Quilting at Windmills

A Christmas Holiday Project

2011-12-26T22:05:00.000-07:00

There was a big pile of snow at the bottom of our driveway after it was plowed last week. The snow was just right for sculpting. Here is a little Smilebox of the project!

This photo slideshow personalized with Smilebox

I hope to get a little quilting done this week; John is working on another red and white miniature; they are so cute. Have a Happy New Year and we will have lots of pictures of new kits to show you Next Year!

Brooke

A Few of Kate's Projects

2011-12-18T16:54:00.000-07:00

Kate and John bought a lot of fabric at Quilt Market in October and they both have been busy designing, cutting and sewing new laser cut kits out of it.

Some of the new laser cut kits will have Braided Borders - but instead of having to cut them yourself, Kate cuts all the strips, the exact right size, on the laser and you just sew. Don't you love pre-cut kits?!! Wait till you see the one that John just finished, WOW! More pictures next week and the new kits will be in the catalog soon. Here is the web address in case you want to look at what we have in stock now.

And, for Christmas, Kate has made a darling quilt for her friend's little girl, Charlie. Of course, it was machine quilted on the Multi-Frame. I really like the puzzle design she used for the quilting pattern. But the interesting thing is that she used a plush Minkee-like fabric on the back. We always tell quilters not to do that, since it is kind of stretchy, a little bulky and unpredictable. But the back turned out fine and I think the quilt is going to be a big hit with Charlie - she is five.

John just finished piecing a plaid version of "Charlie's Quilt" out of light and dark plaids. He is just starting to quilt it; it is a lot different look because of the colors and I like it too!

When you see pictures of Kate in our advertisements or if you seen her at a quilt show, you have probably noticed her long hair. She doesn't cut it very often but last week was the day. Here are before and after pictures. They cut off 21" and she was able to donate 17" to "Locks for Love". She has such pretty, thick hair - that's her Mom talking.

Wow, Christmas is approaching fast! I am still waiting for one gift to arrive and am planning some very short sessions of cookie making. We are looking forward to seeing our family and to quiet, happy times. We wish you the same!

Brooke

August's Class Projects

2011-12-09T09:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, finally, I have the photos taken of the class projects for this August's Quilt Retreat here in Montana. There will be three classes and John has chosen "confident beginner" to intermediate projects - one for each day.

The 9" Glorified Nine Patch is a great introduction to curved piecing with its gentle curves. If you want a challenge, John will teach you the 4" miniature.

Pine Burr is a good way to solidify the 1/4" seam skill and to gain confidence in set in corners. This is a big block, 17.5" and you can go on to make a beautiful bed size quilt that really looks classic.

Then there is the "Galaxy" Wheel of Mystery or the Rectangular Wheel of Mystery. John designed both of them; the Rectangular Wheel of Mystery is the easier version. "Galaxy" has six different sizes of blocks (I would really recommend you get a pre-cut kit for this one!)

Customize your own slideshow design

Here is a link to the registration information if you don't have it already, or call us at 800 745 3596. We still have some spots open. Please let me know if you have any questions about the retreat; we are getting excited!

Hope your holiday preparations are coming along; be careful out there and have a great holiday! We are starting to plan our Christmas Eve and Day celebration, I do not think we will be short of food. Best wishes to you for this special season!

Brooke

A Little Imagination, a Lot of Cheer!

2011-11-29T19:05:00.000-07:00

We have a pretty creative family, if I do say so myself. John's sister and her daughter came up with the idea to give us all boxes of assorted Christmas decorations (bells, angels, a toilet paper roll, pattern tissue, sparkly things) and challenge us to make a sculpture or collage, whatever you want to call it. And because these are competitive people, it was a contest with the deadline of Thanksgiving.

Our two grand nieces had the largest displays, very impressive with lots of detail. We really admired them all and then we had to vote; John won! He wasn't as happy when he found out that first prize was getting to plan the challenge for next year! So the little Smilebox show is pcitures of the contest "entries". If you have any ideas to help John out for 2012, please let us know! email

Create your own digital ecard

I have got to get busy Christmas shopping. Christmas Day will be here soon! Take care and have a wonderful holiday season, however you celebrate.

Brooke

The Orphan Quilt Kit

2011-11-23T15:59:00.000-07:00

We ended up with a pre-cut quilt kit for the Storm at Sea that was rejected by the original owner. She sent along a note that said something to the effect that the colors would never work and it wasn't going together right and she had been sewing for 40 years and never had any trouble before.

Well, all that negativity spurred John to put the kit together himself; just to prove her wrong. Here is a little Smilebox of the progress. And, she may have been sewing for 40 years, but not with an accurate 1/4" seam allowance, which does help. Seriously, how do you think it turned out?

This photo slideshow made with Smilebox

Don't forget that there is a discount in effect right now for 15% off the merchandise price on orders over $75. The discount code is NOV Website

And, details are coming together for the 2012 Quilt Retreat here is Montana. We will be sending out registration forms next week; if you want one, please email so we can put you on the list!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving to our US quilter friends, to the rest of you, wherever you are in the quilt world, have a great weekend!

Brooke
Flynn Quilt Frame Company

More on the 2012 Quilt Retreat

2011-11-09T14:43:00.000-07:00

John and Kate have stitched the last demo stitch and packed up the last of the pre-cut kits and left the big quilt show in Houston.

They had a fabric budget, and I think they spent it all at Market, so some beautiful batik will be showing up soon.

So, I have three bits of news for this blog - first, I am trying a new format for the blog, did you notice? I hope it is easier to read and you can search it if you need to. Second, we now have an Android app to go along with the iPhone app for three of John's "tricks"; strip pieced rings of triangles, an almost infinite number of combinations of the Braided Border and Diagonal Pieced Backs. I used the diagonal pieced back trick just this weekend when I had to make a back for a 42" wide quilt out of 42" wide fabric. Very handy to know how to do this. The app is called John Flynn's Calculator.

And last but not least, we have more details on the Quilt Retreat scheduled for this August in Red Lodge, Montana. The first thing I would do if I were you is get your reservation made at the Rock Creek Resort. Rock Creek Resort Toll free number 800-667-1119 A block of rooms is set aside for "John Flynn Quilt Seminar"; the dates of the block are 8/7, checking out 8/11/2012. You may want to stay longer and use the Resort as a base camp for other adventures in the area. Yellowstone Country

The retreat will be 3 days, with 6 hour classes. The cost for the 3 days, including lunches and a famous Flynn family barbecue, is $300. (We may decide to offer pre-cut kits which would be extra - what do you think?) We haven't chosen classes yet, so if you want input, send me an email at flynnquilt@gmail.com or post a comment here. Check out the classes John offers here.

This free photo slideshow personalized with Smilebox

So, if you are interested, make your lodging reservations, plot your summer adventure, round up friends and family and get ready to head to Montana. Email flynnquilt@gmail.com or call 800 745 3596 for a registration form. We haven't done a retreat in Montana for a long time and are really looking forward to this one. We all hope you can join us and let us know if you have any questions. You will love it here!

Well, John just called me from Arkansas. He has a teaching job there and then it is home for the holidays! I have some house cleaning to do soon - family is coming here for Thanksgiving, but John's sister is the cook, not me! Take care.

Brooke

Plan for Next Summer in Montana!

2011-10-01T10:45:00.000-06:00

Come Quilt in a Mountain Paradise!

John Flynn will lead a three day quilting seminar in August 2012 in beautiful Red Lodge, Montana

Classes will be held at Rock Creek Resort, south of Red Lodge, where you will also find comfortable lodging and fine dining.

Join John, Brooke and Kate one evening for a barbeque and Show and Tell!

Beautiful and historic Yellowstone National Park is only 70 miles from Red Lodge and is a wonderful family destination. Blue ribbon fly fishing opportunities are also only a hour or so away.

Call 800 745 3596 to be put on the email list so you will be first to know all the details, or email flynnquilt@gmail.com

QUICK!

2011-09-30T09:08:00.000-06:00

The next three quilters who email me their names and addresses can split this box of goodies. I will send you 1/3 of this box of miscellany - we are cleaning the office! U.S. addresses only please.

email flynnquilt@gmail.com with your name and shipping address. I'll add some leftover fabric, too, how does that sound?

UPDATE - okay, thanks for helping me clean and the boxes are gone now. I hope you quilters enjoy what I sent - I can now see the floor in front of the file cabinet! Keep watching; I think this is worth doing again!

Brooke

Summer Sights and a Finished Quilt

2011-07-29T15:05:00.000-06:00

Another free picture slideshow by Smilebox

After our weekly hand quilting group, we decided to drive up the Beartooth Highway, it was such a beautiful day. There is still quite a bit of snow on the higher peaks and slopes. The flowers were just beautiful and so thick; they like the extra moisture this year. It is always fun to drive up to "the top"; the wind is usually blowing and you can see forever.

John finished his Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative challenge quilt and has sent it off. I am not sure when these little challenge quilts, made and donated by some of the best known names in the quilt industry, will show up on the AAQI website but they will all be shown in Houston this fall. We are sponsoring the Alzheimer's booth again this year; this is a cause near and dear to us. Anyway, wow, the little quilt turned out great!

Our neighbor on the north called to tell us to watch outside the window, because we were about to get company! What a beautiful animal; I know she could hear us running around finding cameras, exclaiming and admiring her. She hung around a long time. Then our neighbor on the south told us that she was leaning over their fence, eating apples off their trees. With those long legs, they can really get around!

Too Sad

2011-07-23T20:19:00.000-06:00

We are so sorry, Norway, that another maniac has turned on his fellow human beings. What an incredible waste. God bless all the friends and families who have lost someone.

Brooke and John Flynn

Boarders

2011-07-21T16:29:00.000-06:00

Summer is busy, isn't it? John has been quilting, I have been knitting and thinking about quilting and Kate is always busy cutting out kits for quilters.

If you have been to one of John's lectures, you probably heard him joke about "studios". He likes to tell about our ten acre "compound", which is larger than a studio, has a 10' high fence and lots of retired construction supplies, forms and other scary, rusty things in addition to all the fabric. And, this summer, because of all the moisture we have had here in Montana, the weeds are about 4' high.

So we now have a family of goats boarding with us and their job is to eat the weeds. I think they are doing fine but there are a lot of weeds. There are two moms, two sets of triplets and a billy goat who is very protective and has very elaborate horns and an impressive beard. John was out petting one of the babies last week, enjoying how friendly it was, but when he looked down, he saw it was eating his shoelace.

Texas Star Miniature, 15" in diameter

Close up, quilted with King Tut and So Fine threads

Let's see, two of the quilts on the wall right now are fundraiser quilts and the third is going to a gallery showing "quilts by male artists". One of the fundraising quilts is John's entry in the latest team Challenge to raise funds for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative and the other will go the the IQA Silent Auction at International Quilt Festival in Houston. So he is keeping busy; the next show is the Association of Pacific West Quilters show in Tacoma, Washington, August 26 - 28, 2011.

Here is a picture of Rock Creek, about halfway between our house and the center of Red Lodge. You don't want to fall in the creek when it like this; you will end up in North Dakota in short order!

It is hot here in Billings; stay cool, wherever you are!

Rock Creek, Red Lodge, Montana, early July, 2011

Brooke

June News

2011-06-14T21:23:00.000-06:00

Two things - first our IPhone app is ready! We have so many requests for John's trick for the Diagonal Pieced Back that it dawned on us, this would be a perfect app for a mobile device. You could just stand in the fabric aisle and have the app figure out how much backing fabric you need to buy. So now you can get in in the ITunes Store - it is called John Flynn's Calculator. And there are two more formulas included - for the Braided Border with all its many, many combinations and for the rings of triangles in John's Feathered Sun quilts and in Pickle Dish variations. So there is a LOT there. Technology, fun, huh!

Second thing - we have a discount in effect right now. The code is 38; because John and I just celebrated our 38th wedding anniversary. Does not seem possible; I think everyone says that but time really flies. The discount is 15% off the merchandise total of $38 or more. So, if you need a Multi-Frame, (and you really do) you would get $22.50 off.

