Episode 3 of Why Quilts Matter - The Quilt Marketplace debuts today.

Here's what the folks at Why Quilts Matter have to say about this exciting episode:

"The marketplace for quilts has always been a bit of a mystery. It's hard to understand why some quilts are so much pricier than others, and why some old quilts aren't worth anything at all. And how can an artist ask $10,000 for a brand new quilt...and get it? In this episode of Why Quilts Matter: History, Art & Politics, host Shelly Zegart takes you behind the scenes in the quilt marketplace-past and present-where you will meet its players, learn its unwritten rules, and penetrate its secrets. Discover why one 19th-century quilt was worth $264,000 and how a quilt can go from $150 to $20,000 as it passes from picker to dealer, up the ladder of expertise. Find out how artists price their quilts in the contemporary market and how technology is changing the playing field forever."

Featuring appearances by Shelly Zegart, Susan Parrett, Pat Garthoeffner, Susan Kramer Hunkins, Rod Lich, Caryl Bryer Fallert, Gerald Roy, Karen Musgrave, John M. Walsh III, Mariya Waters and (yay! Our very own!!) Ricky Tims.

This episode  is available free to all Star Members through March 31, 2012. Each week a new episode will be presented:

Episode 1 - Quilts 101 - Antique and Contemporary Quilts
Episode 2 - Quilts Bring History Alive
Episode 3 - The Quilt Marketplace
Episode 4 - What is Art?
Episode 5 - Gee's Bend: "The Most Famous Quilts in America?"
Episode 6 - How Quilts have been Viewed and Collected
Episode 7 - Empowering Women One Quilt at a Time
Episode 8 - Quilt Nation - 20,000,000 and Counting!
Episode 9 - Quilt Scholarship: Romance and Real

RaNae Merrill, our guest on Episode 1003- From Doodles to Quilts is sharing some of her extraordinary quilts with us. As a child, quilt designer, teacher, and author RaNae Merrill spent hours doodling on her favorite toy, a Kenner Spirograph. You just might notice the influence this toy had on a number of her quilts.

Purchase RaNae's book - Magnificent Sprial Mandala Quilts here.

If you'd like to see more of her quilts and learn their stories, visit RaNae's website.

February 3, 2012 is National Wear Red Day® created by the American Heart Association (AHA). Go Red for Women was created to dispel the myths and raise awareness of heart disease as the number one killer of women. It is a passionate, emotional, social initiative designed to empower women to take charge of their heart health.

According to their website, the goal of Go Red for Women is:

Go Red For Women encourages awareness of the issue of women and heart disease, and also action to save more lives. The movement harnesses the energy, passion and power women have to band together and collectively wipe out heart disease. It challenges them to know their risk for heart disease and take action to reduce their personal risk. It also gives them the tools they need to lead a heart healthy life.

Click here to learn more about local events, how to fundraise/donate, resources, and items you can buy to support the movement.

Since 2004, through its fundraising efforts, Go Red For Women has contributed almost $44 million to women-focused research and has provided additional funds to life-saving educational programs and tools for physicians.

Take care of yourself ladies, click here to learn the Women's Signs of a Heart Attack and click here to discover how to stay Heart Healthy at Any Age.

And remember, Go Red for Women!

While strolling around Road to California, we were struck by these shoes.  When asked about them the owner replied that she created them herself to have both comfort and style, (we're pretty sure her pants are custom too.)  What have you done to add a touch of quilting to your style?

It is with a heavy heart that we share with you the news that Alvin Fred Clabo, husband of TQS member Margo, passed away peacefully at home on Monday, Jan. 30, 2012, after a long, difficult battle with cancer.  Alvin was an avid supporter of Margo's quilt work. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Margo and her entire family.

This month you will create 9 appliquéd blocks. These will then be stitched to the triangles made in Month 1 and added to the center circle. You will learn how to position your appliqué shapes exactly where you want them. This technique can also be used to easily position the appliqué shapes in all future “appliqué” months.

Be sure to also watch the companion instructional video here.

