Sweet Home Quilt Co.

More pictures of the beautiful quilts from the Festival of Quilts Show and the members of the Heart of Georgia Quilt Guild.

Cottage and Flowers by Joyce Jones
(hand appliqued and hand quilted!)

Toots’s Flower Garden by Alice Smith
A Piece ‘O Cake pattern, Alice started this quilt in Utah in 1987, worked on it in Hawaii, Korea, Florida and New Hampshire, and finally finished it in Georgia! I wish you could see the machine quilting done by Alice on her Bernina – it was simply amazing!

Hidden Star (miniature) by Kathy Darley

Buttons Blooms and Baskets by Alice Smith

Stretched Chains by Page O’Neill

Miss Lily’s Baskets by Sandy Gilreath
(an original design)

Hartwell Commons by Sandy Gilreath
Quilt features silk ribbon embroidery, free motion quilting, and applique. This quilt has been selected as a semi-finalist in the AQS Show & Contest in Paducah, April 2012.

How Does My Garden Grow by Jeannine Burton
This quilt was fabulous with machine embroidered applique flowers and crystal “bling” all over it!

Raj, Rob Roy, and Ralph (Rooster series) by Beth McGinn

Blue Flame by Carol West

Pansy Baskets by Sumie Martin

Exotic Flowers by Joyce Jones
(hand appliqued and hand quilted)

Mill Wheel by Laurene Wooten
(hand pieced and hand quilted)

Angeline’s Garden Quilt by Angeline Walker
(Angie’s first applique quilt!!!)

Friends and Flowers, You Can Never Have Enough by Sheila Bender
(hand appliqued)

As I mentioned earlier, talent abounds in this guild. Many members had 7, 8, 9, and even 10 quilts entered in this show! And you can see that they really, really love applique and do some absolutely amazing work! I am always awestruck and inspired while viewing the masterpieces created by this guild!

There were a couple of special exhibits that I’ll share with you in a separate post so that I can share the stories, too. In the meantime, if you have an opportunity to attend a guild quilt show and view the local talent, please do so in support of the quilters who put so much time and effort into their work. But remember, don’t touch the quilts or you could end up like these hapless folks…

Melisa

I had so much fun this weekend vending at the Heart of Georgia Guild’s Festival of Quilts Show in Macon. I am always honored to be asked back, and the ladies of the guild are so sweet and wonderful to the vendors that it really isn’t like working at all!

This is our booth (sorry the picture is so dark!) I usually put up my drapes but decided to leave those off this year and I was glad I did…it opened things up and I didn’t feel as closed off from reverything as I usually do! Had a great time visiting with Jean and Kathy who were doing demonstrations right next to me!

There is no shortage of talent in the Heart of Georgia Quilt Guild, and it is very evident in the quilts entered into the show. Warning! Many photos to follow…it was just too hard to narrow them down too much! I’ll do a second post with more pictures later this week. Enjoy!

Piece and Plenty by Susan Crook

This was my view for two days as this quilt hung right in front of my booth. Susan does amazing applique, and her color and fabric choices mimic my taste perfectly!

Baltimore’s Country Cousins by Linda Strickland

An amazingly beautiful quilt made by a quilter who proclaims to not like applique!

Paper Pieced Christmas Quilt by Page O’Neill

Christmas Quilt by Page O’Neill

Page actually made two of these quilts…for bunk beds!

Yikes! Stripes! #2 by Alice Smith

Wholecloth by Miriam Shurling (and a close up)

This quilt was purchased at an auction already sandwiched and ready to quilt. Miram finished it with hand quilting.

In the Garden by Mary Ramsdell

Irish Chain with trapunto roses…beautiful, spring colors!

Feathered Pineapple (wholecloth) by Faye Schnable

This was a pre-printed wholecloth design altered by the maker and longarm machine quilted. Trapunto is done using wool batting. (Wholecloth quilts are so difficult to photograph – there is no way to do it justice!)

It’s Never Too Late to Plant a Friendship Garden by Kathleen Melikian

Southern Heritage by Faye Schnable

A Tribute to Gerald Walker by Angeline Walker

They’re Coming to Take Me Away! Ha, Ha! by Beth McGinn

Aptly named…look at the gazillion pieces in this quilt and all those points!

That’s all for now…I’ll post more later!

Melisa

If you’re planning to be in New York City this spring, you must make time to visit the American Folk Art Museum which has declared this the Year of the Quilt, a celebration of our unique art form and three centuries of creativity from American quilters. Numerous quilt exhibits will be on display for much of the year, including the current exhibition “Quilts: Masterworks from the American Folk Art Museum,” which highlights the best of the museum’s textile collection. This exhibit will be in place through April 24, 2011.

