Village Fabric Shoppe

Before I fill you in on shoppe events, I have to tell you about a show I saw yesterday at the Wadsworth Athenium Museum of Art, in Hartford Connecticut. It is called "Who was Anna Tuels? - Quilt Stories 1750-1900." There are only about a dozen quilts in this show but they are in great condition, hung in a very accessible manner, and well worth seeing. These pieces are part of the museums own collection and are not often on public display. Among the pieces are three quilted petticoats, the oldest of which is quilted with a lovely design, but the parallel lines of the background quilting are about an eighth of an inch apart. The stitching is amazing. Also on view is the oldest dated pieced quilt made in America, a charm quilt in a Blazing star pattern, several silk pieced quilts, and two spectacular Crazy Quilts. If you can get there you should, you will not be disappointed. Unfortunately I only just found out about it and the show closes on the 25th. You can get more information at www.WadsworthAthenium.org

Here at the shoppe, we are getting the dates and copy ready for the Spring Schedule. Mark your calendars and get into the Shoppe the first week of February for Registration Week. There is lots of fun to be had this time, with simple and quick projects, and some things that are more challenging. As we do every Spring, there are several workshops for the actual quilting of your pieces. Although there are numerous long arm quilters out there, with our economy where it is, several of you have told me you cannot afford to send out your pieces. Then there are those of you who, like me, don't want to give the control of a very important aspect of the finishing process to another person. We will show you how to do it yourself. When time allows, I love to hand quilt,( I am all inspired by the Wadsworth exhibit!!) and I will be offering a workshop in February. In March, Diane Johnson will be running a class on Machine Quilt as You Go. This is highly suggested for this years Block of the Month, so that come December you are nearly done and will be able to finish the ENTIRE thing yourself in time for it to be a holiday gift. The other great advantage of Quilt as You Go is that you can work the quilting on the size piece that you are comfortable with on your own machine.

This week we have the second half of both the Dragon Fly, and Bloomin Steps workshops, and on Saturday there is Crazy Quilt Club. The weekend Special is on Civil War and Colonial Era Reproductions. The rich reds, blues and purples and surprisingly bright pinks, yellow and greens are 40% off on Friday and Saturday. If you need to finish up last years Block of the Month, or use up some of your leftover blocks, this is the sale for you.

In Creativity Central I want to address an issue that came up during the Art Quilt meeting last week. It is one that surfaces in all the creative arts, and when it is lacking, the urge to create can be completely stifled. Whether your medium is fabric, food, music or the written word, finding an audience that supports your efforts makes the journey much easier. Finding others who understand that this is important to you can provide a springboard for ideas, and often can help you get through times when things don't go quite right. Now we are not saying that you should dump your friends who don't quilt, but that you should seek out those who share that interest. ( or teach those that don't!!! ) You can join a club, a guild, or even just take a class and talk to like minded people. And of Course there is always a visit to your favorite Quilt Shoppe!! Having support for your efforts can make all the difference. It can make your creative journey a joy!!

Finally, a reminder that I am now accepting pieces to show in the gallery. The show, "What I did Last Year" will be up for Registration week, and highlights the amazing and wonderful work that you all have done in 2008. There will be a Gift Certificate awarded for the Viewer's Choice. See you soon.