WHO SAID DELECTABLE THINGS HAD TO BE FATTENING???

I spent the last couple of days up at Ruby's Inn at a Quilt Retreat put on by Bonnie. Great fun! There were great vendors with all sorts of fabric, kits, books, notions, potions, candy soaps, and everything imaginable to entice us! Yes I did my share (and probably yours too) of shopping! New treasures to add to the collection!

The highlight of the days were the trunk shows and so without further ta doo I am going to show you some of the fun things we were lucky to see!














It was hard to get good pictures as we were all trying to see everything, but I hope this give you a taste. I'll post again tomorrow with more.

I just know that my inspiration well was filled to over flowing!

Just dreaming!
Claudia

Favorite things ...Snow and Quilting Retreats

This morning I woke up to 2" of snow and still snowing. How much fun is that. Now I can say that because I work 2 blocks from my house. If I had to drive anywhere further than that I would not like it. This is the kind of day that I would have liked to stay home, by the fire(we heat our home with a woodburning stove)sew a new project, drink hot chocolate, and basically just putter, while every once in a while just stopping to gaze out the window. I love that.




What is your favorite way to spend a snow day?

This afternoon Nan and I went up to Ruby's Inn to a Winter Quilt Retreat that Bonnie puts on every February. It is so fun to see all of these ladies. Some of them we only see once a year. It is really good to rceconnect with old friends.

Bonnie was teaching a class on Pineapple Log Cabin Blocks today so Nan and I signed up. It was a technique class and alot of fun.
The following are more of her samples:

Love these colors!

Each was so different!

This one is the one I want to make.


Nan and I just took scraps to make couple of the blocks. It was really fun and I have added a pineapple log cabin quilt to my to do list! Here's my sample block.



Here's Nan's:



Tommorrow we are taking a class to service our featherweights and Friday I am teaching a class. Something fun everyday! This time of the year it is nice to get out of the doldrums of winter and playwith our fabrics!

Let me know what you do to get out of the winter doldrums!

Keep Smiling!
Claudia

Organization Escapes Me!

Know that I try! I really do, but I am one of those people who love to create in chaos! If stuff isn't stacked up everywhere then then my mind is not in gear. Now I look at all the blogs and get all the ideas, and my intentions are so good....but bottom line, when it comes right down to it... I thrive on chaos! Why fight it!



My cat Missy is such a big helper. She is so supportive. Right now she is wondering why her favorite basket is loaded up with stuff. Quite offended that she couldn't curl up in it. There is always some wonderful place to find to curl up on! Great company!

My friend Jan is giving me a wonderful gift. She is helping me with the Quilt Walk by highlighting all the teachers on her blog. She is so good! I am really blessd with great friends. Check out her blog often, because she will have great things to tell you about our teachers and classes.

I am excited to tell you that we will have the Last Supper Quilt hanging at the Quilt Walk.This quilt was made by Don Locke. Check out his website to see exactly how this masterpiece was made.


It will so amazing to have this quilt in Panguitch. Please help spread the word that it will be here. Hope you can all come to see it!

June will be here before we know it!
I must get with the program!
Claudia

ANGEL IN BLOGLAND!

I know you have all had one of those moments..."the ahah moment" when you are totally blown away with the kindness of strangers! Well today was one of those days for me! I was looking at blogs last night and pulled up John'aLee's blog. Wow! Beautiful! Now I am green with envy because...she has a button! I want a button. I have been trying to figure out how to do a button with no luck for a week. Joh'aLee has a button! Too cool. So after reading her explanation of how she got this incredible blog I emailed Madam Samm. I know she thought I had lost all my "buttons" but guess what! She is an incredible lady who agreed to do a button for me. Well one thing led to another and another and now I have this totally awesome blog background and guess what..I HAVE MY OWN BUTTON!! (the button links you to the Panguitch Quilt Walk Festival). I even have business cards!! I am still in shock over the kindness of Madam Samm. I felt like I was floating on air all day! Thoreau said "to effect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts." Madam Samm did that for me today!

Now Madam Samm is one busy lady. Two blogs going at once! Check out Sew I Quilt and Stash Manicure
Fun stuff. I am totally in love with both . Now I am going to make a mug rug tonight! I just don't want to miss out anymore! But honestly, Madam Samm you are my hero! THANK YOU!!

To all those who have never heard of the Panguitch Quilt Walk Festival here is a little history. Fourteen years ago I was on the Main Street board for our small town in Southern Utah. We were trying to come up with ideas to bring people to our town. Now we are only 22 miles from Bryce Canyon National Park so lots of people pass through, but we needed them to stop. Panguitch is a town full of old red brick homes steeped in history. It's history starts in 1864 when the town was first settled. The winter was brutal, food was scarce and the settlers were starving to death. A group of 7 men, with a wagon pulled by two oxen, set out to get food from Parowan, 40 miles away.




In their weakened state, the men struggled with every footstep, sinking up to their hips in the deep snow. Eventually they abandoned the wagon and oxen and continued on foot. As they held a prayer circle kneeling on a quilt, they discovered they did not sink into the snow. The men completed their journey by laying quilts over the deep snow and walking across them, retrieving their quilts and repeating the process over and over again. The story became known as the Quilt Walk and is treasured in the annals of Panguitch history.

