Pokey

Announcing the New Editor for Quilting Arts!

Pokey — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 14:00:00 GMT

A couple of months ago I announced a few sizable changes at Quilting Arts (you can read more about those changes in this post). Now I’d like to share the fantastic news that we have a new editor for Quilting Arts! Meet Vivika Hansen DeNegre, a fiber artist and blogger I have admired for some time. She has written a number of articles for Quilting Arts and our related publications as well as been a guest on Quilting Arts TV. Recently I had the opportunity to interview Vivika.

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself… Well, Pokey, like many QA readers, I have worn many hats over the years. My educational background includes a BA in English from Providence College, where I spent my time focusing on creative writing (poetry), and immersing myself in literature. My past career, however, was in pharmaceutical and biotechnology sales. I worked on both the East and West coasts for several different companies in a variety of roles. I have a wonderful and supportive family who are all excited about my new role with QA. I met my husband in college, and we have four great kids.

2. What kind of quilting and mixed media do you like to do? I love everything there is about quilting (except maybe tying off my threads and burying them)! My style is a bit varied: I love making linear, modern, and colorful pieces which are densely quilted and highly graphic. In 2010, two of my modern quilts were commissioned for the permanent collection at Yale New Haven Medical Center’s Smilow Hospital. I also have a love of tattered vintage textiles and papers. I have a series of small pieces in the works, which incorporates those vintage elements and features hand stitching, embroidery, photo transfer, and appliqué. Lastly, I am probably most obsessed with a series of birds, which are made with a raw-edged appliqué technique. I am moving toward incorporating vintage maps, stamps, and letters in those works and am very pleased with my recent pieces.

3. What do you want to learn more about? Surface design! I’ve taken loads of classes, have many books in my personal library, and am looking to expand my abilities by focusing more in 2012 on patterning my own cloth. I anticipate lots of paint and dye in my future…

4. Tell us a little bit about what your hopes are for Quilting Arts in the future. The past 11 years of your life have been focused on creating a wonderful magazine for the art quilting community, and I can’t express strongly enough how influential Quilting Arts Magazine has been in my development as a textile artist. My vision for QA is to continue to promote the gorgeous artistry of quilt artists throughout the world. I see a publication brimming with color, texture, and stitch that focuses on innovative techniques, masterful machine and hand stitching, interesting surface design, and the creative spirit that is alive in all art quilters. I am blessed to be working with a fabulous team in the Sudbury office, including the awesome Ellen Seeburger whose creativity and experience have been a huge help so far. I am looking forward to a wonderful career with QA, and can’t wait to jump right in!

Well, Vivika, we are excited to have you on board!

Vivika is working on her first issue, the April/May issue of Quilting Arts, but you'll meet her much sooner when she launches her Quilting Arts blog in January. I hope everyone will join me in welcoming her!

Huge News at Quilting Arts!

Pokey — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:36:00 GMT

See this picture?

It's one of my favorite pictures taken this last year, and is of my favorite quilting gal pal, Helen Gregory and me right before we taped a segment with her for Quilting Arts TV. She's been our Managing Editor for the Quilt & Paper Group for almost five years...a job, quite frankly, she is overqualified for.

It's with great joy I share that as of December 1, Helen Gregory will become the Editorial Director of the Quilt and Paper Group at Interweave. I am so happy for her, and know in my heart she will do a fantastic job.

You may wonder where I might be going. Well, I have good news on that front, too. I am heading down to Houston, Texas, to join another team of quilt people that I adore: Quilts, Inc., those friendly, hard-working folks who put on the International Quilt Festivals, Markets, etc. Starting in January, I am going to step into a new role there as Chief Creative Officer, which basically means I get to have a lot of fun with them in scheming more fun adventures in quilting. I am staying on as the host for Quilting Arts TV, and as an editorial advisor for Quilting Arts. We are currently interviewing for an editor for Quilting Arts Magazine. Quilting Arts is--and always will be--my baby. Frankly it's a little hard for me to separate my identity from this publication, but at the end of the year, it's time for a new editor to take her (or his) creative talents, vision, and passion for art quilting and bring Quilting Arts to the next level.

