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Remember when I had lunch with Sandra a few months ago? At the time she promised to get us this Buffet Silverware pattern - Well, it is up and running on her site.
To get the great instructions go here. and THANK YOU Sandra! Just in time for the holidays.
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TQS reporter Mary Kay Davis brings us another day at PIQF and makes us a part of the journey. Join her as she meets friends and designers and talks with TQS members. As always, there are award-winning quilts that are as varied as they are amazing.
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In last week's newsletter, we asked you to guess the use for this unusual item, which we found while strolling through the booths at the Houston Quilt Festival. All is now revealed! It's an antique button sorter, which was offered for sale by Sandy Schor & Co. Each metal paddle was designed to hold a specific quantity of buttons of a specific size.
Workers in the factory would scoop the paddle into large bins filled with thousands of specifically sized buttons. When the scoop was given a slight shake, each button would find its home in the indentations, while the remaining loose buttons would fall off the paddle and back into the bin. Then the buttons, thus counted, could be packaged and made ready for sale to retail shops.
Shell buttons derive from shells, just as the name implies. These buttons could be core drilled from a large shell to produce a single large button (center top), or from numerous places in the shell to produce smaller buttons (two items at left). Children's garments and women's blouses required very small buttons (center bottom). These tiny embellishments were drilled from even smaller bits of shell. The piece of shell shown on the bottom right is the "remains" after these tiniest buttons have been drilled and removed.
Shell buttons are no longer manufactured in the United States. Sandy Schor, who specializes in vintage jewelry, trims, buttons, and other collectible items, recently bought out the last core- drilling pearl button factory in New England. As part of the agreement, Sandy was required to take the entire stock of pearl buttons, along with the machinery used to produce them. It took ten semi trucks (!) to transport 300,000 mother-of-pearl buttons and numerous button sorters, as well as the factory's machinery, back to Ft. Worth, TX.
If you look closely, you just might see some of the sorters and machinery in the recent film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Sandy leased the entire stock (minus the buttons) to the film's producers for use in that movie, which starred Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett.
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While strolling through New York City in April, we found inspiration for fabulous quilt designs in the most unusual places. As others quickly walked by, going about their daily routines, we were busy looking up AND down, fascinated by the stunning metal, stone, and glasswork found in and around the city. Join us for a slide show featuring some of these inspirational sights.
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There is still time to enter to win one of 24 Fat Quarters from The City Quilter's line titled "New York Collection". Yes, there will be 24 lucky winners. But the deadline to enter is tonight at midnight!
To enter, click on ILoveNewYork@thequiltshow.com and type in "City Quilter". Contest is open to everyone worldwide, so enter before tonight, Monday, October 26, 2009 at midnight PST.
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Photo by Gregory Case Photography
You don't want to miss the incredible machine-quilting skills shared by award-winning quilter in Episode 509 with Joanie Zeier Poole (the audience and crew all fell in love with her work.)
Discover how she uses very fine thread and tiny, tiny stitches to produce her incredibly rich and textured designs. To watch the show click here.
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Here are some more of the quilts that make our history. Take a moment and be surprised by the colors and the appliqué used.
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Walk again with us through the aisles at Houston Market. This is where the vendors sell to the quilt stores. See the products, fabrics, and bling that will be coming to your stores soon.
We continue our vendor theme with If I Were Love, by Ricky Tims from his Heart & Soul CD.
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What should you know about the color of rulers? Find out now.
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