Farewell to 2011

This is the next to last day of 2011 and I wanted to say goodbye to 2011. It has been a great year for me. I turned 60 in April and to celebrate I wanted to go to as many quilt shows and classes during the year. I'm so glad I attended these shows and classes this year.
1)Mid Valley Quilt Guild Show in April. I entered a quilt for the 3rd time.
2)AQS Paducah Quilt Show in April. I went to David Taylor class on applique and Libby Lehman class.
3)Quilters Affair in Sisters OR in July. I attended a 2 day with Melinda Bula which was fanastic.
4) Northwest Quilting Expo in Portland/Sept.I entered a quilt in the show.
5) Machine Quilting Expo in Portland/Oct. I took 3 classes with Kim Brunner
6) International Quilt Festival/Show in Houston/Nov.
It was so great to attend the 2 biggest quilt show in the country. I'm so glad to be a quilter and meet quilters from all over the world. I love making tablerunner, wall hanging and quilts. I'm have enjoyed using my Pfaff Grandquilter 1200 for the last 6 years but can't wait to use my new/used Pfaff Grandquilter 18.8 that I recently brought.
It has been a wonderful year for quilting for me. I can't wait for next year 2012.
Happy Quilting

Merry Christmas 2011

I love Christmas with all the decorations, lights, food and holiday spirit. I remember as a child getting up in the middle of the night with my brother to look at the tree with all the gifts. My Mom or Dad would always hear us and told us to go back to bed. We would have to have breakfast before could open presents. It was a magical time. I miss my parents during the holidays. My parents instilled in me that Christmas isn't all presents but a birth of the Christ child.
I wish everyone a blessed Christmas with family and friends. I'm blessed with a wonderful husband and my pets Maddie and Sassy.
Merry Christmas and Peace for the World.

Pfaff Grandquilter 18.8 and Quilt Artist

I'm so excited about finding a Pfaff Grandquilter 18.8 with frame plus a Quilt Artist with software on Craiglist for a great price. The previous owner brought it in Oct 2010 to use for a quilt business. She had to give it up for her REAL job. We went to look at it yesterday. It is in perfect condition. She showed me how to use the Quilt Artist(computer) which is going to be so much fun. Wayne and Roger went to get it today. This is the perfect way to end my celebration of my 60th birthday this year with a almost new bigger quilt machine.

International Quilt Show/Festival Houston TX 2011

I had a trip of a lifetime going to the 2011 International Quilt Festival 2011. I had a great time meeting quilters from all over the world. The Quilt Show has the BEST OF THE BEST quilts in it. I love looking all the different types of quilts and art quilts. It made me appreciate the ART of Quilting whether it is handmade or machine made quilts. I LOVE QUILTING!! I have a few pictures of quilts that I really loved.

International Quilt Show Houston TX 2011

Nov. 5,2011 This is tha last day of show for me. I has a Saturday Sampler from 10-12. It was held in the ballroom with over 28 different teachers. I went to 4 different teachers that interest me. 1) Wendy Butler Berns Stabilize Embellishing Stitches Sucessfully 2)Melinda Bula Cutting Garden Quilts 3) Deb Karasik Paper Piecing the Easy Way 4)Suzannne McNeill 10 Minute Blocks and Quick Tricks. I enjoyed the sampler. I went looking at the quilts and vendors until 12-2 which was the luncheon with Libby Lehman called Quiltx. It was about several Texas quilts. The luncheon had BBQ Chicken Salad, Bread, and Pecan Tart with ice tea/coffee. I meet quilters from everywhere and it was easy to talk to everyone. I went looking at the quilts and vendors and then went back to the hotel to rest. Ricky Tims concert was from 5:30-7:00 and then the Gala on the Green was from 7:00-9:00. Ricky show was fine but he did a better show in 2008 and at Sisters Quilt show. It was dark and cool for the Gala and the food was ok. I meet quilters from Wisconsin and a long armer from TX. The music was great with rock and roll. I did stay until 8:30 and then back to the hotel. I finished packing to leave Sunday Nov 6 to stay with Jan until Nov 9. I will post several pictures of the sampler and Ricky Tims.

International Quilt Show Houston TX 2011

Since this is last day of November I want to finish my trip to Houston.
Nov. 4,2011 I took the tour called Texas Star Tour. We had 2 buses full that left at 7:45-6:30. We went over 100 miles northwest of Houston to 3 quilt shops and to see the new Texas Quilt Museum in La Grange. The tour gave some Texas history since it is the 175th anniversary of Texas's indepedence from Mexico. We stopped at the Washington on the Brazos and Winedale Historial complex. We saw several very old quilts at Winedale. We stopped at Round Top, TX. It was a cute top with stores and resturants. We stopped at the Copper Shade Tree shop to see a display called Quilts by Men. It was several quilts made by men from all over the USA. They was several cute stores and a wonderful resturant called Royers. It was a small by in the style of the 50-60's. They had great homemade pies and got a piece of cherry pie. Our lunch was late to eat in the park at Round Top so had to eat them on the bus. That was disappointing because it was a beautiful day to eat outside. We went to a quilt store called Gerline's which was so small it was hard to move around in it. The next stop was in Giddings,TX called Around the Block which was a very nice shop. We went to the Texas Quilt Museum which was great. The last quilt store was in Katy,TX which was nice. The tour was running behind on time and then going home there was an accident that made us really late. We got back to the convention center at 7:45. I had a great time talking to a lady from Australia. It was a fun group of quilters on our bus. One of the gals won 2 1st place awards for hand made and handmade applique. It was a very fun day!! I will post a few pictures of the tour.

International Quilt Show Houston TX 2011

We got a new computer which works much better and faster. I have several pictures of the area of the vendors and quilts. There were over 1500 quilts which took me 2 days to see them. I was glad I had 5 days to enjoy the quilts and vendors and not feel over whelmed. I took a picture of Marianne Fons after the lecture.