Annemarie's Anecdotes

New Website...changes!

2011-10-11T20:04:00.000-07:00

This is the time of year for changes. I am sitting in my family room thinking, no juggling all of my thoughts. That is a difficult feat at the moment because the roofers are pounding so much I can hardly stand it.

It is October and that means pumpkins, falling leaves, gardens going to seed and Quilt Market. With Quilt Market approaching in 2 weeks there are so many things to do. I shouldn’t take the time to write. I am finishing up the new patterns; there are three. They are a little larger than my usual but I think they turned out well. I hope you will like them. I won’t post a picture yet, not until market is here…very soon.

My big news is I have a new website!. Please check it out and tell me what you think. You will see lots of pages with patterns, classes, lectures, and products. There is also a show and tell page with quilts – of course. Make sure you sign up for email alerts. If you have made one of my patterns; I would love to include a picture of it. Just send me a good shot and I will be happy to post it. If you are with a quilt shop, make sure when you send the picture, you let me know if there is a kit available. I will include that information too. I will also link the picture with your website - make sure I have the address. www.QuiltsRemembered.com

House Tour - "Quilted Spaces"

2011-09-18T11:48:00.000-07:00

House Tour…

Last Friday I went on a house tour called "Quilted Spaces". Eagle Creek Quilt Shop in Shakopee, MN was the hosting shop. I stopped at the shop and picked up my map to the house and I was off. It was just a short drive; I parked and walked up to the house. That is where the ‘quilt’ decorating began. I have never seen a quilt design on a garage door before but there they were. I would equate it to ‘barn’ quilts. The house was lovely. There were several quilts in every room. It was tastefully decorated in every way. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed the tour.

Inviting Entry

Garage Quilt Art

Lovely Dining Room

Kitchen Dining over looking the golf course (Stars Divided Quilt Pattern - Quilts Remembered)

Relaxing Living Room

Lily Quilt in the Hallway

Antique Trunk paired with a new quilt in the Hallway

Display Niche

Quilt hanging in a Bathroom

Master Bedroom

Master Bedroom Quilt

Restful Bedroom Corner

Baby Room

Town Quilt hanging in Stairwell

A Piece of a Cutter Quilt framed hanging in a Bathroom

Lower Level Dining Area - 9-Patch Quilt Vinette

Olive's Table Runner (Quilts Remembered pattern) hanging in Lower Level Dining Area

Lower Level Entertainment Area

Guest Room

Sewing Room...wonder what's in the drawers?

Sewing Room...a place to rest and look at a favorite quilt magazine

Does she really sew here?

I hope you have enjoyed this little Quilted Spaces house tour. Happy Quilting, Annemarie

Almost Done...

2011-09-13T09:26:00.001-07:00

Little Women Club is almost done. We have one more Jo Morton design left and then a special design will round off this session of our class. It has been a pleasure, as always, to teach this class. I have wonderful ‘little women’ in the class. I hope that they have good time over the last few months (snow storms & all) and have learned a trick or two.

Hope you enjoy the mini quilt show & tell…

Check out my new Facebook page...Quilts Remembered to see more quilts - both antique and new.

Little Lizzy's Quilt

HST Challenge

Berry Nice

Courthouse Steps

Redware and Harvest

Amy's Choice (Marcia's version)

Lizzy's Little Quilt (Student Quilt)

Amy's Choice

HST Challenge (student quilt)

Diablo Valley Quilter Trip #3

2011-08-29T07:12:00.000-07:00

I pose this question…Is it a bad thing to buy jewelry that goes with a quilt? I didn’t think so when I purchased this little bobble at Cottage Jewel, Danville, CA. It was made in the 1920s or 30s and is pot metal and rhinestones. Love it!

Here are some of the repro fabrics that I picked at the some shops Suzi and I visited. Boy, she sure knows here way around the area!

Now for the antique quilts. My collection of doll quilts is growing rapidly. At the very first store I found all three pieces pictured and I just had to have them. Two are true doll quilt and they fit all the criteria. The other may have been started as a pillow but could have been used as a doll quilt. The two with pictures on them are made from Cigar Silks and are perfect. What a find! The crazy quilt has a few shattered silks but all in all in pretty good shape.

CS Doll Quilt close-up

Cigar Silk Doll Quilt

Cigar Silk Pillow or Doll quilt

CS Doll Quilt or Pillow close-up

CS Doll Quilt or Pillow back side

Crazy Doll Quilt

I am so glad I found these little quilts before my lecture so I could show them off to the Diablo Valley quilters.

Happy quilting,

Annemarie in MN

Diablo Valley Quilter #2…Shop-Shop-Shop!!

2011-08-25T08:07:00.000-07:00

If the teaching and lecturing wasn’t enough there was the shopping…and lots of it!

Suzi was my tour guide to some wonderful shops. My money visited these shops and decided to live with most of them. We quilt and antique shopped our legs off during all of my free time. Truthfully, when I wasn’t earning money I was spending it!

I will post pictures of the shops and then maybe in a day or so I will post a few pics of what I bought. You won’t want to miss the antique quilts I fell in love with and brought back to Minnesota.

First stop, In Between Stitches, located in beautiful downtown Livermore, CA…This quilt shop was bright and cheery. It was voted one of the “Top 10 Quilt Shops” in American Patchwork & Quilting magazine. There is plenty to choose from to make just about any quilt on the planet! I loved their selection!

Next stop - One of Suzi’s favorite picks, Wooden Gate Quilts, located in Danville, CA…In this shop you will find a wide variety of contemporary fabrics and a pleasant welcoming staff. Cyndy R. teaches some wonderful landscape classes.

Christina, Cyndy R., Suzi and Marby (0wner)

Thursday – Class day. My class of 20 students met at ThimbleCreek quilt shop in Concord, CA. Roxie and Joe Wood (owner)s were friendly and inviting. This is a large store with a great selection. They were very helpful throughout the day and I want to send them a big thank-you! This shop will be carrying my Quilts Remembered pattern line. They are also in American Patchwork & Quilting magazine as a "Top 10 Shop"!

We also made a stop at Sew Many Quilts in Tracy, CA…A smaller shop with a very nice staff that greeted us at the door as if we had shopped there forever. Sorry no pictures of this one.

Now on to the Antiques...Suzie and I stopped at several Antique shops. I left money at all of them. I will have more pictures to follow of my purchases.

Blue Door antique in Livermore, CA was the 1^st antique shop we stopped at. This is a crowed store with lots of treasures. It is a digger’s paradise. So much to see but be careful when you turn around the surroundings are very tight. Well worth a stop. I found a couple little items there to start off my day.

I wish I lived near this shop…Cottage Jewel in Danville, CA. WOW, I have never seen such a collection of vintage jewelry, a true treasure trove! I was in heaven!! Suzi and I looked around for an hour, so much to see and admire. Owner, Marcia Harmen, is so knowledgeable you can see why she shop has been voted "Best Antique Boutique". I did walk out with a vintage pin that I will show in an upcoming post.

Olde Towne Antiques Mall in Pleasanton, CA is a shop you will need hours and hours of time to spend looking. I loved this antique shop. A friendly helpful staff and well organized displays. I bought 3 doll quilts there. Pictures to follow.

As you can see my trip was a whirlwind…a fabulous time!

Hope your day is as wonderful as can be,

Annemarie in MN

Diablo Valley Quilt Event...Post #1

2011-08-20T19:45:00.000-07:00

Tom and Suzi

What a wonderful time I had lecturing and teaching in California! Last Tuesday I reconnected with Suzi Dillinger, a friend from years past. I met Suzi many years ago when she owned of Patchwork and Pinafore quilt shop in Rochester, MN. She now lives in Livermore, CA with her husband Saint Tom (sorry, inside joke). They have a lovely home and are very gracious hosts. During my stay Suzi and I visited many quilt shops and antique shops besides the teaching and lecturing.

