Second Guild in May

Then off to the Asheville Quilt Guild meeting. They alternate their meetings between evening and daytime at the Folk Art Center on the Parkway. Such a lovely facility to meet and greet quilters.
I was so impressed by the Show and Tell of Joyce Fong. Another wonderful Log Cabin quilt with feather quilting done on her home machine. Very impressive.

Last stop of the week was our very own Western North Carolina Quilters Guild here in Hendersonville.
The guest speaker was Barbara Webster with a fine presentation of the Quilt Trails. Please plan on visiting the Burnsville area and take the drives into the country. www.quilttrailswnc.org You will get caught up in the history, beauty and color of all the blocks on barns. What I especially like is how the designs are based on traditional blocks yet the introduction of new lines tie into a business or a families story to make each design so distinctive. Oh and do not miss the coconut cream pie at the Bakery!

A nice presentation at our guild with a rising student, Samantha Sherlin from West Hendersonville Hight School who sought our a guild member, Bridge O'Mally to work with for her senior project. She is shown with her original quilt designed and made by herself. We certainly need all the young people interested in fiber art today. Congrats, Samantha.

A Three Guild Week

What a week visiting three different guilds. The first, Mooresville Centerpiece Quilters Guild, north of Charlotte, NC gave me a chance to enjoy the meeting and then proceed to lecture and teach in the afternoon. They are preparing for their big quilt show July 27-28 at the Rocky River Elementary School. For further info contact: <barbkh04@yahoo.com> The group proudly displayed an amazing group of Linus quilts in their show and tell. Then, to my surprise, Suzanne Hollihan, displayed a wall hanging that her Mother made from one of my books. Shades of my past haunt me everywhere!

The neatest idea I have seen in a long time was this new contraption used for "Show and Tell". It is nothing but two poles with clamps attached at each end. Sure makes it easier to show those big quilts. The inventor, Jean Cagle, used to work with my husband years ago. Pretty clever, Jean.  I was proud to show one of my latest Log Cabin quilts with the updated device. Great day with the guild.

Asheville Quilt Show Teaser

It's almost done. Just the border and then I will be ready to enter Lottie's quilt into the Asheville Quilt Show coming this September. (Check out On the Road link of my NEW website) Just imagine that this quilt top was made by my great grandmother and will go to our first great grandchild. That will make it their great, great, great, great, great, great grandmother's quilt. Oh well, I just lost count. There is no hurry for this to happen. However what has made this great is that I have kept a journal of what is happening in our lives every time I have quilted. That goes with the quilt. See you at the show. Yes, I will be doing a demo on Sat AM of the show.

Crazy Patch ala Grid Grip, May 2012

It's just a red crazy patch pillow, but becomes special for a friend who lost her husband and wanted a silk fabric memory of his ties. He was in the military and designing with Grid Grip allows me to piece in his initials on the surface. Trust you can find the R G A.

Yard Tip of the Month, May 2012

Subject: Making walking paths in the woods. From my Master Gardener community garden work we learned that layers of newspaper, not the shiny ads, are great underneath chips and mulch to deter weeds. Even better, are cardboard boxes broken down. Note here I have been saving Oxmoor House boxes and they work great for winding paths. So...the more books I sell the longer the path!

Topiary Update, Flat Rock Playhouse

Part of my Master Gardener volunteer work involves working at the State Flat Rock Playhouse.
In an earlier blog I pictured the amazing metal skeleton that the set designer gentlemen made as a topiary depicting the theatre mascot, the Vagabond. Under the guidance of Tamsin Allpress we have finally completed stuffing the figures, which also include a Lassie dog and cat, Boots and Snodgrass. Do stop by and admire these as we wait for the greenery to grow and fill each one. Yes, there is an irrigation system inside each. Here are listed the various plants used just in case you plant to make your own topiary:

     Needlepoint ivy, euonymous fortunei, Vinca Bowles, Black mondo grass for the hair and moustache and creeping thyme with a pink flower for the face, naturally.

Back in the Quilt Built studio...

It's the Black & White challenge presented by the Souther Highland Craft Guild, of which I am a proud member. This exhibit opens September 8th so mark your calendars. I am working away with 60 degree diamonds as my focus. Yes, it will be some sort of Baby Block pattern but I am leading toward a more modern approach. Working with the equilateral Grid Grip makes it a lot easier for designing, cutting and stitching. Stay tuned to see my results.
When in Asheville, do stop by the Folk Art Center <www.craftguild.org> for viewing of the latest exhibit plus shopping in the wonderful store.

Spring, 2012 Nature at it's best....

Nature at it's best when the tulip poplar blossoms scatter the ground each spring. Then the worse in nature when on April 18th, 3:29 am a thunder storm brought down our tallest tulip poplar tree. It exploded in many parts with huge limbs in every direction. Thankfully not in our bedroom which was just feet away.

We are still cleaning up debris.

Western Dinner, 2012

I just had to brag on my table setting for a recent western dinner party. Yes, those are daffodils in Pete's cowboy boots. Got the idea from Kelly at The Nine Quarter Circle Ranch. Come west with us this fall and learn more ideas at the ranch. Charlotte Warr Andersen is the co-teacher and we have a great project lined up celebrating the 100th year of the ranch. Check out the details on the On The Road link of my web site.

