a little story about a quilt show

Many years ago, I phoned my mother (she lives just outside of Phoenix)
for a chat. She was all flustered and said she couldn't talk to me
right now because she had to go pick up her sister- they were running
late to go to a quilt show and she needed Aunt Carolyn to help her
carry her "stuff". My heart fell to the bottom of my feet and my
pulse rate jumped.... neither of the two sisters is a quilter nor does
either one sew. I carefully asked her "what 'stuff'?" She said Aunt
Carolyn was helping her carry all the quilted "stuff" I had made for
her and dad over the years... she was taking all of it to the quilt
show.

My pulse rate kicked up another notch and I started feeling
nauseated. Mother is a very determined lady and the entire family
learned a long time ago that she does not take kindly to the words
"no" or "you can't". I couldn't tell her that the little quilted
things I had made for her weren't good enough for the show- not good
enough by a long, long, LONG shot. She would calmly tell any quilt
judge that the potholder her daughter made was vastly superior to the
Best of Show Baltimore Album Quilt that was completely handmade by a
famous quilter with 39 stitches to the inch.

I said the only other thing that popped into my head "Mom, I think
only the people who made the quilts are allowed to enter them in the
show". She said "I'm taking them along to show to people". My heart
stopped dead.... I had this mental image of the two little old ladies
sitting on a bench inside the quilt show asking people if they wanted
to see the potholders, table runners and Christmas tree skirt that her
daughter made.

I have never had the courage, even after all these years, to ask her
about her one and only quilt show.....

Mothers. Ya gotta love 'em!

That's a great story Leslie! My mother DID enter one of my quilts into her
local quilt show!!! Though it was one that I wouldn't have been "too"
embarassed to stand near. Several years ago she bought a quilt at a garage
sale that was a real train wreck! It was made of all owl blocks (she
collects owls). The owls were outlined with what seemed like a pearl cotton
stem stitch or back stitch and the color was filled in with
crayons...probably fabric crayons. I didn't get to see the "quilt" in its
original form, but Mother said it was horrendous. The person who made it
didn't quite understand the sashing concept...the sashing was made of fabric
"tubes" stuffed with batting. The "quilting" was done by a sewing machine
with severe tension problems....oh, and did I mention the background fabric
was a white polyester sheeting...very thin. Anyway, my mother spend an
entire winter picking this whole thing apart..all the way down to the
original blocks...none of which were the same size. Then she sent them to
me!!!! I found 16 that I could cut down to the same size and sashed them
with a complimentary fabric. I did machine trapunto around the owls and
also did a satin stitch around the "leaves" that were sewn into the
background of the blocks. There were some holes where the original sewing
machine had chewed up the block when working on it, so this is how I covered
those. All in all, it was pretty cute when I was done and I gave it back to
her one Christmas. I wish I had a picture. She drags it out to show people
who visit her. It is covered in a closet so it won't get dusty. Sheesh....
USE IT!!!! I thought she was going to hang it behind her bed. I have a few
of the leftover blocks around here somewhere....maybe I'll post the pictures
sometime.
I think you should ask what your mom did with all your quilty items! The
mental picture is just priceless! Thanks for telling the story!

--
Kathyl (KJ)
remove "nospam" before mchsi
http://community.webshots.com/user/kathylquiltz
"Leslie & The Furbabies in MO." wrote in message
oups.com...
Many years ago, I phoned my mother (she lives just outside of Phoenix)
for a chat. She was all flustered and said she couldn't talk to me
right now because she had to go pick up her sister- they were running
late to go to a quilt show and she needed Aunt Carolyn to help her
carry her "stuff". My heart fell to the bottom of my feet and my
pulse rate jumped.... neither of the two sisters is a quilter nor does
either one sew. I carefully asked her "what 'stuff'?" She said Aunt
Carolyn was helping her carry all the quilted "stuff" I had made for
her and dad over the years... she was taking all of it to the quilt
show.

My pulse rate kicked up another notch and I started feeling
nauseated. Mother is a very determined lady and the entire family
learned a long time ago that she does not take kindly to the words
"no" or "you can't". I couldn't tell her that the little quilted
things I had made for her weren't good enough for the show- not good
enough by a long, long, LONG shot. She would calmly tell any quilt
judge that the potholder her daughter made was vastly superior to the
Best of Show Baltimore Album Quilt that was completely handmade by a
famous quilter with 39 stitches to the inch.

