THE QUILT SHOW #712 is now ON!!

Alex Anderson, Ami Simms, Ricky Tims

Please share this news with your friends. Thousands of quilters, perhaps someone you know, have written the name(s) of a family member or friend who has/had Alzheimer’s on a purple patch of fabric. Those patches have been stitched into 182 “Name Quilts” honoring more than 10,000 individuals. The”Name Quilts,” along with 53 small format art quilts, make up the AAQI’s new traveling exhibit called “Alzheimer’s Illustrated: From Heartbreak to Hope.” A portion of “Alzheimer’s Illustrated” exhibit is shown on program #712 for the first time anywhere. The AAQI is looking for quilting groups to bring this poignant exhibit to their communities.

Slideshow created with Smilebox

Here is a slideshow of some behind the scenes photographs from the taping of the episode. The last picture is Ricky & Alex with AAQI’s founder and executive director, Ami Simms and the "road crew", right to left Alex Anderson, Kathy Kennedy-Dennis, Susan Pain, Mary Lecea, my sister Diane Petersmarck, Ami Simms, me and Ricky Tims. You can now watch show #712 featuring Ami Simms and the new Alzheimer's Exhibit by clicking here: The Quilt Show. If you want to subscribe to The Quilt Show, use this coupon code for a 20% discount on a 6 month membership: 125030263501 (membership begins January 1, 2011), and by filling out a short form you can watch for the entire month of December for free. Please check it out!

Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative on The Quilt Show!

This is the taping that my sister Diane & I flew to Colorado this summer to be a part of - it's the debut of the new Alzheimer's exhibit that will travel the country for the next 5 years or so. You can see me in the audience in the back row on the left side as you're looking at the video, Diane was sitting to my right, but missed the shot. The whole show will air begining Monday, December 6th. I'll post a link when it's available.

1000 Quilts Going to HOUSTON!

Click on the YouTube video below to see some of the quilts that will be available for sale at the AAQI booth in Houston this year. There are some amazing pieces that can be yours for only a few dollars!! Come do your holiday shopping!!

Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative Auction is ON NOW!!

You will not believe the great changes that have come to the AAQI Auction this month! There is a brand new auction hosting site that makes the process quick and easy! Your bids show up right away and you get a notification if you are outbid so that you can go back and bid again.

The auction is now automated and conducted in real time so it's easier to bid than ever. Please bid here: AAQI Quilt Auction. Hurry - the October auction ends on Sunday the 10th.

All profits fund Alzheimer's research.

Use this link to see a Smilebox slideshow of all the quilts.

Think ahead and purchase wonderful Christmas gifts for special friends. They will be pleased with the artwork and you'll have made a donation to a wonderful cause.

Come and see us in Houston at the International Quilt Festival from November 3rd through the 7th also - we're bringing over 1000 quilts to sell. We'll also be showcasing some amazing quilts from well known quilt artists such as Hollis Chatelain, Ricky Tims and John Flynn. See them here: World Series Quilt Challenge

And for all you quilters out there, we need more quilts to restock the shelves. It's easy to make a difference! Look here to see how to make a Priority Quilt. It's a great way to try a new technique or pattern or use up some of those UFO's!


This one of the two quilts that I made that will be for sale in Houston - the story behind them is in my August posts. They were fun to make!

Reprise

Well, once I got going on these Priority Quilts, I can't seem to stop! This one was SO easy that I feel a little guilty. Someone unknown long ago did the embroidery on a table scarf that I recently purchased at a garage sale for $1.00. I took one end and trimmed it down, quilted around the flower and bound it in a beautiful batik frame. Now it can live its "new" life as something fresh and beautiful.

Faded Glory Finished! (well, almost!)

It still needs the binding hand sewn to the backing, and it still needs a label, but it's essentially done! I think the piping was the perfect solution. This one will be donated to the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative where it will be sold to raise money for Alzheimer's research. I dedicated this one to my Dad, who suffers from a variation of Alzheimer's. My artists statement reads: This rose was once beautiful, vibrant, colorful and full of life. It’s now faded and beginning to lose petals. If one looks closely, you can still see some of the vibrant color that once was prominent, much like someone who suffers from Alzheimer’s Disease . . . those infrequent flashes of the person they used to be that are so precious.

Priority Quilt Revisited

I started talking about this quilt nearly a year ago, on August 6, 2009. I brought it back out to see if it could be saved the other day and ended up cutting off the borders and just keeping the center. Then I attached new borders and put some batting in between that and a new backing. It's not really crooked IRL, that's my bad photography. I will quilt the borders, probably folloing the hearts in the fabric, but it needs something else. I'm thinking of maybe putting a pink piping on before I bind it. What do you think? All suggestions are welcome! I don't have much time, need to get this one done.

Some Exciting News!

I got an email from Kathy Shaffer who owns a new little quilt shop in Millburn, Illinois called The Common Thread Merchantile. It's the cutest little shop tucked in amongst beautiful trees in a lovely, calming setting.



