MQS Day 1

I had Freehand Feathers with Lisa Coker from Texas. She's a wild woman from the west and keeps her students interested with all sort os Texas stories.

I had a hands-on class with Linda Taylor,Longarm Technical Skills. We learned how to set triangles and borders. It was mostly a refresher but I had a blast. And I won a door prize. And I found out that my Gammill dealer, Barbara Vanice invented the Gammill extended base. Well, I knew she was talented but I didn't know about the inventor side of her.

Then off to Red Robin for dinner with about 12 people. Great fun.

MQS Day 2

I had a Just Timing class with Steve Anderson of Tomorrow's Heirlooms. Great info, superb handout. I learned a lot.

Then I helped Birgit set up the machines for her class Fabulous Freehand for Blocks, Borders and Backgrounds. Birgit had a FULL HOUSE for her MQS Faculty debut. She had a great hand-out and went over the wonderful designs she had for us to try.

I lucked out and got a Millie with the new Quilt Glide (sweet) and EdgeRider wheels. I was quilting up a storm. Birgits designs will fit right into my freehand style. I can't wait to try these on customer quilts. I finally met Judi Olson from Minnesota or is that (MinneSOta), an APQS chatter. She has such a great sense of humor and kept us laughing. And I met Sue Roper a delightful young quilter who came to MQS all the way from New Zealand to take classes.


I spent some time down at the MQR table and chatted (live) with Deb Levy who had just finished teaching her first class. Riley Big Shoes (aka Cindy) was there in her official IMQA board member garb. She has been running around for days doing the behind the scenes things that we don't see but we all enjoy, like the professionalism and the hospitality of MQS.



Birgit Schuller and Cathy Franks joined us at the MQR table. We were treated to a mini-trunk show by Cathy. She showed us some of her recent art projects. We saw sulky, OSED, thread and some glitzy fabrics in the projects that she has made. And she brought her doll, the one that won a ribbon last year.

The judging is complete and they are starting to hang the quilts. We can see the volunteers whisking the trolleys loaded with quilt into the elevators and up to the show floor. The vendors have been arriving and setting their goodies on the show floor all day. The final touches will be completed tomorrow and the show doors will open at 3 P.M. Wednesday which coincides with the Shopping Frenzy.

The quilts will be on display but no ribbons on them at that point. Tomorrow night, Wednesday, is the Award's Ceremony where the winners will be announced. There is always an electric charge going thru the ballroom in anticipation of which quilts got awards.

Arrived at MQS

Bumpy flight in, weather and rain later after we arrived. But safe and sound and so happy to see my buddies, Mary Beth and Donna at the airport.

Mary Beth informed me that we had a mission, should we decided to accept it. Claudia Pfeil needed out help in setting up the APQS classroom. I don't mean, wrench and muscle setup, no. That is what Josh, Tony and Jim were there for.



Claudia needed help loading the five (maybe 6, I was pretty tired by then) APQS machines with muslin, batting and plain solid black quilt tops for the students to use at Monday's Painting with Threads class. We got them all loaded up, beautiful Superior thread all around and they were ready to go.


Time for dinner. We went to Jack Stacks a barbeque restaurant of some renown after our hard labor. The place was full but the bar area serves food and had room for 5 hungry quilters. Mary Beth, Donna, Claudia, Birgit and I ordered dinner. Soon after Loes and Theo of PreDesign joined us and the place was jumping. We had dinner Europena style. When we finished our dinner, we sat and talked and laughed. No rushing off. It was great fun.

Monday we had classes and met some new quilters from both APQS chat and the MQResource online chats. By the end of the day, we were ready for another restaurant experience. This photo only captures, former-lurker Rebecca, Claudia and Birgit. Also present were Donna (Sam's Mom), Glenda (Quilting Nanny), Corey, Cathy Franks, and two others that I just can't pull up in my tired mind right now.


We had a good first day at MQS and I am looking forward to another day filled with classes tomorrow.