Uncategorized – Page 45 – Amherst Quilters Guild

May 14, 2012

Make It Monday

Hello all, it’s ME again. The brownies were a hit yesterday. Very rich! About 1/2 of a regular brownie size and a bit of vanilla ice cream and you’re good to go. Definitely a keeper recipe. I’m going to write it up, and figure out how to start a recipe file. Oh! I’ll just send it to the file over at our website for now, and get to the file here eventually. Finished my first block for Loosey Goosey. Not real happy with the slight hole at the center, but I think when I take all the paper off the back, I’ll be able to fix it up with some steam. I’m leaving the papers on until I attach this block to something else. I’ve used all sorts of scraps with no regard for grain so I’m sure my block’s edges would get really wonky if I take the paper […]

May 11, 2012

fabulous Friday

Good morning all, Mary Ellen here. Came across this article on my daily stroll around blogland. Love to read about youngsters getting into quilting, and this one didn’t learn it from a family member or friend. How could we as a guild reach out to young ones who would like to learn or, maybe like Chloe in the story, who don’t know yet that they would like to learn? Have you discovered Pinterest yet? It is really a fabulous site/group on the internet. On one of the pinboards for Quiltmaker magazine I found these quilts made from one of the patterns that Anita Grossman Solomon will be teaching at seminar. Found this there too. If the first plate said “quilt” it would be my thought exactly. Waaaaaaaaaay too much good stuff to spend hours looking at-so if you decide to explore pinterest, don’t say I didn’t warn you. I’m going […]

May 10, 2012

seminar spotting

Hello all, ME here. Did my weekly grocery run yesterday. Instead of going to the small Tops near me (where I can buy just the basics), I went to a Wegman’s. I’ve avoided Weggies lately, since I find I buy way too much “fun” but not “necessary” stuff when I shop there. I picked up 2 quilting magazines. (Which group do they fall into?) The first is the summer issue of Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks. Both of our seminar teachers for this fall have blocks featured in this issue. Beth Ferrier’s block is called Butterfly Dance-a lovely appliqued piece. Anita Grossman Solomon’s is called Ginger and Fred, an interesting and versatile pieced block. I’ll bet there is a quick trick for cutting it as well. Maybe she’ll share it at seminar. One of our future teachers, Bonnie Hunter for 2014, has a block in the issue too. Her block is called […]

May 8, 2012

L. Goosey has been a little persnickety

Hello all, Mary Ellen here. It seems there is some interest out there in the Loosey Goosey Quilt-a-Long. Hopefully the problems some of you had, trying to print the paper piecing pattern have been resolved. Thanks to Marija for her help too, while I was “out of the office” today. Just a few general comments that may help some of you–first make sure that you have a recent version of Adobe Reader installed on your computer. Almost all pdf file that are posted, whether at Google Docs or any other such sharing site, are readable with Adobe Reader. Sometimes it automatically opens them; sometimes you have to first save the file and then you open it yourself via Adobe. If we get into more of this type of sharing on our blog, Adobe Reader will definitely be a help to you. Secondly when you are going to print patterns or […]

May 4, 2012

Ta DA!!

Hi everyone, Mary Ellen here. Love that garden bench idea. I don’t have a work bench or wood working area, so building with the concrete blocks is right up my alley. The idea of planting right in it has lots of possibilities. Also love that there would be no painting/staining/water proofing involved! Have finished my two versions of the table topper I wrote about previously. Here they are. Different color placements–different looks. Can see lots of possibilities for this pattern. It would be very easy to change the size, since it uses basic blocks plus borders. Definitely a keeper pattern. (Table Cozees II by Clothesline Quilts) I hope my audience likes this pattern choice. What’s up for your weekend? Shopping? Stitching? Hobby? I hope it’s a great one for you. TTFN!

May 1, 2012

getting back to real life

Hello all, Mary Ellen here Aren’t those photos on Marija’s post fun to look at? It’s nice to have time stand still for a moment in each shot, so I can really give a good look at everything in each photo. Somehow when it’s all happening in real-time, things go by so quickly they can’t be savored. How did Marija find time to take all those shots, with everything else she was doing at/for the show?! Real life is back–getting caught up on laundry, tried to catch up on yardwork but the rain intervened yesterday (will finish when it dries out), grocery shopping, dog training class, sewing for an upcoming class, ya-da, ya-da, ya-da. When I chose the pattern I will next be teaching, I was looking for a small-scale project that used some traditional blocks and could be made up quickly for gifts. I chose one that uses just […]

April 30, 2012

Kelly’s glorious speech

Hello all, Mary Ellen again. We all were so impressed by Kelly’s (Kelly Miller, the chairwoman of our quilt show) speech at our preview party. I am sharing it here with you. Thank you to Kelly for permission, and for providing the text. “Quilts, Glorious Quilts. It’s finally here! We made it to the show. All of the planning and preparation has come to an end and we get to enjoy the result of all our combined efforts. Quilts, Glorious, Quilts! What a truly grand name for a quilt show. I wasn’t sure how I felt about this show title when we first voted on it as a guild. I thought that maybe it was lacking a theme. No garden flowers, no sea of quilts, no artist’s palette, no theme… But that might be because I trained as a teacher and many teachers group their lessons by themes. However, then […]

April 30, 2012

Glorious Quilts

Hello all, Mary Ellen here. What a quilt show! The whole thing was glorious in my book. If you weren’t able to attend, the photos will be coming at our website (see sidebar) soon, and who knows what you’ll see right here at our blog in the near future. I saw Marija in paparazzi mode several times, and I know she is anxious to try out our guild YouTube channel (yep that’s right, she’s got us on YouTube!). Sincere thanks and compliments to all the members, particularly Kelly Miller the chairwoman, for our glorious show. Two years in the making and a spectacular success. Brava! If you are not a member of our guild, please consider joining us. You can go to the museum website (in our sidebar) to get info on how to join the museum, with an add-on guild membership. That would include all the perks of museum […]

April 29, 2012

quilter vibes

Hello all, Mary Ellen again. Wow! Our museum is just resonating with quilter vibes this weekend. So much conversation about quilting, fabric, threads, patterns, thimbles… Love it. A new quilt magazine for younger (or young thinking) quilters is going to be on the newstands in May. The editor is Mary Fons, daughter of MaryAnn Fons of Fons and Porter fame. You can go here to view a free mini issue to see if this magazine is something you, or someone you know, would like. I enjoy the shows on PBS that Mary does with her mom, now that Liz Porter is in semi-retirement. What did you buy at the quilt show this weekend? Or maybe I should wait until after the auction this afternoon to ask that question. I greatly reduced my fabric purchases from past habits, but did pick up some nice patterns and a kit or two. Questions […]

April 28, 2012

Oh, what a beautiful morning!

Hello all, Mary Ellen here. The canine and I have been back from our walk for a bit, I’ve had my coffee and yogurt and am getting ready for another day at our glorious show. It is a great morning for a walk. Chilly but no wind-once you get moving it’s no problem. The dog was scampering like a puppy-especially when I would not allow him to chase all the bunnies we encountered. Spent the whole day at the museum yesterday. Didn’t get to walk around much-that’s on today’s agenda. Talked with lots of ladies-it’s interesting how you can chat with a complete stranger about quilts as though you’ve known one another for a long time. Is that one of the things that makes quilts glorious? Lots of those I spoke with about the fabrics, mentioned that they don’t need to buy any more fabric because they have so much […]