I am confident this will be a very smooth transition and I am glad I will still be an editorial advisor for this group (and have a reason to stay in frequent contact with my friends here who are like family to me).

A couple of press releases have been released and you can read them by clicking on the links:

Interweaves's Press Release

Quilts, Inc., Press Release

I want to thank everyone in the quilting world who have made working on Quilting Arts so, so much fun. Cheers to you...

Pokey

Quilting Arts TV Series 900 Recap (and other newsy bits)

Pokey — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 16:17:00 GMT

I think I've amassed about 10,000 miles in my frequent flyer program within the last month. Or at least it feels like 10,000 miles. I have been away more than I've been home the past four weeks, and have hightailed it all over the continent.

My journey began with our CREATE retreat outside of Chicago, a total blast! I taught my Printapalooza class to 20 students, and we spent six hours getting very messy by screening, painting, dyeing, monoprinting, and discharging fabric.

We also enjoyed the outdoors by doing a little sun printing. Can you guess who this is? I laughed when I found out she was taking my class!

Next up was our Quilting Arts TV taping in Ohio...

The above quilt is featured in one of our Save My UFO! segments, where we showed pictures of the unfinished quilt (in distress) and the "rescued" quilt that was finished by another quilter. This finished quilt above was one of my favorite transformations!

Want to know what I stare at when behind the table? The floor director, Billy, (left) with his crew, and to the right is Mike Murphy, the director. Mike's responsible for telling all the cameramen from the control room what camera they are going to next during the segments. He is extremely gifted at this as it is fast-paced. He also enjoys a good sense of humor...but I can't for the life of me tell ya' what he's doing in this picture!

Meet Alan, the sound guy. Here he is miking up Helen Gregory who made two guest appearances.

Alan loves Bernina, too!

We had a lot of very talented guests this season, including Jeanne Sumrall Ajero and Sarah Vedeler.

And Judy Coates Perez who demonstrated the COOLEST discharge segment, plus showed an incredibly fun way to paint on fabric with acrylic inks!

Ana Buzzalino also came to film, and she was nice enough to gift me this pillow. I need to buy just the perfect couch for it. Isn't it pretty?

Other guests who taped include Candy Glendening, Susan Brubaker Knapp, Diane Doran, Elin Waterston, Margaret Applin, Terry White, and Debra Gabel. We also have a number of segments taped at International Quilt Festival/Cincinnati that will be a part of this season.

I left the taping on late Friday afternoon to head to my favorite place on the planet: Napa Valley...

Cindy, my best friend from high school, had a very special surprise 40th birthday party held for her....

Here I am with her and her dad, who throughout my life has taken my teasing and pranks like a true sport. I first met Cindy when I was in 6th grade in dancing school. We carpooled, and the first time her dad drove me home, I purposely gave him the wrong directions. I kept telling him to turn "left"...just so I could talk to Cindy longer in the backseat. We still laugh about this today, and this picture sits proudly on my desk as a fond reminder of how patient he was.

I had a great time away from Quilting Arts headquarters, but I am glad to be home (and at the helm). Looking at my calendar I can't believe my next trip is to My Favorite Show on Earth: International Quilt Festival!

Houston or bust.

Are you joining me?

Greatest Pet Peeve Challenge Results--We want them all!

Pokey — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 18:19:00 GMT

Ok, you Quilting Arts readers are pretty hilarious. We laughed ourselves silly at all of the entries, and we just couldn't winnow the lot down to our top favorites. Some of your pet peeves are hysterical (and hysterically depicted)! Some of them are, frankly, a little quirky, and some of them might be a wee too graphic to put in the magazine...but we want to see them anyway!

We are planning to fit as many as we can in the Dec/Jan issue of Quilting Arts, plus bring them to the International Quilt Festival/ Houston to adorn our booth.

So if you submitted a jpeg of your piece(s), please send us the quilt!

