Various & Sundry Wednesday

Janome

One of the great things about being a fan of Janome on FB is that they interact with their fans. I love that. I love it that they actually answer questions. Periodically I have a question about a foot or something. If I post it on their wall, they get back to me/the other fans quickly. So much better than email! It is wonderful.

I am preparing for a class this weekend with Dale Fleming. The supply list has some odd things on it and I have been working on collecting them. Good thing I started early. One of the things on the supply list is a zipper foot. I have a zipper foot for my Janome 9K. It is, however, a heavy machine to take to class and I was hoping to be able to take my Jem Gold to class instead. The Jem does not have as many capabilities, but it sews great and is much lighter. I didn’t think my question through very well, so they didn’t have enough information to answer my question exactly, but they did point me to a GREAT blog post about putting in a zipper. The Dale Fleming class isn’t about putting in zippers, but I can still use this information.

I tried the zipper foot on my Jem and it doesn’t work, so I will be hauling the big machine to the class.

Later, Janome posted a sewing machine cover project. They actually tell you how to make the cover fit your sewing machine rather than giving a pattern for one size. I have been using a plastic bag and I am definitely going to make one of these covers.  I know not all of you have a Janome, but you can certainly use the projects they post and the information they offer with your own tools and supplies.

Giveaway

Did you sign up for the giveaway? C’mon, you know you want that silk. You can do it. I don’t mind taking your one last braincell to sign up for the giveaway after the fight you broke up between the kids, the dog running away, dinner not ready when you got home, that lost thing at work you just had to stay behind and find. I really don’t mind. Check out that blog post, leave a comment here and JUST DO IT!

Podcasts

BryeLynn over at Sew~Stitch~Create found 3 new podcasts:

Around the Web

Sew Mama Sew posted an interview with Denyse Schmidt on her blog. They talk about her workshops and a new book coming out. There are really nice descriptions of her various workshops offerings and some nice photos to illustrate the various points in the interview.

An additional interview was posted with Nancy Crow on the Quilting Arts website. A lot of the answers really talk about the creative process, space and how it impacts production of quilts.

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned the Happy Zombie blog. I went back there yesterday looking for the post about the New Wave quilt to show my mom and stumbled on to her enthusiastic and excited post about her new fabric line from Lecien. One of the things she showed was a color card. I clicked on the link because there were LOTS of dots and I cannot resist dots. Lecien has a great selection of dots on their site.

I was pleased to see a link to my blog on the blog A Stitch in Time. One of the things that interested me were Carol’s digital photography lessons. In the post that I read, she talks about and shows a lot of examples of light. Remember when I went to the scrapbook day and talked about the video I saw on improving digital photography?

Mark Lipinski posted that he needs a kidney transplant on his blog earlier this week! It made me think about a lot of things. One of the thoughts was about how much we don’t know about people out in cyberland.

Rice Zachery-Freeman (Freeman-Zachery??) of Voodoo Lounge and Creative Time & Space (this book is in the AQ Bookstore, so if you want to buy it, it is just an easy click away!) fame and podcast had a really interesting post about an quilt project author who wrote a magazine article. In the article the author claimed that, according to Rice, the most interesting part of the article was a “trade secret.” Not only was the post interesting, but the comments brought all sorts of other issues surrounding writing. One issue was should craftpeople write for free? My favorite was is everyone who claims to be an artist an artist? Another issue was whether the editor should have worked more with the author on that “trade secret”.

I am not saying what is right or what is wrong, but I like it when people call writers and editors on things that the reader may not find right.  I am not advocating violence or antagonism, but a good, healthy, respectful debate.

As I said, I am not sure if I know the article in question, but what struck me was the sentence (FYI: third hand via Rice) “it is a trade secret.” While I am not a lawyer, I do work with a bunch of lawyers and I see what it takes to deal with the law. Time and money, first and foremost. I don’t like it when people throw around legal terms, which seems all to prevalent in the craft/quilt world these days. Everyone is entitled to their copyright. Still, there are rules about how people can write about your copyrighted materials. Everyone is entitled to trademark their logo or design. You have to do the work, though; you can’t just say that you have trademarked something. It takes a lot of research, effort and some cash (or credit, as the case may be). Trade secrets are whole different ball of wax. I don’t work with lawyers that ask me much about trade secrets, but I am pretty sure you can’t just say that some process you have thought up is a trade secret.