Before I show you the pictures of the shops, store and assorted $bootie$ I want to express my thanks to the Diablo Valley Quilters for inviting me to come to California. Wednesday after a good night’s rest I was off to meet the Diablo Valley Quilters. There were well over 100 quilters in attendance. They were there to hear my lecture called, “Tell Me About Your Doll Quilt.” Suzi gave me a lovely introduction and I was honored by all in attendance, even a couple of nationally know teachers came to hear the lecture (Sally Collins and Diana McClun). Diana and I had a nice chat reminiscing about visit to Minnesota for one of your MQ quilt shows. Some of the quilters brought props for me to use with all of the quilts…thank you again!!!

Pre-1900 doll quilts

ca. 1930 doll quilts

1900 doll quilts

Next day…Thursday was class day. I had 20 students in my class room at Thimble Creek Quilt Shop in Concord, CA. Learning, and of course some fun, was had by all. Everyone was working on the same quilt…Laura’s 1870s Cradle Quilt but their fabric choice varied from sweet pastels and 30s to historic civil war in style.

Laura's 1870 Cradle Quilts

Just the beginning of the Cradle Quilt

Lyda and the beginning to a row

Look for installment 2 of my CA trip in a couple of days...

Happy Quilting,
Annemarie in MN

Chris with her beginning of the Cradle Quilt

Once Upon A Time

2011-07-27T10:43:00.001-07:00

This story could begin…Once Upon A Time there was a family that moved in to a beautiful Colonial home in the suburbs. This home was filled with many traditional rooms. The family of three lived there comfortably and happily for many years. But this is where the fairy tale derails.

A quilter lives in this wonderful 1960s Colonial. She (meaning me) decided these traditional rooms no longer would house guests tucked into trundle beds or have dinner parties on the beautiful Berkey & Gay antique dining table. Instead there would be quilting everywhere. You could imagine a beautiful table cloth perfectly smooth atop the table…nope…not in this dining room. Instead, at least150 yards of fabric of all different shapes and sizes adorn the room. (The basement has 100s more too)

The centerpiece on the dining table isn't a bouquet of flowers it is a Bernina sewing machine. Scissors and rulers take the place of silverware and collapsible garbage containers replace serving dishes. It would be very difficult to have a meal in this room unless you ate from your lap.

Fabric for new design

General Wives fabric from Windham

I know there are a lot of beautiful pictures on the web of sewing ‘studios’. I also know there are more quilters out there that sew on their dining room table and don’t have one of those well designed, beautiful ‘studios’. I say whatever your circumstance, fairy tale or reality, make the best of what you have. Don’t let your surroundings deter your progress and ability. I enjoy my work and love sewing everyday – even in my disaster.

Lizzy's Little Quilt

Amy's Choice

Pictured above are my 2 latest Jo’s Little Women club quilts.

Have a great time sewing today. Hope you enjoyed reading about my ‘fairy tale’ world and looking at the pictures. Please don’t think less of me for my mess. I create a lot of quilts in it and from it. Here’s hoping you can make quilts from your mess too!.

Happy stitching,

Annemarie in MN

Quilts...

2011-07-19T07:23:00.001-07:00

The title ‘Quilts’ just says it all. I love quilts! My life really revolves around them and the fabric that goes into them. Every day I am working on them; thinking about them, cutting or sewing them or just admiring them. Now I am even blogging about them. How did this happen to me?

One day in 1988 I got a bug to make a quilt and now it has taken over my life. Sometimes I feel sorry for my family because of all the quilting ‘stuff’ around…but then I get over it. I started working in a quilt shop (Glad Creations Quilt Block in Mpls, MN) 22 years ago and still teach for them today. I have met some wonderful quilters that share my passion for quilting and if they read this they will understand what’s in my head.

Today I thought I’d post a few quilts that I have made over the years. The quilts hung in staff quilt shows at Glad Creations between 2004 and 2010.

Improved 9-Patch 2004

This quilt was started at a Minnesota Quilters Conference at least 15 yrs ago. The class was taught by Sharon Hultgren using template by John Flynn. Its machine pieced and hand quilted. I love 30s fabrics!!

Jamestown in the 30s 2009

Andover Fabrics has a great website. Often they post quilt patterns for their fabric lines. I really liked this pattern. It was a pattern to be used with the Jamestown fabric line by Jo Morton. But obviously I made it using 30s fabrics. It is machine pieced and quilted.

Wyatt's Lone Star 2010

This quilt is for my son. He will receive it when he graduates from college…whenever that may be. The center star was constructed using a printed interfacing foundation available from Quiltsmart. Machine pieced and machine quilted.

Hope you enjoyed the mini quilt show.

Happy quilting,

Annemarie

More Antique Quilts!

2011-07-09T09:51:00.001-07:00

Day two of Pat Cox’s Antique quilts...

Patrica Cox and her Feathered Star Quilt ca. 1850

Pat Cox’s display of Antique quilts is in full swing at The Textile Center in Minneapolis, MN. (Show details are listed in my last blog.) I am very fortunate to know Pat and have been able to enjoy her quilts for years. She is a consummate collector and always willing to share her collection. She really seems to love sharing their history too! Here are a couple more pictures of her collection.

Rose of Sharon ca. 1940

Many Trips Around the World ca. 1935

2 Drunkard's Path variations

New York Beauty ca. 1935 (hanging) & Dolly Madison Star ca. 1920

Marie Webster's design - French Baskets ca. 1920 (my personal favorite!)

I truly hope you have enjoyed this small sampling of Pat Cox's collection.

Happy Quilting,
Annemarie in MN

A Hands On Collection

2011-07-08T13:20:00.000-07:00

High everyone! I went to the Minnesota Quilters' meeting last night to hear Patricia Cox speak about her antique quilts. She has a collection of around 350 antique quilts. She brought about 50 with her last night. The dates ranged from 1825 to 1970. It was a wonderful night of quilts. Now here's some good news for you...The quilts will be on display for the next 2 days. Saturday July 9th (10am-4pm) & Sunday July 10th (12pm-4pm). Pat will be there both days to answer questions (9th 10-12 & 10th 1-2.) The exhibit is located at The Textile Center, 3000 University Ave. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414. There is a $3 charge for non-members of MN Quilters. Many of these quilts will be donated to the Quilt Study Center in Lincoln, NE later this year. I will post more pictures on my blog tomorrow too.

The first quilt she showed is this Feather Star (it was sold to her with the name ‘Princess Feather’). Pat purchased it from Mary Silber, Julie Silber’s mother – both avid quilt collectors. This quilt began Pat’s love of antique quilts.

The Second quilt is an appliqué quilt dated 1872. It is the most recent of Pat’s antique purchases.

Caesar’s Crown is another beautiful appliqué. The background is of linen.

This final quilt shows the merging of 2 quilt patterns. The Double Irish Chain and the Chips-Whetstone block. The provenance of this quilt - Slave made & from English settlers.

I hope you enjoyed the mini quilt show. Please come by the Textile Center in Minneapolis, MN or check back later this week. I will post some more of Pat’s quilts (with her permission of course.)

Thanks…please let me know what you think of the quilts and I will pass your comments on to Pat.

Happy quilting,

Annemarie in MN

Antique Quilts and MN Quilt Show

2011-06-19T13:24:00.000-07:00

Last week I attended the MN state quilt show. It was held at the River Center in St. Paul. The city was crazy! There were concerts, bike races and dance competitions all running at the same time as the quilt show. I was only interested in the quilts.

The Minnesota Quilt Project (MQP) had a display of Civil War-Era Quilts. I want to share a few of them with you (with permission of course from MQP). The following words are not my own. They are captions written by MQP.

