Glad you are feeling better Eileen, and hope that so is everyone who managed to catch one or more of the horrible things doing the rounds.

quick info on the carneval (Fasnacht) here in Switzerland:
we have two main regions who are totally fasnacht-nuts, one here in central switzerland with the main town being Lucerne where we have the catholic carneval which starts on "Schmutziger Donnderstag", i.e. Dirty or Maundy Thursday (which this year is actually on the 8th of February), and ending (late night on Shrove Tuesday, well actually early in the Morning on Ash Wednesday when the Fast before Easter commences.
in this area the costumes are a mix of fun, history, fantasy, politics and whatever the people can think of - with some masks, carved wooden maskes (the witches from Kriens), but lots of use of face paints.
The town I now live in (Kussnacht am Rigi) is almost next door to Lucerne and for some reason - probably to not always have to decide where they want to participate and have a chance to do it all - do their carneval a week early. this means that on the dot 6 am thursday morning we were all awakened with three huge bangs when the carneval music companies started to do their rounds. there was a parade (i think with the schoolkids participating - but i missed it as i was working) on thursday afternoon followed by the kids' carneval ball. of course there are balls organized by the various carneval groups every night. on sunday they have a large parade and hopefully we'll have sun.
www.hohlgassland.ch/en/news/fasnacht

in Lucerne the same thing (but in a very very very big style) happens on maundy thursday - this year the 8th - with the big bang at 5 am. Lucerne has two huge carneval parades on thursday and monday) and lots and lots of events in the streets, restaurants, everywhere.
Many towns in Central Switzerland and many other places around the country will also have their own Carneval and Parades - some big some small. Baar, where I used to live and still work, has the same timing as lucerne, with a parade on sunday afternoon and a smaller "Kinderumzug" where some of the floats from Sunday, some of the Carneval Groups and Bands and all the School Classes participate. always fun to watch.

In Basle they have a completely different Fasnacht - the "Dame Fasnacht", which starts the Monday after Ash Wednesday at exactly 4 am when all lights are turned off and the processions "Morgestraich” where thousands of costumed pipers and drummers accompany “theirilluminated lantern” and “their theme” with music through the streets. the end is on Thursday, again at exactly 4 am. this is completely awesome and special. they have their own style of music, very special handmade masks which have their own very typical style. they also have their large corso on monday afternoon many events throughout the city. in restaurants and halls they also present many satirical and fun displays and performances of everything that has been going on in town, the country and the world. www.basel.com/en/Carnival-in-Basel

people from each region obviously are convinced that theirs is the true one - for us "outsiders" it's great to just enjoy & join the diversity and fun.

here a few pictures from past years

Geneva, your Quilts of Valor quilt for your husband is wonderful! I quilted one for a lady and was there at her presentation which was wonderful. She is even originally from the town where we live. The group didn't know what we were doing there. The 8 on the board of directors for the local VietNow group was given quilts. This is the first in our area and a new QofV group has been started. I joined them officially and plan to make quilts for my BIL and his son, my nephew, in the future but logged through QofV. One lives far so I wouldn't be able to present it.

I will spend my weekend on my IMQE as well. I have the hardest piecing parts done, I think, but my own pattern so partially winging it as I go. We have a mutual shape and 1 mutual fabric for our collaboration. I'm eager to show it to anyone! This not posting on social media is hard. Glad I'm not the only one camping in IMQE this weekend.

The last few weekends I worked on my swap piece for the MQG and I'm swapping in person at QuiltCon in a few weeks. I'm excited for that! That little one is finished and ready to go for show & tell to guild on Monday. ....if we don't get too much snow! (snow is evil to me!) Alas, a traditional guild and I take modern pieces so it will be met with resounding silence.

Happy piecing all~

Jules

I think I'm coming out of the tunnel of being sick since New Year's. I haven't been able to do much.

Geneva, your QOV is awesome! Love that you made his ribbons into a quilt! Will you do a public presentation?

Lotti, does Carnevale last until Mardi Gras? How many parades do they have?

Dawn, congratulations on your class! I'll bet those ladies had a ball. Now that you've got the first one under your belt, it'll be smooth sailing from now on.

Hope everyone stays happy and healthy,

It is so good to hear from you all. I've missed our friendships and chatting....

Dawn, I did see your quilt! I didn't remember that it was yours, I just walked through the aisles pretty quickly. It was crowded there and I'm not a crowd pusher into-er. It was a great show and how proud you must be to have been accepted. Your quilt class sounds like fun. Yes, there is always something to learn from the students!

