Daily Blog - TheQuiltShow.com

Friends for a Cure

Story Submitted by: sunshinequilts

In 2004, when American Patchwork & Quilting was collecting blocks for making quilts to be auctioned to raise money for the Susan Komen for the Cure project, many of us who were on Alex Anderson's message board decided to make a whole quilt to be auctioned. Details of the blocks to be sent were worked out. Some sent blocks with light pink centers and dark backgrounds and others sent the opposite. All sent some extra fabric for the sashing. I assembled and quilted the top and sent it off to be auctioned on ebay. I anxiously awaited our quilt being auctioned because I wanted it back! When it was posted, I began bidding but despite my best efforts to win the auction, every time I would bid, this one other bidder would outbid me. I finally gave up as it was getting to be more than I could afford to spend. I lost the auction and several friends from the AAMB began trying to help me find out who the person was who wanted this quilt so badly that they kept oubidding me. There was a "behind the scenes" story going on and I didn't know it but everyone else did. It ended up that my friend, Vicky McGee from CA, was the person bidding against me and she was trying to get the quilt to give to me. Little did I know! In June, 2005, while at a retreat in Paducah, KY, Vicky had planned to be there and present the quilt to me. She could not make it but was able to send the quilt to another friend to make the presentation, along with the sweetest note from Vicky. I had given up on ever seeing this quilt again and was thrilled beyond belief to see it again and realize that it was being given to me!

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Michael James named recipient of 2007 Silver Star Award

Houston – March 26, 2007 – Quilts, Inc. announced that the recipient of the Silver Star Award is Michael James of Lincoln, NE. This award is given annually to living persons who have made a lasting and positive impact on the field of quilting and textile art over their careers.

James – a member of the Quilter’s Hall of Fame – was chosen for a lifetime of work that has seen him move through various styles and techniques, but always remain on the cutting edge of quilt design, construction, and scholarship.

Michael’s approach to quiltmaking is greatly influenced by his background as a painter. He is currently the department chair in Textiles, Clothing & Design at the University of Nebraska/Lincoln and a Faculty Fellow at the International Quilt Study Center.

His work has been shown in solo and group exhibitions too numerous to list, and appears in more than a dozen museum collections. Finally, his quilts have won many awards, and two of them (Aurora and Rhythm/Color: Improvisation) made the list of the 20^th Century’s Best American Quilts.

James will be honored at the Silver Star Salute, part of the events at the 2007 fall edition of International Quilt Festival in Houston, TX. This special dinner is Saturday, November 3, from 7:30-10:00 p.m., and will feature a speech from James along with a visual career retrospective. Work and memorabilia from his entire career will also be on display in the “Silver Star Salute” special exhibit on Festival’s show floor. For more information visit www.quilts.com

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Don's memory Quilt

Story Submitted by: maryw

I made this quilt for my executive who was retiring. I've worked as his administrative assistant for over 12 years and have learned a lot about him during that time. However, while making the quilt I learned a lot more about him. All of the fabric has some significance to things he likes or has done (i.e. golf, bowling, woodworking, various types of food he likes, etc.). The photos were copied onto material. All photos are from his early years (about age 2) through current (age 62). In addition to the photos and fabric I sent a square of material to family, friends and co-workers asking for them to sign the square or write a message to Don (I used acid free pens). I also was able to secure a signature square from some of his favorite publc people (Barbara Mandrell, Statler Brothers, Riders In The Sky, and President Bush). This was the first quilt I ever made. I learned a lot from making it but the best part was the pleasure of seeing the excitement on Don's face when I presented it to him. The quilt measures about 90 inches wide and 104 inches long. All sewing was done on my sewing machine. I started the quilt in early 2005 and completed it in early March 2007; Don retired March 31, 2007. Thank you for considering including this quilt and story.

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Spring Market- New Stuff

Spring Market is around the corner in Salt Lake City. It is a time when your local quilt shop owner checks out what is hot and new for you. This year we at The Quilt Show will have a booth where we can chat and meet those who are attending. In addition to the booth, my new fabric line will debute with P&B Textiles - Garden Rose, my newest Book - Machine Quilting (you can order an autographed copy on my site (www.alexandersonquilts.com) and newest pattern - Star Party with JWD Publishing. To say it has been a crazy half year is an understatement. One of the responsibilties of celebrating a new fabric line is making a new quilt. Here's mine! I put it together in two days and then Cheryl Uribe APQSed it in another two days. Pretty good for basically an overnight effort, if I say so myself! By the way, half the circles are pieced and the other half appliqued.