Anyway, check out Rice’s blog post about this issue. I am sure she would love to know what YOU think.

Life on the Edge

I am looking for a nice pattern for a walker bag. My granny, who we are now calling Super G, fell over the weekend and now has to walk with a walker. I think a walker bag would be handy and make it look pretty. I haven’t trolled the web, but will. If any of you have found a good pattern for a walker bag, please leave a comment and let me know.

Have a great day!

Odds and Ends Thursday

It turns out that I love these Various and Sundry and Odds and Ends posts! I can collect a bunch of stuff I find interesting and then post it here for your enjoyment. The last one I wrote got a lot of interesting comments. Thanks, everyone!

Searching

I read a blog called ResearchBuzz for my job. I often find interesting tidbits that allow me to find more quiltmaking resources on the web. I also find that testing using quilt terminology is a lot more interesting that my work subject matter!

Recently, ResearchBuzz talked about the reorganization of photos and graphics at the Library of Congress. She writes “Oh wow, I was SO glad to see this article in the Library of Congress Blog yesterday. The LOC has an incredible archive of prints and photographs (over 1.25 million!), the but nav for them has always been icko. The blog announced a new version of the Prints and Photographs Online Catalog, now available at http://www.loc.gov/pictures/.”

Of course, I did a quilt search and came up with some interesting photos. On the first page, there were a few from Gee’s Bend, one of Calvin Coolidge’s shoes, bathrobe and quilt! I noticed a number of the photos were taken by Dorothea Lange.

Fame and Fortune?

I mentioned that my blog was mentioned by Linda Poole on Pat Sloan‘s podcast. That was right after I received two books from Lark Books, so I was feeling pretty high on the hog. Today I was listening to the Sew~Stitch~Create podcast (#41, if you care) and BryeLynn mentions that she heard about me on Pat Sloan’s podcasts. She raves about my website and mentions the blog TWICE!!! I need to redo the website and am slowly (like a snail, actually) working on that. I thought it was really nice that she liked my quilts. Also, she thinks that Pat Sloan should interview me! I laughed at that, but am also very flattered. I am not a fabric designer and I only teach beginners at work. The plans I have are still plans, so I am not sure what Pat would ask me. She did talk about using the Creative Prompt Project for writing prompts for her daughter, which I think is awesome! What a great use of available resources. I can’t wait to see what her daughter comes up with! Finally, Brye thinks I should start my own podcast. We all know that is not going to happen. I like you thinking of me in one of those cute 1940s style suits with a smoky voice and would hate to ruin that illusion. 😉

On the Web

Have you looked at the Quilt Index lately? I am friends with them on FB and get a notice of their Quilt of the Day. I liked this quilt, Thomas Sykes Album quilt, that showed up last Thursday as their Quilt of the Day. they have new functionality where you can zoom in on quilt. They also put as much information as possible into the record associated with the quilt. I like to read that and think about the people making the quilt. Meg Cox, the new president, was on Pat Sloan’s podcast recently and discussed the project and programs. I’d love to have my quilts included!

Spiderwebs seem to be popular again. Oh Fransson has put up a small quiltlet with 4 Spiderweb blocks in it. She has such a wonderful sense of color. While her choices aren’t my style, I do like the combination. I have had in the back of my mind that should finish mine this year. Cross your fingers.

Jen of Quiltin’ Jenny is a new reader and one of those who commented on my Various and Sundry Thursday post from April 1. I went to take a look at her blog a few days ago and found that she does something called Wordless Wednesdays. One of the things I love about the web is that people are so clever and I get to see their cleverness. WW is a photo that she puts up with no words. I might try that instead of my Inspiration [insert day of the week here], except that then I would be stuck with only posting inspiration on Wednesdays. Hhhmm. Perhaps I will leave that great idea to Jen!

I went back a few days ago to see what was up and found that she had just finished a DENIM quilt. I am not a big fan of denim since I made the denim bag for my stepdad for Christmas (my mom calls it his man-purse!) and broke two needles in the process. I also don’t own jeans that I wear. I have a pair that I love, but they don’t fit anymore. 🙁

The other cool thing that I found is that I WON A PRIZE. WOW! I can’t believe it. Go take a look at Jen’s blog!