I have finished my IMQE for my friend in Rome. I am very pleased with the way it turned out. I wish I could show it to you! It is getting exciting now. My friend has finished my quilt also! Yay!

Lotti, I love your photography. It makes me sigh.... And a parade under your window!? How wonderful!

Cathy, glad to see you back here. I hope your body mends quickly and well.

I finished my husband's Quilt of Valor. I am now working on the labels and doing the research of his time in the Navy. It's rather sneaky work, waiting for him to leave to do anything! Here are pictures of the front and back. Our four children have gotten into this also. My daughter is helping with the research and has found some amazing stuff. and all of them have agreed on their own label for me to make. It is very special. Here's what my other daughter texted to me yesterday "I am not good with words...I would just hug dad for a really long time." Sigh... my kids are the best!







I am putting the finishing touches on our quilt guild's challenge quilt. Mine turned out really nice! I'll post a picture when I get all the embellishments done.

Hugs to you all... geneva

look after yourself everybody!

very glad you're doing better Cathy - but remember to start slowly and let your body get used to the "new" work - you'll be able to do more, more quickly that way.
Dawn, wow, your first quilt class, I bet it was great fun, though nerve wracking until you got going

I'll also be spending the weekend on the IMQE quilt - got a good lot of the pieces done last weekend and will have to figure out if i'm on the right track. sure hope so
Carneval has officially started yesterday - and we'll have our big parade on sunday - hopefully they'll pass right below my window and I can take an IMQE-break without leaving the apartment yes - did the groceries at lunch today and the plan is not to leave the front door again before monday morning
as i'll be in Miami and Orlando from 6th March and then back in Canada with my parents until Easter, I have to get the IMQE finished, fotographed and ready by the end of this month - and then there's a birthday quilt that has been waiting to be finished for a long long time - hoping to get that done this spring - and maybe my niece's birthday quilt set out - we'll see.

for now big smiles from me


this is an old picture - but that's what it looks and feels like here right now

I thought everyone had been so quiet lately, then realized my email box was empty of TQS Forum comments, because, as yet, I had never replied on the 2018 Virtual Retreat thread. And, truthfully, I’ve been so busy on my IMQE, that I have spent little time on TQS.
I seemed to have made a career out of my little IMQE. It is way cool (my favorite saying from the past) and I am learning a lot making it. It is my first piece where I have done it all in raw edge appliqué. My partner (Denmark) is probably also doing raw edge appliqué, as that is what I see a lot of when she shares her other quilts with me. We both do art quilts, and show them, so it is a great partnership!

I’m glad to see everyone so busy with wonderful projects! Sorry for those of you who have had the crud, or have a loved one with the crud! My daughter got the stomach flu while here for Christmas. Yup, the Lysol can was very busy! Light switches, door handles, toilet levers, tissue boxes, etc. And, I was doing laundry for a week after she left. It worked! So far, so good in the crud department.

So Geneva, did you see my hummingbird quilt at Road? It is pretty small compared to most wall quilts, but it was there! And, I found out yesterday that it got juried into MAQF too. That will be the third show that it has been juried into, plus the Hoffman Challenge judging.

I taught my first quilt class a couple of weeks ago. It was in a private home, and I had 7 ladies attend. It was great to make mistakes there, before actually teaching in a quilt shop. I was able to tweak the class, and added a couple more things to my supply list. A couple of things that surprised me was; one lady had never used a rotary cutter (we were cutting confetti fabric) and another did not know what meander quilting was. Now I know not to assume that everyone is at the same level! And, a couple of the ladies taught me a trick or two. So it was a lot of fun, along with more snow, and a bowl of deliciously, hot, home made soup.

Well, it’s back to my IMQE. Will I EVER be done with it?

Dawn

Kathy, what an ordeal for you but glad you are on the mend. I have had 2 knee replacements(sure glad our bodies only have 2 knees). One in 2013 and one in 2014. I too have joined the ranks of 'bionic' people. So glad you are feeling better and getting back to sewing. Sounds like you have an aggressive plan to follow.

