A Bit of Inspiration for your Day :)

Recently I got to spend some time quilting on this lovely wool folk art quilt made by a customer.  I just love it, and marveled at each and every block as I worked on it ~ so much so, I just had to share some photos :)

The quilt maker, Margaret shared with me that it was a labor or love done in collaboration with her mother, Pat who did some of the embroidery and cotton fabric applique on it.  What a special work of art :)

You can see this lovely piece in person soon ~ Margaret says it will be shown at the Milltown Quilters Show April 27th thru 29th here in Columbia Maryland at the First Presbyterian Church of Howard County.  Information on the Quilt Show can be found Here on the Milltown website.
~ We'll be vending at the show too, so stop by and say Hi when you come!

Quilt Show Weekends!

We've been spending time monkeying around at quilt shows lately :)  First we spent a weekend vending at the Baltimore Heritage Quilt Expo, then this past weekend we took part in the Southern Comforter's Best Little Quilt Show in Maryland.  I didn't get a chance to go around taking photos at the first show, but this weekend at Southern Comforter's I made sure I took the time to snap some pictures.  I'm a member of Southern Comforter's Guild, and really enjoyed hanging out all weekend and meeting some more members :)

There were tons of fun quilts.  These are just a few that I enjoyed ~ this really cool piece was made by Shelley Jackson. 

 It was exciting to see some that were started at classes held at our shop :)  Misty Cole made the center of this one from the class we hosted with Pat Sloan last Spring.  The center is Pat's Little Bird pattern, and Misty added the the amazing Leaf and outer borders of her own design!

 This sweet quilt was made by Wendy Allen.  Heather and I both chose this one to receive our Vender's Choice award.  It's sweet and happy, and Wendy's workmanship was amazing!

Then, I had to get some photos of the Featured Quilter exhibit that featured my wonderful friend, and teacher at our shop, Mary Nielsen!  It included a nice selection of some of Mary's work...

It was a beautiful assortment of quilts!  I had seen many of them before, some she has even taught at the shop, but to see them all arranged together was just amazing!

Speaking of ones she's taught at our shop, her Bird Dance quilt in the show received two Vender's Choice Awards!

And yet another shop quilt...My friend, and colleague, Starlyn Baker had her Baltimore Christmas Album quilt that she made as our shop sample for last year's Block of the Month in the show.

 She also had her Mardi Gras quilt displayed...

 And she won a Blue Ribbon and Vendor's Choice award for her Mini Nine Patch quilt.  (I snapped these photos before the ribbons).

 Simply Amazing!

Yes, I did touch the quilt...a no no for a show quilt ~ but I've handled this quilt before, and I knew she wouldn't mind.  I just really wanted to show how tiny those little patches really are :)

And finally this is Starlyn's stunning Dresden quilt that won multiple ribbons at last year's show (this photo was taken last year).  It was displayed in a place of honor on the stage this year, but the few times I had a chance to get over there and snap a photo, it was surrounded by people!

There were so many quilts at the show that were simply amazing! I'm so proud of my friends and in awe of all the quilters that gave so much of themselves to put the show together...It was a weekend of fun and pure inspiration!

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

It Was A Quilty Kind of Weekend...

Our classroom looked like this on Friday as Starlyn and I worked all week to pack up and go vend at the Southern Comforter's Guild Quilt Show, "The Best Little Quilt Show in Maryland".

This was our little satellite home away from home all weekend.  Heather and I worked the show booth, while Starlyn worked the shop on Saturday.  This is the first time I've had a shop to keep open while vending at a show ~ it went pretty well, but I'll be a little more organized next show!

The show had a great mix of vendors, and of course show quilts!  My wonderful friends had award winning quilts in the show :) Here is Starlyn and her stunning Dresden Plate quilt that she made and Mary quilted.

This is Mary with one of her quilts that won awards! Mary was also the guild's quilt show chair this year, and on top of being busy running the show she did a Demo with me too!

 This is my cute little mini quilt that I had entered, "Dew on the Sweet Peas".

And this is my other entry, "Empty Purses, Full Stash".  I pieced this at our last quilt retreat from a Pat Sloan sponsored block swap that I had participated in several years ago...

...and finally got it quilted and bound this week. (I know, nothing like waiting until the last minute, right!)

And this is our Spring Water Designs team at the booth.  I love these guys!  It was lots of work, but fun people, fun times, and fabric made it a great weekend :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

When going through my photos from walking the show quilts at Quilt Market, I realized that most of my pictures are actually like this one ~ up close and personal of the quilting. 

 I took some pictures of entire quilts when they really struck me like this one.

Or grabbed me and left me in awe, like this one (that left me amazed at the math involved in making the illusion happen).

But now that I'm focusing more on my machine quilting these days...

...By and large my photos were close ups of how the quilts were quilted...

Quilt shows are truly amazing :)

Enjoy the day!

~ Dawn

PS ~ Last Call to go to This Post and leave a comment to get in on the running for my little Post Market Give Away, I'm drawing a lucky winner tomorrow!

Milltown Show Recap & One Year Ago

I spent last weekend in this space at the Milltown Quilter's Quilt Show :)  My hosts were so nice and welcoming, and I loved that my booth space was bright and sunny!  I had a wonderful time meeting new quilters, and catching up with some friends I hadn't seen since I worked at And Sew It Goes quilt shop.

Here are a few "sights & sounds" from our little quilty space...

I couldn't have done these Spring shows and events this year without all the wonderful help I got from my great hubby and kids (They're getting the hauling and set-up down to a science!), and my good friends Mary and Starlyn who helped with set up, break down and work the events with me!
Have I mentioned that I'm feeling so blessed lately :)

...On a side note, I've recently realized that my I-Photo has a 12 month setting, and I can see what I was snapping photos of a year ago (Yea, I'm a little slow with the technology sometimes). 
This was a photo I took while walking around Shelbyville KY while visiting my mom this time last year.  Seeing it brought back memories and took me right back to that lovely sunny day ~ I loved the details on the old building (quilting or applique ideas maybe?)
Update: Mom is doing much better than last year when she was taking chemo to fight of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma :)

...and this is what I was working on a year ago.  It was an appreciation block for our Baltimore Applique Society president who was finishing her term in office. (Designed by Lori Smith)  

...I haven't done any hand applique lately, I think I need to get going on another block, I kind of miss it, and am getting that itch!

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn