ACL Alternative - Quilts!

Quilts. That's a weird word, eh? To many people that word conjures up an image of a threadbare, ratty old "blanket" their grandma made and that they use to wrap up furniture when they move.

To others, it brings to mind a cherished family heirloom - handmade with love and used for generations to provide warmth on a cold night.







Still other images can come to mind - how about a piece of art that hangs on the wall? A heavily embellished creation made with hand-dyed fabric, beads, embroidery, buttons and goodness knows what else. A striking composition in an art form still under-appreciated.




The image I think of when I see or hear the word Quilt is a combination of all those above. I have a handmade turtle quilt from my great-grandmother that I use every winter, several art quilts that I hang for holidays, one I use on my bed daily, and one I use to wrap up in on the couch. Simply stated - I LOVE QUILTS and I will NEVER use a "comforter" again in my life. Nooooooo way!

This weekend is a BIG weekend in Austin. There's the ACL festival, the UT-Arkansas Game and... The AAQG 2008 Quilt Show! My mom has been a member of the Austin Area Quilt Guild (AAQG) for as long as I can remember.






















So this weekend is the perfect opportunity to discover the new love of your life in Quilts!

There will be fantastic Quilts of all sizes - from miniatures whose small pieces will boggle your mind to King Sized Quilts of striking proportion. There will be fabulous Art Quilts, and a unique Wearable Arts section on display.

In addition my Mom, Mary Beard, has organized three days worth of demonstrations. You can catch *me* giving a demonstration on purse making techniques Sunday.

You can shop the latest in hip, retro and heirloom cotton fabrics from the fabulous vendors, browse the gift boutique, and bid on amazing items in the silent auction.

Grab the family and head out to the AAQG 2008 Quilt Show this weekend!

What: AAQG 2008 Quilt Show
Where: The Crockett Center; 10601 N. Lamar between Braker Lane on the north and 183 on the south.
When: Friday to Sunday, Sept. 26th - 28th
Cost: $6 per person; Children under 12 free


IMAGE CREDITS: From top to bottom: Vintage Quilt in Silent Auction, Crazy Quilt by Mary Murdoch, Art quilt by Beth T. Kennedy, Two art quilts by Naomi S. Adams. Click on the pictures for more information.



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Anne Marie Beard

The Bearded Ladies Present: Shop Austin!

Handmade Holidays - My first Wall Hangings!

This year for Christmas, I wanted to make two of my best friends some wall hangings. The inspiration started when I stumbled upon the Vintage Bella ebay store. I got in touch with the owner - a super nice lady who takes original vintage images and sells them as fabric blocks or images you can print yourself. I got so excited by all the possibilities! Visit her new website at http://www.VintageBella.net

My friend Sarah loves Halloween - she and her sister decorate their house to the NINES with Halloween goodies. She also loves cats, so I chose three panels that each featured a cat for her wall hanging. My mom was kind enough to let me raid her fabric stash (a quilter and crafter of over 30 years, her stash is much bigger than mine!) and helped me figure out how to make them.





My friend Cathleen loves Christmas - it is her favorite season, and as she is getting married in just a few days (dum dum de dum!) I wanted to give this to her as the last Christmas present while she is still single! She has been working hard for months with her fiance to spice up his home, and she deserves a lovely handmade item to deck the halls with!








My family always celebrates Christmas on Christmas Eve - we have tamales, enchiladas, chili con queso and all kinds of snackie goodies. Looks like we'll have a chocolate silk pie, a lemon pie and a tollhouse pie. Can't wait! Merry Christmas,

Anne Marie