She had come across my information at the Village Quilters Guild where Annette Hendricks had been the speaker and I brought my hand dyed fabric to sell. Kathy was interested in carrying my fabric in her shop, so I brought her some of my inventory and it is now available to you through her. The shop is well worth a visit, although currently her hours are limited, so visit her blog for details and directions. I had the opportunity to sit on her porch and enjoy the beauty, and it was very peaceful and inspiring. Thanks, Kathy!

Time . . . . so fleeting!

I can't believe how quickly time is passing by. My son is graduating from 8th grade this week and will soon be off to (GULP!) high school. He was a baby not that long ago!

Needless to say, all this has kept me busy with all the preparation and events leading up to the actual graduation, but I'm in the studio dyeing as well. My favorite Canadian customer wants some rainbows ( I just love these! ) and she has a fondness for lime green, so I'm doing some yardage for her.


My studio renovation has stalled - things are crazy at work for both my husband and I so our free time (ha!) has disappeared - hopefully things will get back on track soon so I can get some sewing done! One good thing that comes with graduation . . . the school auction comittment is over for me, turned over to other hands!

One fun note: My sister Diane and I are going to the taping of The Quilt Show in August in Bolder, CO with Ami Simms. Should be fun - we're talking about making a road trip out of it which could be quite an adventure! Will keep you posted!

Alzheimer's Name Quilt #2

I finished the second Alzheimer's Quilt (see the last post for details) and will send them both off to be bound by another generous person. I am proud to have been one little cog in this huge wheel that has raised not only money, but awareness of Alzheimer's.


This one is hearts - it took me a while to figure out how to make them continuous, but once the idea hit me, it went very quickly. For me, the quilts signify all the love that has gone into this project and the love that we have for those who have been stricken by this horrible disease. I pray that a cure will be found soon!

What I've Done This Week

Among a multitude of other mundane tasks, I have just finished quilting this rather unusual quilt. This is a section from the first of two 6" wide by 7' long name quilts (you read it right, six inches by seven feet) I'm quilting for the AAQI new exhibit Alzheimer's Illustrated: From Heartbreak to Hope. The two I'm doing will hang with 180 others, each bearing the names of 55 people who currently have Alzheimer's Disease or have died with Alzheimer's or a related dementia. There will be over 10,000 names represented in this exhibit and that's not even a fraction of those who have been stricken. Many hands have touched each of these quilts, those that donated the fabric, collected the names, assembled the tops, those that organized them and sent them to quilters all over the U.S. (maybe farther!), those that quilted them and then to the hands that bind them, finally to those who will hang them for display. It's quite an amazing feat, all spearheaded by the tireless Ami Simms of Flint, Michigan.


I chose to do a leaf pattern, symbolizing hope in the new research that's being done to thwart this horrible disease. I'm not sure how I'll do the second one yet, I'm still thinking that one over.

OWOH . . . I Have Been Remiss . . .

I have not blogged for a while, it's funny how quickly time flies by when you're not looking!

I received two other wonderful prizes from the One World One Heart event and want to show them to you.

The first is this lovely set of note cards from Pat Knowles at Images Through An Open Window:


And the second is this adorable bird print from Vickie at Whispers of Inspiration.



Vickie also sent me this cute little notecard!



The whole adventure with One World One Heart was a blast - thanks to everyone who participated!

Look what I WON!!!

This incredible bit of art from Alaska arrived safe and sound in my mail box today. I won him in the One World One Heart blog giveaway. His name is Jasper and he was created by Pat Haight of Wigglebutt Clay Creations. She also generously sent me some wonderful hand made buttons and a gorgeous heart pin that were a total surprise.


What a wonderful thing to have show up in the mailbox today! Thanks, Pat!

OWOH WINNERS ANNOUNCED!!

The following ladies have been contacted. If I don't hear from them within a day or two, I will pick another winner from the list. They are:

Snap from Texas

Shelley from Maine

and

Waxela from Austin, TX

Congratulations, ladies!! I hope you love your scarves and enjoy them as much as I did making them!!

And a special thank you to all of you who came, visited, and left wonderful comments. This was a great experience!

We got a little more snow, so . . . .

I went out and scraped up enough to do 7 more pieces of snow dyed fabric. Is the suspense killing you too? I hate the waiting part!!


That top right one could be another potentially "ugly" piece, but we have to wait and see. The bottom two on the right side look scrumptious!


I had a lot of green dyes mixed that I wanted to use up, so there's quite a lot of green in this batch. So many of the other pieces sold that I figured I'd better make some more. I'll post the results just as soon as I can . . . until then, enjoy your ride on the magic carpet (post below)!

One World One Heart

This initiative is really fun and you are exposed to blogs from all over the world . . . and they are reading yours too! If you are not familiar with OWOH, read all about it here:



My give-away is pictured below, it's a silk scarf hand dyed by me in purple and turquoise. It's a two step process with special dyes so that part of the scarf takes one color and part takes another color. It's something I've been experimenting with, and it gives great results! The spots are velvety and the purple background is sheer. The scarf measures 68" x 13" and is soft and dreamy!


