Patriotic Quilt Exhibit on US 3 Year Tour

There is a lovely Patriotic Quilt exhibit that is touring the US for the next three years to benefit wounded troops. This show would be perfect for any quilt guild meeting, quilt shows, craft shows, schools, libraries and other events. To clarify, all proceeds from this tour go to buy supplies to make quilts for wounded soldiers.

To date, monies raised have been donated to the Oregon chapter of Home of the Brave ($1,000+), The Hugs Project ($2500+, and several quilt guilds $500 and 100 plus caseloads of books to guilds to use for fundraising. Plus, many military and veterans groups have scheduled this exhibit (fees are waived for veterans and military groups).

A contest, which has an indefinite deadline, calls for entries of 22" Patriotic Quilts. Approximatgely 180 beautiful quilts have been submitted to this contest to-date. While the majority of the quilts are 22", there are ~20 quilts that are larger (up to 9'x9').


“How do I love America? Let me quilt the ways” is the theme of Judy Howard’s “God Bless America” Quilt Contest.




















Judy is also working on a Patriotic book to help raise funds. The plan is to have this book published and available this fall for purchase for the upcoming holiday season. It will include photos and stories from this touring quilt exhibit. There will be a drop down story label for each quilt, whereby the quilter can also provide information to sell their quilt and/or pattern (and receive 100% of the proceeds) and this story label can help provide insight on their business, if appropriate. She is also hoping to get entries and stories from other groups that are making quilts for Wounded Soldiers, to ensure that all groups involved in patriotic quilting programs are represented in this exhibit and this book, when it is published. But she needs to hear from those interested in being included in this book ASAP!

Another effort Judy is trying to coordinate is to get a 22" patriotic quilt permanently displayed in Veterans and Military hospitals, centers, US Capitol, etc. to encourage troops and their families. But, she needs help in getting supporting contacts at these places who will coordinate getting these quilts permanently displayed at these centers. From my perspective, I think it would be wonderful to have a patriotic quilt on display at these places and I'm hoping volunteers will contact Judy to help coordinate.

To clarify, Judy has many great ideas but is in need of volunteers to help. For those that can help with PR, all PR is greatly appreciated (e.g. write articles in guild newsletters, post articles on blogs, contact your local libraries & newspapers, etc.).

These traditional or pictorial 22” quilts created by children and adults capture the essence of “America the Beautiful” by paying tribute to our American Heroes, Troops, Presidents and depicting “Liberty and Justice for all,” or expressing flag-waving loyalty to our “One Nation Under God.” “Blanket America in Stitches of Comfort, Patriotism and Hugs for our Heroes

















All profits from the $100/ week-end rental fee go to non-profit groups who provide quilts for wounded and families of fallen soldiers — those most in need of the touch of love that quilts represent.













This exhibit is available for a nominal rental fee ($100) for quilt guilds, schools, libraries, quilt shows, or other events. Rental fees are waived for veterans and military groups. Again, 100% profits go to non-profit groups that make quilts for wounded soldiers.












For more info on this touring quilt exhibit:

http://heavenlypatchwork.com/patriotic_quilt_exhibits_and_programs.htm

http://picasaweb.google.com/BuckboardQuilts/GodBlessAmericaQuiltExhibits?authkey=cj1iToKbu9c

Reserve your exhibit today by emailing BuckboardQuilts@cox.net. Please mail your quilts to 12101 N. MacArthur, #137, Oklahoma City, OK 73162 ASAP.

Here are photos of a few of these Patriotic quilts:

Taylor Grubbs, Mikayla Miller, Jessica O'Conner, Millboro Elementary, VA





















Ann Roberts - Fayetteville, AR















Marsha Poplin, Seminole, OK





















By Marsha Poplin - Seminole, OK
















Joan Ballew Marine Mom - Edmond, Ok















Quilter's Corner in Midwest City, OK














Judy Howard - Oklahoma City, Ok















I want to personally thank all of those that made quilts and entered in this contest, as well as those those helping to coordinate this touring quilt exhibit. I can't wait to see it! And I hope that many volunteers will come forward to help Judy with this Patriotic effort, especially helping with PR!

Making Patriotic Items

I've been researching patriotic items, looking for items that would be fun to make. I've decided to spend this week sharing insights on my findings. There are simply too many insights to share in one day. So, for now, here are a few ideas I think would be fun to make {but more to come this week, plus other patriotic ideas}.

Patriotic Pillow from Moda





















Nautically Nice. McCalls quilt kit.





















Patriotic Quilt Design by Marcus Brothers Fabric





















Sweet Libary. Info available on Artful-offerings website.






















