Another Jo's Club Night

Another Jo’s Club Night

It has been so hot in Minnesota with more 90 degree (and a couple of 100s) days than I can remember; not unlike most of the country.  Luckily, last Tuesday night the heat broke and in the upstairs classroom of Glad Creation, Quilt Block the wonderful ladies of Jo’s Club got together to share their quilt work of the last month. 

We always start with cookies and coffee but lemonade or ice tea would be a better choice for our hot summer meetings.  Then the laughter begins.  Someone always gets us going and we have a really fun time.  I’m sure anyone downstairs shopping or working is jealous of our good time. 

There’s loads of creativity and talent in the class. 

Here are a few pictures from the night’s show and tell.  Take a peek at what they’ve done!

The new quilt for July 2012 - "Raspberry Swirl"

Mickey's "Pottery Shards"

Sharlene's 2-color version of "Pottery Shards"

Jane added sashing to "Pottery Shards"

Jane's "Pottery Shard" table runner 

Debbie's version was a copy of an antique doll quilt I brought in paired with the "Pottery Shard" quilt block.  Below a close-up.

Shirley's "Transferware" top

Lynnette was in process of quilting her "Glimmers" quilt

A slightly larger version of "Framed" by Lynnette used 3/4" size squares instead of 1/2" size.  Quite a difference in person.

Mickey with her beautiful Jo's quilt.  Absolutely lovely!!

Julie brought in a quilt just back from the quilter.  The quilting was to represent a river and  it was EXPERTLY done.  I hope you can see the pebbles in the background. 

Some very nice small quilts from Lynette.

More of Lynnette's quilts she bought at a Minnesota Quilter's small quilt auction. 

Happy quilting,

Annemarie

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

How I spent my summer vacation…

I had this wild hair…I thought a quilting road trip was in order.  So I called my partners in crime (or in quilting) and said “we need a road trip!”  Well I didn’t have to twist their arms.  Friday we loaded up the car with our map, cameras, shopping lists, sturdy totes and of course our credit cards. We got in my car, cranked the AC and headed south to Iowa. 

Our first stop was Garner, IA at Country Threads.  One of my all time favorite quilt shops.  If you have never been there it is a MUST VISIT!  An old converted chicken coop is the main quilt shop.  Then there are two other out building; a traditional red barn with sale patterns and another building with loads of civil war repos.  We spent hours in the repro building.  Shopping can be sooo exhausting!  With our tote bags over flowing we said goodbye to the honking geese, the cats and a very special foster dog named Tully (I really wanted to bring her home).  If you can’t get to Country Threads you can subscribed to their newsletter called the Goat Gazette.  It is chalked full of interesting articles, fabric and kit offerings and the occasional yummy recipe.  What a great start to our day.

Inviting entrance to Country Thread, complete with barn quilt art

Ann, my partner in crime and a Country Threads employee Jan - such wonderful taste in  attire.  They may have been  separated at birth???

The Civil War fabric room

More Civil War fabric and kits

Just half an hour away from Country Threads is our next stop…The Quilted Forest in Forest City, IA.  This shop is quite different from Country Threads.  Bright and full of light this shop offers tons of kid fabrics, 1930 repros, a large selection of patterns and an entire section devoted to Halloween.  What a great place to pick for a contemporary quilt.  One of my partners in crime did very well at this shop.  She even used up a frequent buyer card and received a gift certificate to be used at next visit.  Oh, I forgot to tell you there is a delicious ice cream parlor in Forest City and on a hot day that was terrific!

A great collection of 1930s fabric

Black and white fabric galore

Heading north now and back over the border into Minnesota we took I-90 to Hayward, MN and The Calico Hutch.  It had been a long time since I was there.  The shop had changed a little since the last time I visited.  More fabric, more samples and just MORE of everything, it was total eye candy everywhere you looked.  I got into a little unexpected trouble in the ‘wool’ room.  I bought a nice kit for a Christmas project (and my buddies followed suit…monkey see, monkey do I always say).  Now I just wish I could buy some time for making the project. 

Class room at the Calico Hutch.  Wall to wall quilts and fabric eye candy.

My new project from the book I believe by Art To Heart.

