a powerful bond to its mother color red, the most physical, viscerally alive hue in the spectrum.”

Eiseman continues, “The intensity of this festive reddish pink allures and engages. In fact, this color, not the sweet fragrance of the flower blossoms for which it was named, is what attracts hummingbirds to nectar. Honeysuckle may also bring a wave of nostalgia for its associated delicious scent reminiscent of the carefree days of spring and summer.”

Have you ever wondered where color trends originate? Some years department stores offer clothing and bed linens in nothing but brown and turquoise, and the next year we’re overwhelmed with jewel tones. These color trends go way beyond the department store, though; manufacturers of consumer electronics, household appliances, toys, and even dishes rely on the predictions of one particular company when making corporate decisions on color. That company is Pantone.

According to Pantone, these are the colors you’ll be wearing next fall: Bamboo, Emberglow, Phlox, Cedar, Deep Teal, Coffee Liqueur, Nougat, Orchid Hush, and Quarry. Why do I feel as though I’ve entered an exotic gourmet market? I wish someone would clarify if my dark brown pants qualify as Coffee Liqueur so I can continue wearing them this fall. I’d hate to be unfashionable.

Actually, Pantone represents quite a remarkable success story, and you can read more about the hows and whys of color trends in my editorial in the May 2011 issue of American Quilter magazine. AQS members will receive this issue in late March and it will be available on newsstand in April.

300 Shoes and Counting...

2011-02-14T05:53:00.000-07:00

Is anyone else out there besides me a shoe fanatic? When I saw this clever wallhanging made by quilter Linda Mesirow of Shorewood, Wisconsin, I asked her permission to share it here. I just wish I had all those adorable high heels in my closet like Barbie®. Here is Linda’s story:

“This wallhanging started about three years ago when my daughter Laura and I were at an antique store and found a small baggie with five mismatched Barbie shoes for a dollar. I wondered who in the world would want five unmatched shoes. But they were only a dollar, so I bought them thinking I could use them in a quilt someday. I mentioned it to several friends who raided their daughters’ Barbie things. I paid a neighbor 25 cents per shoe for any she could get from her friends, found more at rummage sales, and even received some from someone I didn’t know who had heard about it from a friend.

The real revelation came when I went on eBay.com—I had NO idea! There were thousands of Barbie shoes listed, from her original 1959 black mules made in Japan with the holes in the bottom ($100 apiece...I didn't buy them!) to 25 pairs of shoes for $5! Barbie shoes had been made in the Philippines, Hong Kong, Japan, China, Malaysia, and Indonesia. I bought shoes from people all over the world, including Sweden and Germany.

After collecting for several years and ending up with over 300 shoes, it was time to do something with them. Since they were all different colors, I decided a checkerboard would be best. The squares are 2 1/4" x 2 3/8". It is technically not a quilt because it doesn't have three layers, but the shoes were all sewn on by hand after piercing each one with an upholstery needle. I wanted shoes to "walk" around the edge, so the piece is mounted on an oil painting canvas about 2' x 3'. Of the 250 shoes on the piece, there are only a few doubles. I gave it to Laura for her 28th birthday recently because she loved Barbie dolls, LOVES shoes, and wears really high and unusual high heels!”

Coming in the next issue: Amy Butler

2011-02-11T07:25:00.000-07:00

Designer Amy Butler does it all. Her teaming of bold designs and luscious colors results in one successful fabric collection after another, and each can only be described as "eye candy" of the first order.

American Quilter magazine contributing editor Iris Frank recently had the opportunity to interview Amy. In the May 2011 issue you'll discover the real Amy Butler: How did she get to where she is today? What inspires her? What keeps her going? AQ is pleased and privileged to share Amy's answers about her creative and successful life journey.

And as a special bonus, AQ pattern editor Marje Rhine has designed a fabulous easy-to-sew pieced pattern called Soul Stars (photo above) that shows off Amy's new Soul Blossoms fabric collection. Complete instructions will be published in the May issue, which mails to AQS members on March 30, 2011 and will be available on newsstand April 19, 2011.

Template Technique

2011-02-09T15:23:00.026-07:00

(Contributed by Marje Rhine, pattern editor for American Quilter magazine)

Like many quilters, I shied away from using templates for many years. When I did use them, I tried to cut around them with a rotary ruler firmly held over the edge of the template. But this didn’t work too well and I usually ended up taking slices out of the template before I was done. Heavier duty template plastic that you can rotary cut around is nice, but when cutting through many layers the cutter can still slip and it just didn’t feel safe. So I came up with a method for making straight-edge templates (this doesn’t work with curves) that can be used for rotary cutting. The resulting patches are very accurate and I can cut the entire quilt without ruining my plastic template, or my finger.

Following are instructions for my method. In addition to the template pattern and fabric you will need:
• Template plastic or cardboard – a cereal box is about the right weight
• Add-a-Quarter™ ruler – this comes in 2 sizes, 6” or 12”
• General purpose glue stick
• Optional: restickable or repositionable glue stick

Above is the pattern I printed using EQ7. Cut the template out leaving a margin all around the finished patch line; the margin doesn’t need to be 1/4”. Using the general purpose glue stick, glue the pattern onto template plastic then cut out on the finished patch line.

I use my paper-cutting rotary cutter because I am much more accurate cutting that way than with scissors. Note that there is no seam allowance around the outside of the template.

Glue the template onto a piece of paper, again using the general purpose glue stick. Make sure there is a wide margin of paper all round. Using the Add-a-Quarter ruler, cut out around the template, adding the 1/4” seam allowance to the paper around the plastic template. The lip of the ruler fits snuggly against the edge of the plastic to give an accurate 1/4”.

The photo above shows the template I just made and another template for the piece to which it will be sewn. (To make it easier to see I glued the plastic template to blue paper.) Next, trim the templates to help in aligning the patches together before sewing. Gail Valentine describes how to do this in her Timeless Templates article in the March 2011 issue of American Quilter Magazine.

Rub the back of the template with restickable or repositionable glue stick. This is a non-permanent adhesive that makes the back slightly tacky so the template won’t slip on the fabric. Double-sided tape or a loop of tape might work as well.

Use the template on the fabric to aid in cutting
the size of strips needed.

Place the template on the strip, and using an Add-a-Quarter ruler, cut out all around.

After cutting the first pieces I always do a sewing test before cutting out the whole quilt.

If the cutter or ruler does slip, the plastic template is not destroyed, and it is only necessary to remove and reapply the paper to the back of the plastic.

If You Knew Susie...

2011-02-03T07:09:00.000-07:00

The March 2011 issue of American Quilter magazine (already mailed to AQS members and available on newsstand Feb. 15) includes several articles and patterns featuring the amazingly ageless Sunbonnet Sue. Here is a response from Jacquie Scuitto (aka The Muse). Jacquie has graciously shared this photo and the poem below.

"I just received the latest issue of American Quilter and am really enjoying all of the Sunbonnet Sue articles.

One of the two quilt tops I have that were made my my mom around 1940 feature the Sunbonnet Babies. The photo shows a section of the quilt. In Sue's honor I wrote the following verse some years ago:"

IF YOU KNEW SUSIE...

Oh Susannah!

My Sunbonnet Sue!

So many quilts have featured you

In so many activities

Over the years,

Mirroring real life.

Garnering cheers.

Some people don't care

For your innocent charm,

But their lack of taste

Will do you no harm:
Ever in fashion
With fame that astounds,
Your popularity

Knows no bounds.

Mystery Quilt Contest finalists

2011-01-27T15:31:00.000-07:00

The response to our Beyond the Block Mystery Quilt Contest has been nothing short of amazing! Of the 119 quilters who entered last August by completing part 1 published in the September 2010 issue, 95 (80%) completed part 2 by the November 2010 deadline, and 71 (60%) submitted photos of their finished quilts by the January 2011 completion deadline. But it wasn’t only the numbers that were fantastic—the comments were, too. Almost without exception, entrants thoroughly enjoyed participating in the challenge and were delighted with their finished quilts.
Here are the eight randomly-chosen finalists:
Kitty Adamo of Hopewell Junction, NY
Dorothy Alexander of Superior, NE
Amy Allen of Honaunau, HI
Cynthia Felts of Rolla, MO
Abigail Fuller of Troy, ID
Synneva Hicks of Byron, MN
Alice Means of Bolton, CT
Beth Schillig of Columbus, OH
Thank you to everyone who entered the contest. Three winning quilts will be chosen by AQS founder and president Meredith Schroeder, and photos of those three quilts will appear in the May 2011 issue of American Quilter magazine.

If you’re catching up and still want to make your own Beyond the Block quilt, all three installments of the pattern are available at http://www.americanquilter.com/ to AQS members. And for inspiration, photos of ALL completed mystery quilts submitted for the contest will be posted in the Readers’ Quilts gallery under the American Quilter tab on the AQS home page by the end of February.

Inspired by Grandma

2011-01-24T09:08:00.000-07:00

With over 70 Sunbonnet Sue books currently listed on Amazon.com (including out-of-print titles selling for hundreds of dollars) plus countless stories, patterns, articles, and websites devoted exclusively to her, Sue has remained incredibly popular since her creation around 1900 by artist and illustrator Bertha Corbett. For a fascinating insight into Bertha's life, be sure to read the article by Betsy Lewis in the March 2011 issue of American Quilter magazine, on newsstand February 15, 2011.

My friend Anita Shackelford, an AQS author and NQA certified quilt judge, has been a quiltmaker since 1967. She is an internationally recognized teacher and lecturer who loves combining appliqué and fine hand quilting to create new quilts in 19th century style. Her quilts have been exhibited in shows across the United States, in Australia and Japan, winning many awards, including twelve best of show and many for workmanship.

Anita has graciously shared this personal story and quilt photos:

"My grandmother was a quiltmaker. When her daughters were young, she made each of them a Sunbonnet Sue. The pattern was popular in the 1930s and a good choice for girls. She made it in the typical style with a variety of prints for the dresses and coordinating solids for the hats and shoes. To personalize the quilts, she collected fabrics from schoolmates for each of the dresses and embroidered the friends’ names on the blocks. The applique blocks were set with a wide sashing and of course, hand quilted.

I also have a Dresden Plate quilt that Grandma made. Again, she worked in a scrappy style, but this quilt was made from new fabric, bought for quiltmaking. These blocks were set with a golden yellow solid for the sashing and borders and the quilt was quilted by hand.

I was still in college when I decided I wanted to make a quilt. Grandma was no longer here to help with the task, but Aunt Gini had saved all of the scraps and cardboard templates Grandma had used. Her Dresden Plate was the pattern that appealed to me; I chose to make mine scrappy too, and many of the fabrics I used came from Grandma’s trunk. One cardboard wedge was all I had to work with. I traced with a pencil, cut pieces with scissors, and stitched them together by hand. I remember loving the process of laying pattern against pattern and joining them into something complex and beautiful.

A few years later when I was married and had little girls, I felt ready to try my hand at quiltmaking again. Following the inspiration from Grandma, I made two Sunbonnet Sue quilts for my two daughters. My Sues were made from family fabrics. I used more of the fabrics from Grandma’s trunk, some from Aunt Gini, summer dresses that my mother had worn, a shirt that my little brother had outgrown, and scraps from my own dressmaking. I used Grandma’s cardboard templates and did the work by hand. To personalize the quilts, I quilted each girl’s name into the sashing.

For me, quilting has grown from an interest in my family history, to a hobby, and now a profession. I still quilt by hand, but also use my sewing machine and a longarm quilting machine. I love all of it and frequently combine the different methods in the same quilt. By today’s standards, those first quilts would seem to have little value. But I feel fortunate to have had that early, traditional beginning and I’m still drawn to antique quilts and their stories."

Anita Shackelford's books may be ordered through AQS at www.AmericanQuilter.com, and AQS members receive a discount. For more information on Anita, visit her website www.AnitaShackelford.com.

AQ editor participates in the Dream Rocket project

2011-01-10T09:53:00.001-07:00

[This article was written by American Quilter contributing editor Iris Frank of Santa Cruz, California.]

Jennifer Marsh’s dreams are never small…actually, they are gargantuan in my book. When I heard about her current “dream” project of wrapping the 37-story tall Saturn V Rocket replica standing at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, with fabric art, I immediately reserved a panel! This amazing endeavor is called The Dream Rocket, and more information is available at http://www.thedreamrocket.com/.

One category was Peace, and for as long as I could remember, my husband David (an aerospace engineer) had a quote by President Eisenhower displayed in his office: “Military power…serves the cause of peace by holding up a shield behind which the patient, constructive work of peace can go on.” The quote was illustrated with a beautiful pen and ink drawing of an eagle protecting a dove.