Nautical Quilt Design, by Pat Sloan




















Check back, as I have more insights on patriotic items to share this week.

International Quilt Festival Long Beach

The 2nd International Quilt Show Long Beach is soon approaching. If you haven’t yet made plans to attend this show, there is still time. You can come by plane, boat, car, bus, or train, but do attend this wonderful show. It is the largest International quilt show on the West Coast.

There will be more than 1,000 beautiful quilts, textiles and wearable art will be displayed.

Indian Starburst by Judy Morton.
From the special exhibit “In the American Tradition VII”





















Date Night at the Drive In (23” x 30”) by Sherry Davis Kleinman
From the special exhibit “The Silver Screen II”.





















Renewal- After the Fire by Joann Sarachman
From the special exhibit "West Coast Wonders II".





















Splendor of the grass by Melinda Bula.
From the special exhibit “Celebrate Spring! 2009.”
















Family Flowers by Janice Faulk.
From the special exhibit “Country Living Classics.”
Sponsored by Country Living magazine and International Quilt Festival.





















Cinda's Circles by Karen Pharr.
From the special exhibit “In Full Bloom V: Floral Quilts
in Memory of Helen Pearce O’Bryant.”






















Threshers by Inge Mardal and Steen Hougs.
From the special exhibit “The Festival Gallery of Quilt Art: Town and Country.”


















A Few of My Favorite Things (36” x 48”) by Kathy York.
From the special exhibit “Pacific Coast Fiber Artists & Friends Present ‘Edges.’.”























There will be over 450 fantastic vendor booths.


















There are more than 100 classes with many that still have openings for you to participate!















Within the event is Make It University! ™, a mixed-media pavilion featuring the arts of scrapbooking, rubber stamping, fiber art and paper crafts, textile arts, and more. Developed in collaboration with Cloth Paper Scissors® magazine and its editor Pokey Bolton, Make It University! ™ includes teaching showcases, workshop projects, vendors, Open Studios, and special exhibits.

Clearly, you won't want to miss this show. No matter how you can get there, you have got to come. Personally, I'll be coming by a boat and can't wait to get to this exciting show!

This show will be held July 24-26, 2009, with classes beginning July 23rd. Preview Night, Thursday, July 23, 5-9 p.m. Friday & Saturday, July 25 & 26, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Sunday, July 27, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

All event activities will be located at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center: 300 Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90802 (front entrance on Pine Ave.)

Fees are $10 for general admission, $8 for seniors 65+ and students, $10 Preview Night ticket (no discount) includes one free additional day. And children 10 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. There is even a full show pass for only $25.

For more information on this show:
Call - 713-781-6864
Fax - 713-781-8182
E-mail - shows@quilts.com
www.quilts.com

Or snail mail to:
International Quilt Festival/Long Beach
7660 Woodway, Suite 550
Houston, TX 77063, USA

French Braid Obsession: New Ideas for the Imaginative Quilter, by Jane Hardy Miller

Jane Hardy Miller is a quilter, designer, teacher and author who I find very talented. She was born and raised in California, where she eventually attended college and law school. Her mother, a home economics teacher, taught her to sew by hand and machine, beginning at age five. Jane made her first quilt in 1968, and for the next ten years, she made about one per year, inventing techniques as she went along. She practiced law briefly in Hawaii and California before moving to Miami in 1979, where she married, had two children, and finally took a beginning quilting class. She has been working and teaching in a local quilt shop since 1987.

Many quilters may already know the book “French Braid Quilts”, written by Jane Hardy Miller and Arlene Netten, or the book “French Braid Obsession”, by Jane Hardy Miller. But as I wasn’t aware of these books until recently, I wanted to share my perspective on these delightful books with you.

French Braid Quilts uses a spin on the original log cabin quilt design. This book encourage quilters to play with color, while providing the reader insight on the basics of the design to make French Braids, as well as creative separators and borders.

















French Braid Obsession also provides basic insights on how to make a French Braid quilt, but the book provides 8 new design variations. There is also instructions to make beautiful quilted Christmas Tree skirts using the French Braid techniques. But I must say I fell in love with insights on how a French Braid design can be used as a border to make a spectacular quilt.




















Personally, I can’t wait to make a quilt using the “Boston Braid” or “Flying Free” designs from the French Braid Obsession book. But I also realize I need to make basic Braid Quilt first. Fortunately I have a nice stash of fabrics and think I can pull off my first basic Braid Quilt quickly, especially with the great instructions that are provided in these books. And they have definitely helped to increas my confidence level for working with color, as French Braid Obsession does a fantastic job providing insights to help with fabric selection.