We had a wonderful time together.  I hope we get a chance to do it again real soon!

Happy travels!

Annemarie

Spring Quilt Market 2012 - Kansas, MO

Ok, so I have back for several days from quilt market.  I had a wonderful time.  So many familiar faces.  It is always fun to reconnect!

Car loaded and ready to go!!!

Lots and lots to unload.  Do you see what I I had in my Tahoe; just a ton of stuff!  It takes days to pack and even more to unpack and re-organize.  Most is done however, I still have to return a few borrowed items.

This is such a welcoming site when you enter KC...the bridge is just incredible!

Very cool bridge entering Kansas City, MO

I want to show you just a few of the pics I took.  Hope you enjoy them.

The welcoming entrance to Quilt Market

To my husband taking the picture...notice the sign I am holding...No Pictures Please

Quilts Remembered booth...My friend Margaret and I

My Pie Safe...it is well used with patterns inside.  It is always a hit in the booth!

Kansas City March designers and The Legacy Sampler quilt. The winner of the quilt is The Quilting Loft in Seattle, WA

The Michael Miller fabric booth...a very happy booth!

Alexander Henry's fabric booth.  What a wild creations for stacked B&W chairs

Quilts from Mulberry Lane - Carolyn & Don Springer

Cindy Rennel's and a customer admiring one of quilts for sale

Jo Morton visiting with friends in her lovely booth 

Happy quilting,
Annemarie

Class Quilts

Time to share a few class quilts.  Jo's Little Women class is going strong.  We began in March 2012.  So many wonderful quilts to make and such yummy fabrics.  The first sample I made is called "Eggs and Bacon", size 36-1/2" square.

Eggs and Bacon

The next month the club got together and I showed them some of the tiniest piecing I have ever done.  This one is called "Transferware". The name comes from mid-18th century china or pottery.  The finished size of the flying geese is 5/8" x 1-1/4".  Sew tiny!

Transferware

Tonight was our third class.  We had 2 quilts this time.  Both quilts were completed using 9-Patches.  I love, love, love 9-Patches.  I never get bored of them and that is a good thing considering there are 109 1-1/2" finished little darlings in these 2 quilts.

Framed

Glimmers

I promised I would post a picture of the back side of "Framed" to show the clipping technique up close.

Back side of "Framed" showing clipping/pressing technique

Here are a few class member quilts too.  Enjoy!!!

A bit different version of "Transferware"

Nice use of Jo's fabrics

Close-up of another "Transferware"

Hope you enjoy the pictures.  Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think.
Happy Quilting,
Annemarie

My Class at Ivy Thimble Quilt Shop

What a whirlwind weekend!  What an extremely nice group of quilters!  I had a great time!!!

Me and Trish - owner of Ivy Thimble Quilt shop

I flew in a very bumpy flight on Thursday.  Friday morning I was whisked away to the Ivy Thimble Quilt & Gift Shop.  The shop is in an old train station.  How cool is that?  Trust me, its cool!  My lecture was at 1:00 so I had plenty of time to set up and meet the staff.  Everyone was so nice and very helpful.  My lecture was really three different lectures boiled into one.  I spoke about antique doll quilts, about Quilts Remembered quilt patterns and how I got to have a pattern company started and then demos on tools of the trade.  There were lots of questions and tons of different tools for people to take home.  The shop sold out of just about every one of them!

All day Saturday I taught Laura’s 1870 Cradle Quilt.  The class went smoothly just like clockwork.  My 12 students worked from the second they sat down.  They got right down to business and didn’t stop until lunch.  For lunch, Trish the shop owner, brought in a wonderful array of wraps and desserts for everyone!  They were YUMMY!  Thanks Trish!!!  After lunch they worked even harder to get all the shapes done for the quilt.  It is too bad we could sew into the night but alas I had to go home.  My flight was quiet…only 11 out of approx. 126 seats were taken.  I even got to sit in 1^st class…but so did half the rest of the passengers!  Hahahaha!!!

Thanks Trish and staff at the Ivy Thimble Quilt shop AND a special thanks to my great students.  I hope to be hearing from you soon and seeing their finished Quilts Remembered quilts.

Now back to reality. 

Happy quilting,

Annemarie