Daily Blog

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The Ricky Tims Super Seminar is now officially started. It is 2 1/2 days of fun and quilting. Alex Anderson and Pam Holland join Ricky onstage to open the world of quilting a little wider for everyone. A big thank you to the helpers who made it start so smoothly.  For a closer look, click here.

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Photo by Gregory Case Photography

We launch Series 1500 with a visit to the Texas studio of artist, instructor, and author Jane Dunnewold, well known for the one-of-a-kind fabrics she creates with printing, dyeing, resist, and other manipulations.

In this episode, Jane discusses the meaning of surface design, and shows how she transfers a black-and-white copyright-free image to prepared-for-dye (PFD) silk, which she then embellishes with watercolor pencils and needle felting. You'll also love our tour of her wet/dry studios, a delightful blend of old and new.

Finally, Jane, who uses a hula hoop as a preventative for back problems, coaxes Alex and Ricky to give this childhood classic a try. It's an informative - and fun - start to a new season!

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In Episode 1413, Leni Levenson Wiener, mentions a great little program you can download for free. GIMP is a "Photoshop" type of program. However, DO NOT Download GIMPshop.

Download GIMP from the official website only at http://www.gimp.org

Downloading from other websites may contain malware and/or viruses!

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Join us in Episode 1413 as former commercial photographer, Leni Levenson Wiener shares that she still carries a camera with her everywhere, and her photos - particularly of strangers caught in ordinary moments - are a favorite inspiration for her fabric art.

Now this talented author, instructor, and "artist's coach" visits the TQS studio to show how she evaluates and breaks down a composition for ease of construction, discusses the importance of value and "zingers" when selecting fabrics. She also demonstrates how to create a more organic look with freehand cutting.

Then enjoy our off-site visit with well-known fabric designer Jennifer Sampou, who took a seven-year hiatus to move with her family to Mexico, and has returned brimming with ideas for new designs, including her latest, Studio Stash.

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We have updated both the May and June BOM patterns. You will notice that we have added the text "Updated June 20, 2014" at the top of page 1 and the same statement at the bottom of all subsequent pages. This way, if you would like to only print out one page, you know you have the correct version. We will in future do this for any pattern corrections.

 
We will post an announcement in the Daily Blog/Newsletter and on the Forum when there is a new and corrected version. We hope that this will help to eliminate any confusion and frustration.

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Join TQS in Episode 1412 as we return to the Texas Hill Country to rendezvous with quilt artist, author, and designer Cynthia England, who gives us a glimpse of what she's been up to since her last TQS appearance (Episode 610).

Over the years, Cynthia has achieved a well-deserved reputation as an award-winning pictorial art quilter who - amazingly - builds her design with piecing, not appliqué.

Here she unveils the tools and techniques she uses for her "forgiving" methods, and demonstrates a clever technique for attaching a sleeve to a small quilt or wallhanging that requires no hand sewing.

Then we head off to visit fiber artist, writer, and designer Wendy Mamattah, originally from Ghana, who shares her Africa-inspired silhouette and symbols quilts, as well as her charming one-of-a-kind pincushions.
                                                        

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Australian quiltmaker, designer, shop owner, and teacher Carolyn Konig's favorite quilts are those of the 18th century, which she enjoys recreating in "old world" style with hand techniques and reproduction fabrics.

In this episode, Carolyn shows how she drafts the medallion center for a reproduction quilt, and how she prepares and works on her hand appliqué, including a great tip for "keeping it portable."

Also, Alex reviews the importance of good pressing technique, including the difference between pressing piecework vs. appliqué or redwork.

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Photo by Gregory Case Photography    Photo courtesy of Shelly Burge

The TQS gang goes "on the road again" for a visit with author, designer, blogger, and self-described "scrapaholic" Bonnie Hunter, who made her first quilt using her grandmother's cardboard templates. Nowadays Bonnie, who still enjoys stitching on her beloved treadle machine, uses a webcam so that her followers can watch her at work in her studio!

In this show, Bonnie shares:

• Her quilter-friendly system for cutting and sorting scraps,
  
• Her technique for making quick 2"-finished half-square-triangle units from strips, and
  
• Her ingenious "Leaders and Enders" technique, which makes thrifty use of leftovers and thread.
  
• How to build a quilt using fabric "strings" and phonebook-page foundations, and how to play with the finished blocks.

We end with a field trip to meet Nebraska quiltmaker, author, teacher, and quilt judge Shelly Burge, who currently incorporates copper crimping in her quilts - while curating her collection of over 300 (!) vintage sewing machines.

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Click here for full contest details and entry form: there is lots of information about finding inspiration quilts, plus an "Inspiration Gallery" of quilts you can use for your piece.

Quilts are already pouring into the Quilt Alliance headquarters in Asheville, North Carolina, and quilters are blogging about their process.

Stumped for ideas on where to begin? Let Mark Lipinski take you by the hand to get going with his inspirations based on Louise Robetson's Fruit Basket quilt.