Overall, I am very pleased with the quality of writing, instructions and colorful photos in these books. The two books compliment each other very well, so it isn't a matter that you would only want one or the other (you'll want both in your library). If you don’t have your own copies, I’d highly recommend you buy them both before they are not just out of print, but out of stock!




















For retail book orders, contact http://www.urbanelementz.com/; please allow 3 weeks for personalized copies. For wholesale orders contact http://www.ctpub.com/or any major distributor. And your local quilt store may also offer these books for sale too!

For information on workshops, lectures or commissions, contact Jane Hardy Miller at jane@frenchbraidquilts.com.

http://www.frenchbraidquilts.com/

When I finish my first French Braid quilt, along with my first "French Braid Obsession" quilt, I'll definitely share photos with you. Until then, here are some links to photos of some French Braid quilts on the web, which you may want to look at. And I'm sure you'll agree with me, the owners of these quilts certainly did a fantastic job (with the help of these great books):

Ann Ferguson, an Australian quilt designer, who realized the beauty in Jane Hardy Miller's designs, made this beautiful quilt. She appropriately named this quilt
"Bloomin' Braid" and she gave it to her Mum for her 80th birthday last year, as she loves to garden.

Ann is definitely a talented designer, teacher and a fellow blogger. If you want to see more of Ann's beautiful quilts, sign up for one of her classes, and read her delightful blog, check out her site:
http://annfergusonquiltopiadesign.blogspot.com/




Also, here is a link to picture of another beautiful quilt with the French Braid Obsession designs.
http://dakotacountystarquilters.org/images/2008%20retreat/retreat_2008_beth_blue_french_braid2.jpg

Tracey M. Brookshier - Brookshire Design Studio

Tracey M. Brookshier is a quilt artist, pattern designer, teacher, lecturer and quilt judge. While you may be familiar with her patterns, she is also well known for organizing international quilt challenges.





Her Bento Box design is one that I’ve loved to use when making charity quilts and/or wanting to use up some of my fabric scraps. As Tracey has come up with an updated and expanded version of her original pattern, I wanted to understand how the two patterns might differ.























I’ve concluded that both patterns are lovely and compliment each other. The new pattern provides 12 new quilt top designs, cutting instructions for 3”, 4.5”, 6” and 9” blocks in addition to the original 7.5” blocks, and hints on how to choose the most effective fabrics for your quilt. I also like all the ideas in the new pattern for different ways to layout your blocks, creating variations to the original Bento Box, while retaining the original simplicity to create a quilt that I fell in love with when making the original Bento Box design.

All of Tracey’s patterns are delightful and I know she provides excellent instructions and diagrams with her patterns. If you haven’t yet tried any of Tracey’s patterns, I’d highly recommend you give them a try. I bet you’ll be hooked like me. I am now trying to select which of her lovely patterns I’ll make next.

Possibly I’ll make her “BB Bag” design is so cute. It also looks like a great project for those that like to machine embroider or embellish. I can just imagine how nice a monogram, cute embroidery design, or embellishment would look on the front of this charming bag.




















But her “Butterfly Town” quilt pattern would be also be great fun to make. It is such a cheerful quilt. And, while I do love butterflies I think this quilt would make a wonderful charity quilt (e.g. can’t you imagine a little kid snuggled in this quilt)!




















On the other hand, I do need to start making things for Christmas gifts. Her “Christmas Stockings” looks like a fun design that I’m sure many would love to receive at Christmas. It is also another great design for those that like to do machine embroidery and/or embellish.




















And then, there is her “Napa Forest” patterns suggests to me that I sit back and enjoy a nice glass of wine, while I’m trying to decide which one of Tracey’s lovely patterns I want to make next. There are so many to select from. But wouldn’t this Napa Forest quilt be great when you have people over for a glass of wine?





















Or what about the other wonderful patterns she has created. Hymm…..which of Tracey’s patterns should I try next? So many wonderful patterns to choose from. Which one do you want to try?

You may want to join me with a glass of wine and determine which of Tracey’s designs you’d like to make next, or if you want to attend one of her workshops, or if you want to have her come to your guild to lecture and/or teach, be a judge at a quilt show, or………? She is a lady of many talents, so there are certainly a lot of wonderful options.

You can contact Tracey directly via email at: mailto:tracey@traceybrookshier.com
Her website also provides insight on all her designs, as well as her schedule.

http://www.traceybrookshier.com/

4th of July Quilt Show at Old Poway Park

Friendship Quilt Guild is holding a free quilt show on July 4th at the Old Poway Park, 14134 Midland Road, from 10am-4pm. The quilts will be displayed in Templar Hall and visitors can vote for their favorite quilt. Four winners will receive ribbons and and various awards.

