My friend Michelle (yes, many of you know her, she is a Registration Coordinator for AQS), has organized this amazing event. It will be a day full of music as well as a silent art auction. It runs from noon until midnight on June 9, 2018 and will be held at Paducah Beer Werks. Some of you many not know, her daughter was shot at the Marshal County High school. The proceeds from this event will benefit the families of the shooting victims.
When Michelle put out the call for artists I was more than happy to donate one of my pieces. I felt Word on a Whim would be perfect.
The event was featured in the Paducah Sun yesterday -
So, if you're anywhere near there -- maybe think about an awesome day of fun for a good cause! If you have something you might want to donate, you can send it to:
Michelle Thompson, AQS, 5801 Kentucky Damn Road, Paducah, KY 42002 -- she needs to receive it by June 7th!!
Here's the funny part of this, I digitized the design using CS7 and then went to test it on my Elevate. Well, being that I haven't cleaned up any of my return from teaching in Paducah mess I would have had to spend a couple of days cleaning that half of my studio before I could even test the pattern. What to do?.... ahh, send the file to Jodi for stitch-out testing on her Elevate. Yay, no cleanup or organized necessary, at least for this week.
So... Jodi didn't just do a test stitch out. She went beyond that and added all kind of freehand stuff as well -- just check out some of the awesomeness:
While not my first time teaching with MQX, this is my first time at Midwest and I'm super excited! The show is in Springfield, IL and runs September 19-22, 2018.
So, if you follow me on Facebook you'll know that Wonderlust is lost. Not like can't find the package lost... I mean lost.
I haven't seen Wonderlust in over a year as it has been traveling around with a special exhibit for Gammill. I shouldn't say that -- I did see it hanging at a few shows during the exhibit. Well, today it was due home. I knew as soon as the doorbell rang followed by the quick knock that UPS was here. I brought in the box, which looked a tiny bit squished on one side (not enough to even consider it damaged) and opened it up. Hmmm.... not my quilt, but another box. What? Did Gammill send me a part or something? Okay, a strange label on it, but hey, it's in my box, right?... wrong, in this strange little box, I found 4 valves. Oh, wait, there's a packing list too... what? This isn't mine, this is addressed to someone else... omg.... what has happened to my quilt? Why is there a box of valves addressed to someone else? What is going on?
Insert panic...
send a text off to Gammill with a picture...
ut oh, what is going on? Right... that's what I'm asking.
So thankfully Jen (Gammill) puts on her detective cap and gets on the phone with UPS...
not a lot of info, but they are tracking every single place my package has been since it left Missouri as well as speaking with an actual person at each place. In the meantime, I posted to Facebook. Another quilter friend messaged me that since this had recently happened to her (no not the crazy someone else's package part, but the lost part) she had the email for the CEO of UPS... woohoo... I immediately sent that to Jen.
So Jen has spoken with the big-wigs at UPS and they are attempting to figure out what happened as this is so much more than just a missing package. Either the box opened (or was opened), the quilt was misplaced (removed), another package was placed inside, and the box was re-taped. Apparently, they are reviewing video surveillance footage as well. I'm sure a tracking claim from corporate bigwigs is much stronger than an average tracking claim -- or at least I'm hoping so.
So much is going through my mind right now...
Did someone take it?
Did the box open and the quilt fell out somewhere?
Did the box open and the quilt fell out and suffered damage?
Was this some strange unexplainable mistake?
Was this malicious?
What the heck is going on?
So for now I wait...
hopefully, we will hear something back from UPS tomorrow - I'll let you all know.
I've recuperated from a week of teaching at AQS Quiltweek Spring Paducah - it was amazing!
My morning started out with a scare...
a drive that normally takes me about 8 minutes took an hour. I was sure I would miss my flight. The delay was the clean-up part of an accident. I was fretting and worrying and then after an hour of nearly freaking out, I was finally on the highway. Yep, I'll admit I was doing a wee bit over the speed limit at that point. I did make it to the airport, only 15 minutes late... shhhh.
Here are just a few pics of the fun:
The rental car to get me and Michelle from the Nashville airport to Paducah - yes, we were a little worried it would be green and we might find hamsters...
The first morning in Paducah - you know, because I didn't have any classes until afternoon, I still needed to wake up before sunrise??
Dinner... Michelle and I went to Strickland's Seafood - it was great!
Then the Creative Process - these were some crazy-creative quilt designing ladies!
Followed by Functional Fills
And again... dinner, well I should say late night food and drinks with some awesome people!
And my last class, Scrollwork
And let me tell you, the week flew by just a fast as those pictures! I was blessed with some of the most amazing students. I hope to see some of you again soon!
Okay quilties - don't forget to comment and let me know what other blocks you'd like to see in the future!
Every month on the Gammill YouTube channel I'll be sharing a different block showing several quilting variations. I'll make sure to share the link here as well. You can always click on the Block Breakdown links (located in sidebar) to check if you've missed any.
You guys! I've totally neglected to add the latest TWO (yes two) episodes of Block Breakdown. And not one of you messaged me to ask where they were?!! Many of you have messaged that you'd like to see both of these. Here is Block Breakdown 07 - New York Beauty
Block Breakdown 07 - New York Beauty (February 2018)
So, if you don't see me posting these (approximately once a month), feel free to message me asking where they are. You can always find the latest episode on Gammill's website, and also on the Block Breakdown tab above. And, as always, if there is a specific block you'd like to see, just let me know!