To refresh:

--If accepted as a finalist, your artwork must be in our offices no later than Wednesday,
            September 14, 2011, along with a flat shipping and handling fee of $15 (U.S. and Canada) or
            $25 (all other international). This fee, which must be paid in U.S. dollars, covers the shipping
            costs, packing materials, and handling for the return of your entry.

-- The entire piece and all of its packaging must weigh less than 5 lbs. and fit into a standard shipping/mailing box (no larger than 12" x 4" x 14") or padded envelope.

Finalists should mail their entries to:

Quilting Arts Magazine/Interweave
Attn: Greatest Pet Peeve Reader Challenge
490 Boston Post Road, Suite 15
Sudbury, MA 01776

Note: By submitting your reader challenge entry, you are authorizing Interweave Press LLC to publish your project in upcoming publications and promotional materials, on our website, and in other Interweave e-media, as well as to possibly display it at shows. Interweave Press LLC will not be held responsible for loss or damage due to circumstances beyond our control.

We reserve the right to keep and display your "Greatest Pet Peeve" art quilt until the week of November 15, 2011. We will be shipping the quilts back during the last two weeks of November.

If you have questions about the "Greatest Pet Peeve" reader challenge, contact Ellen Seeburger at eseeburger@interweave.com.

Thank you!

International Quilt Festival/Long Beach & MIU Plans

Pokey — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 20:25:00 GMT

Your trusty Quilting Arts team is getting ready for one of our very favorite shows that we look forward to all year long: International Quilt Festival/Long Beach. This year is no different and in fact we have a lot of fun activities planned at Make It University!, including an incredible line-up of artists for both Open Studios and Workshops, a couple of raffle opportunities where we will be giving away a lot of free loot, and an extra special "Surviving the Runway" extravaganza celebrating those crazy fasteners that are all the rage right now.

Of course we will also have the Trading Post where you can trade ATCs, Inchies, charms, postcards, and small art quilts.

Every show I try and make ATCs that are special to that particular show. In the past as themes I've chosen rats (a little shout out to The Sopranos), butterflies, cupcakes, and this year it seems to be....flies. (Hey! They are highly under-celebrated!)

I have a few special fly ATCs:

There's "I'm not Cross-Eyed, I'm Cross-Flied"

Or "Lord of the Flies"

Or how about "Come Fly with Me..."

Or for those wanting a little glam, how about "I'm So Fly"

Or lastly, I have...

"Your Fly is Down"

So if you are coming to Long Beach I hope you are planning on making a lot of ATCs to create and share on the show floor! Make sure to tell all of your friends to make some too!

For a full schedule of Make It University events simply head over to our events page. See you soon!

Announcing the 6 Winners to My Mom's Birthday Giveaway

Pokey — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:31:00 GMT

Thanks to everyone for helping me wish my mom a Happy 60^th Birthday! I spoke to her over the phone and all of the responses and good wishes really put a smile on her face.

The following winners of the six goodie bags of fabric treats should please email Lindsey Murray at lmurray@interweave.com with your mailing information, and we will get the goods to you next week.

Pam Brees
Priscilla Read
Skipran
JudyMiller2
Artist2Mom

And last but not least a special, hand-selected winner for writing a poem—Art Takes Shape! My mom and I laughed very hard over the poem you created:

Ode to Pokey’s Mom

A former California girl

Whose birthday is in June

Was born across from Disney

And the animated ‘toon.

She listened to the music

Of Elvis and the ‘Stones

And she probably won’t admit it

But a little Davy Jones.

Hippie clothes were all the rage

But if you had some luck

You’d see a psychedelic Peace Sign

Painted on a truck.

All grow’d up she had a girl

She wrote and even sewed

She had lots and lots of talent

Which on Pokey she bestowed.

Now her home’s in Vegas

Where she no longer is a teen.

And one regret that she may have

She has no sewing machine.

So now she has some memories

They always will replay

As she never will forget

The stash that got away!!

Thanks, everyone! Stay tuned as we have some exciting news about International Quilt Festival/ Long Beach to share with you.

