Trunk Show

I attended a "Trunk Show" this evening. It was held at "A Time 2 Sew" in Collinsville, AL. Cindy Blackberg was the presenter. (shown in the attached photo obtained from her website) A Time 2 Sew is also conducting a retreat with Cindy this weekend, but my time & my funds are committed elsewhere. Attending the trunk show was nearly a last minute decision. I only decided yesterday! Cindy Blackberg is a well known hand piecer & hand quilter. I do neither. She brought all sorts of samples & I was selected to help display the quilts / samples that she brought with her.

Her work is awesome! Little teeney tiny pieces, little teeney tiny stitches. Oh what a challenge she has presented. It would have been nice to take the classes, but it just isn't possible...darn it!

Cindy promotes & sells quilt stamps. Her hand piecing is so precise due , in a large part, to the stamps. the stamps have the cutting line & the stitching line. They can be used for machine piecing too, but they are little. I bought the Kaleidoscope stamp & want several more, but again, not in the budget.

I like quilts withlots of pieces, I can't tell you why, I just do. i find sewing relaxing, and maybe hand piecing will be relaxing too. We shall see, because I sure want to try it.

Most of the quilts that Cindy brought were small sized. i want to make one BED sized, with all the teeney tiny peices that she has. I want to make the "Railroad Crossing", the "Mariner's Compass" and the "Kaleidoscope". And maybe, just maybe the "Scrap Baskets". (If I live long enough to make them all........) I have always had a desire to make a Mariner's Compass Quilt & actually have more than one pattern for them, all paper-pieced. but the blocks Cindy made with her templates looked so nice.....I have to TRY, at least!

I have to laugh at myself, because if I don't, I'll surely cry - but about 6 years ago I bought a hand quilting frame. No little jobbie, not for me.....I bought the Hinterberg folding frame.....not a cheap jobbie either. That baby was several (more than 3) hundred dollars. Three rails, no basting. You know how many times I've used it to quilt a quilt? Exactly ZERO. The entire time I have had it, it has held a lamp over my cutting table, strips for quilts, and many , many UFO's. I don't think that was the intention of the designer & it certainly wasn't my intention to let it sit. do i want to sell it? NO! I want to use is (obviously ...one day....) to hand quilt! And I believe that I shall! Just not tonight. ( that & it's in strorage until we move.....)

You can see Cindy's stamps, patterns, books on her website : www.cindyblackberg.com A very charming woman. One of her designs is in the latest issue of American Patchwork & Quilting - last project in the magazine. it only touches the tip of her talent. Beautiful work!

Good night!
Sam