The fine print: You MUST have an active blog. You MUST leave a comment on this blog entry - and that post has to include a way I can contact you if you win. You can leave your email or you can leave your blog address (but make sure your email or contact me info is current on your blog!).

THE END - yes, all good things must end - is on February 15th - the day the winners will be posted. So the cut off for comments on my blog will be midnight on the 14th. I'll use a random number generator to pick the winners.

*****************************NEWS FLASH*****************************

Because of the overwhelming response to this scarf, I have decided to give away a SECOND scarf! Your odds of winning just went up, so keep on clicking!!

And since we are well over 200 comments, I'll give up my THIRD and final scarf and this one is different than the other two. Tell your friends!

Thanks for stopping by, and thanks for all the wonderful comments!

What a difference a day makes!

So, I created a snow dyed fabric that I LOVED, and I sold it! I thought that I could re-create something similar, since it was the same snow, same fabric and same dyes, but it didn't work out quite that way.

I think the results are different because the temperature of the snow to start with was different (warmer), and it wasn't cold enough out to freeze the fabric before I packed it in the snow. I didn't think that was a big factor, but now I'm not so sure.

Here are three pieces of fabric that I put under snow, on two of them I used the exact same violet and the exact same yellow as #41 (see previous post) and on the third I used chartreuse in place of the yellow. For the life of me, I can't be certain which one is which, and I find that extremely odd. Again, the serendipity of dyeing!

So here are the three pieces, these are full shots of each piece which measure ~39" x 44". The line across the center is the pressed in fold line from my mangle. They're absolutely gorgeous in their own right, but completely different than what I was trying to get! They actually are similar enough that you could use all three together if you needed more yardage for a project. Click on the pictures to get a closer look.

Did I mention that these are for sale? $30 each, should be on my website soon, but if you can't wait, just let me know.


*****************************SD#42


*****************************SD#43


*****************************SD#44****SOLD!!****
All of this just makes me want to make more!!

Even MORE Snow Dyes!!

I loved the first batch so much that I started a second, and WOW - these are great too!! Now we're having a January thaw, so it'll be a while before I get to do more.


SD#41 - ****SOLD**** (No one can believe I sold this one - Chris you are one lucky gal!)

SD#40


SD#39 ****SOLD****


SD#38****SOLD****


SD#37


SD#36


SD#35


SD#34

All of these will be for sale (maybe, I LOVE #41) on my website in a day or two.

If you missed my tutorial, go back a couple of posts and you can see how I make these.

Happy dyeing!!

Snow Dye RESULTS!!

Here are the results from yesterday's snow dyeing. The pictures only show about a quarter of each piece, maybe a little less. These will all be for sale on my website (see sidebar for link) later today or tomorrow. If you just HAVE to have one of them, please email me right away and I won't bother putting it on the website. Use the numbers below each picture to identify it. Each piece is ~39" x 44", 100% Pimatex Cotton, high thread count, and will sell for $30.


SD#28 (much brighter greens IRL)****SOLD****


SD#29 (The one I thought would be "ugly" - not so bad, eh?)


SD#30 *****SOLD*****


SD#31 (This one is SO much brighter that the picture shows.)****SOLD****


SD#32


SD#33 *****SOLD*****

So I decided to do 8 more today, they're slowly melting . . . will show the results as soon as they're ready!

My Version of the Snow Dye Process

So, we've had a LOT of snow. What to do? What else, dye fabric in the snow!! This was really the perfect snow for dyeing - not too wet, not too dry, just right!


I grabbed some of my dye bins, soda ash soaked some PFD fabrics and wadded them up into the bins:


At this point, some people let the fabric freeze, but not me - too impatient! So I packed them all to the brim with snow. (NOTE: I have since found that freezing the fabric first does have an effect - you get much crisper lines in the finished fabric as you can see from my subsequent blogs where I did freeze the fabric.)


Then I brought them inside to my wet studio and squirted dye on the snow. I used 2 colors on each, mixing them up with the 5 colors of fiber reactive procion dye that I had mixed. The dyes were Lemon Yellow, Brilliant Blue, Pagoda Red, Ultra Violet and Forest Green. I tend to choose dyes that are mixtures of color, rather than what they call "primaries" so that the colors come apart on the fabric and give some really unique results. Here are the fabrics after I put dye on them:



And here they are melting . . .


You can see the dye start to wick down into the fabric:


And melting . . .


And more wicking . . .



Over half way - this takes probaby 6-8 hours to get it totally melted.


And I took these just before I went to bed. The snow is nearly gone. I thought this was going to be a rather ugly piece from looking at this, but it's NOT!!


Here they are totally melted. I let them sit like this till they're room temperature, (or 24 hours, whichever comes first!) then rinse them out by hand, then they go through 2 super hot washes, the first with synthrapol in my dye dedicated top loader and the second in my front loader with regular detergent and fabric softener on the sanitary cycle. They're in the wash now, so as soon as they're done and I can iron them, I'll post pictures of the results. Stay tuned!!



(Yes, that's the "ugly" one!)