Okay... So It's Been a While....

Let me start off with a hearty apology for the silent blog. I have been distracted by home and travel lately and as a result, have neglected this site for waaaayyy too long.


BUT! I'm back and hopefully will be up-dating more frequently from here on out.

I want to thank Pearl, Mary Green and Georgia for picking up the slack and writing about their trip to the Austin QuiltCon and the passing of Patricia Campbell. It was Patricia Campbell's exquisite jacobean designs that made me ache to want to learn how to appliqué and I've been steadily working on a Block of the Month (which is turning into more of a "Block of the Years") with 12 of these.

Speaking of years......... we are inching up to our 10th Anniversary! It's hard to wrap the mind around that fact! 10 years and they went by so quickly. It's been quite a ride and such a blast to be associated with the happy place we think of as our escape away from home.

As the big day looms closer, we will announce our plans to celebrate and look forward to seeing our friends as we party party party!

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Hey!, were you "in that number"on Saturday when Kathy Brown brought her latest samples form the new book, Fat Quarter Quickies? If you missed it, here's a little recap.

This quilt, Sail Away, was a BIG hit and the quilting is delightfully nautical.

 This is Spinners from the cover and again, just beautiful! The book isn't only about full-sized quilts, either. Sometimes we just want to make a quick, small project and she's got that covered ,too.

Come flip through the book & you're certain to find this book to be a great value at the low price of $16.99.

Okay, it's Mid-Summer and that means

The Louisiana Shop Hop 

is rapidly approaching. 

We have 10 shops participating this year and as such, we are extending the Hop to cover 2 weekends, giving the Hoppers extra days to get from one end of our fair state to the other without causing a wreck on I-10.

Once again, Bright Hopes Quilting is organizing a coach bus to carry 40 riders over to Lafayette, Morgan City and Houma and if you have taken the easy way in the past, you know it's more fun to arrive at a shop refreshed rather than harried from the long-distance dash.

A box lunch and afternoon snack is provided as well so no time is wasted at drive-thrus. If all this sounds like something you'd like to sign-up for, give us a call at 985-845-9554 and reserve your place.

I'll be posting more information as the weeks pass by on Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler 2013.
Wait til you see the prizes!  Stay tuned......... and here is a video of the fun from last year.

Calendar of Classes for July and August, 2013

Okay, quilters!

 Here you go..... I know the blog has been silent for a few months but our gears are definitely turning at Bright Hopes Quilting with new samples, new fabrics, new books and patterns and a whole slew of classes to fit every desire.

Check them out and give us a call to save your place!

Now...if you are using an iPad or iPhone and cannot see this this PDF file...... It is a problem that exists between Apple and  Adobe.      what to do, what to do?

Well, folks, I have tried several different "fixes" to remedy this and every suggestion so far has failed. If anyone out there has figured out a way around this problem, please let us know.

May - June Class Schedule!!!!

It's out and Fabulous!!!!

After you check through the list, give us a call to sign up for classes at 985-845-9554.

Remember our class coupon, too. $60.00 and you can take as many classes as you like for 6 months. It's the best deal in town!

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QuiltCon 2013 - Part Two, Mary's Two Cents

Pearl and I had such a great time at QuiltCon and we learned a lot about the origins of the Modern Quilt Movement.  I want to share some of things we learned and the quilts we saw.

Modern Quilting is a combination of attitude and aesthetic with a focus on functionality and less of an emphasis on the difference between quilting as art versus craft.  Many in the Modern Quilt Movement participate in on-line experiences such as blogs, flickr, and web-based guilds, however the modern quilt community exsist both on-line and in person - as evidenced by the tremendous success of its first convention, QuiltCon 2013.  Here are some statistics:

QuiltCon had 6,500 attendees.

If you thought Modern Quilting was for the young - check out the ages of attendees:

• Age 25-34       18%
• Ages 35-44      24%
• Age 45-54       23%
• Age 55-64       23%
• Over 64           09%

It seems Modern Quilting is for the young at heart!

The categories at QuiltCon reflect some of the differences and similariries between modern and traditional quilting.

• Applique - quilt includes either machine or hand layering of fabric where the quilt's focus is applique.

• Handwork - quilt includes at least one element of handwork including, but not limited to hand piecing, hand quilting, emboidery, redwork, cross stitch, crewel, etc. 
  
  
  
• Improvisation - quilt is pieced improvisationally (without the use of a pattern or templates).