The colors and life in the French Quarter of New Orleans was an inspiration to me.  I was drawn to the ironwork that made such wonderful quilting designs.

Here is a sample of the colors and designs along with a little girl stealing money out of the musicians bucket.

The Super Seminar is in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. I am excited to visit this amazing area and leave my house at 3:30am.  We are flying out of San Jose, California and should be in New Orleans by 2:20pm.  Easy.

Well...not really.

Due to weather, delays, booked flights, cancelled flights, crew changes etc. it took over 30 hours of travel to arrive. I don't even want to do things I enjoy for 30 hours.

(If you are from Alabama, the FCC says you may not read the following paragraph.-Management)

I don't like telling other people how to live their lives, but if "Sleep overnight at the Bush Intl Airport in Houston" is on your bucket list, I would suggest moving "Skinny dipping with George Clooney" above it.  I will say that I found the rhythmic undulations of the mini-zamboni a delightful nighttime experience.

So check out the video while I get some sleep. (New Orleans is great and the people are wonderful.)

Music by Ricky Tims - Title: The Way Home from the CD Heart and Soul

Do you have a travel nightmare story too?

Alex received this message from Dale Riehl a co-owner of The City Quilter in New York City. Quilting truly spans the globe!

We've had more than 5,000 students over our 15 years in business. One of the best things about keeping in touch with former students is to be able to see how they progress. We just received this wonderful picture from a group of wives of United Nations delegates that had been students here 2 years ago.

The group took the class we customized for them with teacher Judy Doenias after Cathy & Judy gave them a talk about the past and present of quilting in the U.S. Ever since then, they have met regularly to make quilts and this is a photo of their latest efforts. As you can see, many of them feature New York-themed fabrics (from our shop--and some are our own, exclusive designs) as a memento of their time spent here in the States. The ladies represent Indonesia, Jordan, Madagascar, Germany, Libya, Trinidad, Malta, USA, Algeria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Myanmar and Brunei.

Photo by Gregory Case Photography

As a child, quilt designer, teacher, and author RaNae Merrill spent hours doodling on her favorite toy, a Kenner Spirograph. Obviously time well spent; nowadays, she begins each new quilt with a series of doodles and sketches. Join us on location at the Onaledge B&B and Rockledge Country Inn (Manitou Springs, CO), where she shows a sampling of her signature spiral and mandala quilts, and then shares her design process and unique foundation-piecing method.

For the grand finale, RaNae, an accomplished pianist, treats us to a selection by J. S. Bach, and innkeeper Maureen Hance conducts a tour of the circa-1890 Rockledge Country Inn.

Last weekend the Road to California Quilter's Conference and Showcase "The Best in the West" was held at the Ontario Convention Center in Ontario, CA. As expected a number of spectacular quilts were display.

Here is just a sampling of the beauty that could be found on the floor. You'l recognize quilts from TQS Members and TQS Guests, not to mention a TQS BOM and a few Ricky Tim's hand-dyes.

To see a list of all the Showcase Winners, click here.

With Male Call: Quilts by Men, coming to the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum in Golden, CO, we thought we'd choose David Taylor's award-winning quilt, Marmalade's First Snow for our TQS puzzle.

Here's what David said about his quilt, "My friend Jane McLeod snapped this picture of her barn cat, Marmalade, and when she showed it to me, I knew I had to turn it into a quilt.  I always enjoy creating "barn wood' from fabric and this quilt has now become a favorite, and, I think, one of my best.  Marmalade's whiskers are hand embroidered, and the quilt is a combination of hand applique with machine piecing on some of the longer sections of 'wood.'"

This quilt recently was the winner of Judges Choice - Kelly Gallagher Abbott at Road to California.

Marmalade's First Snow - 35 pieces non-rotating

Marmalade's First Snow - 99 pieces non-rotating

Marmalade's First Snow - 99 pieces rotating

Marmalade's First Snow - 270 pieces non-rotating

Marmalade's First Snow - 270 pieces rotating