Happy Birthday to Pokey's Mom! Interview and Giveaway

Pokey — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 13:05:00 GMT

June 27, 1951, was a busy day in Burbank, CA, and not just because Walt Disney was making animated movies at Disney Studios, but across the street at the hospital, Kathleen Patricia Nichols, my good old mom, was born.

Yes, today is my mom’s 60th birthday! Happy Birthday, mA! In celebration of her birthday––and Quilting Arts wouldn't have happened if she didn’t give life to me (which, by the way, thank you, Mom)––I had some questions for her. Little did she know I was going to be posting them on my blog (and sharing her real age with the greater world).

Pokey: You look very young for your age, you know. And we’re about 20 years apart, which meant growing up I had the young, fun mom. I’m practically your age in this picture (below) at my college graduation, which freaks me out every time I look at it!

You were 40 and I can’t fathom having a college graduate as a kid right now. What’s your secret to staying young? Wine? Chocolate? What?

Kathy: Never let anybody get a good close look at you.

Pokey: We have some talented relatives in the family, some musical. Your second cousin (I think) was jazz pioneer Red Nichols of "Red Nichols and the Five Pennies." Did you ever meet him?

Kathy: He was second cousin to my father. No I never met him. Mom and Dad took us to see the movie made about him staring Danny Kaye.

Pokey: Speaking of movies, we both love “The Graduate.” Hands down one of my very favorite movies ever. You can’t beat Simon and Garfunkel and that closing scene on the bus with Benjamin and Elaine sitting so calmly and agreeably together. What are some of your other favorite movies? Any favorite quotes?

Kathy: Actually my very favorite all time movie is “Born Yesterday” with Billie Holiday. Favorite line in that movie is "...you just ain't couth!"

Pokey: I remember once seeing a home movie of you when you were a teenager, dancing like a maniac in your living room, not a care in the world. You looked so cute. What was it like being a teenager in the 60's growing up in Northern California? Who were some of your favorite bands?

Kathy: It was kind of a mixed-up time.... remember we were involved in Vietnam. Peace symbols were on everything from t-shirts to jewelry, even had a kid at school spray paint one on his truck. “Jesus Christ Super Star” was a big musical. The Rolling Stones were my favorite group, and of course adored Elvis in his white jumpsuit.

Pokey: As a kid you I always saw you with a nose in a book, a pen in your hand, or you were crafting. What do you like to do these days?

Kathy: If not reading or writing a short story myself, I like anything to do with my hands. I used to love gardening and starting plants from seed or grafting. Way, way back I used to sew, and used to do a lot of needlepoint and knitting. Now I’m painting and doing pencil art.

Pokey: I have no spatial sense at all and it’s one of the reasons why I can’t draw. Ah well. Do you work on multiple painting projects at once?

Kathy: When doing painting I do one thing at a time. Pencil art I worked on a few projects at a time––that way you don't get bored from the same color you have to work.

Pokey: Ten years ago you moved from a home on the Pacific Ocean in Northern California to Las Vegas. Are you used to the desert? If I came for a surprise visit, would I find you in arrears at a blackjack table?

Kathy: That's one thing I don't have in common with my friends––gambling is boring. If I'm going to spend money I better be able to either wear the proceeds out of the store or eat it. I'm not throwing it on a table or in a machine!

Pokey: What books are you reading nowadays?

Kathy: I have a fondness for mysteries or anything written about the middle ages. Right now I'm reading Dark Fire by C.J. Sansom. It's about both.

Pokey: I have a secret wish: to get you to quilt, and since you are so much more artistic than me and can draw, to get you to make art quilts. Do you think we’ll be able to get you quilting again?

Kathy: I haven't done any sewing since my old machine broke. It was an Elna and great while it lasted. That kind of put me out of business, but I like working with fabrics; so many endless combinations! My grandmother, your great grandmother, had stacks and stacks and bolts of fabrics....wish I had those!

Pokey: Well, I’m glad I have one of her flower garden quilts shelved in my studio. Thanks, mA, for taking the time to answer my questions!

