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Wednesday, April 18, 2012

MQX, Part 2!

Downtown Providence last rainy Thursday from the convention center........what a neat place!

The biggest part of MQX ((Machine Quilters Expo)) is of course --- THE MACHINES.

There were dealers for regular home sized machines as well as every kind of longarm or midarm imaginable.

If you ever find yourself considering the purchase of a longarm machine ---I suggest you go to a venue such as MQX or a large regional quilt show where many dealers are present so that you can TRY THEM ALL.

Just like cars----each person should try many to find which one it is that fits their needs right.

There is no one universal machine that is going to do it for everyone, so try them all and try them all again, whether you want the basics, or computer driven, or even a table top longarm that you can sit down at. Try them all.

A good thing to do is to try to quilt your name on the sample piece….just to get a good feel for how the machine moves.

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Along with the machine vendors, there were of course fabric and thread and notions and all kinds of other goodies.

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COLOR! I am so drawn to color!!

I didn’t buy much. I bought a foot for my Janome machine, and then I bought something I knew I wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else ---a seam ripper and a wooden presser ((For pressing paper piecing or other seams when no iron is near by)) that were hand made, turned and dyed by a lady --- they are SO different. Lord knows I don’t need more fabric or thread, so I thought these would be a good momento and could just live in my “live in the suitcase” traveling notions box.

As for the quilts….Oh the quilts!

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There were more “Glacier Star” quilts in this one venue than I have ever seen. And they were each so different. I may have photographed a few of them, but the quilting on this one just took my breath away --

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There were awards given for computer guided quilting….which believe me, is not as easy as it sounds, because you have to size everything to fit just right before you quilt it, and if you don’t….you spend a LOT of time with the seam ripper!

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This one!! Holy radiating geese, batman! It was judges choice, viewers choice, everyone’s choice…..and you have to get up close and personal to see why ---

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Look at the quilting and the lettering!

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Center medallion--- love how those rays are quilted!

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Many ribbons, of course can’t read the note pinned next to the quilt..I thought the ribbons matched the quilt pretty well too!

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Border section….what I loved about this one was the intense piecing….and mix of quilting..it was about 50/50 as far as impact goes…not too much wide open space, and the quilting just fits it.

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Here’s the tag!

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This one has been posted on the blog before, because it was on the cover of “On Track” magazine in the same issue that my article on Scrappy Mountain Majesties was! It was however, the first time I got to see it in person…and get CLOSE!

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OOOOOOOHHHHH! AHHHHHHHHHHH! :cD

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This was just so detailed. What I don’t remember is if it was tinted ((The black to grey)) after it was quilted, or before?

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This background “lattice work” seemed to show up on many quilts I saw….pretty!

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I love how the quilting echoed the applique…..and carried on into the filler background…

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And here’s the info card :c)

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One more for this post! I’ve seen this pattern before, but never seen one quilted so beautifully! This is a piece o’ cake design, and I’m excited to be teaching with Becky Goldsmith at the Virginia Consortium of Quilters at Smith Mountain Lake, VA in just over a week!

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I love piecing mixed with applique, but this quilting is just SO nice…it becomes part of the whole.

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This quilt was not quilted SO HEAVILY that it is flat. It’s a good mix without it being “too much”, you know?

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I think this one would look awesome on a bed, and still be cozy enough to snuggle under. There were so many quilts that were so heavily encrusted with beads and crystals and sequins and all other surface embellishments ----and while they are so pretty to look at, if it can’t go through the washer and dryer, it’s not something I’d find myself making….but I was really feeling at home with this one, even though I’m a very remedial appliquer!

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Climbing Clematis --- love the colors and texture in this one. SO many different shades of purple, and many different shades of green. It’s more than just a “purple and green quilt” This is raw edge applique, something I’ve really never done..

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Close up of quilting detail! Love that white fluffy bit at the flower centers!

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Here’s the card for this one. I tried to get pics of cards as long as there wasn’t a mob of people around the cards trying to read them. I didn’t have time to stand in line and wait!

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This medallion was just lovely….all the way gorgeous! I’ve really been drawn to yellow over the past year. The card is there, but I didn’t get a close up, someone moved in to read it while I was photo taking!

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This is NOT a quilt!

This is the tile on the lady’s room floor! LOL!! Faked you out, Didn’t I!?

There will be more pics to share tomorrow – we are not done by a long shot! And if I get time, this afternoon ---I’ve got a special treat you’ll want to come back for. Remember the stilettos that were gifted to us by the quilter-who-wished-to-remain-anonymous?

She has sent me the directions for making them, and wants me to pass them on to you, I’ve got to upload a PDF file ,etc….so I’ll have that ready for you hopefully this afternoon!

Happy Wednesday – this work week is already half over!

27 comments:

  1. WOW! Those quilts are amazing! Thanks for sharing.

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  2. What works of art!! AMAZING quilts and quilting!! It is fun to see the talents of some of these quilters....they are rare talents for sure!!

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  3. "America, Let it Shine" was quilted by a DSM quilter!!!