In March, a special exhibit of more than 650 red and white quilts entitled “Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts,” will mark the largest quilt exhibition ever to be displayed in New York. And best of all, the exhibit is FREE and open to the public!

I strongly encourage you to grab a couple of quilting friends and plan a quilty weekend in NYC!

Melisa

There are always at least two or three special quilt exhibits at Quilt Market, but I am usually so busy that I don’t take time to take in the show. I was particularly drawn to a couple of the quilts in the Celebrate Spring! 2010 exhibit presented by the International Quilt Association, so I snapped some photos to share with you. The theme was season of renewal and there was a wide array of interpretations on display…these were my favorites:

Let’s All Spring Forward by Rosalie Baker, Davenport, IA

Evening Egrets by Joanne Baeth, Bonanza, OR

Morels in May by Barbara Douglas, Midland, MI

Spring is Just Around the Corner by Saradean Hallman, West Columbia, SC

Sunny Side Up by Timna Tarr, South Hadley, MA

Melisa

The Heart of Georgia Quilt Guild show this weekend included a special exhibit from the guild’s Baltimore Album quilting group of quilts made from the pattern, Friendship Garden, from Barb Adams and Alma Allen. The group worked on this block-of-the-month project in 2008 at their monthly meetings, sharing techniques and encouragement. Each quilt has a unique personality based on fabric choices, changes to pattern elements, and different border treatments. (Click on the pictures to enlarge.)

Friendship Garden, made by Dale Smith. Machine pieced, hand appliqued. Longarm machine quilted by Regina Carter.

Susan’s Friendship Garden, made by Susan Crook. Machine pieced, hand appliqued. Longarm machine quilted by Faye Schnable.

As the Crow Flies, made by Angie Allison. Machine pieced, hand appliqued, Longarm machine quilted by Regina Carter. Quilt also received the Vendor’s Choice Award from Quilts and Fixins.

Seven Black Birds, made by Sandy Gilreath. Machine pieced, hand appliqued. Home machine quilted by Sandy Gilreath.

Birds and Berries, made by Mary Sims. Machine pieced, hand appliqued. Longarm machine quilted by Regina Carter.

Friendship Garden, made by Joyce Jones. Hand and machine pieced, hand appliqued, hand quilted.

I just realized as I was going through the program guide that I must not have gotten pictures of all the quilts in this special exhibit. Also in the exhibit (no photos) were: Braves Garden, made by Hilda Pruett; In the Garden, made by Faye Schnable; Friendship Garden, made by Linda Strickland…mea culpa!

Melisa

I had the pleasure of vending at the Heart of Georgia Quilt Guild’s “Silver Anniversary Celebration” Quilt Show this weekend. This is an opportunity that I don’t miss, and I am so happy they continue to invite us back to participate in their show. The talent in this guild is simply amazing, and it is always inspiring to see their beautiful creations displayed.

Each vendor was given an opportunity to choose their favorite quilt and award a “Vendor’s Choice” ribbon. I can’t tell you how difficult this was to do! I took lots of pictures the first day and then I had to sleep on it before I could decide!

Sweet Home Quilt Co. Vendor’s Choice Award.  “Hope” made by Kathleen Melikian. This quilt also received the Quilter’s Choice Best Mixed Technique Award. Quilt is machine pieced, hand appliqued, and longarm machine quilted by Regina Carter. The border is Kathleen’s original design.

Close up of the Vendor’s Choice award ribbon…hand made by the guild members! All of the award ribbons were made by the guild members and were pieces of art alone!

There were so many beautiful quilts on display and I only had a limited amount of time to see the show so didn’t get nearly as many photos as I would have liked. Enjoy!

Antique Churn Dash, made by Susie Dumas. An antique top, Maker Unknown, purchase in Paducah, KY, and hand quilted by Susie.

Apple of My Eye, made by Ethel Bill; hand quilted by Kathy Reid. Quilt won Best of Show for hand quilting at the Georgia National Fair in 2008. 

Art’s Log Cabin, made by Tess Thorsberg, celebrating the arrival of her first grandchild.

Baltimore Bunnies, made by Carol West. Machine pieced, hand appliqued and embroidered. Hand and longarm machine quilted by Carol West and Regina Carter.

BEST OF SHOW – Baltimore Quilt, made by Sumie Martin. Machine pieced, hand appliqued. Longarm machine quilted by Regina Carter.   This quilt also won several other awards as you can see from the ribbons attached; unfortunately, I failed to note what they were! Sumie worked on this quilt 4 1/2 years!