I said the only other thing that popped into my head "Mom, I think
only the people who made the quilts are allowed to enter them in the
show". She said "I'm taking them along to show to people". My heart
stopped dead.... I had this mental image of the two little old ladies
sitting on a bench inside the quilt show asking people if they wanted
to see the potholders, table runners and Christmas tree skirt that her
daughter made.

I have never had the courage, even after all these years, to ask her
about her one and only quilt show.....

Mothers. Ya gotta love 'em!

That is so sweet Leslie. How wonderful that she is so proud of you.
My mama was my biggest fan. Glad yours is too! My mom is gone now
but my new fan is my girlfriends son. I did some quilted toaster
type covers for her kitchen. Now, gf is really particular so I always
try to do my best for her stuff but these were still just appliance
covers. When her son saw them he asked about them and his response
was "taria is awesome". What a kid : )
I am sure your potholders are just as wonderful as your mama thinks.
TAria

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO. wrote:

Many years ago, I phoned my mother (she lives just outside of Phoenix)
for a chat. She was all flustered and said she couldn't talk to me
right now because she had to go pick up her sister- they were running
late to go to a quilt show and she needed Aunt Carolyn to help her
carry her "stuff". My heart fell to the bottom of my feet and my
pulse rate jumped.... neither of the two sisters is a quilter nor does
either one sew. I carefully asked her "what 'stuff'?" She said Aunt
Carolyn was helping her carry all the quilted "stuff" I had made for
her and dad over the years... she was taking all of it to the quilt
show.

My pulse rate kicked up another notch and I started feeling
nauseated. Mother is a very determined lady and the entire family
learned a long time ago that she does not take kindly to the words
"no" or "you can't". I couldn't tell her that the little quilted
things I had made for her weren't good enough for the show- not good
enough by a long, long, LONG shot. She would calmly tell any quilt
judge that the potholder her daughter made was vastly superior to the
Best of Show Baltimore Album Quilt that was completely handmade by a
famous quilter with 39 stitches to the inch.

I said the only other thing that popped into my head "Mom, I think
only the people who made the quilts are allowed to enter them in the
show". She said "I'm taking them along to show to people". My heart
stopped dead.... I had this mental image of the two little old ladies
sitting on a bench inside the quilt show asking people if they wanted
to see the potholders, table runners and Christmas tree skirt that her
daughter made.

I have never had the courage, even after all these years, to ask her
about her one and only quilt show.....

Mothers. Ya gotta love 'em!

Leslie, what a wonderful story! You're so lucky to have a mother who so
obviously treasures you and everything about you!
--
Sandy in Henderson, near Las Vegas
sfoster 1 (at) earthlink (dot) net (remove/change the obvious)
http://home.earthlink.net/~sfoster1

Thanks for the smile!! And for being you!!! And for the laugh that
you might have *ever* turned out something that shouldn't have hung in
a show vbg

My DD made my day this afternoon. Was watching a quilt online that
just won huge awards.... she bounces in... ohhhhh pretty mom mom....
but the one you are working on for me downstairs beats that one...
when are they putting it online? Man I love that kid......

Jan
RCTQ Coffee Diva

On Apr 12, 5:18 pm, "Leslie & The Furbabies in MO."
wrote:
Many years ago, I phoned my mother (she lives just outside of Phoenix)
for a chat. She was all flustered and said she couldn't talk to me
right now because she had to go pick up her sister- they were running
late to go to a quilt show and she needed Aunt Carolyn to help her
carry her "stuff". My heart fell to the bottom of my feet and my
pulse rate jumped.... neither of the two sisters is a quilter nor does
either one sew. I carefully asked her "what 'stuff'?" She said Aunt
Carolyn was helping her carry all the quilted "stuff" I had made for
her and dad over the years... she was taking all of it to the quilt
show.

My pulse rate kicked up another notch and I started feeling
nauseated. Mother is a very determined lady and the entire family
learned a long time ago that she does not take kindly to the words
"no" or "you can't". I couldn't tell her that the little quilted
things I had made for her weren't good enough for the show- not good
enough by a long, long, LONG shot. She would calmly tell any quilt
judge that the potholder her daughter made was vastly superior to the
Best of Show Baltimore Album Quilt that was completely handmade by a
famous quilter with 39 stitches to the inch.