Oh…by the way, you knew I was asking you questions, but I didn’t tell you that I’m planning on coming July 22 for a mother-daughter Vegas spa weekend before I go to Long Beach. Hope you’re around!

Birthday Blog Giveaway: 60 Party Favors for 60 Years

Help me celebrate my mom’s birthday by leaving a birthday note for her in the comments area. On Wednesday I’ll choose six people to give an assortment of 10 goodies (fabrics, embellishments, etc.) each.

Happy Birthday, mA!

Announcing the Tag, You’re It! Reader Challenge Finalists

Pokey — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 16:23:00 GMT

Letters and words aren’t just used to communicate, tell stories, or relay our thoughts. They can also be used to make our mark, so to speak. Some of us scribble in haste, others embellish with large, flourishing sweeps of the pen. But no matter how we choose to express ourselves, we all have our own way of interpreting text to leave our signature or tag.

Celebrating this spirit of individuality through text, Quilting Arts Magazine® introduced our “Tag, You’re It!” reader challenge, inviting artists to explore ways to incorporate text as a fun graphic element in art quilts.

We received approximately 110 entries, and ask the following challenge finalists to mail your entry to us so that we can better determine if we can find a place for your piece in Quilting Arts Magazine, and/or to hang in our booth at the International Quilt Festival/Houston this fall.

Congratulations to:

Sandra Champion (Both entries)

Karen Claverie

Kathy Collins

Amy Harris (“Miles Below”)

Robert Hartley

Elizabeth Kernic

Linda Kittmer

Ellen Linder

Lynne Redmond

Rebecca Roach

Melissa Snyder

The nitty gritty details

if you are a finalist your artwork must be in our offices no later than Friday, July 1, 2011, along with a flat shipping and handling fee of $15 (U.S. and Canada) or $25 (all other international). This fee, which must be paid in U.S. dollars, covers the shipping costs, packing materials, and handling for the return of your entry. The entire piece and all of its packaging must weigh less than 5 lbs. and fit into a standard shipping/mailing box (no larger than 12" x 4" x 14") or padded envelope.

Finalists should mail their entries to:

Quilting Arts Magazine/INTERWEAVE 

Attn: Tag, You’re It! Reader Challenge 

490 Boston Post Road Suite 15

Sudbury, MA

01776

Thanks to all for participating!

Confessions of a Bruce Springsteen, Clarence Clemons-loving Quilt Magazine Editor

Pokey — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 23:37:00 GMT

I’m just so sad. I feel like there was a huge earthquake in the universe, shifting the axis of the earth so suddenly and abruptly, I have to find my footing again (and I know I’m far from alone). Anyone who might read my blog or catch my editor letter from time to time might know I am a huge fan of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band.

Shot I took in August 2009 in Mansfield, MA.

Behind any great musician are the talented, inspiring band mates, and for Bruce, one key friend was most certainly the Big Man, Clarence Clemons. Like most everyone in E Street Nation, I am just devastated about his passing. Things will never, ever be the same again. I think about the Big (and gentle) Man who was such an icon and powerhouse behind Bruce and the E Street, and how many of Bruce’s songs would have felt so flat without that powerful, joyful saxophone bringing it home and celebrating the stories of those songs.

(Please visit the site to view this media)

Spoiled me, I caught not one, but two Bruce concerts in 2009 in Boston, yet it was clear Clarence was in pain, given the way he shuffled around on stage (no pun intended). As geeky as it is to admit, I actually pinched myself during the last concert I attended in August 2009; I think I knew on some level it would be the last time I would see them all together (sadly, minus keyboardist Danny Federici).

Art quilter Katie Pasquini Masopust shared once that when she free-motion quilts, she turns up the stereo volume and just rocks out as it helps her to get in the groove of stitching. I couldn’t agree more. Whenever I get to business with my Bernina, I crank up the sound on my Bose speakers and most times listen to Bruce and the E Street. So here’s my E Street playlist for getting into the stitching zone (many but not all including Clarence and his saxophone work):

“Jungleland”

“Thunder Road”

“Sherry Darling”

“Girls in Their Summer Clothes”

“Paradise by the ‘C”

“Happy”

“Blood Brothers”

“Tenth Avenue Freeze Out”

“Out in the Street”

“The Ties That Bind”

“Independence Day”

“New York Serenade”

“Blood Brothers”

“Independence Day”

“Brother Under Bridges”

“If I Should Fall Behind”

I will sorely miss you, Clarence. Thanks so much for your inspiration and your music.

(Please visit the site to view this media)

Are you an E Street fan or are there other tunes that inspire you when quilting? I hope you will share…

My Fabric Painting & Printapalooza Weekend

Pokey — Tue, 31 May 2011 13:00:00 GMT

I confess, if I didn't love Quilting Arts so much, I'd throw in the towel and spend all of my time painting and dyeing fabric. You see, some day when I finally grow up, I want to be Jane Dunnewold (or Kerr Grabowski). I save any kind of surface design work for the summer when I can work outside on my driveway, which I can't quite do over the winter months. See what I mean?

But at long last, the temps are in the 80s, the sun is finally out, and my portable table that I keep loaded with fabric painting and dyeing supplies in my garage, is ready to be lugged out onto the pavement.

I adore fabric dyeing most especially, but when you're out of practice for a few months, it can be a little overwhelming to jump into right away. After all, there is so much prep work and things to remember like soda soak solutions, Synthropol, urea, and if you like to deconstruct screen print, add dye thickening agents, screens, squeegees, etc., to the mix.

So I often launch surface design season with a little fabric sun printing activity--a one-step, easy process to get color on fabric to achieve faux batik effects. And with such an easy process, I try and exercise my color mixing skills, which get rusty over the winter months. Last week I placed an online order at Pro Chemical & Dye, ordering PFD fabric and five colors of Setacolor paints: red, yellow, blue, black, and white. (If you have these five basic colors, you can produce any color imaginable.)

If you've never sun printed fabric before, you need:

Setacolor paints by Pebeo (regular fabric paints wont work)

Foam brushes

Small plastic containers

Pins

Fabric (preferably PFD)

Spray bottle filled with water

Print board

Stuff to print with (leaves, stencils, household items, etc.)

Directions

1. Pin your fabric to your print board so it's taut.

2. Spray the fabric with your mister. (This is so that the paint will move a little when you apply it.)

3. Pour about two tablespoons of each of the colors into your plastic containers, and splash each with water. (I usually have a 1:1 ratio, but I'm not very exact about it.)

4. Paint your fabric with the various colors using the foam brushes.

5. Place objects on top and allow fabric to dry before removing them.

This time I tried sun printing using my stencils from the Crafter's Workshop. I love 'em...

A few fabrics created using these stencils for sun printing:

I then got a little more adventurous and gathered items around my house to see what everyday gadgets I could try. Here are some of the things I chose...

There's "Vintage Spool" fabric:

"Show Me the Money!" fabric:

"Come on Baby, Light My Fire!" fabric:

"Don't Get Clipped!" fabric:

"Airing Your Dirty Laundry" fabric:

"Fabric for Fido" fabric:

Which Louie felt he needed to guard closely while the fabric was drying...

All in all, a fun and productive weekend!

This is just the beginning stages for the fabrics, as I'll add some Thermofax-screened images and perhaps some foiling:

If you are heading to Long Beach for the International Quilt Festival and Make It University!(TM) in July, I'm teaching an all-day Printapalooza class. Weather permitting, we'll do some sun printing outside as well as Thermofax screening, stamping, and stenciling. It will be a fun time!

Recap of Spring International Quilt Market/ Salt Lake City & Free Fabric!

Pokey — Thu, 19 May 2011 12:17:00 GMT

Update to this post! Fabric winner announced at the bottom of this entry. More giveaways coming Wednesday!

