Stitched, the Movie

Well, I am gearing up for the First Dutchess Heritage Quilt Show. It happens Columbus Day Weekend, and I have a few pieces in the show and am vending with my shoppe. My hubby is usually my muscle and second vehicle for transport, but he will be away so that part of it could get really interesting. I am nearly done the quilt top for next years Block of the Month. But that is not what I really want to talk about.

Yesterday, I watched "Stitched, the Movie" It follows three quilters as they get ready to attend the Houston Quilt Show. What follows is my own opinion, your mileage may vary. The artists in question are some of my personal favorites, and honestly I wanted more about their process, Given that they are art quilters, I expected some discussion of the art of quilting. As they had several traditionalists speak their own opinions that if it wasn't hand quilted it isn't a quilt. Comments like, you couldn't wrap a new baby in that, and I wouldn't want that on top of me ( I thought that comment was really funny since it was referring to Randal Cooks large male nude and the speaker was female ) The featured quilters were not given a chance to present the other side of the Art/Traditional debate. I felt that if you were going to go there at all, both sides should be evenly represented. On the whole, I was entertained by it, but it did not enlighten me any farther.

Real Studio TIme

This past weekend I actually got to spend the better part of both days in the studio. I did some wonderful rubbings and stencilling with paintstiks to make the sweatshirt jacket I have been wanting to do for the whole summer. The key is to put it on the schedule at the shoppe and then I can justify ignoring the housework, since I NEED to get the sample done! I also got the quilt for the FDQ Guild show finished, bound and hanging sleeve and all!! And wait - There's more, I even got work done on the Beautiful Valley Project. Although there is much yet to be done, I have great satisfaction at the amount of time I was able to devote to my work. I am trying to keep up the momentum, and the jacket is now much farther along, but the realities of running a store are interfering today. How easy to be border by paperwork when a great project is calling.

Drying out

Well, I must say it has been a wild ride, starting with the refrigerator dying the day before the earthquake. Then the hurricane, with a half finished and un tarped metal roof on the building that houses my shoppe. Then back to school with my daughter starting at the middle school, and thankfully, some new flooring and ceiling tiles yesterday. There is alot more cleanup to go, but I did not have to close for any unscheduled time, even if I did have to reschedule a few meetings due to my entire office needing to be housed in the classroom for a couple of days. Happily that was the only trouble, we have only minor inconveniences compared to what many have been going through. Several schools in the area had to close today due to more rain last night.

I can't go to those badly affected areas to help cleanup, but I can use my skills to make something useful, beautiful and colorful for all the locals who need to re build from scratch. We have done the Pillowcase Challenge before and it is a wonderful way to reach out and let the flood victims know that someone cares. The Village Fabric Shoppe will open its classroom and have machines and donated fabrics ready for anyone to come in and make a pillowcase for this cause, On Saturday September 10. 10-5. If you would like to clean out your stash and donate fabrics bring them, if you would like to sit and sew come on in, and if you want to bring a friend even better. It is a shame that this is a needed activity again, but last time we had a ball and it is all for a good cause. There is more information at Villagefabricshoppe.blogspot .com Join me to dry out Upstate New York.