DIY Wednesday: Highlights from the AAQG Quilt Show Part 2

More FABULOUS quilts to ooh and ahhh over!

The last set of great quilt pictures to come next week! If you're interested in quilting check out the Austin Area Quilt Guild or sign up for a beginner quilting class at The Stitching Studio!

xo,
Anne Marie

COMING IN APRIL 2009:
The Bearded Ladies Present: Shop Austin

DIY Wednesday: Highlights from the AAQG Quilt Show Part 1

I'm going to let the photos do all the talking tonight....check out my Flickr Set for detailed information about each quilt & the artists' statement.

Because I took so many great pics, I will feature just a few of my favorite quilts...

Congratulations to my mom, Mary Beard, who won 3rd place in Miniatures and organized the Demonstrations of the show. She is an inspiration to many!

More fabulous pictures to come over the next several days. If you're interested in quilting check out the Austin Area Quilt Guild or sign up for a beginner quilting class at The Stitching Studio!

xo,
Anne Marie

COMING IN APRIL 2009:
The Bearded Ladies Present: Shop Austin

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.



**************
Anne Marie Beard

The Bearded Ladies Present: Shop Austin!

New Bags: Tiny Trash = Creative Juice

What is it about small bits of fabric and yarn and beads that make a crafty queen's heart go thump?

There is just this insatiable pull towards using someone ELSE'S cast offs that excites me (and many others) to the core!



My mom has a group of ladies that she sews with, and they love to give her little scraps of fabric. They all share little scraps, but my mom is typically the one who actually does something with them.



So a few weeks ago she got a bunch of scraps of vintage fabric from one of her dear friends, Maxine. Like a true crazy crafter, she took them home and immediately made 40 crazy quilt pieced basket blocks. FORTY in just a few hours.



She also made me an adorable wall hanging decked out with vintage buttons sashed in a gorgeous brown linen. So I wanted to see all the other blocks she made, and I started drooling. I asked if I could have a few - and the generous lady that my Mom is, she gave me almost all of them!



Back to the beginning - this circle of small bits of trash = love. I took her blocks and made some bags. I have been playing with Yarn applique on bags lately, and trying to "free craft" - make bags without a plan. Just make and design as you go.



I am pretty pleased with the result! But the best part is the history behind the bags. The lucky lady who gets one will have the result of many generations and families of women hanging from her arm. Maxine's stash included fabrics from HER mother's stash; fabrics saved from dresses, quilts, aprons and all kinds of crafts. Two families, four generations, tiny bits of fabric = love, art, craft - the true beauty behind sewing.

xo, Ambie
Etsy
AnneMarieBeard
TheBeardedLadiesPresent

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