Boulder County Flood Quilt to be Diplayed at County Courthouse

            This quilt is a very special one indeed.  It a collaborative effort by many people to remember the flood that devastated Boulder and surrounding mountain communities last year.  As I told the Longmont  Times Call photographer that came to visit my studio:  Everyone has their own flood story, this quilt helps to tell some of those stories.  In the weeks following the flood, the people of our community really came together to help one another.  Much like how this quilt was created.
     A call for blocks was put out earlier in the year.  Sadly, I missed the deadline.  Just two days after the deadline though, I received an email wondering if I might be interested in quilting this magnificent piece.  I leaped at the opportunity!  I so wanted to be a part of the project and am so happy they choose me.  I tried to enhance and honor the blocks without adding to much.  The sashing and borders however were my playground.  In the sashing, I quilted jumbles of pebbles and flowing rivers everywhere.  In the darker brown borders, I did some flowing blue columbines.  It is now off in the hands of the volunteer that will bind it.
     Once finished, this quilt be on display at the Boulder County Courthouse for all to view.  I think the installation is to be a permanent one as well.  The plan is to hang it in time for the 1st anniversary on September 11th.          

Boulder County Flood Quilt

February Always Flies By

Sid and Gwyn enjoying some long awaited snow

 It has been quite an eventful month for me.  I have been working away on several quilts for Kerry of Commaworkshop.  I also attended three quilt events/guilds which were all very fun.  I have been working on a quilt for my aunt for 2 years now.  It is all hand applique block-of-the-month and named Empress Ohashi.  It is the type of project that I enjoy doing on cold, snowy days when I don't want to move more than three feet from the wood stove. 

Gwyn helping arrange Empress Ohashi

I just finished all the applique and pieced together as a quilt top the other day.  As you can see in the photo, my master of balance was helping me arrangement.  It is too funny how she sits in chairs like humans or the cats.  Now, I have to quilt it. 
I am, of course, nervous about this last step.  It is such a gorgeous quilt top.  So, yesterday, I had a play day.  I loaded the machine with pretty tie-dyed fabric and just played.  I think I learn more on a play afternoon than I do in months.  It is truly important to take the time to play/practice. 
I also just started taking a Zentangle drawing course.  I think it will really improve my skills as an artist.  I have never been good on paper, just give me fabric or frosting!  So, I thought it was time to learn.  The Zentangles are great and the style really translates into quilting quite nicely.  It is fun, relaxing, and educationally skill-building all at the same time. 

Bogie under pile of blankets

It is dumping snow on us today (finally!).  So nice and pretty looking out.  Starting to wonder if we should move the car to the bottom of the driveway.  It's about time.  We were really overdue and fire season just stinks of fear and anxiety around here in drought years.  Thank you for the snow!
Well, I am going to try to clean my house up today. I've been ignoring it for the sake of work lately, but let's face it, I'd rather be quilting any day of the week versus cleaning.  Glad my hubby keeps on top of things and I just go for the deep clean every few weeks.
Keep Creating and Quilting!

The Steam Trunk Dresden

This is the Steam Trunk Dresden quilt.  I was recently given pieces of this quilt found by my client in her grandmother's steam trunk.  The blocks were already sewn into 4 rows and my challenge was to create a finished quilt that looked like it had been done in the 1930's.  This was my own personal challenge as the client admitted knowing nothing about quilts.  I felt a desire to be as true to the original quilter's vision as I could imagine.
I pieced the top only adding two small strips of muslin to make complete rows and not have to chop into two of the rows background.  I must mention here how the quilt was hand appliqued onto old sugar bags.  You can still see "C & H Sugar" print among others on the bags as well as the curved needle holes evident of the original bag structure.  For the quilt designs, I went old school.  I did free motion tear drops in each of the petals, did a feathered wreath in the center, and echoed the flower/plate itself.  To fill in the background, I choose and adapted a design from Quilting Designs from the Past, by Jenny Carr Kinney.  I found the most wonderful design and enlarged it and added a few scrolls.  After tracing this design with my laser from the back of the machine, I jumped to the front to fill in.  There were several open spaces that needed a flower or scroll added in order to achieve interwoven flow.  Quilting it like this left me with approximately 1800 threads to tuck when I was done.  It took me five hours to tuck those threads, but it was well worth it  for the incredible antique look I managed.
The best part is that the client loved it and can't wait to surprise her father with it when he visits this summer.  That is the most wonderful thing about quilts - their stories.  I'm sure this man can remember seeing his mother work on this quilt.  Now, he gets to hold his mother's work finished in his hands.  The grandchildren and future generations can feel the soul of their maternal creator in their hands.  To be able to help make this happen for people is what makes quilting so special for me. 
Keep quilting and Creating!

