Jo Anne B.
 

Hi All!
I have learned sew much from QB! I have been reading this site for the past few months and sew many times I have wanted to chime in, sew it is about time I did!
I have been quilting almost a year, it has been a big learning process as I knew nothing, not even how to sew on a button.:o Or use a machine?? It was all so confusing, I was an am such a blank slate.
I have my best friend who has quilted for years, think she got tired of sewing on my buttons and other tasks...
Anyway she directed me to a local lady who taught the basics of quilting as her mission "StitchinMission" The Baby quilts produced in class are donated to charity and we walk out with free lessons and basic knowledge. Cool stuff huh?
My most prized possessions are the two quilts(double wedding ring) my grandmother hand quilted in the 1930's. Her nursing home gave her space to put up her quilt frames, the staff even helped keep her in fabric, she was making and giving away quilts until she died. Could quilting be genetic? I have a newspaper article from when she was featured in her local newspaper. She was a wonderful woman!! I miss and love her now more than ever, and she has been gone 36 years, must be the quilting....
I absolutely believe there is so much love poured into quilting.
I have as well found frustration, I describe it to my husband "it's like golf... no matter how hard you try, how perfect you try to make it, how just when all seems it should be just right" It's still going to go wayward.
I have two easy projects going on, a down sized twin(Kaleidoscopic Kites a "free" pattern from Fresh Lemons Modern Quilts) for my mother and just bought halloween fabric(on sale with 20% off coupon) yesterday at Joann's for my granddaughter we will be using the turning twenty pattern, plus my granddaughter is going to participate in making her quilt, could quilting really be genetic??
Sorry for the long intro, hope you enjoyed meeting me as I have you!:thumbup:
Jo Anne B.

PS: Question.. one of the pieces of fabric bought yesterday contains glitter, how does this work with the sewing machine? any problems? seems to shed pretty easily.

PSS: I sew a Pfaff 2044 Quilting Expression mostly on Sundays especially during football season. LOL!

Welcome from Michigan!

Welcome from Minnesota and happy quilting :)

Welcome from sunny southern California!

Hello JoAnne, welcome from northern California! What a treasure to have your grandmothers 1930s quilts. Do you think you could post pictues of them? We would love to see them!

Welcome fromthe heart of wine country in Napa California!

Welcome from NE Ohio.

Hi, Jo Anne! That was a really nice introduction and it's a pleasure to meet you. I just know you and your GD are going to have a blast with the Turning Twenty pattern. You simply must post a photo of the quilt when its completed.

So glad you joined us! Welcome from Minnesota.

Hi from Ohio!

Welcome from Michigan!:)

Hello and welcome from southeastern Oklahoma. My maternal grandmother is the person who encouraged me to hand quilt. She gave each of my sons a hand pieced quilt top and told me to get needle and thread and quilt them. I am still working on them - but very slowly. She is now 91 years old and in the nursing home. She has had several health scares during the last 3 or 4 years and quilting on these 2 quilts gives me peace as I remember the good times we have had thru the years. So keep on remembering your grandmother as you are quilting.

:) welcome from se TX

Thank you for all the warm welcome's!!
It was neat to see all the different places in the country from where they were sent.
I hope to post pics of my grandmothers quilts sooner than later and the halloween quilt too, probably need the DH's help with that.
I regularly tell my friend(Lola) about sew many of the interesting things I learn about on QB, I think I have finally peaked her interest when I told her today of the Downey Comfort quilt-Quilts for Kids campaign and the free kits. She would like to hopefully turn this "campaign" into a group project with her quilt group. From reading one link, passing the word, hopefully several quilts will get made. Now, how cool is that??
I volunteered to make one and signed up the dgg for one too.
Sewing with the fabric with glitter...I shouldn't really get too concerned it will be only 3 seams. So far my machine seems to be pretty forgiving. I would hate to think that a few pieces of glitter could cause my machine to come to a screeching halt.
Another note on Dgm's quilts, O'my! my machine quilts are not even close to being in the same league as Dgm's hand made quilts, how humbling.
I find I sew closely peruse the QB, that time flies, and I forget to "go quilt'. Go figure..
I am glad to read the good comments and feedback with some of these fabric and thread internet sites, I have ordered some fabric(charm squares) from a different site than those recently mentioned and was really disappointed in the quality so took it as a lesson learned "do not order off the internet"
Love is; making your niece a blue jean quilt bedspread to take to college during one of the hottest summers on record.
Tomorrow an AQS show opens here in Des Moines, hope to maybe attend Fri. or Sat.
Later, J :) Anne B.

Hi and welcome from Fort Myers, FL Happy quilting

Hi slk350! Thank you!
I used to reside in Bonita Springs, loved living in Florida, hope to return early 2014 for good. DH due to retire shortly before then. Jo Anne

Welcome to you from the far western reaches of Nebraska. I was also a blank slate when I started because as a youngster I was too busy being a tomboy to learn sewing. I'm glad I waited because now there are so many neat notions and machines.

I also sew on Pfaff's. One is embroidery and one is not.

Hello, welcome from Oklahoma!!!

Hello Jo Anne! Welcome from Minnesota! You'll love it here...lots to learn & share! :)

Hi Shawnan,
Thanks for the welcome! I really do enjoy using a Pfaff. would like another 2044 for a back up machine.
I must tell you, we have neighbors, who Fly the Cornhusker flag every day of the year, and only display red Christmas lights. Can't miss the "Big RED" message.

Hi jammin' Jane,
I do love it here, I have learned so much, being a new quilter I appreciate all the help I can get.
JB

Hi Jo Anne, I'm from Dubuque, Iowa. Glad we have new quilters. To me , it's another way to preserve history, so hopefully it never dies out. As far as frustrations, that goes with the territory. We are our own biggest critics. Usually we are the only ones that can see it. Keep plugging and welcome

Hi inspectorcmm,
Nice to meet you, especially a fellow Iowan. I am in Grimes, a bedroom community NW of Des Moines, born and raised in DSM.
Many years ago my uncle taught at a college in Dubuque, for many years, don't recall the name.
Thank you for our warm welcome.:) Jo Anne

Welcome from Washington! I didn't have any problems sewing with fabric that had some glitter, I just ended up a bit like a disco ball by the end of the project. :D

Welcome from New Mexico!

:D A fellow gal from the 70's???
So far the glitter has been fine. Thank goodness!

Thank you! Love it here, addicted to reading this daily.

Welcome from Arkansas!

You sound like a wonderful quilter! welcome from the heart of wine country in Napa ValleyCalifornia!

Thank you, lord knows I try hard enough...I haven't met a unkind quilter yet, truly special people.
Love the "cowgirlquilter", I have a 24 yr old paint/quarter mare, she is one of the great loves of my life.

Hi and welcome from Kentucky

Hi Pam, Thank you! Jo Anne