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Hey everyone! It's official. I'm about to board for my flight to the UK to visit the Festival of Quilts. Next time you hear from me I will be in Jolly Ole England. Sorry to be brief, but I don't want my computer battery to go down here at the gate. It's gonnna be a long flight and I'm adicted to my laptop. What would we do without all our gizmos?
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Just like you, we were always on the look out for FABRIC stores!!! In Rotterdam we stumbled upon this store and were charmed by the exotic nature of the fabrics. Although not quiltie in nature, the colors and textures were superb. It reminded me of the time I spent $100.00 on Dupiani silk with no plans whatsoever for it. What is the most exotic fabric you have ever used and have any great tips? For instance - in making the chuppah for the wedding we chose bridal fabrics - in order to stitch a great seam we backed it in typing paper then tore it away.......your turn!
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Stars align in cyberspace for The Quilt Show
Saturday, October 11, 2008
It’s probably the most significant alignment of stars since Fons met Porter. I became a true stargazer last month in the hamlet of LaVeta, nestled at the foot of Colorado’s famous Spanish Peaks. That’s where Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims tape their online video/Web magazine called “The Quilt Show.” I was thrilled to get an insider’s peek at the groundbreaking endeavor these talented co-hosts started in April 2007. Anderson and Tims were wrapping up their fourth series of shows, which feature guest quilt artists from all over the world. The shows are filmed twice a year in front of a live audience inside Tims Art Quilt Studio and Gallery. The shows I observed will be aired January through June on the Web site. On this particular day, they taped two separate segments, one shining the spotlight on Anderson and the other on Tims. Anderson gave tips on making “Daisy Chain,” a quilt she designed with beige and cream-colored fabrics and featured in her book “Neutral Essentials.” She said she enjoys the subtlety yet richness of neutral tones. When Tims took his turn behind the lights and cameras, he demonstrated how to make a kaleidoscope quilt of bright fabrics from a strip-pieced strata. “It looks complicated, but it really isn’t,” he said of the method, which is available on DVD. Not only is Tims a world-class quilt artist, but he’s also an incredibly talented musician, composer, photographer and videographer. He lives on a ranch outside LaVeta. His father, Richard Tims, was in the audience on that day, as he often is. “We knew he was special pretty early on,” the elder Tims said of his son. “We bought him a piano when he was 3.” Anderson, too, is a real pro. Most quilt enthusiasts know her from the former “Simply Quilts” television program, which ran for 11 seasons with her as host. For her contributions to quilting and textile art, Anderson will receive the prestigious 2008 Silver Star Award on Nov. 1 at the International Quilt Festival in Houston. She is a resident of Livermore, Calif. Together, Anderson and Tims truly are luminaries in the quilt universe. Their online show runs smoothly with no script, no cue cards, no retakes. They move deftly from cutting table, sewing machine and design wall to a comfortable sitting area where they chat. Neither outshines the other, and their respect for one another is obvious. Tims says Anderson helped him learn “how to be a host” because he had no previous experience at it. She, in turn, credited Tims with teaching her “to lighten up some.” Anderson is known more for her traditional quilt style, while Tims developed what he calls a “caveman style” that eschews many of the rules. They laugh easily together, as Tims’ partner, Justin Shults, emcees the tapings with the audience of about 40. Both hosts address the crowd personally after the spotlights are turned off and answer audience questions. Their film crew works with precision in the small gallery space, and they have fun together, too. Some of the members fly into Colorado with their equipment a few times a year from Chicago and California. Many are showbiz veterans. A couple of them work for “The Oprah Show,” and the foreman (who is actually a woman) has a Hollywood career, having previously teamed with Anderson on “Simply Quilts.” Here’s how it works for viewers: Go online to www.thequiltshow.com, where you can join for free or purchase a subscription for $24.95. Thirteen shows are offered per series, as well as block-of-the-month projects, chats, forums, images of quilts and quilters’ profiles. Anderson’s husband, John, is one of the online show’s biggest supporters. He also attended the taping in LaVeta, where he sold DVDs of the series, books and other products by his wife and her business partner, Tims. John Anderson compares “The Quilt Show” to a worldwide quilt guild. It boasts more than 31,500 members in 94 countries. “It’s really the future of the educative arm of quilting, with access to such talent,” he says. Whether “The Quilt Show” reinforces the allegiance of the dedicated millions or entices newbies into our fold — preferably both — I have to say that Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims bring pure star power to cyberspace. • E-wmail Sherida.Warner@ gjsentinel.com.