Eagle Four-block

"The eagle pattern was popular after the Revolutionary War as Congress designated the bald eagle as the emblem of the United States of America in 1782. Eagle Quilt patterns became popular again at the time of the Civil War as the eagle symbolized unity between the states. Lent by James and Sylvia Aufderheide. (Ohio 1868)"

Old Glory Quilt

"Patriotic quilts often appear during times of world conflict. The 33 stars in the field around the eagle’s head strongly suggest this quilt was made between 1859 and 1861, immediately before or during the Civil War. The 33^rd star was added to the American flag July 5, 1859 following Oregon’s admission to the Union on February 14, 1859. Even after the South seceded from the Union, President Lincoln would not allow stars to be removed from the flag. The American flag contained 33 stars for only two years until Kansas became a state. Lent by Bill and Marti Wivell."

Variable Star

"This quilt was made around 1860-1865, the time period when the cheddar orange dye first appeared. Other colors typical of the period included Turkey red, indigo blue, Prussian blue, green, yellow and pink. Lent by Pat Cox."

Nine patch and leaves

"Dated 1862. Made by a member of the Brener family, emigrants from Prussia. They settled in the Lebanon, PA area in the 1840s. Lent by Gail Bakkom."

Hope you enjoyed the mini antique quilt show!

Happy quilting,
Annemarie

Before the Issue is Gone...

2011-06-16T19:38:00.000-07:00

Before issue #83 of Quiltmania is gone for the magazine racks I just want to say thank you. It was a pleasure to have one of my designs published in Quiltmania Magazine.

I met the people from Quiltmania at Houston Quilt Market Fall 2010. They saw a quilt I had designed for Windham Fabrics and wanted to publish it along with the pattern. I was thrilled!

The name of the quilt is Shelburne Calico Garden Medallion. It was designed using Windham’s fabric line by the same name (minus the Medallion part). The quilt was challenge I enjoyed. Thank you Quiltmania!!!

I’d like to clarify something… Even though the magazine says “This medallion quilt is a reproduction of an old quilt from the late 17^th – early 18^th century which is in the Shelburne Museum collection in Vermont” it is not. I designed this quilt and it is NOT a copy of a quilt already in existence. I hope the Shelburne wasn’t looking for the original.

On another note…

The Minnesota Quilters’ Quilt Show began today. It is a fantastic show as usual. There are some of the greatest quilts in the country on display, unbeatable vendors selling everything quilting and classes for every skill level! What more can you ask for.

Glad Creations Quilt Shop has a three of my designs on display and all of my Quilts Remembered patterns for sale. Check out the pictures.

As always…Happy Quilting,

Annemarie

More Samples…

2011-06-13T19:24:00.000-07:00

Another day brings more quilts to my collection.

I finished another quilt in the Jo’s ‘Little Women’ club 10 collection. It is called Berry Nice. The stars in this quilt are sewn in a very unique way. The quilt is hanging on display at Glad Creations Quilt Shop in Mpls., MN. I just love these little quilts!

It seems I am always sewing…and that’s a good thing. For my next ‘Little Women’ quilt I am teasing you with a picture of the fabric that will make up the blocks. Of course there is more fabric (always more fabric) which will make up the setting. But for now, this is all you will see. I promise to post a picture of the finished quilt by the end of the month.

The final picture is of Laura’s 1870 Cradle Quilt from my pattern line Quilts Remembered. I had to make a second sample. Sample #1 is at The Glass Thimble in Columbus, OH along with 5 other Quilts Remembered quilts and this one will be at the Minnesota Quilt show in Glad Creation’s booth June 15^th – 18th. When the quilt show concludes it is off to California for this little quilt. I wish I got to travel as much as my quilts do!

Hope to see you at the MN Quilt show this week! Send me a comment...let me know what you think.

Happy Quilting,

Annemarie

Wonderful Show & Tell

2011-05-25T05:59:00.000-07:00

Wonderful Show & Tell!

My Beginning Rotary Star Sampler students basted quilts in their final class last Monday. They did a super job and I hope everyone will send me pictures of their quilted and finished project. Hope to see you in future classes!!!

Last night I taught the 4^th installment of Jo’s ‘Little Women’ Club at Glad Creations, Quilt Block in Minneapolis, MN. We had great show n’ tell, laughed at the jokes of my son and husband and bought more fabric…Yay! Here’s a picture of the projects using Jo’s fabric.

Happy quilting,

Annemarie

A Couple Additions!

2011-05-20T11:43:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since my last post. There are so many things that happen in a day. You would think that I’d have tons to write so why do I think I have nothing to say?

“It’s about time,” I said to myself, “sit down and write!” So here goes…..

Addition #1 - Last Monday we (husband, son and I) added a puppy to our family. She is a British Lab by the name of Tula. Our son named her…Tula, like the WWII Russian gun manufacture. I thought, Tula like the star character in the movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding or like Tula Pink quilt patterns. I would rather think of those references not a gun manufacture. Anyway, she is wonderful and of course the cutest puppy ever (at least in this house). She is sleeping most of the night. But does she have a set of lungs on her!

Addition #2 - Thanks to my friend Laura the following additions come from her. These are of the quilt variety. My birthday was in April, April Fool’s day to be exact. Laura gave me 2 wonderful Redwork pieces for my collection. No history came with them so we can make up our own. I think they may have been pillow covers. There is a wonderful Kate Greenaway design on one of the pieces (see close-up). I am guessing they date to circa 1890.

Addition #3- I also credit Laura with a quilt I bought today. I have done a little research and it is called Garden Bouquet quilt, dated 1934, designed by Florence La Ganke (Nancy Page Quilt Club) dating back to the 1930s. Yes, there were quilt clubs back then too! It was a pattern published in the Minneapolis Tribune newspaper beginning October 1931. (The pattern appeared in other newspapers too.) You could call it a Block of the Month (sound familiar). The bird appliqués represent a ‘Meek’ bird and a ‘Saucy’ bird. Can you guess which one is which?

I am quite happy with my new additions. I just have to keep Tula away from the quilts (they are not chew toys!)

If you leave a comment I might write more often!

Happy quilting,

Annemarie

How Exciting!

2011-04-12T08:03:00.000-07:00

Fons and Porter’s Love of Quilting approached me at Spring Market 2010 in Minneapolis, MN. They asked if I would submit a quilt for their magazine. I was honored to be asked and when I found out they had chosen my design I was thrilled.

Pretty much the picture speaks for itself. This is my very first quilt design published in a magazine. This year there will be 2 more designs appearing in other magazines.

So here it is!. The graphics are excellent…thanks Fons & Porter!!!

We Sewed, We Laughed, We Enjoyed!!

2011-04-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

Me with my Ember Reds and Evergreen blocks

I love a retreat! It took an eternity for the weekend to arrive and a blink of the eye to be over. Getting away from my normal routine couldn't come fast enough. Yippee, Friday arrived and we were speeding (literally) off in my new car to Debbie’s cabin near Alexandria, MN. Of course there was a quick quilt shop stop on the way. Quilted Treasures in Rogers, MN always has nice things to offer. What a great way to celebrate my 51^st birthday!

Sue, Patty, Suzanne..........................Laura

The weather was going to be a problem all weekend but I didn't care. Just get me to the cabin and all will be great. As it turned out the weekend was sunny and beautiful. There were 6 more quilter-friends joining me at Debbie’s cabin. She is a fantastic hostess…Hostess with the Mostess doesn’t do her justice. She is WONDERFUL!

We started sewing the moment we arrived. Everyone had their machines, tools, and several projects...and we were raring to go. There was an island for cutting (and sometimes food prep). Busy sewing tables that kept humming from dawn to WAY past midnight. We took a break for a wonderful Italian meal at Bella’s on Broadway - downtown Alexandria (I highly recommend it). Everyone had stories to tell at dinner. Then back home to sew until 3am. I didn't make it past 2am.