Our family's Dream Rocket panel is divided into fourths with the quote in one. For two of the others, my grandsons in the photo below (Ethan, age 7 and Alexander, age 8) drew pictures about their recently deceased grandfather. Ethan’s airplane was probably inspired by a memory of eating at a restaurant adjacent to San Francisco International Airport. He and Pops had a contest to see who could identify in and outbound planes first. (It was pretty much a tie!) Alexander’s rocket in space could be attributed to their trips to the schoolyard to launch stomp rockets! The remaining fourth is an “In Memory of” panel.

The rocket is to be wrapped in fabric to coincide with the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s announcement to “land a man on the moon and return him safely to earth”—May 25, 2011. I can’t wait to see the completion of this amazing endeavor or what’s coming next. Dream on, Jennifer! For a prior Jennifer Marsh project, read the Amazing Endeavors: Independence Tree article on page 18 in the March 2010 issue of American Quilter magazine.

2011...time to finish those mystery quilts!

2011-01-01T08:44:00.000-07:00

For those quilters who qualified for continuation in our Beyond the Block mystery contest, you have until Tuesday, January 18th to send me photos of your completed mystery quilt. Your quilt must be quilted with the edges finished and a hanging sleeve attached to the back. Send mystery quilt photos to chrisbrown@AQSquilt.com and please include a little information about your focus blocks and process.

Approximately eight finalists will be chosen during the last week of January, and those finalists will be given instructions on shipping their quilts to the AQS photography studio in Paducah. The three contest winners will be chosen from the finalists, and the three winning quilts will be published in the May 2011 issue of American Quilter magazine. This issue will be available online to AQS members by mid-March and on newsstand the second week of April.

The beautiful completed mystery quilt shown above was made by Janet Springfield of Pendleton, Indiana. Janet writes: "My quilt is named Fascinatin' Fences because of my own fascination with fences. The focus blocks are from my community and include a classic farm fence, three very different wood fences including a picket style, an old iron fence, a utilitarian chain link, and a somewhat shocking prison fence from the Indiana State Reformatory south of town. Continuing with the fence theme, I pieced the Rail Fence pattern for the backing. My label is a photo, taken two miles from my house, of an old style rail fence."

Even though we can only publish three winning quilts in the magazine, photos of all completed Beyond the Block mystery quilts will be posted in our Readers’ Quilts gallery online at www.AmericanQuilter.com by late spring 2011. You can access this gallery in the drop-down menu under the American Quilter Magazine tab on the home page.

Entering contests: Quilting lessons from a non-quilter

2010-12-27T14:30:00.001-07:00

Erin Ulrich, AQS contest coordinator, shares what she learned as an observer in the jury room.
“I do not quilt, knit, crochet, or hem my own pants. I am not an artist. I am a person good with numbers, spatial relationships, organization, and empirical observation. I cannot create, but I can analyze. Thus, I offer to quilters—artists that you are—the decidedly non-artistic observations of one who has had the unique opportunity of being a fly on the wall in the AQS jury room.

Take good pictures. The jurors are deciding which quilts, out of hundreds of entries, will be selected to hang in a show and compete for prize money. After spending countless hours, dollars, and worries to create your beautiful quilt, why show the jury a mediocre photograph? Take the quilt outside in the natural light, or hang it in a well-lit room. Then photograph it straight on, not from above or below, which causes the quilt to look like the top and bottom are different widths. And don’t cut off the edges! Jurors have to consider the possibility that the quilt is unfinished, the binding crooked, or the corners are not square when they can’t see the edges. Quilts that are photographed on a bed, held up by friends, on the floor, draped over shrubs, folded over at the top, or pooled at the bottom do not fare well in the jury room (the photos below are DON'Ts). The jurying process is blind (jurors do not know the name of the quilt maker—but I do!), and I have seen a jury reject a stunning quilt submitted by a renowned artist because the photo was bad.

Get creative, but don’t sacrifice quality. Jury members are quilters, quilt judges, quilting teachers, and authors. They see thousands of quilts every year, so if you use a pattern or traditional quilt blocks, they have probably seen other quilts similar to yours. They appreciate traditional blocks and patterns that are exemplary, and their eyes are trained to find excellence in craftsmanship and fabric selection. There is no penalty (in AQS contests) for using patterns; but if you choose to use a pattern or a traditional block, do it well! Jurors will not be impressed with a quilt made from a pattern they have seen tens or even hundreds of times if they have seen many better examples of the work. With an inventive original design or innovative quilt, the novelty of technique or design may trump slightly less impressive stitching. However, jurors will not be happy with a quilt—no matter how creative—if straight lines are not straight, circles are not round, fabrics are puckered, or bindings are uneven.

Don’t be intimidated. While working quilt shows, I have heard so many guests, marveling at the beauty of the quilts, say that they would be too embarrassed to submit their quilts to a contest. They fear being laughed at or ridiculed by the highly-esteemed jurors, or don’t believe their work to be of the same caliber as those who enter contests. I have sat silently through enough quilt juries to know that jurors don’t laugh at quilters. While not every quilt is accepted as a semifinalist by the jury, the members always recognize the time and effort put into each quilt. They remember that it is a privilege to sit on a quilt jury and witness the artistry and hard work that quilters of all levels invest in their endeavors. If you have made a quilt you are proud of, there is no need to fear ridicule, and you might just get to see your work hanging in an international quilt show! There is also no reason to be intimidated by the competition. While every contest has its share of professional quilters competing, there are always many hobbyists and first-time entrants as well. In fact, the judges have on multiple occasions awarded Best of Show to a quilter entering an AQS contest for the first time. New art from amateurs and professionals alike is what keeps the quilting world fresh and quilt makers inspired.

Read the rules and the entry form carefully. Before every quilt show I have the unfortunate duty of notifying several quilters that their quilts have been disqualified. While there are many reasons for disqualification, all of them are spelled out in the rules. Inappropriate dimensions are by far the most common reason quilts are disqualified. Each category in each contest has very specific length and width requirements. Quilts that are even half an inch too large or too small cannot be accepted. The second most common mistake is for one contestant to enter too many quilts in the contest or in the same category.

I may never learn to use my sewing machine correctly, and I am a danger to myself and others with a rotary cutter, but I can help quilters like you show their work to the world. Please contact me at erinulrich@aqsquilt.com if you have questions about any AQS quilt contest.”

New generation of T-shirt quilts

2010-12-03T08:17:00.001-07:00

T-shirt quilts, though rarely seen at quilt shows or in magazines, remain popular in the quilt world. (And thanks to the recent movie The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, in which a T-shirt quilt was prominently featured, a new generation of teenagers has become enamored of this quilt style.) T-shirt quilts can be an expression of who we are, where we've been, or what we've accomplished.
The January 2011 issue of American Quilter magazine features two traditional-style T-shirt quilts on page 88, in which the shirts are set in blocks and rows. AQ reader Beverly Hertler, a fiber artist and quilter for more than 20 years, sent me photos of two very contemporary and artistic T-shirt quilts she made for her daughter. Blue Fish (shown above) represents areas her daughter visited on a cross-country drive to Alaska with her sister and George (her dog). Beverly used her daughter's old T-shirts, beads, and ceramic fish to create a quilt she titled Good Times Gone But Not Forgotten (below). This quilt was juried into a "recycled" show at The Monmouth Museum, Lincroft, New Jersey, this past summer. It was the only work incorporating fiber.

Beverly, thank you for sharing your work!

How to avoid being a Pointless Person

2010-11-21T15:40:00.000-07:00

This technique for preserving points on the Friendship Star and other Pinwheel and Star blocks comes from reader Diane Williams (edited by Marje Rhine, American Quilter magazine pattern editor). It works ONLY when you are making blocks using half-square triangles that you have cut slightly oversized.

For this project, I was working on a 9” finished Friendship Star. The star center and corner patches are cut 3 1/2” x 3 1/2”. For the star points, cut 2 squares 4 1/4” x 4 1/4” from each of the background and star fabrics. These are slightly larger than required. On the lighter fabric, draw a diagonal. Place on the darker fabric, rights sides together. Stitch on each side of the diagonal, 1/4” from the line. Cut apart on the line and press.
Lay the block out before trimming (fig. 1).

Fig. 1

One at a time, square up the half-square triangle units as follows. Position the unit so the star point is at the top right. Position a ruler over the unit so that the ruler’s 45° line is on the lower left seam line but the 45° line is slightly to the right up the upper right seam line and in the background triangle of the unit (fig. 2). Make sure that, with this adjustment, you will still be able to cut a 3 1/2” x 3 1/2” square. Trim the right and top along the ruler edges.

Fig. 2

Rotate the unit 180° and trim the other 2 sides for a 3 1/2” x 3 1/2” square (fig. 3).

Fig. 3

Replace each star point on the block as you work. Make sure the points are in the correct orientation. Assemble the block as you normally would. Since the tips of the star are about 3/8” from the raw edge of the block you will end up with a perfect points even if you don’t sew an exact 1/4 “ seam.

Thank you for your tip, Diane!

Quilts and Airplanes

2010-11-14T11:28:00.000-07:00

The unveiling of the winners of the Navy Quilts challenge took place in Pensacola, Florida, last week at the National Naval Aviation Museum during the annual “homecoming” of the Navy Blue Angels flight demonstration team. Congratulations to best-of-show winner Nita Markos for her quilt “Into the Future” (shown on the left in the photo above). Challenge curator Kelly Gallagher-Abbott of Fort Collins, Colorado, accompanied 80 of the juried and judged competition quilts to Florida for this event – that’s Kelly on the right. Many of the quilts will travel around the country to quilt shows, museums, and airport venues in the next three years. Selected donated quilts will be auctioned at a special event in 2011, with proceeds donated to a scholarship fund for the National Flight Academy (http://www.nationalflightacademy.com/). Other donated quilts will be auctioned online or sold at the Naval Aviation Museum Store in Pensacola.

This quilt challenge was the idea of Charlie Hoewing, wife of Vice Admiral Gerald Hoewing (photo below). Vice Admiral Hoewing USN (Ret) is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Naval Aviation Museum. Charlie, a quilter and museum volunteer, thought it would be wonderful to have a quilt challenge centering around the 100th anniversary of Naval Aviation. Visit www.NavyQuilts.com to see a complete list of winners and for more information on where the quilts will be shown.

AQS wins big at IQA

2010-11-06T14:50:00.003-06:00

AQS book and magazine authors were well represented in the winners’ circle of the 2010 IQA "A World of Beauty" judged show in Houston last week. Congratulations to Sharon Schamber of Payson, Arizona, for winning the Handi Quilter best-of-show award with her quilt Mystique, shown above. Sharon is the author of two AQS books, Piec-lique: Curves the New Way and Piece by Piece Machine Appliqué. You can learn more about her Sharon’s life and career in Patricia Staten’s profile article published the January 2008 issue of American Quilter magazine. Then try out Sharon’s machine appliqué technique detailed in the same issue. Her magnificent Longarm Couture Trapunto technique was published in the January 2009 issue, pages 70–75.

Sandra Leichner won the Fairfield Master Award for Contemporary Artistry with her quilt Tea with Miss D. Sandra’s book Hand Appliqué with Embroidery is a recent AQS release, and Sandra was profiled in an article by Patricia Staten in the Spring 2006 issue of American Quilter.

Another top winner this year was Paisley Peacock (above) by Pat Holly, awarded the Maywood Studio Master Award for Innovative Artistry. Pat’s article on a unique tabbed edge finish appeared in the November 2010 issue of American Quilter magazine, and her AQS book Stitched Raw Edge Appliqué (written with sister Sue Nickels) details her award-winning machine technique.

The Pfaff Master Award for Machine Artistry was awarded to Susan Stewart for her quilt Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining. Susan is the author of Heirloom Machine Sewing for Quilters. You can find the pattern and instructions for her lovely quilt Misty Garden at www.AmericanQuilter.com. Susan also won second place in the Computer-Aided Machine Embroidery category with her quilt Monochrome.

You often find Suzanne Marshall’s name on quilt show winners’ lists. She won first place in the Merit Quilting (Hand) category with her quilt Vases. (A photo of this quilt appears on page 29 of the July 2010 issue of AQ, as it previously won the Best Hand Workmanship award at the AQS show in Lancaster last March.) Suzanne is the author of the AQS book Adventure & Appliqué, and her Bias Stems for Appliqué technique is detailed in the November 2008 issue of AQ.

And there’s still more! Caryl Bryer Fallert won first place in the Art-Abstract (Small) category with her quilt Feathers in the Wind (above). Caryl is the author of the popular book Quilt Savvy: Fallert's Guide to Images on Fabric. Irena Bluhm’s Majestic Bugs won third place in the Merit Quilting (Machine) category. She is the author of Quilts of a Different Color, and an article on her technique will be published in an upcoming issue of AQ. Zena Thorpe, author of Beautiful Alphabet Appliqué, won an honorable mention in the Traditional Appliqué category with her lovely Annie’s Legacy. Zena is the author of Beautiful Alphabet Appliqué. Finally, former American Quilter magazine contributing editor Mary Lou Schwinn and her fellow Cotuit, Massachusetts, quilting friends won third place in the Group Category for their artistic entry titled Boston’s Back Bay.