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Treasures of Tomorrow Quilt Show

Marshfield, WI – October 26-28, 2007, The Piecemakers Quilt Guild of Central Wisconsin and Marshfield Convention and Visitors Bureau is sponsoring the 13^th Annual Treasures of Tomorrow Quilt Show and Competition. There will be over $4000 in prizes, full and half day classes, 1 hour classes with fabric kits included, and a beginning quilting class. Also included will be over 150 quilts and wall hangings and more than 25 vendors. There will be a raffle quilt and hundreds of items for sale. Also offered are appraisals by appointment, machine cleaning and tune-up for $30, neck massages and food and refreshments. On Sunday only there will be free demonstrations and guided tours of prize winning quilts. General admission is $5 or $8 for a two day pass. For more information visit www.visitmarshfieldwi.com.

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Say A Prayer - Virginia Tech Tragedy

All of us at The Quilt Show are saddened to learn of the horrible tragedy that occured today at Virginia Tech where 32 students and a gunman lost their lives in the deadliest shooting rampage in American history. We send our thoughts and our prayers to those who are directly affected by this horrible massacre. We offer this opportunity for our World Quilt Community Members to post their thoughts as we join together in helping each other during this time of national grief.

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Our First Contest

OK, Kevin Daddy (woops - Daddykevin - my bad) you are on! Great idea...........Who can guess who made what blocks on my birthday quilt? Email me your guess at alexandersonquilts@hotmail.com (I have created this email account ONLY for this contest). I will go through your answers and on Tuesday the 24th will announce the winner. Winner gets an autographed book of mine (your pick) and of course a spool of masterpiece by superior threads. I reserve the right to eliminate any cheaters (like my friends who are not ALL cheaters - but I will be watching LOL). Let the game begin!

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Evening Chat with Alex

I'm home, I'm home...........how about a chat Monday night at 4:00 pm west coast time? See you in Anyone Out There?.

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It's a New Day!

Thank you! Thank you!....... To all of you who came up and said our secret password. But above and beyond that I was met today with many pleasant surprises. First was Ponygirl and her daughter Kelsey with hand made badges touting our message. Then later on in the day wilmamaria3 gave me a darling quilt that states our slogan loud and clear! What fun you are and THANK YOU! This journey is only going to get better and better.

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An Exciting Surprise

Story Submitted by: pknord

In 1999, I found a most interesting design in one of the Dover coloring books. It looked as though it would be a nifty grid to use to create a quilt. I copied it onto clear plastic, borrowed an overhead projector, taped several pieces of freezer paper to the wall, and used a Sharpie to transfer the grid portion of the design to the freezer paper. Then I put in Storm at Sea blocks, and paper-foundation pieced them. I quilted the resulting piece with spirals, using hologram thread, took pics, and sent them in to try to enter the Houston show. I was so excited when the letter came, telling me the quilt was juried in to the show. I sent it off and made plans to visit my brother and his wife the end of October at their home in Rockport, TX. I had been visiting them every year since they moved to TX. Oddly enough, my visits always coincided with the show in Houston-- funny how that worked out. At any rate, I left for Rockport some time before the show and had a nice visit with Mike and Sandy, then headed for Houston and the show. I went to the Award Ceremony to get a chance to see the winners before the show opened. As I was admiring the quilts and slides, and watching the nicely-dressed winners walk down to the stage to receive their awards, I suddenly saw that the slide on the screen was my quilt! I leaped to my feet, and yelled something like "Yeehah!" and happy-danced down to the stage, any shreds of dignity I might have possessed lying in tatters on the stairs. Somewhere there's a picture of me accepting my award wearing black cotton pants, yellow socks, orange Birkenstocks, and a T-shirt my DSIL had given me that said "Mental Illness Takes a Toll--Please Have Exact Change" (I'm a Psychiatric/Mental Health RN). During the rest of the week, people would come up to me and say, "I remember you from the Award Ceremony." I had been gone from home early and missed the call that would have let me know I should dress up more, LOL. The picture above was taken at our local quilt show, where I had just found out my quilt won Best Of Show. Pat in Rockport, TX

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