tennesseeQuilts

I spent last week at Judy Niemeyer’s Retreat Center in Kalispell, Montana working on this new Technique of the Month quilt, Glacier Star.  We will be offering this as a series of patterns and offering classes as well.  Watch our website for updates as to time and place.   My sample (60 x 60) is made from primarily blue/purple Kaffe Fassett fabrics — Judy’s from batiks.   We will have kits for those as well as several other colorways.  Just before leaving Montana,  we traveled to Logan’s Pass in Glacier National Park to take this spectacular photo on the glacier.   If you ever have an opportunity to do a special retreat, Judy’s facility is the best — more like a resort/spa and the view of Flathead Lake was breathtaking.

Amazon Star is completed and hung in the shop; kit available online.  These are the elves who helped me finish the binding in record time.

We are also ready for summer as you can see. 

What an energizing and inspiring week.  Judy Niemeyer taught two three-day workshops - Wedding Rings and Big Stars.  Kaffe, Liza Prior Lucy and Brandon Mably dropped by on Tuesday to sign the newest book, Simple Shapes, Spectacular Quilts.   Judy assisted me in piecing the Amazon Star in Kaffe, Phillip Jacobs, and Brandon Mably fabrics.  Six full days of piecing and the top is ready for quilting.  My two favorite designers married in one quilt!!  Now, to quilt it.

QuiltFest (July 29-31) Registration is now available online and by telephone.  We are getting lots of interest in our classes this year.  Melinda Bula, award winning quilt artist will be doing a one-day and two-day class.  Debbie Caffrey, will teaching her “worms” aka jelly roll classese and a Mystery.  Pat Speth will be working with Nickel size squares (5 inches); and a two-day French Braid class with Jane Hardy Miller as well as a quilt from her yet-to-be-published book.  Also we have a Storm at Sea, a Crazy Quilt, a Hearts and Gizzards, Raggedy Edge reverse applique  and lots more. 

We are also ready for spring!! See our fresh fruits and veggies display.  Come on Spring!!

Yep, I wound up in Washington, D.C., this weekend for a conference and a historic snowstorm.  Enjoy these pictures of 30 inches of snow on Saturday and beautiful sunshine on Sunday.  As you can see, my friend Pam and I went prepared — never leave home without that featherweight and rotary cutter, etc. — and boots, gloves . . .  

Traveling home from Jonesborough last evening in the snow storm took 3 hours (9 miles); today, the snow is beautiful, especially from the cozy warmth of the inside looking out, although MacTavish and Chelsea love the snow from the outside.  The shop is closed today; I am going to catch up on sewing projects.    Shop Holiday hours — closing 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 24, and re-opening on Monday, December 28.  Shop Online!

Joen Wolfroms’ two-day color class and three-day design class are now over.  What an inspiration and great teacher is Joen.  Her amazing Three-in-one Color Tool is a must for those of us color challenged.  She challenged all to find that idea spark and shared techniques to create that special piece.   The Historic Jonesborough sunset was an appropriate introduction to Joen’s lecture on color and design on Thursday evening. 

Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably assisted with 30 diamonds projects.  Wow, are these gorgeous. 

Here are some pictures from today’s Diagonal Madness workshop with Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably.  The color and design of these 30 projects were outstanding.  Kaffe finished the day with a critique of each participant’s design board.  They were all awesome and amazingly different.

Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably arrived yesterday for a book signing and lecture and workshops today and tomorrow.  More pix later — what a “dynamic duo” and what glorious color and design inspiration.