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Some costumes are made by amateurs, some by professionals, some are actual props, and some are "actual" people, but whatever they may be, they are always interesting. Watch creativity run wild and enjoy the fascinating people and their costumes as TQS walks the floor of Comic-Con.
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Photos: Mary Kay Davis
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We were picking up a quarter of a beef from a local farmer/quilter which took us through Tumalo, a little community between Sisters and Bend, Oregon. It was a chilly morning, snow on the ground, and G was dreaming of a cup of coffee. I told him to pull over at the Tumalo Coffee House for some coffee and scones. When I went inside, I saw a pastry chef behind the counter that looked familiar?! So I yelled, "Didn't you used to volunteer at the hospital???" I yelled because somewhere in the back of my mind I knew this person was hard of hearing.
She gave me a big smile and said yes! So naturally, always being of a curious nature, I asked what she was doing here. And, so came the gift. For years we passed in the hallways of the hospital, me a busy nurse...her a busy volunteer...always saying hi but never really getting to know the story of each other's lives. Luckily, because G was craving a cup of coffee on the back roads of Deschutes County, I found out this woman, Lois Johnson, used to work for a Fortune 500 company, traveled the world, had a mountain climbing accident, kept traveling, and one day decided to go back to school to become a Microbiologist. Her husband said with all the classes and requirements she would be 90 before she would receive her PhD. He encouraged her to look into something else...something she enjoyed. So, at 66 years of age, she attended the Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute for 4 years, apprenticing under the tutelage of a Danish Pastry Chef in Las Vegas. What?!!!! You are only limited by the judgment and rules you force upon yourself. Life is what you want it to be and age is only a number. And so, this chance meeting has caused me not to start baking, LOL, but to release the self judging quilter in me and embrace the process from fabric purchase to creation. I am no longer going to place limitations on my dreams about all the quilts I want to make! Thank you Lois. You are my quilt angel!...and you also bake a wonderful ginger scone!
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Katie Pasquini Masopust is trying to wrap up a new quilt before the end of the year. Here's what she wrote on her Facebook page.
I am trying to finish a quilt by the end of the year because I have too many projects that I want to start in 2017. So Graffiti VI is on the wall. Started it as artist in residence at Art Quilt Tahoe. Now it is time to get it done. So I am going to post each day's progress and that should get me off my butt! So here is the piece as it is on the wall right now and a picture of the painting that it is inspired by and the painting will fit into the empty square in the middle of the quilt. I will take a picture this evening when I am finished with today's goal. May the force be with me!!
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This group of organizations really struggle financially and would treasure donations of any size from quilters. They are the ones showcasing quilts to make them live in people's minds and imaginations. From superb traditional quilts to art quilts with a message to prize winners, the quilt museums produce wonderful exhibits that draw visitors from all over. For example, in its five years, the Texas Quilt Museum has had visitors from every continent except Antarctica! It has produced 60 outstanding exhibits that cause non-quilters to look at quilts with new eyes and that inspire and delight quilters. And as a not-for-profit organization, it does all this on a shoestring budget with the invaluable help of volunteers.
The Texas Quilt Museum isn't alone in its struggle to fund its programs and exhibits--my bet is that every one of the quilt museums share this challenge!
TQS is encouraging quilters to make year-end donations to the quilt museums, where their contributions will go a long way toward continuing to develop the public appreciation of quilts as art and even help to gain more hard-earned respect for quilters everywhere!
Click here for the Texas Quilt Museum.
Click here for the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles. (Their Board of Directors is doing a match of up to $20,000 if you donate before 12/31/2016.)
Click here for the National Quilt Museum.
Click here for the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum.
Click here for the International Quilt Study Center & Museum.
Click here for the New England Quilt Museum.
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Follow along with Jen from Shabby Fabrics in this tutorial to learn how to create the classic thread spool quilt block quickly and easily!
Click here to download .pdf file.
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Now that you have participated in all kinds of fun holiday activities with your family, why not spread the joy by helping out a charitable organization? And if you donate before December 31, many of these organizations will have your gift MATCHED, doubling its size and impact.
You can easily search the web to find places that need your help, but here are just a few to get you thinking. Volunteer time, donate blood, or buy a cow...we are all one world.
UNICEF: The U.S. Fund for UNICEF helps save and protect the world's most vulnerable children. 91% of every dollar spent goes directly to help children.
CARE: Their mission is to serve individuals and families in the poorest communities in the world.
AMERICAN RED CROSS: The American Red Cross exists to provide compassionate care to those in need. Their network of generous donors, volunteers and employees share a mission of preventing and relieving suffering, here at home and around the world, through disaster relief. Supporting America's military families, blood donations, health and safety services and international services with a network of 13 million volunteers in 187 countries.