Marcia.....................................Debbie

How did the weekend end so soon? Sunday morning I put the sewing pedal to the floor. I wanted to finish a little more before I had to pack up. My goal was 144 finished blocks for my Ember Reds and Evergreens Quilt. What was I thinking? I got 86 done and of course they are all from Jo Morton’s line of fabric. Everyone else made great progress in their projects some even finished theirs!

What a great weekend. We’ll do it again all again this fall…Thanks Debbie!!!

Enjoy!

Annemarie in MN

Jo's 'Little Women Club' and Lost Purse Found!

2011-03-25T08:47:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night was the 2^nd installment of Jo’s ‘Little Women’ Club #10 at Glad Creations. It really was supposed to be the 3^rd class but in February we had a snow storm and the shop had to be closed. So the weather has been pretty nice since (if the 40s are considered nice) and we thought spring was finally on its way! But Mother Nature had a different idea. She decided it would be funny to have an ice and snow storm - again. Got to love Spring – right? Anyway, we did have class and there were some wonderful quilts brought for show and tell.

This month the quilt project is Courthouse Steps. Quilted with a Baptist Fan…great new tool to create the fan design and circles.

It was a dark sleeting night after class. I carry a very large tote bag stuffed with all my class/teaching info. As I was loading it into my car my purse fell out of the tote. Yes, that’s right. It was left on one of the busiest streets in South Minneapolis. I realized it was missing when I got home and quickly called the shop. The shop was CLOSED! I panicked and called the shop owner who lives nearby. Luckily she and her husband graciously volunteered to go look for it.

Yes, it was found on the road and all is well. The purse isn't even a little worse for the wear. I am very happy to have it back in my hot little spending hands!

Thanks again Nancy and Jay for saving me and my purse!!!

Happy quilting,

Annemarie

Another Show Stopper #1 of 2

2011-03-15T13:02:00.001-07:00

I stopped by Eagan High School library today to look at the quilts on display for Women in History month. It is their 17^th annual show and I have participated every year. The show is always an eclectic mix of quilts made by local quilters. But quilts aren’t the only items on display.

A special treat is always in store when you view the two library display cases. This year one case focused on pincushions. From Squirrels to vests…I guess just about anything can be made to hold pins! This display case was aptly named… Needles and Pins.

The second case held many a bag made from Terry Atkinson’s Groovy Girl class. I taught the class at Glad Creations, Quilt Block in Minneapolis, MN over the last 6 months.

Laura and Laurie do such a wonderful job arranging the display cases!

The show will be on display for another couple of days. The show closes noon on Friday March 18, 2011. Don’t miss this year’s wonderful display…you don’t want to miss it!

Another Show Stopper #2 of 2

2011-03-15T12:40:00.000-07:00

I stopped by Eagan

High School library today to look at the quilts on display for Women in History month. It is their 17^th annual show and I have participa

ted every year. The show is always an eclectic mix of quilts made by local quilters. The quilts this year did not disappoint. I would proudly take any one of them

home. I have posted pictures of my 2 favorites (it is really hard to have favorites they are all wonderful). Star quilt by…Dee Legvold and Flower quilt by…Janet Schuetze.

My quilting friend Suzanne displayed a quilt made from one of my patterns.

The pattern name is ‘Pride and Glory’.

She is a 1930s reproduction fabric fanatic.

I just love how the quilt looks using her fabrics!

There were 2 more of my pattern quilts on display at the show. Marcia, another one of my quilting friends displays her version of ‘Laura’s 1870 Cradle Quilt’. (Quilt on the upper right of photo). ‘Stars Divided’ is on the upper left side of the photo and I am sorry I don’t know who made that one. The rest of the quilts in this picture are mine from Jo’s Little Women Club #9 which I teach at Glad Creations, Quilt Block in Minneapolis, MN.

The show will be on display for another couple of days. The show closes noon on Friday March 18, 2011. Don’t miss this year’s wonderful display…you don’t want to miss it!

Vacation...

2011-03-07T10:33:00.001-08:00

My husband and I, along with another couple, headed south to Orlando, FL for a little R&R. We found the weather to be almost perfect. The lines at Disney’s Epcot and Hollywood Studios were short. Even at the new Harry Potter Islands of Adventure – Universal lines weren’t too bad.

For those of you going to Universal Studios here’s a tip…you many need reservations to get into the Harry Potter park section.

Check about reservations to avoid

disappointment. BTW…the flowers at Epcot were breathtaking.

The sand at Cocoa Beach, near Cape Canaveral was magical and the waves were awesome…again not crowded. Here’s another tip…go to Florida just before the spring break crowds arrive.

However, some Canadian schools were on spring break…how does that happen? Why does spring come to Canada before Minnesota? Isn't it colder there…just curious?

Nothing like going on vacation and finding out there is a quilt show nearby. What a bonus to the sun and sand of Orlando. The show was in a little town 50 miles from where we were staying. Mt. Dora, FL is a bustling city with a quaint old town section close to Lake Dora. Walking through the old section you can travel from shop to shop and find many a restaurant to spend time. We spent a beautiful sunny day walking around and going to the quilt show.

At the quilt show my husband sat on a bench waiting for me. He was very happy there reading from his Nook. Happy that was until every quilter that walked by wanted his portion of the bench or just didn’t see him and tried to sit on him. His mood was less than friendly when I returns and was ready to leave the quilting seen. I had found a lovely quilt in the show made from Valori Wells fabrics that I hope to reproduce. Luckily the fabric is still available and is on its way to me from Oregon.

That’s right a Minnesota quilter on vacation in Orlando, Florida sees a quilt at a show in Mt. Dora, FL, travels back to Burnsville, MN and gets on the phone to order the pattern 'Nest'

and fabric from a store in Sisters, OR. Now that’s dedication!

Resting up from my vacation...

Annemarie

Groovy Girls...

2011-02-14T09:21:00.000-08:00

Groovy Girls…

Today is the last class of my Groovy Girls Club at Glad Creations, Quilt Block in Minneapolis, MN. It has been a lot of fun. What a fantastic group of ‘Groovy Girl’ students I have had.

We have had many a laugh. Especially, believe it or not, over the folding of napkins! Someone in class actually knew how to fold a napkin to look like a dead chicken. The tears were flowing from laughter. After all of the laughing quieted down one wonderful GG was then brave enough to show us how to fold a napkin in the shape of a male body part. Then there was the evening we strung clothes line across the front of the classroom and hung all of the bags we had made since the previous class. It was an amazing amount of work and talent on display. We had a fabulous time.

I learned a lot working with the patterns Terry Atkinson provided for the club. Her patterns are well illustrated and easy to make. Thank you Terry and especially thank you to all of the Groovy Girls that came to the club! I hope to see all of you again real soon.

Here’s a sneak peak at what is coming for tonight’s last club meeting….

Happy stitching,

Annemarie

Just a Little Applique…

2011-02-09T13:54:00.000-08:00

3 blocks finished! The blocks are from Sharon Pederson’s new book, The Rose of Sharon Block Book, winning designs from the EQ6 challenge. I have really enjoyed making them using the invisible machine appliqué method. This method of applique is accurate and much faster than needle turn appliqué. The fabrics are from Island Batik and are beautiful to work with. Glad Creations, Quilt Block in Minneapolis, MN is offering the blocks as a block of the month. There is a book (of course), a video, template/stencils in all the necessary shapes and 12 beautiful spools of matching Aurifil thread.

Just a little more appliqué…I made this sweatshirt jacket from my mother as a Christmas present. The one she was wearing was complete in shreds. It was time for a new one. So I compiled a few appliqué patterns from my collection, added some of my own ideas and here you have it. It just needs a button. What is it ‘they’ say about quilters and buttons?

Hoping for spring to arrive!

