Odds and Ends

What a month! Many exciting happenings on this side of the ocean have kept me pretty busy. I (Teri) have been busily stitching class models for upcoming classes, one of which is pictured on the left,—this is, when I can find a moment to sit and stitch. Our youngest daughter got married a couple of weeks ago, so we had lots of family festivities. 

The tables runners we cut a few weeks ago turned out lovely. Maybe now that she knows how much fun it is to use a rotary cutter, I can begin to make a quilter out of her! 😉
By the way, isn't the cake my friend and her daughters made just beautiful?!

But my fun didn't stop there. A few days after the wedding, the Baltimore Appliqué Society met for the first time this fall. Our featured speaker was a good friend, Jan Vaine, from Graham Cracker Collection. It had been a while since I had seen Jan, so I happily volunteered to pick her up from the airport so we could catch up a bit before the meeting. We stopped at the hotel to check in and went to get a salad and chat, after which we met her mom and sister back at the hotel. We had plenty of time to go to the room, grab her projector and notes, and head to the conference center to drop things off before we needed to meet the gang for dinner prior to the meeting. Best laid plans...

The room key didn't work. The girl at the desk reset it, to no avail. She took the master up to the room, and that didn't even open the door. Time to call the manager. Our "plenty of time" was ticking away. The manager arrived with the MASTER—which apparently was even more of a master than the master from the front desk. Guess what? It didn't work either. At this point, we were just hoping Jan could get into the room in time to grab the projector and get to dinner on time. The manager made a phone call, and left to obtain some tools. He finally returned, took the door apart, and let us in so that Jan could get the suitcase she needed to give her lecture. (All because the battery needed to be replaced. Remember when keys didn't need batteries?!)

She grabbed what she needed, and off we went, into the traffic—rush hour was now in full swing. Suffice it to say, we didn't get to drop things off before dinner, but we arrived at the restaurant exactly at 5:00. We enjoyed a lovely meal, and then off we went to set up for her lecture.

To make a long story short, the connection for the projector wasn't working—so much for the slide presentation part of the lecture. The suitcase full of quilts was there, so Jan could just do a trunk show, BUT the keys to the lock on that suitcase were . . . you guessed it: in the hotel room! I was halfway back to the hotel when Jan called me to turn around; they had found wire cutters to cut the zipper pull and open the suitcase.

And you know what? Jan gave the most beautiful talk about her stunningly embellished quilts. All she really needed were her pieces of stitched art to entertain and inform us. I was so impressed with her poise in the face of that comedy of errors. Jan has been such an inspiration to both Kara and me over the years. It was a pure joy to be able to see her share her treasures. The BAS was so excited by her visit that her workshop sold out, and we had to hold two; both days were full! If you are not familiar with Jan's exquisite work, check out her website by clicking here.

Unfortunately, I was holding quilts during the lecture, so I don't have many pictures. But here are a few from the workshop the following day.

Jan discusses the proper way to hoop, her sister and mom on the right, helping with purchases.
So many cool threads from which to choose—and books, as well.

Jan showing the two models of Mom's Yellow Rose that I made, several years apart. I've shown improvement—I'm not wound quite as tightly; well, the rose isn't— but when placed next to Mom's rose, I still have a way to go!
Below, left: original "Mom's Yellow Rose," made by Jan's mom, Lou Dusek.
Below, right: I made the yellow rose during one of Jan's Tea and Stitches retreats, and the other one at this workshop. I have learned to relax a bit when I'm making these flowers! (To read about that retreat, read Sisters Tied by Needle and Thread.)

Jan giving some "up close and personal" assistance to a couple of attendees, Kristy and Nancy.

I just love this little bee!

We learned a lot with Jan during her workshop and practiced many new embellishing skills.

At the end of the workshop, I had to rush out to go to the airport. I was heading to a new adventure—one which included quilt shops, quilters, a lot of rain, and an opportunity to write.

