Daily Blog

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Yesterday I had the delicious opportunity to take a class with Sandra Mullen at the LQS - In Between Stitches - Sandra is well known in our area for exquisite hand applique and the class was as good as her reputation. I showed the class the block of the month we will be offering here and everyone flipped - THANK YOU SUE GARMAN for sharing your talents with us. Anyway, as fate has it, Linda a student of mine, came in with a quilt she started at last years Quilting in the Garden. Fortunately I had my camera and she agreed to share. Great job Linda - and I like the fabric you choose for the backing! One of many great rewards of teaching is a student's accomplishment and enthusiasm for the process.

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As you know the storm has caused great damage (like at Alden Lane). Little did I know when I was taping this blog for you what was really going on in my dear town. Apparently tomorrow is round three.

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The episode list for Series Two is now posted. The first guest out of the gate for 2008 is legendary crazy quilter, author, teacher, designer Judith Baker Montano. Believe it or not, Jude LIVES in La Veta, Colorado. Yup, the same La Veta you've come to love on TQS. She also offers six-student, mulit-day classes in her cottage studio. Information about these classes is on her website.

Others in the lineup include Suzanne Marshall, Cindy Needham and Annie Smith. To see the complete Series Two list check out the schedule. You can access it under the Watch a Show link on the menu bar.

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When we started the Daily Blog we hardly knew what a blog was - we wondered if we would have anything to say/share. Well, as you might have noted that fear was soon set aside. Relive the year with us and review some of the favorite/memorable bllogs from 2007. The video montage on the link is a journal of selected blog photos.

January 1 - Alex starts getting techy.

January 9 - Our first TQS pattern, Blog Log Cabin, is posted.

February 5 - New Features, Find a Shop, Find a Teacher

February 25 - You can post YOUR guild's quilt show for others to find.

March 9 - Ricky took a moment to reflect on the first day of taping

March 25 - We realize you like more than quilting - those green shoes!

April 26 - Quilter's reach out to V-Tech via The Quilt Show

June 6 - Ricky starts the Rhapsody Reality blog - a series of off-the-wall teaching vids

June 19 - We launched a Win Alex and Ricky contest - great video!

July 15 - We posted a bogus story with a quilt search contest - very funny!

August 5 - Hawaii day on the TQS set - We shook our bootys!

August 6 - The crew got the bug for long arm quilting machines

August 10 - Alex gets a Sunnbonnet Sue surprise!

September 10 - TQS Members can create their own BLOG - we became MySpace for Quilters

September 19 - Alex taught us about official Talk Like A Pirate Day - arrrgh

September 20 - Talk about Kids quilting - this YouTube video was a hoot.

September 20 - Designer Laurel Burch passes away

September 26 - Celebrate your talents - a budding talent knocks on Alex's door.

October 31 - Seeing Pat Campbell was a huge personal highlight for Ricky and Alex

November 8 - Ricky took us with him to Japan - and ate octopus in the Japan Blog part 6

November 27 - Alex begins her online 'classroom'

December 24 - Ricky shared his Christmas conert to all TQS members.

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It has been wet and wild - I thought Livermore got by fairly untouched until I opened an email this morning - Sadly our beloved Alden Lane (host of Quilting in the Garden), lost a 300 plus year oak - the one that the front entrance driveway was designed around. In fact, it was the tree that held the Livermore school's 911 hand print quilt - remember? Fortunately no one was hurt, but as caretakers of these historical trees, they are devastated. My thoughts to my friends at Alden Lane - and to think I was worried about all the little plants.

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"Bouquets for a New Day" by Sue Garman

We are so excited to bring you this unbelievable quilt that Sue Garman has designed just for TQS, we wanted to give you a sneak peek at the entire project. As we said in the newsletter, you will receive a new block pattern each month that incorporates our TQS star in the design. Sue has gone to great lengths to make the designs and instructions manageable for the novice as well as the more experienced quilter. Happy Holidays! And we look forward to you joining us for this incredible project.

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As I was taking down the Christmas tree I noticed Santa left a present on one of the tree limbs - my first pair of tennis shoes - Imagine my surprise and delight! Little did I know that my love of red and shoes is deeply rooted. I am so grateful the elves found these shoes and made sure Santa had them in his sleigh.

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I promised to follow up with a blog about Katie - she just celebrated her 5th birthday. However, the first year of her life must have been rough. She was found running wild, abandoned with evidence of abuse. The city had to use a trap to catch her - off to the pound she went.

Six weeks after Justin and I moved to La Veta there was a picture of her on the door of Charlie's Cash and Carry. It read, "time is running out". We'll, we went to collect her - to give her a chance, but we were honestly afraid that if we let her off a leash she would bolt and they would be using the trap again. We soon learned that she was sweetest and most loving dog. How could anyone abuse her? She has a scar on her back to this day. She was timid for a while, but now realizes that no one is out to hurt her and she loves to meet new people.

I sent this photo to the Page-a-day Calendar Contest in February of 2004. Lo and behold, she not only got into the best selling dog calendar in the US, but she won something extra. The caption told how she was almost put down and continued to say, "...this breathtaking scenery would be empty if the life of this beautiful dog had been lost. We're proud to name Katie Top Dog for 2005!"

We're lucky to have her. Shes a great dog.

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As you know, both Ricky and I have been home for a few weeks - it doesn't mean grass has grown under our feet, but it DOES mean the possiblity to QUILT! Sometimes I find it difficult to sit and sew (a little A.D.D. goes a long way LOL), but not if a friend is sewing by my side. Dee came over last week and then again yesterday. We were AMAZED at what we accomplished. I was working on some applique and Dee a postage stamp quilt. She was inspired by a family quilt they have to good fortune to own. After telling me about it, we called her son Brett (who by the way is in my Kids Start Quilting book) and he brought it over. OM GOSH - I just had to blog it. The squares are less than an inch and the entire quilt is done BY HAND! A little blessing for my eyes - be sure to check out the edge.

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Ever wonder where I get most of my work done? We'll, since a lot of it is on the computer, I use my laptop. About 80% of all my computer projects are on the laptop (yes, an Apple, but I'm not an Apple snob). Moments before this photo was taken, I was editing video and reading blog comments. Wanda (left) and Raisin (right - they are sisters) think they should be in the chair with me. We'll, they DO need their lovin' and who could resist faces like these. So I take a break and let them crawl on up - I'm such a pushover. Editing video - watching football on TV - lovin' the dogs - and sipping some peach tea. Is this the calm before the storm?

I haven't forgotten Katie (the thrid dog) I'll save her story later.