All of the books mentioned above are available at http://www.americanquilter.com/. And AQS members can access all recent American Quilter magazine articles and patterns by signing in with login and password. My congratulations go to all these winners, and my thanks go to all of the countless quilters around the world who enter their quilts in shows. Sharing your sewing and design skills in this way is truly a gift to quilters everywhere.

Fall Quilt Market

2010-11-04T09:13:00.000-06:00

The 2010 Fall International Quilt Market is now over, but the influx of new products, luscious fabrics, intriguing books, and fantastic sewing and quilting machines to a quilt shop or dealer near you is just beginning. Buyers and sellers from all over the world converge each year in Houston for this wholesale-only trade show, which showcases supplies and technology for the quilting and soft crafts industries. AQS Publishing takes part in this show (as well as the annual spring market), introducing new book titles and arranging educational demonstrations by AQS book authors. Among those who represented AQS this year (photo above) are Jan Magee in the center, Chrystal Abhalter on the right, and me on the left. Yes, Jan (editor-in-chief of The Quilt Life magazine) is wearing her editorial devil horns. It was Halloween, after all.
The positive energy in the AQS booth is always palpable at Market. But this year, the energy was subdued: Marge Boyle, our director of sales and marketing, died suddenly this past week, just before she was scheduled to leave for Houston. Marge had worked as a quilting industry professional for many years, and her business skill, calm demeanor, knowledge, and efficiency were widely appreciated and respected. But AQS lost not only a valued part of the organization—Marge was a also a loyal and thoughtful friend to those who knew her. Hundreds of Market attendees signed a memorial book to be given to Marge’s family. My sincerest sympathies go to her husband and family.

Attention Mystery Quilters!

2010-10-28T13:33:00.000-06:00

If you are one of the nearly 150 quilters who entered our Beyond the Block Mystery Quilt Contest, remember that the deadline for submitting a photo of your second installment is looming. Please send a clear photo of your Part 2 sewn components to me at chrisbrown@aqsquilt.com by November 1, 2010. (Sorry, only those quilters who entered the contest by August 31, 2010, are eligible to win.)

I'll be in Houston at International Quilt Market and International Quilt Festival through November 6th but I'll be checking e-mail every day.

Part 3 of the pattern, which reveals the final clues for completing your mystery quilt, will be published in the January 2011 issue of American Quilter magazine. This issue will be available online for AQS members by mid-November, and mailed to members later that month. In order to be eligible to win one of the three contest prizes, you should e-mail me a photo of your completed mystery quilt (quilted, edges finished, and sleeve attached) no later than January 18, 2011. You may send the photo earlier if you finish earlier. Please include a little information about your focus blocks when you submit your final quilt photo.

Happy sewing and Happy Halloween!

A Sticky Subject

2010-10-25T12:54:00.000-06:00

(Submitted by Marje Rhine, pattern editor for American Quilter magazine)
When I recently needed a project for a car trip, I pulled out a small kit for an English paper-pieced Grandmother’s Flower Garden block. I remembered Rachel Wetzler’s article “Portable Pastime” in the May 2009 issue of American Quilter magazine on preparing just such a project. Rachel recommends printing the templates on freezer paper, then pressing the shiny side to the wrong side of the fabric before basting around the templates. But there was no time for that—I already had lightweight cardboard templates, and my husband was in the car and ready to go. So I grabbed my re-stickable glue stick and was out the door.

The glue stick worked great. Re-stickable (sometimes call removeable or repositionable) glue stick makes any piece of paper stick like a Post-it® note. It holds the paper in place but is easy to remove without leaving sticky residue. I like the Scotch® brand but Avery® and Elmer's® make comparable products. Rather than pin the templates to the fabric, I applied a light coat of the re-stickable glue stick to the back of the template. I let it dry about a minute, then finger pressed it onto my fabric. It held firmly while I basted around the template. When it was time to remove the template it came out easily and the template could be reused.

Restickable glue stick has become an important tool for my quilting. I have used it for years to hold the first patch to the foundation when foundation piecing. I also apply it to the back of plastic templates to hold them in place on fabric while I draw or cut around.

If you decide to give this a try, make sure you are using re-stickable (or removeable or repositionable) glue stick, and apply it to the template or paper—NOT the fabric.

Vivacious Curvy Quilts

2010-10-15T13:44:00.001-06:00

Every once in a while a newly-published book makes me sit up and take notice for one reason or another. Dianne Hire’s Vivacious Curvy Quilts is one of those books. The colorful cover gives you a sense of what you are about to discover in the pages that follow: Template-free ways to cut, sew, and combine curvy pieced blocks into dynamic and creative quilts. Lots of clear illustrations and dozens of visually-interesting original quilts accompany Dianne’s well-written text. This is truly a playtime book, one that gives you the technical and design tools to venture successfully into quilt innovation. Dianne has graciously given me permission to share some of her quilt images and book ideas here.

Most of the blocks begin with a stack of 4 to 6 compatible fabrics cut into squares which are then rotary cut in a variety of gentle curves. For those with no curved-piecing experience, Dianne recommends starting with a gentle “continuous curve” cut (shown in the first-from-left block in the top row of the quilt above). Vessel-shaped or chalice “curvies” start with a rectangle instead of a square, elongating your block designs. Corner curvies, below, are another variation.

Dianne’s quilt Curvaceous Squares, shown at the top of this posting, illustrates three different types of curvies: continuous, circular, and corner. Here are four different configurations for side-to-one-corner curvies:

In Rain Clouds, shown below, Dianne experimented with larger rectangles and quickly put together this lovely wallhanging in under just three hours.

A final chapter in the book is devoted to bindings and edge finishing, including details on how to finish a curvy quilt with “stick-outs,” like Saffron, shown below.

If you love traditional geometric quilt designs but are ready to venture into more contemporary and original quilts, you will no doubt enjoy this book. AQS members receive a discount on this and other books ordered through our website, http://www.americanquilter.com/.

Where in the world...

2010-10-09T07:28:00.001-06:00

Is it Shanghai? Singapore? Beijing? Yokohama? No, this lovely Asian garden is on the east bank of the Des Moines River! It’s just a short walk across a pedestrian bridge from the Iowa Events Center, where the third annual AQS Des Moines Quilt Show & Contest wraps up today, and it’s just one of the many pleasant surprises an out-of-towner can experience in Iowa’s largest city.

The Robert D. Ray Asian Gardens and Character Garden were opened last year on a site provided by the city of Des Moines. The gardens are the first phase of the Chinese Cultural Center of America Riverfront Project, designed to highlight the importance of diversity and acknowledge the significant contributions that Asian Americans have made to Iowa. The picturesque Asian pavilion sits atop an undulating bridge, spanning a pond that cascades into the Des Moines River with a series of waterfalls. Strolling by the stone pagodas, lanterns, and sculptural rock formations, you are spiritually and visually transported to a Far Eastern paradise.

The Character Garden features six large granite boulders arranged in a circle, each carved with Chinese characters representing responsibility, citizenship, fairness, respect, caring, and trustworthiness. The boulders symbolize and celebrate the six enduring moral values that transcend time, nationality, and culture.

Back to quilts: The AQS Des Moines Quilt Show & Contest closes today at 5 P.M. Congratulations to best-of-show winner Lisa Calle of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, for her quilt Hula Hibiscus. You can see photos of this beauty and all the other award-winning quilts at http://americanquilter.com/. If you couldn’t make it to Des Moines this year, it’s not too early to plan ahead. Next year’s AQS show will take place Sept. 28 – Oct. 1, 2011.

Santa Fe Quilts

2010-09-29T20:45:00.001-06:00

What does a quilt magazine editor/certified quilt judge do on vacation? Participate in quilt-related activities, of course! I was invited by the Northern New Mexico Quilt Guild to judge their every-two-years Quilt Fiesta in Santa Fe, an invitation I accepted with pleasure. And what a wonderful show it will be! The talent runs deep in this group, from lovely hand stitching to exquisite machine quilting to wildly imaginative narrative and innovative designs and techniques — eye candy for anyone who appreciates textile arts.

As in most groups, there is a corps of dedicated volunteers organizing this show, including guild president and show chair Lynne Horpedahl, shown above with her quilt entry named Our House. The show runs from Oct. 1-3 at the Santa Fe County Fairgrounds, and you can find more details at http://www.nnmqg.org/. If you happen to be in the Santa Fe or Albuquerque area later this week, don’t miss this great show.

And if the quilt show, art galleries, folk art museum, and fabulous food weren’t enough to draw you to Santa Fe, you won't want to miss Santa Fe Quilting, 3018-A Cielo Court. This is truly one of the most well-stocked, diverse, and colorful shops I have ever explored – and I’ve seen more than a few in my time. Whether your quilt preferences are contemporary, traditional, or somewhere in between, you’ll find fabric, thread, patterns, embellishments, kits, and an abundance of beautiful finished quilts on display. Owner Mary McCusker (photo below) and her staff are knowledgeable and helpful.

The judging is over for this show, but the quilt fun continues. I’m getting on another plane tomorrow en route to Charlotte, North Carolina. My horoscope (I'm a Capricorn) predicts more quilts and fabric in my immediate future…

Aligning sashed rows

2010-09-27T12:56:00.000-06:00

(Submitted by Marje Rhine, pattern editor for American Quilter magazine)
One of the most obvious and frequent mistakes made by beginning quilters when joining rows of blocks is poor alignment. This is especially true when working with sashed blocks and rows that don’t have cornerstones (the squares usually found between block sashing), causing the rows to look crooked (fig. 1).

To prevent this from happening, as you line up your sashed rows for sewing be careful to match the sashing seams between blocks on the two rows (fig. 2). To check before sewing, fold down the top row to make sure sashing pieces are aligned (fig. 3) then pin to secure.

International wedding story

2010-09-20T11:43:00.001-06:00

Weddings seem to be on my mind lately, no doubt due to my new status as a future mother of the bride. Helle-May Cheney, a talented quilt designer who will be featured in a future issue of American Quilter, recently sent me this charming wedding story.

“I am a first-generation Estonian-American with nearly all my family still living in Estonia. After 50 years of Soviet occupation, Estonia regained its independence in 1991, finally allowing me the opportunity to visit and get to know my relatives. This summer our visit had a very special purpose—to attend the wedding of my cousin Liina and her Norwegian fiancé, Harald.
Of course this meant a wedding quilt was in order! I wanted it to reflect both homelands also be a memento of the occasion. For the center, I made a patchwork version of the traditional striped woven wool skirt that my cousin would wear at the wedding. The border reflected the colors of the Estonian flag (blue, black, and white) and the Norwegian flag (blue, red, and white). A blue ribbon weaving through a white chain represented the joining of two cultures, families, and the multitude of friends.
The wedding ceremony took place on a picture-perfect summer day at a church built in 1534. The 100 guests, about half from Norway, were invited to wear the traditional dress of their native country and region, which made for a colorful wedding!
From the church, the guests joined the wedding party in a motorcade to Liina’s mother’s house where both bride and groom had to demonstrate their readiness for married life by chopping wood (groom), darning a sock (bride), and donning a two-person apron to jointly peel a potato! Once the tasks were performed to the satisfaction of the Norwegian and Estonian grandmothers, we were on our way to the reception.

After a champagne toast, I presented my quilt to the couple and invited all guests to sign the quilt in the white chain. As is the custom, Liina changed into her national dress at midnight and was presented with her married woman’s apron and hat by her mother and mother-in-law. The band played on well into the night with a combination of Norwegian and Estonian pop favorites, and all language barriers were broken with dance and laughter.

The wedding was a beautiful merging of cultures, traditions, and ages. I was so happy to have been a part of it all!”

Read more about Helle-May and see her quilt designs at www.HelleMayDesigns.com.

Quilt Tzedakah

2010-09-06T08:43:00.000-06:00

The Jewish New Year, which begins at sundown this coming Wednesday, is a time for introspection. A busy Jewish quilter in Ann Arbor, Michigan, who prefers to remain anonymous, sent me this message to share with others as we approach the High Holy Days:
"When I became a Jewish woman in 1996, I learned two phrases in Hebrew: tzedakah, which translates as justice and refers to charitable giving; and tikkun olam, which translates literally as “to repair the world” and means social action in English. It was not until ten years later, when I began quilting, that I found a way of making these words truly my own.

Every third or fourth quilt I make now is what I call a tzedakah quilt (one is shown here). Through my guild, many other quilters and I have donated quilts to our community’s women’s shelter. Learning about this program also inspired me to start donating quilts to a local children’s hospital, where there is an ongoing need for twin-size and baby quilts for the children admitted. I have also donated quilts for benefits, such as for our hospice care facility, and of course, I have given away many quilts just to family and friends.