6 Quilts in a Week

The sun rises on this beautiful day which is surprisingly still very fall-like.  I've been expecting snow for a while, not to worry though, it will catch up and I will be whining in January.  It is fun though to watch the snow blow around outside.  I have a lot of windows and the wind is fierce up here, often times I can look out and feel like I in a snowglobe.  Wow, it sounds like I miss winter, that's weird.  I have been working too hard.

Block from the Reversing Climate Change Quilt

Block from the Stopping Domestic Violence Quilt

I got 6 quilts done last week.  The first was the little dog quilt I blogged about last Sunday.  Then, I got a rush order to do 3 quilts dealing with big issues.  The blocks were created by a group of Methodist women and they were large banner type quilts each 55" wide.  The quilt that dealt with Immigration Reform was 120" long, Reversing Climate Change was 99", and Stopping Domestic Violence was 88".  There is fourth in the series, but lucky for me it still needed borders put on and was not dropped off with the others.  My client told me not to take the time with custom quilting.  I was too honored to be a part of these visual portrayals that I had to give my piece.  They were simply quilted, but I did more than just straight-ish lines that we discussed.  They looked great and I am happy.  That's part of being a quilt whisperer, always do justice to the quilt regardless of price and time.
 The next 2 quilts I did were for another client who does white quilts with poems and such written into them.  Some have great stories with them and this weeks were wonderful.  I do not share these stories here, as she has her own quilt business and I hate being the one spoils any surprises.  You can visit her website, www.commaworkshop.com if you are interested in these quilts.   
Today, I am going to load and begin the next one for my grandmother.  It is either a Dear Jane or Hannah, I've been referring to it at as Nana's Hannah cause it's fun to say.  She hand pieced this quilt and it is gorgeous!   Once again, I find myself nervous in beginning.  It is hard being a realist perfectionist (you know, wanting and striving for perfection yet truly knowing it is unattainable). 

Threadplay Breathes Life into Quilts

A dog named Bailey gets new life.

I was given this cute dog quilt to do something with.  It was already quilted with the binding firmly attached when I got this quilt.  The quilting was done well.  It was invisible thread holding down the edges of the applique pieces.  My client's desire was to have it look less flat.  It was a wonderful little quilt already (and this client happens to be my grandmother's), so I began with a little trepidation honestly.
It was such fun though and I quickly learned all the stitching looked great.  I kept changing thread colors and designs depending on where I was in the piece.  When I was finished, this dog had so much more character than before.  The texture of the hair was what was really missing on those fabrics.  The back of the quilt looks really cool now too!  I hope Nana loves it.

Here is a little food bit for you all.  Now that I am home again for the winter, there will probably be more postings of recipes.  This is just an idea that I know I can not have been the first to come up with.  So, I made a box of mac & cheese the other day and then while reaching for the parmesan cheese, I spied the leftover bacon.  Oh, what a delight!  I am so glad I sprinkled the cheese and the bacon crumbles onto the macaroni!  Delicious but Dangerous is the board I am creating on Pinterest for all these recipes.
I am blessed with work and would love to be doing the next quilt (I have 7 to do this week).  Sadly though, I woke up though with a seriously swollen thumb. (arthritis?)  Hopefully it will go away soon and I can get back to playing on my long arm.
 I wish you all a beautiful fall filled with inspirations!

