Gammill's got some BIG news!

Remember last month when I visited Gammill Quilting Headquarters?  If not, you can read about it here (it's kind of a long post, the Gammill stuff is toward the end).  You'll remember that I couldn't share any of it with you... it was awful because it was big, exciting, awesome news!!  Well, since it debuted at Paducah this week I can now share the wonderfulness!

Vision 2.0 is here!  I was lucky enough to help out on testing - there are some seriously awesome new capabilities with Vision 2.0.  I can't say enough good about it - some of the things will make such a difference in my day -- things that used to take time now can happen in an instant with the new My Stitch feature!  It is totally customizable!!  I'm hanging on the edge of my chair until my 2.0 arrives!

photo by Gammill

It's not just a tablet attached to the machine - it is total control with unlimited possibilities!

photo by Gammill

If you want to see and hear more about Vision 2.0 check out these videos featuring Linda V. Taylor on Gammill's YouTube channel:





So, if you're in Paducah at the AQS show this weekend, swing by the Gammill booth and check out the new system - you won't be sorry!   Were you lucky enough to try it at Paducah this week?  If so, let me know how you liked it - I'll share more with you once mine gets here - can't wait!

Just a couple of packages...

As if this week weren't full of enough packages already - today topped it off at awesome!

This was a picture I had posted on facebook yesterday:

It didn't include this box of four that I pushed out of the way:

It had been a week of quilty client packages.  But today, this was in the mail - no, not a clients, it's mine, all mine!

A super-squishy envelope!  What was in it?  THIS:

And if you don't realize how big this sucker is - 118" square, here's the full view in front of a two-car garage!

This was a custom piece by Sondra Millard - Mojo Quilt Designs.  You can find more of her awesomeness on her blog as well as her facebook page.  Just be careful, because once you start ordering you can't stop!  I bought another piece this morning!

This amazing piece will be quilted like a doodle-wholecloth (no plan just awesomeness) and used - I can't wait to quilt this!!!  Stay tuned, I'm sure to share more about this!

Two weeks already!

I just realized it has been two weeks since my last post -- when the heck did that happen?!!  I've got some catching up to do...

So when we left off I had won two ribbons at MQS - wonderful right?  Guess what?....

I also won two ribbons at MQX New England!  Pass the Fruitcake won 3rd Place Edge to Edge Hand Guided, which is great because this quilt had no plans of anything other than being a throw at Christmas time.  I am thrilled that it won as it had a few issues (yep even the best of us have them)!  But that's kind of the cool part of this category -- it's all about the quilting -- great for us lame piecers!!  I know I exaggerate, I'm not a lame piecer, its just I'm much better at quilting than piecing.

Here is a picture that was facebook messaged to me (sorry but it's the best I've got) - Pass the Fruitcake is on the right.  The beauty on the left belongs to Mandy/Yellowhouse Quilts - thanks Mandy for sending me the pictures!  Normally that bit of wibble in the border is unacceptable to me -- BUT... this quilt was never hang-tested (another not normal) - I finished the binding, threw it in the box, and ran to Fedex to have it there in time.  If I decide to show this quilt again, it will have a few adjustments made first.

My other quilt, Thought Process, received a Faculty Award (Pat Berry) - more awesomeness (thanks again Mandy for the pics), and thanks Pat for the ribbon!

If you don't remember everything that made this quilt, click here - it's quite the story!

So what else?  Some client work, you can check that out on the other blog.  And some macro lens fun on the new camera - I won't bore you, but here's a peek:

And then I finally made it to a PSLCQ guild meeting - I haven't been to one in ages.  I was able to share The Thing with Feathers and then it was shipped out the next day to HMQS along with Outta the Loop.  So if you happen to be at HMQS and see my quilts, feel free to snap a picture and send it to me!  Thanks!!

And I think that's about it... or at least what I remember! 

Another Challenge!

I've been thinking a lot lately about why I love challenges so much.  I believe it is because the initial thought, the prompt, is already done.  The outcome - it is already defined, it is the *road map* that you need to come up with - that's the challenge - the part I love.

Cherrywood Fabrics - have you heard of them?  If not move the rock you're hiding under... go check them out.  Well, finish reading the post, then go check them out.  They have the most awesome hand dyes... they are like suede and they quilt beautifully!

It just happens that Cherrywood is having a challenge - an excellent one!  It's the WICKED Cherrywood Challenge 2014!  I am super excited, the colors are awesome, the subject matter - beyond coolness.  Although I have not yet had the opportunity to see Wicked the musical, I have researched it as much as possible without actually seeing it.  I am definitely in on this challenge.  So I run over to Cherrywood and I register -- just look at those fabrics!  I can't wait for them to get here... I also ordered additional black, you know, one can never have enough black fabric - and its Cherrywood - hello?!!  You can check out the details of the challenge here.

Now I've already shared that I haven't seen Wicked.  Have you?  What's your favorite thing about it? Do tell -  I have some awesome ideas and I'm already drawing a few things out.  But perhaps your favorite part of the musical might spark my imagination to run crazy wild in a totally different direction - please share! Unfortunately I'll have to wait until March 2015 for it to visit SoFlo...

What a Week!

It all started Monday night when I opened this email:

OMG!  Totally awesome, right?  I was so excited.  I had entered two quilts, my newest one, The Thing with Feathers, as well as The Choice.  I was secretly hoping the award was for The Thing with Feathers -- that has become my new favorite.  It just has so much meaning to me (read about that here).  I really wished I was able to attend MQS but unfortunately, no... insert pouty face here.