We just spent a very interesting week hosting some of the faculty members from the Red Lodge Music Festival. Young people come to "camp" and have an intense learning situation with a faculty of really talented musicians from all over the country. There are several recitals; some of the students and some of just the faculty. I'll tell you, it is so great to be in a small audience with these great musicians, wow. And it was so much fun to visit with our group of guests who were pianists and a cellist; we had some things in common - the travel, especially. I may start brushing up on our old upright piano; where are John's earplugs?

The bear left pawprints in the muddy driveway this week. Each time I go out, I wonder if I am making enough noise to scare her off. I guess I should just make a bear bell a permanent part of my wardrobe.

Brooke

Seriously...

2011-05-30T20:04:00.000-06:00

Seriously, I am seriously behind on posting to the blog. Our spring trips are over; we all survived and John's next trip is to the Vermont Quilt Festival in Burlington, Vermont. If you live close, this is always a great show and I know there are lots of great instructors scheduled.

But Kevin, who is so clever, got this little DVD from last year's AQS Show in Paducah on to YouTube. I tried 3 or 4 times but couldn't do it. I probably got it loose for him just like we say about the pickle jar lids. AQS Booth Interview I hope we are able to get a similar copy from the 2011 Show; the ambiance will be different since the whole show had to relocate due to the flooding Ohio River.

Speaking of floods, yes, there are floods all around us but, so far, both the shop and our house are out of reach. The little town of Roundup, about 50 miles from Billings, is under 6 - 8 foot of water right now, though. Yesterday it snowed here in Red Lodge, a lot. About 6 wet inches. I wish I could send it to you Texans, I know you want the moisture. Stay safe, wherever you are.

Lots of new miniatures and new laser cut kits are on the way, so stay tuned.

Brooke

Catching our Breath

2011-04-06T12:09:00.000-06:00

Personalize your own free slideshow

Here are some photos from our January trip when we took a day to see the wonderful, impressive marvel of the new Hoover Dam bypass bridge. And there is a misty picture of the swans on the Snake River around Island Park, Idaho; sorry, wish it were better quality. We were trying to get close but not fall in the river. We weren't sure where the water was through all the SNOW.

The early spring shows really cause a whirlwind of activity around here..if you stopped by the booth in Hampton, in Puyallup or in Lancaster, Hello again and thanks for stopping by. We enjoyed seeing Montanans shopping in both Virginia and in Pennsylvania; you were a long way from home! We all had "winter roads" on all three trips and Kate and Kevin had to wait east of Snoqualmie Pass for the highway department to clear an avalanche! There really has been a lot of snow all over the country this winter. I don't think Kevin and Kate will soon forget the Montana and Idaho passes in the slush and John and I won't forget slipping off the road during a whiteout in eastern Montana or the 200 miles of ice across South Dakota.

Still none of the winter trips were as bad as the grandmother from Virginia I met in Lancaster who spent 11 hours in her car with her two grandchildren. The car had gas so they could stay warm and they had some snacks, but bathroom breaks were a problem.

There are a couple of things that make these cross country driving marathons hard on my 5'4" body. The blue Ford van that John prefers to drive is about 3" too high for me to climb in to easily. If I'm not tired, I can hop right in and be a cheerful and helpful passenger. (Are We There Yet?) But if we've been driving for 10 or 12 hours or vending, I have trouble getting in. Thank goodness John has those long arms and nice big hands to pull me in. I do not want to know what this looks like to folks in the parking lot.

My other foe is the wind. Honestly, it is almost always windy as the dickens in South Dakota and when we stop at rest areas or gas stations, the wind wants to take that big van door away from me and sail it away to Canada. So sometimes John has to come around and let me out, trying to give me enough room to wiggle through but not far enough to let the wind slam the door hinge; again, very entertaining but kind of trying after about the sixth time.

We have Sirius radio for company on the road; mostly we listen to CNN and NPR programming or bluegrass but sometimes we listen to one of Martha Stewart's cooking segments. I'm not sure it is helpful to hear delicious recipes with fresh, healthy combinations and then stop to eat in a Pennsylvania turnpike Burger King. We almost always find good restaurants to enjoy in our final destinations, but on the way, meals are whatever is the fastest and closest to the interstate exit.

Sometimes we pass vehicles pulling trailers or packed to capacity with baskets, boxes and other paraphernalia and guess that they are vendors too, on their way to or from the show.

Our other entertainment is the Garmin GPS; we call her Carmen (remember Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?) John doesn't fully trust her, with some justification. In January, we were on I-15 leaving southern California and Carmen thought we were off the interstate to the right on surface roads. She was having trouble trying to get us back to the interstate because we kept going through all the surface road intersections at 70 mph. I finally just turned her off and let her help us again when we got closer to Salt Lake City.

Here is a little project that will be getting borders soon, a 6" Glorified Nine Patch design. We have the acrylic templates for this 6" block, and the 4" and 9" also. Our website where you can check them out.

Will the tragic news from Japan ever stop? Here are links to sites raising money to help the earthquake and tsunami victims. Please help if you can. Red Cross Heifer International Quilt Finds The Mancuso shows are also donating $10 to Japan relief for each quilt entered in one of their upcoming shows. Mancuso Shows

Sunday, John flys off to teach at the Australian Quilt Convention in Melbourne. He is busy packing and weighing and repacking and reweighing. What fun to fly. The next show is the AQS Show in Paducah, Kentucky. Kate has new colorways for the Miniature Storm at Sea Pre-cut Kit; shop early! The booth number is 1708 so stop by and say hello to Kevin, Kate and John; I will be the office staff while they are gone. Maybe it will have quit snowing by then.

Brooke

What Do You Have to Share?

2011-02-12T15:02:00.000-07:00

John, Kate and I are back from the Road to California Show. Now, in fact, we are packing up for the next two shows, SewExpo in Puyallup, Washington and the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Show in Hampton, Virginia. There are lots of templates to cut, clean, bag, price and pack. The lasers never complain, but the humans sometimes do.

I was so tickled about a month ago to run across a really nicely done Storm at Sea Miniature done from one of Kate's pre-cut kits. The quilter bought the kit in Houston so she is pretty speedy! There are lots of pieces in the miniature kits, even though they are only about 14" x 18" when done. Sandy added some sashing and a border. She gave me permission to link to the photos on her blog Arrow down or search for Storm at Sea. You can go to our website to get one of these little kits for yourself!

So, if you have pictures of finished or unfinished projects, we would all love to see them!

I hope the snow and wintery weather aren't causing you too many problems. We got to test the 4 wheel drive capability of our new Honda last weekend. Snow really flew when we plowed through the big drift in our driveway!

Brooke

Mostly Finished Projects

2011-01-05T15:35:00.000-07:00

John is finished hand quilting the new star quilt he needs for the Road to California Show. I think it really turned out nice; still needs to be bound and get its sleeve. He used variegated Jean Stitch thread by YLI. I will be glad when he is back upstairs with me instead of burrowed down in the basement. I had a deadline to send the quilts names, dimensions, etc to the show so they could make signs. John hadn't named the new quilt so I gave it the name "New Star Quilt". Real imaginative, huh. My list has 19 quilts on it; twelve "big" quilts and 7 "little" quilts. It will be a colorful exhibit although there are two white on white wholecloth quilts, "School Figures" and "Little St. Donat's Star". "Secret Storm" is pieced out of the one piece of light blue cotton sateen so the weave makes it look like the fabric running horizontally is different than the fabric running vertically. Quite subtle and fun to look at.

We hand quilt with a group "for pay" every week in Red Lodge and the fees are donated to charity. This week we were able to take our current quilt out of the frame and a new one will be ready for next week. We don't know much about this quilt; there is old fabric that was fun to look at. The quilting is hard to see but we did a sort of trefoil so we didn't have to quilt in the ditch around those big hexagons. On to the next one.

Kate has this Drunkard's Path pre-cut kit ready to sell; I am supposed to get it quilted in time for the California show. I love the fabrics and the colors!

John was out in the yard this morning, digging in the snow for our friend's missing cell phone. It was, of course, turned off so we couldn't even call it. This afternoon, his son came out with a metal detector and the lost is found,. It only took 40 seconds, Kate says!

Brooke

August Vacation

2010-12-29T11:05:00.000-07:00

You may remember John is booked to teach on an exciting Holland America Mediterranean Empires Cruise in August of 2011. The exotic ports of call are in Italy, Greece, Croatia and Turkey; get your camera ready!

The tour company has just added a really special event Just For Quilters!. There will be an exclusive quilters' tour in Istanbul, Turkey. Visit Mediterranean Cruise Website for the complete details but the highlights are a guided tour to the fabric section of the famous and colorful Grand Bazaar, lunch in a wonderful restaurant in the Spice Market, and a workshop with local quilters and block exchange! You can sign up for this full day in Istanbul on the tour company's website. It seems like a great way to see this ancient city and to meet people who share our love of quilting.

If you have a project that you would like Kate to custom cut on the laser, now is the time - she is all caught up! Most projects are just $60 plus shipping from your own fabric. Call 800 745 3596 and ask for Kate!

All that talk about the Spice Market and Turkish food made me hungry. It is lunch time.

Brooke

That Was Fun!

2010-12-28T16:53:00.000-07:00

We all hope you had a great holiday, however you celebrate. We all ate too much. Well, there are a couple of folks in our family who restrain themselves somewhat and actually quit eating when they are full. There are more of us who say "well, just one more" to servings of dressing, or sweet potatoes, or Christmas cookies! Stern and solemn, January is just ahead, waiting for us to reform.

Here are updated pictures of John's hand quilting project. This was early in the weekend; he has a lot more done now. The television is right by his frame so he can keep track of all football action.

The Road to California Show is coming up soon. I spent a few hours today locating the merchandise boxes so we can start packing. Templates need to be cut, John's class supplies need to organized, suitcases are waiting to be stuffed with quilts. Important to me is that I have a knitting project ready so I won't be bored on the airplane. Well, too bored anyway.

If you were fortunate enough to get Money for Christmas, don't forget that the free ground shipping offer is good through January 9, 2011 on Frames, Frame Kits or the Oak Frame Stand. The discount code is SHIPFREE. If you forget to type it in, Kate and I still make sure you get the discount. Humans are better than computers, sometimes. Order here!

Word is that an Arctic Front is coming with 4 to 6 inches of snow. I know you quilters back East think that is child's play after what you have been through. Hang in there!

Brooke

Sorry about the Snow

2010-12-15T13:32:00.000-07:00

To the rest of our U.S. neighbors, I am sorry about the snow. We like snow here in Montana. Our mountains could use more and I wish some of you folks who don't want it or need it or like it could send it back up here. Please, please keep the wind, though.

This little deer, this year's fawn, really wanted to come inside with us and have a snack. He was so cute I forgave him for eating every single geranium and petunia I put out this summer.

John is busy on another quilt for his exhibit at Road to California in January. This quilt is about 86" square. It fits fine in the basement so John can watch football and quilt. He is using the Baptist or Methodist fan design which is traditional with Sioux quilters and variegated YLI Jean Stitch thread. It is going fairly fast; he can really focus when hand quilting.

Don't forget, there is a holiday special to save on shipping of the frames, kits or frame stands. See the website for details and the code word which is SHIPFREE.

Brooke

Fantastic News about Alzheimer's Research

2010-12-14T16:54:00.000-07:00

Ami Simms sent out a press release on Sunday about a breakthrough at the University of Michigan Life Sciences research center. Ami's 501(c) organization "Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative" presented the research center with a $30,000 grant earlier this year. Quilters made this happen! Ami's Blog

I don't understand any of the molecular this and the amyloid protein that, but I can tell this is good news. Quilters, YES! Alzheimer's, NO!

Brooke

Discount Code

2010-11-30T11:27:00.000-07:00

I finally got the newsletter out with the information about the Holiday Discount Code on either the Frame, the Frame Kit or the Oak Frame Stand. It took quite a bit of jiggling or whatever the software programming word is, but the order form is now working. Flynn Quilt Frame Company

Here is the discount code, good for free ground shipping on either the Frame, the Frame Kit or the Oak Stand through January 9, 2011, U. S. addresses.

SHIPFREE

There is a place on the same page where you put your credit card information to enter the code. International folks will get a discounted amount off their international shipping for orders of the Frames, Frame Kits or the Stand.

You will notice that you get a 1 cent, that's right, a $.01 discount also. That's where the jiggling came in... Don't spend it all in one place, now.