The Moose of Mountainjoy

We have had many visiting  friends lately.  They have enjoyed getting to see some of our more regular visitors.  The moose are very comfortable here and they love to eat my aspens.  This mother and child pair have been sleeping here quite often of late.  So has another rather large and beautiful boy.  I enjoy their company and see that the dogs leave them alone.  I just wish they would eat more thistle and less fireweed or aspen.  I had no fireweed this year to make mead from.  And that is a bummer, but I am not about to start fighting with moose and am very happy that they like it here.
I've had friends with us most of the week and more are coming up today.  I got 2 quilts done, but they are for Commaworkshop and are mostly white writing on white fabric - something a photo does not capture.  I have yet to create the memory quilts webpage, we'll see how much I can get done today.  Only one more week at my farm job though so winter is coming and my computer time of the year begins.   I did re-open my Etsy site though, yeah!!!!
Keep on quilting and creating!

It took quite a while for me to get these personal quilts done, but perseverance pays off.  I love my bedroom now.  Here is a photo of the quilt made from our wedding Huppah and the signature quilt of wedding guests on the wall.  The quilt has my favorite design, The Seed of Life.  I went very simple with my quilt, it does not have any bias tape on it.  I usually make the seed look stained glass with black bias tape and then I have been known to lay down miles of colored bias tapes in Celtic knot work around the borders.  (Visit my website gallery to view several versions of this great design, www.mountainjoyquilts.com). 
I had a very busy weekend with the 1st Annual Gilpin County Artist Open Studio Tour.  I had over 30 people come visit my studio which is really good considering how far from the beaten track I live.  Everyone was just delightful.  They loved my work, my long arm, and my funky mountain home.  It was a great experience for me and I loved meeting all the new people. 
Looks like rain today or possibly our first snow?  I must get to work now, I have a queen size quilt to do today.  I hope everyone has a fabulous week!  Keep on creating!

August Update

I have always loved the design I used on the green borders of this client's quilt.  It really compliments the fabric.  This was one of last week's quilts and it came out quite nicely.  Some of the other updates/highlights of the week are as follows.
I was asked to be a part of an Artists Open Studio Tour.  It is timed nicely for just after I remodel my studio floor which will involve taking everything out of my studio.  This will be no small venture, I have a lot of stuff!  I might not show before pictures, but I'll post after ones for sure!
 I cooked up a mess of food for a catering gig for a friend that ended up being next weekend.
I went to a fabulous annual event with some dear friends.  It was the Cultiva Benefit Dinner last night, which is a great event for a great cause.  It raises money for the Growing Gardens project in Boulder which supports many wonderful programs but especially dear to my heart is Cultiva.  This program teaches kids how to grow food, be responsible, and give back to the community.  These are great kids!!!!
Today was a "day off" and I waged war on the thistle colony that seems bent on taking over my back yard area.  Which might actually be mine in the near future.  Part of what I thought was my property traded hands a few times and after many years and negotiations, it might become part of Mountainjoy again.  Yeah!!!
Lots of good and busy things are happening around here.  The rest of  August holds:  my Anniversary, making a wedding cake for friend, doing a long arm demonstration, re-doing the studio floors, and a visit from my awesome mother-in-law.  Life is good.