These are my ways of giving back (tzedakah) and repairing a broken world (tikkun olam). The gift of a quilt has always been a gift of practicality and beauty, given with the hope of brightening a person’s surroundings and providing a pleasing, meaningful memory.

All forms of tzedakah and tikkun olam are important. It’s just nice to find a way of doing it that expresses all the love and care that a quilt does. I’m grateful to have discovered this tradition."

Upcycled Wearable Art

2010-08-30T14:16:00.002-06:00

At the recent Association of Pacific West Quilters http://apwq.org/ Symposium, held August 12-15, 2010 in Olympia, Washington, quilt designer and author Lorraine Torrence http://www.lorrainetorrence.com/ and Jane Moxey coordinated an evening event called the Upcycled Challenge. Contestants were challenged to make garments out of something they already owned that they were not planning to use, such as ready-made clothing, embellishments, found objects, threads, trims, or other “impulse-driven, still-unused crafting purchases sitting in their sewing space which will be so happy to be used for this challenge!” To make it even more interesting, there was a suggested time limit of one hour for garment construction. Any construction technique was acceptable—gluing, tearing, stitching by hand or machine, hammering, stapling, or pinning.

Since Jane and Lorraine were the event’s hosts, they had to make and wear their own upcycled garments that evening. And what do most quilters have in the back of their closet? Those souvenir quilt show canvas tote bags, of course, and Lorraine used hers to make this adorable jacket.
The contest was fun for all, and completed projects ranged from fun and goofy to beautiful and very wearable garments. Sounds like a great guild or bee activity!

Last-minute mystery ideas

2010-08-28T13:09:00.001-06:00

Anyone with some quilting and piecing experience under his/her belt can still whip up the Part 1 blocks in our Beyond the Block Mystery Quilt and enter the mystery quilt contest. Deadline for entries is Tuesday, August 31—all the contest details are on page 66 of the September 2010 issue of American Quilter magazine. (And be sure to read my blog posting of July 23, August 5, or August 24 for an important cutting correction to the Part 1 instructions.)
But you don’t have to enter the contest to enjoy the fun. Here are some of the amazing focus blocks our readers have created.

Deborah Dunten of Houston, Texas, used flower photos (above) she digitally kaleidoscoped and printed on fabric. “They were originally going to be put into a Row Robin quilt but became orphans. This is a perfect use for them. I’m loving it! Can’t wait to get the next installment,” she writes.

Christy Turner of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, celebrated her “darling daughter” in these excellent photos-on-fabric focus blocks. Christy, what an amazing tribute quilt this will be!

“Since I was very young, I have been fascinated by fences,” writes Janet Springfield of Pendleton, Indiana. “The designs, types, materials, and uses for them have no end. So when I read about the mystery quilt focus blocks and asked myself what truly fascinates me, the answer was fences.” Such artistic blocks, Janet. Your quilt will be spectacular.

“My focus fabric is fussy cut from ‘Savannah’ by Michael Miller Fabrics,” says Marlene Oddie of College Place, Washington. “It reminds me of an award-winning painting by my high school friend, Stacy Barter. The magazine description of a non-traditional setting with a great visual impact sold me on using my fabric to make this mystery!”

Cynthia Felts of Rolla, Missouri, decided to make this quilt for her soon-to-be-five granddaughter. “I drew the outline of three different butterfly shapes with the help of clip art from the Internet. The shapes are machine appliquéd to the background squares using a satin stitch. I added some details with thread-painting. I really enjoyed working on this. Thanks for the excellent directions.” What a gorgeous quilt this lucky little girl will receive!

Carol Weber used a lovely autumn color scheme for her blocks. The leaf print focus fabric is presented beautifully in a circle-in-a square setting.

Even if you don’t enter our contest, perhaps you can take some inspiration from these photos and all the others I’ve posted the past couple months. Though the final block settings revealed in Part 3 will be similar for all these quilts, the colors, prints, themes, visual impact, and “voices” will be distinctly different, reflecting the personality of each quilt maker or recipient.

One week left to enter mystery quilt contest

2010-08-24T10:55:00.000-06:00

There's still time...but you need to get those sewing machines revved up if you want to enter our Beyond the Block Mystery Quilt contest. Deadline for entries is Tuesday, August 31. All the details are on page 66 of the September 2010 issue of American Quilter magazine. (The digital version of this issue is available for AQS members at http://www.americanquilter.com/.)

Just after we went to press with this issue, our testers found an error in the cutting diagrams for templates E and H. Please be sure to follow the diagrams above instead of those printed in the magazine.
And if you are using directional focus blocks (with a distinct up and down), please use the figure 9 shown below to complete Star block #2.

I continue to get contest entries from dozens of U.S. states and several countries. Below are the completed blocks made by Yvette Maynard of Stone Mountain, Georgia. The masks are appliquéd from a pattern collection by Sindy Rodemeyer, while the animals are cut from a panel. Yvette had some animal print fabric bought on a whim and she says this contest gave her the opportunity to use it.

Martien Bakker from The Netherlands writes that this is her first-ever mystery quilt. She used fabrics purchased in Norway while on spring holiday along with suitable fabrics pulled from her stash (photo below).

And Janice Matsen of Portland, Oregon, fussy cut and pieced her eyecatching focus blocks.

Quilting: The "Thread" of Life

2010-08-23T11:01:00.000-06:00

Every Monday morning, I try to start the work week with a project or article that speaks to the positive influence quilting has on my life or the lives of others. It's a great way to set the tone for the week while validating the hobby (and now vocation) I have enjoyed for more than 35 years. Marica Heckart sent me her quilting story and has allowed me to share it here.
"We three young mothers were busy raising children, with little time for getting together. That was 46 years ago.
Even though living on a farm found her busy with gardening and helping her husband work the land while raising a family, Ruth had become quite the quilter. She quilted by machine, yet she could also do beautiful hand quilting. Along came Sue and I, visiting Ruth, who provided the enthusiasm to quilting. Ruth assured us it really wasn’t that hard. I was to participate in the Relay for Life (American Cancer Society) and thought it would be nice to have a quilt to raffle off for my team. The only catch: the event was 10 days away. Ruth very calmly said, "We can do it." And so a quilt was made and raffled off, and thus the quilting bug began.
Sue is the artist—she can look at fabrics to help us choose appropriate values and colors. Sue suggested we make a quilt for a little boy with cerebral palsy. A fantastic creation was made, and received with tears. Our goup of three became six. Sue then suggested a quilt for the Relay for the next year, and another one was created with Sue's help. The winning raffle ticket was pulled at my church one Sunday morning, and the lady who won it was ecstatic. She had no grandchildren and none on the way, but knew exactly where the quilt would be donated. We all had tears in our eyes as she said, 'This is going to Provident House, in Cleveland, Ohio.'
After many years, Ruth, Sue, and I, longtime school classmates, renewed our friendship. Now that our families have grown, we all gather once a week and are joined by four other friends. We either make individual projects or a special quilt to be given away. (The African man in the photo above was put together with lots of remnants, some upholstery material, and leather scraps, making this quilt so vivid it truly speaks to the viewer.) And Ruth, bless her heart, does all the quilting with her longarm machine.
Friendship is precious, and what a delight to be 66 years old, enjoying the "threads" of life through quilting.”

Mystery quilt contest entries

2010-08-16T09:15:00.002-06:00

There are still 15 sewing days left until the deadline for our Beyond the Block Mystery Quilt Contest. The excitement here at AQS is growing, as we’ve already received entries from quilters in 23 U.S. states and Canada. For complete contest details, see page 66 of the September 2010 issue of American Quilter magazine. (This article is also available online for AQS members.) And be sure to read my blog posting of August 5 for important cutting corrections to patches E and H. Here are a few more samples of the distinctive focus blocks readers have chosen for this challenge.

Marlene Hager of Springfield, Illinois, sent me photos of her beautifully pieced focus blocks (above), but admits the mystery quilt was a little beyond her comfort zone: “This is my very first mystery quilt and it was hard to let go of the control—choosing focus blocks and colors and not knowing where they were going to be in the quilt. Now that my first installment is done, I really like the blocks, so I feel better.”

Abigail Fuller of Troy, Idaho, started with leftover Maple Leaf blocks she had pieced for her sister’s wedding quilt 12 years ago. What a beautiful color scheme!

“Wow. I thought I was being bold in my fabric choices, but this is over the top,” writes Judy Hoxie of Cornelius, North Carolina. Judy, those blocks are just dynamite, and your finished quilt will have amazing visual impact.

The focus blocks chosen by Joy Hatcher of Clarksville, Tennessee, include an alphabet’s worth of sage advice and uplifting thoughts.

Barbara Skimin of Troy, Michigan, compliments our pattern instructions: “I really appreciate the precision of the instructions. Thank you for making this mystery so much fun. I can hardly wait for the next set of clues!” Barbara’s focus blocks are fabric transfers of photos taken during a recent vacation in Tucson, using colors that coordinate with her newly-painted living room.

A soothing Kona Bay oriental print was chosen by Jennie Peck of Alexander, New York, for her focus blocks. Jennie’s other fabrics include scraps from antique kimono pieces.

Ann Alexander’s lovely bird blocks are from the Legacy Studio "Nestled In the Branches" collection. This Tubac, Arizona, quilter intended to do something "traditional" with the fabric (for her mom's bird collection) but decided to use them for this mystery project instead. Ann says, “The birds are squared up on the fabric, but I found that some could be put on point without falling off the branches!”

I wish I had time and space in this blog to post all the wonderful entries. But I can say with assurance that each mystery quiltmaker so far has done a great job of expressing his or her personality and quilting style in their Part 1 blocks. Great work, everyone!

AQ Contributing Editor wins challenge!

2010-08-13T11:58:00.000-06:00

American Quilter magazine contributing editor Kathie R. Kerler won first place in the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum’s Evolution Challenge with her quilt named At the Ocean's Edge. (Photo above taken by Mark Frey.) The challenge for quilters was to make a quilt based on something new—an idea, method, or device. Kathie’s quilt features an innovative technique, with dimensionality created through “mobius trefoils.” These trefoils are strips of fabric which are sewn, folded, and flattened into triangular shapes (photo below right). She hand quilted the trefoils, hand sewed them together, then hand appliquéd them to the background fabric. The background is machine quilted, and the wave border features a hand-couched metallic braid.

The quilt was made in response to an exhibition called Landscape of the Whale at the Cannon Beach History Center and Museum. The purpose of the exhibition was to promote awareness of a plan developed by the community of Cannon Beach called the Greater Ecola Natural Area Plan. The plan's goal is to create a community with a strong sense of place, protecting and enhancing the natural environment of ocean, beach, the Ecola Creek estuary, and surrounding forested hillsides. Also, for the past 40 years a beach clean-up called SOLV (Stop Oregon Litter and Vandalism) takes place in both spring and fall up and down the Oregon coast during which volunteers remove tons of litter from the shoreline. To honor this desire to protect the area's beaches and way of life, it seemed natural to Kathie to use the mobius trefoil recycling symbol.

Kathie made another spectacular quilt featuring the mobius trefoil technique. This quilt, called Framing the Future, was designed to celebrate Oregon’s 150 year anniversary of U.S. statehood. That's Kathie in the photo with her quilt. More information on this quilt and also complete instructions for making fabric trefoils are on pages 22-24 of the July 2010 issue of American Quilter magazine. AQS members can also access this article online at http://www.americanquilter.com/. Kathie earned certificates in design and embroidery from The City and Guilds of London Institute, and attended the Lesage School of Needlework in Paris, France. Kathie is also a quilt judge certified by the National Quilting Association. We at American Quilter magazine congratulate Kathie and are proud to have her as part of our editorial team.

Shop Hop Fever

2010-08-09T10:01:00.000-06:00

With a free Saturday on my hands and wanting to see the newest fabrics and notions in local shops, I headed out for the Denver-area Rocky Mountain Quilt Fever shop hop last weekend. Our hop featured seven great stores, each with its own flair and flavor, each one successful in developing its own quilting niche. My first stop was at Harriet’s Treadle Arts in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Both the shop and its owner, Harriet Hargrave (who graciously posed for the photo above) are quilting legends. Harriet is a machine quilting pioneer, a revered teacher, and author of many important quilt books. Visit www.HarrietHargrave.com for more info.

What is a shop hop? Each city or group of stores that puts together a hop chooses its own rules and theme, but basically it’s a scavenger/treasure hunt for quilters. By visiting each of the participating stores in just a few days to get your “passport” stamped, you collect free patterns, coupons, snacks, and a year’s worth of new ideas and inspiration. And if that weren’t enough, all finishers in our hop received a beautiful custom-designed pin and a chance to enter a drawing for some very nice prices, including a $1,000 quilt store shopping spree.
Colorado Memories was the theme for this hop, and each shop designed and had on display a traditional-style quilt featuring an exclusive fabric designed especially for this event. This year’s fabric was a rich brown and tan toile featuring Colorado landmarks—you can see it in the large triangle setting blocks in the quilt behind Harriet. Both the fabric and finishing kits were available for purchase at all stores.