Blue Anvils, made by Alice Smith. Wonderful miniature!

   Blue Bonnets, made by Audrey Shirah.

Chimney Sweep, made by Eloise Johansen. Machine pieced and hand quilted.

  Fish Got Lips, made by Tess Thorsberg. First Place in the guild’s 2009 Challenge – Four is Enough. The quilt had to have four appliqued blocks.

Four Little Pitchers, made by Sandy Gilreath. Another entry in the guild’s 2009 Challenge. Pitchers are original designs inspired by a collection of pitchers; vine is an adaptation of a published pattern by Emily Senuta. The project uses Cherrywood hand-dyed fabrics and is free motion machine quilted on a home machine, using variegated thread.

Friendship Bouquet, made by Mary Sims. Longarm machine quilted by Regina Carter.

Kentucky Album, made by Tess Thorsberg. Third Place in the guild’s 2008 Challenge – Out on a Limb. The quilt had to have a tree and had to include some orange fabric.

Log Cabin at the Beach, made by Donna Brannen. Machine pieced and hand quilted. Quilt took 3 years to piece and 3 years to quilt!

Melisa’s Bunnies, made by Susan Crook. Machine pieced, hand appliqued and embroidered. Longarm machine quilted by Dianne Dye. Susan made this quilt for her daughter, Melisa. I had the pleasure of meeting Melisa at the show…she is the only other person I’ve ever met who spells her name like I do…one ‘L’ and one ‘S’!!!

Out of the Box Poppies, made by Donna McDowell. Longarm machine quilted by Dianne Dye. Pattern is Star Struck from local designer, Pat Wys at Silver Thimble Quilt Co.

The Pleasures of Pomegranates & Poinsettias, made by Sandy Gilreath. Recognize this one? It won Sweet Home Quilt Co.’s Sponsor’s Award at the 2009 East Cobb Quilt Guild Show. Still one of my favorite quilts!

Scrappy Stars, made by Dale Smith. Machine pieced and hand appliqued. Longarm machine quilted by Dianne Dye.

Simply Vintage, made by Dale Smith. Machine pieced and hand appliqued. Longarm machine quilted by Regina Carter.

Winter Garden, made by Kathleen Melikian. Machine pieced and hand appliqued. Longarm machine quilted by Regina Carter. Vendor’s Choice Award of A Scarlet Thread. The quilt also received another award, but again, I failed to write it down.

I’ll share a special exhibit in another post, along with some incredible doll beds and quilts made by the members. I hope you’ve enjoyed the show…if you weren’t able to see it in person, you missed a really great show!

Melisa

Another fantastic quilt from Karen of sewprimitive. I think this was from her Jo’s Little Women Club. I absolutely love the border on this quilt!!!

A very close contender for my favorite in the show – exquisite applique work and just my colors, too!

Close-up of the crow block from the quilt above.

Pink and brown is still a favorite color combination, and tiny little basket blocks always appeal to me!

Viewer’s Choice Award – Chin Chin by Mary Anne Henderson, owner of Red Hen Fabrics. My pictures in no way capture the beauty of this quilt! It is all thread painted on the front, and hand painted on the back with loads of crystals – simply amazing!

BEST OF SHOW – a fabulous hand-appliqued, hand-quilted Baltimore Album.

That’s it until 2011. I have been so inspired by the beautiful quilts in this show; not to mention the stellar organization and teamwork of the East Cobb Quilt Guild – those ladies (and gents!) know how to put on a quilt show event! Every detail was anticipated, and the show appeared to unfold like clockwork, although I am sure there were glitches behind the scenes they were never apparent to the participants, vendors or show attendees! I am proud to be associated with this wonderful event!

I hope you enjoyed the show – there were so many more that you missed by not being there! Make plans to attend in 2011 if you can, and start working on an entry, too!

There were more than 350 quilts hanging in the East Cobb Quilt Guild show this past weekend where we vended. These were some of my favorites:

Mini 9-patch

by Karen of sewprimitivequilter - check out her pattern designs!

Another beauty by Sandy Gilreath of Macon, GA. This quilt also won an award at Paducah earlier this year.

This incredible beauty was about 18 inches square – those little pieced blocks around the outside border were about one inch square!!!

This was done by Kristin at Fiber on a Whim (if my memory serves me correctly; if not, I apologize!)

another by Kristin

I’m out of photo space in this post; I’ll add more in the next post. Hope you’re enjoying the show!