Reviews

Lark Books gets kudos for updating their Pretty Little Mini Quilts record on Goodreads to include a photo of the book. I use Goodreads to post reviews here, because it kills two birds with one stone and makes the reviews attractive.

I had emailed the lark Books people about the photo when I notified them about posting the review and never heard anything. I went last week to update my review with a photo. Having that big “photo not available” was unattractive and had been bothering me, so I finally went to do it. On a whim I checked to see if Goodreads had received a photo before I did the HTML work on my own and voila! they had received one from Lark Books. The update when much faster than I had anticipated.

Fabric Doing Good

Here is my excuse to finally try out making a pillowcase. I have been thinking about it for a long time and just never get around to it. American Patchwork and Quilting and AllPeopleQuilt.com have launched a project to donate 1 million pillowcases to a variety of causes supporting cancer patients, foster kids, domestic violence victims and nursing home residents. Jean at the Quilted Cupcake blog and podcast asked all of her listeners to make 5. She had a good reminder and that was that boy themed projects are less common than cutesy pie girl projects. I will commit to making one boy pillowcase and see how it goes. I was rummaging around in the bins in the back of the fabric closet on Monday and found a couple of large pieces of fabric that would work well, so I am all set.

You can download instructions to make a pillowcase embellished with leaves from their site.

Making

The members of one of the guild meetings I attend exchange ATCs. We invited some new folks one time and a few of them did not know what ATCs were. I found this guide on how to make them, which gives the basics.

Industry News?

Need some textile industry news? Want to know what is going on in Congress? Textile World is your place to go! Someone who I know from a work related endeavor who is not crafty or quilty sent this to me. The fun thing I saw when I looked at it yesterday was that the town I lived in in Austria is having some kind of textile industry event.

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Mother's Day Quilter's Gift Guide

Aprons Doing Good

Apron Front
Apron Front

Jennifer at CraftSanity is running in a race for charity in May. She is part of a special training group called the Road Warriors. The Road Warrior team members get training mentors, have a blog and train together. She has been paired with a domestic violence shelter. In order to be part of the Road Warrior team, she needs to raise a certain amount of money for a charity. Instead of going door to door to gather donations, Jenifer is organizing an apron exhibit. To do that she needs aprons. I decided to make and send her one.

Apron Right (Tarty view)
Apron Right (Tarty view)

I had listened to the Patchwork and Pacifiers podcast just before listening to Jennifer’s newest CraftSanity podcast that mentioned the apron contest. The P&P podcast is one to which I just started to listen. On that day, I heard Jennifer Ruvalcaba (P&: host) briefly mention a petal skirt her daughter had. Then, when Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood (too many Jennifers doing podcasts??) mentioned the apron contest an image formed in my mind.  Then, I was looking the One Yard Wonders book. That combined with the various other sensory inputs and I was off and running.

The Kitschy Kitchen Apron from One Yard Wonders was a big help with sizing and length of the straps. I had a good time working on it as well, though I found it to be quite a solitary endeavor.

Apron Front (Supermodel view)
Apron Front (Supermodel view)

One of the requirements of the exhibit is to add a piece of tie fabric to the apron. I wanted to put a flower made from the tie fabric on the apron, so I had to go and find a pattern, which, through the power of the ‘craft’ web, I was able to do quite easily. I found a site, Tip Junkie, which had a number of different patterns. I ended up using Pink Paper Peppermints Rounded Petal Fabric Flower pattern to make my flower. The tie fabric frayed quite a bit, so it wasn’t a particularly fun process, but I learned how to make fabric flowers. I could have used Fray Check, but I was afraid it would stain the fabric.

Apron Side
Apron Side

I spent most of the weekend working on the apron. I had actually been thinking about making one for awhile for no particular reason.. This was the perfect opportunity. It isn’t a quilt, but it may have gotten that particular wish out of my system.

I didn’t take pictures of all the steps. It just didn’t seem right. I feel good making the things I have for charity lately. I feel like I am doing some good in some small way. I hope you will join in and send an apron to Jennifer at CraftSanity as well. If you can’t make an apron read the post to find out other ways to help.