Despite consistently dreary, rainy days with highs in the lower 50s here in Sudbury, MA, the calendar does indeed say it's May, and that means time for Spring Quilt Market! This year it was held in beautiful Salt Lake City, Utah, where the flowers were in full bloom.

While the sun shone outside, everybody was hustling and bustling on the show floor inside the convention center. And our very own Lindsey Murray (standing) attended her first-ever Quilt Market. (With her is Managing Editor Helen Gregory as she completes some last-minute proofing on her computer before walking the show floor.)

I have a real knee-collapsing weakness for Kokka fabrics. I love these totes I saw in their booth:

And check out their viewmaster fabric! I bought a yard of it at the Cincinnati show, but I can't bring myself to cut it up yet:

I finally got to meet Alissa Haight Carlton (on the left below), founding member of the Modern Quilt Guild who also made a gorgeous quilt we featured in Quilt Scene last year. She has a fabulous book coming out very soon with C &T called The Block Party: The Modern Quilting Bee. You wont want to miss it!

I'm thrilled to share that Mary Fisher, fiber and mixed-media artist and world-renowned AIDS activist, at long last has her first two fabric lines out with Troy Fabrics.

Based on her watercolor work, her fabrics are both vibrant and graphic, and available in a variety of color ways:

Marcia Derse, also a fabric designer for Troy, has her fourth line of fabric out this spring. I gobble up every fat quarter I can find by her...

See what I mean?

Check out my brief interview with Marcia

(Please visit the site to view this media)

All in all, I had a wonderful time at Quilt Market. I met a lot of new designers, got some great ideas for upcoming editorial, and even got to eat a lot of chocolate. (HandiQuilter, local to Salt Lake City, very generously hosted a reception fit for kings and they had not one, not two, but three chocolate fountains!)

Lastly, I came home from Salt Lake to a fat box of Moda Fabrics. I love this "Terrain" bundle by Kate Spain. Anybody want some?

OK, answer the following question in the comments area and I'll pick a winner on Monday. My question: My mom came out to visit with me in Salt Lake before Market so we could spend Mother's Day together. She's what you'd call a fun mom. Here we are at the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame last fall during the QA TV taping in Cleveland:

We both have Big Birthdays this year, and hers is next month. She does a lot of painting and needlepoint, but she is thinking of getting back into quilting. Be still my heart! She doesn't have much in terms of supplies, however. I know the basic stash-building stuff to equip her with, but I'm curious what quilting tool(s) you'd get your mother on a Big Birthday to encourage her to take up art quilting.

Answer away!

****Blog update! Congratulations to DebraB@8! Please email Lindsey Murray (lmurray@interweave.com) with your shipping address. Thanks, and thanks to everyone for your fantastic gift suggestions!

Today's 1st Round of Free Fabric & Loot Winners!

Pokey — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 16:50:00 GMT

So have a look at my office as we get ready to move out Friday. I'm making progress!

Congratulations to the following three people to win some loot for our giveaways today:

Veronica Martin

Sewcrastinate

Crafty -Artist

Please email Ellen Seeburger (eseeburger@interweave.com) with your shipping address and she will send you your loot!

Now Lindsey is giving away free stuff before our big move out of Stow, MA.

Take it away, Lindsey!

Launching the 1st of 10 Free Fabric Giveaways (Today only!)

Pokey — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 13:41:00 GMT

We are moving offices this Friday, and that means we are all in our packing clothes (code for jeans and t-shirts), and boxing everything up.

(Although Managing Editor Helen is still trying to get a little work done amidst the chaos...)

We have a lot of work cut out for us the next two days:

And I am cringing at the state of my office...

So this is where we could use a little help! We have a lot of loot to give away, and we want to get rid of it by the end of the day today. This is the first of several posts where Ellen, Lindsey, and I will be giving away bags of free stuff, so keep checking back. We have a lot of loot: Angelina packs, stashes of fat quarters and fabric swatches, books, batting, Havels scissors (and these are GREAT scissors), and more.

