Daily Blog

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Join Alex and Ricky on the set with Carolyn Konig, a quilter from "Down Under" whose favorite quilts are those of the 18th century which she enjoys recreating.  In this show Carolyn shows her methods for making these quilts, including tips on hand applique, and a great tip for keeping it portable.  Also, Alex reviews the importance of good pressing technique, including the difference between pressing piecework vs. appliqué or redwork.

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Here are some more of the Distortion Winners. Please note that you can click on any picture and it will enlarge. It is not a zoom, but will make it easier to read the signs and see the quilts. Click once to enlarge a picture and once to reduce it back.

The Best of Show is near the end.

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We have to love the new costume designers (Kurt and Bart) for The HungerGames: Mockingjay movie.  Check out the quilting in Jennifer Lawrence's coat.

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See more of the quilts from around the world representing "Distortion". There is a new challenge every year for the Patchwork Show in Alsace, France. This year will be the 20th anniversary of the show.

In Part 3 tomorow we will show you the top winner for 2013.

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Libby looked wonderful receiving her Distinguished Alumni Award from Rice University this past weekend. She greeted friends and family, as well as others, for about an hour and a half. One of the highlights of the evening was that Libby's neurosurgeon, Dr. Dannenbaum and his wife Caroline, came to the dinner. Libby had the biggest group there. The group that put on the event called Libby's area "Libby's Lane". It was a very big honor for her and all of her friends and family are extremely proud of her.

You can read about Libby's preparations, her big night, and see more pictures here at the CaringBridge.org.

(photo: Dr. Mark Dannebaum, son Les, and husband Lester)

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This slideshow is Part 1 as we share the winning quilts from a challenge by the European Patchwork Meeting in Alsace, France in 2013. The theme was "Distortion", the quilts were to be 1 square meter and here are the results. Part 2 and Part 3 will be on the blog Wednesday and Thursday.

You can see these quilts in person (you should if you can) at the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, KY through June 24, 2014. It is the only place in the USA to see this collection.

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Photo by Gregory Case Photography    Photo courtesy of Shelly Burge

The TQS gang goes "on the road again" for a visit with author, designer, blogger, and self-described "scrapaholic" Bonnie Hunter, who made her first quilt using her grandmother's cardboard templates. Nowadays Bonnie, who still enjoys stitching on her beloved treadle machine, uses a webcam so that her followers can watch her at work in her studio!

In this show, Bonnie shares:

• Her quilter-friendly system for cutting and sorting scraps,
  
• Her technique for making quick 2"-finished half-square-triangle units from strips, and
  
• Her ingenious "Leaders and Enders" technique, which makes thrifty use of leftovers and thread.
  
• How to build a quilt using fabric "strings" and phonebook-page foundations, and how to play with the finished blocks.

We end with a field trip to meet Nebraska quiltmaker, author, teacher, and quilt judge Shelly Burge, who currently incorporates copper crimping in her quilts - while curating her collection of over 300 (!) vintage sewing machines.

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Google points out that it is the 40th Anniversary of the Rubik's Cube. WOW! Did you ever try it?

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A 17th Century Dutch artist created a one-of-a-kind color manual centuries before Pantone got the idea.  Click here to learn more.  To view the book online, click here.

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On May 3rd a new exhibit opened at the Victoria and Albert Museum.  Wedding Dresses 1775-2014, traces the development of the white wedding dress and includes the work of designers such as Charles Frederick Worth, Norman Hartnell, Christian Lacroix, Vera Wang and more.  

On display will be the most romantic, glamorous and extravagant wedding dresses from the V&A’s superb collection and will include some important new acquisitions as well as loans including the purple dress worn by Dita Von Teese for her marriage to Marilyn Manson and the outfits worn by Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale on their wedding day. The exhibition will highlight the histories of the dresses, revealing fascinating details about the lives of the wearers and offering an intimate insight into their circumstances and fashion choices. 

The exhibit will run from May 3, 2014 - March 15, 2015