Wedding Memory Quilts

I got married to my tie-dyeing husband 5 years ago.  As mentioned in earlier blogs, the whole wedding was tie-dyed including my dress and the Huppah.  It only took me these 5 years to finish because I'm always doing projects for others.  This is the first time my mom gets see this quilt finished.  She painstakingly pieced this dahlia quilt for me of the fabrics we had people sign with their well-wishes.  Along with the usual love & joy, some of the wishes were fabulously funny such as "If this quilt is a rockin', don't come a knockin'."
This quilt was no different than any of my other learning experiences with quilting even though I didn't piece it.  I have done signature quilts before and one was a great family tree that used fusible applique.  During that quilt, I learned it was better to attach fusible to the back of fabric before people signed it (the fabric doesn't wiggle and you don't have to use sandpaper).  So, I talked my mom into doing this for our quilt.  She didn't know that she was going to choose a Dahlia pattern.  For anyone who is thinking of doing this---Never, Ever fuse the back of fabric if you are going to make a Dahlia!  Mom did a great job and it actually quilted and lays pretty flat for all the stiff bulk that went into the seams.  This quilt will soon be hanging over our bed and the finished Huppah quilt will be on our bed.  Our room will look so nice if I ever get around to arranging it!  Photos to come in the future (near or far).
I was visiting the Quilters Blogging site this morning and found it was updated.  Michelle is doing some amazing work trying to keep all of us quilters connected and informed.  She has put out an invitation for more quilt bloggers to join the directory.  If you are not aware of this site and directory yet, you should really go check it out.  I'm setting up a link so you can get there quickly and start reading about quilters and their experiences world-wide.

Quilt of the Week

This is a close-up of the one of the center motifs I quilted into this weeks quilt of the week.  I had so much fun working on this quilt, I used almost every technique that I know.  This client loves my freehand quilting, in fact she thinks it would be a shame if I went computerized!
 I choose to go with many custom designs to compliment each of the sampler designs.
 Shown in the close-up is one of my original Celtic knotwork designs that I quilted using my laser followed by free motion fill-in.  I used the follow-the-laser then free motion fill in for a complex pinwheel block throughout the quilt as well.
In other areas, I did free motion pinwheels and feathers.  The border is all free motion using my Leaf & Scroll design.  For the gridwork in the checkered spot, I pulled out my acrylic rulers so I get them nice and straight.
It is great to know a lot of different quilting techniques and designs to employ in the quilts I do.
 I always try to do justice to the quilt.  That means listening to what it wants to look like and following through.  In this quilts case, I could easily have done an all over pattern.  Instead, I had to listen to the quilt tell me every block was special and worth the custom quilting and tucking of few thousand threads. (Yes, thousands!)

It was worth it though as I am proud of the quilting (difficult for this perfectionist).  It will be picked up soon and I hope the client likes it too.  That is always one of my heart-wrenching fears is that my client won't like what I've done.  The people that seek me out truly love my quilting, I fear it is my blood to be a worry-wort.
Okay, I have to go make cinnamon rolls now for the blacksmiths that will be showing soon!
Keep quilting and cooking!

Winter Begins for Me

We have only had one snowstorm so far and even it was late. The weather has been beautiful and warm for the most part. We believe it all balances out, so this just means the third week of January is going to be colder and windier than ever. If anyone wants to whisk me away for that week, I'll gladly brave the rest of winter up here at over 9000'. Okay, winter has begun for me this week as my seasonal farm job ended. I am home now quilting full time! And cleaning too! I spent the last four days doing some Fall cleaning in the house. You should see the herd of dust yaks, gnus, and wildebeests I came up with. Wait, on second thought, it's best not to disclose such things.
I will be quilting and cooking today. Baking actually. I'm going to make bread and either apple pie or apple spice cake. There is also dinner to contend with, pizza or leftover steaks?
Sid will be busy today too. Sundays have become the Blacksmith Day. He has assembled his forge and set up in the driveway. Two friends also come by and they all have a great time making things and practicing their skills. They are planning on having me set up an Etsy.com store today in which they can sell their wares to buy more coal to keep this whole operation going. Work has been scarce for a few years for these guys. I am beyond words to express how they feel when they come over and make stuff. It's not just that we could all use a little food money. It's that they get to create something unique. The fact that they pounded it out of hot metal also seems to please them. It is quite an interesting thing that has sprung up in Mountainjoy's driveway. Many more people (male and female) would love to come over and do some smithing as well. They have all been invited and I'm sure this will become quite a regular thing. I just hope they all build a shop over the stuff before winter sets in! I'm sure that if you look for it soon, you will find Sid'sSmiths@Etsy.com. Give me a week or so though, getting these guys organized is not the easiest thing to do.

