Daily Blog

  5

fShare

Tweet

RARE Science works directly with patient families and foundations to find more immediate therapeutic solutions for children with rare diseases. 

This year RARE Science is partnering with TQS (and a number of other great organizations) to bring you... the FIRST Ever Celebrity RARE Bear Auction!  This is your opportunity to own a signed bear made by the quilt world's most talented artists while helping a great cause.

Meet "The Boho Baby Boomer Bear" by Wendy Grande

The Boho Baby Boomer has honeycomb on her mind and belly.  Her Red Hat and Purple Vest evoke a definite sense of confidence while keeping true to her sense of fashion. Her Red Hat, adorned with a wreath of hand-made silk roses, is reminiscent of the Baltimore Album Quilts she collects. The addition of green flowing silk ribbons and 2 ladybugs encourages viewers to come in for a closer look. Boho Baby Boomer completes her ensemble with an embellished purple ultra suede vest featuring beads and silk ribbon embroidery.

Star Members can watch Wendy in Show 813: Enhance your Appliqué Repertoire...with Ribbon!

Click here for links to see more Celebrity RARE Bears.

Teacher, author, and appliqué artist extraordinaire Wendy Grande uses ribbon, as other quilters use fabric, to create her beautiful appliquéd designs.

  9

fShare

Tweet

RARE Science works directly with patient families and foundations to find more immediate therapeutic solutions for children with rare diseases.

This year RARE Science is partnering with TQS (and a number of other great organizations) to bring you... the FIRST Ever Celebrity RARE Bear Auction!  This is your opportunity to own a signed bear made by the quilt world's most talented artists while helping a great cause.

Meet "Bumble Bear" by Victoria Findlay Wolfe

Victoria writes,

"Thinking about how my daughter's childhood lovey-toy when she was young, and how it has been repaired many times. Considering that I sew my scraps together to make something that you can love and snuggle, it seemed appropriate to make a bear from my favorite yellow scraps. I love the homemade quality, because when I was a kid, my mother always asked for home made gifts, not store bought. I love that you can tell that it was made by my hands, and pieced with love."

Star Members can watch Victoria in Show 1404: Jump Start Your Creativity with 15 Minutes of Daily "Play".

Click here for links to see more Celebrity RARE Bears.

Victoria Findlay Wolfe is a New York City based award-winning international quilter, author of 15 Minutes of Play and Double Wedding Ring Quilts: Traditions Made Modern (C&T publishing). She also teaches and exhibits internationally, along with designing for Marcus Fabrics, Dies with Sizzix, and Aurifil thread sets. She is the JUKI USA Ambassador.

She is active behind the scenes as well with the Quilt Alliance, and advisory board member of the International Quilt Study Center & Museum, the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Textiles, and her own community based quilt drives. 

  7

fShare

Tweet

Julie writes,

"The quilt top is finished.  The layers are basted.  It’s time to quilt…

Coming up with a plan for the quilting design can be a challenge.  Sometimes it’s a complete mental roadblock when I try to decide on a design. I often fall back on a crosshatch or grid pattern or I just stitch in the ditch. Sometimes it depends on how much time I’m willing to spend on this stage of the process and what (and who) the quilt is for.  Here is where stencils can come to the rescue."

For more tips, click here to visit Julie's classroom at TQS.

  5

fShare

Tweet

Alex and Ricky were joined on the set by Carol Morrissey, take a peek at what when on behind-the-scenes.

In this show, Carol shows you how she makes realistic images of flora and fauna using paint and ink. Her end results almost look like water colors. She also demonstrates how to make a fast, fun, fused postcard you can actually mail. Her tips include how to remove fused pattern pieces, as well as fabric-saving techniques.

Also in this show, Cyndi Souder takes you through her process of creating personalized celebration quilts, using both traditional and original designs.

Star Members can watch Show 1908:  Postcards and Photorealism.

  11

fShare

Tweet

RARE Science works directly with patient families and foundations to find more immediate therapeutic solutions for children with rare diseases. 

