Daily Blog

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I moved to St. Louis in 1988. It was there that I built my recording studio and began doing more extensive music production. In 1991, I took up quilting (see my bio) and eventually found the Thimble and Thread Quilt Guild. I eventually belonged to three groups in St. Louis. 

This weekend I'll be heading back to St. Louis for a Homecoming Concert to pay tribute to all the wonderful folks that fostered me during my formative years as a quilter. I moved to Colorado in 2000, but I will forever be thankful to the caring and generous quilters in St. Louis for their friendship and encouragement. I'm so looking forward to being with the old gang one more time.

The concert is tomorrow evening (Friday), 7:30 pm at Lindburg High School. If you want to go and don't have a ticket and would like to go, contact me and I'll get you connected with the right person. Hope to see you there! - Ricky

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Hey you people with the BIG machines, what tips do you have to share with our TQS members?

Just as those of us with domestic home machines have our little tricks that we use to keep our machines and ourselves humming; we are sure you long-arm users have a few up your sleeves.

For example, Jenny Mostek uses scraps of batting to keep oil from dripping on her machine.  Is this something you might do as well?

Submit a comment and share your little gem of knowledge.

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A recent article in the Wall Street Journal was brought to our attention by appliqueann.  It caught her eye because the story was about truckers who had more time on their hands now that there were fewer loads to carry.  One trucker's wife thought quilting might be a useful hobby to help him pass time.

According to the article by Jennifer Levitz, "By August, they had outfitted his truck's sleeper cabin with a $179 sewing machine, supplies, and a starter's pattern. "Boy, let me tell you, I created a monster," the trucker's wife said.

To learn more about some of the truckers, including one who knits, here's a link to the article in the WSJ.

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Hot off this week's newsletter, here's the Tip of the Week - Stack Your Projects.

Keeping all the elements of a WIP (fabric, thread, pattern) organized can be challenging, especially when you have more than one project going at a time..and let's face it, most of us have WAY too many WIPs we are trying to keep track of!  TQS member lynettef uses an inexpensive 3"x13"x10" plastic stacking basket to hold each project. Her strategy is not only good organizationally, but motivationally as well. "When the shelves designated for projects are full, and there are no more baskets, it is time to finish something." If you have a great tip to share, send it to us here.

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It's Monday and you need to get your brain working.  Quilters love color but can you remember which color flashed and in what order?  It starts out easy and gets harder.  You may continue to play as long as you like.

Important!!!   To Start the Game click on the upper left color 3 times.  The game will say you are wrong. Then click Continue and watch the colors flash.  Click them in the same order they flashed.  Have Fun!

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We all know that flowers supply your garden with beautiful color. But have you ever considered any of these additions to your yard in lieu of your typical "patio furniture?" The garden decorators at Alden Lane Nursery in Livermore, CA, sure know how to "dress up" their landscaping with pops of color and unusual items used in unexpected ways.

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Juajuin and Mona (Episode 511) had a such a groovy time choosing their favorite entry in the Big Love Challenge, that they decided to spread a little bit more love to five TQS members and gave out Honorable Mentions.  To check out all of the wicked, mind-blowing entries of LOVE, just click here.  

The Grand Prize winner was "With Love and Peace" by Pattheclarinetist.

Here are all the Honorable Mention winners.  To learn more about them, just click on the member name.

If Only - Musicmaker

California Dreamin' - judy1785

60s Dreamin' - traumaquen1

Jenice's Love - vernalgrandma

Big Love - Musicmaker

Path of Love & Peace - Newaygoquilter

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Take a look at some of the fascinating quilts of British-born artist Kate Cox.  In her own words, "Through my work I find a way of expressing myself that I am unable to do in any other way. It is very personal to me and with it I am able to discover new things about myself and the world I live in."  See what you discover in Kate's quilts.

To learn more about Kate, please watch episode 605 - Improvisational Landscapes.  Click here to watch the show.

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Dr. Bob Purcell of Superior Threads is back for more Thread Therapy.  This time, we are going to learn "The Importance of Needles". With so many choices of needles out there, which one is the right needles for your project? Bob has asked the top quilting teachers out there, and he found the majority of the quilt pros said they use one needle type and it is... To find the answer, press the video photo below to enter Bob's Thread Laboratory.

Want to win some needles and thread?  Bob is giving one lucky TQS member a $50 GIFT CERTIFICATE to Superior Threads.

If you skipped class and missed Dr. Bob's first video lesson on Metallic Thread, click here to watch.

To learn more about all of the different kinds of threads and needles Bob works with, visit the Superior Threads website by going here.