Happy quilting,

Annemarie

3 Quilts in a Month!

2011-01-24T10:44:00.000-08:00

3 Quilts in a Month!

3 quilts in the last month have been finished. They are very different. Mostly started and completed for reasons other than ‘just because.’ I love to start a quilt ‘just because’ I want to. I wish that would happen more often. I have a load of ideas twirling around in my head for new quilts. Sometimes it is just too hard deciding which one to start first.

Quilt #1...The Lone Star was started 5 years ago for my son. It will be a present when he graduates from college. He loves to fish - hence the lure fabric. The center lone star is made using a Quiltsmart foundation product. Great technique…I’d use the Quiltsmart foundation product again in a flash!

Quilt #2…Foursquare Farmhouse – designed by Terry Atkinson. I made this one for the Groovy Girls Club I teach at Glad Creations, Quilt Block in Minneapolis, MN. It was a dream to make. Easy as pie!!!

Quilt #3...Today I finished the first in Jo Morton’s club #10. It is called HST Challenge. 120 small triangles make up this sweet little quilt. It is very small, just 13”x15”. Perfect for a special child’s doll; easy, fast, and darling!

Happy Quilting,

Annemarie

www.QuiltsRemembered.com

Houston Quilt Market...2010

2010-11-15T16:59:00.000-08:00

What a great time. I had such a wonderful experience. The drive from Minnesota to Texas was a long one but having my husband along for the ride made the trip a breeze. The books on tape helped too! Once we had arrived at the George R. Brown Convention Center, in Houston, TX, it was hard to get my head around the next few days in such a gigantic place. It looked like 7 football fields fused together.

Set-up went well. No problems. I had wonderful booth neighbors and fantastic quilts to

look at. What an experience.

The time flew by with excellent possibilities coming my way every day. The quilt I designed for Windham Fabrics, Calico Garden Medallion, will be in May's edition of Quiltmania Magazine.

My newest patterns are the last 2 pictures...Laura's 1870 Cradle Quilt and Cottage Fair. They were very popular at market. Quilts Remembered patterns are now available in the USA, Norway, Great Britain, Canada and the Netherlands.

Some new friends were made and hopefully some new business connections too. It was truly exciting - I can't wait until next year!!!

2010-10-06T12:26:00.000-07:00

Working Vacation…

Up North, near Alexandria, MN I found peace from the phone but not from the hummmm of the sewing machine(s). The ‘retreat’ cabin I visited with 5 of my quilting buddies buzzed from the constant whirl of our sewing machines…mostly Berninas. Everyone was working on their own project(s). No one came with less than 3 projects to work on. Quilted bags, pillowcases, baby quilts and large quilts, we did it all. Of course there was way too much food…cookies, candy and crackers…dips and daiquiris…burritos and beer. Ok, we didn’t have any beer but it sounded good. Pictured are the quilts I worked on for 2 days…all 3 quilts are from Quilts Remembered patterns. I started quilting the new samples of Divided Stars and Olive’s Table Runner. I began piecing the Soldier Album Quilt from fabric I received as a gift. The fabric called ‘Miniatures’ is a new by Julie Hendricksen and printed by Baum/Windham textiles. There’s still a lot to do on them so I better get busy!!! So until later my friends…

Happy Living!

Annemarie

Gardens in Bloom

2010-07-26T11:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I went out into my gardens and took a few pictures. So many plants are in bloom right now. Some are just finishing up, some are at their peak and others are just beginning to flower. I enjoy all of the flowers; they really turn my yard into a special place for me. My hydrangeas are coming along nicely this year but unfortunately some of the plants don't have as many flowering heads on them this year. I wonder why??? The ferns and impatients are growing like they are living in Jersasic Park. All of the rain we have had has kept them very happy. The bees and the butterflies are very busy in the Russian Sage and Hostas. All these pictures need are a few quilts hanging among the flowers.

Enjoy,

Annemarie

Antique Quilts..just a few

2010-07-21T12:56:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd share a few of my antique quilts with you. So first I have a Carolina Lily. It is small, maybe for a twin size bed. I rescued this quilt from a lawn sale. I don't think the owner's cared much for it but I did. Now it has a comfortable life. Second is a red and white Hearts and Gizzards quilt (what a terrible name) from the late 1800s. A wonderful buy from my favorite antique resource...Ebay! Last but not least is a President Wreath. This quilt has fabulous tiny quilting in a half inch grid. It was found in a very old house (mansion) in Stillwater, MN. I hope you enjoyed my little antique quilt show.

Best and happy quilting,

Annemarie

Thoughts for Today!

2010-06-01T09:33:00.000-07:00

What's a mom to do? My son says my husband and I work too hard. That's probably true but how else do you get everything done. Should somethings just wait and never get done? Shouldn't you just do something when you know it's time? For instance...when the grass is mid-calf - you mow it...if the pet hair tumbleweeds are blowing across the floor - you sweep...if you're out of underwear...you do the wash. All of these things take priority to having fun sometimes. I know he is young and hopefully will 'get it someday'. The old adage, "fun is wasted on the young" or something like that is oh, so, true!

Tonight is the last in the Jo's 'Little Women' Club series. The sample is quite patriotic. A good sample for the summer -Memorial day, Flag day, Independence day and Labor day. You just can't beat Red, White and Blue!!! Here is a picture of my last quilt in club #9, Daffodil Hill. Enjoy!

Happy quilting,
Annemarie

Back at Home

2010-05-24T11:07:00.000-07:00

Spring Market is over and I survived! What an experience. It was definitely a learning experience. I am so glad I did it. Everyone was very nice and encouraging. All of the preparation made everything run smoothly. Now come the aftermath of it all. What a mess I have. The house has piles as tall as me everywhere. Boxes, props, rugs, and all the other stuff I lugged to Market. In addition my husband decided to refinish the porch floor while I was gone. The dust is everywhere and the furniture that was on the porch is partially in the house or covered with plastic. It looks like we are either moving or we are in need of a dumpster. (The dumpster might not be a bad idea.) If by the end of the week this house isn't back to normal I just might move and start over!!!

Shipping patterns, unpacking, bookwork and grocery shopping is the order of the day.

Hope you enjoy a few more pictures of my booth at market...Now do I go to fall market in Houston or not...that is the question.

Happy quilting,
Annemarie

P.S. I updated my website. Take a look at the new patterns! They are now available from coast to coast!!!!!!

2010 Spring Quilt Market (Days 1 & 2)

2010-05-20T15:21:00.000-07:00

Market set-up started at 1:30 on Wednesday. What a lot of work. 7 loads of stuff toted in from almost a mile away. That $16.00 unloading parking lot started to sound really good. Unfortunately, the tickets are sold out for Sunday tear down.

The old adage, "you can't get here from here" stands true during set-up. There were boxes and mammoth crates in every isle. My wonderful helper (Dale - husband) started calling it Quilter's demolition derby! When we were done and left at 5:30 the booth looked great and there were just a few tweaks left to do. I have to admit...I was exhausted....but couldn't wait for the next day!

Schoolhouse was today. Quilts Remembered had a minor role in the Passport Minnesota presentation. I walked on the stage of a very large ballroom, showed one of my quilts (Olive's Table Runner) which is my prize donation for this event and toured it around for 250-300 people to see. A lot of people seemed to like it and wrote down my booth number (#2340). I'm keeping my fingers crossed for tomorrow. Friday is the official opening of Quilt Market and I'm very excited. Better get a good night sleep.

Enjoy the pictures of my booth set up and of Schoolhouse - Passport Minnesota. I will post more pictures soon.

More later,
Happy quilting,
Annemarie

The Countdown!

2010-05-05T13:22:00.000-07:00

13 Days until Spring Quilt Market in Minneapolis, MN. I am very excited to be vending for the first time. I have my check list posted on my desk. Many of the tasks have been crossed off but there are still a lot left to do. I still have to package about 2,000 patterns. I have some great helpers to assist with this project. Chair covers, a table cloth and pole covers still need to be make. So why am I sitting down? I should be sewing.

