Wichita, too!

We are into the last day, and I have one more class to go and I am getting a bit tired. Of course, the vendor shopping may have played a part in the fatigue, but I can't be sure...
The auction last night was funny-weird! Kimmy Brunner and the auctioneer ran everything smoothly and the quilts went from $125 to $1500! We kept our hands folded in our laps so as not to spend any of our shopping cash accidentally.
I went through the show and saw my quilts there. It was a proud moment, even though neither one took a prize. The competition here is so stiff, only the best of the best get ribbons. The eye candy was overwhelming. I have posted the best of show here (quilted on a Bernina sit-down machine...YIPES!) as well as a few of the quilts I found to be the most stunning.
Tomorrow, we head out for Greenville, SC by way of Tupelo, MS to see Mr Wazoo's family and to present the youngsters with an eye spy quilt. It's kind of sad to go, but we do have customer quilts waiting for us in Florida!
Here is a peek at some of the highlights from the show.

Best of Show, done on a Bernina home sewing machine

Fabulous quilting

too bad the crystals don't show up here

Simple free pattern on Moda Bake Shop with unbelievable quilting

Gina Perkes wonderful pictorial quilt

face detail

Wonderful traditional quilt with truly stupendous quilting

I L-O-V-E this border treatment!!!

Mr Wazoo takes in the splendor

another Kathy Wiggins teaching quilt for her students. 

all the hand embroidery  added to the details of the fairies in the picture

This won an award for the subject matter; Daddy coming home.

Hey! That's MINE!! Thanks to my friend Dori for letting me borrow it for the show.

Claudia Pfeill hamming it up in front of her award winning quilt

Detail from the basket quilt

I love this quilt. Traditional, but still contemporay

Mr Wazoo comparing my quilting to the really wonderful stuff. No contest!

MQS Wichita!!

I am sitting in the lobby writing this because the hotel is too tight to have wi-fi in the rooms. It is $2.50/day to have the privilege of computing in one's jammies. Oh well, I will sit here and tell you all about it while the hotel buzzes around me.
The hotel is right on the Arkansas river and it is a wonderful place to walk and relax after a day of quilting classes. I had a class with Claudia Pfeill today, and she is wonderful. I can't wait to get home and practice so I can begin to use the new motifs and border treatments I learned.
Mr Wazoo has had three classes with Linda Taylor, and is now her pet student. She gives a coffee mug to each student who takes her class, so he has quite a set going! One more and we can have guests in for coffee and cookies.
Wichita is a clean and pretty city, quite pedestrian friendly. I have walked along the riverfront each evening so far; wonderful!! It is about 80 degrees and NO humidity!!! Eat your heart out, Florida.
Golly Moses!! A giant just walked past me here in the lobby!! No kidding, he must be over 7 feet tall!!
On that bizarre note, I think I will call it a day and go to my room and veg out with a glass of wine and some chocolate before turning out the light.
More to come!!
OMG!! Two more giant guys just came in...does Wichita have a basketball team I don't know about? Lordy, I need that drink...and bed. ;0)

Claudia Pfeill teaching class

Claudia demonstrates how to do a border treatment

Mr Wazoo by the cool bridge over the Arkansas river

Our hotel

View from the river walk

Just home form another fun time in Sebring, FL.

Two days to get ready for Wichita! I just got home from Sebring and another WAZOO! good time with 33 of my quilting friends. Enjoy the slideshow!

Free digital slideshow created with Smilebox

Raffle quilt finished and preparations for Wichita

I finished the raffle quilt and handed it off to my friend Donna for a label, and now, we prepare to send it off to the NQA show in June. I'll be picking up the tickets tomorrow and then we will all get to work promoting the quilt show.

Meanwhile, Mr.Wazoo keeps plugging along and finishing customer quilts and sending them out the door with happy quilters. Sometimes it is frustrating to complete one quilt while he does three, but that's the way it is with custom quilting; slow and steady wins the race!

I have the retreat in Sebring with 33 attending starting Sunday. This time will be spent making class samples to replace ones I gave to charity. I love making them, but love giving them away even more. I get my fix seeing the kids, veterans and elderly light up when we give them a quilt. It certainly is a heart warming experience.So, I will keep turning out quilts and spreading joy by giving them away.

Here is a photo of the finished raffle quilt, 'American Treasures', and what we have been doing in the last week or so. 

American Treasures

Mr Wazoo's work

Here he is, hard at work

One of my jobs

Mr. W did this one

Customer finished her class quilt...I have 10 blocks done. I hope mine is this nice.

the quilting

another custome job

I quilted this panel, too

 Mr Wazoo did this one

and this one...

Oh yeah, this one, too

he did these baby quilts

I did this, because we had to avoid the center dots

The hopping foot got caught on them, but the quilt is so soft and pretty

 another of Mr's work

 I got to custom quilt this beauty!

mmm-mmm- good!

 Oooo, I wish it was mine

even the back is yummy!

I did this one

and this one, too. Whew! That's enough for now!!

Almost done...

I have been working on the guild raffle quilt all week and I am almost done. The sleeve and binding went on yesterday afternoon, and then I hand sewed until 1:00AM. I have yet to sew down the bottom of the sleeve, but even us die hard quilters must rest. My other guild met today with a wonderful program by Sally Collins, the queen of small piecing in quilts. Home now and ready to get 'er done with the quilt. Back to regular work tomorrow!

Adding the sleeve at the quilt top

sewing down the binding

The long slog of hand sewing the binding down. Started at 7PM, finished at 1:00AM

Molly wanted to help. She barely fit on the footrest since I wouldn't allow her to touch the quilt!

Just a teaser of the DPQG raffle quilt

I'm not supposed to show the whole quilt yet, so I am posting a few teaser photos to tide you over until it is finished. I finished the interior  and the inner border, and have the quilt turned and ready to do the side outer borders tomorrow. Yippee!! Then it's off the rack and getting a sleeve and binding. Stay tuned for more. Until then, enjoy the bits of quilt I can show.

Of course I had to show part of the Wisconsin block!

The 'sashing' treatment

One of the hidden surprises in the quilting

Giving the machine a rest

The non-appliqued blocks look like this

Ready for the turn. (inner border not quilted here)