Friendship Quilters is a friendly quilt guild in Poway, CA that has been in existence for ~25 years and has ~175-200 members. This quilt guild has been holding this free quilt show for ~15 years. Typically there are 50-60 beautiful handmade quilts on display.




















2nd Overall Favorite Lee Olson:





















Most Humorous Janice Rudgers:




















Overall Favorite Linda Card:



















Most Patriotic Quilt by Peggy Martin:





















Quilt about Poway (to be on display this year) by Mary Tabar:





















For more information on Friendship Quilters: http://www.friendshipquilterssd.org/


In addition to this great quilt show, the Poway Parks is coordinating an "Old Fashioned Fourth of July" at the Old Poway Park. From 10am to 4pm this free event will have plenty of entertainment for all ages. And definitely going to provide fun for everyone. There will be live musical entertainment in the Gazebo throughout the day. The Poway Station Model Railroad Club will display model trains. The Poway-Midland Railroad Volunteers will give rides aboard the steam locomotive for a fee of $0.50 for children and $2.50 for adults. Historical gun fighting re-enactors will perform mock train robberies and gunfights. The Heritage Museum and Nelson House will be open with patriotic and educational décor and memorabilia. The Park’s blacksmiths will be demonstrating iron making and forging metal into useful tools. The Poway Arts and Crafts Guild will be providing demonstrations and selling their one-of-a-kind handmade crafts. Children’s activities will be offered such as face painting, arts and crafts, and old-fashioned games. There will be plenty of lunch items and treats for sale such as an old-fashioned picnic lunch, traditional ice cream social, and more.

While there are many wonderful bands that will be playing during the day, my favorite is the Pomerado Community Band. This band will be playing at 3pm. http://www.pomeradoband.org/

This beautiful quilt show and fun 4th of July Activities are going to be held on July 4th, from 10am - 4pm at the Old Poway Park, 14134 Midland Road, Poway, CA 92064.

For more information on the Poway Park 4th of July activities contact: Audrey Denham, Poway Recreation Supervisor , (858) 668-4576

Desert Quilting Retreats

Each Year Monica's Quilt and Bead Creations and The Calico House partner to host several back to back quilting retreats in the Palm Springs/Palm Desert area. These retreats sell out, with the majority of the participants being those that registered after attending the class the previous year. To clarify, this can be a difficult retreat to get into, as it is so much fun that it sells out early. But, there are a few openings right now, which is one of the reasons I wanted to share this insight with you. This is a great quilting retreat and you may want to join me this year.

This event is a mystery based quilt retreat that runs on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The retreat starts out with a fun kick-off on Friday night, where there is show & tell with participants often bringing back quilts completed from the last year's retreat. There are fabric kits in various colors and prints, all current fabrics. Participants select their fabric kit and start cutting fabric Friday night. Over the weekend they follow mystery instructions that help their quilt top come together, block by block, with the final instructions walking you thru the steps for the borders.

Monica, of Monica's Quilt & Bead, along with Denise, of The Calico House, and their staff, does an excellent job of hosting this delightful quilt retreat. They are all very talented and provide a great deal of help, if you need it. They even try to help you reverse sew (rip) if you need to. And they host various games and Monica even teaches us how to do beading, if you want to take a break away from your quilting project to learn beading. It is also fun to meet other quilters, all of whom are very friendly.

















Each year this retreat has a different theme, whereb some tables decorate, and some people will also wear outfits that fit the theme. This year's theme is "Oh, la la!"

The price of this retreat is $350 which includes your fabric kit, mystery quilt design, meals, and a lot of fun! The retreat is based at the Hyatt Grand Champions in Indian Wells and has a special price for those attending the quilt retreat.

If you are interested in this quilt retreat, you can contact Monica's Quilt & Bead Creations to register, or get more info.

I'll post an update after I attend my retreat weekend mid-August.

Monica's Quilt & Bead Creations
77-780 Country Club Drive, Suite C-D
Palm Desert, CA 92211
Tel: 760-772-2400 Fax: 760-772-2324
http://www.monicasquiltandbead.com
e-mail: monicasqbc@aol.com

The Calico House
1279 East Imperial Hwy
Placentia, CA 92870
PH: (714) 993-3091 FAX: (714) 993-2316
http://www.calicohousequilting.com/home.html

Plenty of sewing room.
















Always a nice selection of fabric kits to pick from.




















And all of the finished quilts are always beautiful!