Daily Blog

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Do you know about the Row by Row Experience?  It's a new kind of shop hop with no fees, no passports, and all summer to play at the more than 1200 quilt shops that are participating.

All you have to do is stop by a participating shop to receive a free pattern for a row in a quilt.  Combine your rows in any fashion to create your unique design.

Create a quilt using at least 8 different rows and be the first to bring it into a participating shop to win a stack of 25 fat quarters (6-1/4 yards of fabric!). Use that shop’s row in your quilt and win a bonus prize!

Over 1250 quilt shops are participating in 34 states and Ontario and planning fun for quilters everywhere. Although the quilt shops are organized by state, quilters have no borders. Travel, shop, collect patterns and add rows to your quilt from any area.

Click on Learn More to find out who is participating.

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Rob Appell talks to Brenda Ratliff owner of Pink Castle Fabrics and blogger at JustABitFrayed.com.  Learn about the exciting new Color Inspirations Club featuring RJR Fabrics Cotton Supreme Solids.

Brenda Ratliff is teaming up with RJR fabrics to bring you a bundle of 10 Cotton Supreme Solids each month! Each month she will choose a coordinating bundle of ten solid fabrics based around an inspirational photo. None of the colors in each month will overlap during the year so by the end of the 12 month cycle you will have 120 different solids!  You can chose to make something from the bundle you get, or break it up and add fabrics from your stash!  Choose fat quarter (18" x 22") or half yard (18" x 44") cuts for your bundle!

Click here to learn more.

(P.S. the audio is a bit off, but the information is too good to miss.)

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What does a busy quilter need in the middle of summer? She needs a quick and easy (but delicious) dinner recipe that she can prepare ahead of time that won't heat up the kitchen. That about sums it up, right? 

This recipe for my version of Shrimp Ceviche is going to be my favorite of the summer, I'm pretty sure. Fresh tomatoes and corn, some avocado, and just enough shrimp to add some texture and protein--what more could a girl want? I like it so much, I just eat a bowl of it by itself. But if you wanted to, you could make yourself some tortilla chips to go with.

Here's all the ingredients you need to gather:

And here is the finished product, ready to be consumed!

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At Paducah 2014 Cindy Needham took home 3rd prize with an amazing quilt (48"X48").

She machine quilted and hand beaded this quilt that is made from vintage linen that was hand embroidered by Nuns in the early 1940's." Take a close look. 

Want to learn from Cindy? She will be at Alex's Retreat the first week in October.  Click here to learn more about the retreat and get ready to increase your quilting skills and your smile lines.

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It's that time of year, the second Saturday in July. The Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show is this weekend and they are going to hang 1401 quilts for one day only. Will you be there?  Here's a video from last year's show.  Stay tuned for quilt photos from this year's show...

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The Tent Makers of Cairo were busy at Paducah this year. With great designs and lots of color, these appliqued quilts really catch your attention. Look for some of the new designs.

Star Members--Learn more about the Tent makers and a special movie being made about them in our Show 1307.

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It's often been noted that the best gifts come in small packages. Here's a chance to make an adorable gift holder--large or small--using only craft paper, ribbon, and a few simple supplies. It's the perfect "wrap" for a gift card, small quilting tool, or other goodie. We found variations (with downloadable templates) on several websites.

Willowday

Covet Garden

iCreativeIdeas.com

                                                                                                        Willowday.com

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Check Out These Great Shows!

If you were inspired by the print-on-demand fabric created by Jane Dunnewold, you might want to view these other great ideas for creating texture and visual interest in your art.

Remember: As a Star Member, you have access to EVERY SHOW, EVERY TEACHER, AND EVERY TECHNIQUE . . . PLUS, in our Little Scrap of Magic lessons, we're creating small projects to practice some of the techniques taught in the current shows.

Just 21¢ a show. Practice is free.

Create a focal point in your work
with Jane Davila (Episode 208).

Stamp personal memories or words in a quilt
with Mary Fisher (Episode 108).

Enhance your quilts using Photoshop and assorted media
with Lura Schwarz Smith (Episode 702).

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TQS is streaming the shows in HD starting with the 1400 series. This looks fantastic on fast internet and even looks great in full screen mode. Slower internets have problems with this. The system is supposed to figure this out for you, but it doesn't always work (technology, right?!). 

So if your streaming has pauses and slow downs, click the "HD" (high definition) symbol in the lower right of the video screen. This will convert your viewing from "HD" to "SD" (standard definition). Then streaming should be much better. If it still stalls: start the video, pause it, then let the video buffer in for about 5-10 minutes. When you start it up again it will read in at full speed until it catches up with the buffered amount.

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Photo by Gregory Case Photography

We launch Series 1500 with a visit to the Texas studio of artist, instructor, and author Jane Dunnewold, well known for the one-of-a-kind fabrics she creates with printing, dyeing, resist, and other manipulations.

In this episode, Jane discusses the meaning of surface design, and shows how she transfers a black-and-white copyright-free image to prepared-for-dye (PFD) silk, which she then embellishes with watercolor pencils and needle felting. You'll also love our tour of her wet/dry studios, a delightful blend of old and new.

Finally, Jane, who uses a hula hoop as a preventative for back problems, coaxes Alex and Ricky to give this childhood classic a try. It's an informative - and fun - start to a new season!