• The Winds of Change: Quilt Shops on the Move

    Pioneer Quilts has a new home!

    A lot of tears were shed when Pioneer Quilts announced they were closing, Linda was crying when she told me several months ago and it was all I could do to keep from crying myself. It is said “when the going gets tough, the tough get going” and going they are – right into a gorgeous new location, the Broetje House, in Oak Grove. I have seen pictures that Linda showed me of the interior as well as the outside; I can’t wait to see it in person. Best of all – Pioneer Quilts will own the property, no more being at the mercy of the whims of a landlord.

    Visit Pioneer Quilts’ Facebook page to see pictures of the new shop and keep up to date on when they will reopen. While there, please ‘like’ them to show your support and plan on visiting them personally as soon as they reopen. I for one and jumping with JOY!

    Pioneer Quilts new home
    Pioneer Quilts new home

     

    The New Folks in Town

    There is also a new shop opening in Wilsonville, wonderful news for all of those living in the southern Portland Metro area as well as those willing to take a field trip to explore new quilt shops.

    The new shop Sewn Loverly is located in downtown Wilsonville across the street from Lamb’s Thriftway. They will be having an open house this Saturday September 6 and I will be there from 10 am to 1 pm with samples of my quilts for classes I will be offering there. Stop by to say hi and welcome them to our wonderful quilting community.

     

     


  • APWQ Symposium

    Time is running out to register for the 2014 APWQ Symposium. There is a wonderful slate of teachers on the faculty including yours truly. I am offering two full-day classes and a third half-day class. On Friday August 1, I am teaching Animal Totems, a lovely blending of reverse applique and either Seminole or Foundation Piecing. There are several animal patterns to choose from – a Salmon, Bear, Wolf, Jaguar, Seal and Bird. I have designed a few new designs as well including a Deer, a Horse and a Turtle so there will be more choices beyond those listed in the brochure. This is a great project for beginners as well as more accomplished quilters. These quilts are beautiful as is but also provide fertile ground for those who enjoy embroidery and embellishment and some of the inset panels can be a good way to use up scraps.

    Salmon Totem #1
    Jaguar Totem
    Salmon Totem #2

    My Saturday, August 2, class is a tide pool themed wall hanging that is completely reversible. Hang it one way for a while and when you are ready for a change turn it around for a fresh new look – two quilts for the price (and effort) of one! The process is much easier than you may think and again is suitable for embellishment – particularly beading.

    Rock Stars - side A
    Rock Stars - side B

    My final class on Sunday, August 3, is a Folk Art Embroidery class. I’m a huge fan of ethnic embroidery styles and these were inspired by the heavily embellished stitchery of India and Pakistan. There are two patterns to choose from – a Cat or a Peacock. Once the stitching is completed, the embroidered motif can be cut out and applied to a quilt block or panel or sewn and stuffed to make a holiday tree ornament. The stitches are fairly basic and can be combined as desired to make a unique one-of-a-kind project.

    Embroidered cats on black felt
    Embroidered Peacock design
    Embroidered Cat ornament

    At the time of this post, there is still room in all these classes though the hand embroidery class is almost full. Visit the APWQ Symposium webpage for registration information.

     


  • Tillamook Quilt and Fiber Art Show

    Home again after the Tillamook Quilt and Fiber Art Show; and a lovely show it was. While in Tillamook, I stayed with my friend and professional colleague Arlene Sachitano  who writes delightful mystery stories nestled in quilts. She has a brand new book out set in her usual venue with the quilt group making quilts for an animal shelter. I also got a spoiler on the book she is currently working on but mum’s the word – I’m not telling.

    At the show my quilts and lectures were well received but the highlight of the show for me were the other quilts and the various demos. I stopped by the American Heros Quilts booth and made a block to be included in a quilt for a wounded soldier (my son Jesse was a recipient of one such quilt), I bought some honey from a local vendor and watched the other fiber demos. I was particularly taken with the rug hooking display. There was a small collection up at the show and an even larger and more impressive display up at the Latimer Quilt and Textile Center; this display of gorgeous handmade rugs will run through the month of June and is well worth a trip to Tillamook to see.

    Tillamook Quilts #1
    Quilt display at the show - note the 'Postage Stamp' quilt on the right - this is a contemporary quilt, not an antique.
    Tillamook Quilts #2
    More quilts on display.
    My Quilts
    This was my corner of the room. The show theme was 'Tidal Treasures' so I focused on my quilts with an ocean theme.
    Molas
    In addition to ocean themed quilts, I decided to show a panel of the various Molas I have made.
    American Heros Quilts
    A hands-on project to make blocks for quilts destined to be presented to wounded soldiers. Many guilds participate in making quilts for our returning troops
    WeavingDemo
    Other displays included a variety of fiber demos such as weaving
    The Hookers
    The Rug Hookers guild also had a lovely display and gave daily demos.
    Hooked Rug #1
    Detail of a rug hooking demonstration, isn't it lovely?
    Hooked Rug #2
    More rug hooking - a lot of meticulous work goes into making these rugs.