Lovetag Quilt Liberty of London Stile Collection

The Quilt Alliance  ( an organization I adore) promotes telling the story of your quilts, an important part of quilt making and quilt history. This is the story of my new quilt!

It has never been a secret that I adore, love, drool over ,covet  ( add anything else that may fit here) Liberty of London fabrics!  The first time I saw them was on the internet and I was stunned at the beauty of the designs.  At that time, I was not quilting yet and could not figure out exactly what I would do with those lushious pieces of art.  That all changed quickly after making my first quilt five years ago.   The world of Liberty of London was calling to me ( not really but the voices in my head sure were loud).  I purchased my first sets of 4 in squares of Liberty and I was tickled pink! I took them out and lined them up in rows, arranged them them in color order and then randomly then I very carefully put them back... I obviously was not ready.

Fast forward a few years and a few projects later.  I learned that all those squares would look so much better if I actually used them, that they were meant to be sewn into, pincushions, Aeroplane bags, pouches and mini quilts.  Their loveliness has a synergistic effect...one is gorgeous...a bunch together and BAM!  It is a wonderful thing to experience.

A pincushion for a friend

Cathedral window Aeroplane Bag

A mini quilt

I was given the opportunity to experience it in a huge way that started this past May.  In Portland, I received an email.  I honestly thought it was not a real email because the person sending it to me has such a fun sounding name it could not be business related so I was going to skip to the next one.  I could not get  the name out of my head so I went back and opened it...OMG!!!!! Sara was there in bed and I SQUEELED with delight...SARA...OMG!!!!!! I think I may have been shaking a bit too.  It was from Michelle at Liberty of London asking if I wanted to do a guest post for their blog.  I started looking for the candid cameras and could not believe it was true...ME?  No...really...ME?

Okay, I can do this!  They will want me to make a little bag or something and it will be fun...nope...a QUILT!  A full sized honest to goodness quilt...ALL LIBERTY!  OH...Ummmmm...hmmmm. A TUTORIAL and a quilt. WOW and yes please!  The collection I am lucky enough to work with is the newest Liberty Lifestyle craft fabric Stile. The LOVEtag Tutorial can be found on the Liberty Lifestyle Blog.   The LOVEtag is a simple patchwork that any level of sewer can try.  This is the perfect beginner project!  When you are visiting the Liberty blog, check out the other great tutorials to try, like the Dresden Pouf from Holly DeGroot .

The LOVEtag is a HUGE hashtag, according to Thomas, a sexy hashtag,lol!  I love it, I love the quilting ( Lisa was AMAZINGLY kind and lightening fast).  The quilt top was made in two and a half  days, we were leaving on vacation and I was up at 4 am finishing it and piecing the back together  to have it in the mail to Lisa that Friday morning since she was moving and had an insane schedule too.

This is the first quilt I have ever handbound!  It took me forever but I did it.  I had been having issues with smaller projects with needles bending during binding.  It was not fun and ended up really hurting my fingers.  On my visit to Kelly Ann's Quilting  I asked her for recommendations and she was like an angel...the perfect hand binding needles...BOHN!  Small sturdy and perfect for the job.  I was able to do the entire 88x88 quilt with no pain or bending.  In fact, I think I could use the same needle for another quilt!

I am pretty happy with the binding and now I have the right tool I will get more practice!

When the binding was completed I needed to get photos. This was going to be a challenge, lots of rain and no tall people...time to construct!

Katy and I gathered some tools. There is a hammer and some vice grips in there too ;o)

and made a line across our play structure.  I am pretty sure our neighbors think we are crazy by now!

Too many trees and not the right lighting...sigh

Later that day I decided to try again in my favorite spot where the sun is always shining and the kids can RUN!

I still had an issue with how to hold the quilt up since the little man is no where near the right size. Lo and behold a neighbor on a golf cart came through while we were there!  I flagged her down and asked if she wouldn't mind helping a crazy quilt lady out.  I handed Adam the camera...and I am really proud his eye was on getting the quilt in the frame,lol!

So, after a bunch of words and stuff, here are the photos I was able to take.

The quilting is exquisite.  The quilt master Lisa Sipes did her magic on this one.  She used Aurifil 50 wt in white and lots of it!  I cannot even remember how many thousands of yds she told me she went through. She made the Aurifil look like it is dancing on the fabric...SO AWESOME! The batting I used was Pellon.  It was two layers of Natures Touch for a little extra pouf!

Then we had some fun!

and of course what photo session can be complete without a photo bomb!!!!!

I love this quilt more than a little :o)

The story of my quilt...

The Quilt Alliance does amazing work in keeping the history of quilts alive!

At QuiltCon 2013 they asked for volunteers to bring one quilt to talk about for three minutes on video and it was called Go Tell It at the Quilt Show! It opened up a wonderful opportunity for anyone and everyone to share a personal story about a quilt that they made and every quilt has a story that should be shared.

I did not happen to bring a quilt but Thomas Knauer did bring the quilt I had made from his Frippery line from Andover Fabrics and Lisa Sipes quilted for his newest baby who was lovingly named Milo before he was born. Thomas was happy to know that I wanted to tell the story of Milo's quilt but then the story of that quilt got even better once it was handed over into my care for the filming the following morning. 

And this is that story...

