Shirley Anne’s Heart

Posted By drsao on March 18, 2010

Karen Sievert

BETTER TOGETHER

Karen began her quiltmaking journey in 1997 when her sister, Barbara, dragged her into a quilt shop, firmly stating that she needed a hobby! Immediately hooked, Karen has been quilting, designing, and teaching ever since. She is the past owner of two quilt shops and now owns her own long-arm quilting business.

And award-winning quilter, Karen states that what she loves most about quilting is the friendships she’s formed with other quilters: friendships that have sustained her through the many moves she’s made due to her husband’s military career.

Karen was born in Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands and currently resides in Gainesville, Virginia, with her husband, Vince, and her three children, Wayne, Shannah, and Travis.

DON’T FORGET TO HONOR NATIONAL QUILTING DAY ON SATURDAY!!  What is everyone going to do to celebrate?

Category: Quilt Shops, Quilter's Corner | 1 Comment »
Tags:

Posted By drsao on March 17, 2010

 However in modern times it seems to be an excuse to party, eat and drink like we never would on a regular day, and get together with family and friends for the festivities. The commercial aspect of the holiday has not been lost on businesses either, exploiting the color green and making dubious links between the celebrations and their products. One only has to look at MacDonald’s for example, who during the months of March sell their “shamrock shake” in the US.

One thing that seems to get lost now in the modern merriment of the day is actually remembering St. Patrick himself who is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. It is said that he drove away the serpents from Ireland, converted people from Paganism, and used the shamrock’s three leaves to represent the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, but apparently life was no easy ride for the guy.

Category: Life Comments | No Comments »
Tags:

Posted By drsao on March 15, 2010

At Quilt Camp there were ONGOING oohs and aahs.  The creativity and talent of these quilting folks is impressive.  I wish that ALL of my pictures had turned out to be wonderful – but alas I am using a new camera and the person/camera interface still has glitches!  I hope you are inspired and enjoy some of what we did at the beach retreat!   We all made pillowcases for the ONE MILLION PILLOW CASE CHALLENGE for Virginia Charities.  (If you take pillowcases to Quilter’s Corner in Midlothian, you will be entered for a monthly gift card drawing too.)

Check out the pictures of the new VICTORY QUILT FABRICS now at Quilter’s Corner in Midlothian (the Eleanor Burns Victory Quilt book is there too!)  Susan had made a few VICTORY QUILT blocks and they are so cute.    The Embroidery Club is also producing some wonderful things…..I especially love the VINTAGE REDWORK.  (You can check out the time and date for the Embroidery Club on the Quilter’s Corner website calendar!)

Also, be sure to notice Jackie weaving her rug.  Her husband made the weaving frame and it is beyond belief…..really, it is a great piece of furniture/work of art.  The wood, the hardware – the whole thing is wonderful and I wish that he were making them to sell.  In the meantime Jackie is enjoying her one-of-a-kind rug frame!

THANK YOU CHRISTY for having us and we missed you and Mr. T a lot!  We missed Karen and her nightly popcorn treats too.  No one makes popcorn like Karen!

AND…..in case my fellow quilt camp quilters are curious – I FOUND MY CAMERA…..someone buried it in the bottom of my 1 1/2″ strip basket…..boy, I sure have a bad habit of picking up things when I am grabbing a pile of strips!  🙂

Category: Future Quilt Inspiration, Quilt Camp 2010, Quilt Retreat, Quilt Shops, Quilter's Corner, Quilts | No Comments »
Tags:

Posted By drsao on March 15, 2010

The first one is the MILKY WAY from Augusta Cole’s Cutting Bee this January…….love it, Augusta!  This one is for Blake, my grandangel who is graduating from high school in California this spring!

Milky Way

 I also got my Star Struck Quilt bound – this is a Bonnie Hunter creation and you can get the pattern free from Bonnie Hunter’s website at www.quiltville.com.  Susan, at Quilter’s Corner, picked the fabrics from a VINTAGE HOLIDAY COLLECTION that was originally purchased for my Birth of a Sampler Quilt (a Sherry Whitford pattern!)  I love my Star Struck and am glad to have finished it!!  Thanks to Sara for quilting it!!!

Star Struck - a Bonnie Hunter Quilt Design

And I must admit I am getting quite fond of my Bonnie Hunter inspired scrappy backs!

My Scrappy Back of Star Struck

OK – now for the third quilt that came home finished.  THIS IS MY EMERALD MOMENT FROM QUILT CAMP.  I am deliriously happy.  Susan, of Quilter’s Corner, did the binding for me……for no reason at all – just to be nice.    Now, those of you who know me – REALLY KNOW ME – know that I am currently trying to engage in positive thinking in order to establish a LOVE OF BINDING.  I have a new mantra…I love to BIND, I love to BIND, I love to BIND.  I am a FIRM BELIEVER in positive attitude as a precursor for change – however my LOVE OF BINDING is developing slowly and I am SOOOOOOOOOOO THRILLED that Susan bound this for me.  It is a Dorothy Young RAISING CANE Mystery Quilt hosted by POCKET FULL OF MYSTERIES this year!    THANK YOU SUSAN!!!!!

Raising Cane - binding by SUSAN of Quilter's Corner!!!

The binding of the quilts was a major source of happiness for me, but I really enjoyed a couple of other projects at Quilt Camp.

I finished all of my blocks for MAD CITY MAMA (another Bonnie Hunter design from her new book LEADERS AND ENDERS!)  I am naming my quilt MAD CITY GRANDMAMA!

Mad City Grandmama Block

AND TA DA….I finished 55 blocks for my Curved Log Cabin Quilt – an Augusta Cole quilt……love these blocks, Augusta….and I have developed a new appreciation for accuracy.   The light colored strips are only 1 inch wide!!!  

Curved Log Cabin Blocks

And last, but not least, I made three pillowcases for the Million Pillowcase Project….

sao's Pillowcase #1

sao's Pillowcase #2

sao's Pillowcase #3

Category: Augusta Cole Quilt Patterns, Blake's Milky Way, Curved Log Cabin, Mad City Grandmama, Quilt Camp 2010, Quilt Retreat, Quilts Finished in 2010, Raising Cane Young Myst09, Star Struck Quilt | 1 Comment »
Tags:

Posted By drsao on March 15, 2010

After a fun and snow filled winter, it was such a breath of fresh air to be at the beach in Corolla Thursday through Monday (Sunday for me.)   Quilt Camp was so much fun and my spirit was nourished and my energy level was renew by the beauty of the ocean, sunrise, sunset, and even the fog and rain infused moments.    Really, I was so excited that I could barely take time out to sleep!  JUST LOOK!

THANK YOU SO MUCH, Christy, for your generous hospitality.  Quilt Camp was so much fun!

Category: Quilt Camp 2010, Quilt Retreat | 1 Comment »
Tags: