New Stencils

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

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

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

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

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

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

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