These two sweet ladies were kind enough to put up with me for dinner more than one night but do not let their mild manner looks  fool you...Faith and Lee ( Lee,I have deleted ALL the photos of you eating...and maybe the one of your bum...)  are WILD WOMEN...Katie was supposed to be with us too but she fell ill. We missed her company very much and I am happy to say she has recovered and hope that she was very entertained by all of these antics ;o)

Austin is a GREAT place with friendly people, I was standing on a street corner trying to figure out where the hotel was to meet up with the girls for dinner the previous night and this guy walks up with the MOST fantastic mustache...it was a perfectly waxed curly tipped hairy wonder! As most of you know I am very shy and have great difficulty speaking to people :o) I had to say something...so I say "Guy, that is a fantastic mustache, I love it!"...he took his earbuds out and said, "Really?"  " Yes, I really like it".

He then informed me that Austin is a city of facial hair LOVERS and that the following night there was to be a contest at a club called the Mohawk .  OMG!!!! REALLY!!!!! HOW COOL!!!!!! I HAD to share this information!

When I met up with the girls the next night we went out for delicious Mexican food and the topic of the facial hair contest was brought up when a very large group of facial hair walked right by the window of our table. I was so intrigued but alas it looked like it was not to be so...

We finished up and started walking back our hotels and I was WHINING A LOT and then Lee said..."Kim, if you want I will walk by the place with you..."

YES!!!!!  It was only a couple of blocks away and when we arrived we did see more very interesting facial hair in the line to get in and the the stands ( yes, there were stands) with more people with facial hair. Apparently this is SERIOUS BUSINESS!!!!

We came, we saw but there was a cover charge...GAH! It would have been great to stay but then we would have missed some of the most fun I have ever had!

 Faith was really digging the cool Come and Shave It logos so we had to take a photo, I can see the next series on her blog..."Solstice Staches"!  This gentleman agreed to pose for a photo by the sign out front...

 After we took the photo, we were going to leave and I remembered we had the quilt...what I great pic that would be. I cannot remember who asked this guy to hold Milo's quilt outside the bar but he said yes and then I was PHOTOBOMBED!!!!! Did not even know the guy was there,LMAO!!!!!  I wanted to get a photo of the bouncer at the club holding the quilt with the bearded guy. He was MASSIVE. I have seen WWF wrestlers in the airpot before and this guy was seriously as big as them. Beard guy lost interest in holding the quilt but the bouncer had already agreed to be in the shot, he was a sweetie pie!

So we got a photo with him too!!!!!  Thank you C...I was going to tag you on FB but could not find you :o( Hopefully, you will see this here and THANK YOU!!!!!

Next, I was going to take a photo of a tattoo parlor , as a joke, saying that is where we were headed        ( mostly to entertain poor sick Katie) and Faith remembered that the popular tattoo spot Affinity was right around the corner on 6th Street. We walked by to see if any of our friends happened to be in there but they were not.  I was not feeling very brave and neither were my companions but we were drawn into the LIFE on the street!

Then it really started, this bear with the smoke was BEGGING to have his photo taken with the quilt and who can say no to a fuzzy mammal at a bar? ( no animals were harmed in this photo shoot)

Next door there was a guy with a video camera and these gorgeous girls.  I asked if they would hold up the quilt and they were super excited to do so!  The video guy asked us to join in and be in the video he was taping ( with the quilt) and we were super excited to do so Faith and Lee, make sure to keep your eyes peeled for the #springbreakforever spot we may be in, LOL!!!!

We were followed by a completely scary goth guy but there were cops, and ambulance on the next block. There was also this guy in a top hat, bow tie and yes...facial hair. You know you are succeeding in Austin when people start looking at you like you are odd and we were starting to succeed.  When we got this shot the goth guy was asking if he could hold the quilt.  I thought Lee was going to hurt him.  Lee was the keeper of the quilt, when it was not being photographed, she folded it and was holding it so close to her I am surprised it did not become a part of her. THANK YOU LEE!!!!  She totally scared the goth guy away.  All 5ft 2 of her can be my bodyguard ANYTIME!

I have to share the before photo of this performance artist.  I could have stood and watched for a very long time. I could not help but think about Tom Robbins Skinny Legs and All when seeing this beauty.
"The inertia of objects is deceptive. The inanimate world appears static, “dead” to humans only because of our neuro-muscular chauvinism … Look deeper. You’ll need a magnifying glass … On the atomic and sub-atomic levels, weird electrical forces are crackling and flaring, and amorphous particles are spinning simultaneously forward and backward, sideways and forever at speeds so incalculable that expressions such as “arrival,” “departure,” and “have a nice day” become meaningless. It is on these levels that “magic” occurs."

Some people could not find the cover charge for the bar (ahem) but were able to gather some money so that I could ask to have this vision of beauty hold Milo's precious quilt.  This was a lovely gift!  The artist agreed with no words and after holding the quilt,  bade me goodbye with blown kisses...I was very happy!

AHOY! Me Quilties!!!!! The sideburns (yes, Austin may be the facial hair capital of the US and possibly the world) are the FIRST thing I saw and KNEW this nautical gang needed to be included!!!!

I did not realize that while I was trying to fit all the people in the frame, the sidewalk traffic had stopped on both sides. I took two shots and when the quilt was safely back in Lee's hands, I thanked the four kind people and then a SEA of people started moving again. I yelled out a BIG THANKS...I LOVE AUSTIN PEOPLE!

This is the BEST one of the WHOLE night and I am still laughing over it!  There was a play and these were a couple of actors outside on a smoke break.  Faith pointed them out to me and OMG...YES we had to have this one!!!! A COWBOY on STILTS...only in Austin...okay maybe in Las Vegas too ;o) They said yes but quickly they were about to go on stage. Took this one super quick and then something very unexpected happened...

an older man was selling flowers on the sidewalk, he walk up and said something about a good picture. I said okay and he started to unbutton his shirt...

This was the final pic of the night...you cannot top this one...

Life is unexpected...it happens...it is funny...it is sad but mostly...it is unexpected...embrace it!