Here's a peak at one of my patterns. It's called Olive's Tablerunner (named after my grandmother). This particular sample is going to be given away. If you come to Schoolhouse at market attend the "Passport Minnesota" class. There you will learn all about how to win this quilt or one of the others made and donated by Minnesota designers. To learn more about "Passport Minnesota" log on to http://passportmn.wordpress.com. You can click on prizes and see all the fantastic creations you could win. Hopefully, I will see you there. My booth is #2340 - Quilts Remembered.

One more quilt for today's blog post...it's the latest Jo Morton design from "Jo's Little Women" club. The quilt is titled Bittersweet Stars. Enjoy!!!

Happy quilting,
Annemarie

Jo's Little Women Club #9

2010-04-09T11:05:00.000-07:00

We are now half-way through Club #9 for Jo's Little Women at Glad Creations, Quilt Block in Minneapolis, MN. I am thrilled to be teaching this class. We have load of laughs...some of them are directed at me but that's OK. Last week, at class, they found humor in the fact that I would be sewing with out really looking. I realized I was sewing one seam while picking up the next set of pieces that needed to go under the needle. I guess I do get ahead of myself some times! :-)

The picture is of the Keystone Medallion quilt. This 2-part quilt is one of Jo Morton designs from club #9. Much of the fabric is from her Indigo Berries lines produced by Andover Fabrics.

Spring Quilt Market is right around the corner and I have loads to do. I am so looking forward to representing my pattern line, Quilts Remembered, at my 1st market. The quilts are ready, photographed and the covers are being worked on. The old adage "you need to spend money to make money" is right on the mark. Boy, I guess so. It is an exciting time and a little scary too. I promise to let you know how it went and also I will post some pictures of my booth. Much more to come on this subject!!! FYI... My booth is #2340

Happy quilting,
Annemarie

What Makes You Smile?

2010-03-03T10:27:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I have written on my blog. It's not that my life has been boring or that nothing is going on. It's the opposite! Sew many quilts, sew much fabric, and tons of things to do. But when my life seems to be spinning out of control there are those moments when the simplest things happen. They remind me that life shouldn't be taken so seriously. Enjoy the day. Make someone smile. My cat Hazel makes me smile...as I hope these pictures of her will make you smile. I guess she has found a different use than I have for both my quilts and my fabric. Have a great day...Spring is around the corner.

Also, 2 pictures of quilts I have finished recently.

Jo's Little Women Club - Autumn Crossing

and

Scrapbaggers Challenge, Black & White + One - Pretty in Pink

My Challenge quilt along with other Black & White + One challenge quilts will be on display with approx. 70 other quilts at the Eagan High School's Library. The show is held in conjunction with celebrating "Women in History" month. For more information go to: www.eagan.k12.mn.us/librarynew/quilts

Packing up the Holidays

2010-01-10T11:20:00.000-08:00

It's that time again when all the Christmas trinkets and do-dads need to be packed up. It seems to take forever. We put up 2 trees...why I don't know...I guess I'm a glutton for punishment. The family room is our Santa room. Most of the decorations are Santas, from the ornaments to the quilts, Santas are everywhere. Check out my pictures.

I am adding this info to my post 1/12/10: Some of you have asked who designed the Santa & Trees quilt...here's the answer...It is a packaged pattern called: Santas on Parade, by Brandywine Designs, located in Chanhassen, MN, copy write 1994...and to think it was only $6.25 back then!

As for a little tip...use leftover quilt batting to wrap those precious ornaments.

Christmas Quilt Ladder

2010-01-06T19:28:00.000-08:00

It's a new year! 2010 promises to be filled with quilting and more quilts; both new and old. I've mentioned before that one of my favorite pastimes is collecting antique quilts. I don't know what it is about them but the appeal is certainly there. Could it be the colors or the pattern and intricacies? Or maybe it's the hunt for just the right one. I search in all sorts of places. I go to estate sales, antique shows, and of course there's eBay! Sometimes they come to me as a gift...that's a lucky day.

I like to share my quilts with others. So here are my Christmas quilts on a ladder. From the top down, Marie Webster's Poppy design 1920s, Hearts (?)1880s, Roses (kit quilt)1940s, President's Wreath 1860s, Drunkards Path 1920s. These quilts will remain up until February when I put up the red and white quilts for Valentines Day.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. Wishing you the best in 2010...don't forget to start a few new quilts!!!

Happy quilting,
Annemarie

Table Runner Christmas Present

2009-12-29T09:40:00.000-08:00

I picked up a new book about a month ago Stars by Magic by Nancy Johnson-Srebro. The timing was just perfect because my small quilt group, Scrapbaggers, decided to exchange table runners at our Christmas party. The techinque from my new book was just great; however there is a lot of waste. The projects in the book utilize a unique twist on the snowball technique. I really enjoyed how the stars were made. It made easy work of stars that are usually complicated. I would love to make more from this book. I give the book and technique 4 stars!!!

Happy quilting,
Annemarie

Jo's Little Women Club #9

2009-12-27T10:44:00.000-08:00

On the 5th of January a new Jo's Little Women Club begins. For all you Jo's club fans now is the time to sign up. The class starts in a little more than a week. There is an afternoon class and and an evening class.

The first quilt will use bunches of fabric. You will get to pull both lights and darks from your Jo's scraps. The sample quilt pictured has a piece from each of the 'pack' fabrics...plus a lot more. The center could be the embroidery or a favorite focus fabric or maybe even a photo on fabric. You pick! I'm excited for class to begin. Hopefully, I will see you there. Give the shop a call and get your name on the list. Have a happy and safe new year!!!

Fall Quilt Classes Are Just Around The Corner

2009-09-15T09:23:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again when the kids go back to school and fall quilt classes begin.

I will be teaching several classes this semester. A new crop of beginners will learn about the all important quarter inch seam allowance and become familiar with their sewing machines and rotary cutters. The class is called, Rotary Star Sampler. I look forward to bringing new quilters into the fold.

For those more experienced quilters I will be teaching Invisible Machine Applique. This method is quicker than traditional needle turn applique and utilizes your sewing machine. After completing the applique block it can be finished into a pillow, wall hanging or added to a larger quilt of your choice.

The quilt top pictured is Jan Patek's Girl Gang sample called 'Favorite Things'. Last night was the 12th and final class in the series. All of the applique was completed using the invisible machine applique method. Finishing the top would have been a challenge if not for this method.

There's one more class on my schedule. I will try to post a picture next week. It's a 'bridging' class called 'Little Women' Signature Block Party. Since Jo Morton does not have club 9 ready yet I have planned a different project(s). Stop into the shop to see the sample and pick up the info. The class will meet twice and I promise it will be a lot of fun. We will share ideas, patterns, friendship and fabric. It will prove to be a couple of great nights out.

I Needed This...

2009-08-26T14:12:00.000-07:00

The dreaded day finally arrived. I had to take my one and only off to college (Iowa State). He was excited. I, on the other hand, was scared to leave my baby. OK, 18 isn't exactly a baby but those of you who have left your child on the curb holding a bean bag chair and a floor lamp know what I mean. He's a good kid and will do fine. At least that's what I keep telling myself.

Needless to say. I was depressed. Could hardly go upstairs to bed...I'd have to pass by his empty room. Didn't get dressed for 2 days. My husband was starting to roll his eyes at me. He just didn't understand. So I thought maybe it was time to get out of my funk and find a purpose again. I'd have to start simple.

I'd start a new project, a quilt...that always makes me happy. But which one would I pick? I have so many kits, patterns and ideas it's a wonder that I made a decision. (You know sort of like Bret Farve!) So, like him, I made up my mind and here it is. The quilt is called Prairie Vine from the cover of BH&G Quilt Sampler magazine. I have 9 blocks completed. Only 21 more to go and of course the 9-patches and applique border. It does get my mind off my empty nest and that makes my husband happier too. And yes, I am dressed and feeling human again!

