Judy's Baskets

A few months ago one of my clients brought me a quilt.  It was a basket quilt and I must admit I am not especially fond of basket quilts, I have seen plenty and none have ever tickled my fancy.  This quilt was no different.  Judy didn't tell me much about the quilt but she did say this.....  :I don't really like this quit and I cant believe there is anything you could do to it that would make me like it............thats pretty much a challenge and well..... I ALWAYS like a challenge!!

It took me a few months to free up the time needed to do this one up right and Judy said I could do what I wished.  I showed progress as I went along on my Facebook page because I knew Judy wouldnt see it and when it was finished I didnt give her any photo idea of what I had done to the quilt.  She came to get it last night and well to say she liked it was a bit of an understatement.  She LOVED it, I even caught a bit of a tear in her eye.

Then she told me the story behind her quilt.  She made the basket quilt because she remembers her grandmother making baskets when she was a child.  Those quilts are gone but the memories remain.  The quilt was created with fabrics from her stash and she could fondly point out ones which had come from her grandmothers collection.  Mingled with grandmas fabrics were memories from projects when her children were young as well.

After I heard the story I was even more grateful I had taken the challenge and made this quilt into the stunning memory filled beauty it became!!

Enjoy some shots of the process and the final product and remember sometimes the perfect quilting really CAN make the quilt!!

MQX East and Yellow House Quilts

It is not a secret to many that MQX is my favorite quilt show of the year.....I look forward to the trip every year.  We begin planning for next year before we have even left NH.  Its just that AWESOME!!

The list of why its my favorite show could go on for a LONG time......I will only tell you my favorites

1.  The owners- Mary and Janet-Lee make you feel like you are THE  MOST IMPORTANT person at the show ALL the time.  If you  need something, or screw something up (which I do often with online things) they just send you an email or give you a call, or help you find your way with NOTHING but a smile.  They trully make the whole experience a DELIGHT!!

2. The Teacher list......This years line-up is beyond amazing.  I am going to be taking classes from Karen McTavish, Judi Madsen, Karen Marchetti, the ladies from Sew Kinda Wnderful, andAngela Huffman.  I cannot imagine how much amazing new stuff I will have in my quilters tool box after 4 days with this line-up!!

3. Registrations and the web-site.  Oh my goodness it is so DANG easy!!   The website is easy, class registrations are easy, and signing up for the quilt show is so SIMPLE!!  After spending 4 hours to enter 3 quilts for AQS today I am even more grateful of how wonderful their process is!!

4.  Volunteering- this is SO much fun!!  From helping to hang the quilt show, white glove duty to show off the backsides, to door greeter and meeting everyone who is coming to the show this really is a WONDERFUL way to get right into the middle of everything going on with the show!!

5. The World Class Quilt Show!!  Perhaps the best part of this is my quilts and a couple client quilts are going to hang this year among some of my most respected quilting colleagues and international quilters.  I am SO excited!!  The list of quilters who our stuff with hang with is really pretty intimidating!!

The quilts which made the cut this year are below!  I want to take a moment to thank my clients for letting me work with their quitls and my mom for always saying.... Do whatever you want honey!!

My Entry:

Blue in The Face

My youngest son Lukas in fabric

Can you see his face??

Close-up of the quilting

 Elaine Rubenau-Reich's Entry Sagamore Log Cabin

This quilt is King Sized

Her use of color is stunning

Center of the quilt

Border details

I love it from the back as well!!

Hanging at the NY State Fair

 Cathy Messengers Entry.....Hum i'm not sure what she named this one

A pretty nice backside!!

Doreen Hares (AKA MoM) Vintage Tins

These 4 beauties will be hanging amonst the amazing work at MQX this spring and I am beyond honored to have even 1 worthy of making the list.  Good luck to everyone, and I cannot wait for the show this year!!  It's not too late to get in on the fun check out the website, sign-up for a class and join in on the fun!!