Moose at Mountainjoy

We have had a very busy week. There was a lot of work to do and a weekend getaway planned. We ended up leaving for a loaned cabin late because there was a dog bite/rabies scare earlier in the week as well. Luckily for me, casual exposure to one bite does not require treatment! Sid, however, is still slightly worried I think. The dog that bit him should be done with quarantine soon, nothing will come of it, and this story will just go into the many chapters of our life.
So, as we were about to leave for the cabin at the lake, it was dusk coming into dark. The dog was in the car with the door open. I walked out with the bagful of groceries (steak) and heard something down in the meadow. At first, I thought it was a bear. What to do? Dog is in car with door open, I'm on porch with STEAKS in hand and door locked behind me. Sid is in inside somewhere. I try to quietly find keys to open door and put groceries in house before going to close car door on dog. Just as I reach keys, Sid opens the door and I quietly fill him in that there is a BEAR in the meadow. WE look and it is actually a big old moose. So we sighed a deep sigh of relief and went and jumped in the car.
They are back today and there are three of them. They have eaten their fill of giant prickly thistles and yellow aspen leaves. Right now, the bull is lying down to nap. One of the girls is lying down as well while the third keeps watch. It is such a wonderful sight and worth coming home early for. I hope friends coming by soon don't disturb them too much. What a special place I live in.
As for quilting, winter has begun. We got our first snow storm this weekend. I only have three days of work down at the farm left and then it is quilting time! I am so looking forward to it this year. I have lots of quilts to do but always have time for more. Don't forget folks, I can help you get quilts done for the holidays or any occasion. So, please don't hesitate to contact me if you like what I do. Thanks so much for reading and have great week.

Kitties, Quilts, & Computer Scams

Fall has set in here pretty quickly. The aspens are turning and owls are flying in the evening twilight. Hummingbirds are less frequent and we have begun lighting fires. This past week has been filled with quilt work and garden work. Next week proves to be the same. I am truly enjoying this fall and look forward to the winter. (Strange for me.)
I got up at 3:30 this morning because I didn't want to listen to the playful activities taking place in the 'torture dome'. Ah, love those kitties. I started quilting and before I would normally get up, the quilt I am working on was 1/3 done. There can be some good done in the wee hours.
Okay, I have something going on with my website that I would like my readers advice on. I've had some trouble with my email but I got it so people could finally reach me at rebeccah@mountainjoyquilts.com. For a long time, no one contacted me. My brother got a message to me so I knew it was working. Well, all of a sudden, I finally got some emails the other day. I was so excited until I saw that they were in Japanese or something. The only thing I could read was the date. They are all from the future! I've received 4 all together and have sent all to the junk box. I feel terrible about sending some of my first possible business connections to the junk box, but they look so suspicious. So, I want to know my readers opinions on this. Should I feel bad? Is my email just scrambling things? Or is it a virus/scam/evil thing? The one thing my husband wants to know is who wins the horse race in 2018?

Chocolate Truffles & Quilting

It's quite amazing how far chocolate can take you in life. I have been making chocolate truffles for decades now, usually just to send around the country as Christmas gifts. On occasion, I've made them locally as well. It was during one of these local truffle makings that someone very special discovered me. It was love at first bite on a cold January day. On further inquiry, this special someone discovered I was a quilter and that my husband was a tie-dyer.
I've been holding on to this little secret since this spring when it all began with that truffle. So, I will finally share the news that my husband & I are now published tie-dyer, quilter, and artists!!!!!! Sid wrote an article for Quilters Newsletter Magazine about how to create his stars. I just saw the early copy of the October/November issue of the magazine. We are so excited!!!! I thought I should let you all know to look for it at magazine stands in the next few weeks.

