LindaVTaylor.com

5 WEEKS to go! Join us in Wichita!
Linda V. Taylor to receive IMQA Lifetime Achievement Award You are invited to join IMQA in honoring Linda V. Taylor at the IMQA Banquet, Friday, May 17, 2013, 7:00 pm.   Linda has been selected to receive the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award which was founded to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the enhancement and advancement of the Longarm Quilting Industry.   Linda joins other outstanding Award recipients, Norma Counce, Ken Gammill, Fred Nolting, Paul Statler, Marcia Stevens, Rick Vollbrecht and Zoltan Kasa. A basket will be available at the IMQA Booth during the show for those wishing to leave a card or note for Linda. To make sure you don’t miss this special event, register at www.mqsshow.org (under MQS® show, then registration) or at the show before 10:00 AM Thursday, May 16.  Banquet tickets are $40 which includes a concert by Ricky Tims, Lifetime Achievement Award and Viewer’s Choice quilt reveal.  What an exciting evening this will be!
	Quilted Memories is accepting pre-orders for Hobbs roll batting to be picked up at MQS! Please e-mail  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  or call the shop ( 913-649-2704) for the show prices &/or to order.  We are looking forward to seeing everyone in Wichita! Deadline for pre-orders is April 30th, 2013.
Host Hotel - most nights completely booked! If you have contacted the Hyatt Regency and found that you are not able to reserve a room there - some nights are completely booked. Check with them first - the nights you need may still be available. There are seveal other area hotels who have provided us with blocks of rooms at a special MQS rate. We also have just recently contracted with the Fairfield Inn & Suites, 525 S Main, which is located very near the convention center. Contact them at 800-321-2211 and mention Fairfield Inn & Suites-Wichita by Century II and ask for the Machine Quilters Showcase 2013 special rate - $104 per night for king or queen double rooms.
Roommate Rideshare If you are looking for a roommate or someone to share a ride to the show please contact Cindy at:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it          She will help you connect with someone.	MQS® CLASSROOM SPONSORS A HUGE thank you to the following companies who are supplying machines for hands-on classes at MQS®: Handi Quilter Gammill Innova A-1 Nolting APQS Domestic Machines: Midwest Sewing and Vacuum of Wichita

Scooter Rentals – MQS®  If you are interested in renting a scooter at MQS® 2013 please contact Laikha for prices and rental  Volusia Medical Supply 866-956-2925 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Requests must be made at least one week prior to your need

See you soon! The MQS Show Committee

I don' t know where all the time goes. I have been working on another show quilt and you could say it is eating my lunch. I have worked on it already over 100 hours and I think I may be half way finished, not quite. Some of you may have seen this quilt if you have taken the Show Quilt Class from Cheri Meineke-Johnson and myself. It is all hand-pieced and hand-appliqued. It is a beauty. It has been scaring me for more than a year now until I finally got up the courage to tackle it.  Maybe I'm the only one who feels this way, but there will be no quilt until it's time. 

  I have also been working on getting all my samples and kits ready for HMQS and MQS. My Statler has been going full time preparing all my student's quilts, while I am quilting on my Vision.  It's awesome.

  I'm so happy the 4th Season of Linda's Longarm Quilting is finished and is for sale as a series.  You can also watch it on thequiltingschool.com.   I had some awesome guests and I think the projects I worked on were the very best. I hope everyone will check it out. I know you will be inspired in your own quilting.

  Happy Easter to everyone! The Lord has blessed us all so much, I'm grateful for my blessings, especially my family and friends.

   I've had an incredibly fun time the last 3 days. Sue Patten and Jon are here and Sue is filming her new DVDs (which will also be posted on the quilting school for members).  We always have a great time when she comes to visit. We laugh so much and they are just like family. Of course, we all eat too much too!  Sue's DVD's are going to be so good; she has so much knowledge to share she has gained over her quilting career.  And they both get along so well with Wendy.

We had my daughter, Wendy, at the sleep lab again last nigh. Rick took her again, he is so sweet.   They were able to ajust hr mask and she got about 4 hours of REM sleep they said. So we are excited she will finally be able to get the rest she needs.  She will also have to have an oxygen machine at night now. Her oxygen level goes down to 76 when she sleeps. But we can cope with that.