I've managed to do a weeks worth of nothingness...
not really.
Taxes, yep, four days worth of paperwork. Oh, and a doctor's appointment - whatever was blooming in Jersey and Virginia had my sinuses and allergies off the charts. So the doctor switched up my allergy meds, boosted me to prescription Flonase, and threw in some antibiotics for what was turning into an aggravated sinus infection. Good news, the fluid is slowly moving out of my ears and the pressure is gone.
So to the no rest part, you know, because in my world that week of paperwork was rest. I'm now prepping for teaching at AQS Spring Paducah. Yep, all of my supplies should have been on their way already, but no... I'm still waiting on bolts of fabric to arrive. It's pretty likely that I'll be overnighting them last minute as once they get here I'll still need to cut them into class kits.
Okay, now on to the good stuff! I'm teaching a bunch load of classes in Paducah:
Doodle Quilting - SOLD OUT
Build-A-Stitch - SOLD OUT
Pop Those Lines! - SOLD OUT
The Creative Process - only a couple spots left!
Functional Fills - SOLD OUT
Scrollwork - just a handful of spots left!
So, let me tell you about the two classes with only a few spots still available:
The Creative Process (Friday afternoon) - This is a design/ drawing class. We'll start with a piece of paper and by the end of class, you will have designed your very own original quilt! This process can be used to create both applique and wholecloth designs. I'll share information on the next steps after the initial design as well as tips on proceeding from design to fabric.
Scrollwork (Saturday morning) - If you follow me, you know one of my most-used stitches is the scroll. In this hands-on class, I'll share several variations of the basic scroll as well as how to use them in more than just sashings.
So, if you'll be in Paducah, or anywhere nearby there is still room (for now) in those two classes. If you've already signed up for the others - thanks, I can't wait to meet you all! And, when I'm not teaching, you'll most likely find me in the Gammill booth. Either way, make sure to stop and say hello!
Whoa...
The past couple of weeks have flown by - some good, some not-so-good.
Back in the middle of the month (it seems like more than two weeks ago), I was invited to do a trunk show at the Ladies of the Lakes Quilters Guild -- what an awesome group! Here's just a couple of the pictures (apparently I make really strange faces and use my hands/arms way too much when I talk):
So, after this wonderful night, I was supposed to come home and prep for teaching at the East Coast Gammill Statler Conference. Well... life throws some major curve balls, and we had one. My dear father-in-law passed away. So off we go to Jersey. It was a very rough week, to say the least. In about an hours time I packed up our stuff and managed to grab as much of my teaching items as I could. We drove... straight through.
So after all the funeral happenings, my husband had to drive me down to Virginia for ECGS 2018 - so, of course, I missed my flight from Florida on Thursday (more on this later). I also missed the welcome reception and was a little out of sorts my first class on Friday, but I managed. Steve, Lori, Emily (Threads Run Thru It/Gammill Mid-Atlantic) and all of my Gammill family are amazing people -- everyone had plenty of hugs for me.
So here are just a few class pics from the conference:
And what a beautiful resort!
And some fun:
And a picture of part of my Gammill family:
photo credit: Jen Smith/Gammill Quilting
I can't wait for next year - always one of my favorite teaching events!
Oh... about missing my flight from Florida to Virginia. Well, it turns out, if you ever miss the first leg of your travel itinerary, they automatically cancel your return trip. Yep, the ticket in my hand to come home was no good. I've since learned when you know you're going to miss part of your flight, call the airline immediately. Anyhow, Delta found me a seat and didn't charge me anything extra, even though my return ticket had been canceled. See, you learn something every day!
So, my quilts have been getting some ribbon action lately... 2018 is starting off awful blingy over here.
Let's rewind to February -
Quilting in Paradise - which is run by my local guild, the PSL Crazy Quilters. Dance in the Rain won Best of Show. This is a really big deal to me. In all my years with this guild, I have never, nope, not once, won Best of Show on my own quilt. Yes, I've won it on client quilts, but not my own. Yep, check that one off my bucket list!
The Bridges challenge with my art group, Journeys Thru Art, won 1st Place -- and to top that off, Trenton Makes won Best Use of Color. Apparently, all that work on the neon lights and reflection really paid off!
Remember my vintage Alfred Shaheen panel, Moth Parade? Well, it also won 2nd Place.
Also in February was the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival in Virginia. Yep, those quilts were taken down from one show and shipped out the next day. Well, there, Dance in the Rain won an Honorable Mention, while Glacier 01 won Best Use of Negative Space. Woohoo!
And thanks to my friend Emily for this awesome pic! The best part is Glacier 01 was pieced while I was up in Virginia teaching/vacationing so Emily is kinda partial to it as she watched it being born.
Last week, at the American Quilters Society Quiltweek Daytona, God's Eye won 3rd Place in the Wall Movable Machine category.
And while I was there visiting, I did a little interview with Bonnie Browning of AQS!
Well, that's if for now... here's where everything will be for the next few months -
God's Eye will be at AQS Lancaster - March 21-24, 2018.
Dance in the Rain will be at MQX East - April 11-14, 2018.
And then... God'sEye AND Glacier 01 will be at AQS Paducah -- me too, as I'm teaching!
If you're anywhere near those shows go check them out!
