ARE QUILTERS NORMAL PEOPLE?

I saw this article?, poem?, in "Quilt Almanac", 1984, pg 52.  With a few adjustments to account for the difference in country and to update to 2015, I enclose this for your enjoyment.

ARE QUILTERS NORMAL PEOPLE?  
(Changes are identified by italics.)

A look at the good life                       by J.E. Russell 

There are two kinds of people in this world; those who quilt and those who don't.  Quilters feel that they are really no different from other people, but let us compare:

Quilters have basements filled with boxes of fabric, and rolls of batting leaning against the wall.  Normal people have large screen TVs, game controllers, pictures on the walls and empty suitcases.

Quilters' children wear shoes at all times and never crawl once they have learned to walk.  Normal peoples' kids run barefoot through the house.  They have no fear of pins in their feet.

Quilters have the ironing board next to the sewing machine.  Their points and corners are perfectly pressed.  Normal people have pressed skirts and pants and they have all the buttons on their shirts.

Quilters have co-ordinated bedrooms, with matching quilts, pillows and wall hangings.  Normal people have co-ordinated wardrobes.

Quilters read quilt magazines, quilt books and pattern instructions.  Normal people read the newspaper on-line, the latest novels and Reader's Digest.

Quilters families eat chili, meals from the Crockpot and anything they can fix themselves.  Normal people eat quiche, fresh vegetables and home-made cookies.

Quilters travel across and out of country to visit quilt shows. Normal people visit [ ] Parks and historical monuments.

Quilters receive e-mail flyers from fabric stores announcing sales.  Normal people look for coupons on-line and take advantage of refund offers.

Quilters receive a discount at the local quilt shop.  Normal people have credit cards for major stores.

Quilters use their dining room for quilting.  Normal people have silk flower centerpieces and guests for dinner.

Quilters save milk cartons [ ] for storage. Normal people recycle their trash.

Quilters carry 3x5 cards covered with yardage requirements and snips of fabric to match.  Normal people carry lists with the family's sizes written on them.

Quilters carry photos of quilt shows and their finished projects.   Normal people carry pictures of their children.

Quilters have rough hands, split nails, rounded shoulders and saddle bag hips.  Normal people have manicures, straight backs and trim hips from attending fitness classes.

Quilters have [ ] glasses and purple shadows under their eyes from sewing late into the night.  Normal people get eight hours sleep and wear contact lenses, if they need glasses at all.

Quilters have needle-nose pliers, razor blades and sandpaper in their sewing boxes.  Normal people have two spools of thread -- one light, one dark -- and a few assorted buttons.

Quilters will never live long enough to finish everything they would like to do, and usually wear themselves out trying. Normal people make a will and wait for the end when they quietly fade away.

Quilters leave works of art filled with memories that will one day be of historic importance.

Normal people leave ...............?

WHEEL CHAIR QUILT PATTERN OPTION

Many of you have used squares you've got in your stash or strips to make your donation quilts.  If you are not comfortable with creating your own pattern and would rather use a pattern, there is one below. This pattern will go together very quickly.

 

 

Designed by Dawn Collins.

2nd ANNUAL HILL SPRING QUILT SHOW -- April 19, 2016

Below is an announcement for the Hill Spring Quilt Show. 

They will only be accepting the first 100 entries so get thinking about what you'll be entering!

QUILT CHALLENGE FOR 2015/2016 INTERIM BLOCK SUMMARY

Our Quilt Challenge this year involves making a quilt that includes all the blocks demonstrated each month at our Guild Meetings.  These quilts should be completed for the final meeting of this year, June 2016.  Feel free to make more than one of the blocks in order to create your quilt.

I thought that a summary would be appropriate now since we will not have a demonstration in December.

Here are the blocks by month thus far.

September Demo Block

1.  Flying Geese Blocks arranged as shown created using 1/2 square triangles made 8 at once.  Demonstrated by Sharon Quinton. 

October Demo Blocks

2.  Snowball Blocks created and demonstrated by Gail Purnell.  Gail also showed us what the block would look like with only two corners used.  You can see a block like this in the background of the picture below.

3.  1/2 square triangles demonstrated by Heidi Sharp.  An alternative method of creating 1/2 square triangles from strips sewn together.  Since it was only the 1/2 square triangle square demonstrated, you can create just about any  arrangement you prefer.  There are three examples, of so many available to you, shown below.  You may also consider using this square for a border.

November Demo Block

4.  The 10-minute block demonstrated by Sylvia Pankhurst.

 

Now you have a summary of all four blocks to be created for your challenge quilt.  Hopefully everyone is keeping up with these blocks.

 

HAPPY QUILTING!

 



SHOW & SHINE -- 09 Nov 2015

With an expanded Quilt Guild enrollment this year, our quilt production has necessarily increased.  Add to this, our efforts to create 60 Wheelchair Quilts for donation to the Cardston Hospital Auxiliary and Lee Crest Seniors Home, results in a long list of quilters and greater number of quilts.
 