   We took Bethany to the airport on Thursday and after we got back down the canyon, she called and said all flights had been cancelled because of the weather. So she got to stay another night with us and we watched American Idol.  It was lovely having her here. Watch for her on thequilingschool.com  in about 3 months.

   Next week, Sue Patten should be showing up here to film her new DVDs.  That will be a blast!

   Rick leaves for McKinney, TX, tomorrow to teach maintenance classes at Linda's Electric Quilters.  He is taking Wendy with him so she can visit with my daughter, Heather, for a few days.  I will miss them both, I'm already lonely.

Bethany Sheets (formerly "Pease") has been here for the last two days filming with me. It has been so fun having such a young person and her fresh approach to quilting. Everything is brand new to her and it is refreshing.  She is filming her own DVD today and I love the way she has designed her set. It looks so modern.  I'm so glad the traditions of quilting will continue.

I'm so excited today even though the "storm" has certainly arrived here.  It is a blizzard but I feel so elated!

I just got the news that one of the new quilts I did with Cheri Meineke-Johnson won "Outstanding Innovative Quilt" in the Road to California show.  It was just announced today!  I almost forgot how wonderful that feeling is when you win any recognition of your work at all. I'm very pleased.  The name of the quilt is "Jewel Box".

  I'm also excited because Janet-Lee sent me an email to tell me I was one of the nominees for "teacher of the year" for 2011.  This is the third time I have been nominated and I'll tell you what, it is a HUGE honor just to be nominated.  Thank you to any of you who make have made that nomination or voted for me.  The people and friends I have because of this industry mean everything to me.

 I hope you all have as great of day as I have had and it's only noon.

  My husband, Rick, took Wendy to the sleep lab tonight. One of us had to go and stay with her. He can usually sleep anywhere. I, on the other hand, need at least 3 pillows and my wrist thingys on because my hands are going numb every night.The chiropractors say it is my neck,not carpel tunnel, but I am going to have to have it checked out very soon.  I also don't do very good driving at night anymore.  Well, there you have it, he was the best choice.  i hope all goes well.  Wendy was excited. She took her pink Care Bear which she takes with her to all her surgeries, etc. and her pink slippers. And she had a long talk out in the cold with her dog.  Told her where she was going and when she would be back.  She is so funny.

Where does the time go?  It seems like the holidays were almost here and then they were gone. Does anyone else feel like I do?

I also thought I would have more time this month to relax a little and just quilt, but already one week is gone and I haven't been quilting. I will be filming this week and I am prepared to do a little table runner as well as a large quilt. I'm happiest when I'm actually quilting, and that's when all the ideas come.

   Sunday night we are doing a sleep test for Wendy, my daughter.  They are going to see if she has sleep apnea.  She sleeps best when she is sitting up.  Of course, if any of you know her, she says she never sleeps. It might be true.  We take her back to the eye doctor January 20 in Salt Lake.  Thank you all for your prayers, she seems to be doing good right now as long as we keep every obstacle out of her way.

  Bethany Pease will be here in two weeks to film with me. She just got married (I don't know her last name now)  and is such a good quilter.  She also makes me laugh a lot, so I am looking forward to it.

Seems like so many of my friends are having some health issues; let's all take better care of ourselves - okay?

 

A sincere Merry Christmas to all.

Love, Linda

  I can't believe it's almost Christmas.  Is anyone else in this boat with me? I haven't even done any baking or candy making (although that doesn't stop me from eating it).  When friends come over with their treats, I give them a manicure instead of a reciprical treat. They seem delighted. Mostly, it's because I don't have anything to give them.  Maybe my homemade treat days are gone.  That's okay. I don't have anywhere left to wear them.

  My sister-in-law, Valory, has a blog now on thequiltingschool.com. She will be talking about a lot of quilting and embroidery issues so be sure to check it out.

  I'm filming on a SunBonnet Sue tomorrow.  It is awesome. I have done some quilting on it that has made it very unique.  It will be taped in two episodes because I have so many techniques to show you.  It will first be shown on the new episode with Gina Perkes.

  The opthalmologist called from Salt Lake City.  He is worried that Wendy's eye lens may continue to slip.  We have an appointment to see him in January unless we notice her eyesight getting much worse.  He said if we have to have surgery to recover the lens and put it back in place, it will require two surgeons.  For now, he just wants to watch it and see what happens.  Wendy is getting along okay, although her level of frustration seems a little higher.  Actually, come to think of it, my level of frustration is a little higher at this time of the year too.

