Archive for the ‘Fabric Folding’ Category

Teaching/Vending at HMQS in Salt Lake City, UT

Monday, May 23rd, 2011

Last Fall I was contracted to teach 3 classes and one lecture at the Home Machine Quilting Show (HMQS) in Salt Lake City, Utah.  A couple of months later I got this CRAZY idea that we should also get a booth and vend at the show.  I am not quite sure why I thought this was a good idea, but we (me and my very supportive husband) committed to this.  So, for the past few months I lived and breathed (except when I was distracted with some other major events – more about them may be coming later) getting ready for this show.

Here is our booth all set-up and just waiting for the fun to begin.


My first class started at 8:00 am on Thursday.  I had sixteen wonderful students in my Disappearing Rainbow class.  We had a great time (sorry no pictures because my camera was in some bag somewhere).  Juananne did post about the class on her blog.

The show had been open for a few hours before I even got to be at the booth to see how things were going.  My husband is so great – he took care of the final set-up and selling while I was teaching .  After my class was over it was off to present my lecture –  “The Legacy Lives On – Six Geneartions of Quilters”.  What a great opportunity to share because we had three generations there – Me, Emily (my daughter) and Autumn and Prairie (my two granddaughters).  I showed the quilt (Tricky Squares) that Autumn gave me and the blocks that Prairie is working on.


Here is a picture of some of the venders at the show.


Thursday afternoon – I am finally at the booth.

Saturday morning I taught the Mini-Magic class and in the afternoon a two hour induction into the Hexamanic Club – Let the Hexamania Begin.  My sister Susan, her two daughters (one officially and one to just watch) and her adorable grandson came to this class along with a bunch of other hexagon lovers.


I think the real plus for us deciding to vend was the motivation this gave me to get seven of my patterns published.  Many of them were started, but not finished.  Well now they are finisihed and ready for you quilters.  They will be up on my website very soon.


Here is my best friend and business partner (aka husband).  I could never have done this wild adventure without him!  I really appreicate him taking a week of his vacation time to work by my side.  (The Queen of Projects was in top form and there were some pretty late nights followed by some really early mornings.)

I am happy to report that by being at this show two shops have picked up some or all of my patterns.  In this picture Tom is helping Judy from the Stitching Post in Wyoming with her purchase for her store.  Also, Kate Thomas from Sew Armadillo (an on-line store in Australia) picked up all of my patterns.  Needless to say, I am pretty excited about this.


He was even very good sport and was willing to wear the shirt with my new logo on it.  The logo was designed by my daughter-in-law, Isa Ciccotelli.  She does great work.


Here is the happy business couple on the third day.


The show is over and we are packing up.  I am not sure how those that vend week after week do it.  It is alot of HARD work.

Thank you to Ann Collect and everyone that worked on the show.  It was a wonderful experience and I hope to see you again next year (to teach at least, I have not decided about this vending stuff)!

Posted in Fabric Folding, Uncategorized | 6 Comments »

Back to School quilt and the Turkey quilt

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

I am contining to get more aquainted with George and I am liking it more and more.I completed the quilting on the Back to School quilt and have attached the rod pocket (the story of the rod pocked will be disclosed when I complete the quilt and include the label on this blog (see above) and binding. Now for the hand work.

Last night I pin basted the Turkey quilt and have started quilting it. I am wondering if there is anyway I can get these two quilts done this month. I have a couple of more days, so maybe so. That would make for a productive month in completing some of my UFOs.

The QQQ (50 1/2 Birthday) party is getting closer and closer – so I have to continue to be productive on my UFO’s.

Posted in Fabric Folding, Quilt: Back to School, Quilt: QQQ Quilt, Quilt: Turkey quilt | 1 Comment »

The Jackets are DONE!

Thursday, October 26th, 2006
(Fleece jackets for Autumn and Prairie)

From the lack of postings on my blog you might think that I have just been watching soaps and eating Bon Bons, well not true. I have been working on some new projects but my guilty conscious kept me from sharing. I had one project that was on the top of the To Do list but I was not working on it. I was working on other projects, but just kept everything to myself. Well, the jackets are in the mail, so now I can share what I have been working on.

I have had two skelton fabric panels for YEARS and have done nothing with them. A few weeks ago one of my sewing students was going through the Halloween fabric and asked if she could make the skelton. I said yes and then I decided that I should make the other one to hang on my studio door. It’s complete. The skelton even glows in the dark, but not for a picture (I tried).

Here are a couple of other easy Halloween projects I made to hang in my studio.

Tom is in the process of redoing the train board in a winter scene. We are planning on a couple of train days in December. We will invite children (and their parents) over for a fun “Polar Express” adventure. As I was thinking about this, I decided that my colorful flower wallhanging that is on the living room wall just was not quite the mood that we wanted to set, so I started working on this Winter quilt. It is from a McCall’s pattern (that I have had for years). I am sure it will look much neater when all the details are completed.

In November I am going to a guild in Pennsylvania to present a Hands-on Demo on the folded hexagon. I have this idea for a growth chart with folded fabric for the sunflower. (It is hard to tell from this picture.) I want to complete this project so I can take it with me on that day as another example of how the fabric folding can be used.

The Pelham Art Center holds an annual fund raiser each year. They ask the different artists to donate a piece to be auctioned off (either live or silent). This is the quilt that I am working on for this event. This really has to be finished very soon. The event is Nov. 3. This quilt makes me think of Argyle socks, so I think I will name it “Argyle”.

I think the embellishment is what makes this quilt look cool.

The last thing that I have worked on does not have much to show for now, but hopefully in the Spring. I dug up all the old Summer flowers and planted some Spring bulbs. I have been wanting to do this for years. I usually still have the bulbs around in December and the ground is frozen solid – to late again! Well, this year it’s done and it feels GREAT!

Posted in Fabric Folding, Holidays, Quilt: Argyle quilt, Quilt: Growth Chart, Quilt: Winter Wallhanging | 2 Comments »

#13 is My Lucky Number

Wednesday, October 11th, 2006

Yesterday the Village Square Quilters had the voting for the Challenge Quilt competition. I finished binding the quilt during the board meeting. I then left the meeting to turn in my piece for the competition. I was the 13th person to enter a piece so my entry number was 13. A lot of people would think this was bad luck, but I have a different opinion of the #13. My birthday is on 12-13. Tom asked me to marry him on 9-13 at 9:13 am. He gave me my ring on 12-13 at 12:13 am. We would have been married on 6-13, but the kids were still in school, so we had to give up on our luck 13 and waited one week.

When I entered this quilt (Japanese Delight 2003) into the City Quilter challenge I was also #13 and I won 2nd place.

This quilt is named #13 (2005). Whe I entered this quilt into the New Jersey State Quilt Guild Convention show, I won 2nd place.


Well, the number 13 came through for me, I won my first 1st place ribbon in the VSQ challenge.

There were some really nice challenge quilts made this year. Twenty-two quilters participated in the challenge. As they were announcing the winners, when they came to 1st place, it was mentioned that maybe #13 is not always unlucky, It was then announced #13, Mary Anne Ciccotelli had won 1st place. I was pretty excited. I love the piece and its great when other like your work also. VSQ is going to present the ribbons at the quilt show the first week-end of November.

Posted in Fabric Folding, Quilt: Underwater Maddness, Quilts | 4 Comments »