Charlotte Quilt Show

 It was a pretty day today, but too cold and windy for my husband to row his shell,  so we took off to see the Charlotte Quilt Show at the Metrolina Exhibit Hall--as did a LOT of other people.  It was so crowded that it was really difficult to get a good look at the quilts at times.  But I persevered!
This first quilt is by Melanie Paul and it won Best of Show. A lot of hand appliqué on this one and  very well done.

 This quilt by Tawny Morrison didn't win a ribbon but I was fascinated by the border.  Look at those  pieced half circles.  A LOT of work went into the construction--and they fit the sides perfectly.

This quilt by Anna Sitterly is a miniature and one of her first quilts ever.  I personally think that it is very difficult to work in miniature and I applaud her for taking it on.  It was well worth the effort because she won a first place.

I had seen this quilt by Susan Brubaker Knapp before--but not in person.  Beautiful stitching really brought out the details.

 And look at THIS cat by Karen Phonishell.  Didn't she do a nice job.  Obviously, the judge thought so.

 This quilt by Jeri Kellett was another first place winner.  The thing that fascinated me about this one is that she pieced the stars  into blocks and then made a bias tape from fabric and went around each star with it to add much more  interest and dimension.  Another 1st place.

 Finally, this quilt by Skye McDonald really caught the eye with her wonderful use of color.  Those blocks were more complex than I would like to try.

The variety of vendors was quite good at this show--from traditional fabrics, to batiks, to wools, to handwovens, to machines--and on and on.  My only disappointment personally--since I teach machine quilting--is that so many of the quilts were quilted by someone other than the quilt maker.  I remember reading on the description card of one of the quilts that the maker had decided to see if she could make a king-sized quilt and quilt it on her home machine.  She was very successful and I applaud her.  I  know that she derived a deep feeling of satisfaction in her accomplishment.  Some people are just afraid to try it for themselves--overwhelmed by the "bigness" of the project.  And that is one reason why I enjoy teaching so much.  Sure, have someone quilt some of your quilts for you but at least work on your skills and realize that it can be a lot of fun to do your own sometime.  Years ago, I was in Sisters, Oregon and heard a lecture by Harriet Hargrave.  She asked the question, "Are you a quilter--or are you a topper?"  I knew right then what I wanted my answer to be.

Sample Redux

I'll be teaching my class on quilting feathers at the Asheville Guild in July and I thought that I would jazz up my sample a bit.  The upper quilt is the original sample and the lower one is the redux (I guess you could really figure that out for yourself).  One comment that I received from judges on my earlier quilts that had feathers on them was that, although they were very nice, they would be a lot better if I had used a contrasting thread.  But, but, but . . .if I were to use a contrasting thread then they would be able to see all of my mistakes!  So,  improve already.
Anyway, I finally got the message and got courageous enough to start using thread that stands out and really emphasizes the quilting.  So I wanted to make a new sample that would demonstrate what a difference it could make.  I also added four new elements to show how you can start with a fairly simple design and completely change the look of it without a tremendous effort.  I had lots of fun doing this little quilt and I hope that it will inspire others to step a little out of their box and add a little color to their lives.

A Fine Group of Women

 Yesterday, I taught a class on Machine Appliqué at Asheville Cotton Company--a store full of beautiful fabrics and equally beautiful Bernina sewing machines.
One thing that I really like about teaching is getting to know so many different quilters and to listen to them share in their individual stories.  Each of us has a story that is uniquely our own--the thing that makes us special.  And how often these days do we take the time just to listen?
That's one of the benefits of a quilting class--there's time to talk while you learn.
For most of the people there yesterday, machine appliqué was a new skill they wanted to learn.  They didn't know about using the blanket stitch and some of them feared using the satin stitch to secure their
appliqué pieces to the background.  And Wonder

Under?  What was that?  We discussed stitch widths and
lengths, appropriate needle sizes, tension
and many other facets of successful appliqué  and I think
everyone learned a little more about their machines.
(One of the great things about teaching in a machine
dealership is that there is help for machine problems

when needed).
But what was the best thing about yesterday?  Easy.
Everyone approached the class with a spirit of
adventure and a desire to learn something new.  If
they didn't get it right the first time, they just kept
on trying.  But, the very best part was that we
laughed a lot, shared our stories and became a
community for that one day.  What more could
you ask for?

