Daily Blog

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Barbara Black is back with great tips for working on Sizzle. Check out her blog where she talks about Becky's videos, the General Instructions, and creating that first block.

Click here to go to Barbara's Blog.

You can also ask Barbara questions about the quilt here in the TQS FORUM.

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Laura Wasilowski recently published some great advice in her latest newsletter. As usual she was very profound.

Click here to visit Laura's website and sign up for her newsletter.

You can watch Laura here in shows:

Show 303 - Fearless Fusing

Show 1009 - "Stamp Out" Fabric

Show 2109: Inventive Products & Binding Unusually Shaped Quilts

Enjoy Laura's advice:

1. Finishing all your projects. Don't bother. The whole reason we begin new projects is to enjoy that satisfying blast of creativity that comes with starting something new. When that project feels like an anchor around your foot it's time to start something new. We don't want to miss out on any creative time tending to an anchor.
2. Making the perfect quilt or embroidery. You put a lot of work into your projects. And if something is too perfect looking it looks like it was made by a machine, not by your all-too-human hands. Don't let the machines win!
3. Keeping up with finances or bookkeeping. As an owner of a cottage industry, I can assure you that you can reconcile all your checkbooks and bookkeeping in one grueling week early next year while only eating carrots and water.
4. Keeping an immaculate house. As Phyllis Diller once said, "I know housekeeping can't kill you, but why take a chance?" Let's all practice safety in the New Year.

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Tile Tango is from the book The Quilter’s Practical Guide To Color by Becky Goldsmith. We just love this quilt. It almost didn't make it back to Becky after we taped her show...someone else wanted to take it home...

Watch Becky Goldsmith in Show 2401: BOM 2019 - Sizzle.

Photo: Becky Goldsmith

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Here are the quilts for the eighth team from the over 320 teams that participated in the International Miniature Quilt Exchange (IMQE). 201 teams submitted their quilts to be a part of the Exhibition in Houston 2018 and we are featuring the 24 teams selected for the first IMQE Exhibition.

Click here to learn more about the International Miniature Quilt Exchange (IMQE).

Enjoy the quilts from Team 152 created by Bea Galler and Judy Allen.

Title of Quilt: Pentecost Window

Quilter's Name: Bea Galler

Location: Lünen, NRW, Germany

An exciting project. For over 30 years I have been dedicated to patchwork and quilting. The quilt world connects via the internet and shares their interest with this action. I am fascinated by traditional patterns and modern design, the play with shapes and colors, the always different material in new quilts. For this challenge, Judy and I each exchanged a Fat Quarter of fabric. The choice of my mini stitch pattern fell on the smaller curve of the quilt "Cascade" by Victoria Findley Wolfe. The chosen bow connects Judy and me, it not only stands for patchwork and quilting on two continents, the love of family and nature but also a piece of our attachment to the church. The idea of a red “Pentecost Window” came from this bondage. The sewn curves required a strict graphic quilting. It emphasizes the up thrust arches, which grow like flaming tongues into the sky and bridge language barriers. The sparkling green symbolizes hope in this quilting fire. Who quilted knows no language barriers, because quilting is our language. Many thanks to Judy for patience and friendship. Thanks also to the team of The Quilt Show for the support and the international exchange idea. (Bea Galler, Lünen, NRW, Germany)

Title of Quilt: Storyboard

Quilter's Name: Judy Allen

Location: Alamogordo, New Mexico, USA

This quilt called “Storyboard” is the journey of two women, Bea and Judy, who became friends across an ocean. Each one going her separate way in life, and finding they have so much in common. Each one born under the sign “Capricorn” and each loving the color red, what else could there be but the passion of quilting to stitch us together. Material was exchanged and without surprise they were both red! Joining the exchange was a step of faith and something I’ve never done before. It has been a great experience to make a new friend and to discover how much alike we are by just being picked at random. It confirms there is a higher power! Many days have passed with the same sun shining on both of us with one goal in mind, anticipation for a priceless experience, and remembering “It’s a new day every day."

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If you purchased or renewed a Star Membership recently you received a one-time-use coupon for 25% off of a purchase in the store. Did you use it yet? If not, we have some ideas for you!

If you are the practical sort, we recommend some great high-quality basics.

Quilters Select rulers have a unique non-slip coating that keeps them in place as you cut- even on slippery or silky fabrics. 

This Quilters Select weighted cutter requires less pressure to use, and the magnetic blade replacement means you’ll never drop a blade again!

These self-healing mats from Quilters Select are light on one side and dark on the other, offering high contrast when cutting fabrics.

If you like to splurge, we recommend beautiful fabrics, a quilt kit, or special tools.

Oakshott Fabrics' lovingly-created shot cottons provide quilters with fabrics of exceptional color, drape, softness, and quality.

This lovely quilt top kit includes pre-cut and pre-fused appliqué pieces that let you get right to the fun part of putting it together!

Not a Star Member?

If you purchase a Star Membership for $49 and you use your 25% off coupon on a $200 purchase,

your membership will have paid for itself!

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Masterpiece Quilters Gail Stepanek and Jan Hutchison created Spot On!, and between the appliqué "dots" and the spectacular quilting, we aren't sure just how many circles might be in this quilt. We do know, however, that once again it is an amazing quilt by an amazing duo.

Spot On! won 2nd Place Balanced Piecing and Appliqué at the Houston International Quilt Festival 2018. 

Want to know more about the Masterpiece Quilt Program?

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These quilt blocks are stunning... and fun to make! 

We recommend an Add-A-Quarter Ruler to make this project a cinch!

To make the quilt, you cut apart the freezer paper template that is provided with the pattern and iron the pieces to the fabric before cutting around them with an additional quarter inch seam allowance. The Add-A-Quarter makes this super easy! 

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Ricky sat down with artist Sarah Ann Smith in Houston and they talked about the use of thread work to bring quilts to life. Sarah is always learning and says she never made a quilt from which she didn't learn something. They also take a look at some of her work that celebrates where she lives in midcoast Maine.

At 1:35 Sarah gives quilters a great tip. Don't miss it.