From day one, when I saw the first Quiltfolk magazine, I was hooked. Imagine my excitement when I got an invitation to write for the them! I can't tell you WHERE I went, but I can tell you that you will enjoy reading about it! Issue 03 took readers to Hawaii, and Issue 04, which was just released, is set in Tennessee. What a fun way to travel the country! If you haven't joined the Quiltfolk community yet, consider subscribing. (Use the code SHOP1051 for a $10 discount!) It's a fabulous, ad-free publication that tells the stories behind quilts and the quilters who make them. And if you are a regular reader here, you know how much we love a good story, especially if it's told through needles' eyes. I am honored and thrilled to have been invited to join the team on their road trip last weekend!

I am eagerly awaiting Issue 04, which has just hit the stands.
While supplies last, you can get 50% of Issues 02, 03, and 04 with a yearly subscription.
Quiltfolk is not "just" a magazine; it is like receiving four books a year!
Click here for more information.

Stitching for Sister

When I (Teri) was young—as in the age of bickering with brothers—I always wanted a sister. I remember my mom telling me that women "make their own sisters." I thought that was easy for her to say: she has a sister! But as I've grown older and wiser (like my mom), I have realized the truth of that counsel. In addition to the blessing of my two brothers—with whom I no longer bicker—I have acquired sisters from my school family from my years as a teacher, sisters from my church family, and sisters from my stitching family. But one special sister has gone from being just a sister-in-law to simply being a "sister." To my children, she is their beloved "Aunt Millie." To me, she is my sister.

About ten years ago, when Millie bought her current home, she asked me to make her a table runner for her new dining room set. She told me the colors she wanted, and I set to work, finding a pattern and creating her runner. I chose batiks, which were lovely in the autumn palette she had chosen. Machine quilting is definitely NOT my thing, but I practiced and persevered, figuring this was the perfect size to manage.

A bit of meandering: not my favorite quilting activity

She was so thrilled with that one, she asked if I would make her a Christmas runner, so she could decorate for the holiday. This time, I simply chose a block pattern and used that as the basis for the runner design. I ramped up the quilting a bit, and crazily chose to do some of the quilting with metallic thread. What was I thinking?! But we both loved the effect of the metallic touches on the gold-flecked fabric.

Metallic sparkle in the stars

Free-motion filler in the background

That winter, I took a class in Hampton, Virginia, with Virginia Walton, learning to sew curves. We used gradient hand-dyed fabrics to create curved stars set amidst batik squares. I remember spending a bit too much time in class arranging my stack of 48 batik squares, so that the colors were just right. I never have been able to master "random." I have to carefully work to achieve the random look I want—I call it plandom. Anyway, my husband loved the quilt, so it went to his office. And Millie loved the stars, so I designed a table runner for her. Win, win!

Class quilt on curves: I worked hard to place the warm colors on the diagonal down the middle.

Resulting star design for table runner, and yes—more metallic quilting. Stars need sparkle!

The following summer, I took a class in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on stained-glass quilt designs, with Carol Blevins. The project was a one-block piece, which Millie liked, so I finished it and gave it to her. I then made four more blocks and arranged them to create her "summer runner."

 

With most of the seasons covered, Millie thought perhaps she should have a wintry design. She chose fabrics that she liked, again batiks, (notice a pattern, here?) and I used Electric Quilt to create the pattern. And now, she had one for each season, and she could change her table runners accordingly. We thought we were finished.

But then I found this line of fabric that screamed at us. We both come from Pennsylvania Dutch (German) roots. The designs in this fabric line tugged on my heart, so I naturally bought yardage, knowing I would find ways to use it. When I showed it to Millie, I knew she would want another runner. And she did, of course! 

We both loved this fabric, so reminiscent of the fraktur and distelfink designs we saw growing up.

Not long ago, I was at her house for lunch, and as we reminisced and I took pictures of her table, she started pointed out colors she liked, just in case I might want to make her another runner . . . 

After all, what are sisters for, anyway? I guess I'd better start designing a new table runner!