My quilt Show and Tell (and Tips) went well, last Thursday night. I packed up the car with bag after bag of quilts, and we headed off to have dinner with My-Sister-The-Nurse. She was standing in for Second-Sister, who was in the hospital with pneumonia. SS will be okay, but she needs some time to heal, and is basically on house arrest this week.
When we arrived I learned that I had a maximum of two hours to fill, but that was the absolute limit. I knew that I could easily fill up 120 minutes. I was more worried that I had too much to share! I started with the tips so I could show how some of them appear in my own quilts. My mouth was on overdrive, because I knew it would be a race to show everything, but the ladies soaked it all up.
When I packed, I took one more group of things than I had originally planned, and it turned out it was a good choice. My-Sister-The-Nurse made a quilt with our hand prints over 25 years ago. I've wanted to make a current genealogy quilt ever since, and I've blogged about the batik version I've started. I took the run of fabrics for that quilt, and several of the completed hand prints, and the quilt my sister made. There's also a signature quilt that I made for mother more than ten years ago. I didn't have the time to search for it, or I would have taken that, too.
I substituted the hand print quilts for the wall hanging tops I made last summer with fabric Cop Car gave me, and fabric that I gave to Cop Car, and the ladies were very interested.
It was a VERY long day for Elegante Mother. She was quite tired by the time we came home. I think we pulled into the garage around 10:30 or so, and she announced she had no plans to go to exercise the next morning, thank you very much.
My-Sister-The-Nurse called on Friday and asked if I would do a similar show for her church. It seems that my family will keep me busy for a while.
For those of you who were waiting for pictures, I'm sorry to tell you that you will have to wait a bit longer. The room was set up in a way that wasn't conducive to good photos. At best you might have seen a closeup of the quilts. Many of the quilts are so large that there wasn't enough room to back up and get the entire quilt in one picture. Do you know how HEAVY some of those quilts are? An hour into the show I was perspiring from hefting them around! I was just as happy that the quilts and I weren't being photographed.
Although all but one of the hanging quilts is back in place, I have to unpack all the rest tomorrow. If there's sunlight, I'll try to photograph some of them on the floor before they are put away. I need to make a list of just how many quilts need labels. I plan to take one day this summer and make labels for all of them. One other project is to bring my quilt journal up to date. I'll have to ask family members to take pictures of the quilts I've given them, but I'd like to have a journal page for each, along with the photo.
So....a good time was had by all, and I've had incentive to get Spring Cleaning started. That's a win-win situation in my book!
Comments (13)
A second gig already - fabulous! Better watch out or soon you will be traveling the country giving talks about quilts and becoming famous in the process. I'll bet Cop Car could become your manager.
Posted by bogie | March 18, 2007 6:34 AM
Posted on March 18, 2007 06:34
I knew it would be a great time Buffy. I can't wait to see some pictures of your beautiful work. Looks like you could take this show on the road. Congratulations!
Posted by Joy | March 18, 2007 8:32 AM
Posted on March 18, 2007 08:32
I'll be patiently waiting. Glad the show was a success.
Posted by janett | March 18, 2007 8:51 AM
Posted on March 18, 2007 08:51
And you probably didn't have someone videotape the entire event to share with us on your blog. How thoughtless! Lady, you are making me tired just thinking of all the work you put into that presentation. More power to you and I'm certain that the audience appreciated it. Thanks to your sister-the-nurse, too!
Remember what I thought of your stained glass quilt? (The crazy patch one.) You, not only should make the additional presentation, but should let guilds know that you are available. They will probably not make you rich (monetarily, that is), but they will pay your expenses and a fee of some sort, at least. That would give you something to do with your copious free time.
Way to go, Girl!
Posted by Cop Car | March 18, 2007 10:03 AM
Posted on March 18, 2007 10:03
Bogie, scroll down and read what Cop Car had to say. She's well on her way to getting me organized and on the road. I wonder what she'll have to say about all the bags I have to pack!? *G* Last time we talked about traveling she said I'd have to carry my own luggage! I can tell you that next time the quilts will be packed into soft side suitcases, rather than oversized plastic bags! *G*
Posted by buffy | March 18, 2007 11:18 AM
Posted on March 18, 2007 11:18
Joy and Janet, I'll try to take some pictures of the quilts today. Dear Husband suggested hanging them from the railing of the choir loft at the next church. If the light in the church is good, I may do that!