Enjoy the pictures!
Happy quilting,
Annemarie

Antique Doll Quilts and Stuff

2009-08-17T13:18:00.000-07:00

The Hudson Heritage Quilters had me over to give a lecture on doll quilts. I brought much of my collection. The collection includes antique quilts, new quilts from Jo Morton's Little Women club and pieces from my Quilts Remembered pattern line. I brought about 65 quilts and another collection of antique child and doll related items.

There were approximately 40 women there. They pulled up their chairs and had a good look at what I brought. My lecture covered, what makes it a doll quilt, what to look for when shopping for an antique doll quilt, what life was like for children in the early 1900s, the toys available and the importance of these toys. The comparison to today's life of a child is like night and day. The children of these bygone days certainly did not have Toys "R" Us or Facebook to occupy the time.

It was a nice evening and I hope everyone went away with an appreciation of these little gems.

Happy quilting,
Annemarie

Wisconsin Quilt Trip

2009-07-24T19:44:00.000-07:00

Last Monday was a beautiful day for a road trip. There were 3 of us. We began out travels in Southwestern Wisconsin. The rolling hills along the river are beyond gorgeous. We hit several quilt shops along the way. Our travels took us from Onalaska to Sun Prairie and all the way north to Green Bay. 3 days and 600 miles in a new car was a whole lot of fun. We ate really great food and stayed at very comfortable hotels. I can't even begin to guess how many bolts of fabric we saw...maybe half a million =-) Pictured are my road trip companions, Laura and Ann...I'm the one in the middle. Fun was had by all and now back to reality.

Summer Quilts On The Ladder

2009-07-16T14:58:00.001-07:00

I posted my spring quilt ladder earlier this year. Now you can take a peak at my summer ladder. All of the quilts are from the 1930s . They are not family quilts...unfortunately. The top quilt, a fan pattern was purchased at an antique shop in Wisconsin while visiting family. The second quilt on the ladder is a grandmother's flower garden I found years ago (probably 20) at an estate sale in Minneapolis. The third quilt I bought from an antique quilt dealer at the Houston, TX quilt show. This quilt needed a little repair. Some of the flowers had holes in them. The dealer gave me scraps of 30s fabrics that I used to applique over the bad fabric. Next on the ladder is a spider web quilt that I found at another estate sale right down the street from where I live. Last but not least is one of my favorites. This one came from French72 on Ebay. What you can't see is this quilt has 9 borders.

I love the hunt. Antique quilt shopping is one of my favorite pastimes.

Happy quilting,
Annemarie

Graduation quilts

2009-07-13T08:26:00.000-07:00

It's been graduation season and I have had over 20 parties to attend. Lots of fun and way too much cake. One of parties had 25 plus cakes to taste. YUM! My son graduated from high school and so did 2 of his very best friends. Both of these friends are over 6' tall. My son says that they are 'freakishly' tall and need quilts that are 'freakishly' long. His oldest friend (since age 3) is a basketball player hence the theme of his quilt. His is an original design but the idea came from a Thimbleberries pattern. He loves his quilt and is already sleeping under it.

The second was made for my son's best friend. This one is from a pattern called Fall Frolic by Evelyn Sloppy, 2003 (sorry I don't remember the book title).

Atop the 2 folded up quilts is Hazel. Does it look like she has a hard day or maybe she has just had way too much graduation cake!!

Happy quilting,
Annemarie

Holiday Inn quilt

2009-07-03T20:26:00.000-07:00

This quilt is the Holiday Inn quilt designed by Jo Morton. The construction is completely by machine and the fabrics are all from Jo Morton's collection from Andover Fabrics. It was made for the class Jo's Little Women at Glad Creations. The quilt was designed to be taught as a 4-part medallion quilt. I hope the 30 women in the class had fun making it. I know I did. If any of my class members have finished this quilt email me a picture and I will send you something special. The quilt now hangs in my living room.

Spring 2009 Rotary Star Sampler Class

2009-05-13T11:48:00.000-07:00

Well, they did it again! The students in the Beginning Rotary Star Sampler class successfully completed their quilt tops and basted them. From left to right; Erin's quilt will be sent to a friend's baby in Paris. Next in order is Sue and her quilt is for her mother in Grand Rapids, MN. Anita's quilt, once finished, will be donated to a Feline Rescue Auction (date to be determined) all of her fabric was cat related. Finally, Lacy, with her quilt which see says is for 'whatever'.

All were wonderful students and I hope they will be making many quilts in the future.

Congratulations!
Happy Quilting,
Annemarie

Spring is Finally Here!

2009-04-10T09:07:00.000-07:00

Today it feels like spring. The sun is out and the trees have a hint of new growth...hooray!
When spring arrives and Easter is here it's time to change out my quilt ladder. So a collection of pastel 2 color quilts went up. They will stay on the ladder until mother's day when the summer quilts go up. Unfortunately, I did not make any of these and they are not family quilts. They are antiques from the 1930s and 40s. I have collected them from various places and over the last 20 years. Enjoy!
Happy quilting,
Annemarie

Paducah Nine Patch

2009-03-14T13:33:00.000-07:00

I am not the best finisher in the world. I love to say "Oh, I can do that" or "Oh, I should do that" but the fact of the matter is I start a lot of quilts and finish only a small portion. The other day I decided to unearth one of those boxed up projects and finish it. The top that is. Today I finished it. I started this quilt in March 29, 2003. So, almost 6 years to the day the top is complete. To be accurate this quilt was started a year before that with my small quilting group, Scarpbaggers. When the book Nickel Quilts by Pat Speth and Charlene Thode came out we all loved the quilts in it. The quilts were made from using 5-inch squares. So our group traded squares every month for about 2 years. Some of us have made our quilts and some of the traded squares are still in boxes. What would quilters do without Rubbermaid? I have a fortune in Rubbermaid!

There are still plenty of boxed up "Oh, I can do that" and or "Oh, I should do" quilts left to sew.

Happy quilting,
Annemarie

A Night on the Town

2009-02-20T09:48:00.000-08:00

Last night Dale and I went to Bite of Burnsville, an evening of good taste. It took place at the new Burnsville Performing Arts Center in the heart of the city. We had been asked to be food judges. Well, who could say no to that? What were our qualifications you may ask...the answer is we love to eat...duh! There were 18 restaurants from the Burnsville and Lakeville area. Each restaurant gave samples from their menu. The samples were really a plate full of food. WOW, what fun. One of my favorite samplings came from AppleWood Rustic Grille. YUM it was good! There was wonderful live music and both a live auction and (not so silent) auction. We could bid on everything from a trip to Marco Island to the pick of the litter Golden Retriever puppy. The end of the evening was capped off with a performance from Bob Stromberg, Co-creator and star of "Triple Espresso." His hour long show was both funny and nostalgic. We had a great time and look forward to next years Bite of Burnsville.

Parties!!!

2008-12-18T08:18:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone is prepared for the holidays. So many parties, so little time. I made a list the other day and WOW do I have a lot to do. The shopping is half done, the baking is only a thought and my house is decorated as much as it is going to be. There are still ledges to decorate and trim to put on the tree but enough is enough and I have to move on.

