Giveaway Winner

Happy Friday!

Congratulations Carol, from Texas, who won a box of scraps.  Please send me your home address and I'll ship them out this week.

Chris offered to pass some along if she won, so I'm sending her a package of scraps too!

Thanks for your input on the binding issue, I'm gratified to know it's not just me. I had many anonymous commenters and some several non-reply bloggers.  This is how they make me feel~

I send a quick note to everyone who comments, so if you didn't get an email it is because YOU are a non-reply blogger.  You can fix that by going here to Lori's great post on identifying and fixing that.

Yay!  Friday I caught up on my Stars in a Time Warp.  I'm so glad that I did this sew along.  I've learned so much about fabric styles and it's been fun to be part of a big sew along.

Provincial Print - I couldn't help including the French Rooster conversation print.

 Sprigged Muslin two ways

 Coral Print with a little nautical anchor shirting.

 Early Roller Print with another sprigged muslin.

I found this wonderful photo of large fan quilting recently.   This is a quilt I'd love to make!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my US readers!

It's pretty much all things Christmas around here and I'll be doing some Chritmassy posts soon!

Binding.....What and How to?

First let me say thank you so much for your nice comments about my Jubilee Quilt.  It was very rewarding to hear such nice comments. Often in the modern quilt world, this kind of old fashioned hand quilted quilt goes a bit unnoticed, so I can't tell you how much it meant to hear from you.

Here is my new little dolly quilt:  Baby Bow Ties (I see the camera focussed on Mr. Starbuck)

It measures 17 inches square and I used this pretty fabric on the back.

It was made with the little bow ties I received from the bow tie angel in the civil war swap.  I only had to make a few of my own.

At the recent quilt show I was penalized points because I used 4 separate pieces of binding and made "straight corners" (it's not here to photograph).  Since when is the mitered binding THE ONLY binding that is considered good?.  I was also criticized for not using more and smaller stitches on my Jubilee binding.  what?  seriously?  seriously?

So on this new quilt I worked very hard to make good corners.  They are straight and square and secure.  I think on an old fashioned quilt it actually looks more right to me; more appropriate somehow.

The other thing the judges criticized was when the print on the binding was not fussy cut (this was on someone else's quilt).  Wow.  I don't think I've ever really considered it before.  I do pay attention when using a stripe on the bias for that barber poll look we all love, but on small prints?

So here I attempted to "fussy cut" my binding.   The left side turned out great.

The one below, not so much.  Sometimes the print was not printed straight, so how to cut it I wonder?

How do you handle and approach your bindings?  I'd love to hear about it.  Let me also say this is the first time I had heard these comments.  I also don't want it to discourage anyone from entering quilting into shows.  I like to share my quilts,  which is why I have this free sharing blog.

I'm working out my quilting plan for the Alice Payne quilt.  I definitely want to start quilting by January 1st.

The Constant Quilter hosted a scrap give away and I won!  Thank you, Wendy, for the wonderful package of scraps and also for your wonderful blog posts.

I've decided to pay it forward.  If you would like to win a box of scrap pieces just leave a message and I'll pick a winner on Friday.  Who knows maybe we can keep the sharing going.  Based on the weight and postage US shipping only this time.

I'm keeping Paris and all of France in my thoughts this week.

BSQ 2015 Quilt Show Roundup

Last week I spent four days in New Jersey with the Brownstone Quilt Guild working on the quilt show.  Here is a re-cap:

My Jubilee Quilt won a Blue Ribbon for Bed Quilt and also a Quilt Show Chairman's ribbon.  I was so honored I look like a lunatic !!

Nancy and I tied for 3rd place ribbons in the wall quilt pieced category and they are both houses - perfect!

I forgot to get a photo of Hot Flash, but it was awarded an Honorable Mention.

Before all the fun of the show, I was the Judging Chair and responsible for hiring and making arrangements for the judges and organizing the quilts at take in and on judging day.

Pauline and I have done this for the past 4 shows but it is a challenge each time!

Here is an "action shot" of the judging.

100 quilts were judged between 9:30a and 6:00p.  It was a long, hard day.  Thank you to all who came to help.  It couldn't have been done without you!

The show looked the best it every has!  We used black curtains and wow - what a difference they make.

Here are my buddies - the Co-Chairs:  Pauline and Nancy and the wonderful raffle quilt that they also coordinated.

Here are some and by no means all the quilts I liked.  I just ran out of time taking photos.

Quilt shows are put on by volunteers like our Vendor Queen, Norma and our Ribbon Queen, Peg.

Dana's Booth, Material Pleasures, looked amazing! I was obsessed with the nine patch, of course.  I heard she sold the cheddar and blue - yum

Here is what I purchased at her booth:  A luscious piece of Toile'

and a vintage fabric and Hanky

I picked up these fabrics~

I added to my low volume and script fabric collections, bought another pair of Karen K Buckley's scissors and those pricey but wonderful needles.

I must be obsessed with my new fabric mist, I took its photo twice.

It was wonderful to see and chat so many friends from my recent visits to Garden State Quilters and Pieced Together Quilters as well as Block Swappers.

Well - That's all folks!

Day of the Dead

Otherwise known as:  Dia le dos Muertos     Here is a link to a wonderful website with lots of photos and details about the festival here.

My DofD quilt:  I See Dead People:  Ode' to Freida Kahlo made in 2003.

 I did a meandering cross hatch with variegated thread.

 the backing showing the full fabric.

I have 2 yards of this fabulous candy skull fabric.  Have to find a place to use it.

Here is my all time favorite DofD quilt "Amigos Muertos" made by:  Jonathan Shannon in 1994.  It was made as a memorial quilt for friends who had died of AIDS.  Look a those incredible Mexican flag applique' blocks.  Wow - still love this quilt.

There was quite a controversy when AQS wouldn't allow it in their show due to its "sad nature".  I still have Jonathan's open letter regarding censorship. 

 This year I added these fun earings to my collection.

 and sheila sent me this mug.

 Susan gave me these stickers last week.  It's so great that my friends "get me".

Little display that I always have on my quilt book shelf.

I made a funny block for the Stars in a Time Warp sew along to mark Halloween and DofD.

Halloween round up:
coco went as a "hot dog".  I made her a collar accessory to complete her look.

At the Howl-een party at doggie school she won a pedi-pedi for most creative costume.  Good girl coco for sitting for your portrait.

I did a quick witch dress up to go bowling on Saturday....Mr. Fun is such a good sport about my nonsense.

Well that's all folks.  I'm off to NJ for The Brownstone Quilters Quilt Show.  Click here for the details.  Hope to see some of you!