I hope you enjoy the coming Holidays. I'm pretty sure I know what I am getting from John and it isn't fabric.

Brooke

Thanksgiving News

2010-11-29T11:44:00.000-07:00

Hope your Thanksgiving holiday was warm, safe and happy. We had a small group here at Red Lodge and we ate just fine. There were card games and hand work projects going on so everyone was pretty content and entertained.

John and his sisters also made "honey cake" which is a family recipe and tradition. There is a special bowl and a special wooden spoon. I don't get involved; it is a complicated recipe and takes all three of them to execute. The honey cake is now curing in a stoneware crock; sounds like homemade wine to me.

We have a ton of snow; more came down after our company left on Saturday. John and I were sitting peacefully at the table when we heard a low roar. I could feel my eyes widening, wondering what the noise was and then all the snow came cascading off our new metal roof. It was very entertaining.

I have a knitting project going and John has two quilts in progress for his exhibit at the Road to California show in January. He is "Featured Artist" which means Kate and I are working the booth this time. Southern California in January, yes! One of the new quilts is in the slideshow; John has it ready to hand quilt now. It is very colorful and will look great in the exhibit, I think.

Watch your email for a newsletter with a Holiday Special on the Multi-Frame. I just have to figure out how to tell the software to do what I want. We'll see. If the newsletter doesn't show up pretty soon, just call 800 745 3596 and we will give you the Frame shipping special. Stay warm.

Brooke

From the Alzheimer's Booth

2010-11-17T16:57:00.000-07:00

Ami Simms, our hero, posted these photos of her booth at the Houston International Quilt Festival before, during and after. You will see John there helping in a couple of the photos.
View Photos

I stole them off Ami's Facebook page. :)

Ami's last post said they raised about $54,000 for research from the little quilt auction. We bought 3 of the little quilts; I wonder where they are packed.

Teams have already formed for next year's "celebrity" faceoff. I understand sports is still the theme. So stay tuned for more silliness in support of a good cause.

In all the fun and the excitement of these fundraising auctions, I stop from time to time and remember how hard it was to watch my meticulous, kind, decisive mother slip away from us. THANKS to everyone who is helping fight this awful disease.

Brooke

What Is Kate Doing Today...

2010-11-16T16:16:00.000-07:00

Didn't your mother tell you not to put pins in your mouth?
Kate spent most of the day putting together one of her Drunkard's Path pre-cut kits. She already had most of the concave/convex units together and is working on the rows. The blocks are 4" square and the kit makes a 48" x 64" project. Two kits make a queen size top.

Here is what else is going on. John is back from Houston. Over the weekend, he used the gasoline post hole digger to make 200 holes so I could plant daffodils. Yes, it is late; the ground was not frozen. But I was frozen after kneeling in the snow for 3 hours.

The very bad thing first - John hit a rock with the digger and it kicked back and cut his thumb and nail - on his right hand, of course. So not a lot of hand quilting right now. And I'm on my own with stuck jar lids for a while.

The good thing is that right as we finished, the real snow started and we are going to have a beautiful view of daffodils next spring. The deer don't eat them.

I'm so tickled to tell you that the Alzheimer's Auction raised over $12,000 for research. Plans are being made for next year, so stay tuned.

Brooke

Red All Over

2010-11-12T10:33:00.000-07:00

We learned about this stunning exhibit planned for 2011 in New York City.

It is sponsored by the American Folk Art Museum and will be shown at the Park Avenue Armory, 643 Park Avenue, New York City. The dates are March 25 - 30, 2011.

More than 650 red and white American quilts, all from one private collection will be hung. And, admission is FREE. This is a must see for quilt lovers!

Here is the web address for the American Folk Art Museum

Brooke

Short Story from Houston

2010-11-10T14:11:00.000-07:00

Kate and I are back from Houston; John is still in the van in Colorado, last I heard. We bought a lot of fabric at Quilt Market; mostly batiks and can't wait until it starts arriving.

Here are some photos from Houston. We aren't allowed to take photos of the IQA winners but here is the web address (thanks to Linda!) Winners We have sponsored the "Merit Hand Quilting" category for many years, reflecting John's love of hand quilting.

There were lots of quilters at the show; it was really crowded every day but Sunday. I always enjoy the Award Ceremony where the category winners are revealed and you get a chance to see the quilts up close and meet the winners.

When Kate and I got back to Billings, I continued to Red Lodge and came back to work in the morning. It started snowing about 4 pm and we had 3 - 4 inches by morning, hurray!

Brooke

Bid, Bid Bid!!

2010-11-09T17:52:00.000-07:00

Most of us are back from Houston; always such an exciting experience. But I want you to visit the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative page and "watch" the bidding on the 6 donation quilts. The auction ends in just over 24 hours. Money raised goes to Alzheimer's research so we can beat this dreadful disease.

Here is the link Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative You can also buy nifty earrings, mugs and printed T shirts; Kate and I have ours! Oh, I couldn't resist a little quilt from the miniature auction and John bought two! Pictures to follow.

Being right at the Quilt Festival and watching how hard Ami is working to help find a cure and treatments was really impressive. Her enthusiasm and sincerity are inspiring and when I look at her, I see an armoured knight on a big charger going full tilt at a target. Look out Alzheimer's!

Please do what you can to help; thanks!

Brooke

Eighth Most Extreme...

2010-10-29T15:56:00.000-06:00

"Satin String Star"

Here is a picture of Kate's finished auction quilt; it is 12" square. I really think it turned out beautifully and we hope it raises a lot of money for the International Quilt Association. One year during the Silent Auction, she was ahead of John for a long time - he pulled ahead at the very last, though.

We have heard from John a couple of times today; he has been pretty lost in Oklahoma and blames the GPS. We now know that the Ford Van will hold 33.6 gallons of gasoline; that is how close he was to running out of gas. Too much excitement for me.

Okay, for the eighth most extreme thing we have forgotten for a quilt show, let me tell you about a Minnesota Quilters' show a few years ago. Right at opening, we had some confusion with our neighbors on the right because they mistakenly plugged all their spotlights in to my power strip. That isn't so bad except they didn't leave a place for my cash register and credit card swipe machine plugs so we had to crawl around on our hands and knees and get all straightened out under the table. Then panic time quickly set in because the cash register would not work. It whirred and churned and stuttered so I sent John to see if one of our vendor friends had an extra cash register and, unexpectedly, he found one. We were saved! Later that day, I looked under the table again and realized that I had mixed up the power cords so the poor cash register was getting a lot more electrical juice than it needed and the swipe machine, not enough. I felt kinda silly.

Flying out tomorrow with a good book and some knitting. Have a great weekend!

Brooke

About PIQF and Texas Here We Come!

2010-10-27T11:49:00.000-06:00

This nice article with great photos is kindly shared by CraftHappy, one of John's students at the PIQF. The blog is "Told You Sew". It looks like John was having a good time in class!

John Flynn’s Double Wedding Ring Class « Told You Sew!

Here are a few photos from the quilt show in Santa Clara. PIQF is a really nice show with great quilts; hope you can attend sometime.

We are packing madly for Houston; John leaves tomorrow, Kate and I are flying so still some time. Hope you can come by the booth; we have LOTS of miniature pre-cut kits and even some miniature templates this year.

"Heart of the Storm" by John Flynn

Kate and I bought T-Shirts from the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative website to wear in Houston; we will be very stylish! Kate chose one with all four quilts from John's team. I decided on one with just John's contribution "Heart of the Storm". Oh, and you can vote for John's quilt while you are on the Alzheimer's Art Quilt website, I know he will appreciate it!

Please, please support this ongoing effort for Alzheimer's research. Thanks!

Back to packing. I'm thinking winter will arrive while we are gone.

Brooke

YouTube for You

2010-10-20T15:09:00.000-06:00

Watch this cute and ambitious video which shows some of the 1,000 little quilts that will be auctioned off in Houston in two weeks. This is part of Ami Simm's ongoing and dedicated effort to raise money for Alzheimer's research. Watch for a little purple quilt in the first few seconds; John's contribution!

Brooke

Ninth Most Extreme

2010-10-06T16:53:00.000-06:00

Kate and I are busy this week cutting pre-cut kits for John's next two teaching engagements and for the Pacific International Quilt Festival in Santa Clara and for the International Quilt Festival in Houston. John is teaching at both shows, so be sure to check for class availability if you are interested in his classes. It will be a quick turnaround next week when John gets back from Utah and we pack the van to head out for Northern California.

We got to "dog sit" last weekend. What gentle, trusting creatures dogs are. Kate's smaller dog knew that I knew where Kate was and when she would return, so she just kept close to me, hoping I would beam Kate down soon. Moon, the bigger dog, is John's buddy. We have a doll elinor peace bailey painted for John years ago displayed on our hearth. Moon recognized it as John, and gave it a big kiss.

Home repairs are still on the agenda - I spent part of Sunday and Monday carefully moving around on a scaffold, painting window trim a bright red! John cut grass all around the house and moved a brush pile so the roofers can work - they are supposed to come Monday. We have another million daffodil bulbs to plant, or maybe it is only 500. Have to try to fit that in between shows.

Speaking of shows, here is the Ninth Most Extreme thing we forgot for a show. Our children were still in high school when John and I drove all the way to the Vermont Quilt Festival leaving my prescription medicine behind. I guess we were in Minnesota when I discovered it was missing. That was an expensive Fed Ex delivery.

Enjoy a beautiful Fall, wherever you are.

Brooke

Ten Most Extreme

2010-09-21T12:16:00.000-06:00

First, here is a picture of the class sample John just finished from Civil War Reproductions and shirtings. He will teach Glorified Nine Patch soon to the Utah State Guild and this is one of the pre-cut kits they can choose from in class. It is such a warm, pretty quilt and it was pretty quick to piece. Today is John's birthday, he looks pretty happy, doesn't he!

We are packing for a show in Colorado. We have a checklist of things we need for the booth, of course and I was thinking about other shows as I went through the check list. Sometimes, even with the check list, we forget stuff. So I thought it would be funny to list the 10 Most Extreme Things We Have Forgotten - like on the History Channel or is it on Discovery?

So, for this post, the 10th Most Extreme Thing is something someone else forgot, not me. I got to the show, ready to unload and pack in, with my assigned booth number and a map of the show floor. All the booth numbers and outlines were chalked on the concrete floor; all except mine. It skipped right over me. I went to find the show coordinator and, with a Big Sigh, he said he would help me find my booth (poor old dumb woman) and, surprise, he couldn't "find" it either. They made room for me and it was all fine, but I got a chuckle out of his attitude - I was probably doing quilt shows before he was born.

Well, better get back to packing - what will we forget this time??

Brooke

Words to the Wise

2010-09-15T10:55:00.000-06:00

I usually write the company's newsletter and blog, but I don't want quilters to think John doesn't write...just yesterday we got our copy of Joe Cunningham's new book "Men and the Art of Quiltmaking" published by the American Quilters Society. John's interview is included and we were tickled to notice that one of his quilts has been used on the dedication page. There are some really beautiful quilts in this book and the quilters' stories are fascinating; this will make good reading this fall.

Another recent article is in the October issue of "The Quilt Life" magazine, also published by the American Quilters Society. They have a feature called "If you could ask one question", and quilters sent in questions for John to answer. He had fun writing his answers and then we looked through boxes of snapshots looking for bridge construction and quilt pictures. I don't think I want to scrapbook, but I like looking at the old pictures; well, that's another story.

So, John does write, it takes a back seat to quilting, of course. But today he is mechanicing on our old John Deere forklift; life at a small company is so glamorous sometimes.

Brooke

In Stitches

2010-09-14T16:30:00.000-06:00

It's finished; my little contribution to the 2010 IQA Silent Auction. Kate is almost done too and then we can ship them off. The center two plates are 6" and Kate custom made me the little 3" plates for the corners. I had fun, especially with the blanket stitching which I enjoy more each time I do it. The machine quilting is done with So Fine from Superior Threads; I used a pale blue (called Venice) so I could see what I was doing. So that's done; what's next?

Every other Monday, I knit with friends at the Art Guild which is in the old Depot Building. This time, the building was closed, so we sat outside under the gazebo to knit. It was just the most beautiful Montana fall day, with a light breeze. We really had fun, visiting and enjoying each other's yarns and projects.