Apron Bow
Apron Bow

Quilt Clubs

I have noticed a lot of, for lack of a better term, quilt clubs popping up. I joined one so that I could watch the Quilt Out Loud videos with Mark Lipinski. Then I didn’t watch many and then he left the show. Now he is back and I can’t login. Oh well.

I noticed this one from All People Quilt today. There are couple of things I noticed:
1. The “value” is always higher than the cost.
2. I don’t know what the cost is by looking at one page.
3. I don’t know if this is the same club as the one I already joined.
4. I am not really excited about receiving a HARDCOVER pattern book. As a librarian, I am just not impressed with hardcover books anymore. They have the same info as softcovers, but they do stand up on the shelves better. However, if you have your quilt books packed tightly on the shelves, the softcovers stand up just fine!
5. In general, I am not sure if I want the benefits the club is offering.

I do like Quilts & More. They often have a good tote bag pattern and bright colors in their magazine. Frankly, after my book bonanza from Christmas and my birthday, I think I may be on quilt information overload. The Leaning Tower of Book Pisa is threatening to injure a small child or kill a small pet. Something has to be done, but I cannot catalog this behemouth, because my quilt book catalog database is locked into a dead laptop

clipped from www.iamplify.com

blog it

More Odds and Ends

Judy Martin Video

I really like Judy Martin and always have. I especially love her block books, but they are old and she doesn’t seem to be publishing those types of books anymore. I love block books, but think I am in the minority. I kind of wish she wouldn’t rush out her books, but she does have to make a living, so I do understand why she seems to produce a book a year. She has finally reached the YouTube age with a new video.

The video talks about how to rotary cut odd shapes, specifically the kite shape for her Kyoto Garden quilt from the new book she just published called Stellar Quilts. I have long wanted to take a class with Judy Martin and this is a great start. The video is filled with good information and I really learned something. It is about 5 minutes long and I recommend it.

Podcasts

As I have mentioned, I really like podcasts. I listened to two episodes from Notes from the Voodoo Lounge recently that I thought were really good. One was an interview with Deborah Rapaport, who talks about style. She talks about wearing things that make you feel good and is adamant that sweats do not make you feel good. She does not talk in a way that made me feel like a loser. She talks in terms of transformation using baby steps and she talks about all of this regardless of a person’s size. I have been thinking of changing my wardrobe and my style, especially since all of my clothes are wearing out (great timing!). Perhaps I will take this podcast as a kick in the pants to go to the thrift store and see what I can find?

I also really liked Rice’s podcast with Diana Trout. I have never heard of her, but I liked the fact that she talked about her workroom being a pit until recently. It was a good reminder that things take time.

Paper Craft

My sister loves scrapbooking and paper crafts.  She does really amazing work. She also has all the toys and has brought them with her while she is up here working. I have had a piece on my mind which was inspired by a piece by Dana Barbieri. I want to make a piece like this to start the process of transforming my workroom into an inspirational space.


CREATE

Originally uploaded by dana.barbieri

My sister has a machine called a Cricut, which I plan to use to cut the letters. Then I will put them on other paper for the background and frame it. I may use bits of wood or foam to make the letters stand out from the background paper. I haven’t decided. Dana used fabric in her piece and I am not sure I will. I’ll have to play around. I am getting closer to execution. My next task is to pick the papers I want to use. You can be sure they will be bright!

Classes

I signed up for an EBHQ class in April. It is with Dale Fleming and s/he will be teaching a class called 6 minute circles. I have had a circle quilt on my mind and thought this might be a good jumpstart. There are a lot of odd things on the supply list that I need to start collecting. I am glad I have time.

Mark Lipinski’s Big News

I have heard rumors about what happened between the publisher of Mark’s old magazine (now run by Jake and Melissa) and Mark (bankruptcy, creative differences, the usual). Now he has landed on his feet and announces his new partnership with All American Craft. I have never heard of them, but they must have enough confidence in his star power, because he will be heading up 3, yes THREE, magazines not just one. Good luck, Mark!

Help Ricky Tims Find Bohemian Rhapsody

Update: Bohemian Rhapsody is found, apparently thanks to the outcry and connections of quiltmakers! Nice work, everyone!
I am not a member of the Quilt Show and I know only peripherally about Ricky Tims and Alex Anderson (don’t dislike them, BTW). I am, however, generally annoyed with airlines and air travel and United Airlines in particular.