Thanks for being so patient. *S*
Posted by buffy | March 18, 2007 11:20 AM
Posted on March 18, 2007 11:20
Cop Car, you are the most wonderful cheerleader! No, I didn't think about having someone video the presentation, but I will. Then, you'll have to teach me how to share it with you on my blog! *G* It's a great idea.
I've been paid to speak before guilds, but I've never shared my quilts like this. There are SO many women who are better quilters than I in this area, that I never considered offering to show them. Oddly, these ladies were less interested in the crazy quilts than they were in the handprint quilts. I suppose each group will be different.
Thanks for your support. It means a lot to me!
Posted by buffy | March 18, 2007 11:25 AM
Posted on March 18, 2007 11:25
Buffy,
It sounds as if you had as much a wonderful time as the ladies at you taslk. Congratulations!
I agree with CopCar. You should make local quilting clubs know you are available to give talks. And don't worry about thier levels of expertise. For one you clearly are as good as them; and secondly thing of the inspiration they will receive from you. Thirdly why not make up two talks: one on crazy quilts and the other on handprint quilts. It sounds as if you have more than enough information and inspiration for both.
Congratulations again.
Posted by Adele | March 19, 2007 3:32 AM
Posted on March 19, 2007 03:32
Buffy--I don't do videos, so you'll need to rely upon someone else for that advice. How do you handle the showing of the quilts? Inexperienced as I am, I assumed that everyone does as the Prairie Quilt Guild does. 1) They are on stage (at a senior center in Wichita). 2) Three or four members of the guild act as quilt "handlers". One picks up the quilt, on-stage (this may be done by a "helper" of the presenter's), two unfold and suspend the quilt between them--with upraised arms--and fold the quilt to quarters, and the fourth accepts the quilt off the front edge of the stage, and stacks it. All handlers, of course, wear clean white cotton gloves.
Adele--Thanks for supporting the idea of sending Buffy on the road. It wasn't, however, in my mind that Buffy should limit her travels to her local area. With a little publicity and the right publicist (well placed) she might travel to exotic, far-away places such as Kansas! (Do you have contacts in British quilting circles?)
All--To be a good cheerleader, I must let you know that I think Buffy's stained glass quilt (she has photos posted) is "museum quality"--whatever that means (I am a beginner quilter, after all.) That quilt is absolutely gorgeous and precisely constructed! (Well, All of Buffy's quilts are great creations--I just favor the one!)
Posted by Cop Car | March 19, 2007 7:27 AM
Posted on March 19, 2007 07:27
Ah, slight confusion here. What I meant was that Buffy should start off by giving talks to amateur quilt clubs meeting anywhere in the US.
Of course, once Buffy has some more experience at giving there seems no reason why she should limit her talks such. She could become a professional and then - the world's her mollusc.
Posted by Adele | March 20, 2007 4:52 AM
Posted on March 20, 2007 04:52
Adele--Mollusc, indeed! Thanks for my laugh of the morning. If we could make Buffy rich and famous, being the generous soul that she is, she would share with us. We need to start a whispering campaign about this great, undiscovered fabric artist, we know, who is willing to share her enthusiasm and expertise with those less endowed with talent. For a small fee, of course. ("Small" said with toungue in cheek!)
Posted by Cop Car | March 20, 2007 8:23 AM
Posted on March 20, 2007 08:23
Ah, yes. I've been listening to a Terry Pratchett book, hence the comment.
I agree. We should becom,e her managers and puff her expertise and genius everywhere. Oh and a fee would be nice (with toungue in cheek also)
Posted by Adele | March 21, 2007 3:50 AM
Posted on March 21, 2007 03:50
(giggling over the "mollusk" comments...)
You ladies are just lovely. I can see it now...International fame requiring managers on two continents! Oh, a FEE! WONDERFUL! I'll be able to buy MORE QUILT FABRIC!!! YEAAAAAAAAAA!!!
You've all brought me smiles on a gray day.
Posted by buffy | March 21, 2007 3:44 PM
Posted on March 21, 2007 15:44