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Happy Birthday Fraser Valley Quilters' Guild

Story Submitted by: Cher4

Last year Sept 07 until June 08 was the 30th year of the Fraser Valley Quilters' Guild. Our guild has always had a banner. It is hung at every meeting and anytime the guild is on the road at various community events we participate in throughout the year. Our last banner made in 1986, when Expo was here in Vancouver was really showing its age. I have been looking at it for about 4 years now thinking we really need a new banner. Being a single parent working a few jobs I didn't have the time to do anything about it by myself. Until a couple of years later. At the first meeting in Sept 07 the president was talking about the things planned for the guild as it was the 30th year. The banner was looking worse after a well meaning quilter had tried to wash it to freshen it up. I was sitting beside a friend, Val Smith, who had just retired from teaching and was enjoying her new found quilting time. I asked her if she wanted to make a new banner with me as a birthday present for the guild. I was so excited when she said yes. It wasn't until October when we were at a retreat that we had the opportunity to plan a design. The design came together in about 20 minutes and the first drawing was about a 2" square. We both had the vision and decided to get together in November to start. We wanted the colours of our guild logo, which are purple, pink, teal and blue. We also wanted to design a quilt that somehow, spanned 30 years. Using different techniques and patterns we accomplished it. The quilt looks like the Fraser Valley, from the mountains, to the river, to the trees and the train. We asked 13 ladies from the membership to make us a small quilt, without telling them what it was for. The instructions were simple, make a traditional quilt, completely quilted and bound. We asked them to let us know what pattern they were going to do so that we didn't end up with multiples of one pattern but other than that we waited until Feb for them to all be turned in. And then had so much fun one afternoon laying them all out on our train, just in awe of the workmanship of these tiny pieces. It took about 5 months to complete. We got together maybe 6 times to put our sections together but other than that we never sewed together in the same room. We divided the parts up and each did sections on our own at home. Once the sections of the background were together then we passed it back and forth to each add more. I got the finished top in April and there is almost 80 hours of quilting in it. All of the small quilts were added at the end. The banner then went back to Val to bind it and add an amazing label. The May guild meeting started out like any other. Val was the guest speaker that day. She is an amazing quilter, award winning several times over and her trunk show was awesome. Everyone was so busy watching her show no one noticed when I loaded the banner on a stand and covered it with a sheet. At the end of her show she asked me to bring it up to the front and we said Happy Birthday Fraser Valley and took the sheet off. It was so much fun to see the looks on about 130 faces as they all stood up to get a closer look. We made thank you cards with a picture of the banner for the ladies who made the mini quilts. They were surprised and pleased to see what we had done with their quilts. The new Guild year starts in a couple of weeks. We are moving to a new venue and the new banner will be hung in it's new home. It'll be a new day!!! Cher in Vancouver, BC

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Gift for the B-day Boy!

TQS member PattiSure, found my pic, I guess, on www.rickytims.com and voila! Look what she created. I thought all of you would love to see what a remarkable job Patti did...even down to the "cat who ate the canary grin"! Thanks so much for all the birthday wishes, and candy, and sunflower seeds, and quilt blocks, etc...You bunch of crazy yo-yo's!

Hugs,
"Another year older but probably NOT wiser", Justin

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It's Justin's Birthday Today!

Justin's Fan Club in the Forum is already sending wishes his way, but we want you all to know about the big day. The above photo was taken yesterday on a "birthday drive" up and over the Cordova Pass near La Veta. The river is called the Apishipa River. Apishipa means "stinky water," so Justin had to see if the river lived up to its name. According to Justin - Its doesn't stink.

Happy Birthday Justin

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Episode 209 With Annie Smith

Episode 209 With Annie Smith

The first queen of podcasting for quilters and consummate teacher, Annie Smith, is our guest in episode 209. You wanted more tips, tricks & techniques, and Annie opens her tool box just for you.

