5/31/2013

Montana - Helena Quilt Show

Just back from a trip to "Big Sky Country".  Managed to catch the Helena Quilters Guild Quilt Show entitled "Stars of the Big Sky".  Oh, yes, there were Stars!!  Here's a little sampling of what I saw:
I entered the lower level of the Helena Civic Center which had vendors around the outside perimeter & quilts hanging in the center area.  Looking up into the chandeliers, I noticed another level - WOW!  Chandeliers & quilts are lovely together - don't forget when designing next dream house!  lol

This quilt is called Sidelights - I just had to add a closeup shot of the Inspirational Words the quilter added - making the design her own:

I'm always on the lookout for needlework & quilting combinations.  Here's a lovely sample (quilt on left - one block closeup on right):


3-D Cacti

I'm in love with circles, spirals, saw blades & wheels ....
Absolutely prehistoric!
Snowy & Gray
Those are pieced PENCILS!!
Nice collection of work - I swear the Bear kept staring at me as I walked by :)
 
Critters & Coffee!!
             Very creative - I LOVE how the swing is tilting the center block - my favorite FUN piece of the show.

"Love Letters"
Great Use of Focus Fabric - love the tease of partial blocks as the outside border!


    
And, of course, this is a Judy Niemeyer quilt - the Helena Guild has a certified Judy teacher - how lucky are they??!!
 And, some more!
 OK, I ran out of time after that :)  There was much more to see & buy (although I managed to blow my budget anyway)!!  

It's hard to top a fantastic quilt show that happens once every two years.  But, the most wonderful thing about Montana isn't found indoors! 
  
"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
 
--- Robert Frost

5/03/2013

Bag Lady

I'm not really a purse lady - I'm kind of a bag lady - there's a big difference!  I've watched the purse-sewing craze from the sidelines over the past few years.  I have quilting friends that LOVE the latest designs, spending hours sewing exquisite works of art disguised as purses.  I've even bought a few purse patterns myself.  But, they tend to be patterns for Bucket Bags or Messenger Bags or even this one - called "The Poacher's Bag" by Charlie's Aunt - Vintage Inspired Sewing Patterns.  You can kind of tell that these are really bags disguised as purses :)  Don't get me wrong, they have lots of style, but function comes first!  And, no frilly stuff!

And, if you can recycle/reuse, that's even better.  One of my favorite books The Perfect Handmade Bag  inspired this one :


 Bag Front:

I splurged at the Pueblo Quilt & Stitch Expo & bought a panel print from the "Sewing Seeds" line by J. Wecker Frisch.  She's a wonderful illustrator & has several fabric lines through Quilting Treasures.

I need to get up to Na-La's Quilt Shoppe to see if they carry any of her other lines of fabric.

 Bag Back:

Found some bright fabrics with orange & green Spools of Thread called Cut & Sew by Robert Kaufman.  Combined with some Moda Solids I've been collecting & bright flower fabrics from First Stitches

Bag Bottom:

My favorite fabrics, though, ended up on the BOTTOM of the bag - big oops!  I forgot I was boxing in the bottom for maximum carrying capacity (quilting stuff, of course) & ended up with just a little of the bright flowers showing!  

 

Oh well, guess I need to make another :)  And, maybe a matching Keychain Clutch from Michelle Patterns.  Tiny and Functional - yaaa!!  Faith.