In January, 2011, John will be the "Featured Artist" at the 16th Annual Road to California Quilters' Conference. in Ontario, California. He is working on new quilts for the show; one of them is a beautiful white on white whole cloth quilt that gets prettier every time I study it. So that will be his weekend project for quite a while into the future. I heard the noises of a football game coming from the room where he was quilting on Sunday - football and hand quilting - quite a combination!

Brooke

Rainbows

2010-09-10T16:34:00.000-06:00

It has been a hard week; we just got back from the funeral of a favorite friend. Changes are inevitable but still hard.

So I appreciated the spectacular treat of a double rainbow two mornings ago.

I don't have much quilting left to do on my IQA Silent Auction quilt; it is a little past due... Should be able to get that done this weekend. Kate also has a few more stitches to put in; I just saw her leave with the quilt tucked under her arm. John has a hand quilting project to keep him going if the weather is too cold to work outside. Oh, and Ocktoberfest is this weekend!

We have an upcoming show in Longmont, Colorado. They always have nice quilts and, because it isn't a huge show, it is easy to see all the vendors and quilts and the demonstrations! It is at the Boulder County Fairgrounds September 23 - 25. Let's hope they have that bad wildfire out by then. Have a great weekend!

Brooke

Moose and Quilt

2010-08-31T13:45:00.000-06:00

This is a really big moose. I'm not sure what she is thinking but maybe she was meditating. She wasn't eating or exploring; she just stood still and chilled for a while. She really was huge.

Moose

John has finished his contribution to the 2010 International Quilt Association's Silent Auction Fundraiser. This little quilt is 18"x18" and is called "seedling". It is machine pieced and quilted. No, it is not paper pieced. And no, Kate and I are not finished. Kate is hand quilting and I still have borders to put on and then frantic machine quilting. I'll bet a lot of you know about frantic machine quilting. Well, back to work.

Brooke

And South from Alaska

2010-08-24T14:58:00.000-06:00

I have just returned from back-to-back trips to Eureka, Montana and Petersburg, Alaska. I am having a hard time deciding which trip I enjoyed the most.

Eureka is in the far corner of Montana from me. You can get farther from Red Lodge and still stay in Montana but you need four wheel drive. I taught classes for three days before the annual Eureka Outdoor Quilt Show that happens the first Saturday of August each year. I had to get back home to fly to Petersburg so I did not attend the show but did get to help in the preparation. It is really great to see a whole community get together to celebrate quilts.

While in Eureka I stayed at the Pruett House bed and breakfast. I woke up every morning thinking “I’m not worthy”. If you are looking for a great quilt retreat next August, make a reservation at the Pruett House and sign up for a couple classes in Eureka, Montana and see the outdoor quilt show.

I got to spend 4 sunny days in Petersburg, Alaska. They claim to have over 100 inches of rain a year but the weather was beautiful for me. I stayed at the Feathered Nest Bed and Breakfast in Petersburg. Liz is a quilter so she understands everything a quilter could need and will make you feel like you are home. I loved walking around Petersburg. I had taken a rain jacket just to insure it would not rain and it was so warm out, I kept leaving it in every shop I stopped at. In an hour or so I would figure it out and my jacket was always there when I went back. I kept thinking that this time I would lose it and it would start raining but it never happened.

Classes were not as full as I would have liked but when you looked out the window, it was hard to get that good-fishing-on-a-sunny-day image out of your head so I do understand. I ate their great fresh fish three times a day and am having a hard time adjusting back home. Next time I am in Petersburg I will be fishing, you can be sure. I could always ship those old quilts home to make room for fresh fish in my luggage. Petersburg quilt week is the second week of August if you want to go. It is right on the ferry route so you can stop in Petersburg and continue to tour the rest of Southeast Alaska. They have a great little quilt shop and several long-arm quilters to visit plus you can get fresh fish almost anywhere along the way.

John

North to Alaska

2010-08-13T12:56:00.000-06:00

Our barbecue was fun; there were quilters there and so we had show and tell! Lots of interesting people came; one of my favorite guests was the little boy who loved the love seat I recovered in fake cowhide plush. It is an acquired taste. The barbecue was pot luck; John cooked pork loin which is almost always a hit. Here is a picture of the cook getting ready to carve and guests and quilts!
About Alaska, John left EARLY on Wednesday for a trunk show and three classes in Petersburg. He sent a picture of the harbor from his cell phone yesterday; wow, it is a pretty spot. And the seafood is as good as you would expect; I'm jealous.

The weatherman has promised a cool weekend; just right for sewing. My project is a miniature for the IQA Silent Auction. Kate and John both have their projects pieced but maybe I can sneak ahead of them while they are busy with other things.

Have a great weekend!

Brooke

BBQ and John's Little Quilts

2010-07-30T15:05:00.000-06:00

News for the weekend - we are hosting a barbecue tomorrow. About 30 people last I heard and it is mostly potluck so that will be fun! I still have a couple of things to do and then just visit and eat.

We enjoyed our field trip to Cody, Wyoming and visit to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. I ran out of camera battery part of the way through the Plains Indian Museum but did get a few pictures. I had never seen or even heard of moose hair embroidery. It was just exquisite. We also saw a pair of moccasins that were completely beaded in a yellow and black harlequin pattern on the soles; obviously for wearing while riding, not walking.

The Chevy van held 8 quilters/knitters just fine and 8 quilters/knitters weigh less than 6 boxes of quilt frames and booth paraphernalia, so the van was happy.

"Heart of the Storm"

John finished his Alzheimer's Challenge quilt, "Heart of the Storm" and it is ready to ship. This is his 2010 entry in to the "World Series" Challenge - you can learn more at Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative. Last year the 4 quilts in the challenge raised $10,000 for Alzheimer's research. This year there are two teams so we all hope the quilts net even more! The little wallhanging is 16" by 16".

"Seedlings"

Another project is almost done; John's contribution to the 2010 IQA Miniature Auction at International Quilt Festival. It is all pieced and ready to quilt. This Pine Burr variation is 18" x 18" and is called "Seedlings".
No, it is not paper pieced.

Stay cool; I'm trying to do my outside work in the morning so I can be inside while it is the hottest, how about you?

Brooke

More Small Quilts

2010-07-23T11:57:00.000-06:00

Each year, the International Quilt Association has a fundraising auction of miniature quilts. Since IQA is the group that puts on the Quilt Show at Houston, we love to help them by donating little quilts. Here are pictures of John's work in progress. The Pine Burr blocks finish to 6" and he is making 9 of them.

And then there is Kate's string pieced satin String Star which is going to finish to 12". Wow, the colors of the satin just glow.

So I have started a little project using 4" Dresden Plate blocks but I'm feeling a little intimidated by these two and their skill. They will be done and off to the next project before I have decided what I am going to do, I bet.

I am so excited; some of our quilt group are going to see "The Quilters" in Cody, Wyoming at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. We are making a day of it, even lunch! John and I saw the play maybe 30 years ago and enjoyed it. It will be fun to see how much the presentation has changed over the years.

Have a great weekend!

Brooke

Field Trips

2010-07-14T13:54:00.000-06:00

No, not to a quilt shoppe this time. Saturday John and I went on a Geology and Ecology field trip up the Beartooth Highway. I have looked forward to this trip for weeks and weeks. There were about 40 of us on the bus, and we learned a lot about the area we have been driving by in our cars for years. My favorite was the little alpine tundra meadow, up at 10,000', with thousands of miniature flowers like forget-me-nots, a type of red-violet clover and bright yellow geum. We had a beautiful day for the trip and here are some pictures

Beartooths

Then I went with some knitting friends to a yarn shoppe in Fishtail, Montana (really, that is the town's name!) called The Muddy Lamb. It is a beautiful shoppe; we had a great time and left with many bags of yarn.

John is teaching in Knoxville right now - he doesn't need his jacket there!

Brooke

Paul the Octopus Picks...

2010-07-09T11:07:00.000-06:00

Paul the Octopus has picked John's Alzheimer Art Quilt to win the World Series Challenge. So there.

Let me remind you about the Mediterranean Empires Quilt Seminar at Sea next summer. John will be teaching as well as Karen Combs, Christine Porter, Cindy Walter and Elly Sienkiewicz. The cruise line is Holland America. Here is the web address Group Seminars at Sea And here are some pictures!

John will be teaching a small, beautiful Mariner's Compass wall hanging and a hand quilted trapunto and stippling whole cloth project designed just for the cruise. How peaceful it will be to sit and watch the sea go by and hand piece or hand quilt; better sign up!

We are packing the van right now so John can head for Knoxville on Sunday. The AQS Show is next week and the kits for all the classes are very nice - if you are signed up, I think you are going to like them!

Stay cool and have a great weekend.

Brooke

What we did on the Fourth

2010-07-06T14:48:00.000-06:00

Well, we ate on the Fourth of July. Some of our menu was wholesome; a beautiful barbecued pork loin and lots of vegetables and fruit. But we saved room for S'mores. We ate some made with graham crackers and some made with chocolate chip cookies. When I looked around, almost everyone had melted marshmallow on their face and John's sister had some in her hair. We decided to try roasted Slim Jim sausages. They were tasty; a lot better roasted than right out of the package.

John still has lots of construction materials left over from his bridge building days so our fire pit is made out of a wheel from a semi-truck and the marshmallow sticks are made out of snap ties. Everything is very sturdy.

And, last of all, notice the red, white and blue vehicles in the background! Well, almost red, white and blue.

This free picture slideshow made with Smilebox

Update 7/30 I "found" this movie on my camera; I did not know it was there. It made Kate, John and me laugh pretty hard...it isn't edited because I don't know how to do that either!

Hope you had a wonderful Fourth of July; we had cool weather in Red Lodge, not 90s or 100s like many parts of the U.S. And there was fresh snow on the mountains this morning.

Today Kate and I are helping John pack before he drives to Knoxville to teach at the AQS Show. If you haven't signed up for one of his classes, this is your chance! http://www.aqsquilt.com/

Brooke

Spotlight on Brooke

2010-06-30T14:15:00.000-06:00

Since I write the blog and, 99% of the time, operate the camera, most of our images are of John. But my picture was in the local paper last week, along with friends from our knitting group. We were asked to knit or crochet 12" squares in a color which represents one of the forms of cancer. The squares then went to Decatur, Illinois where a local Relay for Life group hopes to make the world's longest knitted/crocheted ribbon to promote awareness of cancer. The Carbon County Arts Guild lets us use a classroom in the gallery for our knitting group; look at the colorful paintings on display right now! (I am on the very far right, with my gigantic shawl project)

Then, I feel like I have conquered a small bit of technology. We made two little videos describing how to address a couple of those frequently asked questions and I successfully got them on our website. You can see them here; I know they aren't impressive but believe me, I felt pretty triumphant when they worked! I am the demonstrator in the little videos and John is the photographer/narrator.
Bolt and Rod End Black Plastic Sleeve It took us all afternoon!

Have a wonderful, safe Fourth of July. We will have a small barbecue and spend some peaceful time dog sitting. I imagine John and Maggie the dog will wear each other out with the B A L L.

Brooke

All Flynn Quilts and Quilters are Fine

2010-06-21T17:17:00.000-06:00

The nasty and atypical weather that hit Billings on Sunday missed our office by about 15 miles. Kate and Kevin were also about 13 miles away and Brooke and John were in Red Lodge, in the sunshine!

As you can see, the county now needs a new multi-use center. No one got hurt; the Metra was actually closed and the power was even temporarily turned off, for maintenance, I guess.

Video Footage from KTVQ News

Thanks for all the notes; we appreciate them and hope all quilters are safe from tornados this summer.

Brooke

Catching Up with John

2010-06-18T13:12:00.000-06:00

John and some of his quilt friends (Sue Nickels, Hollis Chatelain, Becky Goldsmith and Ami Simms) dreamed up a raucous quilt challenge last year as a fund raiser for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative. Each artist made a little quilt which sold at International Quilt Festival in Houston. The proceeds all went to Alzheimer's research and over $10,000 was raised, hooray! Hollis Chatelain won the challenge and the very attractive World Champion's belt.