HEIFER INTERNATIONAL: Their mission is to work with communities to end world hunger and poverty and to care for the earth. Heifer links communities and helps bring sustainable agriculture and commerce to areas with a long history of poverty. Their animals provide partners with both food and reliable income, as agricultural products such as milk, eggs and honey can be traded or sold at market.
When many families gain this new sustainable income, it brings new opportunities for building schools, creating agricultural cooperatives, forming community savings and funding small businesses.
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Entrance to the studio
Many a quilter dreams of having a dedicated studio space. Often reality does not allow such dreams, while children, work, and other obligations take precedence. When the time and budget does allow for a personal studio space, there might be a number of things to consider that just may not have been on your radar. This is the last of four studio visits where we present obstacles, ideas, and tips from fellow quilters who have generously shared their studio designs from an idea to a finalized space. We would like to thank Alex Anderson, TQS member Ckbellneville, Cheryl S. See, and Nancy Arseneault for so generously sharing their studio build information. We hope that their ideas, tips and suggestions will help you to design the studio of your dreams.
After a house purchase in Santa Fe, Nancy Arseneault, who has been quilting for forty years, began to take a serious look at finding a dedicated studio space. With no room in the house to accommodate several sewing machines, a long arm, as well as a design and work space, the idea of an addition blossomed. Santa Fe, however, has fairly strict building codes and restrictions when it comes to building, as did the Home Owners Association. Trying to see out her vision, while working through the maze of constraints with two organizations, was a bit of a challenge. But in the end, a lovely, calm and well organized studio space was indeed achieved.
How did you approach the project?
I started with a General Contractor that I liked and thought understood the regulations dictated by my Home Owners Association (HOA). I had my list of desires that he said would not be a problem. But, it became very apparent that he did not. I learned my lesson to always get everything in writing when making decisions when it comes to a contractor. So, I selected another builder who had previously completed work on our residence. While I worked with the HOA, the builder handled all of the other elements of the construction. Due to the fact that the house is built into a hill, meant that there was not space for an addition, so the plan was redisigned as a small casita. I also wanted to save an existing scrub oak, so the casita is in an L-shape.
What were the 'must have elements' of the studio?
It was an absolute luxury to have a project that I could build from start to finish. Over the course of my quilting years, I have worked in a variety of spaces that were very small or guest bedrooms. This new space was something that I could design myself for the things that were important to me as an artist. As I prefer to work in a calm and minimalist space, my desires were for a clean looking and easy to clean space. While working, I prefer to have three machines out, a large ironing space, a large design wall, a cutting table, and good lighting. "Think Dr. office," I told the builder, "I want it to look clean and clinical."
As I usually work on only one or two quilts a year, I don't have a big fabric stash. I gave most of my quilt stash away to my local guild, so the storage that I do have is dedicated to holding large quilt batting and quilts.
Tell us about the process. How long did it take and what was your budget?
We broke ground on April 4 and didn't finish until Aug 10. There was a pause in the work due to spring snows. The stucco house is 725 sq. feet. It is considered a small guest house/art studio and as such increased the value of our property. To stay within HOA restrictions, there is only a small 1/2 bath and no kitchen facilities. The majority of the budget of $135,000 went towards building a structure from the ground up, as we were essentially building a small house, with all that that entails.
Was there anything that you had to eliminate from your wish list?
Due to the expense of the rest of the studio work, I was not able to inclued WiFi, but my cell phone does. It is actually a blessing. I an not distracted by the ping of emails or most phone calls when working. It would have been nice to have a small kitchen in the space for the occasional cup of coffee, but HOA restrictions did not allow this.
Describe the completed studio and how you feel about the space.
The studio is a calm and serene space where I can retreat to work for hours at a time. As it is only a few steps from the house, for me, it is like entering a whole other world. Keeping a calm and serene design esthetic was instrumental in the choice of decorations and quilts that occupy the space. I feel very blessed to have a space such as this.
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After the mad rush up to Christmas, you're ready for a bit of peace and quiet. And maybe some delicious but lighter fare for your meals? Here's an old recipe of mine that I truly love. I feel like I can share it with the general public without them suspecting that it's "diet food." If you had ham for Christmas, this recipe will help you to use up some of that ham. Ham and Cheese Breakfast Muffins are good as a grab and go breakfast item, or for a light dinner along with a great salad. They would also be a great brunch item. Heck, I could eat these babies for any meal or snack on any day, they're that good. Bake a batch to share, or put them in the freezer and keep them all to yourself!
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Most of you know that Quilter’s Apothecary (Jamie Wallen and company) had their truck stolen in Houston, TX, prior to Quilt Festival. All of their product and quilts were stolen. Only a fraction was recovered.
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