The Ring

I'm guessing that most of you who have been married for a long time remember when and where your prospective husband formally asked you to marry him and sealed it with an engagement ring (after all, our long-term memories are WAY better than our short term memories these days).  I remember the day as if it were yesterday.  I was sitting on the glider on our front porch in Northern Virginia and my boyfriend had come up from South Carolina for my high school graduation (Yes, I was pretty young).  While we were sitting there, he handed me a tiny box and popped the question. (Yes, I was VERY young).  Less than a year later, I was married and living in South Carolina--which turned out to be somewhat of a culture shock for me.
Anyway, several years later I was standing in line in the grocery store and all of a sudden realized that I no longer had my engagement ring on my finger.  What a sick feeling.  I had NO idea where it might be or what could have happened to it.  After several days of looking and looking, we read our insurance policy which said that jewelry loss was covered when it had "mysteriously" disappeared.  Well . . .wouldn't you think that was mysterious?  The insurance company didn't agree and so I more or less adjusted to the loss and went on about my life.
One day, not too long after that, I was standing in my neighbor's yard and chatting.  I was sort of scuffing my foot back and forth and happened to look down and there it was!  My ring was in the dirt of her flowerbed.  Evidently, when I had been digging up her extra grass to transplant into my grassless yard, it came off.  As far as I was--and am--concerned, it was a true miracle.
About three weeks ago, I was sitting at this computer and happened to touch my left hand with the right one and realized that my ring felt very rough,  I looked down and saw that there was no diamond in the setting.  Once again, I had no recollection of when that might have happened.  We searched in every nook and cranny hoping against hope that it would turn up.  No luck.  This time I was really heartsick because--at least for me--as I've gotten older fewer things are important to me and a ring that my husband gave me to begin our life together is one of the things at the top of the list.  He, of course, wanted to go buy another diamond to replace the lost one--but that wasn't the point.  It would take another 50 years for a new diamond to mean that much--and I'm really doubting that 50 more years is in the cards.  However, I did remember that I had a diamond that he bought very early in our marriage.  And so, I now have that resting in a new setting in the old ring.  And I also had a major piece of advice from the wonderful jeweler who said that everyone should get their ring settings checked every six months.  I'm saying this in case some of you are walking around with your special memories sitting in a setting that is also showing some age.  As they say, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
Have I given up on a second miracle?  No, not really.  Ya never know . . .

A Sunday Afternoon "Stroll"

 Yesterday, my husband and I went to Dupont State Forest (http://www.dupontforest.com) near Hendersonvile, NC.  This property is so beautiful with some spectacular waterfalls and and well-laid out trails.  It had been a good while since we'd been there so it seemed like a good time.  What struck my eye right away was this tree and several others like it.  See how the trunk is growing on top of a rock formation?  Think of the fortitude it took for that to happen!

One thing to keep in mind about hiking to see waterfalls--it's often a steep trail to the top.  BUT--well worth the effort.  Which I was almost doubting by the time Triple Falls (shown here) came  into view.  And this wasn't even NEAR the top of them.  So very beautiful though.  We made it there though and THEN we started the trek up to High Falls--seen below.  You can also see the covered bridge that is at the top.  And the covered bridge when we actually got there.

 Next, you can see our view from the bridge--where the water is cascading over the falls.  That would be a L - O - N- G fall if one were foolish enough to go to the edge and look down.

 As we were at the top, we saw some people coming up a road.  A Road?  You mean I could have RIDDEN  up here?  Naw . . .it's the destination AND the journey.  Places like this are why I love where I live.  It has gotten more and more difficult to go anywhere these days without the sounds of sirens, traffic, people talking loudly on there cell phones--and all the other things that surround us everyday.  When you're trudging up a steep hill, it is an intentional act based on your desire to experience nature without the barriers that are part of our daily lives.  You can hear the wind moving through the trees and you can hear the water roiling it's way down to the sea.  Your spirit calms and is refreshed.  You go home with a feeling of connectedness to something greater than yourself.  And, hopefully, you'll be back soon.