1. How do you make your quilts sparkle and shine?

2. How can just a few adjustments change the look of an entire quilt?

3. Learn piecing tricks that guarantee excellence.

4. And just what is a reducing glass?

In addition, what star making advice does Ricky have for "Star Queen" Alex? You can bet it's going to be "wonky". Then both Alex and Ricky are suprised by Gizmo Girl. What's up with that?

It's an episode you won't want to miss. Watch Episode 209. Subscribe now.

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Challenge Yourself

"Inn at the Loretto" by TQSWizard

About eighteen months ago I attended a Ricky Tims retreat. This was the first artist run retreat I had ever attended. He asked us to bring an idea of a project we would like to work on. This was quite a challenge for me for up until this point I had only worked on published patterns. I was intimidated by the thought of designing my own piece of work in a quilt. Where should I start? Should it be applique or pieced? I was totally frustrated.

Ricky showed me how to break down my quilt idea into manageable blocks. By looking at each piece in sections rather than the entire design, I was not so overwhelmed. Building with these small sections into a larger piece became liberating as well as fulfilling. After six days in this creative environment surrounded by the encouragement of others, I was excited and well on my way.

Having had the opportunity to live in a number of exotic locations spurred the idea to create a series of dwellings based on those places. But that is just what they were - ideas. Attending Ricky's retreat challenged me to work beyond my idea and to create the vision I had in my head.

Do you have an idea for a quilt but are afraid to step outside of your comfort zone? Look at the quilts in the Quilt Gallery. Do some rough drawings. Remember this isn't school. No one is going to tell you that your drawings are terrible. Then break those drawings into manageable pieces. You just may find that idea is not as difficult to create as you thought.

By the way I want to give Alex credit for inspiring the sky quilt design. I wanted to create the look of a lightning storm with blowing wind. I tried and ripped out two sky designs before the quilting idea in her book Quilts for Fabric Lovers was the one I decided was just right.

Lilo

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Colors

OK - So I nominate Ricky for VP, Justin for Secretary of Defense and John for National Treasury - Who wants to be campaign manager and what should our colors be? And Truly, it is time to update the Oval Office - suggestions please?

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TQS Throws a Hat in the Ring!

Time to Celebrate!!!!Now that the wedding is over - Alex is planning her next career move! Be ready for all the excitement after this next round of taping - To get a sneak preview - go here

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WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS

Behind the Scenes Slideshow with Eleanor Burns---Click on Slideshows on the Purple Bar.

Special Wedding Video--Alex & John get a new daughter--Scroll down to August 19 blog.

Give us ideas for the next taping--August 22 blog.

Check out the latest quilts in the Gallery. (You guys are really good.)

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Ideas from YOU

As you probably have noticed at the top of each show either Ricky or I show a technique, trick or something that will enhance your quilting experience. For instance, later on in this series Alex will share how to piece a circle in less than 7 minutes (thank you Dale Flemming for this great technique!). In the past, Ricky has shared set in corners, convergance quilts and Alex quilted using her thumb. We have a lot more tricks up our sleeves, but thought we should ask YOU what you might want to learn in these bite size mini lessons - In just a few weeks we will be heading to La Veta CO to shake the town up once again!

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Another TQS Sighting...in Nashville

(photo compliments of Mark Elliott of Stitch-N-Frame)

Look what was spotted at the 2008 AQS Quilt Expo in Nashville? It's Michael Hinton with Gammill Quilting Systems and he's talking TQS (notice the TQS Star display on the table in front of him)! Cool!! We hear from the rumor mill that a lot of you TQS members are meeting at the show...lucky dogs! So when you go, be sure to stop by and see Michael in Booths #1201/1203/1300/1302 and tell him thanks for being a TQS Production Sponsor. Gammill Corporate and Dealer Representatives will be happy to demonstrate and let you test-drive their hand and computer-guided longarm machines. Be sure to look for information about The Quilt Show, as well as Gammill's upcoming Quilt for Life Nationwide Dealer Open House explaining the importance of Breaking the Silence about ovarian cancer. The AQS Expo is August 20-23rd at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center. Don't forget to wear your TQS badge.

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