I heard from Douglas Eagleson of Kona Bay that Ricky lost his Bohemian Rhapsody quilt due to UA baggage error. It is described in Ricky’s blog post. United Airlines policy about customer service seems to be non existent.

I was going to tell Ricky to have his local TV station get on board and do an investigation, but I am prevented from leaving a comment on his blog since I am not a member. I could join, but am just too lazy.

One of Libby Lehman’s quilts was in the bag as well. I think that United has a fee per bag, so it makes me wonder what passengers are paying for if not to keep their bags secure.

Keep your eye out. it may show up online

clipped from www.thequiltshow.com

Is Bohemian Rhapsody Lost Forever?
February 22, 2010

2539_bohemian_rhapsodyfull.jpg
I have returned from the most fantastic trip to Dubai only to have the joy and excitement overshadowed by the fact that United Airlines has lost one of my bags. What was inside? Along with the unique and wonderful items I obtained in Dubai was my quilt, Bohemian Rhapsody.
blog it

One World One Heart Winner

Photo

OK, girls and boys, I am here to announce the winner of the one World One Heart blog go round/ blog project/ whatever it is called.

First, my goal was to get new blog readers, so I hope some of you will stick around and join our little community here.

Second, I appreciate everyone who actually took a look at my blog and followed the requests that I had about entering .  I really wanted to know where everyone was coming from.

Finally, I also really liked it when people said something about my posts or a post. I was tempted to toss those who didn’t follow the directions out of the drawing. However, I was persuaded otherwise and everyone stayed in.


TA DA!!! The Winner is:

Bonnie

from

Southern Style blog

http://nanbon44.blogspot.com/

You can also make your own Over the top bag. The pattern is from All People Quilt. You can read about my bag in my August 26th post. Lisa put up a list of all the OWOH participants in alphabetical order. Great list if you are looking for some blogs to read!

Cupcakes, Mark is BACK!

I just read the following on Mark’s blog, which is wonderful news IMO. I have a whole bunch of notices to watch the QOL videos in my email and I just wasn’t enthusiastic about watching them without him. I will, of course, just not sure when. Better get on that, huh?

Go to his blog and leave a comment there if you are so inclined.

clipped from marklipinskisblog.wordpress.com

Quilt Out Loud-er . . .

Well, cupcakes, after a brief negotiation and a fair resolve, I’m going back to QNNtv.com and Quilt Out Loud for 12 additional, NEW episodes!
blog it

One World One Heart Update

Photo

On Monday, per the game directions, I posted about participating in the One World One Heart blog project. I have never done anything like it and have found it to be interesting. I haven’t had much of a chance to look at the other blogs, sadly, though I have looked at a few.

I am madly approving comments from people that come to visit. Most visitors just leave a quick comment, but the ones who take the time to tell me where they are coming from make it really interesting for me. Visitors have come from such places as:

Finland (2 visitors, I think!)

Moldova (had to look that one up)

Germany

France (the person was Dutch, but living in France- cool!)

Australia

a few of my friends

Many, many from the US

  • Idaho
  • Wine Country, California
  • San Jose
  • Santa Barbara
  • Central New York
  • Nashville, Tenn (she must be best friends with Anna Maria Horner, right? 😉   )
  • Massachusetts
  • Berkeley
  • Buffalo, NY
  • Spokane, Washington
  • Arizona Texan (living in AZ, but from TX  via MN)
  • Pennsylvania
  • Illinois
  • etc

I am so glad people have had the opportunity to stop by. I hope some stay around and join in the fun!

One World One Heart

Photo

Update: 2/15/2010: The contest is closed! Thanks for reading. Check the 2/16/2010 post for the winner! Thanks for playing and come  back and read the blog!

Welcome, new readers and well known readers, to Artquiltmaker.com. We are participating in One World One Heart, a fun way to get to know new blogs and win prizes! Lisa created this event in 2007. “The original idea behind this giveaway event was to bring bloggers together from around the world who may never ordinarily meet. It closes the gap of the blog community and enables us to interact, discover new and wonderful people, and in the process possibly win a prize or many prizes along the way”, as she says on her blog.