Scrapbaggers is a quilt group that I belong to and we had a Christmas party last week. We usually draw names and exchange presents. This year we decided to make each other a 'Quilt on a Stick'. Minnesota Quilters did this for the State Fair this past year. We each filled out a questionnaire and then exchanged them. Then we had to come up with an idea of what to make our person according to their 'likes'. I made the Camper quilt. The person I made it for loves camping and loves her granddaughter. So my 'Quilt on a Stick' is entitled "Grandma and Shannon go camping". The other picture is of the Scrapbaggers group holding the 'Quilt on a Stick' we received.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Enjoy Life,
Annemarie

Quilts Remembered

2008-12-01T09:15:00.000-08:00

Quilts Remembered is my new pattern company. I have been working very hard on getting this idea off the ground. The concept of a pattern company came to me while working on the quilts for Jo's Little Women Club. As I made the quilts for the club I was also designing and making an 'Extra' quilt for the club members. They seemed to enjoy the 'EXTRA' quilts. So I thought maybe more people would enjoy them and want to make them. The 'EXTRA' quilts then became the quilts for Quilts Remembered. You can see the first 7 quilts and the patterns at Glad Creations, Quilt Block. They are on display in a trunk show until mid-December.

Along with the Quilts Remembered patterns I needed a website. So, why not design that at the same time? It seem to do my best under pressure. I had no idea what I was getting myself into and I can see I have a lot to learn. Please check out my website at, http://www.quiltsremembered.com/.

I have little gremlins that live in my house. They love to play tricks and do thoughtless things. They thought it would be funny to add one more layer of complexity to my life so the wonderful little dears crashed my computer. I had been babying my computer for a long time and it did need to be replaced. However, not while I was writing patterns and building a website. So off to the computer store I went.

Do you have any idea how hard it is to get help on Black Friday at a computer store??? I looked at several models and of course confusion set in. My head hurt! After a couple of stores, reams of paper listing specifications of the different models, talking to salesmen that didn't know what a quilt was, I made my decision. I am happy with my choice...so far. Unfortunately, I didn't get the pretty one.

Hope you had a tasty Thanksgiving...did you know that quilting thread is a good substitute for kitchen string to tie up a turkey? Worked for me!

Happy Quilting,

Annemarie S. Yohnk

Rotary Star Sampler Successes

2008-10-22T12:52:00.000-07:00

To all of those who just finished my Rotary Star Sampler beginning class congratulations! The class did a fabulous job on their quilts. Most of them finished their quilt tops and basted them last night. What fun it is to see the fabrics become quilts! I hope all will continue to be involved with quilt making and enjoy the process. Good luck and maybe we will see each other in a class again soon.

I love learning new quilting tips. This one came from one of my students last night. While on the way to quilt class it is not a good idea to open your basting safety pins as you drive. Good to know!!!

Happy Quilting,

Annemarie

Love Those Antique Quilts!

2008-10-14T09:09:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd post a picture of some of my antique quilts. I love to decorate with quilts. Old or new it really doesn't matter. The 7' ladder in my dining room displays some of my antique quilts. When I had the ladder made I barely had enough quilts to cover the rungs. Now I can cover the ladder for each season. This is my fall display. The quilt on the top is a snowflake kit quilt from the 1940s. It came from Stillwater, MN. The next quilt is a Redwork in yellow quilt that was so brown (dirty) when I bought it I thought it would never come clean, but it did. It is very large and each block has the same lily pad embroidery. The middle quilt I bought from a dealer on Ebay. It was probably made in the late 1930s and each basket is the same. The yellow background is made up entirely of hexagons. The next quilt on the ladder is maybe called rolling rock, but I'm not sure. I found this quilt close to home in Burnsville. It is probably the oldest of the group. The last quilt was just a top when I purchased it in Paducah, KY for $35.00 in 1991. I had it quilted by an Amish women in southern Minnesota. I love this quilt. The fabric dates from 1950 and has Hispanic motifs.

Here's one more decorating picture for you. This pumpkin quilt hangs in my family room in fall. The pattern is from an old Redwagon book. I call it 'Cats in the Pumpkin Patch'.

I have to fess up to the rest of my dining room. As you can see it would be very difficult to have a meal on this table. Maybe a bite of chocolate and a Coke but not a Thanksgiving dinner. I really hate cleaning off the table. Putting everything away is the kiss of death to ever finding things again. I really would rather be sewing! Occasionally, I do have to clean-up my act and the table just to be civilized. But I ask you, what fun is that?

Everything Redwork

2008-10-03T12:47:00.000-07:00

This has been another fast and furious week. Last Wednesday I gave a lecture named, Past, Present and Future of Redwork. The lecture was in a small Wisconsin town by the name of Prairie Farm. It was a very pretty drive off of Hwy. 94. The route took me past some of the most beautiful heartland areas of Wisconsin. I drove past cows (of all colors), sheep, donkeys, deer and horses all through the hills and valleys of this country side. I felt very lost. What was a city girl doing in this part of the world? But, all of a sudden, there was Prairie Farm and the school I was to lecture at.

The quilt group I spoke to went by the name Hay River Quilters. There were about 30 to 40 women gathered for the lecture. They brought very nice show & tell. They listen intently to what I had to say about the 100 or so Redwork pieces I had bought. At the conclusion of the evening we all enjoyed yummy apple and pumpkin pie.

The star quilt pictured was made by Lillian T. one of the Hay River Quilters. The other picture is a close up of a Kate Greenaway design, "Children at the Stream" maker unknown.

I had a very nice time with the Hay River Quilters and hope to see them again, maybe at a future quilt show.

The Weekend

2008-09-22T13:27:00.000-07:00

Another weekend has come and gone. I spent much of that time enjoying the outdoors. I really do love my gardens and all of the work they entail. I weeded, pruned, cut flowers (not much left to cut) and even took some pictures of the waining blooms. It really is too bad that we don't have a longer growing season in Minnesota. I suppose if it was longer I might not appreciate it as much. I get such a thrill out of those first little bits of green that pop through the ground. They let me know that 'yes' there will be another spring and summer.

Now that fall is here, as of today, I will have to start thinking about covering all of those reminders of the sunny, warm weather. I work so hard at keeping them green through the lack of rain and the burning sun it is really hard to say good bye. The weather has been exceptionally good lately I hope it continues just a bit longer. The shorter the winter the better!

I thought I would share a few pictures from my garden. I really love the different Hydrangea I grow. I arranged a bouquet in a pottery vase. The vase was made by a very good college friend of mine...Richard Merideth of Chippewa Falls, WI. He has been a potter for approx. 25 years.

Another favorite flower of mine is the Hollyhock. They remind me of a country house or a cottage, beautiful and simple, but they can be one of the showiest flowers in the garden.

On a differnt note, a neighbor offered me apples from one of his trees. I'm not sure what variety. During half-time of the Minnesota Viking football game, I went and picked a shopping bag full of apples for the pie. The apples were rather small so I peeled 15 of them and created a very tall pie. With the help of Pillsbury ready made pie crusts from the refrigerator section making a pie is a snap! The smell of baking apples is one of the very best aromas don't you think?

You can tell that I didn't have any time for sewing this weekend. It was just too nice to sit and stitch. There will be plenty of time for that when the air turns cold and the snow starts to fall.

Enjoy,

Annemarie

It's All About Me!

2008-09-16T13:52:00.000-07:00

Hi my name is Annemarie Yohnk,

This is my first attempt in the world of Blogging so here goes...

My life is not unlike any other quilters. I have a family, including a husband (Dale) and a son (Wyatt). There are also 2 pets in my life, a dog named Molly and a very prissy cat named Hazel. I will include pictures of all in a future post.

I have been quilting since college and some how it has over taken my life and my house. There is quilting every where...from top to bottom. I really do think that fabric and notions have a life of their own. One day the thread is in a neat basket next to my sewing machine and the next day it is all over the table along with the various rulers and fabric strewn around. How does this happen?

I have worked for Glad Creations since 1989. How I got the job will be a whole other story. I used to sell fabric and help in the shop, now I teach a number of classes at the shop including "Jo's Little Women Club". My business, "The Quilted Sandwich", is a longarm quilting company that I have owned and operated since 1995.

Well that's enough for now. Let me know what you think!