Tickled Pink by Susan Carlson.  Photo by Gregory Case Photography

Here It Is: Announcing the Series 8 Lineup!
Don't be an old stick in the mud! TQS is always on the hunt to bring you the "best of the best" that the quilting world has to offer, and 2011--with its knock-your-socks-off lineup--is no exception. The new year promises to be jam-packed with learning, and includes shows focusing on colorful art quilts that venture outside the box, friendship quilts using strips and scraps, Ricky's Rhapsody Quilts, quilt history, paper piecing with Alex, applique, our special 100th show...and much, much more. We know you are going to love these shows as much as we do!

Here are the stars--leading off with award-winning quilt artist Susan Carlson--whom we will be bringing you beginning January 3, 2011. 

• Susan Carlson
• Edyta Sitar
• Ricky Tims-Part 1
• Ricky Tims-Part 2
• Darra Williamson and Chris Porter
• Verna Mosquera
• Ronda Beyer
• Jo Morton
• Alex Anderson
• Cheryl Lynch
• Rob Appell

Feast Your Eyes on These Quilts for Little Hands
Don't miss your opportunity to view some of the finest examples of 19th- and early- 20th-century doll quilts (and antique doll cribs and cradles) during the on-going exhibit at the  International Quilt Study Center & Museum (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). The exhibit, entitled Childhood Treasures: Doll Quilts from the Ghormley Collection, runs through December 12,2010.

Collected over a 40-year period from all over the United States, the Ghormley collection encompasses more than 300 quilts dating from 1800-1950. The collector, Mary Ghormley, is a founding member of the Lincoln Quilters Guild and was a leader in the Nebraska Quilt Project, which documented the rich quilting heritage of Nebraska and resulted in publication of the book Nebraska Quilts and Quiltmakers. Ghormley is currently a weekly volunteer at the IQSC; in 2005, she and her family agreed to add her doll quilts to the IQSC's collection.  

Doll quilts are some of the most endearing of all quilts. Some were made for a young daughter's playtime, embodying a mother's love and care, while others were made by young girls themselves as they learned to sew. As Ghormley observed, "Perhaps the dearest of these quilts are those on which we see childish imprint, youthful concentration in every stitch."

Along with the quilts, the exhibition features three rooms from the Kruger Collection of Miniature Furnishings and Decorative Arts, on loan from the University of Nebraska College of Architecture. Each room showcases a 1/12-scale miniature quilt placed in a vignette with furniture and accessories. For more information on this delightful exhibit, click here.

Visit the European Patchwork Meeting:  Part 2
Follow along in Part 2 here of our tour as TQS reporters Jim and Melinda Burt visit the vendors' booths and more at the recent European Patchwork Meeting in Ste Marie aux Mines, France.

Did you miss Part 1? Click here to join the tour.

Heating Pad featuring Pen & Ink Collection by P&B Textiles
Soothes Your Aches Away!
As the colder weather begins to take its toll on your aching shoulder and neck muscles, give them soothing relief with your own personal spa treatment. This smart-looking heating pad, featuring the dazzling Pen & Ink collection from P&B Textiles, can be stitched together in no time. You might want to make one or two to give this holiday season; it's a gift sure to please any recipient. Look for the Pen & Ink fabric collection at your local quilt shop now, and visit our Projects page here to get stitching!

Tip of the Week:  Practice Makes Perfect
Before you dive into quilting that masterpiece you've labored over for months, take a tip from award- winning quilt artist David Taylor (Episode 406). 

Make a few small quilt sandwiches using the same top and backing fabrics and the same batting as you've used in your quilt.

 Experiment with these samples to determine the appropriate tension and to audition thread and quilt patterns before you begin stitching on the actual quilt.

By duplicating the materials, you've insured that the stitching conditions will be the same. 

If you have a tip you'd like to share, please send it to us here.

Build Your Stash with Neutrals
There is nothing more soothing and calming than a quilt made with neutral prints. Alex has loved these quilts (and the fabrics that comprise them) since...well...forever. She even has written a book (Neutral Essentials) and presented a show (Episode 408) dedicated to highlighting these stunning, yet quietly elegant beauties. 

In the past, collecting neutral prints may have presented a challenge. Not any more!   Pati, at the TQS Shoppe, has assembled four versatile fat-quarter bundles of yummy neutrals that are sure to add depth and elegance to your fabric stash. You can find both Alex's book and the fat-quarter bundles here.