Quilt Show - Day 2

Today is the second day of the Lincoln Quilters' Guild Quiltfest -- a 3-day quilt show with 677+ quilts and LOTS of extra activities.

I want to share with you some of my great finds from the Vendor Mall (featuring 13 quilt shops and antique stores from throughout the Midwest) and  Attic Treasures (sort of a rummage sale of quilt-y items donated by members of the guild to be sold at great prices to more-than-willing buyers).

First stop - Vendor's Mall! (I think I showed remarkable restraint considering all the tempting wares!!)  This photo collage is courtesy of Sheila Green - quilt show chair.

I love using small-scale reproduction fabrics for doll quilts--and I found a wonderful collection of 42 five-inch squares (what quilters call a "charm pack") at the Calico Cottage from Hastings, NE.  The prints are from the Floral Gatherings collection by Moda.

The shop owner also gave away cute little bobbin case cleaners made of swizzle sticks with a bit of pipe cleaner on top.  Looks a little like a magic wand, don't you think?  Bippidee. Boppidee. Boo.

I also picked up a fat quarter (18" x 22" piece of 100% cotton fabric) with a nice little black, gray and red print that will be perfect for lining a red linen clutch or a gray eyeglass case.

I also bought fat quarter of Tanzanian fabric.  My daughter brought me a wonderful fabric panel as a souvenir from her semester in South Africa a few years ago.  I've been looking for a suitable fabric to use as a border to "frame" that piece.

Next Stop:  Attic Treasures

Guild members donate items they no longer need (a purging tactic similar to "destash").  Those items are then sold to people (like myself) who think some of those castoffs are real treasures.  I found a bag of partially-finished vintage 9-patch blocks in red and light beige for $4.00.  I think those 4" 9-patch blocks will make a wonderful doll quilt or two.

I also bought a huge bag of lace for $4.00.  I'll use some of the pretty contemporary lace to trim doll bedding (pillowcases and sheets) which will be marketed as an add-on for doll quilt buyers.

That same bag also included yards and yards of vintage lace, which I will list soon in my Etsy vintage shop, Aunt Pheba's Vintage.

Only one more day of quilt show inspiration and eye candy overload!

Saturday I'll be helping with children's activities in the morning, and assisting with the take-down of some of the 677 quilts on Saturday afternoon.

TTFN
LeAnn

2014 Qult Show - Day 1

I am a card-carrying member of the Lincoln Quilters' Guild.  Every two years the guild hosts a big quilt show -- and today was the first day of this year's three-day event.  The theme for the show is Colors of the Prairie. 

There are over 600 quilts on display -- 10 from the log cabin quilt collection at the International Quilt Study Center and Museum, a gallery full of quilts of all sizes, styles and colors made by members of the guild, a room lined with mostly small quilts (and a couple of antique sewing machines) to be auctioned off on Saturday afternoon, and a growing pile of full-sized quilts to be donated to survivors of the Pilger, NE tornadoes.

There are also activities for children, programs, a very tempting vendor's mall, and "attic treasures" -- fabric, lace, thread, notions, books, and scraps donated by members of the guild and sold at bargain prices.  (One quilter's trash is another quilter's treasure.  I scored two great deals there.)

One of this afternoon's programs was "Men Who Quilt" -- and my hubby, Jerry, was one of the panelists.  Here he is, nervously waiting in the wings:

And here are the other distinguished panelists:

 

 

One of the panelists, Ken Green (far left in the photo above), offered this Top 10 list:

 

 

TOP 10 REASONS FOR MEN TO CONSIDER QUILTING (rather than woodworking)

by Ken Green:

 

10.  You won't hit your hand with a hammer.

  9.  You can't stretch wood to make a joint fit.

  8.  No sawdust allergy problems.

  7.  If your project turns out bad, it's easier to hide.

  6.  You don't have to paint your project when it's finished.

  5.  You need less storage space for your supplies.

  4.  You don't need a truck to bring supplies home.

  3.  Low expectations.  If your quilt turns out okay, everyone thinks it's really good -- for a man!

  2.  At big Quilt Shows, no lines for the Men's Restroom.

  1.  Your grandkids can take your project to bed with them!

 

Here are the guys after the program, posing with some of their quilts and fiber art in the gallery.  (Jerry's batik quilt is not in the photo, but I'll try to post a photo in a later post along with the two small quilts I have in the show.)