Retreat Report, 2012, Log Cabins

Connie made a straight furrows setting for her Log Cabin. Below are just a few of the years results from our class. Never underestimate the Log Cabin pattern.
Well, Lee takes the prize completing two Log Cabin quilts in a year. Old fashioned pastel prints set off each block in a very subtle arrangement. Great border, Lee!

Yes, It takes a year to see the results. At last years retreat the theme was Log Cabin. Every imaginable setting really shows off the graphic display of this traditional pattern. Lee was able to show off a star pattern set inside a Barn raising style in the quilt shown above.
Lorraine called this setting: Book Ends

Early Spring, 2012

Just finished a smaller version of The Real Trip Around the World quilt. Great way to use up those blacks, grays and splashes of color. I call this a 3 bobbin quilt as there is lots of stitching.

I used some printed check fabric from Africa for the border. There is an inscription on the top that reads, "Kama Si Wewe Ninani?" Wonder what that says?

Vagabond Topiary-"The Before", 2012 Winter

Part of my Master Gardener volunteer work is working at the NC State Flat Rock Playhouse.

We are creating a vagabond topiary and learning as we go. First step is making the form that will 

hold the needlepoint ivy which will grow all over the figure, eventually. Once the form is built we

have situated rubber water hoses inside the figure so there will be a little sprinkling system 

over his head. Stay tuned as we stuff the figure for the next step. 

 

 

JC Campbell Folk School 2011 (Set Two)

Show and Tell for my Scrap Soup class this fall. What an array of colors and a variety of fabrics. Wow, did they stitch away. Twelve great students. Next year I teach in October using my new equilateral grid paper to create mountains. Check it out at www.folkschool.org.

Such a unique selection of classes for the week. Imagine the great book made from a triscuit box.

Another class using leftovers makes an amazing sign.

The new Blacksmith studio is awesome. We enjoyed a special demo here.

The railings and banisters are a sampler of opportunities. The selection is never ending.

More from up above. This new studio is state of the art and so inviting.

JC Campbell Folk School 2011 (Set One)

I Sing Behind The Plow & My Bernina

The setting: My JC Campbell Folk School fall class, Brasstown, NC  The project: Scrap Soup 

Nancy loved her special fabric but could not cut it apart. It took a lot of arm twisting to convince her that it would make a great border.

Nancy's quilt in progress. Note the diagonal scrap soup collection of colors. More of the print will frame the quilt

Waynette's array of orange, aqua and lavender just stole the show. The class room is the greatest with our own design wall, separate tables and pull down machine outlets. Ready, set, sew! 

Becky's quilt featured the light diamonds with a scrappy background. It really works.

Nancy really mixed it up with these offbeat colors and prints.

Vivki's quilt top is truly scraps with a dark background and white accent built in border

 

A touch of americana and so precise.  More to come.

Fall, 2011, Germany

Sure enough, found a quilter in Garmisch. Marion Caspers is responsible for initiating the Alpine Quilters in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. She has lived in the USA and now brings her skills to the area. They were having their quilt show the week after I left so she was really busy but kind enough to welcome me to her studio. I felt right at home in her awesome work room. A project in every corner with a lovely view outside. She has created a technique of layering knit fabric, ala T shirts, that are then painted with hand sewn motifs. Very clever and pretty.

 

A wall hanging of Marion's depicting her various designs and styles.

 

A better view of her T shirts. 

This apple strudel was well worth the strenuous 2 hour hike. 

 

We made it to the top of the Zugspitze, the highest peak in Germany. (2,962 meters) All it took was train, cable car, and gondola. 

 

Imagine the snow and it was October--last years snow!

 

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Fall, 2011, Danube River Cruise

From our river ship I got to cycle one day and was overwhelmed with the grafiti or "wall art" on any blank space. I have since heard that some areas are rented or bought in order to express yourself with paint. Great opportunity if you live in Europe--open a spray paint store!

 

Some so called art even appears to be from children? Maybe teachers encourage this, who knows?

 

I spent the morning at the Albertina museum and realized after I took the picture that the risers of the stairs depict Monet's lily pond. Pretty clever.

 

Vienna 

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Fall, 2011, The Danube and Germany

The start of a trip of a lifetime. Left quilting behind, but had lots of inspiration, beautiful weather and wonderful food. Departing on the Amadolce from Budapest.

As my Mother's needlepoint framed picture says, "I'm So Glad I'm Back, I'm Happy I Went"

Hexagons have never looked like this before here on the Mathias Church in the Fisherman's Bastion. 

Grandmother's Flower Garden just glows in the sunshine on another part of the same Mathias Church.

Down River the Museum on the banks of the Danube in Linz, Austria is night time lights. An amazing building with a rectangular opening in the middle part.

It is a glass building with over 3000 printings of the name muesum on the exterior. Oh, if only I could have spent the day here. More to see up river. 

Probably the finest fabric shop I have even seen in the heart of Garmisch, Partenkirchen, Germany. The name is Grasegger and there is no web site. No problem you could not afford the fabric anyway. However, they should charge just to feel the fine cottons, linens, and thin wools. All for making authentic dirndls. I went back twice and finally found a remnant underneath a table for a blouse.

 

Upstairs at Grasegger in the men's department they gave me permission to take this picture. Stacking wood is the big thing in Gernany as many still use it for heat.

 

Sure enough, spotted this in a window while on a morning hike.  Will continue this post as there is more to share.

 

 

 

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