Daily Blog

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Our friends at Mountain Mist are presenting a wonderful exhibit of antique quilts.  You will begin to see the quilts in the next hour. 

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Even though it's her birthday, Alex is making the TQS booth ready for the thousands of quilters converging on the Ontario Convention Center in Ontario California.  Road 2 California is going to be a great show.  Come by and say hi and bring your bathing suit.  The winter forecast in Southern California is 81F/27C everyday.  TQS is in booth 1201 and Bob and Heather Purcell of Superior Threads are in 803.

We will be getting pictures of the quilts, interviews and meet some friends.  It will all be on the blog so stay tuned. 

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Christmas in the Desert by TQS Member ABQuilt

As you are aware, we issued a TQS challenge with the theme "Remember December" that ended December 31, 2008. We were thrilled to receive over 100 great entries! Along with the random winner, we also would like to name a "Viewer's Choice" winner. That special award will consist of a TQS Goody Bag stuffed with lots of useful and fun quilting products.

Here's where you come in. Please look at the entries and vote for your favorite entry before the cut-off at 12am midnight tomorrow, Wednesday, January 7, 2009 (GMT 08:00 Jan 8) by clicking here. To see all the entries, visit Challenges here.

To send your vote email the member's screen name and the name of the quilt to:

remember@thequiltshow.com

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Photo by Ruth Goodwin

OK, Alex, so you rang out 2008 in Sonora and not Yosemite. (I better not confuse Sonora with Sonoma or I'll really hear it!)

My family headed downtown to ring in the New Year with the "Acorn Drop". Yes you heard me right; Raleigh, NC is the "City of Oaks", so we drop an acorn. As 5 year old Alex did not understand the "drop" part, he kept asking if it would be loud when it dropped and broke. Our city does 2 drops: one at 7:00 pm for the kids, and one at midnight. And at 7:00 pm it was a windchill of 30 degrees! Brrr...

Now, about an hour east of here, they have a "Pickle Drop" in the hometown of the Mount Olive Pickle Company. To watch the Pickle Drop, click here. So TQS members, so that I do not have to live with the laughter alone, did your town "drop" something unique on New Year's Eve? TQSRuth

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In Show #308 Alex and Ricky visited San Francisco General Hospital.  Here they found a program using quilts as good medicine.  Watch as a love of quilting brings people happiness and fulfillment.

Click Here

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Well 2008 is history for TQS. Here are some of our more memorable blogs from the past year. Enjoy the trip down memory lane. What was your favorite part of TQS this year? Blogs? Forums? Friends? Quilts? A particular show? - ...and what did you learn?

January
Alex plays a prank on Ricky
Ricky responds to Alex's prank.

February
Ruth Goodwin joins the TQS team.
Alex is selected for Silver Star award.

March
Three Sisters visit LaVeta and TQS watches as they make a quilt. Part 1 of 7
Ricky is featured on CBS News Sunday Morning
John Anderson takes operations and director position at TQS

April
Western day on the TQS set
Alex and Ricky visit Caryl Bryer Fallert in Paducah, KY - part 1, part 2.

May
Take a sneek peek into the first TQS Road Trip

June
Capt'n John gives us a quilt tour of Alex's Armoire - part 1 of 18

July
TQS member DLQuilter shares a quilt

August
Alex and John take a cruise - and the Block Challenge is a HUGE success! Part 1 of several.

September
Pirate Day on the TQS set

October
The TQS World of Beauty Award at Houston goes to The Three Sisters.

November
Alex receives Silver Star Award in Houston - TQS Members comment.

December
Jinny Beyer is the TQS 2008 Quilt Legend
Ricky shares Christmas in a Small Town concert.

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Look what TQS member EllenG sent our way - although it is not quiltie oriented we can certainly all relate to the medium - The artist's name Deborah Sperber and her work is astonishing. To take a look at more of Deborah's work go here. Hey Ellen - thanks for passing this on to us!!!

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Every year my personal web master, Matt (www.alexandersonquilts.com) comes up with something, well.........different! Last year was a pirate wig for John to wear and this year it is...................can you guess what this is? And do you have a VERY different gift that kept everyone talking? If so, please post it here. We will keep it up for a week or so, then take it down - so please share and let us know - we wanna see!

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This time of year, our calendars are filled with holiday parties, open houses and drop-ins.  And customary in the South, you never go to someone's house empty handed.  So when I need a quick hostess gift, or have an impromtu get-together at our house, I whip together this fast and yummy dip...thanks to my friend Joy who introduced it to me.  It is perfect with chips, crackers, toast points, pretzels, veggies... whatever you have on hand.  It's the kind of dip that everyone (even kids) love!  And can be reheated nicely.  When I take this as a gift, I put the dip in a bakeable holiday crock or bowl and leave the container - and recipe- as a gift for the hostess!  TQS Ruth

Hot Swiss Cheese Dip

2-8oz cream cheese blocks, softened

1 cup mayonnaise

2 cups shredded swiss cheese

minced onion, to taste (I do about 1 TBSP, or even leave it out)

minced bacon, to taste

1 cup crushed Ritz crackers

Mix all ingredients together and top with the crackers.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Enjoy!