QuiltBlog

I have been teaching at Houston IQA show. I thought I would get to see some of the market and festival, but so far the long arm classes have taken all my time. Pam Clarke and I (and all of our crew) did set up last Saturday and Sunday. The classes started Monday morning and I have been involved with the classes since then. I was able to attend the awards ceremony on Tuesday evening. It was absolutely the best. Sue McCarty won best of show and many other longarm quilters as well. Renea Haddidin won 2 awards for miniature and for wearables. I'm so proud of all the long arm quilters! My classes have been full to the brim and the students have been soooo wonderful. I have seen a few repeat students, but most of the students are brand new to me. I love new friends, so I'm thrilled. We have also talked to many new teachers about taping on thequiltingschool.com Everyone is excited about it and they want to tape early in the spring. It will be very fun. I'm exhausted tonight. I have 2 classes left to teach tomorrow and then I leave for home early Saturday morning. My energy level has stayed up much longer than I anticipated and my back hasn't hurt at all. I really think the West Clinic has been a successful alternative to back surgery for me. I am totally energized with quilting ideas. I can't wait to get home and implement them. I also have a show quilt waiting for me......... My 2 new show quilts are hanging in the Houston Show in the Swvorski display. They are absolutely gorgeous. Cheri did a beautiful job of putting the crystals on each quilt, including the backs.

 

Well, it has been quite a week getting ready for the classes in Houston.  My family (6 out of 10) all came down with the flu Sunday night except for me and my daughter, Tiffany.  Then Tiffany and I were sick starting Tuesday night. It is AWFUL stuff. Now the 5 year old and the baby (1 1/2) have strept throat as well.  I feel so fortunate that I was able to take care of everyone and still pretty much get packed before I got sick.  I think the flu shot must have helped some because I feel like I have recovered more quickly than those who opted NOT to get the shot.

  I'm excited for the classes next week and I feel like it will be a vacation for me. This will also be the first time as a judge for this show, so that will be interesting also.  I'm sure you can't please everyone and others will be so excited.

I have to leave at 4:30 in the morning to get my flight out of Jackson Hole, then Salt Lake to Dallas and finally Houston at 7pm.   It will be a very long day after an illness.

I made some new samples for my technical skills class today to show how important it is to stitch in the ditch. Can't wait to show my students.

This will be the first time I will be able to see my 2 new show quilts finished with all the crystals that Cheri Meineke-Johnson has been working on; please visit the Swavorski exhibit if you get to Houston!

Well, I don't know what got into me the last couple of days. I have a million things to do so I have been in my closet thinning it out. I have two huge bins of clothes that are really nice but I don't wear them anymore. Now I have to find someone close to give them away.  My husband says I am "nesting."  I noticed he has been out in the garage off and on for the last couple of days tinkering around. I wonder if this means it will be winter very very soon?  I know this - it really feels good to go in the closet and see some empty spaces. I was having to push the clothes apart to hang my clean clothes up, now I don't.  Hum, the laundry room looks a little cluttered........

You may be asking what happened to me after MQX-West. Well, I flew home on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon had a visit from Sue Patten on her way home from MQX.

 Steps and considerations in solving technical problems

(As seen in "Machine Quilting Unlimited")

   During the years I have provided technical support to sewing machine operators, there have been many topics that surface when solving problems. These can vary from thread quality to skipping stitches to proper machine lubrication. I spend many hours each week walking people through various troubleshooting areas to come to resolutions - sometimes over the phone and other times in person. I am excited to have the opportunity to reach many sewers and quilters with technical topics.  I plan to cover the nitty gritty details of specific problems for domestic and longarm machines. To begin, I will review a basic lesson, and possibly the most important. It takes patience to overcome any issue. In this article, I want to outline necessary steps to being ready for issues, things to do once a problem arises, and what can be done to maximize learning from the experience.

/Another wonderful day teaching at MQX. The students are so incredibly eager and humble. I absolutely love them. Today were 2 4-4hour hands on classes.. then I went to dinner with mu sister-in law, Valory Kennedy. We to to talk to quitle a few teachers at dinner. It was really fun, everyone is very hyped about the show
I think we are going to do a documentary on the supper quilt by Don Locke. It is time that story is told.
I think my sleeping pills is starting to work and I am very tired. Another day tomorrow starting at 5:30 am.
Good night.everyone.

Got up at 4am and left for the airport, arrived in Portland at 1:45 after a 3 hr layover in Denver. I have already seen so many of my friends and met new people. It is very exciting. The gammill hands-on room has 13 tables and 26 heads for one person per machine. First time ever that has happened since I had my retreat center in Texas, very cool. Got to get up early, for 8 am class and I really need sleep since I didn't sleep well last night at all. Good night everyone!