Artquiltmaker Blog is a way for me to share what I am working on with other creative people. I like the idea of this blog being a magazine type information source, so I try to vary the content to include commentary on works in progress, book reviews, media reviews (such as podcasts), Quilt World News, etc. Sometimes I venture outside of quiltmaking to appreciate other artists, different crafts and and report on different events and exhibits I attend. Every week, I put up a creative prompt as a way to spark inspiration and creativity in the Artquiltmaker.com community. You can find more information about the creative prompt on the AQ CPP Inspiration page. In the future I would like to include tutorials as well. It is on the list!

At this time there is no money making venture associated with Artquiltmaker. I write in this space because I enjoy writing, love quiltmaking and want to share my creative journey. My hope is that Artquiltmaker.com and Artquiltmaker blog will inspire you to be creative and expand your creative horizons.

As part of the One World One Heart Project, I will be giving away at least one prize.

Batik Handbag
Batik Handbag

This is a batik handbag that I made in August, which I will give away to one lucky winner. Depending on the response, I may also give away other prizes. If possible to add prizes, I will update THIS post with other prizes before the deadline. Your comment must be in the comment section of this post. How to enter and things to know about my giveaway:

  1. Leave a comment in the comment section of THIS post on this blog (e.g. NOT on FB or FriendFeed or a reply on Twitter). I would love it if you would comment on something I wrote about on the blog, but any comment will enter you in the drawing. I review all the comments and any spam comments will be deleted and not count as part of the drawing.
  2. It is not a requirement, but I would love to know where you are from and whether this is your first visit to Artquiltmaker blog.
  3. One comment on THIS post will enter you in the drawing for all the prizes I may post. (As of 1/25, I have one prize posted, but hope to post more.)
  4. The cutoff time for comments is 6pm PST, February 14. The time stamp on my blog’s comment area will be the official timer. That means that if your comment’s time stamp says 5:59pm, you are in.
  5. Please leave your blog address, if you have one, in the comments area.
  6. To choose the winner, I will put names in a bowl and pick one out.
  7. Make sure that the email you provide when you leave the comment is valid as I will email you for the address to which you want your prize shipped. Please DO NOT leave your snail mail address in your comment. Let’s all be safe!
  8. I will announce the winner in the February 15 blog post. Sometime on 2/15 or 2/16, I will email the winners for their snail mail address. I am happy to mail internationally.
  9. You don’t have to be participating in One World, One Heart to win.
  10. I am a OWOH newbie. If I find any issues with the rules, I reserve the right to alter what I have written above.

NOTE: I have to be able to tell that your comment is not spam.

There is a lot to look at here at Artquiltmaker blog. Once you have taken your magic carpet ride, I would love it if you would come back and become part of the Artquiltmaker community.

Have a blast!

1/26/2010 Update: ArtQuiltmaker.com Blog is #472 on Lisa’s list! Thanks to Lisa for coordinating this project. Leave her a message saying thanks, if you have a chance.

Update on Margaret’s Hope Chest

Some weeks ago, I mentioned a group in Michigan called Margaret’s Hope Chest. They decided to help another organization by collecting quilts to add to the Christmas baskets of toys and books destined for homeless children. These children are all associated with the Grand Rapids School District in some way.

I would go and look at the counter on their blog periodically to see if they were going to make their goal. I have to admit that I was distressed to see that they were not receiving as many quilts as they needed. I took a look at their blog the other day to get an update and am pleased to report that they MET and EXCEEDED their goal!!!! Hooray!

Margaret’s Hope Chest had a goal of collecting 400 quilts for the children. They received 500. I am so thrilled!

Thanks to all of you, dear readers, who contributed to this effort. I know some of you did.

Somehow this project tugged at my heartstrings. I have been thinking about charity quilts lately and whether to have a goal of making some in 2010. I made one for someone affected by Hurricane Katrina called Slash Stars. I haven’t ever done much other charity quilting. Definitely something to think about.

Quilt for a Cause

I heard the most recent CraftSanity podcast, which included an interview with the Directors of Margaret’s Hope Chest, a Grand Rapids Michigan nonprofit that provides quilts to people in need. Their mission is: “Our mission at Margaret’s Hope Chest is to bring hope, comfort, and warmth to persons enduring hopeless situations in the Grand Rapids area through the gift of a beautifully crafted quilt.”

