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Texas Quilter Comes to Germany!
Mark your calendar for the Main-Quiltfestival, which will be held in Aschaffenburg Germany, February 24-26, 2012. The festival will offer a wide variety of exhibitions, lectures, and workshops, AND one very familiar, Stetson-wearing, Texas quilter, who will be the event's headliner...our own Ricky Tims!

In addition to a selection of outstanding workshops, Ricky will present an evening concert and a meal featuring American-style cuisine. Don't miss this terrific opportunity, which promises lots of laughter, good music, and quilt "learning." To see the entire line-up of events with Ricky, click here.

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Precision is Key
All too often, a quilt loses its visual appeal because the borders have been poorly sewn. Susan K. Cleveland's technique, as described in her book, Marvelous Miters, ensures that your quilts will lay flat and measure precisely. Here are a few additional tips to get you going on the right track:

• Wash and starch fabric to achieve lots of body.
• Use freezer paper for block assembly. Freezer paper stabilizes the block to prevent stretching and distortion, and shows you exactly where to stitch so that you don't need to mark seam-line intersections. (This technique also aids in proper border placement.)
• Post-it notes can be used as a measurement tool for border placement.
• When neighboring blocks have mitered corners Susan suggest pressing miters in one direction (counter-clockwise from wrong direction) so that seams will nest where corner blocks meet.
• Straight-edged fonts are easier to applique and quilt than curved fonts.
• Rather than applique, use Shiva Paintstiks to stencil your letters. Leave lots of space between images so that you can cut the blocks.

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Joen talks with Ricky at Houston about what's hot.  Grapes & buttons??!!

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This project would make a great gift for any relative or friend—whether grown-up or child. The instructions are for making a "name" quilt, but the idea can be adapted for messages, or keys on a keyboard, too!

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Earlier this year (read more) we shared with you a story of Evie Harris idea for sending a little bit of love, in the shape of a fabric heart, to the citizens of Christchurch New Zealand who had just recently experienced a tremendous earthquake.  The idea blossomed via the internet, and soon thousands of fabric hearts were traveling around the globe towards New Zealand. 

TQS member Pam7040 thought that this idea would also be appropriate for members of TQS. Through the TQS prayer list on the Forum we know of people going through difficult times.  Making a fabric heart for them is a way of sending them our love and showing that we care and are thinking of them.  These small hearts can be made fairly quickly and easily and can therefore be sent right away.  Why not make a few for those who need a heartfelt thought from a quilting friend.

Here are the basics:

Two heart shapes sewn together, stuffed or not, embellished, embroidered, quilted, plain or fancy, anything goes. Add a loop for hanging. It is a small measure of something nice to give at a difficult time.

Someone remembers, someone cares;
Your name is whispered in someone's prayers.

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"Journeys" Art Quilters' Annual Exhibit
January 3 to February 28, 2012

Sisters Art Works
204 W Adams Ave in Sisters, Oregon
(Mon-Fri 9 am to 4 pm, Sat 10 am to 2 pm)

Don't miss this special exhibit featuring work from the "Journeys" Art Quilters. Members were challenged to make a quilt (18" x 45") inspired by this necklace. There are twelve quilts in the exhibit flourishing with color, texture, embellishments and fantastic creativity!

Take a look at the work the "Journeys" Art Quilters did for last year's exhibit, Elements in Cloth. 

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This stunning hand-appliqued and hand quilted masterpiece from Zena Thorpe took a year and a half to complete.  Not an unusual amount of time for Zena who averaged 3-4 hours a day on the work.  Crowned with Glory - Right Royally came about when she visited Parliament and was inspired by wall hangings from the Royal School of Needlework. Other inspirations included red carpets with crown designs, leather upholstery in the House of Lords, and a church-supply catalog with ecclesiastical motfis.  It was completed in 1996 and is 82" x 90" materials include cotton damask, tricot-backed lame, and metallic thread. 

To see more of Zena's spectacular quilts, visit her website: www.zenasquilts.com.

Crowned with Glory - Right Royally - 36 pieces non-rotating

Crowned with Glory - Right Royally - 100 pieces non-rotating

Crowned with Glory - Right Royally - 100 pieces rotating

Crowned with Glory - Right Royally - 252 pieces non-rotating

Crowned with Glory - Right Royally - 252 pieces rotating

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On Ricky's recent visit to England he encountered a number of drive-by quiltings. He traveled by train so he had to stretch the definition from Drive-by to Train-by and Ricky also chose to bend the rules a bit because two opportunities happened while they were arriving or departing from a train station (rather than passing by) and one happened during a visit while traveling on the London Underground.

It's always great to see quilts and showing them in public places makes for a lot of curious onlookers.

To see the full stories of what actually happened in each photo and to learn about the quilts, click here and look for Drive-by Quiltings numbers 16-21.

Reading, England at the Reading Station with Pam Day:

Swindon, England at Swindon Station with Heather Bennet and her husband, Michael:

Bath, England at the Bath Spa Station with Sandy Ospina:

Mortimer, England at the Mortimer Station with Paula Doyle:

Oxford, England at Oxford Station with Sue Maddox and Sue Watters:

London, England - in the London Underground with Ferret and Tet:

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Every year The National Quilt Museum holds an international contest challenging quiltmakers to create an innovative quilt based on a specific traditional pattern.

This year's theme was Baskets and eighteen winning quilts were chosen and will be published in a book created by the American Quilter's Society.

We are proud to announce that four TQS members were in the top five, including the 1st Place Winner, Karen Grover (Groverquilts) of Rockford, IL with her quilt, Book Plate I. 

The Second Place winner was Leona Harden from New Tazewell, TN with Basket Case.

In Third Place was TQS' own Michael Michalski (BKLYNMIKE) with Basket Weaver.

Fourth Place went to another TQS member, Marilyn R. Smith (marilynrsmithquilts) with Bark Baskets.

And rounding out the top five was Ann L. Peterson (annlp) of Aurora, CO and Basket Case Flowers.

To see a list of all the winners and photos of the top five, click here.

The Museum will exhibit the 18 finalists and winning quilts March 10 through June 5, 2011. The exhibit will then travel to other venues through December 2012.

Next year's theme will be...Jacob's Ladder.   Click here for a 2013 Contest Brochure & Entry Form.

(quilt: Bark Baskets, by Marilyn R. Smith - photo: www.quiltmuseum.org)

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Here are selections from the Innovative Pieced category of Quilts: A World of Beauty, the annual fall Judged Show of work by members of the International Quilt Association shown in Houston, November 2011.