MIA

  I know I have been a little MIA lately,

 but I have been very busy finishing up my quilt for the 

MQX Quilt Festival competition.

I have also been preparing for my classes that I will be teaching 

at MQX.

I am very excited about all of my classes but 

I am loving my hands on long arm class.

We are going to start with a 16.5 stencil

center and work out from there.
Just look at the beautiful trapunto look.
And, yes, you can do this.

You will add motifs and background fills and leave class with 

a wall hanging or pillow, whichever one you decide.

I will have rulers and stencils to use in class.

All you need to bring is thread snips,

 everything else you will need 

is supplied in the

class kit.

We will have fun deciding which designs you 

want to use. Believe me it will be easier than you think.

The class description states confident beginner but I think any one 

that can turn a machine on can quilt this wall hanging.

I will show you how to have more control of the machine

to achieve a beautiful work of art that you will be proud 

to hang on your wall, place on a table, or a pillow for your bed.

Sign up quick, the spots are filling up fast.

Visit the show website to sign up online or at the show.
http://www.mqxshow.com

Tell your friends and join me at the show.

Quilting Vintage

I love quilting vintage pieces.

This vintage top was rescued by a new customer of mine,

Paige.

She takes vintage tops and makes patterns for them.

This Southern Bell was made long ago.

A rather large quilt, measuring 74 X 90.

I usually wait until the quilt "talks to me" but this Southern Bell was 

shy, so it took a while to come up with a quilting idea.

Those flowers at the top really through me off.

I knew pretty quick how I wanted to quilt

around the lady but there was a lot of wide open space.

Paige didn't want any quilting on her body or face, 

which I agreed.

I wanted to "frame" her by connecting the flowers surrounding her.

The rest is feathers and pebbles with a few circles thrown in

to tie into in the circles on her dress.

Just a few more

And the back.

and yes I went around each flower petal in the larger flowers.

This little lady is back home now.

Fun to quilt and Paige loved it.

Remember you can click on the pictures to see them larger.

All quilting is freehand on my LA.

I used 2 layers of batting and SoFine thread.

Here is my BIG News

Registration opens May 15th.

Show is September 27-30

in Springfield, IL

Mary Schilke and Janet-Lee Greer Santeusanio and their staff

have a wonderful show.  Quilts are amazing, variety of vendors and classes.

This show is not just for machine quilting.

Have you ever wanted to see or know how I quilt names and words on my quilts?

I have a class for that.

See the rose above?  Want to learn how to design and quilt it?

I have a class for that.

Check out all the classes at 

www.MQXshow.com

I would love to meet you in one of my classes.

I am the very last teacher on the list, Diane Wingo, so

make sure you scroll all the way down.

A little late with this

When the Stars Come Out came home from IHQS with bling.

My friend Janet sent me these pictures from the show.

Thank you, IHQS.

Didn't fair as well at UQSM, came home naked but my online

friend sent a picture.

My Past Meets Present entry was also on exhibit 

Thanks you Kelly Cline for the exhibit and thanks to Lisa Callender for the pictures.

Another BIG, BIG, I mean BIG announcement

 in the next couple of days, 

check back soon.

Diane

On vacation this week from my 8 to 5 job.

Tomorrow and Thursday I will drive to Paducah

for the AQS show.

(yes, I have to drive back and forth everyday 

because of mama duties)

But today I get to PLAY!!!

Working on a quilt I made for a customer

out of some orphan blocks she found 

in her mother's house.

Only had a few blocks that her mother had made.

The tone on tone fabric makes it really hard to 

take pictures.

Making progress.

but a lot of work left.

a finish

This quilt was on the frame way too long.

I had the after Christmas blues, my son got sick

 and then myself.

We are all better and I am

finishing up a few quilts.

Remember this one? It is now finished.

I still need to trim and bind it.

This is a customer quilt made for her DIL.

I think it turned out great.  Love the colors.

Even though this one took a while, 

not actual quilting, but life moments.

When trying to come up with the quilting design

I kept seeing circles, but the customer wanted

leaves. I didn't see leaves.  I wanted to make her happy

so I incorporated leaves, small leaves, but leaves.

This is the next one going on the frame.

Another customer quilt.  This one is made from 

blocks she found while cleaning out her mother's house.

Sort of a memory quilt. I had a limited number of blocks

 to make three quilts, so there is a lot 

of open space.

Will post as I am quilting.

Trying not to neglect my blog this year,

not off to a great start since this is Feb.,

but will try harder.

Thanks for visiting.

Short and sweet today

Started a customer quilt this morning.

Beautiful quilt.  I am having fun working on it.

Got to run some errands but will be back at it later today.

Christmas quilts

After last year I said I would never accept quilts and be rushed at 

Christmas again.  Well.....guess what??

Yes I did it again this year.  

It started out pretty simple.  A lady contacted me to quilt a king size

quilt, the first quilt she has ever made, for a Christmas gift for her daughter.

These were the only picture I took.

Doesn't show very much but it was a beautiful quilt and for a first quilt she did a great job.

By the time I had this one finished she had 3 more quilts made and wanted them quilted for Christmas. I said I would try and I did but didn't get all of them finished.

This is her second quilt she made for another daughter.

Both were beautiful quilts.  I did not take any pictures of her third and  still have one more to go.

I had better get up and get busy.