Spring has sprung..... It snowed today!

Well, like a good half of the country we're having crazy weather here in Idaho too.  Almost 70 degrees last week....snow flurries this morning.  My poor blooming plum trees are so confused.  So, I'm having my own burst of spring in my studio today preparing for this week's upcoming quilt show and thought I would share a couple of gorgeous springy quilts made by my favorite piecer Pat (you're all my favorites by the way).

First off is Pat's Wedding Ring Quilt which she made for herself.  A Judy Niemeyer pattern originally named "Flowers for my Wedding".  This quilt is paper pieced with a gorgeous applique vine loaded with flowers.
She has graciously allowed me to borrow it from her so that I may display it in my booth at the quilt show this weekend.  Be sure to drop by and see it in person.

I would love to wake up with this quilt on my bed every morning!

All of the vines and flowers were stitched in the ditch with clear thread.
The background fill was all freehand feathers and swirls.

Each melon and ring center had a custom feather motif quilted as a background fill.
The rings and center joints  and the sawtooth border were are stitched in the ditch with clear thread.

The 2nd quilt of Pat's that I wanted to share will be exhibited in the quilt show this weekend.  Hopefully you'll be able to come see it in person also!  

Pat's Garden Gate

The background hydrangea fabric is quilted with a digital round feather motif.....I thought it looked a bit like a flower.   I wanted the lattice to really look interlocking so freehand quilted a slat pattern in the lavender piecing and a feather in the blue piecing.  I was pretty happy with the results.

With a wide white border I had a lot of room to play!  I used several different digital feathered border patterns  then filled them in with freehand miniature bead board.  The overall look tied well with the lattice and gave the entire quilt a Victorian look that I was pleased with.  Pat was very pleased with the end result too!

Long view of the border

With a fairly plain back all of the quilting shows up nicely on the back!

Happy Wordwide Quilting Day!

Well, as the post says.....Happy Wordwide Quilting Day.  I'm home doing as I'm told (for once..) and quilting, quilting, quilting.  I know you haven't seen much of me lately.  That's because I'm working on a drop-dead gorgeous show quilt which should be done TONIGHT!!!  I'm so excited, and so is Joan who has been patiently waiting for it.  Soooo..........  stay tuned and we'll have more to share soon.

Joan's Sneek Peek

Home from HMQS!

Hi all!  Well, now that the dust is starting to settle I thought I would share a bit from my trip to the Home Machine Quilters Show (HMQS) in Salt Lake City last week.  It is a wonderful, vibrant growing regional show that is starting to attract a lot of competition from around the world.  Needless to say, competition is pretty stiff.  The Best of Show winner was "Harmony Within" by Sue McCarty.  This quilt is absolutely amazing.  It was done on a whole-cloth background with thread and a small amount of painting. 

"Harmony Within" HMQS Best of Show by Sue McCarty

There were many, many beautiful quilts and a large number of ribbons were given out.  You can see a list of the quilt award winners on the HMQS website

Imagine my delight to find that the 2 quilts I entered in the quilt competion both won "Teacher Award" Ribbons.  "Botanical Bliss" was pieced by Deana Steel and custom quilted by me.  Karen McTavish awarded us her "Teacher Award" ribbon.

"Botanical Bliss"

"Dancing Batiks" was a pieced and quilted by me.  It was made from a Judy Neimeyer paper pieced pattern and took me 2 years to complete.  I used some of my hand-dyed fabrics along with commercial batiks.  Superior Metallics and Rainbow threads were used in the main points and SoFine threads were used in the background fills.  Kimmy Brunner awarded her "Teachers Ribbon" to me.  This was very exciting, because just the night before she was awarded "Teacher of the Year".



"Dancing Batiks"



Detail of "Dancing Batiks"

McTavishing detail on "Dancing Batiks"

Detail of back of "Dancing Batiks" showing SoFine threads on sold black background.

I have to share another award winning quilt with you.  This beautiful "Lone Star" quilt was pieced and quilted by Joyce Carson.  Joyce pieced this at our last "Sew Much Fun" quilters retreat in Jerome here last February during Carmen Geddes Lone Star class!  She also embellished her quilt with Ricky Tims' applique using our GoCutter!  Joyce won 2nd place in the "Off The Bed" catagory.

Joyce Carson's Quiltsmart "Lone Star"

I love going to this particular quilt show in Salt Lake every year.  In addition to immersing yourself in the quilt world, I am able to challenge myself to actually finish something and get it entered into the show (usually).  But the best part is getting to work and visit with friends that you only see occasionally.  I worked in the A-1 Longarm Machine booth during the show for my friend Jen Alexander (she's my longarm dealer).

Jen demonstrating the A-1 Elite

Cara and Megan during a planning session

Megan answering questions

And the winner is...........

If you stopped by my booth at the quilt show this weekend and signed up for the drawing you were eligible for a FREE Edge to Edge quilting and Quilters Dream Batting (up to a queen size).  Our drawing winner is Nancy Bond of Twin Falls.  I'll be contacting her today to let her know!  Congratulations Nancy.

one end of my booth at this weekend's quilt show

Stay tuned as I will be having another drawing soon....... if you leave a comment on my blog AND become a follower during the next 7 days you will be eligible for a bundle of 8 - FAT Eighth Hand-Dyed Fabrics. 

My new "Desert Dyes" hand-dyed fabric Fat 8th Bundle