#MICHIGAN BLOGGING CONFERENCE?

I took the day off last Friday and met with Stephanie from Peas In A Pod, and then we drove to Marshall, MI where we met up with some fellow bloggers and quilters.   We met at Marshall House Quilt Shop, did a little shopping, and then went to lunch.   This is us in front of the restaurant where we ate lunch.   Left to right, are Linda (Quilted Pineapple), Mary, Patti, Stephanie, and me.  What a fun group.  Each of us has different interests in the quilting area, and it was nice to exchange ideas and get a different point of view.  You know how it is with a group of women; we get so excited and jump from one topic to the other.

One of the things we discussed was how much fun it would be to get fellow Michigan bloggers together.  We all have something that we could learn in the blogging area…shooting better pictures, writing better copy, knowing what readers are interested in, how to create a button for our blog, how to create a video.  I could go on and on.  We decided also that this get together needn’t be just for bloggers.  Readers are welcome too and would have valuable feedback for us.  We wondered too, why just Michigan bloggers.  If you are willing to drive to Lansing, Michigan (we thought that would be a central place) you are welcome. 

Stephanie and I talked about the “conference” during our drive home.  She wrote about our conversation on her blog today and since she said things so much better than I could, I’m going to copy her here:

 “We think it would be fun to meet IRL (in real life) with all you wonderful people.  We're thinking of a long weekend (like come on Thursday night, stay Friday and Saturday, and head home on Sunday).  We thought it would be fun to have some speakers on topics like writing good blog content, taking better photos, using video in your blog, etc.  Also, maybe some little sewing projects, but we can't decide....maybe it should be more about blogging.  And maybe some stuff about how to start a blog or webpage for those of you who read blogs and want to come...

So, tell us what you think.  Please leave a comment about any or all of the following:

• Would you or your friends be interested in coming?
• What do you think this group should be called?
• Where should it be?  (We're thinking a central Michigan location, like Lansing.)
• When should it be?
• What kinds of topics would you like speakers to cover?
• What else are we forgetting?

Caroll and I thought we should start small in Michigan (but those of you who live in Indiana, Illinois, and so on who would want to come are certainly welcome!), but I could see this being popular and going bigger over time.  We'll worry about that later.  Tell us what you think of our idea.”

You can read Stephanie’s entire post here.  I hope you will leave a comment on one of our blogs telling us of your interest and thoughts on the matter.

♥

Stay Positive!

Caroll  

THE GANG IS ALL HERE AT THE ATTIC WINDOW

Here are some more pictures taken the night of the Teacher’s Meeting at the Attic Window Quilt Shop.   Most of the teachers are in the above picture, but not all.  Thought you’d like to put a face with a name.  Front row, left to right, Barb, Buffie, J.D., Maria.  Back row, left to right, Lee Ann, Chris, Maggie, Glenys, Jan, Vickie, Jill, Carolyn. (Click on the picture to get a closer view.)  These women have a lot of interesting classes planned for this summer and fall.  I hope you find the time to take advantage of all their talent!

Above is Maria.  Maria has retired and no longer teaches class, but she came to our meeting to see what we were up to.  I'm so glad she did.  Maria is/was an excellent teacher and we miss her friendly face and all her talent.  Here she shows us the Moda BOM quilt that she finished.  Isn’t it spectacular!

Here Maria shows us her Triangle quilt.  She said she saw the pattern in a magazine.  She had to make some adjustments as the pattern was not an equal lateral triangle, but she had fun making it.  Isn’t it beautiful with all those bright colors!  Thank you Marie for sharing!

AppliqueToday has a nice tutorial for a Zig Zag quilt.  Check on her sidebar too as she has several other tutorials that might be of interest.

♥

Stay Positive!

Caroll  

NEW CLASS SAMPLES AT THE ATTIC WINDOW

There has been so much going on lately that I didn’t get to finish showing you pictures that I took at the last teacher’s meeting at the Attic Window Quilt Shop.  Above is Glenys' version of a block from My Whimsical Garden by Becky Goldsmith and Linda Jenkins from Piece O’ Cake Designs.  Glenys is going to make this quilt in a mixture of cottons and wools.   I love this block and can’t wait to see the entire quilt using the wools.  Look for Glenys' class in the upcoming newsletter.

This small table topper is J.D.’s own design.  This table topper is available in several different sizes and depending on the fabric you use, can be made to fit the season.  This one above in red and white would look so nice with a candy dish or candle.  Then again, doesn't it look beautiful just as is!  A great gift for that someone special.  I made several of these during the holidays last year and can’t tell you how much fun this is to make.  As you know I'm not fond of piecing, but J.D.'s design and way of putting it together made this an enjoyable project.  You can see J.D.’s other patterns on her website here.

This is the sample for Vickie’s class Take Five Takes A Walk Around the Block.  This quilt explodes the myth that beautiful has to be difficult.  Join Vickie’s class and learn her tips and technique for getting this quilt completed in no time. 

Watch for these and other new classes in the upcoming newsletter.

PatchworkPosse has a tutorial for a darling towel and hot pad.  A great gift idea!  

You might also like to check out With Heart and Hands where she tells you how much it costs to make a quilt!  Of course some of you may not want to show this to your husband.  Then again you might want to tuck this information into your next gift!  Check it out.

♥

Stay Positive!

Caroll