Six more stores, eight hours, and a half tank of gas later, I got the last of my passport stamps and collected my pin at Great American Quilt Factory in Denver. By then I was truly in the shopping mode and found nine wonderful vintage floral print hankies (which I plan to use in a quilt) in the antique store just a few doors down from Great American. Take a look at Carol Collett’s Vintage Hankies pattern in the July 2008 issue of American Quilter magazine. This pattern is available free at www.AmericanQuilter.com for AQS members. And in one of the best moments of the day, I reconnected with a quilting buddy, who I had not seen in years, at Holly’s Quilt Cabin. I’m already putting the 2011 shop hop date on my calendar.

Quilters from coast to coast love a mystery!

2010-08-05T12:46:00.002-06:00

Coast to coast, quilters from 13 different states have already entered our Beyond the Block Mystery Quilt contest, detailed on page 66 of the September 2010 issue of American Quilter magazine. The deadline for entering is August 31, so you still have 26 days to pick your focus blocks and sew the first “clues” in Part 1. (If you haven’t yet started, please note the pattern corrections at the bottom of this posting).

Jill Pesti of Memphis, Tennessee, is using all batiks for her mystery quilt (photo above). Jill says, “I was so pleased to see this mystery challenge in the magazine—I mean who doesn't love a good mystery? I am also a big fan of The Crafty Ol’ Broads Linda Johnson and Jane Wells. I purchased their book awhile ago and have made a couple quilts from it. I just completed Part 1 of the mystery and am thrilled and excited to see what’s next. Knowing their patterns, I’m sure I will NOT be disappointed with the outcome. Thanks for such a great magazine and great inspirations.”

Beth Schillig of Columbus, Ohio, writes, “I was excited to read about your mystery quilt challenge! It gave me the perfect reason to get out my Kaleidoscope Kreator™ 3 program and play with it, manipulating a picture of sunrise I took over Lake Erie in the program (photo above). Many thanks for this great challenge!”

And Susan Holman of Laytonsville, Maryland, says, “This is so much fun! The fish in my blocks (photo above) were designed by Heidi Pridemore from the quilt Under the Sea in the May/June 2005 issue of Quiltmaker magazine. Thanks for the heads up about directional blocks because mine are.”
Please note the following correction to the printed instructions in the September 2010 issue of AQ. (Corrections have been made to our online version of the pattern.)
Two small errors in the Rotary Cutting box illustrations on page 62 were caught just after we went to press. These are the correct diagrams for patches E and H.

We apologize for the error, but it does not affect the yardage requirements or any other aspect of the construction in Part 1.

If you are using a directional focus fabric, follow the figure 9 below rather than the one pictured on page 65 (both are correct, depending on your focus fabric).

Polish Pottery

2010-08-02T08:55:00.000-06:00

So why am I writing about Polish pottery in a quilt magazine blog? The designs we create in our quilts originate from many sources, both natural and manmade. Kaffe Fassett, in his newest book Simple Shapes Spectacular Quilts, shares insight on how to train our eyes to “see” the way simple shapes from mundane objects can be translated into textile art. When I look at my small collection of colorful Polish pottery, it’s apparent that the artists who created these designs also interpreted the simple shapes around them into spectacular pieces of useable art.
According to some sources, pottery guilds were in operation as early as the 1500s in the Boleslawiec region of Poland when it was ruled by Germans and known as Bunzlau. Farmers, constrained to indoor work when the weather became cold, turned to handwork, using the warmth and light of their fireplaces. Their pottery was simple in design and coloring, decorated in a folk art technique of potato stamping. Each piece was a unique work of art.
Modern Polish pottery evolved through the centuries, including the use of designs inspired by the “eye” of a peacock feather. The school of ceramics in Bunzlau was opened in 1897 to train artists to achieve the high standards for which Polish pottery is now known around the world. Polish pottery is considered important not only for its beautiful designs but also for its durability. Made in just four factories, the pottery is created with white clay indigenous to the Boleslawiec area and prized for its workable and durable qualities. The characteristics of this clay allow it to be fired twice near 2000 degrees Farenheit, producing tough stoneware which will not crack or chip easily and can be safely used in the microwave, dishwasher, oven, and freezer. The artists who paint Polish pottery are trained for years, now using stamps made of sea sponges rather than potatoes to apply designs. The most highly accomplished artisans create their own signed pieces, designated as Unikat, meaning unique.

Here are some of the pieces I own. Because each of the authentic Polish pottery factories produce and sell specific designs, most collectors like to mix and match patterns, as I do. There are many sources for buying Polish pottery in the United States, both retail and online.

Mystery gaining momentum

2010-07-28T07:53:00.002-06:00

I am surprised and delighted every day when more Beyond the Block Mystery Quilt contest entries arrive. The one above one is from Elsie Vredenburg of Tustin, Michigan. Using photos of gloriosa daisies from her garden as inspiration, Elsie created these gorgeous focus blocks with fusible appliqué and thread painting.
Willie Fiedler of Sandwich, Massachusetts, writes, "After a trying few days to get my blocks to work, I persevered and got them together. I tried to work out of my stash which worked out until the cutting error in the directions. So, as I always say, there are no mistakes, only design opportunities. The large green areas are going to include appliqued vines when I get the quilt top together. Thanks for giving me a spark of creativity and a challenge when I really needed it."
You still have plenty of time to start the mystery quilt in the September 2010 issue of American Quilter magazine and enter our contest. (If you haven't yet begun the project, please make note of the corrected diagrams for patches E and H, shown in my blog posting on July 23rd.) The pattern starts on page 60 and contest details are on page 66. (AQS members can also access the pattern online at http://www.americanquilter.com/.) Be sure to send your contact information (address, phone, e-mail) along with photos of your focus blocks and completed Part 1 blocks.

More mystery

2010-07-27T09:13:00.001-06:00

If you're working on the Beyond the Block Mystery Quilt (Part 1 was just published in the September 2010 issue of American Quilter magazine), be sure to read my blog post of July 23, which details the corrected dimensions and diagrams for two patches in the rotary cutting box.

Barb Bruce of Salisbury, North Carolina, sent me these photos of her focus blocks and four Part 1 blocks. The focus blocks are cut from a panel fabric, designed by Sarah Moe for Blank Fabrics. Barb added a frame around them to get the correct size.
Gorgeous fabrics and color palette, Barb! Thank you for sharing.

Mystery Quilt Update

2010-07-23T12:19:00.001-06:00

If you’re working on Part 1 of the Beyond the Block Mystery Quilt (published in the September 2010 issue of American Quilter), please note that two illustrations in the Rotary Cutting box on page 62 were not correct. These are the correct diagrams for patches E and H:

We apologize for this small error, but it does not affect the yardage requirements or any other aspect of the construction in Part 1.

Pat Thompson, an experienced quilter from Mount Vernon, Washington, is using vintage linens, embroidered with directional flower baskets, for her mystery quilt focus blocks.

If you plan to use directional focus blocks (blocks with a definite top and bottom design), follow the figure 9 below rather than the one pictured on page 65. Both are correct, depending on your focus fabric.

Janet Foster, another quilter from Washington, is using Oriental-style fabrics for her focus blocks. This is her finished Star block from Part 1:

And quilter/author Joan Hanson from Seattle, Washington, has forged ahead and already finished Part 1. She used a gorgeous large-scale print as her focus fabric, combined with a variety of complementary batiks and commercial prints. I can’t wait to see her completed quilt!

If you are making a mystery quilt, be sure to enter the contest described on page 66 of the September issue. You could win quilt books, fabrics, and a subscription to American Quilter!

Better fitting mitered borders

2010-07-22T11:20:00.002-06:00

(Submitted by Marje Rhine, American Quilter magazine pattern editor)
I used to have a lot of trouble accurately applying mitered borders. It seemed more often than not I would end up with pointy or sometimes rounded borders. This was because I could not accurately cut the angles of the borders when they were already attached to the quilt. I also sometimes had wavy borders because most mitered border techniques do not have you cut your border to exactly fit the quilt. Here is my now-preferred method for cutting mitered borders.
Measure the quilt from side to side. Measure the width of the border. Tip: If your quilt has several mitered borders, sew the border strips together first. Make sure your length of border is long enough. To determine this, take the width of the quilt as measured, add 2 times the width of the border, and then add 2″. In my example below, the quilt measures 36″ from side to side and my border width is 4″. My length of border must be at least 46″.

36″ + (2 x 4″) + 2″ = 46″

Cut one end of the border strip at a 45° angle. Discard the resulting triangle. From the inside point of the cut, measure and mark the width of the quilt minus 1/4″.

Starting precisely at that mark, cut the border strip at a 45° angle. Make sure this cut goes in the opposite direction from the previous cut. Cut 2 borders this way—one for the top and one for the bottom of the quilt.

Measure and cut the side borders in the same manner before sewing any border to the quilt.

Now center and pin a border to the quilt. Use alignment pins to make sure that the intersections of the 1/4″ seam allowances on the border match the intersections of the seam allowances on the quilt. Stitch the border to the quilt. Be sure to backstitch at each end of the seam.

Add all borders to the quilt in the same manner, then finish the mitered corners with a 1/4″ seam.
ADDENDUM: There was a question about why I subtract 1/4" from the measurement before cutting. Here is a diagram that shows why the diagonal for the cut piece is started at 1/4" less than the measured quilt width. Notice how because of the angle and seam allowances the the lower raw edge of the border is shorter than the raw edge of the quilt. I must admit that I often cannot remember if I add or subtract 1/4" to get the length to cut. For large quilts I often start the cut at exactly the width of the quilt then ease in that extra 1/4" as I go.

Set-in seams: Here's how!

2010-06-26T10:47:00.001-06:00

Set-in seams, also known as Y seams, are used to make blocks that can't be assembled with straight, continuous seams. The stunning quilt shown here, Borealis by Marla Yeager, offers plenty of opportunity to practice setting in seams. The complete pattern and instructions for Borealis will be published in the September 2010 issue of American Quilter magazine, including the instructions below. Set-in seams are a skill every quilter should know, for application in classic quilt blocks such as Attic Windows and Feathered Star. (Yes, you can usually alter block patterns to avoid set-in seams, but adding more seam lines can detract from a block's visual appeal and make the sewing and quilting more complicated.)
In Borealis, most of the seams connecting larger triangle patches to pointed units must be set in. To sew these seams, you’ll stitch only on the sewing lines and not into the seam allowances. On the wrong side of the patches, mark dots, 1/4” from the edges, to indicate the beginning and end of each set-in seam (fig. 1). Place 2 patches right sides together. Use pins to line up the dots on the 2 patches. Then sew from dot to dot, backstitching at the beginning and end, and taking care not to stitch into the seam allowance (fig. 2).

Add the next patch, sewing one seam from dot to dot and backstitching at each end (fig. 3). Pivot the patch, align the remaining edges, and sew the final seam in the same manner (fig. 4).

Averting disaster at a quilt show

2010-06-21T14:41:00.000-06:00

One of the great benefits for those of us immersed in the quilt world is the exchange of knowledge, not only of patterns and techniques, but also of experiences. Quilter Mary Peterson recently shared with me her could-have-been catastrophic experience during a small quilt show in Shreveport, Louisiana.

“I was co-chair of a quilt show held in conjunction with the American Rose Society convention. My husband was hanging one of the quilts in the educational hall at the ARS headquarters when he encountered a small white plastic panel on the wall. (The quilt, entered by Bobbie Reed of Lawrenceville, Georgia, was created by a group of participants as a fund raiser for a future ARS event.) We asked staff what the panel was for and were told to ignore it.”

“Some hours later, a tree fell on nearby power lines and the center lost power. The mysterious plastic panel opened and two high-intensity emergency lights emerged, touching the back of Bobbie’s quilt hanging over them. In no time at all, one of the bulbs had burned completely through the quilt, leaving a charred 1-1/2" hole near the border (see photo below). Fortunately, the groundskeeper smelled smoke and pulled the quilt away from the panel before anymore damage was done. To say the least, we were devastated that one of the quilts given into our care had been damaged.”

Mary continues: “We tried to find some measure of good to come out of this, and decided that if Bobbie had used a different batting, the entire quilt may have caught fire along with the exhibition hall in which it was displayed.”

According to Mary, Bobbie was extremely generous and understanding when told about the mini-disaster. Reconstruction is already underway, and Bobbie plans to make a new label for the back of the quilt, relating the entire story. She said she thought she might rename the quilt The Phoenix, as it rose from the ashes.

