Tuesday, May 18, 2010

A Really Ugly Horse

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

Friday, May 14, 2010

Salt Lake City Show

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

Thursday, May 13, 2010

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