Well, they are at it again with new blood, calling themselves the American Quilt League. Last year the theme was professional wrestling. This year Baseball is the theme. The new team, the National Quilt League, consists of Caryl Bryer Fallert, Ricky Tims, Mary Sorensen and Judy Mathieson. The concept is the same; a good natured competition to benefit Alzheimer's research. Some trash talking has already taken place, my goodness!

John has chosen a design; Kate drafted it for him the other day so progress is being made. Pictures will follow.

Ami Simms' Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative also auctions little quilts donated by quilters from every walk of life. There are some really beautiful, cute, desirable quilts on the website, take a look and bid! John is sending 8 or 9 little quilts showcasing machine quilting. Here is one he just finished with my favorite little quails marching along.

It is still cold and windy here. I know that is hard for some of you Southern folks to believe, but brrr, brrr, brrr! Have a great weekend!

Brooke

Bikers!

2010-06-10T16:57:00.000-06:00

We were ready and ripe for Company this weekend. Two of John's sisters, our niece Perrin and her girls came up for barbecue chicken and bike repair. While John fixed the bikes, Perrin set up and synchronized our new Wii, a fair trade I would say. We enjoyed the visit and the girls were quite accomplished bike riders out in our driveway.
http://picasaweb.google.com/flynnquilt/Biking?feat=directlink

Now I will leave to your imaginations the sight of John downhill skiing at breakneck speed on the Wii or me trying to juggle while balanced on a big circus ball. What an invention!

Brooke

Fishing Memories

2010-06-03T14:30:00.000-06:00

I love to fish. I remember every fishing trip I went on as a child. I remember who took me, what kind of car they drove, what we had for lunch, what we used for bait, how many fish we caught, and what time we got home. I have vague memories of other events in my childhood but none are as vivid as my memories of fishing trips and the people who were kind enough to take me. Hoping that I will be remembered as fondly, I never pass up a chance to take a kid fishing.

When I owned a construction company, we had a company party every June to celebrate another year of survival. We had plenty of adult activities involving beer, barbecue, volleyball, horseshoes, and pool, but the highlight of the party was always the kids’ fishing contest. A friend had a pond full of three to five pound trout. We would rig up a dozen fishing poles and turn the kids loose to catch a couple of fish, with the biggest getting a trophy. I know that the kids were having a good time catching fish but had not thought of fishing as a spectator sport until I witnessed the parents become something akin to soccer moms on steroids. There was a lot of yelling, directing traffic of two or three fish on at once, and running to get the one shared net. In the end a winner was declared and the trophy awarded, and everyone came back year after year to try again.

Last fishing season my sister asked if I would like to take her granddaughters fishing in Rock Creek which runs behind our house in Red Lodge. I couldn’t wait. I got out all the poles and rewound the reels and salted the worm bed in my garden with a few boxes of extra worms. Ava and Zoe showed up with their very own poles and would not consider using mine, thank you very much. We dug the worms and that was a very big hit. I had worried a little about the girls wanting to pick up the worms but they were very excited and helpful in the digging.

Rock Creek is a very good fishery but it is a little swift and sometimes hard to fish. The poles the girls had were a little hard to cast because they were short and designed for consumer appeal rather than utility. The girls’ dad, Jason, and I were helping with the casting and doing our best to make the girls’ first fishing trip fun. But fishing was slow and after a while Ava and Zoe got distracted by baby frogs, butterflies, and wildflowers and eventually wandered off. That is how I ended up fishing next to Jason on Rock Creek, behind my house, next to a campground full of Harley riders, with the Barbie poles that have the pink light in the handle to tell you that you are ready to cast.

John

A Really Ugly Horse

2010-05-18T15:56:00.000-06:00

Mid summer several years ago, I was doing a craft project at the table in front of our big south facing windows. I glanced up and saw a big dark animal ambling by. I thought to myself, "boy, that's an ugly horse!" and then realized it was a moose. Well, yesterday, I in the same spot talking to a favorite aunt on the phone when I looked up and yelled "oh my gosh, it's a moose!" right in her ear. I got pictures this time and she was beautiful, for a moose.

Here is a look at what was on John's design wall last weekend. It is another variation of the Glorified Nine Patch with a black background and batiks. The pastel version was very popular in Chicago, and at the show in Salt Lake. This one sold out even faster. I'll take more pictures this week because he has all the blocks pieced now and is putting the rows together. I like it.

It is finally warming up here in Montana. The creek should be rising soon!

Brooke

Salt Lake City Show

2010-05-14T08:54:00.000-06:00

We don’t vend at this show every year, because it often conflicts with other shows and has relatively small attendance but took a chance on it again this year; it is only a short drive compared to some of our trips. The location is great and the show management works extremely hard at making the show fun for the show attendees with door prizes, free classes and free lectures.

A big thank you to all the quilters who came by!

John and I both enjoyed seeing this prize winning quilt from the HMQS in Salt Lake. The quilter is Marian Murdock and the quilt’s name is “It’s Really Yellow”. (Marian says that when she asked her husband for feedback on the quilt, he usually said "it's really yellow".) The quilt is beautiful and has well planned Native American influenced quilting. I hope she enters it in other shows so more people can see it; we both enjoyed visiting with Marian at the show.

And John practiced quilting reptiles while demonstrating the Multi-Frame. Grrr

Brooke

2010-05-13T08:33:00.000-06:00

In a typical whirlwind fashion, we are back from vending in Salt Lake and John is out the door tomorrow to teach in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. The spring shows are fun and of course we like to sell quilt frames, but it will be nice to regroup over the next few weeks. We have had some good ideas and I hope we are able to get some of them in place this summer. A hint – do you like Stars??

A few years ago John and I were very honored to be given Indian names. In fact, we each have two Indian names; John’s Gros Ventre name translates to “Red Hawk”. A pair of Red Tailed Hawks, cruising for rabbits, reminded me of this wallhanging, which is one of my favorites. John's original design is a variation of a New York Beauty but with easier piecing. You can find the template in our web catalog if you are interested.

There are probably Red Tailed Hawks in your area too; they are easiest to see in the winter, I think, when they hulk on fence posts and bare trees waiting for dinner to pop out of the snow.

Speaking of snow, enough already!

Brooke

New Stencils

2010-04-30T10:00:00.000-06:00

It is time to quilt some of those unquilted tops that lurk around and John designed some quilting patterns yesterday to change the status of this pretty Glorified Nine Patch top.

We are all feeling a little silly this morning. It is probably the wind from this blustery spring storm affecting our moods.

Brooke

Hot Time in Chicago

2010-04-16T22:03:00.000-06:00

John called a while ago and said tonight he decided to eat dinner at a Steak and Shake near the convention center. The fries are really good there; yes, lots of calories. He had eaten about half of his burger and was just starting on his fries when the restaurant staff told everyone to leave because the place was ON FIRE.

Too much excitement and not enough fries.

Brooke

Red, White and Blue

2010-04-16T13:44:00.000-06:00

Kate just finished quilting this miniature Pinwheel. We have pre-cut kits for this project. I think she did a good job of choosing a quilting pattern. She still has the binding to finish. Her plan is to work on it on the plane Monday while we fly to St. Louis and then drive to Paducah. We sent our clothes with John so we wouldn't have any checked luggage. What did I forget, I wonder?

Well, it is a beautiful afternoon in Montana and I am about to leave early. But, of course, I have homework. I have housework too, but that can wait! Have a wonderful weekend, wherever you are!

Brooke

Tight Fit

2010-04-13T08:37:00.000-06:00

Kate, John and I packed up the van for John's teaching engagement at International Quilt Festival in Chicago and for vending at the AQS Show in Paducah next week. Since one show is right after the other, it is efficient to pack that way, but a little challenging! The passenger's seat is completely full so I don't think there is one bit of spare space anywhere. We tried to put the things he will need first on the outside of the load - I am sure something will fall out while he is trying to unpack.

The creek at Red Lodge is still very low; it just hasn't been very warm in the mountains yet so spring runoff hasn't started. John had a few bites but only caught one trout; just the right size to share for breakfast! Fishing is a lot like quilting, isn't it - practice makes perfect!

Kate and I have some quilting practice to do before we pack ourselves up for Paducah; better get busy!

Brooke

Busy as Bees

2010-04-07T16:03:00.000-06:00

Tiny signs of spring; some of our earliest crocus are up and blooming. They are a pretty pale yellow. We also see the green sprouts of some of the other bulbs and the tulips are up about 4 inches. It keeps snowing in Red Lodge, however.

Do you know about Mason bees? We want to raise honey bees eventually, but know it will involve electric fencing so have postponed that big project for now. So we are starting off with Mason bees which are wild bees and are supposedly out there every spring looking for a great place to nest. This is the nest we bought to entice them. The bees are gentle, great pollinators and do not make honey so I hope the bears will leave them alone. You can learn more about Mason bees here High Country Gardens

John finished quilting two Storm at Sea class samples for his class at International Quilt Festival in Chicago. Chicago He is also teaching a Lone Star class and Glorified Nine Patch. He and Kate have been busy cutting the class kits this week and we are also packing for the AQS Show in Paducah which is the following week. I like the kits they have ready for Chicago and have been eyeing the pile of leftover scraps. No time to do any piecing right now, though.

Buzzing off for now
Brooke

Quilting Adventures

2010-03-31T13:57:00.000-06:00

Kate and I had adventures in vending in the new AQS Lancaster Show location. Set up and, especially breakdown, were a real trial but that is part of vending, unfortunately. What fun it is to drive with a GPS; mine is called Carmen (like in Where in the World is Carmen San Diego). Smart that car makers build them right in to the dashboard now; on a ten year old Chevy cargo van, the GPS is a separate accessory. John had adventures in lecturing to two groups of 200 quilters and friends. His adventure continued with teaching Super Nova, an advanced class, to a group of quilters with mixed levels of experience. We all survived.

Here are some quilts that caught my eye. Linda Pool’s applique quilt is called “Icing on the Cake”. It has spectacular, tiny applique and cording and hand quilting. David Taylor did a masterful job on “Christmas Chickadee” which is machine quilted. And “Loki” by Jodi Scaltreto made me smile every morning when I walked by.

The downtown part of Lancaster is old and very interesting. A couple of mornings, Kate and her friend walked over to the Amish Marketplace to get our lunch; it was tasty and so fresh. I wanted to bring fresh fruit home, but a 2000 mile trip is hard on durable things; can’t imagine the damage fruit would sustain.

Two more shows to do this spring and John teaches in Chicago; better get busy cutting kits…

Brooke

Another Road Trip

2010-03-18T11:45:00.000-06:00

Today we are doing the last of the packing of my van for the drive to Pennsylvania. Kate will meet me Monday evening so we can vend at the brand new AQS Show in Lancaster. It is exciting and we like the area; Kate and I have a favorite shop or two, if I can remember how to get there. That is what the new GPS is for.

John leaves Tuesday for a guild show and class in Illinois. He is scheduled to lecture twice; we just helped him sort through his quilts and I can tell he is looking forward to it. When you think how much time goes in to selecting fabric, piecing and then quilting, it really is true that each quilt has a story. Hours and hours of a quilter's life are wrapped up in the quilts and I suppose that is why Show and Tell is so much fun for both the teller and for the listeners.

A lot of quilt activity went on last weekend; there were bits of thread all over the house by Sunday night! The Supernova wall hanging is a class sample for Illinois, bright and black, and not for beginners. We have had the Imperial Compass pieced and waiting to be quilted for at least a year so I am so happy John had time to quilt it for the show in Lancaster. We will hang it in the booth and the pre-cut kits are ready; I think this kit will be pretty popular.

Well, spring is always an adventure. When John had his construction business, March was just the most worrisome month. The crews were always itching to get to work, but there was ice and mud and bad weather and lots of nerves. Now we don't have equipment to dig out of the mud or forms ruined by ice and cold and it is great to be able to enjoy early spring with all its variations. I hope flooding rivers aren't part of your spring, though, wherever you are.

Brooke

I Thought It Was Spring

2010-03-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

A little cold snap is heading our way; it is probably a good thing since some of us were getting a bad case of spring fever. I was able to take a short walk along the highway last weekend and even picked up some of the mysterious plastic bags that blew in around our house during the winter. The late winter/early spring sunshine is just delicious and I can't wait to see our crocus. We have no sunshine today.