Mary feels fortunate that Bobbie’s good humor carried the day and hopes by sharing this experience, other quilt show organizers can avert disaster. “Never hang a quilt over anything that might damage it, and never take ‘Don’t worry about it’ as the last word.”

Good advice, Mary! Do you have a quilt story to share?

Deidre Scherer wins Artistic Achievement Award

2010-06-07T13:56:00.002-06:00

The Alumni Association of the Rhode Island School of Design has named textile artist Deidre Scherer the winner of its 2010 Award for Artistic Achievement. Initially drawn to painting as a student, Deidre later turned to making portraits using fabric as her canvas, and needles, thread and a sewing machine as her brushes.
“I never met a type of paint that made me as happy as the fabrics I use,” says the Vermont-based artist. “I love the artistic challenge of cobbling together narrative and figurative pieces.” For the past two decades she has been inspired to use her unusual technique to capture the poignancy of family, aging and mortality, as in Three Women and Dog (shown above with permission from the artist).

Two major traveling exhibitions of her portrait series, called Surrounded by Family and Friends and The Last Year, have introduced people across the country to her work, which has also appeared on the covers of several books and is included in public and private collections worldwide.
You can read more about Deidre in the May 2010 of American Quilter magazine. The article is also available online at http://www.americanquilter.com/ exclusively for AQS members. To see more of Deidre’s work, visit http://dscherer.com/.

Following the Flock

2010-06-04T12:47:00.000-06:00

Back on January 28, 2010, I posted a blog entry written by American Quilter magazine pattern editor Marje Rhine. Marje came up with a clever way to creatively use small scraps. This is Marje's finished top, and here are her comments on the project:

"I finally got back to the scrap quilt I call Flock of Blocks. After sewing all the Flying Geese, I placed the pieces on a design wall and decided I like the Flying Dutchman blocks and surrounded-square blocks best. The whole quilt is quite busy but these two worked well together - using only two different scrap blocks created a calmer effect. I used a lot of the leftover geese units to make the outer border."

Great quilt, Marje! Has anyone else out there tried Marje's technique? Please send a photo of your quilt or top to chrisbrown@aqsquilt.com.

"Layer Upon Layer" technique

2010-05-18T10:14:00.000-06:00

Whether used on a garment or a quilt, Scott A. Murkin’s “Strata Quilts: Layer Upon Layer” technique, published in the May 2008 issue of American Quilter magazine, is a wonderfully creative process. This spectacular layered organza and cotton gown (modeled by Tina Cherry in the 24th Annual AQS/Hobbs Bonded Fibers Fashion Show & Contest in Paducah) was designed by Ahuva Libman using Scott’s technique. It won the fashion show Viewers’ Choice award.

Ahuva, who lives in Mazkeret-Batia, Israel, calls her creation “The Beauty of Color.” Inspired by her own affection for color, Ahuva beautifully layered fabrics and colors, creating a feeling of lightness and romanticism. The dress is machine sewn and free-motion embroidered using metallic threads. It is embellished with Swarovski® crystals.

Ahuva has made traditional quilts for many years, but has become fascinated by the possibilities of quilted fashion from the basics to complete design. Her garments, inspired by the surroundings of her small rural home in Israel, are exhibited in shows throughout Europe.

Want to try Scott’s technique? AQS members can access the article online at www.AmericanQuilter.com. Sign in with your Login name and password, then click on Articles in the drop-down menu of the Site Search feature in the upper right corner of the home page. Type Murkin in the box and click on the magnifying glass icon to see a list of available articles by this author. Click on the article you want to open, and then click on Download Attached PDF of Pattern.

A Paducah Story

2010-04-30T06:44:00.001-06:00

For 26 years, dedicated quilters and fiber artists have made the springtime "pilgrimage" to Paducah, Kentucky, for the annual AQS Quilt Show & Contest. Every year generates not only an amazing array of spectacular quilts and enthusiastic quilters, but also new events, exciting developments, and heartwarming stories. Here’s one of those stories.
Annabel Baugher is a farmer’s daughter and a farmer’s widow who just celebrated her 89th birthday. She has two sons, two daughters-in-law, four living grandchildren, and two living great-grandsons. When she was very young, Annabel was taught good hand sewing by her mother; she was so young, in fact, that she can’t remember when the needle was first placed in her hand or the thimble put on her finger. Annabel does remember her mother saying, “Keep that thimble on your finger and learn to use it or you will never be a seamstress.”
Annabel was a charter member of AQS and met AQS founders Bill and Meredith Schroeder in 1985 when two of her quilts were included in the 1985 Paducah show. That year she won first place in the Other Techniques category with a wholecloth quilt of her own design, and placed third with a different quilt in the Pieced category. In 1986 she entered a wholecloth quilt made from a Stearns & Foster pattern, and in 1991, another wholecloth quilt placed second in Other Techniques. In 1993, a quilted wedding gown Annabel made for her granddaughter received an honorable mention and viewer’s choice in the AQS/Hobbs Bonded Fibers Fashion Show. Her granddaughter attended the show and modeled the gown.
The photo here shows Annabel and Bill Schroeder at this year’s show in Paducah, one of six AQS shows she has attended over the years. Annabel and so many other wonderful quilters like her are what make the Paducah tradition so special. Thank you, Annabel, for being a member of the extended AQS quilting family. I look forward to seeing you at another AQS show soon!

Click here to view all the winners of the 2010 Paducah AQS Show & Contest:
http://www.americanquilter.com/shows_contests/paducah/2010/quilt_contest/quilt_winners.php

Paducah, here we come!

2010-04-15T14:58:00.001-06:00

Paducah, Kentucky, site of the 26th annual AQS Quilt Show and Contest, is buzzing with activity in advance of the show opening next week (read more at http://AQSQuiltnews.blogspot.com/). By the time we offsite editors arrive on Monday, April 19th, the quilts will have been judged, winners selected, vendors arrived, and general preparations completed. All of the AQS Paducah staff and hundreds of volunteers work long hours for months in advance to pull this incredible show together. I feel privileged to be a part of this amazing tradition and look forward eagerly to it each year.

Three American Quilter magazine editors (Iris Frank, Kathie R. Kerler, and me) will be attending the Paducah show this year. (That's Iris on the left and Kathie on the right.) We'll be interviewing major award winners and doing all the write-ups on winning quilts for the next issue of AQ. But we're also at the show to find new article ideas and explore the newest techniques to present to readers in upcoming issues. Do you have an idea for an article, or have you developed an unusual or creative technique not previously published? We'd love to talk with you. Have you made a quilt from a pattern published in any recent issue of American Quilter? Bring photos or show us your digital images and we'll "publish" you on the AQS Web site.

There are a couple ways to find us. The editors' office is on the second floor of the conference center, in the hallway outside of booth 3801. To speak with any one of us about a possible article, stop by the office and leave a message if we're not there. Or, you can leave your name and cell phone number at the AQS membership desk and we'll get in touch with you. If you see us during the show, please say hello and let us know what you like about American Quilter and what we can do to improve. Feedback from readers is so important!

Inspired by Judith Larzelere

2010-04-12T11:05:00.001-06:00

Quilt artist Judith Larzelere has delighted and amazed countless quilters with her stunning use of color since she began exhibiting her quilts in the late 1970s. After reading the profile article on “Jude” (as she likes to be called) in the January 2010 issue of American Quilter, Mary F. Gonzalez was inspired to make her own strip-pieced wall quilt:

“I began quilting in 2001 after taking one class. I fumbled around by myself, learning from my mistakes. In 2006, my husband and I moved to Santa Cruz, California, after living 26 years in Novato, California, where we raised our family. Leaving our friends was difficult, and we wondered if we would ever find new friends in our new home. Luckily we did. I continued quilting on my own and eventually met a group of ladies who shared my interest. We formed a small quilt group which quickly grew to 15 members—we are known as the Sew ‘n Sews.
At our weekly meetings, these ladies offer encouragement, advice, fabrics, patterns, ideas, refreshments, and best of all, laughter. At a recent meeting, someone brought quilt magazines. That’s when I found the January 2010 issue of American Quilter.
As soon as I turned to page 45 and saw the article and art quilts by Judith Larzelere, my heart started racing. I had recently completed a quilt for my son and had lots of scraps leftover. When I saw Judith’s quilts, I went home, read the article thoroughly, and went to work.
Enclosed is a photograph of the wallhanging (called City Skyline) I made for my son using the article as my inspiration. He just loves it, as do those encouraging Sew ‘n Sews. Thank you!”

AQS members can access the complete article and Judith's Tips for Strip Quilting at www.AmericanQuilter.com.

Are you ready for a mystery?

2010-04-05T08:10:00.001-06:00

It’s just a little over a month until the introduction to a new mystery quilt, designed by Beyond the Block authors Linda K. Johnson and Jane K. Wells, is published in the July 2010 issue of American Quilter magazine. This is a mystery like none you’ve ever seen before: it’s non-traditional, personalized, and a way to use some of your accumulated unfinished quilt blocks. I'm really excited about this project and just can't wait to reveal a few clues to get you started...

First, an explanation to those who have no idea what a mystery quilt entails: You, the quilter, embark on a quilt project without knowing what the final result will look like. You will be given instructions (the clues!) one installment at a time in three consecutive issues of American Quilter.

Why is this upcoming mystery quilt different? (1)The final block layout will be dynamic and non-traditional. (2)You start with your own specially-chosen focus blocks, not just shapes cut from stash or purchased fabrics. (3)You have a chance to win a nice prize simply by participating in the mystery as it is published. (I'll give you more information on that last piece of news in a future blog!)

So what is a "focus block"? You could use hand or machine appliquéd squares; paper-pieced blocks that feature a centered image or design; cross-stitched or embroidered squares; vintage linen squares; photo transfers or photos inkjet printed on fabric; or squares of a beautiful large-scale print or any other special fabric, perhaps holiday themed. You could even use squares cut from treasured tee shirts, backed with lightweight fusible interfacing. The only blocks not recommended as focus blocks are pieced blocks with busy overall designs, as they may not blend well within the mystery quilt setting.
Two more important clues: The focus blocks should be cut at least 8 ½" square so they finish 8". (If your focus blocks are smaller, just add some borders.) Four of the focus blocks will be straight set and three of them will be set on point. Keep this in mind if you are cutting a directional large-scale print.
Intriuged? Take a look at some of these photos for ideas on focus blocks and then read the complete introduction and clues on choosing additional fabrics in the July issue. Even our AQ pattern editor, Marje Rhine, is excited about this project. She'll be making her own mystery quilt (even though she knows the final result!).
Stay tuned for more clues...

Fantastic debut of the AQS Lancaster quilt show

2010-03-28T16:14:00.002-06:00

The first-ever AQS show in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is now history, but its stunning debut is just the start of a new tradition. Congratulations to Marilyn Badger of St. George, Utah, for winning best of show with her quilt Filigree, shown here.

Thousands of quilters traveled from all over the United States and Canada last week to converge on this small but cosmopolitan city (which I was told is correctly pronounced LANK-a-stir). The combination of a rich cultural heritage, diverse museums and attractions, plentiful nearby hotels and B&Bs, specialty shops and boutiques, and a wonderful array of terrific restaurants within walking distance of the downtown convention center makes this a very attractive location for a quilt vacation. The quality of the quilts on display was outstanding, and vendors traveled from as far away as California and Montana to participate in this venue.

My two favorite downtown Lancaster attractions were the Quilt and Textile Museum and the Central Market. Housed in a former bank featuring a vaulted ceiling and Beaux Arts architecture, the Quilt and Textile museum’s permanent collection includes the world-famous Espirit Quilts, considered by many to be the finest collection of authentic late 19th and early 20th century Amish quilts indigenous to this region. (Because most of the quilts are protected under glass, photography is permitted.)

This photo of two side-by-side quilts shows the difference between fabrics used in Amish and Mennonite quilts. The Mennonite quilt on the left features brighter colors and commercially-produced prints, while the Amish quilt fabrics on the right are all solid colors in a subdued palette. But you’ll learn so much more about Lancaster county quilts from the knowledgeable docents and the well-documented displays.

The Central Market is America’s oldest farmers’ market building, in operation since the 1730s. On Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday each week, farmers bring locally-produced meats, vegetables, bread, flowers, crafts, and desserts to sell in colorful and mouthwatering displays. I couldn’t resist the homemade jams, chocolate, and some specialty cheeses, which made the trip home to Colorado safely.

And then there were the quilts! Row upon row of amazing quilts at the show, from traditional to avant garde. To see all the winning quilts, use this link: http://www.americanquilter.com/shows_contests/lancaster/2010/quilt_contest/quilt_winners.php. Almost every class offered at the show sold out in advance, so be sure to make your plans early for next year’s Lancaster show, March 16-19, 2011.

Do the math on this quilt!