Prepare to be impressed!
 
We have 16 quilters that created 39 projects.
 
1.  Kristy Stewart
     a.  Pot Holders
     b.  Coasters.  Kristy holds both projects up with a pile of reproductions on the table.

2.  Helen Wilde ...
     a.  Wheelchair Quilt #1

     b.  Wheelchair Quilt #2

     c.  Wheelchair Quilt #3

     d.  Wheelchair Quilt #4 wasn't held out long enough for me to get a photo.
 
3.  Judy Salmon
     a.  This was a fabric panel which Judy whipped-up.

     b.  Judy's October Sew Day Project completed.  Cute.

     c.  Computer Bag in Purples.  Very nice.

     d.  Calendar block for November.  Judy designed this block herself.  Everyone was delighted with the end result.



     e. & f.  Wheelchair Quilts #1 and #2.  These weren't shown. 

4.  Heidi Sharp
     a.  Heidi will be away next month so she brought this quilt which isn't quite finished.  There is a close-up of the quilting for each block.  Heidi, you're getting very good at machine quilting.

     b.  This quilt was a gift for her daughter for last Christmas.  It's finished this Christmas.  The quilt was cross-stitched by a friend and machine quilted by by Heidi.

 
5.  Gail Erickson ...
     a.  Gail likes to have baby quilts on hand all the time.  I think she said that this is the last for the time-being.  They're all so delicious.

 6.  Raeola Baker ...
     a.  Wedding quilt made with letters of vinyl. This was a kit quilt from Village Quilts.

     b.  This quilt was made with assistance from the great people at Village Quilts.

 
7.  Ruby Quinton ...
     a.  Ruby makes such wonderful quilts.  This is a Disappearing 4-patch pattern.

 
8.  Sharon Pitcher ...
     a.  I believe this is the first completed quilt Sharon has shown.  It's unusual construction appealed to Sharon.  It makes both sides of the quilt at the same time and only takes 2 jelly rolls to complete.  I believe the quilt name is Mile-a-Minute quilt.

9.  Lisa Comin ...
     a.  loves to make wall hangings because of how quickly they make up.  She's all about the colours.

     b.  Lisa has made a shaded dark to light vertical Chevrons wall hanging. 

     c.  This is her version of the Fall Pumpkin Sew Day project made as a wall hanging.

 
10.  Dianne Oertli ...
     a.  I've been waiting to see this quilt, Dianne, ever since I saw you working on it at one of our sew days.  It's gorgeous, and I'm not saying that just because I love green.  The design is called French Braid.

     b.  The fabric in this single-bed quilt is very special.  It is fabric purchased in Alaska while Dianne was on a cruise. Her great granddaughter should be pleased.

11.  Judy Prince ...
      a. loves to work in wool.  This Applique Cornucopia is wonderful.  The wool makes everything look so rich.

      b. Judy made the next two Wheelchair quilts using the demo block for this month.  Sylvia is holding up these samples.  10 Minute Block

      c.  This is a shorter version for a lady.  They both have pockets.

      d.  Judy is showing her reversible Nativity quilt below.  She has been collecting Nativity fabric for a long time.  She still has plenty left for making more gorgeous quilts.  The back of the quilt is a completely different design so that this quilt can be reversed.



     e.  This is another quilt Judy brought to show our meeting demo 10 Minute blocks.



    

       f.  Judy made this lovely quilt by cutting up a fabric panel and adding frames, pieces between the blocks and some poinsettia applique.

12.  Gail Purnell ...
      a.  This scrumptious quilt is made with a pattern called Love Knots.  Very impressive, great colours and wonderfully made.

 
13.  Betty Trudeau ...
       a.  completed this project given to her by Donna Prince, at least that is what I understood.  Log Cabin

       b.  Betty's pumpkin table runner from the Oct Sew Day pattern.  It's so interesting to see everyone's version of this project.

       c.  Betty made an additional Pumpkin Sew Day project but again added her own twist for Halloween by adding the face.  The fabric that you've used for the border is adorable.

 
14.  Sharon Quinton ...
       a.  agreed to bring this wall hanging to show someone at the meeting.  We made her show it but she didn't want to show it for very long.  I think, even with the blurring, you can see the design.

      
     b.  This Hexagon Table Topper was begun at one of the Sew Days last year.  It was worth the wait.  It is made perfectly with a great design!

 
15.  Sheila Kimberley ...
       a.  never wants to show her work. When she brought her Wheelchair Quilt to explain how she made the self-bound edge, I took a picture. 

       b.  Wheelchair Quilt she didn't show at Show & Shine.  I'll try to get a picture in December.

16.  Donna Prince ...
       a.  decided to make her two Wheelchair Quilts with the blocks used in the Raw Edge Scrappy Quilt.  We have this pattern on the blog.

       b.  Her second Wheelchair quilt is longer for use by the gentlemen. It is also made with the Raw Edge Scrappy Quilt.

Keep on Quilting!