It would be impossible to show you all 677 quilts -- but here is a small sampling. 

The "modern" quilt aesthetic was apparent in many of the quilts this year.  Modern quilts tend to use simple shapes, solids or near-solid fabrics, and lots of negative space (background). 

The quilt shown above is by Sheryl Fandrich, and it is called Blowing in the Wind.  It was based on a pattern by Modern Quilts Illustrated.

This modern bed-sized quilt features whimsical strata of brightly-colored fabrics.

This modern quilt by Mary Sedlak also features brightly-colored fabric strata on a black on white polka dot background.

This modern wall hanging by Sheila Green is called Match Sticks.  It is one of my faves.

There were also a number of beautiful traditional quilts.  Here is one block (of 100 or so) from a beautifully-crafted pieced, appliqued and hand-embroidered quilt by award-winning quilter, Bonnie Kucera.  It was started as a 25th anniversary quilt -- but ended up being finished in time for their 35th anniversary.  (I don't feel quite so bad about being a year late with Erin's graduation quilt!)  Bonnie's workmanship is always impeccable.

There were also some stunning art quilts.  These TALL tree quilts were initially made as part of a Nebraska State Quilt Guild challenge -- and were on display this Summer at the International Quilt Study Center and Museum. 

This gorgeous larger than life floral art quilt by Chris Taylor is a veritable show stopper:  Here is a close-up showing some of the intricate bead embellishments that make this quilt sparkle.

And here is a larger view of this amazing abstract floral quilt.

With a guild full of grandmas (and a few grandpas), of course there were some adorable baby quilts.  One of my favorite is this quilt by Loralee Novak called Puppy Love.  It was based on a pattern from Quilt Almanac 2012.

I'll be heading back to the show again tomorrow, and volunteering in the children's area at the show on Saturday morning.  I'll be back Saturday afternoon to help take down those 677 quilts and get them returned to their owners.  Thankfully, I got caught up on Etsy orders tonight.

It's going to be a busy weekend, so I'd better sign off and get some sleep!

TTFN
LeAnn

Wordless Wednesday: It Was a Dark & Stormy Night (Again!)

Storm Clouds - Lincoln, NE - July 7, 2014

Photo by Tamy Burnett



Ask Me About My ETSY Shop - OFFLine Marketing

It’s Shameless Commerce Tuesday, but instead of showcasing a new listing from my Etsy shop, I’m dedicating this post to marketing OFFline. 

Where????...OFFlline, you say? 

I can already hear your virtual protests mumblings, “But I live ONline.  I’m wired 24/7!  I compulsively check my shop – and when I’m not doing that (or at work) I’m on Facebook, or Pinterest, or Twitter, or Instagram.  I spend more time in cyberspace than I do in my studio!”

I know. I know.  I’ve been there.

But today I’m inviting you to step away from the computer and engage with REAL PEOPLE face to face.  Talk to them about your Etsy shop.  OFFline.  In the “Real World” – that place we all inhabited once upon a time before we became glued to our computer screens, big and small.

As an Introvert, I realize the enormous discomfort that may create.  But stay with me for a minute.   I’m not saying you need to become some pushy broad door-to-door salesperson.  If you are an Etsy seller who creates handcrafted items or artwork, just go to where you expect to find a friendly crowd – a craft fair, farmer’s market, church bazaar, county fair, an art in the park event – anywhere people appreciate handmade items.   Then subtly invite people to ask you about your Etsy shop.

I invested $4.26 of my marketing budget to purchase thisterrific button from Jen at malibuquilts:

She also has buttons that say “Ask Me About My Wife’s ETSY Shop.”  I didn’t buy one for my hubby—yet.  

I definitely plan on wearing my new button to all three craft fairs I have scheduled this Fall.  I am always amazed at the number of people I meet who have never heard of Etsy. 

