Boy, the temps are jumping all around these days. We had our first freeze a couple of nights ago, but the daytime temps are quite balmy. It sure makes me want to snuggle up under a quilt or two, with a good book and a cup of tea.

I was thinking the other day (dangerous, I know!) that the level of talent in machine quilting has grown by leaps and bounds. Of course, we have always had Diane Gaudynski, Linda Taylor, Janet Fogg and the like, but I am talking about the average quilter. If you attend a local quilt show, take a good look at the quilting. It is far more advanced than just a few years ago, when we were all meandering and stippling, or just stitching-in-the-ditch and around blocks. The really talented show-winning quilters are moving the bar upward continually and it is exciting to watch. Is it the new equipment and tools available? Or is it simply that we, as quilters, are learning to just let ourselves go and create?

So what have YOU been up to? We sure would like to see your quilts. We have two opportunities for you - the Online Gallery and our Noteworthy section of the magazine. Take the leap and send your photos!

Noteworthy submissions go to submissions@mqumag.com and Gallery images can be sent to vicki@meanderpublishing.com.

Til next time...

Vicki Anderson   Executive Editor

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The Quilt Show!

Vicki Anderson and I were thrilled to find that taping for The Quilt Show segments is now in Boulder, Colorado, just a hop, skip and a jump from our homes in Fort Lupton and Fort Collins. OK, I have a few more hops and skips than Vicki does, but it is still much closer than La Veta, in Southern Colorado, where they were previously filmed! We couldn’t wait to attend, and Vicki decided that we would once again contribute issues of Machine Quilting Unlimited for each goodie bag that all guests of the taping receive. The audience loved the magazine, judging by the number of thank-you emails we received.

We had a great time seeing Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims and their talented and hard-working staff, talking with the guest artists and watching the video clips as they were being filmed. The quilts presented by the artists were amazing and awe-inspiring. Justin Shults taught all of us how to applaud, kept us entertained and told a lot of truly corny jokes. We were fortunate to meet and compare notes with two editors from other quilting magazines, Chris Brown from American Quilter and Jan McGee from Quilter’s Home, as well as several subscribers to MQU, who encouraged us to keep up the good work. Jeanie Sumrall-Ajero, from Kaleidoscope Kreator showed up not only on the screen, which was showing small clips from previous shows, but also in person, and she was as energetic and fun as always. Several other friends from Northern Colorado said hello.

If you ever get the chance to attend a TQS taping, I highly recommend it as both an educational and a riotous experience. I understand their next taping will be in Boulder again in the Fall of 2010, so keep it in mind if you have the opportunity. And look for a story about the 'behind-the-scenes' action in an upcoming issue of MQU!

Kit Robinson, Managing Editor

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Quilt Shows…we love them! We editors try to visit as many as possible each year to see the fabulous quilts, check out the latest products, meet the newest teachers and design stars, and to talk to all of you. We are all so inspired by the talent that we encounter. I love to take classes at the shows, not only for the education that I sorely need, but to interact with other quilters. The conversations, both on and off topic, feed my quilting soul.

This October you will see Dick & me at the Quilting With Machines show in Aurora, Ohio (Oct 22-24). In its third year, this event that started as a guild effort is growing into a terrific regional experience. Longarm, shortarm and domestic machine quilters will all find demonstrations, classes and lectures to suit their needs. www.quiltingwithmachines.com

After a few days visiting with my family in NE Ohio, we head for the AQS Des Moines Expo (Oct 28-31).  www.americanquilter.com/shows There are several Special Exhibits this year, including a showing of Mildred Sorrels work. Mildred was our cover story in the Spring ’09 MQU. Poor Dick! Two quilt shows in six days. Well, we’ll have to stop off at a few small airports along the way to feed his passion for experimental and homebuilt aircraft. He loves the EAA Air Show in Oshkosh, WI, the largest air show in the world, where they hold a quilt show each year as well! He can disappear into the air show while I can feed my quilting muse.

Because we are driving this trip, we will be able to stop off at quilt shops all along the way. If you have any ‘must see’ quilt spots (we are traveling via I-80 from Colorado to Ohio and coming back on I-70) be sure to drop me a note at Vicki@meanderquilting.com.And if you know of a quilt shop located in an airport...you will have made my husband a very happy man.

We look forward to seeing you at the shows! We won’t have a booth at these shows, but we will be roaming around looking excited! Stop us and say hello.

Vicki Anderson   Executive Editor

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We are reprising our newsletter, Machine Quilting Unlimited ONLINE!, starting September 1, 2009, and are currently working diligently to make it worthwhile for you. As you can see, we recently upgraded our website, with the help of the Danemco team. In the process of moving to the new site, our old newsletter subscriber list was lost. Mea Culpa! I was SURE I had captured the info. The result is that if you registered before August 12, 2009, unfortunately you have to register again. Note: If you are a magazine subscriber and gave us an email address, no worries, we have the information needed. Also, if you do sign up more than once, we will NOT send multiple newsletters. Our system will catch those duplicates.

Look for the new, improved newsletter in your inbox around the first of each month. We will spotlight advertisers, pick a teacher or writer to showcase and offer machine quilting tips, as well as keeping you apprised of what to expect in the upcoming Machine Quilting Unlimited issues. We will also share some of the exciting things our staff is up to. For example, Liz Davis is totally immersed in Statler’s Creative Studio program and is training everywhere, and Kit Robinson had a quilt accepted into Quiltscapes at the Whistler, the Whistler House Art Museum’s quilt exhibit! Way to go, ladies. And me…well, I am updating our accounting system (but sneaking in some quilting time wherever I can!)

We look forward to hearing your response to the newsletter, so be sure to drop me a line at Vicki@meanderpublishing.com.

Vicki Anderson

Publisher and Executive Editor

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