John got back late Friday afternoon from vending and teaching in Virginia and North Carolina. The van turned over 200,000 miles on the way; it is an oldie but a goodie. The Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival was successful and his classes and lectures were good also. He said there were lots of husbands at his lecture; that always makes it fun for him, and instead of a lapel mike, he had a “rock star” microphone; that was fun too!

Here is a picture of another Storm at Sea Miniature John quilted this weekend. It is washed and blocked and ready to bind. If you are interested in the quilting pattern that John often uses for Storm at Sea quilts; Kate has drafted it and it is on the website now Website Look in “John’s Workshop” and then in “Free Lessons”.

We still have vans to unpack but it is income tax time and I have an honest-to-gosh shoebox to sort through, so better get that out of the way. I’d rather help Kate put away the batik fabrics she just got.

Brooke

Another Author's Report

2010-03-02T16:12:00.000-07:00

Kate and I are back from vending in Washington State. We had a great trip, the weather was very nice, we got to see apple trees and daffodils in bloom and the sky cleared on Monday so we got to see Mount Rainier as we started our drive east. I found goodies to buy, but Kate restrained herself. It was fun to visit with all the quilters, many of whom already had the Multi-Frame and stopped by to give progress reports and encouragement. It is good to be back in Montana; thank goodness most of the ice has melted out of the driveway.

John is still back East, teaching in North Carolina. Here is a link to a very nice, informative report on the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Conference, lots of beautiful pictures of winners. Take a look, there is a little picture of John at work toward the end of the article. Meryl Ann Butler's Report

We have another show soon so time to unpack, repack and reload. Pennsylvania here we come!

Brooke

East and West

2010-02-21T22:07:00.000-07:00

A quick note before Kate and I leave for Sew Expo in Puyallup, Washington. John is already on his way to Hampton, Virginia for the Mid Atlantic Quilt Festival and a teaching job on the way back. We packed for days and days it seems to get ready for these two shows which fall on the same weekend every year. John called a little bit ago and has made it to Mitchell, South Dakota and is catching up on the Olympics.

Kate and I are getting to be pros at finding our way around the area where the Washington show is held. It isn't very easy to find a hotel close to the fairgrounds although there are more hotels than there used to be. In fact, vendor friends drive big motor homes and stay in a lot adjacent to the fairgrounds. We stayed in a really scary motel last year and Kate wouldn't let me use the Jacuzzi in our so called "suite" because it really didn't look clean. And they moved us to the "suite" because I complained about the smoke in our non-smoking room.

Part of our exploration of the area has been because we have needed more printing, once because the TV/VCR we use in the booth quit working, because the chair we use when demonstrating collapsed, because we ran out of receipt books, because I didn't know how to work the headlights in our new van, just for a few reasons.

So tomorrow will find us on the road, testing out my new GPS and counting off the miles. Here are a couple of the new Storm at Sea pre-cut kits we will have at the shows. Unless I forgot to pack them.

Brooke

To Catch Up

2010-02-01T19:06:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted to the blog for quite a while - first, we had our annual trip to Southern California for the Road to California Show. It was as beautiful a California January as you could hope for and we made it out before the heavy rain started Sunday night. The quilt show gets better and more spectacular every year and we enjoyed visiting with new and old friends.

A highlight of the road trip was seeing the Trumpter swans on the Snake River in Idaho - we look every year but this time there were a dozen or so. John would tell you that the low point was stopping at IKEA in Salt Lake City; I wouldn't necessarily agree but the store is huge and crowded. I did manage to get a couple of kitchen things.

I caught a cold along the way somewhere and that is my excuse for not posting for a while.

Here are pictures of the wedding quilt John made for two of our young friends; we were able to give it to them last weekend at a gala Trivial Pursuit party. The quilt is satin, hand quilted with YLI Jean Stitch thread and has a Matilda's Own wool batt. Obviously, it is tough to take a good picture of satin; it just reflects so much light but it really is a pretty quilt and I think the couple likes it. Oh, we came in second at Trivial Pursuit; it was close!

Hope you are staying warm, wherever you are, and drive carefully out there!

Brooke

Free Admission -Hurry!

2010-01-05T11:27:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note - I have 2 Free Multi-Day Admission coupons for the 2010 Road to California Show in Ontario, CA. The show is January 14-17, 2010 at the Ontario Convention Center.

The first quilter who emails me and asks for Free Tickets gets them! brookeflynn@mcn.net Please include your mailing address.

I can't wait to get to this Show.. it's snowing, again.

Brooke

Mediterranean Quilt Cruise

2009-12-30T14:07:00.000-07:00

I just noticed that the website http://www.quiltcruises.com/ doesn't have information on the 2011 Cruise yet.

They sent me some single page handouts which give the dates, ports of call and instructors (no prices). If you want a copy, send me an email with your mailing address - I'm sure there will be lots of information on the "Group Seminars at Sea" website soon but I'd be glad to send one of these handouts to you in the meantime, in case you want to plan ahead. brookeflynn@mcn.net

Brooke

Winter Culinary Efforts

2009-12-30T11:23:00.000-07:00

Well, we made it happily through Christmas. No travel problems and the gifts arrived on time. We played some games and even fired up the Wii for a lesson in tennis and in bowling. John finished the wedding gift quilt. I tried and tried to embroider a label for the quilt and finally called the Bernina 200 a bad name. So that project is still to be done.

John barbecued outside even though it was 10 degrees; the barbecue wasn't heating up so he wrapped it in an old demo top quilt. That worked good and the roast was ready on time! I wouldn't let him bring the quilt back inside until we were sure it wasn't on fire.

I have been thinking about food a lot lately; the holiday season for one thing and then I just read "Julie and Julia" followed by Julia Child's autobiography "My Life in France". I enjoyed every word of Julia Child's book and some of "Julie and Julia". I don't think the cookbook "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" is for me but might look at some of Julia Child's later books. Do read Julia Child's autobiography if you have time; what a remarkable woman! I know I won't ever buy another of Julie Powell's books, there is nothing like making your readers feel like fools for buying your book to turn them off.

Well, I'm off to debone a brace of ducks and make sauce out of a pound or so of butter; Not!

Brooke

Summer 2011 and Project Updates

2009-12-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

We just got the publicity handouts for a Quilting Cruise John will be teaching in 2011. That's a long time off but it's always good to plan way ahead. Quilt Cruise Other instructors will be Karen Combs, Christine Porter, Cindy Walter and Elly Sienkiewicz. Oh, and it is a Mediterranean Cruise from Venice to Turkey and Greece ports. Where is my Frommer's Guidebook??

I have my felt applique tree skirt finished and around the tree - Kate is still going to cut a few more appliques for me but I can put those on before next Christmas! John is working really hard on a quilt which is a wedding present for some young friends of ours. No pictures - well, I'm pretty sure they don't read our blog, but we do want it to be a surprise. We'll have pictures of it soon; wow, it's pretty!

What I'm wondering is if 2500' difference in altitude is going to affect my cookie baking. What if the cookies "fail" and John and I have to eat them all instead of saving them for company? A tasty dilemma. Have a wonderful holiday however you celebrate; stay warm out there. Oh, here comes UPS!

Brooke

A New Miniature

2009-12-09T10:48:00.000-07:00

Are you busy with Christmas projects? Maybe you are getting ready for one of the other special holidays that come this time of year. Kate just finished designing and piecing this little project. It is in the catalog now Catalog, in the Miniature section. John is working on a quilt for a young couple who got married a month or so ago and I am embroidering on a tree skirt. Kate used the laser to cut the felt birds for me and they are appliqued down with fusible thread. I am enjoying the embroidery and it is a very, very good time to be working on projects inside.

It is nippy here, below zero in the day and -15 or so at night. I know there are parts of the country with tons of snow so I won't complain; you have my sympathy and drive safe! I have already decided I'm not going to the grocery store today; it is too cold and I am not in the mood to excavate my car from the snow.

Doesn't hot chocolate sound good about now? Stay warm wherever you are.

Brooke

From John's "Studio"

2009-12-01T16:59:00.000-07:00

We really enjoyed a few days off around Thanksgiving. John's sisters cooked the turkey and fixings at our house. We didn't come back to work until Monday, although we did a little planning and scheduling on Sunday.

Our friend Faye Labanaris gave John these Double Wedding Ring arcs a few years ago. She found them in a garage sale. John redid them using his technique and added the nice natural color Kona for the background and the melons. Now he is hand quilting it and it looks so nice and crisp! This is an 18" ring. No, Faye, you cannot have it back!

If you are signed up for our newsletter, you know about the $5 discount on orders $25 or over. You just use Discount code 5. In addition to the discount, we are contributing $5 per order to Heifer International. It is a wonderful organization and I must admit it is fun to pick out a cow or a llama or a goat or a herd of geese as a donation. Maybe we'll end up with enough to buy a water buffalo!

The holiday season is upon us - I have a project ready to start as soon as Kate lends me her embroidery floss collection. Take care out there!

Brooke

Class in St. George, Utah and A Discount

2009-11-30T11:16:00.000-07:00

John's last teaching engagements for 2009 were in warm St. George, Utah. Heather at Superior Threads took great pictures and here is the link to her blog Mother Superior's Blog Check out the pictures. It looks like there were some happy students.

I will have some pictures of John's current projects in the next day or two - we are BUSY today because of the special that just started- $5 off an order of $25 or more plus two spools of So Fine Thread with a Frame, Frame Kit or Frame Stand. And I also am making a $5 donation for every order to Heifer, International, one of our favorite organizations. Heifer International There is something so appealing about giving someone a way to feed their family and make a living. Oh, the Discount code is 5 and our web address is Flynn Catalog The discount started today and lasts through 12/31/09.

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving; we had a houseful and enjoyed ourselves very much!

Brooke
Flynn Quilt Frame Company

Stressed?

2009-11-09T11:21:00.001-07:00

I'm not particularly stressed, right now, anyway, but this silly sign appealed to me. Actually, I don't drink coffee, don't drink vodka and no valium unless surgery is involved BUT it is nice to know that such a mixture is available.

Chill dudes

Brooke

More Fall Planting

2009-11-06T13:52:00.000-07:00

Wow, treasure these unseasonably warm days! We are looking at the mid sixties today and just a little colder tomorrow. There are still more bulbs to plant. John adapted some kind of motorized drill to plant daffodils last weekend and now I spy a big long piece of metal pipe going in the van for the crocus planting this weekend. Gotta love an engineer!

John leaves Tuesday to teach at Superior Threads School of Threadology in beautiful St. George, Utah followed by two classes and a lecture at the local guild. We have all his kits cut and most everything ready to pack in to the van. We are using Superior Threads' new handquilting thread, which is called "Treasure", and really enjoying it. It has gotten hard to find quilting thread in colors anymore, and "Treasure" comes in quite a few.

Keep an eye on the Quilt Smackdown - you don't want one of the little quilts to get away too cheaply, and there are T Shirts and sweatshirts in addition to voting for the Viewers' Choice. Lots of opportunities to help defeat Alzheimer's disease, that thief.

Have a wonderful weekend, wherever you are!

Brooke

Winning Quilts from PIQF

2009-11-04T16:50:00.000-07:00

I wandered in awe through the quilts at the Pacific International Quilt Festival in Santa Clara. Here are pictures of the three top winners, all were machine quilted. Marilyn Badger won Best of Show - I missed the name of her quilt, it is the orange and green wonder on the left. Jean Jorgenson did "Hong Kong Taxi" in the bottom row here and Terri Doyle won a prize for "Enchanted", the medallion quilt on the right. WOW! I love the taxi quilt.

Well, I'm headed home for a quiet evening because I think I'm getting sick. Don't know if it the flu or just adjusting to the cooler weather but I'm whining anyway.

Don't forget to visit AAQI to watch the progress on the World Quilt Federation Smackdown; Hollis is way ahead but it's not over until it's over, right?

Brooke

More Tiny Quilts

2009-10-29T11:44:00.000-06:00

The marathon vending sessions in Houston and in Santa Clara are now behind us. I still have a ton of email to answer and John and Kate are keeping the lasers busy catching up with custom cut projects. Oh, and we still need to finish unpacking both vans - the quilts are inside but there are bits and pieces of booth accessories still out there. Kate and John had fun in Houston with the crew at the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative booth AAQI showing off the four quilts involved in the "Smackdown" fundraiser.