MQX is finally here!

No, I didn't go anywhere. I've been here all the time. There just isn't enough time in the day to do it all. I have been preparing for MQX classes. I am almost all packed and ready. I'm so excited; I have never been to Portland before although I usually only see the inside of the hotel or convention center where ever I travel. I finished up another "feathered bird" sample today. The students really love that class, although you really should be pretty familiar with feathers to take the class. I don't teach very many advanced classes because there are so many beginners. i think advanced students stop taking classes after a while. They get comfortable with what they are doing and don't feel the need to learn something new or they are so busy with their businesses that they don't have time to play anymore. I know how that feels.
I have also been preparing my samplers for the Houston Festival, which is in 3 weeks. I should have all my stuff sent off by Monday. I can't wait for that show either. After these shows, I am finished with shows for this year. I will do a lot of filming and quilting in Nov and Dec. and early spring. I have so many ideas that have never been filmed. I can't wait. I want to stop and smell the roses too. Sometimes I feel like I look too far ahead and miss what's right in front of me. I don't want to do that.
I am really enjoying my grandchildren living with me. Sometimes I just sit and rock the baby. What a high that is! She is growing up too fast. Now she is climbing on everything possible and says several words, including "granma" of course.
Last weekend we had quite a treat. I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and we had our semi-annual general conference. Our prophet announced that they would be building a temple right here in Star Valley, Wyoming! This means a lot to me. I love the peace I find in the temple. There is a special spirit there like no other. In a world where so many are trying to push God out of our hearts and minds, I'm glad to believe and know that God lives and loves us as individual sons and daughters of God. I feel so incredibly blessed to have a wonderful family and so many awesome friends.
Well, it's off to bed for me. I'm falling asleep at the computer. Just can't stay up as long as I used to although when I go to bed it still takes a while to fall asleep.

I got up this morning and the peaches were ripe, so canning took precedence over quilting today.

I arrived home safely from Texas and it has been very busy since. It was so awesome meeting new friends in San Antonio and seeing many of my long-time acquaintances in McKinney. The classes all went very well. There seems to be so much catching up after you have been gone for 8 days. Just the laundry alone is overwhelming.
Yesterday, I went to Dr. West at the West Clinic in Pocatello, ID. I got another ACT prolozone treatment on my back. Today I had very little pain. It was so neat because I got up and didn't even notice I was able to do all my chores and help can the peaches until about 10:30. It was then I thought, "Wow, my back doesn't hurt." Of course, by the end of the day, I can feel the little tinges of pain that tell me it's time to go to bed and rest. That's hard for me. I bet it's hard for most women. We could stay up all night and clean and organize and QUILT!!
Speaking of quilting, tomorrow I will finish the first couple of episodes to show in October for Linda's Longarm Quilting, then I will start on my samplers for teaching in Houston and zip on the next show quilt appliqued by Cheri Meineke-Johnson and get back to the quilting.
I have some new ideas to really show how important it is to stabilize in custom quilting. I can't wait to get my samplers finished. Cheri made me some little samples so I can show exactly what I am talking about.
I bought a little skirt made out of netting for my little grand=daughter, Tarralin, who is 18 months old. I put it on her and she twirled around. It was so cute. It was so "girly" we all just laughed. Children are such stress relievers for me. Of course, I can say that because I am the grandma!

I've been teaching for 3 days LEQ in McKinney, TX. I am really tired, but also very happy to be here. I love all my friends here in Texas! We had 5 half day hands-on classes and I also was the featured guest at their guild meeting, which was very fun. This is the guild that I started several years ago in this area and it is still going, although there have been several break-offs in different areas so the guilds can be closer to the Quilters in proximity. Now I will head home and finish one more show quilt (appliqued by Cheri Meineke-Johnson) and complete and send off all my Houston samplers before I go to Portland to MQX. My little grand daughter was baptized today as well and it was nice to be able to attend while I was here. I feel really exhausted and my legs are a bit swollen, so I am headed to bed now.

I feel like I have new friends in San Antonio. Those ladies were so excited about the classes today. I taught technical skills and feathers. Tomorrow I will be teaching my new stars class, which students have raved about. It has so many ideas that will work on nearly any quilt.

I'm in beautiful San Antonio. I left this morning at 5:30 am (not fun for me) and arrived at about 2 pm. Cathy Beasley (Cat's Meow Quilt Shop) picked us up and took us to her shop to prepare for the classes tomorrow. There will be a full house!

So got a message asking about troubles with digitizing with Adobe Illustrator. The message referenced my blog entry about that topic.

It's always so nice to get back home.

I'm still packing for Houston.

Well, it's finally finished!

Another 6 hours and I'm still not finished with the show quilt.

Test is over.