I said the only other thing that popped into my head "Mom, I think
only the people who made the quilts are allowed to enter them in the
show". She said "I'm taking them along to show to people". My heart
stopped dead.... I had this mental image of the two little old ladies
sitting on a bench inside the quilt show asking people if they wanted
to see the potholders, table runners and Christmas tree skirt that her
daughter made.

I have never had the courage, even after all these years, to ask her
about her one and only quilt show.....

Mothers. Ya gotta love 'em!

What a great story, Leslie!
Thanks for sharing it.

Nann


"Leslie & The Furbabies in MO." wrote in message
oups.com...
Many years ago, I phoned my mother (she lives just outside of Phoenix)
for a chat. She was all flustered and said she couldn't talk to me
right now because she had to go pick up her sister- they were running
late to go to a quilt show and she needed Aunt Carolyn to help her
carry her "stuff". My heart fell to the bottom of my feet and my
pulse rate jumped.... neither of the two sisters is a quilter nor does
either one sew. I carefully asked her "what 'stuff'?" She said Aunt
Carolyn was helping her carry all the quilted "stuff" I had made for
her and dad over the years... she was taking all of it to the quilt
show.

My pulse rate kicked up another notch and I started feeling
nauseated. Mother is a very determined lady and the entire family
learned a long time ago that she does not take kindly to the words
"no" or "you can't". I couldn't tell her that the little quilted
things I had made for her weren't good enough for the show- not good
enough by a long, long, LONG shot. She would calmly tell any quilt
judge that the potholder her daughter made was vastly superior to the
Best of Show Baltimore Album Quilt that was completely handmade by a
famous quilter with 39 stitches to the inch.

I said the only other thing that popped into my head "Mom, I think
only the people who made the quilts are allowed to enter them in the
show". She said "I'm taking them along to show to people". My heart
stopped dead.... I had this mental image of the two little old ladies
sitting on a bench inside the quilt show asking people if they wanted
to see the potholders, table runners and Christmas tree skirt that her
daughter made.

I have never had the courage, even after all these years, to ask her
about her one and only quilt show.....

Mothers. Ya gotta love 'em!

Leslie,

That is too cute!!!! I hope she bragged about you all day long.

Tricia in TX

http://photos.yahoo.com/momiixii



Leslie & The Furbabies in MO. wrote:
Many years ago, I phoned my mother (she lives just outside of Phoenix)
for a chat. She was all flustered and said she couldn't talk to me
right now because she had to go pick up her sister- they were running
late to go to a quilt show and she needed Aunt Carolyn to help her
carry her "stuff". My heart fell to the bottom of my feet and my
pulse rate jumped.... neither of the two sisters is a quilter nor does
either one sew. I carefully asked her "what 'stuff'?" She said Aunt
Carolyn was helping her carry all the quilted "stuff" I had made for
her and dad over the years... she was taking all of it to the quilt
show.

My pulse rate kicked up another notch and I started feeling
nauseated. Mother is a very determined lady and the entire family
learned a long time ago that she does not take kindly to the words
"no" or "you can't". I couldn't tell her that the little quilted
things I had made for her weren't good enough for the show- not good
enough by a long, long, LONG shot. She would calmly tell any quilt
judge that the potholder her daughter made was vastly superior to the
Best of Show Baltimore Album Quilt that was completely handmade by a
famous quilter with 39 stitches to the inch.

I said the only other thing that popped into my head "Mom, I think
only the people who made the quilts are allowed to enter them in the
show". She said "I'm taking them along to show to people". My heart
stopped dead.... I had this mental image of the two little old ladies
sitting on a bench inside the quilt show asking people if they wanted
to see the potholders, table runners and Christmas tree skirt that her
daughter made.

I have never had the courage, even after all these years, to ask her
about her one and only quilt show.....

Mothers. Ya gotta love 'em!

And my story. There is no LQS in the Swamp but there is a little quilting
shop to the west (although the bridge from here was taken out by Katrina and
it is still out) and there is another quilt shop to the east. I can't go in
either one of them without a wig, dark glasses (hard to define colors that
way) and pay in cash. I would not dare use a check or a credit card and
reveal my identity.
When invited to take classes at one shop, my beginner quilting buddy
told them she didn't need their classes, that she was learning from a real
expert, Ms. Esther. At the other shop, they showed her a quilt on display
and she criticized blunted points and lazy quilting. She mentioned there
that Ms. Esther would never put up with that sort of shoddy quilting.
It ain't easy having a fan club. It is almost as bad as having a child
learn to talk and tell Everything. Polly


"A&T" wrote in message
k.net...
Leslie,

That is too cute!!!! I hope she bragged about you all day long.

