My Workshop at Point Bonita..."May"

Our fearless leader of the Point Bonita quilt retreat, Kathy Ronsheimer, asked me if I would lead the guest workshop this year. What an honor!
Our artists-in-residence, Bettina Havig, Mickey Lawler, Judy Warren Blaydon, and Nancy Halpern give fabulous new workshops every year...plus one "guest teacher" is invited to offer a workshop each year too. Attendees usually pick one workshop per year from these offerings, and it is really hard to choose, too.
Actually this year there will be two of us filling the guest teacher slot. Lynn Koolish, author and editor at C & T Publishing, is showing students how to paint on fabric using C & T's new Surface Design Center products. (That's the workshop I'll be taking. Very excited about it!)

And I will be teaching a little project showing how to make a small embellished portrait.

"May"
8" X 8", 2009

Each of my students will be bringing in their own photo-transferred "subject" already appliqued onto background fabric, and then they will be learning the flowers shown here.
I can't wait to get the needles into their hands!

New Issue of CQMagOnline is Live

www.cqmagonline.com

Our editor, Rissa Peace Root, has done another fantastic job. Check it out!

More Needlepunch Ribbon Flowers

My friend Freda was so nice to lend me her Dancing Needle. I purchased my own (here) so sent hers back with one of my flowers.
*edit* The large Dancing Needle--also known as the Ribbon Needle--this one.*

Freda is a very elegant lady (and as warm and sweet as she is beautiful) so I tried to make something she might enjoy.
I liked using the velvet millinery leaves a lot.

Then I tried to needlepunch some ribbon on needlepoint canvas, wanting to see if it would work...

For the larger ribbon it did, but I couldn't use anything smaller in the center. Sewing those beads on was easy, though.
I did like not having to use a hoop for this, and I think it will cut out and applique just fine on a quilt.

This one is about 3" wide.

The annual quilt retreat at Point Bonita is in a week! Because this marks its 30th year, we are all encouraged to make a challenge quilt, 18" X 18", to celebrate with the theme "Point Bonita, My Second Home". There should be some doozies. I'll post mine here when it is done...having some fun with it!

D.C. Area Fundraiser for the Alliance for American Quilts!

The nonprofit Alliance for American Quilts will host two fundraising events in Washington, DC on Thursday, March 4.

The "Connected by Threads" events will celebrate quilts, quiltmakers and quilt history through the lens of two speakers, Dr. Carolyn L. Mazloomi and Le Rowell, both board members of The Alliance for American Quilts (AAQ). Mazloomi will speak at the Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm including a tea reception, and Rowell will speak at a dinner and silent auction from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the DACOR Bacon House. The events will benefit the nonprofit AAQ, a national organization that documents, preserves and shares the rich history of quilts and quiltmakers (www.AllianceforAmericanQuilts.org). Both Mazloomi and Rowell will be sharing quilts from their own collections and studies. "Connected by Threads" is sponsored by Lisa Ellis of the Sacred Threads Exhibit and maker of Art Call, the on-line artist registration, jurying and exhibit administration system, www.ellisquilts.com, and the Rowell Family Charities. An individual ticket including both events is $85 for AAQ members and $100 for nonmembers. Individual event tickets are also available.

Live by the Sun, Love by the Moon...Epilogue

Andy has returned from visiting his girl Caylie back East. He presented her with his gift, the wall hanging he commissioned from me, and I do believe it had the desired effect. :-)

There is no better medium for conveying love than quilts...this we know!!!!

I received this remarkable letter and picture this morning, and am so happy to share it with you who have followed this tender tale.....

Aunt Allie,

It’s nice to meet the creator of my amazing Christmas present! My name is Caylie and I am your nephew Andy’s girl, as well as the recipient of your beautiful artwork. I’ve had the gift for a few days now and I still smile every time I look at it hanging on my wall. It has definitely been the most thoughtful and special gift I have ever received. Andy is, by far, the most thoughtful, sweet, and genuine person I have ever met. You are very lucky to have him as a part of your family. I only wish I had met him sooner. His ideas for this were perfect. He knew how much I love watching the moonsets over the ocean with him. And he even incorporated one of my favorite quotes “Live by the sun..love by the moon” into it. Perfect, perfect, perfect! Between his perfect ideas for the art and your creative hands, it’s the greatest gift ever....

And the fact that you blogged about making my gift made the story behind the art so much cooler! You had so many people excited about the progress on your work and so many others excited for Andy and I. And Andy definitely scored “major points” with this gift! I don’t think he will be able to top this one!

I noticed that there were many followers to your blogs that were eager to hear what I thought of it too. So if you want, feel free to post my letter and picture on your website.

I hope someday when I’m out on the west coast we can meet and I can thank you in person!

Thank you so much Aunt Allie!!

Caylie

Caylie my dear, you are most welcome!
May you and Andy watch many, many more moonsets together....
Love,
Aunt Allie

Vintage CQ...Finishing the Center in Progress

All those little wheel blocks are sewn together, but that doesn't mean the center is finished!

The fly stitching in the seams between the triangles in each block must now be added to the seams between the blocks. I am adding little silk ribbon flowers at the intersections of all the black diamond points too.

It is slow but very agreeable work.

I'm placing a Swarovski pearl at the center of the wheels themselves, just to help define them a little bit.
The outer blocks are up on the design wall calling to me...but I may not be able to dive into them until my quilt retreat at Point Bonita at the end of the month. That will be such a joy....