2010-03-22T11:53:00.001-06:00

What are fractals? In simplest term, a fractal is a rough or fragmented geometric shape that can be split into parts, each of which is approximately a reduced-size copy of the whole. The Sierpinski carpet is a well-known example of a plane fractal first described by Polish mathematician Wacław Sierpiński in 1916.

Thank you to Anabeth Dollins for graciously sharing a photo of her quilt based on the Sierpinski carpet. The construction of the Sierpinski carpet begins with a square. The square is cut into 9 congruent sub-squares in a 3-by-3 grid, and the central sub-square is removed, resulting in a Nine-patch quilt block. The same procedure is then applied recursively to the remaining 8 sub-squares, ad infinitum.
What a wonderful quilt design! Make it any size, any color palette, or any fabrics to give the quilt your own spin. Here’s how Anabeth made hers:
“Each week for several weeks I took a pile of fabrics to quilt group—one week reds, one week oranges, one week blues, and so on. I cut two 1" x 8" strips from each of the fabrics that read mostly solid, omitting plaids, florals, and multicolors. At home, I'd choose eight strips that sort of went together in value and color and then make eight 1.5" Nine-patches, using sky fabric as the middle piece. Then I made a 4.5" Nine-patch out of these, using sky as the middle. The 4.5" blocks that satisfy me the least are the ones in which the eight fabrics have too much contrast. I think the trick is to keep the fabrics similar in value.“

Anabeth continues, “Eventually I had 64 different 4.5" Nine-patches to play with. I spent a lot of time arranging them on the design wall, taking one photo after another to record my arrangements. I finally said ‘Stop thinking!’ and put the 64 squares into eight 13.5" Nine-patches, with sky in the middle, and put the eight big squares into a large Nine-patch.
The 512 smallest Nine-patches have half-inch finished blocks. All of the fabrics came from my stash, but since the blocks use so little fabric there's NO visible change in the size of my stash!”

Another variation is the Sierpinski triangle, also a wonderful quilt design. I’ve started my own Sierpinski carpet variation, in which the smallest squares finish three-fourths of an inch. I love this project because it can be done in small snippets of time, and it has endless design and color possibilities. Use your computer’s search engine to find many more examples of quilts based on mathematics. You can see more of Anabeth’s quilts at http://anabeth.dollins.org/qlt.html.

Mosaic memorial

2010-03-10T12:34:00.002-07:00

Submitted by Marje Rhine, technical pattern editor for American Quilter magazine)
In September I lost the girl doggy love of my life, my 14-year-old Sheltie, Daisy. All fall I thought about what I could do to memorialize her in fabric. Not being very proficient at appliqué and wanting a realistic portrait instead of the cartoon I could design, I decided that a mosaic was the way to go. A quilt would have been my first choice, but it was just not practical.
I cropped one of my favorite photos of Daisy and used PCStitch (photo to cross-stitch, available at http://www.pcstitch.com/) software to create a chart with a DMC floss list. I already had most of the DMC colors, purchasing just a few more. I compared the floss to fabrics in my stash, pulling those that matched. After attaching fusible web to the back of small chunks of fabric, I was ready to get to going.
Working on artist mat board, I drew a grid of 2 1/2" squares. Each square would end up holding 100 pieces of fabric 1/4" x 1/4". I cut strips of fused fabric slightly larger than 1/4" wide by about 6" long. Starting in a corner and following the color chart, I fit the appropriate strip onto the board and trimmed the square to 1/4" x 1/4". About 7,200 squares and six weeks later, I was done. The finished piece measures 18" x 25" and will hang on our wall forever.
I have already told Simon, our collie, that he needs to stick around for a long time.

Wool appliqué

2010-02-24T10:21:00.001-07:00

Last fall I took a class on wool appliqué with Kathy Kansier, a national teacher, judge, and AQS quilt appraiser. After some preliminary discussion on types of wool, techniques, and equipment, we were given a kit to make this "Fruitopia" wallhanging. If you haven't ever tried wool appliqué, I highly recommend it as a nice change-of-pace project. Kathy recommends fusing the wool motifs onto the background for two reasons: ease of embroidery, and to stabilize the wool fibers to prevent raveling, though this is a not a significant problem with washed wool.

Fusing wool is not as simple as fusing cotton. It takes longer for the heat to pass through the thick fabric, and not all fusibles stick to all wool fabrics. Some teachers recommend only a dry iron, but Kathy suggests using steam from the back of the piece to reinforce the adhesion. I tried a variety of products and didn't find one that worked successfully on every type and weight of wool fabric. It's a trial and error process, and I quickly learned to fuse a small sample before applying the fusible product to each different piece of wool for the actual project. HeatnBond® Lite and Wonder-Under® were the two fusibles I used, though next time I'll try others.

Surprisingly, the embroidery turned out to be the most enjoyable part of this project for me, though I dreaded it at the outstart. Maybe because I started out as a hand quilter, I found the hand stitching relaxing and creative, deciding which color perle cotton would enhance each of the motifs. Instead of the two different stitches I used on this piece, I'll try lots of different embroidery stitches on my next wool project.
Kathy is a lovely person and delightful teacher. You can see more of her work at www.KathyKansier.com.

Olympic Quilt

2010-02-19T12:53:00.000-07:00

Hannah Teter, U.S. snowboarder and 2006 gold medalist, is sleeping every night at the Olympic Village under a quilt created by Amp Energy Juice (part of PepsiCo) that features Teter and images from the village of Kirindon, Kenya. Teter, who helped design the quilt, started a charity dedicated to the village, and raises money through a maple syrup business (Hannah's Gold Vermont maple syrup) to help the village with water filtration, a sanitation system, and housing.

Hannah plans to auction the quilt after the Winter Games to raise more money for the village. Read the story at USA Today, http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2010/02/blanketing-the-games-with-hannah-teter/1

A new quilting superstition?

2010-02-16T13:44:00.000-07:00

(Submitted by American Quilter magazine contributing editor, Barbara Polston, from Phoenix, Arizona)
When I turned my master bedroom into a quilt studio, my quilting friends were all anxious to see the new workspace. My friend, Anita, gifted me with this small cut glass jar, decorated with tiny flowers and ribbons.

Inside the jar are sealed nine pins, nine needles, and nine nails. It’s a legend in Great Britain that sealing such a jar into new construction keeps evil fairies at bay. Anita suggested that keeping this jar in my studio would keep evil quilt fairies away. I’m pleased to report that it’s working! I don’t know if this is because evil quilt fairies, who surely cause major mistakes and problems, truly exist, or because I believe they must. I’ve started recommending this to friends who report the same result. Has a new quilter’s superstition been born? Perhaps!

The DNA Quilt

2010-02-05T12:36:00.000-07:00

Perhaps you’ve noticed, as I have, how many doctors, nurses, therapists, and other medical and scientific professionals gravitate to the art of quilting for creative expression. When I first asked American Quilter contributing editor Iris Frank to write about the connection between quilting and medical professionals, I had no idea how intertwined these two disciplines are and how many fascinating scenarios we would discover. Here’s another captivating medical-related quilt story, submitted by Sandra Black of Tellico Plains, Tennessee:
“In 1953, James Watson and Sir Francis Crick published their famous paper detailing the structure of the DNA molecule. Recognized as the single most important development in biology of the twentieth century, their discovery transformed the study of genetics and paved the way for huge advances in medical sciences as well as the fascinating science of DNA fingerprinting. They received the Nobel Prize for this discovery.

I made this DNA quilt for my longtime boss of 40 years, Dr. Whelan. Since he is a prominent scientist, I knew he would like this as a gift: he was a good friend of Sir Francis Crick and James D. Watson, and 2003 marked the 50th anniversary of the double helix. The label on the back of the quilt was kindly autographed by Sir Francis Crick (who passed away in 2004) and James Watson as an extra personalized treat. I presented the quilt to Dr. Whelan at a scientific conference in Miami in 2003, where Dr. Watson was an invited speaker (seen in the photo with Dr. Whelan and me presenting the quilt). Sir Francis Crick was supposed to be there but was very ill and could not travel. Dr. Whelan was thrilled with his quilt’s historical and sentimental significance.
The quilt is machine appliquéd, machine quilted, and machine embroidered with the names of some of the scientific organizations my boss initiated and founded throughout his career. I used color-graded fabrics for the molecule. The background is stippled behind the DNA molecule and the DNA design is quilted on the outer borders.”
You can read Iris’s complete article in the March 2010 issue of American Quilter, on newsstand next week or by subscription at http://www.americanquilter.com/.

A flock of blocks

2010-01-28T11:22:00.001-07:00

(Submitted by Marje Rhine, American Quilter pattern editor)
I admit it – I am (or was) a scrap saver. Almost no scrap was too small to go into one of my many scrap boxes or bags.

But there were way too many, so as one of my New Year’s resolutions, I decided to pare down my scrap collection. Many went into the garbage – I don't have the patience to sew all those 2” squares together. I set aside full width-of-fabric strips for a future strip-pieced quilt. Many scraps were cut up into specific sizes for a series of scrappy quilts for charity (maybe I will write more on this later).
The rest were too large to throw out, so I cut them into squares, triangles, and rectangles. I then sewed them together into roughly 8 1/2” x 8 1/2” squares. Some of the squares didn’t lay flat until I steamed them. I didn’t worry about losing points on triangles, or having seams match up. I just had fun sewing them together any which way. From each 8 1/2” square I accurately cut a 7 3/4” x 7 3/4” square.

I did NOT center the cut square on any part of the pieced square, as I wanted scrappy and funky shapes. Each square was then cut into quarter-square triangles by cutting on both diagonals.

From a black fabric I cut 4 1/8” x 4 1/8” square then cut it on one diagonal to make 2 half square triangles. I stitched these to the sides of a scrappy triangle to make a Flying Geese unit.

There are many ways to sew these together. I already have a row of geese and a Flying Dutchman block. So when I want to do mindless sewing, I will sit down with my scraps and soon will have a flock of blocks to sew into a scrappy and fun quilt.

Circle of Fire - a blue-ribbon winner

2010-01-13T10:50:00.001-07:00

Many American Quilter readers wrote to me about our November 2009 cover quilt, Circle of Fire, designed and made by Pat Wolfe of San Diego, California. Some were seeking the source of Pat's black batik background fabric (no longer available, sorry to say), and some just let me know they planned to make this dynamic design. But Pauline Charles of Annville, Pennsylvania, was the first to send me a photo of her quilt: She writes:

"Hi Chris. I have just completed a quilt that I call In the Beginning from the Circle of Fire pattern, on the cover of American Quilter. I entered it in the Pennsylvania Farm Show last weekend and it took a blue ribbon in the machine-quilted wallhanging category. I am very excited! When my magazine arrived, I knew I had to make that quilt. I started it after Thanksgiving and even used it to demonstrate machine piecing at our local quilt show. What fun it was!"

Pauline continues, "I was reading your Sept. 28, 2009 blog entry (written by AQ pattern editor Marje Rhine) describing the size of the hole to cut in the framing piece...after I did it. I followed the directions exactly but walked around the project for several days. I was afraid to cut, as I only had just enough fabric to do it once.
I love your magazine. This is the first, not the last, pattern I have used, too."

Pauline, you did a great job with this pattern! Congratulations on your blue ribbon, and may you win many more in the future. Thank you for sharing your quilt with American Quilter readers.

A new look in the new year

2010-01-11T13:57:00.000-07:00

The new year is a great time for fresh starts, so the design/editorial team at American Quilter magazine is delighted to debut a "magazine makeover" with our March 2010 issue. This issue is at the printer now, and will be arriving in your mailbox (if you're an AQS member!) in about two weeks.

What's different? Starting with the cover, you'll notice a fresh, more modern layout and font style. A stunning full quilt or quilt detail photo is presented as a full-page image, rather than just one corner - easier for you to see the stitching and details. The short cover headlines (letting you know what's inside) are grouped in one highlighted area, handy for the 94% of readers who keep and refer to their back issues indefinitely.

There are lots of improvements inside, too. The articles and patterns feature a new "lighter-weight" font. Pattern layouts are simplified, most diagrams are a bit larger, and yardage charts have a softer, cleaner look. At the top of each page of editorial content, you'll see a heading that identifies the page, making it easy to locate articles that "jump" to another page.

But some things have not changed! That includes our emphasis on interesting quilter lifestyle articles, helpful techniques, and distinctive patterns and projects. If you like Carol Taylor's cover quilt, try her technique for creating sheer layered images, all detailed with how-to photos in this issue. Traditional piecers who want to improve their technique will find Jan Krentz's article on eight-point intersections extremely valuable. And of course there's quilt "eye candy," in this case the 20 top winners from the AQS Quilt Expo in Des Moines.

I'd love your feedback after you receive this issue. We listen!