AND - I can give them my one-minute “elevator speech” describing Etsy and my shop.  (An elevator speech can be any kind of short speech, usually 30 seconds or so, that sells an idea or promotes your business. For tips on crafting an elevator speech, check out this post from Pepperdine University.)  

I’ll be sure I’m wearing pants with POCKETS when I wear that button, so when someone does ask me about my Etsy shop, I can hand them one of my cute little MOO business cards.  (Better yet, I'll make a cute little business card holder I can keep in my pocket.)

So, fellow Etsians – I hope you'll accept my challenge to "unplug" for a little while, and venture forth into the “Real World.”  You might meet some very nice people – and future customers!

TTFN

LeAnn

Treasury Thanks

Each week I like to take the opportunity to extend a huge THANK YOU to the curators of Etsy treasuries who featured items from my shops, Aunt Pheba's Vintage and Pasque Flower Creations, in treasuries over the past week.

It was a relatively quiet week for treasuries this week.  That's no surprise, because I suspect many Etsians were either glued to the TV watching World Cup matches, enjoying a summer vacation, or, in the USA, celebrating a long 4th of July weekend.   The fireworks have finally quieted --  and Tux and I are very grateful for that!!  We've had very little sleep all weekend.

We were lucky to have Jerry's daughter, Jenny, and her family visiting in Lincoln for the 4th of July weekend.  Here are some photos from an outing to Culver's -- good all-American food for hungry teens, great salads for dieters, and yummy frozen custard.

 

Here are granddaughters Katy and Erin, and their mom, Jenny

 

The boys don't look quite as happy -- with the exception of Daniel, who will a freshman at UNL this Fall, joining his big sister Erin -- AND living in Lincoln!!  Matt and I are dieting--so eating out is a bit of a challenge.  

 

 

Son-in-law Matt, and grandsons Michael and Daniel

 

Grandpa was definitely loving his butterscotch sundae:

 



 

 

But I digress.  On to treasuries!

 

Sarah Beth of Magnolia Surprise featured my patriotic mini-bunting in her treasury, Three Cheers for the Red, White & Blue!   Four cheers for the RED in this cute set of crocheted apple coasters from Sarah Beth's shop!

 

 

 

Evecollection featured my green chevron oven mitt in a treasury, July #152.  (Has Eve really created 152 treasuries?!)   This beaded agate bracelet is one of the uniquely beautiful pieces you'll find at evecollection. 

 

 





And last, but not least, Sharla of Beaded Tail featured my hearts baby bib in her treasury, Summer Lovin', Happened with Cats.  Sharla does love her kitties, and a portion of her shop proceeds goes to support animal charities.  These cute kitty cat earrings would be fun to wear on a casual summer outing.   

 

 

The 4th of July is over -- now on to Christmas in July!  Will you be participating in any CIJ promos this year?

 

TTFN

LeAnn

 













Wordless Wednesday - Lilies

Lilies-July 2014

 

 

 

 

Yellow Lily - July 2014

 

Great Danes

It's Shameless Commerce Tuesday.   Today I am celebrating my Danish heritage, after a wonderful weekend cousins' reunion in South Dakota with my Larsen / Larson relatives - great Danes all!  We are all descendants of Jens Peter Larsen and Kristine Larsen who hailed from Bandhoi Farm on the island of Mon.   (My maternal great-grandfather was also a Danish immigrant - Jens Peter Quist.)

 

Family Picnic - Late 1920s - Miner County, SD

My older "boy cousins", Jon and Roy Larsen, and my cousin Lise's husband Bill, scanned and catalogued over 2500 family photos dating from the 1800s to the 1960s and presented each family with a 10.1" touch screen tablet PC with the photos loaded -- a digital family album spanning many generations!  What an overwhelmingly generous gift -- and a family treasure to pass along to future generations!!

The reunion was a happy event and it strengthened my resolve to visit Denmark some day - - it's on my Bucket List.

Ah--but back to the present, and Shameless Commerce Tuesday.  Here is a miniature Royal Copenhagen plate that depicts the little mermaid that watches over Langelinie Harbor in Copenhagen, Denmark:

It is truly a collectors' item!

You can find this little gem in my vintage shop, Aunt Pheba's Vintage.

TTFN
LeAnn