Tonight I went to the first yearly meeting of the Berry Basket Quilters.   It was a entertaining program put on by the IQ3 (secret quilting code for Industrious Quilting of 3 great women:   Susan Painting, Sherry Brown and Debbie Rouse).    So glad I got to see their quilts and hear their tales.   All of them are very talented and if I can sew 1 quilt block for every full size quilt they have made it would be a whole lot for me.

The reason for my post is that a few of the ladies came up to me and said “wow – great resolution you put in the newsletter” and “oh I am going to follow your resolution”.    LOL    I forgot what I had even written but said thank you to each one of them anyway.  

It all started towards the end of 2009.  Carol, the newsletter editor had sent out a message asking us what our resolutions were for 2010.   I overlooked the first email somehow but then I got a 2nd one sort of pleading for people to participate.   I had been thinking alot about the new year and all the new things on my plate so I quickly typed an email back.   

Here is what I submitted for the newsletter:

“Instead of taking away, I decided to add a few things into my 2010.   Create more, pray more and focus on Jersey Made.”   

Perhaps I should add “keep up with my emails” to the list so I am better prepared for the feedback! 

www.jersey-made.com

Jersey Made is my business.   A retail shop located in the Mill Race Village of Mount Holly.   It opened on December 2nd.   100% handmade by NJ artists and a variety of classes too!     This is where I am 5 days a week now.    I work hard, set up displays of incredible artwork, and creating art of my own in between.   Since I am praying constantly along the way perhaps I have been following my own resolution after all.

This was the 34th year of the quilt show held at Kirby’s Mill.  I was pleased to have many of my quilts on display throughout the rustic old Mill.  My Christmas star quilt somehow ended up right inside the entrance.  This quilt was from an advanced collaborative class that I took in 1992.  The center star is the one that I made.  Each month we all made a block from the same pattern – some included cathedral window, crazy quilt, fine applique.  At the end we all got the squares for a quilt and I was so thrilled that this one was mine.  It remained unfinished for many years.  If I was to do the hand quilting it would still remain undone as time just does not allow such things.  My machine quilting is not very good.  So it sat in a pile until a solution finally presented itself.  Kathleen Johnson is a machine quilter who was recommended by another member of Love Apple Quilters.  She quilted in stars and holly leaves and swirls.   It was perfect and finished just in time for the LAQ Quilt Show which was held back in March 2009

The night the quilts came in to the Mill there were not quite enough to reach our goal of 100 quilts.  At 9:45 PM I called Carole and asked her if please could I pick up some of her quilts to bring to the Mill the next morning.  Being a great friend she scurried throughout her house and had a bunch of quilts for me, including Sarah’s “Bob and Friends” quilt (from Veggie Tales).   Carole’s quilt was hung directly below mine near the entrance.  This quilt has such meaning for Carole so I was glad to see that it had a place of honor. 

“Bob and Friends” was on the 2nd floor atop a display case so everyone could see that kids can make great quilts too!!!

This is one of my very favorite people.  Betty to the 4th power as she calls herself.  Bad Betty Brown Black has been lighting up the quilt show at Kirby’s Mill for many years.  She is an avid quilter and shares her joy with everyone around her.  She was demonstrating quilting by the doorway all day on Saturday so it was fun to sneak up into the “Authorized Personnel Only” area to catch a picture of her.  I assured her I was not authorized but doing it anyway.  She liked that!!!

Here is Charlie delivering my chocolate milk.  That was exciting!  Always nice to see men in kitchen.  When business was slow in the kitchen I would walk through the Mill telling all the ladies “men cooking in the kitchen”.  Charlie & Bill wondered why suddenly there was a line for hot dogs – hehehe!

Dawn Heefner, and AQA Certified Quilt Appraiser was on hand and I brought my charm spools quilt for her to give me a verbal appraisal. The binding is not yet done on it and I also got to ask for her opinion on how to finish it.  I was really pleased with all that she told me.  It was so neat to see that many of my quilts made over the years and on display inside were included in the spool shaped pieces that I had been hand piecing together for many years.  My nephew Josh is 21 now and there are fabrics included that I used to make him clothes when he was just a toddler. 

The Museum Shop looked great.  The Kirby’s Mill “Feedsack” collection was a big hit.  I took some old barrels from the cooper area and made a little display of the tote bags, towels and t-shirts.  Abbie Galie (official screen printer for the Museum Shop) did an awesome job.  The best part was she screen printed the design onto a paper towel.  I put little notes to explain – the paper towel is “not a green item” and the feedsack towel “is green”.  A few people got the joke – LOL!!

Even less people got this joke.  I made up little “logs” and put them inside the wood burning stove.  The Museum Shop is not too big so I figured I would use every available space for stuff.  So I got some piney power inspired fabric and cut it into fat quarters.  The fat quarters were placed inside toilet paper tubes and wrapped with old sewing patterns.   I had flashlights inside and red plastic flames attached to the door.  There were signs directing people to “See What’s Hot” and “Open the Door” and “Disclaimer:  Not a real fire – do not call 9-1-1″.    Hehehe – Well at least I had fun and a few people got a laugh out of it.  I gave the leftover “logs” to the ladies of the Berry Basket Quilters whose help was so appreciated.  Their boutique was awesome again this year and I added another chicken to my collection.  But that will be something to blog about another day.  My chicken collection doesn’t get out of the coop as much as they’d like.

Hope you enjoyed my tale – maybe it left you in stitches!!!