Daily Blog

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TQS members group photo with Alex in the booth in 2009.  Photo by dlquilter

It's only four months until the Houston Quilt Festival. Are you making plans to attend? We hope so! You know how much we love meeting each and every one of you.  Since you'll be in town, why not add another exciting stop to your itinerary?  CraftTexas 2010 opens at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft on September 25, 2010, and runs through January 9, 2011. This unique exhibition showcases 73 outstanding, Texas-made, contemporary craftworks, in media ranging from clay, fiber, glass, metal, wood, to found/recycled materials. Creative pieces such as the Bobber Necklace by Robly Glover (shown above, and yes, it truly is made from fishing bobbers!) will have you looking at everyday objects in a whole new way. For more info, click here...and watch upcoming eNewsletters for more wonderful things to see and do while in Houston this fall.

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Check out Gammill's newest superstar the Vision 22-10 model!! 

Standard features on Vision™ 22-10:

• Stitch-Regulated & Manual Modes
• Color Touch Screen
• Diagnostic System
• FM Tuner
• Electronic Needle Positioner & Single Stitch
• Horizontal & Vertical Channel Locks
• Double Capacity Bobbin
• Stand-Alone Bobbin Winder
• Adjustable Laser Light
• LED Light Fixture (with Black Light)
• Run-Time Clock
• Low Bobbin Alert
• Sit-or-Stand Roller Adjustment
• WorkStation Attachment for Circles & Ovals
• 12’ Pivotal Access All Steel Stand
• On-line Step-by-Step Instructional Video
  

Congratulations Gammill!!  To find out more visit Gammill here.

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Deciding how to quilt your latest piece can present a huge creative challenge. There are so many options beyond the typical meander stitch that you can master with just a bit of practice. Need inspiration? Check out the ideas our roving reporter Pam Holland has come up with for adding great texture and design elements through quilting. To see more of Pam, watch Episode 110, or check out her traveling videos in Articles.

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It's time to begin stitching the June block(s) for your Block of the Month quilt. If you're working on Hugs and Kisses, this month's "assignment" is a lovely Wreath of Roses block (above left). If you're working on Star Crazy, you'll be making the Pinwheel Star, Shadow Star, as well as an Irish Chain (above right). 

No matter which BOM you've chosen, you're sure to pick up lots of useful info and tips from Sue Garman's great instruction.To download the June BOM pattern for Hugs and Kisses, click here.  To download the June patterns for Star Crazy, click here.  And be sure to catch Alex's new classroom lesson's here on Applique featuring our Hugs and Kisses BOM.  Alex helps you work to improve your skills.

Meantime, for surefire inspiration,  visit the BOM section of Show and Tell to view the beautiful blocks already posted by fellow TQS members.

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Alex demonstrates Texture Magic on the current show. What is Texture Magic and how can you use this new "tool"?  Mega-teacher, Patsy Thompson, gives us some quilt ideas and some project suggestions.  Click the Pictures: 

          Part I                                        Part II                                   Part III

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The blocks are arranged and sewn together - the basic grid almost done - now what quilting do I do? All quilting ideas will be taken into serious consideration -

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Don't Forget...TQS Wants to Know
We know how much you enjoy learning new skills as you create a beautiful quilt, so TQS and Block-of-the-Month designer, Sue Garman, already are thinking about the Block-of-the-Month quilt for 2011. Sue has lots of ideas, but thought that we should give YOU, our members, the opportunity to tell us what you would like to see as next year's special project. Please take a moment to answer a few questions that will help Sue design a quilt that YOU would love to make. 

Click here to submit your ideas.

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May BOMs:  Crossed Flowers, Shoo Fly, Feather Star, Irish Chain
It's time to begin working on your block/s for the month of May. If you're working on Hugs and Kisses, this month you'll be making the crossed flower buds block. If you're working on Star Crazy, you'll be making two new Star blocks and an Irish Chain.  No matter which BOM quilt you choose, you're sure to pick up lots of great info and tips from Sue Garman's great instruction. To download the pattern for the May Star Crazy BOM, click here.  Click here for the May Hugs and Kisses BOM pattern.

It's not too late to begin working on either of these stunning quilts.  No time to gather all the fabrics?  Check out the great deal on BOM kits running through May 9, 2010 in the TQS Shoppe here. 

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So many TQS members contributed pillow cases to the ConKerr Cancer campaign recently (click here to see all of the donated pillowcases).  We know that the kids truly appreciate YOUR generosity.  Now, ConKerr Cancer has a chance to win a $50,000 Pepsi grant that will go towards a sewing program for children staying in oncology units.  Vote once a day, every day until April 30, 2010.  To learn more about ConKerr Cancer and the nomination click here.

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If you are a lover of traditional textile arts and garments, and find yourself in the upper Midwest over the next few months, you won't want miss "A Homespun Life: Textiles of Old Russia," an exhibition featuring over 100 pieces produced during the 19th and 20th centuries in the villages of Russia. 

Running now through September 26, 2010 at the Museum of Russian Art, Minneapolis, MN, this exhibit includes a wide range of daily household textiles and artifacts, as well as items typically reserved for special occasions. You'll be dazzled by embroidered towels, woven rugs, bed skirts, stunning clothing, and more. For additional information, click here.