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One of the really fun things we try to do when traveling is taste the culture - literally. Also with really great crafts at the open market in Finland - there were wonderful food stands. Both Warren and I were on the constant quest for pickled fish, while Wendy was sipping coffee along the way and as for John - he just tried to stay out of the way. What is a food that you LOVE - that others don't quite understand your love of?
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My cousin Jack is engaged to Anna - she is from Finland. I have heard of her home land and arrived with great expectations. I was more than delighted with Anna's country - in fact I LOVE FINLAND! The city was delightful in nature and filled with arts and crafts. We had heard of an open market area and went straight to see it. Honestly, this was the first time I felt compelled to open my pocket book - and friends, I did! Perhaps my most delicious purchase was a shawl that will go with my mother of the groom dress (next weekend!!) - The lady in front of the scarves is who I purchased it from. I also purchased a purse - LOVE it, and a few other great items. Interesting fact? Finland is not a Scandinavian country.
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We have an hour or so before we head to the airport - I thought it would be fun to set up a gallery of snap shots for you to enjoy. In a selfish way, this is allowing John and myself to track the past two weeks. One of the places, we visited was the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. This museum boasts of an incredible collection of art from all over the world which reflects all periods of time. We only had an hour or so to sail through the museum via a guided tour - and the crowds were worst and horrible - BUT, that said, if you ever found your self in this neck of the world in the winter, allow several days. Your spirit will be filled.
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Coventry Carolers photos by Justin Shults
The short of the story is that Sarah (soprano, now living in Atlanta, GA, seated in the middle of the couch) was coming to Wichita Falls, TX to visit. It just so happened that her visit coincided with my visit to Wichita Falls for my folks 60th wedding anniversary. The four of us in the photo (all music majors during our college days) became the Coventry Carolers, a group that performed lot of medieval folk songs as well as old traditional carols - yes, including the Coventry Carol. We have all stayed in touch. I see Susan (far right on couch) and Holly (playing guitar) much more frequently because they still live in Wichita Falls. I've visited with Sarah in Atlanta, but we've not been together as a complete group since about 1981. So we planned a gathering.
Susan, pulled out our old music but we could barely play it. Not because we didn't know how, but because we were having so much fun we just couldn't stop laughing. "One, two three, hit it," seemed to mean start laughing. Finally we managed to muddle through some of the old music. Noel (with the cue card) was our original roadie/supporter/assistant/photographer and she managed to find the cue cards for Silent night, which we weren't expecting, and thus sent us into more uncontrollable laughter. Mostly it was just great to be with friends that I love and adore, and who help mold my life in so many ways.
Are there any of you who have had an 'old friend' reunion lately? Do you have an 'old friend' from your past that you've lost touch with? Maybe this New Day is a good day to locate them and reconnect
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In St Petersburg we saw MANY newlyweds around the city. Tradition calls for the groom to carry the bride over seven bridges for good luck. I noticed that the bridesmaid and best man wore a sash and white was not a "must do" for the bride. Each couple had a limo decorated appropriately to cart them to the different bridgesin town and to drink wine along the way seemed to be the norm - as you know, we are counting down the days to Joey and Shelly's wedding! Does your family have any special traditions that you do to celebrate weddings?
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The Winner is #6. It was done by Nancy Derickson from Glendale, Missouri.
Congratulations.
The Overall Winner for theme and technique on board was Block #20 by Pam Ventgen of Anchorage, Alaska.
Second place for Theme and Technique was #49
Viewers choice was #52
For a quick reference to all the blocks, click on "Articles" on the purple bar.
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Right outside St Petersburg is Catherine's Palace. She was married to Peter and became the Czar in her own right. Her palace was AMAZING! But perhaps most amazing is the way parts have been restored after WW11 when it was basically gutted. Pictures show the "before" (after the bombings) and it is a miracle to see what has been accomplished. The walls are gilded in gold (originally it was real gold that had to be redone every year or so), the ceilings are adorned with incredible paintings - and the floors sing QUILT ME! Restoration continues today and check out the piano Ricky!
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