My booth helper and I had dinner in Santa Clara with Jackie Robinson and Sue Nickels. Sue explained to Jackie about the "Smackdown" quilts and added that she thought John should be disqualified because his quilt arrived after the deadline; nice try! Hope the quilts raise a ton of money for Alzheimer's research.

John and I took advantage of the cool, breezy but snow-free weather in Red Lodge to plant about 200 bulbs. It is notoriously rocky in our area but we had pretty good luck. In the afternoon, we sat visiting in the living room, enjoying the sunlight glinting off the native grasses in our "yard". The grasses absolutely sparkled as the wind moved through them.

Then John pieced these two little quilts, an Arabic Lattice Variation and another miniature Storm at Sea. They both measure 15" x 18". The little Storm at Sea will be in the catalog soon.

And here's my opinionated book review of a fairly recent book, "The Kite Runner". I am glad I read it. It is a first novel and there are some places where a reader can tell that. But I was fascinated about the look at Afghanistan and Kabul before the Russians invaded and the sad aftermath which includes the Taliban's rise to power. Again, I'm glad I read it; even a little insight into another culture is important these days.

Back to work

Brooke

Quilt Smackdown!

2009-10-10T13:52:00.000-06:00

Here is a news release and the whole scoop on the Quilters' Challenge we have been telling you about. The event starts at International Quilt Festival on Wednesday. And, even if you can't make it to Houston this year, you can vote for your favorite online. John shamelessly solicits your vote!

Please visit the AAQI Website to see images of the quilts - I can't figure out how to get them copied from Ami's email and they are Beautiful! And so is the Championship Belt!

Brooke

World Quilt Federation Smackdown

Four Quilting Heavyweights Face Off to Fight Alzheimer's

(Burton, MI)--October 12, 2009 In honor of National Alzheimer's Awareness Month four small quilts by world renowned quilters Hollis Chatelain, John Flynn, Becky Goldsmith, and Sue Nickels will be auctioned to benefit the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI). The no-holds-barred, knock-down, drag-out, head-to-head, quilt-to-the-death (not really), grudge match will be held November 1-10 in the AAQI "Smackdown Auction Arena."

The 10-day online silent auction is all about bragging rights—and raising awareness and money to fight Alzheimer's disease.

Chatelain, Flynn, Goldsmith, and Nickels created miniature masterpieces representative of their quilting style specifically for this head-to-head challenge. The quilts range in size from 16" x 16" to 18" x 18".

The World Quilt Federation Smackdown quilts will be shown prior to the auction, for the first time anywhere, at the International Quilt Festival (IQF), Booth #4660, in Houston, October 14-18. In a gutsy move Smackdown promoter Ami Simms (a.k.a. Founder and Executive Director of the AAQI) will allow the Smackdown quilts to be purchased at the IQF. Each quilt carries a price tag of $10,000.

"I'm fully expecting all four quilts to be available for the November 1st auction," said Simms, "but I'm pretty sure the George R. Brown has a defibrillator on site just in case."

A Viewers' Choice component to the “Smackdown” will also be offered. Anyone wishing to support the work of the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative can make online donations to the nonprofit in amounts as little as $5 beginning immediately, assigning their donation to one of the four quilts. One dollar equals one vote. The quilt amassing the most votes will win the Viewer's Choice Award. The Viewer's Choice Award donations have no bearing on the sale/auction outcome whatsoever.

About the AAQI

The Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (http://www.alzquilts.org/) is a national, grassroots charity whose mission is to raise awareness and fund research. It auctions and sells donated quilts sponsors a nationally touring exhibit of quilts about Alzheimer's. The AAQI has raised more than $316,000 since January 2006. Ami Simms of Flint, Michigan is the founder and executive director of the AAQI, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation operated entirely by volunteers. She is a quilter. Her mother had Alzheimer's.

The World Quilt Federation is totally fictitious. Any similarity to professional wrestling is obviously intentional and all in good fun, although the winning quilter will receive this cute belt.

WQF Smackdown Champion Belt made by John Flynn.

Contact:Ami SimmsFounder and Executive DirectorAlzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative1200 Creekwood Trail Burton, MI 48509(810) 637-5586http://www.alzquilts.org/
Read more: http://www.alzquilts.org/smackdown.html#ixzz0TTftxSF9

Insect Visitor

2009-09-18T13:52:00.000-06:00

We were working peacefully (piecefully?) when this huge dragonfly came in the open door of the office. I know he was just as distressed as we were and he finally went away after we turned out the lights and sort of left the room. We don't have dragonflies too often here in arid Montana so to see such a huge one, wow. Incredible laciness on his wings.

It is important that you know that September 19 is Talk Like a Pirate Day. We have been celebrating this for some years; we also have had Talk Like Someone from Gone With the Wind Day, Talk Like a Valley Girl Day, etc. Here is the official website if you need inspiration TLAP Arrrrrrr, maties!

There are still threatening emails going back and forth about the Smackdown to raise funds for Alzheimer's research. Who knew quilters could be so feisty!

Have a great weekend!

Brooke

Official News Re: WQF Smackdown

2009-09-17T09:48:00.000-06:00

Here’s what happened. The four of us, Hollis, Sue, Becky and I, were teaching at the North Carolina Quilt Symposium. We had been staying in the dorm eating dorm food and teaching for three days. Hollis invited us to her home for dinner and a tour of her studio. The barbeque was excellent and I even had a beer or two; since beer isn’t available on campus.

We were discussing Hollis’s new venture “Imagine Hope” and various ways to raise funds for her charity. Of course Ami’s Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative came up. We had all contributed pieces to the cause and became a little curious about how much the pieces had raised. Somehow in the conversation it came to light that my IQA Silent Auction miniature had creamed Sue’s piece in a head-to-head competition at the 2008 Houston International Quilt Festival. Suddenly, it became imperative that we find out whose piece had raised the most for Alzheimer’s. We found Ami’s cell phone number and started calling her. She did not answer any of our calls, later handing us some lame excuse about attending an insignificant ice hockey contest between the Red Wings and Penguins for the Stanley Cup.

We were unable to determine a winner, and someone challenged that their next Alzheimer’s Art Quilt would bring in more money than anyone else in the room. The World Quilt Federation Smack Down, a no-rules, quilt-to-the-death, or at least until a winner is declared, cage match, was born. Our four miniature quilts will be seen in public for the first time at the Houston International Quilt Festival and will be auctioned off on the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative website in November of this year. All proceeds will go to Alzheimer’s research and braggin’ rights to the quilter who raises the most cash. AAQI Website

There has been much trash talking from my worthy opponents. I am sure I will be able to speak objectively about their feeble, but noble, efforts when they are brave enough to show me what they have done. I don’t know if we will all show up at the Alzheimer’s booth in Houston at the same time but I would watch out for flying folding chairs if we do. This is down-and-dirty quilting, the likes of which has never been seen. The eventual winner and World Quilt Federation Champion will be determined by public cash vote and I am sure there will be an impressive championship belt to go along with the braggin’ rights.

John

A Preview

2009-09-16T10:11:00.000-06:00

I guess all the little quilts for the World Federation Quilt Smackdown (a fundraiser for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative) are done and in Ami Simm's possession. Here is just a peak at what John has been working on.

John, Kate and I are all busy finishing up our little quilts for the IQA Silent Auction. John's and Kate's are wonderful and mine is going to be cute. Pictures to follow.

We have harvested some of our onions and they were tasty. I have started kohlrabi to plant where the onions come out, but I don't think John is going to have time to make me a deer screen this fall. When I come up with Plan B, I will do that instead.

Our next show is in Longmont, Colorado near the beautiful Colorado Rockies and the fall aspens. We have a lot of packing to do!

Brooke

Fish Tales

2009-09-03T08:36:00.000-06:00

Our family (John's cousins) reunion is history. We think there were 33 people there on Saturday, coming and going, eating, visiting and all that. This is a fascinating group of people; you could find someone interesting to visit with at every turn.

Kate and Kevin brought up gemstone gravel and we searched for gems; out on the deck in the sunshine - that was good, and the metal detector found bits from the railroad that used to go to the gold mine up the canyon. We had a campfire and smores Saturday night and John's cousins sang. Why does the smoke follow you no matter where you move? There was an after dark horseshoe tournament, somewhat disrupted by a bat.

Well, fishing is always a big part of a get together in Red Lodge. Here are John and our nephew, Jason, with the grand nieces' "Barbie" fishing poles. The girls had gotten distracted by a frog, I believe, so John and Jason kept casting. I don't know if the poles make a happy sound when you cast, but for some reason, there is a flashy light in the handles. They did catch some fish, but not the frog.

Brooke

Hand Work

2009-08-24T11:41:00.001-06:00

The Battle of the Appliance Installation is over. Everyone survived - except the old 1970s gold dishwasher. It is in bits and waiting for the recycler. It leaked, that's bad. The new dishwasher is very, very quiet, shhh.

John had time to work on his World Quilt Federation Smackdown quilt - all the machine piecing is done and there was a little hand piecing in the center. We'll get a picture up soon.

The reunion is fast approaching. Yesterday, we planned menus. Food, a high priority, right?

Brooke

A Texan Visits

2009-08-18T13:40:00.000-06:00

We got cleaned up enough to have company and who would be more fun that Libby Lehman! Libby was teaching at the Bernina store in Billings Friday and Saturday and came up for dinner and stayed Saturday night. We had time for a quick drive up the Beartooth Highway to "Vista Point" which is about 10,000' and shows off a pretty extreme drop down into the Rock Creek Valley. It was a little chilly up there - one tourist, who was in shorts, asked me if she should just wait around until the snow fell and ski down.

Countdown is now in progress for John's family reunion, weekend after next. Things are pretty clean and fluffed etc. But the new dishwasher, which I am pretty sure we are going to need, is too tall for it's hole. John will fix it, one way or the other.

Stay tuned for an update from John on the World Federation Quilt Smackdown, or whatever it is called.

Brooke

Okay, That's Done...

2009-08-11T11:40:00.001-06:00

Oh my gosh, the tile project is done! John laid the partial tiles around the edges on Friday and Saturday. Our son, Bridger, cut all the partial tiles on our new and trusty, noisy tile saw. John's sisters, Joan and Peggy, came up and helped us grout on Sunday and then I sealed the grout on Monday.

There was a slight interlude while we waited for the plumber to come fix the pipe John broke when he tried to reset the toilet by himself. A big flood of water hit the new tile when that happened!

So, the refrigerator is out of the living room, the washer and dryer are out of my bedroom, the toilet is out of the bathtub. The dining room table is still on the front porch, waiting to be reassembled with padded feet to protect the new tile.

We are sort of done with home improvement for a while. Quilting is better; you don't have to crawl around with kneepads or carry dozens of buckets of water in and out when you quilt!

Brooke

Smackdown Continued

2009-08-04T14:54:00.000-06:00

Here is the start of what John calls the Best ever, Best money making, Best World Quilt Federation Smackdown quilt for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative fundraiser. That is a long tongue tier! The little quilt is 17" across right now.

Details on how you can bid on the quilts Hollis, John, Becky and Sue are working on will come from Ami Simms from the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative.

Hope you are staying cool, wherever you are!

Brooke

Progress Report

2009-08-03T11:11:00.001-06:00

We had help with the tiling project his weekend. Our son spent the day cutting tile for the narrow places along the edges. John finished taking up the old vinyl tile and linoleum and has all but about 6 of the full size tile laid. We are hopping here and there to miss the freshly laid tiles, quite amusing.

The refrigerator is in the living room. The dining room table is on the front porch. The washer and dryer are in my bedroom. The toilet is in the bathtub. I will be glad to have everything done and all the appliances back in their traditional locations.

The camera memory card seems to have given out on me so no photos this time, maybe later this week.

John took some time out from marathon tiling to work on his project for "the World Federation Quilt Smackdown", a fundraiser for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative. So, if you think you have seen a little Feathered Sun, wait until you see this. I'm not kidding, it is little. I will try to get a picture with the other camera this week.