Due to the timing of this, we can only ship to U. S. destinations today. Sorry to our international folks, but we thought it was better to give away free stuff rather than not give it away at all, and this is the only way we can ship. (If you live outside the States, and still want to play along, maybe you can have your goods shipped to a friend in the U.S. who can then ship to you.)

Question: Are you spring cleaning your studio? What kinds of things are you getting rid of? Leave a response below and I'll pick three winners by 1:00 PM EDT today!

What do press deadlines and rock concerts have to do with quilting?

Pokey — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 12:43:00 GMT

Question: What do quilting editors do when they just sent their newest and biggest issue ever (101 Patchwork Projects) off to press, it's St. Patrick's Day weekend, and they live near Boston? They go see the Dropkick Murphys at the House of Blues, of course!

This past Friday night some of your trusty Quilting Arts team, Helen Gregory, Lindsey Murray, and myself, hoofed it down to the House of Blues across the street from Fenway Park to listen to the Boston-based Irish punk band The Dropkick Murphys. No self-respecting Bostonian (who has even just a smidgeon of Irish blood running through their veins), doesn’t turn up the volume and do an Irish jig when they come on the radio.

We had tickets for the floor, which is general standing only, and were thrilled when we secured front and center placement...

...so much so that Managing Editor Helen became Manager of the Mosh Pit!

The place was absolute insanity and filled with riotous energy. Young Irish step dancers who looked about eight years of age performed alongside them for several songs, as well as a gaggle of bagpipe players who assisted for a few tunes (and I think is responsible for my loss of hearing in my left ear). Everybody was jumping up and down, dancing, singing along, and in the below shot, you'll see the band grabbed as many guys from the audience as possible on stage to sing to all the girls. (I'd mention the song title but I can't because it has profanity in it. Just think of an alternate ballad version of "Kiss Me, I'm Irish.")

Now here's where it got deliriously exciting for me. About three hours into the concert (there were not one, not two, but three opening acts), I was worried that the rumored appearance of a very special guest was not going to happen. But then the lights were dimmed and one of the lead vocalists, Ken Casey, brought his grandmother Peg onto the stage.

A little background: On their latest album "Going Out in Style," there is a song called "Peg O My Heart" dedicated to Ken's two grandmothers, both named Peg. It just so happens that Bruce Springsteen makes a guest appearance on this track. For those who read my letter from the editor from time to time, or perhaps caught my blog about taping Series 500 of QA TV you may know I'm just a tad fanatical when it comes to Bruce Springsteen. So imagine my excitement when Ken announced that he needed a little help singing to his grandmother, and just who was the one person who could help him?! (By the way, I'm pretty sure I can hear my obnoxious "wahooing" in the background of this video since the guy who took it was right in front of me):

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All in all a fantastic time, and a great way to celebrate sending an issue to press. With Bruce closing his three-song encore by assisting with "I'm Shipping Up To Boston," a song that is as much a Boston anthem as The Standells' "Dirty Water," and is played at Red Sox games when relief pitcher Jon Papelbon runs onto the field, I couldn't help but think that Opening Day at Fenway will soon be upon us.

And with it...SPRING--something that Lindsey and I are very eager for!

Even though I have temporarily lost my hearing and my voice, and think I'm going to lose about five toe nails due to so many 200-pound Irish boys from Southie stomping on my feet, it was well worth it!

I do have a concert quandry, though, that I'm hoping some of you quilters can offer some advice. Lindsey and I each bought a concert t-shirt, and the front looked cool enough, but we didn’t turn it around to see the back.

Now these are all very fine sentiments symbolized on an Irish Claddagh ring, but spelled out on a rock-n-roll t-shirt?! I don’t think so! Lindsey and I are going to figure out how we can either paint, screen print, discharge or stamp it, or add some interest twist. If you leave me an idea, I’d be grateful, and in thanks I'll pick one person to send a stash of green fabric to!

Meet Ana Buzzalino Behind the Scenes at Quilting Arts TV

Pokey — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 14:24:00 GMT

Meet the very talented Ana who not only has been a Quilting Arts calendar artist, but has been a Quilting Arts cover girl--twice!

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