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  4. We saw the amazing "America" quilt and spoke with its creator, it's really remarkable, pictures hardly do it justice!
    :-}pokey

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  5. Anonymous9:19 AM EDT

    Bonnie - these must be the STARS of quilting you are seeing! Thanks for sharing your photos. I look at my quilts and giggle...just plain ol' love-quilts. But I surely can admire and drool over these beauties! "WOW" doesn't seem to cover it, does it?
    Thanks again,
    JulieinTN

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  6. Thank you, thank you for posting these for those of us who couldn't go to see them in person. I just love the diversity of ideas and products of all of us who engage in quiltmaking! To think that 25 years ago fabric stores were going out of business every five minutes because they just thought there was no future in it (including the chain for which I taught). Absolutely beautiful variety!

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  7. Anonymous9:26 AM EDT

    The last quilt (yellow and gray) is by Keith Dommer of Tucson, Arizona, and is entitled "Curvilinear Energy." He detailed the creation process in blogs on "The Quilt Show."

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  8. WOW! Looks like it was an amazing show! Good thing they weren't selling vintage machines or I'm sure you would have found something to take home!!

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  9. Wow, what a way to start my morning! Now I'm all fired up to get on my own machine and do some quilting - though I'm not going to be doing anything quite so mind-blowing as the stuff you've shared!
    ~~~the Art of Inclusion~~~

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  10. Anonymous9:38 AM EDT

    Thanks for the mini show, Bonnie, also loved the tile floor....you got us on that one!! haha
    I may have to use that tile pattern for a "modern" quilt! lol
    Faye in Maine

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  11. Thanks for sharing the pics with us Bonnie. I had the opportunity to see that red/white/blue/gold quilt up close and personal in PA earlier this year and got to chat with the maker. Would you believe she did all that gorgeous quilting on her DOMESTIC machine, NOT a long arm!! And she's been quilting for less than 10 years!! There's hope for me yet.

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  12. Thanks so much for sharing your pics from the show. Amazing work! So glad you got to take it all in. Have a Happy Day!

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  13. As others have mentioned, I am blown away by the "America, Let it Shine" quilt that was quilted on her home machine! I had to reread the tag to make sure I had understood correctly.
    This post gets me excited for the Home Machine Quilting Show I am attending next month in SLC.
    You showed amazing restraint in your purchases. : )

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  14. I really enjoyed seeing all of these fabulous quilts. The up close quilting shots were amazing! Thank you for letting me travel vicariously through you to places I would never be able to get to on my own. Can't wait for the next installment from this show. I liked the bathroom floor tile shot too.

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  15. Anonymous10:27 AM EDT

    Just wonderful. Thanks for sharing.
    Maryella

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  16. Must have been amazing in person. I'm blown away and feeling inadequate. I lived the bathroom floor shot -- I can see a wonky version of that in small scale! Thanks, Bonnie!

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    1. Obviously I mean I loved the bathroom floor... fat fingers today.

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  17. thanks for the eye candy! oh and if you want a quick wooden pressing tool, use what i use - half a wooden clothespin! works great.

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  18. i'm drooling!!!! i don't know how, i mean how is that intricate quilting even accomplished? i was even impressed with the bathroom floor. i need to out more. :>) <3 <3 <3

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  19. PRECIOSOS TRABAJOS,ENHORABUENA POR EL BLOG BESOS MARIA JESUS

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  20. Thanks for sharing the beautiful quilts and fabric display. The quilting is getting so sophisticated and exact on those winning quilts. Wow!
    I love the tile floor...I will keep it in mind for a quilt design.

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  21. America, Let It Shine is beyond words! i saw it at Road to California in January and spoke with the maker. She did this entire thing on an old Bernina domestic machine! - even the words. I'm so happy to see her getting recognition and ribbons for this quilt.

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  22. Anonymous10:28 PM EDT

    Thanks Bonnie! My quilt...Aunt Millie's Garden is the piece o cake applique you posted. Actually it is an original adaptation of the "Aunt Millie's" pattern...which is 12 blocks set with sashing. I designed the adaptation and horsewhipped 17 fellow guildmembers into making it for our raffle quilt. I appreciate your nice words on my quilting! You can see the full description and lots of detai pictures on my website, www.whitearborquilting.com
    Bethanne Nemesh

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  23. In answer to you wonderings about the tinting on the rose quilt. It was done by the manufacturer. The fabric around the border is a gradated fabric that goes from light to dark and then the quilted roses were done in purple thread and all the background fillers in a medium gray. Because the fabric changes colors and there is so much background filler it makes it look like the thread changes too, but it is all one color. Glad you like it, it was a blast to quilt. Kris
    www.kcustomquilting.com

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  24. America, Let It Shine won the Viewers Choice Award at Road to CA, too! Here's a link to an interview with Sherry Reynolds talking about her quilt.
    http://www.thequiltshow.com/os/blog.php/blog_id/4716

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  25. Anonymous8:11 AM EDT

    America let is shine is a incredible quilt, but it did not win viewers choice at MQX that honor went to Turtle Bay by Claudia Pfiel.

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  26. Sherry Reynolds8:45 PM EDT

    Hi Bonnie, just wanted to say thank you for posting on your blog such generous and kind comments on my quilt "America, Let It Shine".
    and a big thank you likewise to all have admired and appreciated the quilt. :)

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