They have committed to providing a quilt for each homeless child in Grand Rapids for Christmas, which will be given along with a toy and a book. The organization that provides support for homeless children already has the toys and books. This means that Margaret’s Hope Chest has committed to providing at least 400 quilts!

They need help. I am providing some free ‘advertising’ for them, because I think their reason for being is really great. You can hear the whole story on the CraftSanity podcast, but the short version is that they created Margaret’s Hope Chest as positive way to deal with the grief over the death their mother / grandmother. She died of wounds inflicted when someone tried to snatch her purse.

The organization needs quilts and tops to arrive by November 15. If you have a quilt or top you are willing to send for a homeless child ages 0-17, or you are willing to make one, please send all donated quilts to:

Margaret’s Hope Chest
630 Griswold SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49507

For further information feel free to call or e-mail:

Carin Vogelzang
(616) 855-2862
margaretshopechest@yahoo.com

One thing they pointed out is they need quilts for male teenagers as well as little girls who love pink. Think of a child for whom you would like to make a quilt and make that quilt.

The quilt can be made from any pattern that involves squares.
I know this organization is probably not in your area, so if you want to do something, but want it to be local, send something to a local charity. They can always use a quilt or a crochet afghan or a knitted scarf.

Thank you!
clipped from craftsanity.com

Quilting for a cause

Calling all quilters! Margaret’s Hope Chest, a Grand Rapids-based quilt charity, needs your help to make 400 quilts to give homeless children living in shelters over the Christmas holiday.
Today my art & craft column is about Carin Vogelzang, and her mother, Carol Peters, the women who turned a family tragedy into an inspiring cause. Carin, of Toronto, and her mother, Carol, of Grand Rapids, co-founded the quilt charity Margaret’s Hope Chest in honor of Peters’ mom, Margaret Herrema, who died after she was critically injured during a purse-snatching in 2005. They have given away 102 quilts since founding the charity in Margaret’s name in 2007. Read the story of how Carin and Carol are giving people hope one quilt at a time.
blog it

The World Steppin’ Out in Quiltmaking Style

I recently listened a podcast (CraftSanity or Annie Smith, can’t remember which) where the hostess interviewed the Lizzie B Cre8tive girls about their new book, Whimsyland. I am not much of a pattern person, so Lizzie B Cre8tive patterns never really registered on my radar until I heard them on podcasts. Also, the whole applique’ thing is love-hate with me, though you wouldn’t know it since I have been working on the Tarts for months

Anyway, I received an email from Liz and Beth about the fun tour that their editor, Kent, is doing of Europe that sent me to their blog. I laughed so hard when I saw these pictures that I just had to share. Take a look.

clipped from www.lizziebcre8ive.com

trevi_fountion

pope
clipped from www.lizziebcre8ive.com

barack-obama-reading1

obama_and_the_queen3
blog it

Diana Leone Quilt Collection Sale

For those of you in the San Francisco Bay Area…

Friday October 17th 11-8
Saturday October 18 10 -7
Eddie’s Quilting Bee
480 S. Mathilda Ave
Sunnyvale, 94986
1 888 784 5837
http://www.dianaleone.com
Diana Leone presents her lifetime collection of quilts
350++Quilt,s 100’s of items from her eclectic collections.
Antique Quilts, 1840-1970 Amish, African American, Doll/Baby quilts, Textiles, Many of Diana’s personal items, Blocks, cutters, thimbles, doo-dads & 14k Gold Sewing charm & 3-4 mint Singer Featherweights, Great Prices, collectors & everyone will find a treasure:
View the 1847 chintz, appliques, Canadian Amish, 1700’s Palampore, etc. valued at $7-$12k++ each.
Tickets to own Diana’s quilts, all proceeds gifted to our local Quilt Museum, AQMRA.(not a donation)

All from Diana’s collections! Pre-sale and Meet Diana

Auction of 2 $12,000 quilts from 1847 for Serious buyers/collectors.

This will be the last public sale of Diana’s collection of antique quilts, tops, linens, and Singer Feather Weight sewing machines. Many other items will be for sale including Diana’s newest Painted Art Quilts and Giclees.

Contact Diana at info@dianaleone.com for more information, to preview quilts and art and reserve your purchases.