  I have decided that Christmas will come and go whether or not I'm "ready."  I think I will really try to focus on making sure Christ is in my Christmas.  I am so blessed and grateful for the knowledge and talents I have been given, and for all my family and friends.

  Victoria Simpson came to stay with us for a couple of days. She is a very smart lady with many talents. She is filming how to make a little book without using any glue. I'm going to make one with her tonight. It will be on the free section of the site. Her books are amazing. She has taught book arts at the college. If I wasn't a quilter, I think I would like to make books all day long.  Be sure to check it out.

  Wendy seems to get around the house just fine if we make sure we don't have stuff on the floor so she trips. She got an IPOD Touch for her birthday and she likes to play on it all day.  She listens to music and deletes the games. But its okay, the computer restores them every night.  The doctor hasn't called yet on his decision of what to do about her eye.

  Wendy stayed in her room almost all day.  Her pyschiatrist says that's okay.  I used to try to coaxe her out to mingle more with the family but he says her room is her little world, sort of a cave, and it is a safe place for her to be.  She likes old magazines. She sits on her bed and cuts them up into a million, no billion little pieces - I'm not kidding.  Sometimes she colors them.  She listens to her music and sings along. I taped her once and If I can get Todd to show me how to put it up, I will. It is so cute.  She gets the main words and makes up the rest.  She can't carry a tune at all, but she does know Fortissimo! 

  When she did come upstairs to eat, I noticed she tripped on every little thing the kids left out.  We really have to have  a family council and talk about that. They can play upstairs with all the toys, but not down here because she absolutely cannot see anything on the floor in front of her.  Actually, she is very very brave to walk around like she does. I would be clinging to the walls and sliding my feet.  She still tries to play her DS.  I have ordered a bigger one but it isn't here yet.  She has it about 3 inches from her eye and still talks to the little dogs she has bought in that program.  She didn't have any tantrums today, the doctor talked to her yesterday about that - we'll see how long that lasts. We just never know what will set her off.

  Still waiting for doctor to call and let us know what he can do, meanwhile it's day to day.  Thank you all again for your support and for your prayers, everyone of you. Your notes have really touched my heart and I feel so close to you.   -Linda

Our oldest daughter, Wendy, has Williams Syndrome. She lives with us. She will be 42 years old this December.

We visited the Moran Eye Center in Salt Lake City yesterday for an eye appointment for our daughter, Wendy.  Wendy has had 2 detached retinas. One occured when she was in a group home in Texas where she lived for 4 years. When we brought her to Wyoming to live with us again, it was too late to fix her left eye (after too long a time, even if the retina is repaired, it will no longer reconnect and communicate with the brain).  That eye had formed a cataract and no one knew the retina was detached until the surgeon found it when he removed the cataract to put in a lense.

  Not more than a month later, we found her stumbling around the house one morning and took her to the doctor here in Wyoming. He sent us immediately to Salt Lake (University of Utah Moran Eye Center) and they did surgery that day on her retina. It also had a giant tear in it. She said she fell down in her room against her night stand. She had to lay face down for 3 weeks for the retina to heal properly. This was soooo stressful because it is hard to get Wendy to even sit still, but we did it, mostly due to my husband's patience and loving care while I had to teach at 2 shows.  After surgery, that eye formed a cataract (we knew that would happen). So they did cataract surgery 6 months later and put in a lense for the best vision they could give her.

  Now, the lense has slipped (probably due to her hitting her face when she has occasional tamtrums). The doctor isn't sure what he will do. He will call us later this week after consutations with several other doctors. If they can't save that eye, she will be blind.

  I would sure appreciate all your prayers in our behalf. The thoughts of poor little Wendy living in darkness is almost more than I can bear. There are also additional risks in surgery for people with William's Syndrome, even though she has had 2 open heart surgeries. We have been lucky and feel very blessed to have Wendy. She makes life real for us and keeps our feet on the ground. When people get caught up in the pettiness of life, we always have Wendy to remind us what's really important.

Is there life after Thanksgiving?  Yes, but there is also the diet that I need to go on for sure this time.  I ate way too much, how about you?