John says "It is fabulous, Everybody ought to just give up. Surrender!" Do Hollis, Becky or Sue have anything to say to that??

Brooke

The Great American Quilters' Smackdown

2009-07-24T13:22:00.000-06:00

At least that's what I think John is calling it. John, Hollis Chatelain, Becky Goldsmith and Sue Nickels have a challenge going. The purpose is to raise funds for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative and the challenge is to see whose small quilt will be auctioned for the highest dollar amount.

Becky Goldsmith is almost done! You can see her project on her blog; scroll down to 7/20 and 7/21. John is working on his design and I don't know what Hollis and Sue are doing but know it will be spectacular.

Who will win?

Alzheimer's disease is a thief. I shudder when I hear the ad that says "Alzheimer's isn't waiting". I know that is true from my mother's experience.

Stay tuned for more from John about his design. He keeps saying "they are going down". I think that is pro wrestling talk.

Brooke

New Growth

2009-07-23T16:10:00.001-06:00

Here is an update on the square foot garden. The onions are doing great; I am not sure how long until the tops die down and we can harvest, but 3 weeks or so seems likely. We have been watering them with the hose, and leaving the nifty terra cotta/wine bottle watering system for the days when we can't get there to water. (I don't think the wine bottle is doing much.) If John has time to make a protective screen cover, we will try to replant with spinach after the onions are gone.

John is in California teaching at the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach. He says the Convention Center is beautiful but he has not had a chance to look at the quilt exhibits. Two more classes and then off (from teaching, anyway) for all of August.

The "Tile Project" still awaits him. and the family reunion will be at our house the end of August. So there will be lots to do.

Brooke

Visitors

2009-07-21T08:06:00.001-06:00

We love living at Red Lodge and seeing the wildlife. But.

Here is what happened. I had been outside in the front and heard a screechy racket - I thought it might have been the folks across the creek clearing or sawing or some such. After a few minutes I went out on to the back porch and it became apparent the noise was an animal calling. As I looked, a baby bear came thrashing through the high grass and I thought, Oh, how cute and then Oh, where is the mother and by that time I was back inside the house and closing the glass door.

She was up on the porch, with her twins faster than I can tell you, examining the roll of old carpet we took up for our tiling project, rejecting that and still looking for something to eat. Last I saw her she was on a lope through our neighbors' fence and headed for town.

I heard the babies screeching again this morning but did not hang around for a second visit.

Brooke

Guild Program Chairs - Note :)

2009-07-15T15:51:00.000-06:00

First things first - here are pictures of the very cute projects John put together for the Ohio students who missed their classes because he got so sick. We will have the little Arabic Lattice in the catalog one of these days, but the fabric for the Braided Flag is all gone! I think they both turned out great; we just mailed the last of them out today.

So here is a way to save your Guild some money - John has an idea to help quilt guilds cut down on their travel costs. Since he spends so much time driving to shows already, he can leave a couple of days early and teach for guilds that are along the route. That will completely eliminate those expensive airline tickets. So, if you are Program Chair for your guild and interested for 2010, call me at 800 745 3596 or email brookeflynn@mcn.net so we can see what might work. Or let your Guild Chairman know. There is a link to the 2010 Schedule on our website. Go to Teaching Information and you can print it out.

John called me today from Quilt Camp in the Pines. The bagpipers are there and tonight is Pub Night. Loud music and cold beer will be involved.

Brooke

YeeHaw

2009-07-10T15:56:00.000-06:00

Here are pictures from the Fourth of July Rodeo in Red Lodge. We had good seats. The photographer wasn't the best but, darn it, those horses move fast! I ran out of memory in my camera during the barrel racing; that is one of my favorite events. Big, big horses and intent young women; go, go, go!

Hope you had a great Fourth wherever you are.

We are just about finished packing John up for the drive to Flagstaff, AZ and Quilt Camp in the Pines. If you are nearby, and haven't attended, this is a great quilt retreat in a relaxed atmosphere and with great teachers. The next teaching engagement is in Long Beach and then, home for all of August!

Have a great weekend!

Brooke

Kate's Choice

2009-07-01T08:54:00.000-06:00

Kate loves the miniatures and here is a pinwheel block she cut and pieced last week. Each little section is 1 1/2" so it is small and cute. She will be working up a pre-cut kit soon; it looks like fun!

Well, it wasn't rabbits or a raccoon that ate our onion sets, it was two baby skunks. And, like all babies, they are very, very cute. I'm not too happy about baby skunks camping out under the table next to our house; no sign of Mother.

Have a wonderful Fourth of July. We're going to try to get to the Rodeo, Red Lodge's famous Home of Champions Rodeo, July 2, 3 and 4 in it's 80th year!

Brooke

Summer Things

2009-06-29T09:06:00.000-06:00

John was contemplating cutting down this old honeysuckle bush - it has seen better days. Then we saw this big beautiful Tiger Swallowtail having lunch at the bush. The butterfly has seen better days too; his wings were pretty beat up. But the bush and the butterfly were beautiful together and we are going to do some thoughtful pruning to see if we can't preserve the bush for more butterflies to enjoy.

Then there is the square foot garden, put together out of leftovers and recycled etc. The soil is a mix of peat moss, vermiculite and compost. This late in the year, we just planted onion sets. Here is the link for the square foot gardening website; it is an interesting approach to gardening and probably the best for me and John.

I think the deer will leave onions alone. Sunday morning, however, we discovered that the raccoons or rabbits some such creature thought onion sets were fine eating. There are plenty left.

Stay cool, wherever you are!

Brooke

From the Bottom Up

2009-06-25T09:34:00.000-06:00

You have to start somewhere. We replaced the old stove last summer and now want to replace the 30 year old linoleum in the kitchen, hall, laundry, bathroom. I'm sure it won't be much of a job (!!). These are the ceramic tiles we chose. John is going to do it himself with help from our son.

I am kind of stunned by the size of the project, now that the 21 boxes of tile, the 15 underlaying boards, the two bags of grout etc. are all in the garage. I hope it doesn't end up being a project that causes John a lot of stress.

In a way, it's kind of like patchwork...

Brooke

Reality Check

2009-06-23T09:55:00.000-06:00

Well, it finally happened after 20+ years of teaching - John got very sick in Columbus and couldn't teach two of his classes.

He is better now and drove himself home but we are both sad that 40 students didn't get the class they planned to take. John is making up some kits for them and I hope it helps make up for some of the inconvenience.

These viruses, no respect for a working fella and his plans.

Brooke

Scrapbook of "Crazy Horse" Project

2009-06-19T15:31:00.000-06:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Indigo Storm at Sea

2009-06-17T08:44:00.000-06:00

Kate and I just had an update from John who is driving to the NQA show in Columbus, Ohio. Yesterday he was lost in Iowa; today is a better day.

This little Storm at Sea wall hanging is John's latest project. It is made with our 9" Storm at Sea templates and is made from beautiful genuine indigo from our friends at Cotton in the Cabin Loring and Sandy are part of our vending "family" and John made this for Sandy's booth. He is hoping they will be in Columbus so he can leave the quilt at it's new home.

Our two antique ribbon cases came from Loring and Sandy also - right now our ribbon cases are full to overflowing with machine embroidery thread, beautiful! Sometimes I imagine a little girl in an old country store, pressing her nose up against the cases, admiring the ribbons and hoping her mother will buy her some ribbon for her hair. Oh, and a peppermint stick, too.

Brooke

Signs of Spring

2009-06-14T20:14:00.000-06:00

We had a hectic Friday, followed by a very peaceful weekend. John leaves Monday for the NQA show in Columbus, Ohio. After his last unpleasant airplane flights, I know he is glad to be driving. He is teaching Braided Borders, Arabic Lattice and, his old standby, Double Wedding Ring. Kate made pre-cut kits for all the classes; it makes the class a lot easier for both John and the students.

Rock Creek has come down a little and we had fish for breakfast again. John dug up an old and nasty gooseberry bush and some wild roses that were taking over by the foundation. I washed an indigo wall hanging John made for a vendor friend of ours. It still needs to have the binding finished but I will take a picture of it for the blog tomorrow before he leaves.

These are some of the flowers that are blooming right now. The deer have been eating the lilies of the valley we transplanted about 3 weeks ago. Silly deer, don't you know they are poisonous?

Brooke

June in Montana

2009-06-07T18:14:00.000-06:00

We had our sew-in and barbecue in Red Lodge this weekend. Here is a summary; we ate, did Crosswords and Sudoku and read, we sewed, we slept, we ate waffles, we sewed, we fished, we barbecued and played games, we ate, we sewed and played games, it snowed, we ate and played games, we slept, we ate fresh caught fish, we sewed, we played games, it kept snowing, we ate, we sewed and played games and it is still snowing. I might have left out some of the times we ate.

Sorry, Peggy and Joan, that this isn't a better picture; we really enjoyed the weekend. John came within micro meters of hitting a deer on the way back to Billings. Did I mention it snowed?

Brooke

Little Red Truck

2009-06-02T13:51:00.000-06:00

Kate, Kevin and I had a little adventure this weekend - Kevin drove us down to Casper, Wyoming to take a look at a used pickup. Well, it was just what they wanted so he and Kate bought it and now there is a perfect spot for the dogs to sit and back seat drive.

Casper is 4 - 5 hours from Billings and a little farther from Red Lodge via the interstate. I decided to come back on the secondary roads west of the interstate. I'm glad I did - I hadn't seen that part of Wyoming for so long. Some things have changed but not the mountain views. The Wind River Canyon outside of Thermopolis (world's largest hot springs) is a beautiful sight and I was thrilled when Heart Mountain came in to view since I grew up in a town east of that landmark.

I also took a photo of Red Lodge from the Bearcreek Hill which is east of town. You can still see the snow on some of the ski runs across the valley. You can't see Rock Creek but I could hear it from the hill; it is very high right now and roaring away. Well, it was a nice road trip and, wow, what a spiffy truck!

John got in late Sunday from teaching in North Carolina. What a total pain it is to fly anymore. I felt sorry for him since not one of the 4 legs of his trip went as scheduled. I know he worries about getting to the engagement on time and with his quilts; would be nice if the airlines were a little more predictable.

Brooke

Game Time

2009-05-26T14:45:00.000-06:00

Not a lot of sewing went on this weekend; mostly eating, bike riding and, in John's case, a marathon session of tree clearing and grubbing. He managed to rescue the horse shoe pits from about 6 years neglect. Rock Creek is right over the bank to the left in this picture. It is a steep drop and the creek is very high right now, so, if a shoe accidentally goes into the creek, it's there until the stream level drops. Just adds a little excitement to the game.

John got his 30 year old Schwinn bike repaired and aired up and rode with me all three days this holiday. Well, he rode with me until I had to stop and then went on way up the road. He was really going fast on the way back down the hill. It was just beautiful weather this weekend and we even got a little barbecuing in.

Tomorrow I put John on the plane for the North Carolina Quilt Symposium - his classes are full and the quilters seem to be excited for him to come. We still need to pack his quilts - which ones get to go and which ones have to stay?

Brooke

Small Accomplishments

2009-05-21T09:16:00.000-06:00

Since strawberries are in season, we experimented with berries, Devonshire Cream and angel food cake. We liked the cake better than the meringues I made - they were very sweet and took away from the berries. We also tried rhubarb; now that's tart!

John put a little 3" Wheel of Mystery pre-cut kit together and got it quilted and bound! It is 12" x 15". We have noticed that quilters really like the miniature pre-cut kits - they sell out first at shows. They are very cute - they take a long time for us to get boxed up but we love them too.

I have been riding my new bike. I am getting better but feel really intimidated when the packs of serious bikers with their yellow windbreakers all cruise by me with no effort, uphill. Well, someday I may get there.

Have a safe Memorial Day weekend.

Brooke

A Small Project - Big Cause

2009-05-13T11:45:00.001-06:00

Kate designed this 4" x 8" project for the AQS Teachers' gift bags. The hope is that, when the teachers have time, they will piece the kit together and then send it to Ami Simms for her Alzheimer's fundraising efforts.

No, it's not paper pieced.

Here is the link for Ami's Alzheimer's fundraising site; there are some beautiful quilts there and you can help by choosing one. http://www.AlzQuilts.org

It's windy as all get out today, hang on to your hat.

Brooke