They share, they try different techniques, they enjoy refreshments, and they sometimes go on day trips.  These are something like the old time quilting bees when women gathered at one another’s homes for quilting and socializing.

Beth often discusses her group’s gatherings in her Meandering Threads blog: 

*Check out her December 3, 2007 entry which describes a workshop at Sue’s house where they tried out Shiva paint sticks.  Here is just one of the projects Beth did.

*Her Friday, December 14, 2007 post describes their Christmas party.

Tell us about your quilting group and the projects you undertake there.

(c)2007 Mary Emma Allen; photo by Beth A. Mastin

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The Delight of a Quilting Group

Here is where my daughter and I find inspiration in our snow-filled New Hampshire world.  This is looking from the deck down the driveway after one of the many snow storms that we experience in winter.

This is one of Beth’s photos, but we both take them for memories, fabric art inspiration and for cards and note paper.  When you look at these photos, expecially in summer, you forget about the snowblowing and shoveling.

How would this inspire your quilting or fabric art?

*A white background with green splashed across it as trees or simply slashes of cloth. 

*Perhaps you put green fabric under a piece of white, then cut out stencil tree shapes from the white so the green shows through.  Quilt around it and add texture to the trees.

*Maybe the deck railing will reveal itself as strips of brown or gray woven in and out across the bottom.

*Simply use the colors in the photo or suggested by it and create your own fabric art or quilt blocks.

There are so many possibilities in the form of fabric postcards, wall hangings and even quilt blocks.

How does this photo inspire you?

(Photo from Beth’s Meandering Threads blog)

(c) 2008 Mary Emma Allen

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Finding Quilting Inspiration in a Snow-Filled World

   Do you have favorite books that have helped you with your quilting and fabric art? Perhaps they are instructional. Others may be inspirational.  Maybe they delve into quilting history.  Also, you may read some for pure enjoyment.

These also may change, depending on your current quilting needs and interests. Some of your favorites may be out of print, but if someone searches diligently, they probably can find with a copy.

I asked my daughter Beth (Meandering Threads) what her five favorite books currently are.  She actually came up with six, two by the same author.

1. The Painted Quilt by Linda & Laura Kempshall

2. Landscape in Contemporary Quilts by Ineke Berlyn

3. Hand-Dyed Fabric Made Easy by Adriene Buffington

4. Contemporary Quilts: Design, Surface & Stitch

     Creative Quilts: Inspiration, Texture & Stitch both by Sandra Meech

5. Mixed Media Explorations by Beryl Taylor

Let me know what your 5 favorite are and I’ll mention them here.

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

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5 Favorite Quilting/Fabric Art Books

  “What did you win?”

  “A journal,” Beth explained.
  She had entered a drawing at Sue Bleiweiss’s blog        and received this journal.  Check out    Beth’s Meandering Threads blog for more details and photos of the journal.  You’ll also find on Sue’s blog descriptions for making these, too.

  I’m sure you’ll be enchanted by these lovely journals.

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Winning a Drawing on a Quilting Blog

A quilt bridges the generation gap by connecting people from the past with people yet to come.  Perhaps that longing to participate in the future gives quilting its strong appeal. 

(Check out Kristen’s blog to learn more about Mary Tatum’s book and the remainder of this quote.)

Quilting, to me, is a bond between the generations.  I come from a quilting heritage, one I call the Trails End Quilters, that goes back at least to my great grandmother.  It’s also delightful that my daughter and granddaughter  are carrying on this tradition, too.  Beth often blogs about her quilting act at Meandering Threads.

(I call us the Trails End Quilters because the original ladies in our family who participated in this quilting art lived at Trails End Farm in the town of Milan, NY.)

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The Quilt of Life – a Lovely Book on Quilting Philosophy & Inspiration

I don’t know if she bought it, or found she had an extra.  However, it was one of those tomoato red ones with the little red ball or tomato attached for keeping needles and pins sharp.  This remained in my sewing box for years.  (I have no idea where it, and the little sewing box Nanny gave me, disappeared in my many moves.)

When I was a 4-H leader, I taught the girls how to make pincushions for a sewing project.  Many of them exhibited theirs at the local fair.  

                 My treasured pincushion is one I use today.  My daughter made it during our 4-H years.  It consists of blue and white fabric with a piece of white lace around the middle.  The pincushion is shaped somewhat like a flattened ball with stuffing (the girls used polyester pillow fill).  However, it still serves me well.

My mother-in-law made me a crocheted pincushion one year as a Christmas gift.  It, too, has disappeared.  But for awhile I had both  my daughter’s and Mum’s pincushions to use.

Pincushions as Collectibles – Pincushions, along with other antique sewing accessories, are among the items that quilters often collect.  My daughter (now a quilter herself with her Meandering Threads blog) and I are always looking for sewing and quilting related items to add to our collection.

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Quilters’ Passion for Pincushions

That’s what my daughter did with the piece pictured below.  Beth called this her “ugly” fabric.  It was a piece she had dyed but didn’t like the results.  Then for one of her classes at Quilt University, Beth had to take piece of fabric she didn’t like and use it in a small quilt.  I think the result is striking!

Beth gives, at her Meandering Threads blog, more details about the process of making this piece of fabric art.

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Turning Quilting Mistakes Around

Take pride in the work that you do, find enjoyment working on it and celebrate the finished product.  If you have a blog, you may want to post it there as my daughter does in Meandering Threads.  She shares her work with her blog friends and the artists in her local fiber arts group.

Celebrate you work!  And share it with us.  

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Celebrate Your Quiltmaking Accomplishments

Jen also researched and mentions a book and instructional web site where you can learn more about this fascinating technique.

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Quilting & Patchwork Mentioned on Domestik Goddess

My daughter Beth does this all the time.  From her collections and photos, she receives inspiration for her art work.  Recently on a vacation to Cape Cod, she took numerous photos that soon will find their way into her fabric art and quilting.

Here is one, and you’ll see more if you visit her Meandering Threads blog and check out her Back from Cape Cod post.

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Prepare Now for Quilting Later