Mid-Evil Mountainjoy

We had a weekend straight out of the Renaissance days. My husband set up his forge and started to blacksmith. He had a friend over and the two of them were so happy, I couldn't believe it. There is nothing like seeing 2 angry, bitter men have a good time pounding at heated metal to force into new shapes/tools. They were off to a slow start until I told them to break up the coal a bit more to start the fire. You are given special inborn knowledge if you are a blacksmith's daughter, you know. I don't know how to smith, but I do know more than your average bear on the subject.
While the boys were smithing, I was working on a coat-of-arms for a friend of ours. He does a form of combat that starts with swords and ends up using some ju-jitsu forms. Anyway, I am currently decorating his quilted and padded jacket to resemble his chosen family coat-of-arms. It felt like all we needed yesterday was some horses, dragons, and a few more serving women here to complete the picturesque mid-evil Mountainjoy.
As for summer, it may come to a quick close for us. We saw a lone aspen yesterday that had taken on that beautiful orange/yellow. The hummingbirds are still around and the wild flowers are still in bloom. Yet, I do expect our first snow storm any day now. Traditionally, it likes to snow the first weekend of September most years. Let's see what this one brings.

Seeing Stars

Psyche- delic Stars that is!

I have been so consumed with worries and frets and all sorts of stuff I couldn't get a hold of. Well, certain things have been happening for me lately. I am still not going to divulge everything, but I will say my pack of tired angels came to the rescue again. Frets and fears calmed down enough that when I had a day off yesterday, I actually decided to play. Work-play in a way as these pieces will be for sale at some local stores, but still play. I have so much fun quilting over my husband's stars and flowers. It is like.........coloring outside of the lines, or adding the lines to someone's coloring. We are newly inspired recently. We have plans of challenging ourselves to create daily. For husband (Sid) this means dyeing at least one awesome designed piece each day. This means they will pile up so I must quilt one each day. I think this will not only allow us to build up stock but hone our skills. Practice makes perfect (or better each time!) We'll see how this plan works out amidst all of our other works. I don't care so much about age, but if anyone has found the store that sells "spare time", let me know.

New Year Brings Renewed Adventures

I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays and have arrived in the New Year with as much enthusiasm as I have. Wow, it's been a regular roller coaster of life for us here. The snow and wind finally arrived and my world revolves around which wood stove is going at the moment. Quilts and new products are being created and shipped out. I'm working on getting my own website built for my long arm business. I do believe a website is necessary these days for exposure and an easy reference place for clients to visit. I'll let you all know when I'm up.
I am looking forward to spring already (of course). My mom in Washington just heard her first tree frog of the year the other night and all I heard was howling winds. Oh well, I love living here (especially in the glorious non-snow season). It is always hard for me to be frozen in January when I know springs thaw is just around the corner full of new life and new things to see. I look forward to the pretty purple violets on the snow laden ground-they bring such joy! I look forward to wanting to be outside again soaking up the Colorado sun, letting it warm my soul.
I'm also looking forward to creating a lot more quilts in the next few months. The only way to do that is to get quilting! So for now, everybody go do what you love most with the zest of new beginnings!
I thought I'd write a little more about violets. These are the most wonderful flowers that appear in the early spring as the snow gets lighter. That isn't until June around 9000' but look for them earlier elsewhere. One of the common names for Violets is 'Heartease'. This is because of its reputed herbal properties of bringing ease and lightness to the heart after the winter. I eat them every spring down at Long's Gardens. It does get harder to find ones that the 'resident deer' haven't done bad things too, but I search them out. They appear in Boulder in March-April so I can get them sooner than my mountain white variety. You can also make a wonderful Elixir by harvesting clean violets and adding them to honey. Let this set for a while and strain if desired. I usually just leave the flowers in. Eat by the spoonful or in teas to experience the spring joy that is the Violet! * Remember to harvest violets clean of known toxins. I am not claiming any doctoral advice here or anything. It is just something I do to bring in the spring.

