Quilt Con 2020

Recently, I had an opportunity to attend QuiltCon 2020 in Austin--what an eye opening event!  I attended the first Austin QuiltCon several years ago--much smaller event than the massive International Quilt Festival in Houston.  My friend, who came with me, is a novice quilter and she was in over load after about two hours!

Here we are!  Time to get oriented--

First, we pick up these unique bags--yes, "Keep Austin Quilty" instead of "Keep Austin Weird"

I said that I wasn't buying anything--well, that went out the window as soon as I spied these

wonderful quilt kits--I don't usually buy kits--BUT.....

I found these at Making Memories Quilt Shop Booth

Star Storm Quilt and Smudge kits 

designed 

by Victoria Findlay Wolfe

Oh, oh, the yarns!! OMGoodness--I couldn't resist these two! 

This is just one of the shops available for your pleasure--Threads and Ewe

And another kits that caught my eye--"A Stitch a Day"--

how I wish I could do this one!

Best of Show--"Starring You" by Peter R Byrne, Toronto Canada

Left is detail of quilting; right is back of quilt

His "CityScapes" garnered him another ribbon for best of frameless quilting--first

man in QuiltCon to win

One of the exhibits was Charity Quilts and here are four that were accepted

The colors were absolutely eye popping in many of the quilts---

And the quilting!!  Ah, so elaborate in so many--while others used straight lines for their accent

Several had used hand embroidery on the top to give depth

You can see all the winners and other quilts here 

QuiltCon 2021 will be held in Atlanta--you just might see me there......

Sunday Morning Coming Down

It was a cool Sunday morning--and we are attending Cowboy Church

in Luckenbach, Texas.

The service is held in the old dance hall where there is no AC or heat

Although the music was warm and uplifting, we don our

jackets and gloves to celebrate this day of love.

The musicians were guests from Missouri--

Ronnie and Mary Beth Truitti, Steila Trudel and

our own Spirit Band member Kelly Luker

Look what we have to warm our fannies--these wonderful hand stitched

1930's quilts!  The benches are cold to the tuss and we welcome the

comfort of these handmade quilts

Wish I knew the pattern name

This quilt was color coordinated and pattern of stars was unusual in my knowledge

Love love this cowboy church and the celebration we share each Sunday

soon, it will be hot and we'll want for those comfy quilts again--

Treadling, Treadling, Treadling

Pictures are worth 1000 words--

hence, below, my treadling events.

From fiber to yarn

singles and plied

Still treadling--lots of this 8 ounces yet to spin!

 I've been itching to spin this well aged fiber

 Lovely fiber! 

It's spinning beautifully!!

UFOS = WIPs

 There were pieces of red, white and blue languishing in my UFO pile--finally, I picked up my courage and tackled it and Finished!  Well, sort of--it still needs backing with some quilting and binding.  I feel good that I got this far.

Here is a handspun scarf that also lingered in my stash--it was all knitted from this fiber I spun in 2018--all it needed was to block and weave in the tail ends.  Why do I let these things just wait and wait to be finished!  I blocked this lovely scarf, wove in the tails and it will be given as a gift.

Okay, these little critters were finished before Christmas and I gave them to

my weaver friends--there were 10 lambs/ewes and 10 llamas--

this is what I have left in my flock.  I found them on Ravelry last summer--

don't remember what merchant--bad I know!  

I knitted the sweaters for the guys--some from handspun.

Now, they just roam on my desk.

Handspinning.............Revolves

Since I'm in the process of de-stashing my fibers--spending time each day to spin at least a few
yards when possible.
Here is a cute video that shows revolution in spinning...
Enjoy!!

The Secret Adversary..................................History

It's time to read another Agatha book--this is the second book she published--we move away from  Poirot to  a young couple Tommy and Tuppence

"The Great War is over and jobs are scarce. Tommy Beresford and Prudence "Tuppence" Cowley, who were friends before the war, run into each other in London and discover they are both equally short of money and opportunities. On a whim, they decide to start a business, advertising themselves as "The Young Adventurers." Their first job leads them into a series of increasingly dangerous situations involving international spies, a society beauty, a Russian count, the wreck of the Lusitania, an amnesia patient, an American millionaire, and a fiendishly clever arch-criminal known only as "Mr. Brown." By the time the dust settles, all the puzzle pieces have been fitted together--and the young couple have realized their feelings for each other and have become engaged."

For reading a free copy online at pagebypagebooks
The Secret Adversary

For listening to free audio online
archive.org

Book Covers, Jackets

How did the Lusitania get its name?

The ship’s owners the Cunard Line commonly named their vessels after Roman provinces with the Lusitania so being called after the Roman Iberian province to the north of the Strait of Gibraltar while her sistership RMS Mauretania was named after the Roman North African province on the south side of the strait.Wiki

This will be my knit along with this book--

French Night Cap by Esther Short 

Further information

This is an historically accurate pattern, published in 1850, brought up-to-date for the contemporary knitter. The original pattern was published in The Ladies’ Work-Book, 3rd edition published by George Slater, London. This original night cap pattern may be the same pattern used in simple headwear for all occasions. The double layer of wool makes it warm and flexible even providing a place in the floppy top for small personal items while working out of doors. This hat, knitted in red or blue, may be worn by re-enactors looking for an authentic Voyageur hat.