Easy Fabric Dyeing

2010-01-07T07:48:00.000-07:00

(Submitted by Kathie R. Kerler, American Quilter magazine contributing editor)

Hand-dyed fabrics are popular among quilters. Some use hand dyes because they like the mottled effect, while others want a gradated range of shades within a single color for a project. Many quilters think only of immersion dyeing and are not familiar with a product called Dye-Na-Flow by Jacquard. This product offers an easy way to dye or color fabric without using tubs or baggies, large quantities of water, or salt and soda ash. Other products may be similar to Dye-Na-Flow, but this is what I have the most experience with. It is available online or at many retail shops.
Dye-Na-Flow is a concentrated liquid color that can be used on any fabric, natural or synthetic. I have colored silk, organza, and most often cotton. After dyeing with Dye-Na-Flow, the hand of the fabric does not change. It remains soft and easy to stitch.
To use, simply mix a small amount of the Dye-Na-Flow concentrate with water in a cup. Tape your fabric down over a sheet of plastic and paint on the color with a sponge brush. It doesn’t take much concentrate to color a large piece of fabric. Add a little Dye-Na-Flow to a small amount of water, maybe ¼ to a ½ cup at a time, until you obtain the intensity desired. Because it doesn’t take much product, the smallest jar at 2.25 oz. lasts a long time. While the manufacturer does not make any claims, I have had some jars for more than ten years, and the product is still fine. The finished fabric is heat set for 2 – 3 minutes with an iron.
You can manipulate the fabric and Dye-Na-Flow for a variety of effects. If you spray the fabric before applying the colors, as I did, they will mix more. You can use salts to create bursts of color. Or you can do what I did on the sample shown here and scrunch up the fabric so that as it dries, the colors pool in the “valleys” and leave striations. This is not an exact science—experiment to get the look you like.

Time for baking, not quilting

2009-12-21T11:19:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, my mother and daughter (in the photo) joined me for a fun afternoon of Christmas cookie baking. One cookie tradition in our home is the making of pizzelles, a southern Italian cookie that is quickly baked in an electric "press" similar to a waffle iron. Made of flour, sugar, butter, and flavorings (we prefer anise), these crisp, lacy confections just melt in your mouth. And they are so light and pretty, I'm sure they can't have many calories - especially the broken ones where all the calories have leaked out. If you'd like my recipe and the name of my preferred pizzelle maker, just e-mail me at aqsmagazineblog@gmail.com.

By the way, my daughter also designed the adorable Play Date quilt pattern, recently published in the January 2010 issue of American Quilter magazine.

Whether your family celebrates Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Solstice, or just New Years, I wish you a lovely holiday season and sincere good wishes for happy quilting (and baking!) in 2010.

Round quilt hanging sleeve

2009-12-16T08:08:00.000-07:00

(Submitted by Gail Garber, www.GailGarberDesigns.com)

Here are instructions for making a sleeve to hang Cartwheel Constellation (the cover quilt pattern from the January 2010 issue of American Quilter magazine) or any other round quilt. This method will work with even small round quilts.

Calculate 1/8 of the diameter of the finished quilt. Then determine the width of the quilt this measurement (1/8 of diameter) below the top. Cut a strip 8-1/2" wide and 2" longer than this width measurement. Hem each end and then stitch into a long tube, wrong sides together. Press seam toward one side, centered along the back of the tube. Position the tube a distance of 1/8 of the finished quilt diameter down from the top of the quilt, at the center. Slip stitch in place.
I use this method when hanging all circular quilts, positioning a sleeve close enough to the top to evenly bear the weight of the quilt, but not far enough below the upper edge to allow the top to flop over. I then insert a very thin piece of molding, about 1" longer than the sleeve. This is placed on two small nails that extend out of the wall just far enough to hang the molding. Generally, the quilt top will stand up nicely against the wall. In those rare instances where it still wants to flop over, I insert one tiny straight pin through the quilt and into the wall. Another option is to sew a small tab near the top of the quilt on the back side and pin that to the wall.

UFOs? Get your guild in gear!

2009-12-09T14:41:00.000-07:00

Seems like my editorial in the January 2010 issue is a subject very close to home for many readers. Lil Koster of Wilmington, Delaware wrote this note, which she gave me permission to share:
"I just read your editorial in the January 2010 issue of American Quilter and it brought a smile to my face. I thought I was the queen of UFOs - my 20th wedding anniversary is next May and I still haven't finished my wedding quilt. The blocks have languished in a plastic box for many years...maybe I'll finally get it assembled and finished for my 25th! And I have so many 'UFOs yet to be started' that I came up with a name for them: USOs (UnStarted Objects)!
My quilt guild, Brandywine Valley Quilters, has a biannual show, and we started a UFO challenge to inspire members to finish theirs. We give award ribbons to the oldest UFO by a single maker, oldest UFO completed by someone other than the original maker, most UFOs completed, most unique reason for the delay in completion, and most deviation from the original plan. If this helps even one quilter finish a UFO, it's a worthwhile idea! We're hoping to encourage more completed UFOs for our 2010 show, the theme of which is 'Something New from Something Old: Decades of Thread Stories.'
I thoroughly enjoy each issue of American Quilter. The magazine gets better with each passing year! I appreciate the mix of articles and projects, which appeal to a wide range of interests. They have helped me expand my quilting horizon - I have evolved from piecing and hand quilting traditional quilts to landscape collages, embellishments, and machine quilting. Who knows what my future will bring -probably even more UFOs!"

Look what's in the January 2010 issue!

2009-11-19T12:37:00.000-07:00

The January 2010 issue of American Quilter (on newsstand December 8th) is chocked full of wonderful articles and patterns…and some surprises! Joanne Winn teaches you how to use your machine’s embroidery module to quilt fancy feathers, while Gail Valentine reviews six efficient methods for making half-square triangles. You’ll be amazed at the first installment in a new series of articles by Iris Frank about remarkable larger-than-life quilting projects. And did you know that you can dye fabric with steel wool? Beth Wheeler shows you how in her article on rust dyeing. Tattooed quilters? You might be surprised at who is sporting quilter “ink” nowadays. There are colorful patterns ranging from easy to challenging, including the spectacular cover quilt by Gail Garber. All this and more await you in the January issue! Not an AQS member? Join now so you don’t miss a thing.

Pieced Batting - Part 2 of 2

2009-11-16T14:34:00.000-07:00

(Submitted by Marje Rhine, technical pattern editor for American Quilter magazine)

Want to use up small leftover pieces of batting? I like to join them for use in doll quilts and wallhangings, but needed a quick method for joining the pieces so they would lie flat without a bump, instantly giving away the secret that they had been pieced. I tried butting straight edges of the pieces together then stitching together with a zigzag that catches both pieces. This worked OK but the batting tended to stretch as I sewed (photo left).

I've come up with what I think is a better method. Layer the batting, right-sides together (or same-sides together) along the straight edge (photo right). Using a short and narrow blind hemstitch, sew the pieces together. The straight lines of the blind hemstitch should run just along the raw edges of the batting with the occasionally right-left stitches catching both pieces. Open up the batting and pull slightly. The stitching should hold the length of the seam and almost disappear both visually and to the touch (photo below).

Cottage Bliss

2009-11-10T11:14:00.000-07:00

"Cottage Bliss" is a good description of my three-day mountain cabin retreat with quilting buddies at a YMCA camp in Estes Park, Colorado, last weekend. Music, friends, sewing, scenic hikes, great food, and spectacular weather made for a memorable event. Other than missing our group members who couldn't attend, it was pretty much perfect.

But Cottage Bliss is also the name of a darling quilt shop in Estes Park that sells gifts, music CDs, books, and other trinkets in addition to fabric and notions. As you enter the shop, the sales clerks (gracious hostesses!) offer up herbal tea served in china cups while you shop - blueberry was the flavor on the day my group visited. The tea was followed by chocolate and snacks - what a welcome! Soft but interesting music plays throughout the building and in addition to fabric and thread, I bought a wonderful CD by Anne Murray that I hadn't heard before. Because the shop is relatively small, fabric selection isn't expansive, but what's there is quite nice. On the lower level is another small room jammed to the ceiling with fabric and notion bargains. All in all, this is a must-visit shop if your travels take you to Estes, and all shop profits go to charity. For more information, visit www.CottageBlissEstes.com.

Pieced Batting - Part 1 of 2

2009-11-09T11:20:00.000-07:00

(Submitted by Marje Rhine, technical pattern editor for American Quilter magazine)
Because I make a lot of quilts, I have a lot of leftover batting that I hate to throw out. The small pieces are great for hot pads and placemats. I also use them for padding in packages to be shipped – much better for the environment than styrofoam peanuts. The large pieces of batting can be pieced together by hand to use in bed-size quilts. A little preparation ensures that the pieced batting will stand up to normal wear and tear on a quilt. First lay the batting pieces on a rotary cutting mat, overlapping by about 4”, and rotary cut a gentle wavy line through both pieces.

(That way, the quilting will not match the batting cut line and and quilting stitches are more likely to catch both sides of the cut in many places.)

Remove the small excess pieces, line up the pieces along the curve, and hand stitch cut edges together with large stitches. To make sure the stitching will hold, run a thread in each direction.

In the next post, I'll show you a great way to join smaller pieces of batting for doll quilts and wallhangings.

Des Moines Best of Show

2009-10-29T11:16:00.001-06:00

What a thrill it was to chat with Karen Kay Buckley (on left in the photo) in front of her magnificent quilt, Arabesque, at the AQS show here in Des Moines. The quilt, which is hand appliqued and machine quilted, was three years in the making. The detail in this quilt is breathtaking...photos just don't do it justice. For anyone living in or traveling through Des Moines in the next couple days, this quilt is reason enough to stop by the AQS show in downtown. There will be more photos and lots of information about all the winning quilts in the March 2010 issue of American Quilter magazine.

Who is this famous quilter?

2009-10-26T11:47:00.000-06:00

American Quilter magazine teaser:

Can you guess the identity of this renowned quilt artist, shown here in her New England garden? She began her artistic career as a potter but is now identified with spectacular use of color. Her quilts are largely strip pieced and strip quilted. Read all about her in the next issue (January 2010) of American Quilter magazine! If you're an AQS member, this issue should show up in your mailbox before Thanksgiving!

More from Houston

2009-10-17T13:29:00.000-06:00

American Quilter contributing editor Barbara Polston and I posed for this photo in the vendor area of the International Quilt Festival yesterday. She's at this show for the first time and thoroughly enjoying the experience. We chatted about some of the unusual and creative techniques we saw in the show, several of which will be showcased in future issues of American Quilter. The technical and design ingenuity of quilters worldwide never ceases to amaze me!

Catching up with friends at Houston

2009-10-16T10:52:00.000-06:00

It's the second full day of the International Quilt Festival in Houston. Catching up with new and old friends is part of the magic of any large quilt show, and there's lots of that going on here. Even though it may be years since we published a particular article in American Quilter, the connections between the designer/writer and me are still strong and immediate. I feel so fortunate to have hundreds of "article friends' out there in "Quiltdom."

Jacqueline de Jonge, a talented quilt designer from the Netherlands, was profiled in an article by Marjorie Russell in the Summer 2007 issue of AQ. Since then, she has obtained a work visa for a lengthy stay in the United States as a working artist, and I'm delighted that she is so visible again on the quilting scene. She is here with her brother, Harm, who manages the business end of her endeavors and shares her passion to bring her amazing designs to an ever-increasing audience. (That's Harm in the photo. I'm in the middle and Jacqueline's on the left.)

The pattern for one of Jacqueline's spectacular foundation-pieced quilts is still available at http://www.americanquilter.com/. Use the search box in the upper right corner of the home page to locate the pattern, called Dutch Treasure. Jacqueline has many more designs coming out in the next year...stay tuned!

Reporting from International Quilt Market

2009-10-13T19:51:00.000-06:00

The 2009 International Quilt Market in Houston, Texas, came to a close yesterday, and in spite of a challenging economy, market activity was brisk and successful for many buyers and sellers. (For those not familiar with "Market," it is the twice-yearly wholesale event where quilt shop owners, teachers, designers, and industry entrepreneurs come to see all the new products and place orders for fabric, notions, books, and all things quilt related.) AQS Publishing participates in Quilt Market as both a book and magazine publisher and industry book distributor. That's Chrystal Abhalter in the AQS booth. Chrystal is the AQS copy editor and she also represents AQS at many quilt events.

Market is a terrific opportunity for AQS to introduce new book authors who conduct "schoolhouse" demos to share their techniques and generate excitement about new titles. It's a whirlwind of business activity but also a testament to the huge cultural and economic impact of quilting in the past 35 years.

I found some great new products and fantastic fabrics that will be featured in upcoming issues of American Quilter. But more than that, my quilting "battery" was recharged at Market, seeing all the beautiful quilts on display and reconnecting with the people who have made quilting so meaningful to so many people in so many ways. Quilt on!