Way Off Topic--Sort Of

I'm sure that I'm not the only quilter in the world who finds it more exciting to work  in my studio than to do the hard work of being healthy.  Right?  I've got the aches and pains associated with getting older and it's WAY easier to sit back, look at the latest uTube and perhaps--more than perhaps--dig into that bag of M&M's (or some equally delightful product) and just enjoy the afternoon.  We only live once,  right?
Wrong!  Is it truly living when we can't do the things that we should be able to do?  One thing I have learned over and over again is that we CAN do things for our health if we'll only do them.  Unfortunately--as I said--I've learned this over and over--and over.
Twice now, I've had yearly physicals and come out unscathed.  By that, I mean that I didn't get a diabetes diagnosis.  I have diabetes in the family so I am ripe for it--especially given some of the things I regularly have put into my mouth.  So . .  .I've been lucky--but luck is just that and there is no guarantee that it will hold.
The very real condition that I have had to deal with is severe arthritis in one foot and moderate arthritis and a neuroma in the other foot and--thrown in for good measure--hip pain.  Walking has gone from being a real pleasure and an opportunity to ponder whatever needs pondering to becoming a major chore with every step one of pain.
So, here's the good news.  For many people--myself included--giving up sugar in one's diet can result in greatly diminished pain that is caused by arthritis.  After three days on this new regime, I could walk the  route around our neighborhood fairly comfortably.  After six weeks, I am walking at least 2 miles (the pedometer is in the mail) now without any pain unless I go faster than I should. I think I'm ready to climb a mountain!  A short one, that is. My sister-in-law--who likes to play tennis everyday--was at the point of having to give it up because her joints hurt so badly.  This past week, she told me that she hated to tell me that I was right (because, if possible, she loves sugar more that I do) BUT her joints stopped hurting after 3 days of no sugar.
I'm also "the victim" (self-induced) of the wheat-belly "syndrome".  Man, who doesn't like carbs?   The staff of life and all that.  But, you know, they're gone also. I am passing along The Hungry Girl cookbooks info above.  Not all of her recipes are suitable for what I'm trying to do, but everything I've tried, I've liked--as long as I add lots more onions and garlic (and they're so good for you).  Her website  is www.hungry-girl.com and she has free recipes you can try.
I'm not trying to convert anyone here--I'm just sharing this in case it might resonate in your life.  As much as I like to quilt and to sit and knit and read books and do many other things of a couch potato nature, it is equally important that I get my body moving.  When I move my body, I feel better and when I feel better, everything else is better, too.  Now, all I need to do is to remember that when my hand starts reaching for those muffins at Ingles . . .

One Step At A Time

 

I am often asked how I come up with an idea for a quilt and my usual answer is that I just kind of pull it out of the atmosphere--and that's largely true.  Most of the time when I begin a quilt, I have absolutely no idea where it's going to end up.
For instance, the quilt that I'm working on right now has been on my design wall for months and the original motif was drawn at least two years ago.  The drawing at the top is the original motif.
 It is on paper that measures about 7" x 9".  I blew it up enough to make it wallhanging-size; however, that made the imperfections and unevenness MUCH more apparent.  I eventually redrew it using a ruler as a guide on each round.  (I wish I were more mathematical or something but my roundabout way of doing things usually gets me where I need to go).  Anyway, that done, I decided on colors for the individual rounds.  I started with purple tones, and as you see, ended up with aqua.  I finished the entire center using my appliqué pressing sheets and that sat around for several months while I explored backing options.
I finally decided to use a Ricky Tims hand dye and cut up blocks to sew together.  I hated it--but now I had used up quite a bit of my somewhat pricey hand dye.  I really liked the color, however, so I ordered more.

Now, using my non-mathematical skills again, I drew out the sunburst design, ordered more fabric and cut out my pattern.  Would that all the seams came together neatly and successfully . . .Not!  I spent quite a while making that work out--including cutting out the entire center.
So now, the quilt hung around the studio on the design wall for months. Finally, this week I pulled some more stuff out of the atmosphere and got going again.  It has taken off in a direction that I NEVER expected it to and, so far, I am really happy with it.
Am I near finished?  No.  Do I know where is it going or when it will be finished? No.  What I am learning over and over again is to trust in the work and enjoy the journey.  And that's a pretty good thing to learn.