For now, I must be happy and cozy with homemade bread and stew. However, I am curious what symbolizes spring for everyone else. I'd love it if you'd share with me what the thought of spring to come holds for you.

Confessions of an Overquilter

This long arm quilting is the shizzle! I've been at it since March and I still can't believe how much fun it is. Most things this much fun are illegal. I can lay down hundreds of stitches per minute with great accuracy and ease. This is what is leading me to my confession. I can't stop sometimes. Even if I plan a quilt to be lightly quilted, I just keep laying down stitches. I am happy with the work, it looks good. But does a baby quilt need over 20,000 stitches? I mean really, it will hold together with less. Quilting has taught me patience, maybe it is time to learn moderation.
I have been growing my quilting service business the last few weeks. It is coming along nicely. The junk you get in your email when you advertise on craigslist is phenominal. It will be worth it though if I get a few clients through it. I lost my DSL connection for a few days there. I was completely at a loss. I never thought I would get that used to (and need) my Internet connection. It is time for me to be listing on Etsy and promoting my business. I am so glad I am hooked up again. It isn't like I truly missed anything, I just feel better knowing I can reach into cyber space when I want to.

Winter Has Arrived

Well, I had a lovely winter day here at Mountainjoy. The snow finally started falling in big, wet flakes from the grey sky. I enjoyed it immensely looking out the studio windows as I quilted. Dancing along to celtic music with my long arm sewing machine is so much fun. I made a table runner and placemats out of some gorgeous materials. They are to go on my Etsy site soon. I am trying to prep for the upcoming holiday season.
With the beautiful day I was given, I also decided to make split pea soup and fresh Challah bread for dinner tonight. I guess that truly means winter is here officially. The wood stove has been fed all day and it is going to be a cozy night.
On the wildlife scene, last weekend we had a mountain lion wake us at four in the morning. It was in our yard screaming with all its might. It circled the house and came right by the bedroom door. We listened to it shivering in our skins with all the animals up in bed with us. It went on for about ten minutes and then wondered off further into the woods. Wow, that was exciting. Have you ever heard a mountain lion's scream? I assure you, that it is an unnerving sound.

Back and In Business

This quilt was made as my brother's wedding gift. I started it at the engagement and finally managed to give it to the lovely couple just after their fifth anniversary. Talk about a labor of love. It was the first large quilt that I quilted on my Fusion long arm. All the fabrics were dyed by my husband. I love making him dye white-on-white prints-the effect is so interesting. The quilt came out so beautifully, I thought I'd show and tell it here.

My summer has been a whirlwind of activity. I started with a week of family vacation in New Hampshire at my wonderful Aunt and Uncle's house. I was home for a week in which I quilted the wedding star for my brother. Then, I was off to Washington (with quilt in luggage) to see my immediate family. My mother and I attended the Innovations Quilts Convention. We took classes for three days straight and volunteered as well. I learned so very much about how to run a long arm business, how to fix 'problem' quilts, and I even received a PhD in Threadology. I met several wonderful quilters and made contact with many good souls. I arrived home very inspired and ready to start the business I have been creating since last March.

My business plans were still on hold for a little while due seasonal work and visits from family to my home at Mountainjoy. I had a lovely visit with my husband's mother when she came for a weekend. She was very happy to see that her quilt (another long-timer) was on the long arm and being finished. I also just had a visit from my parents, it was short and full of fun as usual.

Okay, now that we are all caught up, I can move forward. My seasonal work for Long's Gardens has come to an end and I am really ready to open up for business as a long arm quilter and quilter in general. This was the plan for surviving my snowed in winters, let's make it work!

I will be adding new stuff to my Etsy site later in the week, these will be small gift type items for holiday sales. If any of my readers have enjoyed the quilts and need/want me to quilt for you, you can now contact me at Mountainjoyquilts@gmail.com for more information.

That's plenty of news for the moment. Happy creating everyone!