This year RARE Science is partnering with TQS (and a number of other great organizations) to bring you... the FIRST Ever Celebrity RARE Bear Auction!  This is your opportunity to own a signed bear made by the quilt world's most talented artists while helping a great cause.

Meet "Yosemite Bear" by Nancy Brown

Nancy writes,

"One night when I was a child I met a bear as I was walking back from the bathroom in Camp Curry in Yosemite.  He was looking for food and fortunately I didn’t look very tasty so we both went on our way and I was left with an exciting story to tell.

This RARE Bear is a tribute to my Yosemite bear.  He is wearing a vest with scenes from Yosemite.  On the back he is walking in a meadow in front of Half Dome, and on the front he is in front of one of the waterfalls.  Also on the front is a Steller's jay - a very vocal bird found in Yosemite.

The bear is foundation pieced in a crazy quilt style.  The vest is hand appliqued and hand quilted."

Star Members can watch Nancy in Show 701: Animal Magnetism.

Click here for links to see more Celebrity RARE Bears.

Nancy started making quilts over 20 years ago after her mother took a quilting class and taught her what she had learned. Nancy has always loved animals, and found that by using applique she could create realistic animal portraits. She feels that animals are important parts of this world and should be celebrated and preserved. She has made many animal quilts, but with the wide variety of subjects available, she feels there are many more animal quilts waiting to be made.

Nancy has exhibited her quilts in a variety shows, museums, and galleries and has won many awards. They have been featured in several books and magazines and many are in private and corporate collections. She also teaches classes in hand applique and animal portraiture.

  8

fShare

Tweet

RARE Science works directly with patient families and foundations to find more immediate therapeutic solutions for children with rare diseases.

This year RARE Science is partnering with TQS (and a number of other great organizations) to bring you... the FIRST Ever Celebrity RARE Bear Auction!  This is your opportunity to own a signed bear made by the quilt world's most talented artists while helping a great cause.

Meet "Blossom" by Alex Anderson

Alex wants all her quilting "buds" to blossom with creativity and this adorable little bear is doing just that.

A scrappy little hand-worker, Blossom always has a "to-go" project with her to keep those creative juices flowing (and to keep those UFOs away from her door).

Tiny embroidered flowers and cute little buttons on her bow, make Blossom a visual treat and colorful companion that you'll want to light up your studio.

Star Members can watch Alex in Show 1307: Traditional, Artsy, or Otherwise: Make Your Scrap Quilts Sing!

Click here for links to see more Celebrity RARE Bears.

Alex Anderson’s love of quilting all began in 1978 when she completed her Grandmother’s Flower Garden Quilt as a part of her work towards her degree in art from San Francisco State University. Over the years her central focus has been to understand fabric relationships and an intense appreciation of traditional quilts and beautiful quilting surface design.

Alex is the author of 30 books in four languages selling over 1 million copies worldwide. She is the National Spokesperson for BERNINA of America, as well as a designer of fabrics with RJR Fabrics, and Co- Creater with Floriani of the Quilters Select brand.

Alex was chosen as the 2008 Silver Star Award winner given annually by the International Quilt Festival to a person “whose work and influence has made — and continues to make — a sizable and positive impact on the quilting industry and community.”

Alex was also chosen by the readers of Quilter’s Newsletter magazine (Feb 2009) as “The Most Influential Person in The Quilting Industry” (in a three-way tie with Ricky Tims and Karey Bresenhan of Quilts, Inc).

Alex’s personal mission is not only to share her love of quilting with anyone who will listen, but to educate and encourage those interested in quilting as clearly and simply as possible, so quilting can continue to be handed down from generation to generation.

Alex has two children and lives in Northern California with her husband.

  1

fShare

Tweet

During Quilters Take Manhattan this year, a group was led through a costume tour at the Museum at FIT (The Fashion Institute of Technology). During the tour the attendees were able to see fashions up close and in detail from the late 1800s through the late 1900s. The only complaint was that there wasn't enough time to "Ooh and Ahh" over everything...

  6

fShare

Tweet

Want to learn how she does some of that amazing quilting?

Star Members can watch Lois with her BFF Nancy Arseneault in Show 1907: Machine Quilting Friends.