I started a new quilt today that I am really excited about.  It is a kit that my sister finished and sent me from Keepsake Quilting. I am using

"Thread by Design" by YLI, my own line of thread. It is a black quilt with neon green and orange, right up my alley. The thread really shows up perfectly. It somehow always surprises me how the quilts turn out so well. I just get an idea and then start quilting and then stand back and I am almost always very pleased with it. I think just getting started is the hard part. We are all worried that whatever we have decided to do on the quilt may not be the perfect design, when we just need to quilt something because there are a million "perfect" designs. This one is turning out nicely. We will film it for one of the episodes of Linda's Longarm Quilting.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. I want you all to know I am sincerely grateful to all my friends who have taken classes from me, who read my blog, follow me on facebook, take the time to comment and for those of you who have joined thequiltingschool.com

If I have been able to help or inspire you in any way along your quilting path, I am deeply honored and feel incredibly blessed.  Over the years I have laughed and cried with many of you through the trials of life and that has made all the difference in my life, and in my family's lives as well. These are the best of times and we will get through the worst of times with faith in the Lord.

This year I have most of my family here for Thanksgiving and we have invited several friends as well. I hope you all have wonderful family and friends surrounding you. Cherish these moments. I like to take a minute to step out of myself and look at the scene as if I wasn't there. It brings incredible appreciation for each moment I live. Change is the only thing that is constant in our lives and from one moment to another will never be the same.

I also feel incredibly grateful to live in this country, and for those who have served this country so valiantly. I have several members of my family who  died for my freedom before I was born and I like taking time to think of them and remind my grandchildren of their sacrifice. I'm thankful that I have been chosen to clap and cheer and count my blessings.

May you all be healthy and happy!

I caught a nasty cold and cough. My daughter, Tiffany, has been giving me breathing treatments or I wouldn't even be able to breathe! I keep debating whether I should call a doctor. Isn't it funny that we take care of everyone else, but don't do the same for ourselves? What's up with that? I know exactly when someone in my household should go to the doctor, but I always debate when it's me. Anyway, I felt a little better today until tonight. It always gets worse at night. I will take it easy this weekend. It snowed all day today. Again.

   I'm already tired of the snow. I'm thinking how long it will be before I see green again.  We have about 5 inches here on the hill where I live and the roads are already hard to get up the hill.  The school bus won't stop at our driveway anymore so we have to take the kids a little ways further to meet the bus.  It just can't stop on the hill. I don't blame him. Last year I saw the bus off in the ditch twice on our road.

   We got  ready to go to Jackson Hole to get Carla Scott last night from the airport. I called the airport just to make sure her flight was on time and they said there was no such flight.  I checked her itinerary and it said March 4-6, 2012.  Then I remembered that her father was ill and she had to reschedule for spring.  I wonder how many other things I have forgotten? But if I can't remember them, then I won't know if I've forgotten them?  Actually, it turned out fine because my house was clean and it was snowing, so I just snuggled down with a book tape and had a wonderful Sunday evening.

  I am so excited; tomorrow we pick up Carla Scott from the Jackson Hole Airport. She is coming to tape 4 segments with me on Linda's Longarm Quilting.  She always has the most colorful and interesting quilts.  If you haven't seen her quilts, you will really be surprised by her techniques.  I will try to get some behind the scenes shots on my blog.

   It snowed all day. We are getting the storm that is hitting the West right now.  My grandkids played outside in it most of the day. I wonder how long it will take for the newness of snow it to wear off?  Of course, they are from Texas and rarely see it. They get all dressed up in unbelieveable garb - they can hardly move.  It is really cute.  Winter is here to stay for us. The last snow didn't melt. That's a tale-tale sign.

  It's not easy getting back to reality. I sort of feel like I'm in a virtual world.  All of my shows are finished for this year and I thought I would have a break. I have been filming for the last 2 days. The quilts have been soooo great. I can't wait for everyone to see them. I did a Timberline Log Cabin and a wonderful little Christmas table runner.  Somehow I have to fit house cleaning, doctor's appointments and cooking into my schedule again. I have decided that a show is actually a vacation for me.

  The next two episodes of Linda's Longarm Quiting are with Laura Heine and Pam Clarke. They gave us so many ideas that are refreshing and new, very inspiring.

  I got a gel nail kit and dryer and I ordered the Konad stamp kit, so I have been doing my nails and all of my family and friends' nails.  I must say I have got pretty good at it and I am absolutely having a ball doing it. I highly recommend it, especially if you have finger nails that crack or break like I do, this is the solution.   As soon as I figure out how to put pictures on this blog, then I will share that with everyone.