Serious Quilter

I found it funny that a quilter would prepare themselves for a day of classes in the following manner.  It was 8.30am, and they may have been special cans, but three!

It gave me a laugh.  One cup of coffee for breakfast and another if I was lucky in the 30 minute break between classes.

AMQA Festival

I have just spent four days in classes at the Australian Machine Quilting Association Festival in Adelaide.

I went to the Festival to take classes with overseas tutors - Ricky Tims,  Cindy Needham, Megan Best, Renee Haddadin, Myrna Ficken and Sherry Rogers-Harrison.  I also had classes with local tutors Vicki Jenkins and Michele Turner as well as Teachers angel for two of Anita Ellis's classes.  So I was very busy.

I had entered my Spring Diamond quilt in the Large Traditional Custom Quilt category.  What is a quilt show if there are no quilts to look at. I enter my quilts to share - not to show off.  As I had a busy class schedule I was not going to go to the presentation evening, but decided to drag my husband along.

I was busily writing down the winners on the back of my class list as they announced them.  When I heard my own name, a tiny expletive came out before I hastily moved to the stage to receive my ribbon.  I was shocked, as my quilt was hanging with many other better known quilters work.  That third place ribbon is already proudly hanging on my ribbon quilt!  This is the first time I have received any judges comments from a show and mine were all excellent - couple of spots has tension issues. Was the only comment, and I won't mention that grammatical error either!

The same quilt was also published this week in Down Under Magazines #154.  I put it on my bed last night and slept under it. That is what quilts are really for!

Travelling blocks

The eventual owners of these two blocks will be very pleased to know that they are completed.  One is going to join 29 other blocks from the United States and Japan to make a pretty 1930's quilt.  The other one will be winging its way to America to be adorned with applique during the "Baltimore on the Plains" Retreat.  Lucky Block  almost wish I was going, but I have the Australian Machine Quilting Festival in adelaide instead.

Ricky Tims is Coming to Australia

Ricky Tims from the USA is coming to Adelaide in Australia, September next year as a guest of the Australian Machine Quilting Festival.

I have some of his DVD's and books so it will be great to see him in person.  A whole day!  Just need to book my accommodation and work on a quilt to enter too.

More details are on the AMQ festival blog.