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| | The Quilt Show Newsletter - Volume 1, No. 33
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October 23, 2007
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http://www.thequiltshow.com
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Volume 1, No. 33 |
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TQS Heading to Houston
The boxes are packed with goodies, the trucks are filled with gas and everyone involved with The Quilt Show is on the road to Houston,Texas for the International Quilt Market (October 27-29, 2007) and Festival (November 1-4, 2007).
The new Quilt Show Shoppe will be there. It officially launches on our website November 1, 2007. We will have a wide assortment of products, many featured on our show episodes, and the official TQS pins. We will also be selling Season 2 & 3 subscriptions. So if you are going to Quilt Festival wear your TQS badge, stop by and say "It's a New Day".
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 Video Blogs with Alex
Thank you for your patience regarding my video blogging. It certainly has been a BLAST! It took about 30 hours of trial and error before the light bulb went on (for the first 30 hours I was ripping my hair out and saying not so gracious words-LOL). There is still plenty to learn, but at least the language and editing program has become familiar. I know the blogs have been tongue- in- cheek, and not so quiltie oriented. I am going to continue with the fun/off the wall stuff for all our guests-BUT, soon (around Thanksgiving) you will see a blinking star. Click the star and you will see me giving VERY short and informative lessons (not network quality-just in my sewing room with my cat and one camera) for our subscribing members. I am kind of nervous about this-LOL. So, once again, thank you EVERYONE for your patience regarding what you had to endure (pirates).....Without the web presence (peer pressure) I would have found ways to put it off. I must admit it has been an incredible journey :0). Let's hear it for learning AND today's technology!!!
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Spend An Hour with Ann Fahl
Spend an hour with Ann Fahl this Thursday October 25, 2007 in chat room "Featured Guest" at 6:00pm Pacific/9:00pm Eastern. Ann is known for her incredible thread work and attention to detail. This is your opportunity to receive personal quilting advice from a highly respected individual. Be sure to join us.
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Coasters, Celtic Designs, and Gifts
This past weekend my husband and I spent several hours cleaning our garden. As most gardeners will tell you, there is always something that needs to be done. As it is mid- October in Colorado we only have two more weeks to plant spring bulbs. However, before we can even get excited about where we want to plant the bulbs, there are some much needed chores to be done. The dog pool (actually it is a plastic child’s swimming pool) needs to be packed away for the season. The tomato and bean plants, that just a few weeks ago were sagging from the weight of their fruit, now look dull and scraggly. I won’t even mention the state of the perennial flower beds.
So out we trudged (stepping aside to let our “wild bunch” of dogs out first ,of course) for a morning of hard work. While I was digging and clearing I thought about the upcoming holidays. Our respective families do not live in town which means sending packages over long distances. Up to this point it had not even occurred to me what gifts I will be giving this year. Now I consider myself a very organized person, but I just can’t seem to think about holiday gift giving in July. My sister on the other hand, is on the lookout for gifts throughout the year. I am sure that she probably has everyone’s gifts collected and ready to wrap.
For birthdays and other occasions I usually purchase a little token of some sort, but for the holidays I want the gift to be more personalized. This usually involves considerable time and planning. First, I have to figure out what I want to make for the individual then gather the supplies. Last year flannel seemed to be the overall theme. As my oldest son was moving up into the mountains for the winter he received a flannel quilt. Continuing with the flannel theme each of the men in the family also received flannel pajama pants. I found a fun fabric line with sock monkey prints. Each pair of pants was made from a different print. This reminds me of a friend who makes pajamas for each person in her family every year. Their holiday photo is everyone in the pajamas by the fireplace.
After much thought, I have decided that this year the theme is going to be fun and easy everyday items for the family. My parents just returned from a vacation in Ireland and my mother loves to drink tea. So I thought I would make something that would be a nice reminder of her time spent there. Celtic design tea coasters would be perfect. The coasters themselves are small, practical, and fairly easy to make. However, as I have never done any Celtic designs this was new territory for me.
I scanned the internet and found a few basic designs (with a tutorial) that I like. I then made a round template using a CD. I used a Clover bias tape maker (6mm) that includes a slot to insert the paper backed fusible web all in one step. As you iron the bias tape the fusible web it attaches. You then simply remove the paper, pin down the design, and iron. The design is now ready to be sewn. I normally like to use silk thread as it almost disappears, but did not have a color to match. So I chose instead to use The Bottom Line thread by Superior as the color matched and the thread is so fine. This worked out perfectly. The stitching is almost invisible. I then added a light batting and backing. I chose a meandering quilt stitch to finish the coaster.
The entire process took about 2 hours, which included the time to draw the design. Creating sharp points and even design elements were the most challenging aspects of the coaster. If you do not want to spend the time finding and drawing a design there are numerous books available from your local library or bookstore. You could also use quilt block patterns or your favorite appliqué designs.
Over the next few weeks I will be bringing you other quick and easy ideas for holiday gifts. All of the gifts convey that a great deal of care and thought went into their making. What a great way to let someone know how much you care about them!
Lilo
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Contest Winners Chosen Soon
Only 39 days before the winner of the 'Win Ricky and Alex for a Day' Contest! You still have time to encourage your local quilt shop or guild to sign up new members. Ricky and Alex are both anxious and excited to meet everyone when they "drop in" for the day. Wouldn't it be great if it was your local shop or guild? For more details click here.
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| This newsletter is generated and sent to all registered members of The Quilt Show and only to registered members of The Quilt Show. This and all previous newsletters are accessible on the Newsletter link at www.thequiltshow.com. |
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