So I waited...  and waited...  Then Tuesday came and went, and I waited some more.  Then Wednesday - finally!  The awards ceremony was at 8pm (9pm my time).  I had a few friends there and I was sure one of them would post something... they did!  And multiple texts as well -- apparently, I even got a special shout out -- totally wish I was there!  The Thing with Feathers had won 2nd Place in the Theme category -- pure awesomeness, I was floating around the house -- I was (and still am) delighted!  Here is the official Winners List - congratulations to all!

Here is a photo that one of my facebook friends sent to me:

I'm super excited for it to return home as I see there are two ribbons!  I am overjoyed!  Hopefully, this is just the beginning for this awesome quilt!

In search of...

the perfect photo.  Well, that is an understatement for sure!  For those that don't already know - I'm a photo junkie, especially nature photos -- anything birds, bugs, trees, flowers, and even rocks.

I purchased a new camera, for taking more photos (what else), but specifically taking photos for use in future quilts.  It has a better zoom than my current camera and I'm also advancing from 6 megapixels to 24 megapixels -- that's a big change!

Well, we have a female osprey that just started hanging out in the pines behind our house.  She is beautiful, she is loud, and we think she is scouting the tree for a nest.  What a great place for me to start my new camera photo journey.  She was here twice last weekend, and here are the photos I managed to snap -- they are not perfect, but they are a start.

Can you see her way up there?

And we can't forget this little guy, he was way too cute to not share:

And the best picture yet... the baby bunnies:

Awesomeness...

That could easily be the title of almost every post in my little world, but it is super true for this one!

We'll start with National Quilting Day - which just happens to be today!  If you want to know a little bit of the history of this day, click here.

A super piece of awesomeness is, because it is National Quilting Day, The Quilt Show is sharing Episodes 1-13 for free all weekend.  WOW!  Hello... get over there and check it out, well, right after you finish here.  So, after you read about all of my awesomeness you can grab a cup of coffee and get lost in quiltyland for the entire weekend.

Now, don't stop with the free weekend - as if that's not enough.  Some of you know, back in November I taped an episode for The Quilt Show - awesome right?  Well guess what?  It airs this Monday - March 17 - total coolness, right?!!  So make sure you watch!  Here's a link so you can watch the trailer:   http://www.thequiltshow.com/os/blog.php/blog_id/6396

If you're a member of The Quilt Show, I hope you watch the show on Monday!  If you're not a member, you really might want to consider it so you don't miss any new episodes!

Okay, now on to more awesomeness... like this post could possibly get any better?!!

I would love to share my latest quilt with you, The Thing with Feathers.  

I started this quilt for the Theme category at MQS.  This years theme is Up, Up, and Away.  Immediately I was thinking birds flying, a hand reaching toward the sky.  I was talking my idea out with my son's girlfriend and she said "the thing with feathers by Emily Dickinson"... YES!  That's it, then like wildfire my idea took off.  A drab, stormy sky, a dark sorrowful hand reaching for hope, and the birds in beautiful colors.

So I took some white fabric out in the yard.  I sprayed some areas with water and left other areas dry.  I then took some charcoal grey and light grey dyes in spray bottles and I had about twenty minutes of fun.

I was really impressed with how it turned out.  Don't you love when what you are doing turns out exactly like the idea in your head?  Great stuff!

So then I spent many hours painting the sparrows, here's just a couple of pics:

 

And then begins the quilting... my favorite part!

So there is so much meaning in this quilt...

The dark sorrowful hand.  Although it is full of fear, sorrow, pain, etc., it still has hope (feathers and swirls stitched in dark charcoal thread).  The hand is reaching for HOPE (the thing with feathers), in it's reaching it is emitting more hope - the quilted feathers.  What you can't really see is the feathers, as well as the swirls behind the birds, are a pastel variegated thread (little glimmers of hope).  And although the sky is dark and dismal, there is so much movement, the singing.  It all came together so perfectly.  I truly love this quilt - it is a favorite!  So if you are attending MQS you'll be able to see its debut.  But I'm sure it'll be out-and-about at many other shows as well!

Just remember, no matter what you are going through, no matter what is going on in your world, don't give up -- there is always HOPE - just reach for it!

Catch up - both quilty and non-quilty

We'll start with the non-quilty.

My Mom and Sister came for a MUCH OVER-DUE visit.  It was awesome, it was way too short, it needs to happen again, soon.

Here are just a couple of the things we did:

Shopping, of course!  On the way home from the airport we hit the new Palm Beach Outlets.  Great stores, I spent a little too much in Torrid, but hey, when it fits and looks good, you buy it!  Some other dollars went to Steve Madden as well as Clarks, and also Dress Barn.  It was fun.

And it just happened that the tall ships were visiting Stuart!  We did a quick tour of the Nina and Pinta -- some awesomeness.  If you're interested in the ships and their whereabouts, check their website.  Here's a couple of pics:

And then a slow down for sewing, yes actual sewing.  They (Mom and Sis) were attempting arm chair covers for my Sister's furniture.  Well, that turned into them shipping the fabric here for me to conquer.  So little non-focusing me spent the afternoon making six super cute arm chair covers.

Then we took a visit to the local winery, which I had stumbled on totally by accident, but I'm glad I did!  The winery is Endless Summer Vineyard and Winery, and you can check them out here.  And I'll share some fun from our visit:

No worries, there was some relaxing mixed in there too:

And on the last night of their visit we hit the rodeo at the county fair, one of our favorite things to do!

It was a great visit and I miss them already!  Can't wait til the next one!!

Now on to the quilty stuff... well, I can't really share much about it, except that it is totally awesome and can't wait until I'm able to share.

This weekend I took a quick trip to the mother-ship (thanks for that cool quote Pam)... Gammill Headquarters that is!  And that's about all I can tell you.

Oh wait, I can share this -- I found the poster of my 2013 Gammill ad hanging on one of the walls:

That's it for now... but there is big, awesome, exciting news... soon!