AQS Lancaster Show: Egyptian Tent Applique “Quilts”

While not exactly quilts, the highlight of the AQS Lancaster Quilt show for me this year was the collection Egyptian Appliqued Tent textiles.

Traditionally used to decorate the tents of important leaders, the Egyptian tent maker’s designs were truly stunning and inspiring.

I have a long standing love for Middle Eastern culture, language, and design.  Let’s just say, I totally fell in love with these.

Guess I’m adding one more quilt to my bucket list!

Postage Stamp Stars

Since I shared about the PA Relief Sale yesterday, it seemed like a great time to show off the quilt that I made from the fabric I bought as last year’s sale.  Given my addiction to scrappy quilts, I was smitten with the bags of vintage postage stamps.  They were great to have on hand beside my machine for leader-enders,  and it seemed like I had tons of postage stamp blocks in no time at all.  So when I needed another quilt for my church, the blocks seemed like a great time to use some of them.

Hopefully this quilt is being already being enjoyed by one of the newest little members of Chapel Hill Mennonite Fellowship!

Quilting Events Galore

State Flowers Quilt by Linda Kinsey

The joy (and sometimes danger) of living in such a traditionally quilt-y place like Central Pennsylvania is the amazing amount of quilt events one can find.  Today and yesterday was perhaps my favorite event, the Pennsylvania Relief Sale.  With truly incalculable numbers of volunteer hours quilting, cooking, and organizing the event, hundreds of thousands of dollars are raised for missions.  The Quilter’s Attic Booth raised $4,000 in just 5 hours on Friday evening and when I left today, the Quilt auction had already raised over $70,000, all going towards the fantastic work of Mennonite Central Committee!

1. Irises Quilt appliqued by Dolly Kauffman and quilted by Conestoga Mennonite Church
2. Goldfinch by Helen Brackin
3. Pinwheels by Path Valley Amish
4. Vintage Postage Stamp by Janet Runion Patton
5. Vintage Dresden Plate donated by the Material Resource Center of Harleysville
6/7. Vintage Appliqued Flower donate by Ellen Tarpey
8. Vintage Cathedral Windows donated by Ellen Tarpey
9. Stairway to Cat Heaven pieced by Rachel Horst, quilted by Marie Eby

I considered bidding on a few of these, but unfortunately, I have great taste in quilts and all my top picks went for upwards of $500.  So alas, I had to content myself to fabulous vintage fabrics from the Quilter’s Attic Booth (a really dangerous place for me to volunteer, I just kept finding more awesomeness as the day went on).  Guess I’ll just have to keep making my own quilts.  But I’m feeling much more inspired to sew again.  Between moving and the new job and the winter dragging on here, I’ve found myself pretty much exhausted and down the past few weeks and very uninspired in my sewing room.  But it seems like a personal day, sunny weather, quilts, and a giant room full of Mennonites was just the thing to get me out of the that funk and I’ve been happily sewing away since I got home.  MCC Relief Sales are held all across the US and Canada, if you live near one I can’t recommend them highly enough.

I have a few more reports from my quilting trips coming up soon and maybe even a few of my own quilts back here again soon!

Sweet Geese

After more than a year, this sweet little quilt is finally quilted, bound, and ready to donate.

I’ve been using these little charity quilts for machine quilting practice.  Not making much progress, I can do a passable job, but that’s about it.  I think I’ll be looking for a class in the near future.

I’ve got to give some of the credit to a fun flickr group I’m a part of now.  Project: UFO (unfinished objects for those of you who don’t speak quilter) is a great little support group for those of us who are addicted to starting new projects before we finish up the old ones.  Check it out if you want some help staying on track with projects!

UFO Goals: January Progress

Keeping Warm

The Susquehanna River is starting to freeze here in Harrisburg.  It’s finally the right to work on the queen size quilt that is so long overdue in my frame.  And it’s a good time to snuggle under multiple quilts.  Now that I finally have a double bed, I have two family quilts that I can put to good use.  There is nothing warmer than sleeping under multiple quilts.

This quilt my grandmother made for me.

And this quilt that my Dad gave me for Christmas.  His mother appliqued the butterflies, my mom’s mother pieced it, and I quilted it with my grandmother.  And although I was very tired of butterflies after making three butterfly quilts, this quilt is certainly special enough to make an exception.

Hope you’re keeping warm!

The 2013 Goals

Goal #1 Focus on the quilting.

The major back log on my WIP list tends to be the quilting stage and I want to focus on finishing the quilts I’ve started.  And, I want to quilt one quilt for myself, just because.

Goal #2 Enjoy!

As much as I want to move things along and start new projects and create new things, I equally do not want to stress myself out about quilting.  Creating is a joyous thing!  Quilting should not be a “should” or a “have to” in my life.

Goal #3 Share the Joy!

Donate a quilt to the VA Relief Sale this fall, finish the quilt my grandmother started for the homeless shelter, and make at least five baby/lap quilts to donate.

Goal #4 Use what I’ve got

Same goal as last year, buy only what I really need or truly love.  Donate things that I’m not using.

Goal #5  Grow my skills

Knit a sweater.  Paper piece a fancy star.

Goal #6 Grow into the crafting community

This year I’m looking forward to more teaching and leadership opportunities, to historical demonstrations, and classes where I can learn.

Sounds doable, right?  Any goals from readers?  I’d love to hear what you’re planning for the new year!

The 2012 Goals in Review

At the beginning of the year I set six goals for myself and it’s time to see how I fared.

Goal #1: Finish What I’ve Started

WIP from 2009 finally off the list!

Although I certainly started new projects this year and inherited even more, I reduced my WIP boxes from four down to three and moved several old WIPs on to new homes.  Judges say: Not too shabby.

Goal #2 Use what I’ve got.  Buy only what I really need or truly love.  Donate things I’ll never use.

I did so-so on this one.  I donated a good amount to Lancaster Creative Reuse.  I didn’t buy nearly as much fabric as I have in past years.  But the reality is, I still probably have more fabric than I could use in the next ten years, so I’d like to be even more thoughtful this coming year about sewing related spending.

Goal #3 Grow my knitting skills.  Make socks with heels.  Knit my first sweater.

That would be a total fail.  I tried to start the socks like four times.  I never even got off the cuff.  I’ve decided I just don’t like size one needles.  I still want to do a sweater, I just haven’t had the time to do something for me, but hopefully in 2013.

Goal #4  Grow my quilting skills.  Take some classes.

Also a total fail.  This year’s insanity just did not have the time or the budget for classes.  But I think this coming year has a lot more potential for a class or two and being a part of a guild gives me good opportunities for informal classes.

Goal #5  Be more involved in the crafting community.  Join a guild.

Well, I guess co-founding guild definitively counts!  The Capital Area MQG has been pretty awesome.  I’ve loved the chance to get to know local quilters.  I’ve loved the chance to teach.   All I can say is, yes, more please next year. I’ve also recently joined the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen and I’m excited to see how that goes.

Goal #6  Give more back.  Donate at least five quilts to charity.

Rainy Day Quilts Donated in Honor of Florence Walker

I made it, but just barely, and it wasn’t really what I had in mind.  I hoped to be able to donate a few good quilts to the Mennonite Relief Sales here in Harrisburg and in Virginia.  But lap/baby quilts were all I could manage.

Tomorrow it’s 2013 and time for new goals.  Wishing you a happy and safe night of celebration!