Tricia in TX

http://photos.yahoo.com/momiixii



Leslie & The Furbabies in MO. wrote:
Many years ago, I phoned my mother (she lives just outside of Phoenix)
for a chat. She was all flustered and said she couldn't talk to me
right now because she had to go pick up her sister- they were running
late to go to a quilt show and she needed Aunt Carolyn to help her
carry her "stuff". My heart fell to the bottom of my feet and my
pulse rate jumped.... neither of the two sisters is a quilter nor does
either one sew. I carefully asked her "what 'stuff'?" She said Aunt
Carolyn was helping her carry all the quilted "stuff" I had made for
her and dad over the years... she was taking all of it to the quilt
show.

My pulse rate kicked up another notch and I started feeling
nauseated. Mother is a very determined lady and the entire family
learned a long time ago that she does not take kindly to the words
"no" or "you can't". I couldn't tell her that the little quilted
things I had made for her weren't good enough for the show- not good
enough by a long, long, LONG shot. She would calmly tell any quilt
judge that the potholder her daughter made was vastly superior to the
Best of Show Baltimore Album Quilt that was completely handmade by a
famous quilter with 39 stitches to the inch.

I said the only other thing that popped into my head "Mom, I think
only the people who made the quilts are allowed to enter them in the
show". She said "I'm taking them along to show to people". My heart
stopped dead.... I had this mental image of the two little old ladies
sitting on a bench inside the quilt show asking people if they wanted
to see the potholders, table runners and Christmas tree skirt that her
daughter made.

I have never had the courage, even after all these years, to ask her
about her one and only quilt show.....

Mothers. Ya gotta love 'em!

"Polly Esther" wrote in message
...
And my story. There is no LQS in the Swamp but there is a little quilting
shop to the west (although the bridge from here was taken out by Katrina
and it is still out) and there is another quilt shop to the east. I can't
go in either one of them without a wig, dark glasses (hard to define
colors that way) and pay in cash. I would not dare use a check or a
credit card and reveal my identity.
When invited to take classes at one shop, my beginner quilting buddy
told them she didn't need their classes, that she was learning from a real
expert, Ms. Esther. At the other shop, they showed her a quilt on display
and she criticized blunted points and lazy quilting. She mentioned there
that Ms. Esther would never put up with that sort of shoddy quilting.
It ain't easy having a fan club. It is almost as bad as having a child
learn to talk and tell Everything. Polly


Well, you could take another tack. Walk in, bold as brass (keep the
sunglasses, it will add to the star aura) and plunk down your plastic and
purchase enough fabric to hide from your family for a few months, just like
any other quilter ;-)

KJ wrote:
That's a great story Leslie! My mother DID enter one of my quilts
into her local quilt show!!! Though it was one that I wouldn't have
been "too" embarassed to stand near. Several years ago she bought a
quilt at a garage sale that was a real train wreck! It was made of
all owl blocks (she collects owls).
snip
Anyway, my mother spend an
entire winter picking this whole thing apart..all the way down to the
original blocks...none of which were the same size. Then she sent
them to me!!!! I found 16 that I could cut down to the same size and
sashed them with a complimentary fabric. I did machine trapunto
around the owls and also did a satin stitch around the "leaves" that
were sewn into the background of the blocks. There were some holes
where the original sewing machine had chewed up the block when
working on it, so this is how I covered those. All in all, it was
pretty cute when I was done and I gave it back to her one Christmas. I
wish I had a picture. She drags it out to show people who visit
her. It is covered in a closet so it won't get dusty. Sheesh....
USE IT!!!! I thought she was going to hang it behind her bed. I
have a few of the leftover blocks around here somewhere....maybe I'll
post the pictures sometime.

Thanks for rescuing those poor owls! Sounds like they desperately needed
help. I'd love to see a picture of the blocks or even the quilt if you could
get your mom to take a picture next time she takes it out.
--
Jeri
"Change is inevitable, except from vending machines."
http://community.webshots.com/user/owlie47