We all know how wonderful it is to be driving along a country highway and then spotting a barn quilt painted on a wall, but have you ever wanted one for your own home?  We ran across this company at Road to California, www.classicmetalcompany.com, that manufacturers metal "Barn Quilt" blocks.  You can put them in your home or on your home.

Standard block sizes are 12" x 12" and 24" x 24," but you can have them create a custom design up to 8-feet square (just have your barn ready). 

If you'd like to take a look at some real Barn Quilts,  click on the slideshow.

Creating stunning spiral quilts that you saw in Episode 1003 can be child's play with the aid of RaNae's super helpful tips. RaNae has done all of the hard work for you in her book Simply Amazing Spiral Quilts.  She has even included a CD with print-out templates.

1. Begin with color-Select three or four colors that play nicely together, but then add a "kicker" -one that does doesn't mix quite with all the rest.  A small amount of kick adds excitement.

2. Blend and Separate-To make each spiral unit hold together you need fabrics that blend.  To define different spokes, you need fabrics that separate.

3. Pay attention to pattern-  Solid colors, monochrome textures or tone on tone create solid spokes with clearly defined edges.  Small to medium size patterns that are fairly dense are the best.  In most cases you will be cutting fabric in narrow triangles, so you want the pattern to be seen as much as possible.

4. Accuracy Counts- Pencil and pen widths vary widely, so use the same pencil or pen consistently throughout the drawing process to keep the lines and measurements accurate. 

5. Keep it Consistent- When photocopying be sure to make all the copies from the same original on the same machine at the same time, since different machines can have different reduction/distortion rates.

Bring a smile to any little one when you give a quilt featuring these darling monkeys, giraffes, and elephants being cared for by their adult parent.  The bright and cheery line, Safari Sweet Hearts, from Red Rooster is sure to be a hit.  Check out this cute and fast quilt pattern, plus the coordinating tote to round out the ensemble.

Click here for both patterns.

A pioneer and  newcomer join Alex & Ricky on Day 2.

Capt. John has been surrounded by so much love with the recent wedding that he needs some creative ideas on what to give Alex for Valentine's Day.

The ideas do not need to be expensive, but creative.  Also, we want to know what was the best Valentine gift you received?

Three winners will be selected at random to receive one of those Super Goodie bags from a recent studio taping. 

Send an email with "Valentine for Alex" in the subject line.  The contest ends on February 13,2012.  The winners will be announced in the eNewsletter on February 14, 2012.

Just submit an email to SharetheLove@thequiltshow.com and type "Valentine for Alex" in the subject line.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            I love you more...by TQS divaquilts

We all know you have fabulous fabric collections and probably a healthy supply of thread, rotary cutters,rulers, etc., but do you collect anything else?  Is there another passion that also rules your life (such as perfume bottles)?

Submit a comment and let us know about your "other stash."

Although I was born 55 miles away, I have never before been to Santa Fe.  We are taping 8 shows in this wonderful city in amazing locations.  Keep watching the blog as we will try to keep you updated.

This is the view from our hotel window.

The Classroom is open for everyone to learn Free motion quilting.  Join Patsy Thompson for these great lessons. There are Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced Lessons.  Get out some practice fabric and have a ball.

Sheila Frampton-Cooper, aka Zoombaby, had another quilt in Road to California 2012.  Her quilt, A View From Above, took 3rd place, Art Abstract.  Here is what Sheila has to say about her quilt.

This originally started as a very small color study, but to my surprise and enjoyment, it decided to grow. I've observed that when you allow the energy to flow without an agenda, you are given a gift. Several people said, "hey, it looks like the view from the plane when you are flying over the midwest". I recently flew from OH to LA, and looked out of the window and wow, there it was, my view from above.

It took Sheila three solid months to piece the top and another 6 weeks to quilt it.

A View From Above - 35 pieces non-rotating

A View From Above - 96 pieces non-rotating

A View From Above - 96 pieces rotating

A View From Above - 252 pieces non-rotating

A View From Above - 300 pieces rotating

Here is a detail of the Amazing Eight Quilt.  Click on the picture for a 35 piece puzzle.

Bridges was a juried exhibit this year at Road to California by the Quilts on the Wall: Fiber Artists. While some of these quilts are literal in their interpretation, others have a completely different take on what a "bridge" might be.

According to the exhibit - 

This exhibit portrays the personal vision of these artists, encompassing, but not limited to:

• a structure carrying a pathway or roadway over a depression.
• a time, place, or means of connection of transition.
• the upper bony part of the nose; also the part of a pair of glasses that rests upon it
• a piece raising the strings of an instrument
• the forward part of a ship's superstructure from which the ship is navigated

Sheila Frampton-Cooper stopped by Ricky's exhibit, All That Jazz, Improvisational Quilts 2012 to discuss her quilt in the exhibit, Sunset Cinema.  Sheila talks about how she came up with the idea for the quilt, her thoughts on quilting the project and the type of fabric that she used to create the quilt.

Click here to learn more about Gradations fabric.

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!