Daily Blog

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TQS Member, Linda Poole, (lindampoole) is a quilt artist, designer, instructor, author of several books on quilting.  She is also sharing with us some sweet quilting treats she's collected for her blog, lmpoole.blogspot.com. These confections are out of this world and might you give you some inspiration if you need to provide desert at your next small group or guild meeting.  You will not believe what these cake decorators can do and you can't gain weight just by looking.

Linda also has a website, www.lindampoole.com, where you can order autographed copies of her books.

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Time to QUILT!!!!! What will you be working on today?

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Grand Prize Winner 2010  "Fly Me to the Moon"  Yashiko Miyamoto

Grand Prize Winner 2009 "Shine, My Life" Taeko Shinozaki

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In the Central Market Valencia on November 13, 2009, the buyers got more than they bargained for as the music of Verdi's La Traviata started playing from the fruit and vegetable stands.  Many in the crowd looked on in amazement as they decide that there is more to good taste than just the food in the stalls.  Food, music, and life, enjoy!

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Each year the largest quilt show in the world is held in Japan.  It is the TOKYO International Great Quilt Festival.  This year more than 220,000 people visited the show to enjoy the quilts competing in a number of different categories. Like many quilt shows, each category looks for the most outstanding quilt based on artistry and technique.  However, unlike many quilt shows, they have one very charming category, they give the Friendship Award to the quilt that is filled with the joy of quilting and conveys the idea that quilting is fun.

Domo Arigato to Jennifer at https://movinghands.wordpress.com/ for sharing her photos of the competition.

To learn more about the show and to see past winners, click here. 

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I've just had a fantastic visit to Yoder's Fabric Department Store in Shipshewana where yesterday I did two lectured/demo classes and a concert last night. I could not have been happier to have a spare hour to get a few hundred photos of the beautiful Amish country on a photo perfect snowy "gray day". Thought I'd share one of the pics.

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I just LOVE it when I see the fruits of your labors - during the Alden Lane 3 day work shop, TQS member Carolyn whipped her 2009 BOM out of her bag. Hang in there - you are on the home stretch! Be sure to up load your 2010 BOM's in progress so we can let Sue Garman see the fruits of HER labor! Go here to strut you stuff!

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There is no video connected yet.  Get Flash to be ready.

Some of you have already tested the player for us.  The response was overwhelming.  So TQS has partnered with Ooyala to bring you a better viewing experience.

We will tell you more soon,  but for now you need to get the lastest version of Adobe Flash.  Please click on the icon below and update your Flash version.  It's fast and safe and will make sure you can use the new player successfully.

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Our first QQT had an overwhelming response to the question, "What pins do you use for your quilting and why do you use them?  TQS members are very passionate about their pins.  Here is a quick look at just some of the information found in the comments of QQT: Pins.

It's pretty much a tie between fine glass head pins and flat flowerhead pins.  Some of the other pins mentioned were lace pins, silk pins, and IBC pins.  Applique pins were used mainly for applique.  One member uses washable elmer's glue and another uses paper clips (for paper piecing).

Most of you use one or two pin cushions, some of you use the magnetic pin holders, and at least one of you uses your sweater to hold your pins.  The member with the largest collection of pin cushions appears to be Margo with more than 12. If you have more than that, submit a comment and let us know.  

Jusme made the suggestion that new pins are a great gift for a quilter.  You can never have too many pins. Pemela suggested advice she received from a tailor.  "Once you've decided on the size and shape of your pin cushion, stuff it with good quality sawdust.  The wood keeps the pins sharp and the oil keeps them clean."

SuperJudy seemed to sum it up pretty well with her comments:

"I use all kinds of pins: The glass-head fine silk pins for generic sewing; the fine Iris brand pins for piecing because they don't distort; the glass-head short applique pins for hand piecing because they don't get in the way of my thread; Fons and Porter flat-head pins with the arrows on them when I'm piecing rows of blocks together; and the big, cheap yellow-plastic top pins to put something heavy on the wall or design board."

Aren't our TQS members incredible?  If you can't find the answer to a quilting question here at TQS, you're not asking a quilting question.

To re-visit any Quilter's Quips and Tips blog, simply go to Daily Blog and enter Quilters Quips and Tips: (topic name) into the search box.  For example, Quilters Quips and Tips:  Pins.   This will give you the original blog and any follow-ups to that blog.

P.S.  For the member who asked about the flip-flop pin cushion, there is no pattern; it was store-bought.  Sorry.

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Have you ever looked at a fabric and thought, I could have designed that.  Or thought, that would be great if I had just the right coordinating print.  Or maybe you just can't find the exact fabric you'd like to finish your quilt.  Well now, you can be the fabric designer.  It's true, a number of websites are beginning to turn up that will print your design on fabric.

It is a very simple process, for most the sites all you need to do is:

1)  Create an account: Enter your name and address and create a password.  Once you have created an account, any files you submit will be stored should you require them later.

2)  Upload your design via a file: Each site has generally the same file requirements, but you should always check to make sure your file will be compatible with that particular site.  Once you have uploaded your file, you are able to do some manipulation of the images. e.g. mirroring, offsetting.

The general requirements are:  150 dpi, JPG, TIF, PNG, EPS, PDF files: file sizes 10 - 25 Mb; RGB or LAB color

3)  Submit your order: Enter shipping information and payment type.

Prices begin at about $16 per yard.  The price depends on the type of fabric and size.  Some sites will print fat quarters.  These companies strive to be environmentally friendly in their use of dyes and pigments.

To learn more, just click on the site logo.