Hello to all. I haven't posted in ages. In 2016 I had rotator cuff repair to both shoulders. The left shoulder repair did not hold, so a few weeks ago I had a reverse shoulder replacement. So far is is healing well. I have been sewing a little, but it is still difficult. Hopefully in a few more weeks, I will be back to normal. I just finished the binding on a small quilt for my sister-in-law who is retiring at the end of the month. She is really into Monarch butterflies, so I used a purchased panel, add a border, and flying Monarch fabric for the outer border and backing. I will try to get a picture soon.
Now I am working on a Christmas bunting pattern of red/white stockings. I sewed the first one yesterday and think I can handle the rest, since it is a small size. I do have a queen size quilt for one of my DD's. As soon as I can maneuver my longarm, I will get it quilted. I want to enter it into our local guild show in May. I have another 2 quilts I want to finish, but I am not up to that yet. I feel so weak and tired now. I hope my strength and energy come back soon.
Happy 2018 to all.

No ,no! Not my hubby up that tree! He doesn't do heights! That's a young man who grew up just down our street.
About 7-8 when I first met him...he and his just older bro. would gather nite-crawlers to sell to me to sell to fishermen
in our Tackle and Bait shop. He works as a logger and trims trees on the side! Seems very carefull and uses good
climbing and rope methods. Wire-y and nimble,too!! Worth every penny!
Thanks on the quail! He does do a good job!

eek is that your old man up there in the tree that's been split Your quail embroidery is beautiful and your husbands carvings, he's almost as talented as you

Geneva those cherrywood fabrics are yummy. Congratulations on Esther's baby hope it behaves and looking forward to seeing your quilts and Marilyns

Hello Maria from this side of the pond.

Good to hear how everyone is doing the winter. A little of everything here...and no Flu bugs as of now. Projects moving along..
Of course the biggy I can't share yet! Wendy/Twiglet and I are slaving along with all the other IMQE folks and waiting for the
finishing up details to be shared.
Calamity for the past week was...as some of you know...we lost our only shade tree in the back yard on Monday. Managed to get it
on down before it could fall on the house and really do damage. Very sad affair ! No real good reason we could see.
Finished up a small wall hanging and love DH's carved hangers...Made and sold a whole covey ! Have several other wool
projects going along as well. Never bored!

Thanks for your thoughts about words/phrases from the 60s and 70s. I've a couple ideas for the words and I've nixed some options for the hair. Time will tell about how the projects progresses! Geneva, I look forward to seeing your piece as well as where those Cherrywood Fabrics go!

Geneva, you did very well if that is all you bought at Road2CA! How great you got to go to the show. Yes, the neutral thread pkg is the best deal at Superior, I think!

I'm ready to start my IMQE as I have the design part finished and the fabric purchased. The sewing should go better! Good for you for finishing. My goal is mid-Feb. Do you find it hard to get good info on what we are to do.... like the label and such? I'm really having fun emailing with my partner. We are a lot alike!

Jules~

Terry I love your hexagon project. You are definitely a master bubbler!

The word I used in the 60's was cool. And I still do!

Been busy with my challenge project for our quilt show also. I used my new embroidery module on Esther (Oh how I love her!) and wrote "Mistakes are for Learning". It came out great. Now I am finishing up the body of the quilt and will start quilting it. It is fun and cheerful!

We went to So Cal last week to visit the grandchildren. It was such fun and we were tired! While I was there I realized that "Road to California" was on so I went last Friday. It was a wonderful show. Up here we don't get to see the "big" shows so this was quite a treat. I picked up a few things that I can't buy here locally. I had to be cautious, because we carry on our luggage so everything has to fit in my roll aboard.




That wonderful Cherrywood hand dyed fabric will be used with the Shibori fabric I dyed last fall. The ruler is fun. I practiced with it yesterday, and it makes some fun and easy curved blocks. And of course I had to stop at the Superior booth and make a deposit! I was pleased to find the neutral pack of thread. I use a lot of neutral thread for quilting.

I have a secret. I'll tell you if you PROMISE not to tell my husband. (No I'm not pregnant! haha). I am making him a quilt of valor. It will be presneted at our quilt show in March. He served 4 years in the VietNam war. It's been hard to work on because he never leaves the house when I'm home! I'm working on sewing down the binding now. I don't have a good picture of it now, but it is based on Tom Korn's quilts. There are 3 of his ribbons with dark blue between them. Then his maroon good conduct ribbon on the back surrounded by navy. I think he will like it. Like most VietNam era veterens he wasn't treated very well when he was in service and when he got out. I hope to let him know how much we love and honor him. I'll get a picture sometime when he's not home!

I finished my IMQE quilt. It tunred out nice. I'm waiting for the TQS blog post to tell me what the back needs and to take a picture. I can't wait to show you!

Well, here we are into another year. The days go slow and the years go fast. I'm glad we are friends and have this forum to keep in touch.

Take care! geneva