I don’t think I’ve ever been as tired as I was Sunday after the East Cobb Quilt Guild show ended! Four days of non-stop standing on my feet, battling the incessant rain we’ve had for the last week, and meeting and visiting with customers in the booth really took a toll on me, and today I didn’t even get out of my pajamas until nearly 3PM! Even then, with the continuing downpours and feeling totally wiped out, all I could manage was curling up on the sofa with a good book! A much needed respite indeed! We had so much fun this weekend, though, seeing old friends and meeting new that it was all worth it.

I did manage to get all the photos from the weekend downloaded and resized, and I wanted to share pictures of our booth as well as some of the amazing quilts from the show. I entered our Shop Hop quilt in the group category and it was selected to hang in the show. I was so humbled to have our quilt hanging with the spectacular works of art on display! I hope you enjoy the show, too.

I have learned that it is best to just rent a van when we vend at shows; it makes things much easier on those of us loading and unloading our stuff for the booth. We have to take everything from product to props so it is always a LOT of stuff! Just like packing for any other trip, I always take far more than we need, but I don’t want to take a chance on needing something and not having it.

Booth set up in progress. I try to have a plan on paper before we get there so I don’t have to “think on the fly” about where things need to hang or be displayed in the booth. Even so, after getting everything unloaded out of the van it still takes about 4 or 5 hours to get the booth set up.

Here’s Pam doing the final tweaking Thursday afternoon.

I realized belatedly that I never got a really good photo of the booth once it was all put together – drats! These are left and right shots of the booth, though. We had a number of new samples displayed that were totally new, not even seen in the shop. I’ll share details of those over the next few days as we get everything restored at the shop.

I didn’t get any photos of the tear down process either. By Sunday afternoon, we were all exhausted and just ready to snatch the booth down and get it loaded for the trip home. We were trying to beat the impending storms, too, so we didn’t have to load stuff in the rain! It always amazes me that it takes 4 to 5 hours to put the booth together, and then only about an hour to take it down!

At this venue, the vendors are all on the second floor so we have a terrific bird’s eye view of the quilts displayed.

As a show sponsor, Sweet Home Quilt Co. is allowed to select a quilt to honor with a Sponsor’s Award. I admit to selecting the quilt primarily based on what appeals to me, but I also am conscious of the association with the type of traditional quilt shop we are known to be. Pam and I browsed the show Thursday afternoon after finishing the booth set up, and I made notes on the quilts I liked. There were a lot that I liked, but I was waiting for that “WOW” factor to kick in before I made my final selection. When I spotted this quilt, I knew it would be my choice for our Sponsor’s Award:

Imagine my delight when I learned that this quilt, entitled The Pleasures of Pomegranates & Poinsettias, was made by Sandy Gilreath, one of our customers from Macon, GA and that some of the fabrics were purchased at SHQC!  Sandy does exquisite needleturn applique and machine quilting. Sandy also received the Judges’ Recognition Award for this quilt, as well as a first place ribbon for another quilt she had in the show (I’ll share that one later.) Congratulations, Sandy!

This post has gotten too long, so I will save the other quilt pictures for another post tomorrow. Prepare to be awed and inspired!  I’ll leave you with a shot of the SHQC 2009 Shop Hop Quilt hanging in the show, entitled “Everything’s Not Always Black and White!”

…and checking it twice, three times, four times! I’m feeling a little like Santa Claus tonight!  I ‘think’ we’ve got everything ready to head out tomorrow for set-up at the East Cobb Quilt Guild show, which starts Friday.  Mellie, Pam and I have worked ourselves to death today, finishing kits, packing, and all the hundred other tasks that go into vending a quilt show – all in between customers. I felt really bad that the shop was in such disarray for those who came to visit, but it couldn’t be helped.  Someone said it looked as if there had been a burglary, with the walls bare of samples and shelves not quite as full as usual. The term “raped and pillaged” comes to my mind when I look around tonight. Here are a few scenes of the carnage . . .

Boxes and boxes of goodies for the booth!

Samples piled high on the work table ready to be packed.

Stacks and bins of props for the booth. I like to arrange things similarly to what I do in the shop, so all this is necessary “fluff” – that’s Mellie’s word!

More fluff – yes, that’s a Christmas tree! You can’t have a Christmas display without a Christmas tree, can you?

Here’s a sneak peek of one new sample, sans binding. I still have to finish whipping that down tonight – I think I’ll do that while I soak my aching feet and have a nice glass of wine!

We’re in Booth #13 at the show this weekend – come see us!