But when I suggested a quilt festival to the city council they could not believe that women would come to our small town to take quilt classes, see a trunk show and a quilt show. And surely they wouldn't spend any money to do that!! What was I thinking???

A few weeks later a bus of tourists came to town and stopped at my quilt shop. It was closed and so when they went to the restaurant for lunch they ask if there was anyway it could be opened for them. The restaurant called me and I went down and they bought a ton of stuff. Luck would have it, when they went back to the restaurant to pick up the rest of the group, they were really excited about the quilt shop. So at the next city council meeting they thought it was a great idea to start a Quilt Walk Festival.





This is our 14th year. We have 3 full days of classes, free trunk shows daily, a big quilt show, historic home tour, dinner theater, heritage fair and a Chocolate Fest! It has grown leaps and bounds and we love it. The town gets decorated with quilts everywhere. There is a fun spirit wherever you go! We are so lucky to have this. The past 14 years we have been saving all the money from the festival to buy a statue for our Quilt Walk Park. In September we dedicated the statue and the park. Dreams do come true!!

So long story short I have a "BUTTON" so my dream came true also! Click on it and see where it takes you! I hope it brings you here!

Walking on air!

Claudia

Grandma's Helper

We have our 7 year old granddaughter with us this week. She is off track and loves to come to Grandma and Grandpa's house. She loves all of our antiques, anything old, and junkie. She is an avid garage sale fan. In her eyes everything old is a treasure. She has had a bad cold since she has been here and not felt like doing much. But tonight she got my big button jar out and made a necklace.


Amazingly the buttons she picked out were all antiques. Each one she picked up deserved a comment. How fun is it that she sees treasures in such simple things! Time flies so fast and they are grown!


She designs doll clothes out of everything from batting to my really good fabric. She is into all of it. Do you think it will last???

Isn't it fun to be a Grandma???
Claudia

Cathy Miller the Singing Quilter is Coming!!

Cathy Miller is a Canadian quilter and folksinger from Victoria British Columbia. Since September 2000 she and her musician husband John have toured a program of songs, stories and quilts to guilds and quilting events across North America, Australia and New Zealand, the UK and Germany.

They have performed at over 500 quilting events for more than 50,000 quilters worldwide. These include appearances at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, the AQS Nashville Show, Ricky Tims' La Veta Colorado gallery, Eleanor Burns' Quilting retreat, and on Alex Anderson's now defunct TV program, "Simply Quilts".

To date Cathy has released four CDs of songs about quilting. These songs range from the historical, through the poignant, to the drop-dead funny! This program is sure to entertain and inspire both quilters and non-quilters alike.

Cathy is doing our trunk show on Saturday June 11, 2011. She is also teaching two classes for us on Friday. She is awesome and her classes will be so much fun.

Friday morning Cathy will be teaching the most amazing project...Mock Mola Raw Edge Reverse Applique.
This is a great way to use "holy" fabric, that you can't bear to cut up. Students will learn this technique by working on a small individual project using two layers of fabric, plus batting and backing. With Cathy's help, each student will design their own piece. Machine quilting will attach all the layers together, then the top layer is cut to reveal the design. The pieces will be mostly completed at the end of the three hour class. This is a hugely popular class!

Skill Level: Machine appliqué. Some free motion experience required

Pattern: Written instructions and design suggestions will be supplied.

BSK




Friday afternoon she will be teaching Slow and Steady Turtle Applique.
A very classy looking turtle, made with fabric scraps and hand appliqué. Students will learn freezer paper appliqué using three techniques and the best situations for each. This charming turtle pattern will be ready to finish in the car or in front of the fire at home – a perfect hand work project to carry anywhere!

Skill Level: Hand appliqué suitable for beginners.

Pattern Fee: $10 (required)



This is a rare opportunity to learn from a wonderful teacher, a new technique that will amaze and inspire you. Try something new. Expand your horizons. You will be glad you did!

But the best part is, she is going to sing the song she wrote about the Panguitch Quilt Walk! Now I can't think of anything cooler than that! I'm still in awe just thinking about what an amazing thing it is to have a song written about the history of our own town!! Major Goosebumps!!

Time to get those registrations in!

Claudia

IT'S UP! CHECK IT OUT!!!

Ok! I'm EXCITED!!! It's up and running! The Panguitch Quilt Walk site is ready for you to choose your class and get your registration in!!!. There are prizes for the first 3 registrations!! So pass the word! It's Here! I'm EXCITED!! Lots of fun classes and fun ideas. I'll be featuring them for the next while so you can see how great they all are!

This year we will be having Cathy Miller The Singing Quilter, teaching and doing a trunk show. We have Dave's Bernina from Provo and St George donating another wonderful sewing machine.
Here's another fun thing to shoot for... Bring a friend who signs up for a class that has never been before and your name will be put in for a drawing for another special prize! We want your help spreading the word!

We love to have you all come to our wonderful town and share our fun!

I just got home from a quick trip to California and so I will post more tommorrow, but I am so EXCITED I couldn't wait to tell you!!
Claudia