• Minimalist Design - the design of the quilt expresses the principles of minimalism including one or more of the following traits: simplicity, clarity of focus, singleness, and use of large forms.
  
  
  
  
  

Use of Negative Space - quilt design incorporates a significant use of negative space which organizes the composition of the quilt. (BTW - I bought this quilt!)

Piecing - quilts that are machine pieced.

Modern Traditionalism - quilt design incorporates the use of an identifiable traditional block pattern and modernizes it by applying design elements such as alternate grid work, asymmetry, color, scale, etc.

What was also interesting about the quilts at QuiltCon 2013 was the quilting.  Modern machine quilting is focused on using quilt designs in different ways, often combining several designs to give the quilting a different look - like a quilting mash-up.  Sometimes the quilting is used to create a secondary pattern. The quilting is often dense and since a lot of modern quilts have a lot of negative space the quilting takes the stage - but the designs remain simple.  Check out some of these examples from the conference:

Simple long flowing lines draw your eyes across the quilt but the pattern is dynamic, sometimes echoing the piecing and sometimes connecting the piecing, drawing the viewer in closer.

This Texas quilt demonstrates the dense quilting often seen in modern quilts with the added wonderful detail of the Texas star in the upper left corner (detail lower).  Just stunning!

You can see from these photos and categories that QuiltCon was very exciting, stimulating, fascinating, and an overall wonderful experience.  I hope to start a chapter of the Modern Quilt Guild at Bright Hopes Quilting in the near future, adding to the growing 250 MQGs worldwide.  If you are interested in joining please let me know by emailing Mary Green at marytfiberart.green@gmail.com

An Applique Moment

The quilting world has lost one of our brightest stars today with Patricia Campbell's passing.  She LOVED using bright colors, and, therefore, saw NO reason why an applique background needed to be white, or tan, or beige.  Why not use magenta? Her applique designs are unique, just as she was.  Take a few minutes today to applique a bit in her memory.  I'm sure she has her needle in her hand too!

>>> Here comes Chris, horning in on Georgia's post to show a Patricia Campell Jacobean Applique that Leslie made as one of our BOMs from back in 2007, I think..... such beautiful design!

McCall's Has Something For You!

As we approach National/Worldwide Quilting Day (this Saturday!) I would like to share this offer from the good people at McCall's Quilting Magazine.

McCall's Quilting Magazine has been inspiring us for many years and we take away so much information from their publications. I especially love it when their close-up photos reveal the machine quilting!

Well, here is link that will take you to their website where you can download a free eBook containing 3 patterns for Modern Quilts.

This one is Baubles and Beads designed by Susan Guzman.
What an awesome and welcoming quilt in time for Spring!

Now, I am going to tease you and not show the other two, but suffice it say, one is quilt-as-you-go and the other features half-square triangles. For the Modern Enthusiast, this third one will be a springboard for leaping into the deep-end of the Modern pool!

Have fun & let us see what you make from this nice book!

Thanks! McCall's Quilting Magazine!

Up-Date - National Quilting Day And FQ SWAP

Fun at Bright Hopes Quilting!

Do you have fat quarters laying around that you just aren't that into any longer? Oh, you bought them with the very best of intentions but they have not made it into one of your projects! Well!

We are hosting a Fat Quarter Swap  this coming Saturday, March 16. If you have some unused fat quarters and would like to exchange them with fellow stitchers, here is your chance!

 Bundle 6 unused fat quarters and tie them up with ribbon. They ought to have some common theme, like nursery colors, batiks, or Christmas, or 'blenders'. Keep in mind, other quilters will be expecting to trade theirs for yours. (And double-check that you have't taken any small bite out of them. They should be completely 18" x 22".)

Then join us at 9 am to swap with others. You may bring as many bundles as you like and will take home the same number but hopefully not your own! 

Every one who participates will receive a free pattern that uses 12 fat quarters and some yardage, (which you may also already have in your stash!) We have several patterns to choose from as well, so you can really get started on something new for Spring.

Remember, the door opens early Saturday, March 16 at 9am and the 'Swap" will end before the scheduled class begins at 10:00am. We'll have something to nibble on as you visit and swap & we are very excited to see what you come up with.

Start National Quilting Day off with Bright Hopes Quilting!

Thank You to the ladies who participated in the swap. I really like the selection of 'taupes" I came away with!!!!!