Denver! Quilting Arts TV taping, visit to the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum and a magical dinner

It was a whirlwind trip in 3 parts, all of it fabulous!

I taped 3 segments with Quilting Arts TV first, hosted by the fabulous Susan Brubaker Knapp. Oh how I wish I had taken more photos!! I will get more photos as they are edited, but I only have a few for this post, dang.

All told, there is a staff of maybe 12 people there to make you look good. It is hard work for all of us. I had no angst about taping as I have done it before and I love to share what I do. But I had 2 problems this time and that surprised me.

There will be breaks in taping for a variety of reasons RULE #1 is not to move anything so that when they begin taping again, the break is not obvious. Guess who kept on moving things? I’d see that quilt just a bit askew and straighten it, move the thread spools together….

And the other thing was that I felt what I thought was very low blood sugar. I do get hypoglycemic and my mind kept reading it as low blood sugar. But wait, I just ate a good, balanced breakfast. So I’d go snack and only after taping was done did it occur to me – duh, this is the altitude! I have visited the Denver area many times, I ski at Lake Tahoe; I’ve never had this before. And yes, I was ridiculously hydrated. So I did not feel 100% on my game. But whadayagonnado?

I got professional make up, like sit in the chair kind of make up! It was a funny exchange – the make up artist asked a variety of questions which I either did not understand or just did not have an answer for. At one point I think I said, just don’t make me look stupid. She did a great job for the camera. In real life it was over the top, but I would have looked washed out on camera without it.

Diana Fox taped later that day and here we are with our stage makeup and hair. I think I had already messed my hair up at this point. It’s so much fun to hang with other artists at this kind of thing! Diane is so very talented and a delightful person to boot.

Satomi Hoar was also taping that day, a Modern quilter who designs the coolest projects. She is a Q16 Ambassador for BERNINA and here she is showing Susan around the machine. I think Susan needs one😊, don’t you? And Jeanne Cook-Delpit from BERNINA was on-hand to make sure everything ran smoothly with all the various machines. I adore Jeanne. Can you tell I like these people?

There is a lot involved in getting the set just right and they take great care to show your work at its best. I totally enjoyed this new-to-me set in Golden. In my last visit I taped in Ohio, in the winter, wind chill below zero. This was a bit more pleasant!

And here’s their best shot of me in action. I had a day in between the Long Beach show and leaving for Denver. I might have chosen a different top…

I will treasure this memento:

No photos of this, but one of the most delightful things about the whole trip was those unplanned moments: the dinners, the camaraderie, spontaneous discussions and geeking out about thread, BERNINA, quilting and the industry. I learned so much and had great meals with the best people. This is the part of my job that I absolutely love. I have met the best people. I am blessed.

It just didn’t stop! The evening after my taping we all gathered at Lea McComas‘ gorgeous mountain home for the most delightful evening of great food and engaging conversation. Lea and her husband have traveled the world and our menu as well as the decor reflected that. A few vignettes:

The last photo is not a great one, but it give you a feeling for the moment. After dinner, we gathered around the firepit for a bit, savoring the conversation and the last moments of daylight. Mountain air gets a little crisp as soon as the sun begins to set, so we each wrapped ourselves in a cozy blanket. What a day!

Once taping had wrapped, the next day I joined my sister at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum to view the latest exhibit focused on Log Cabin quilts. The main gallery showcased a variety of artists and the northeast gallery showed a collection of quilts by Amy Pabst.

I usually don’t post quilts I’ve shown before, but in this case I will, so that you can get a feel for the exhibit.

Dana is intrigued by the geometry of quilting. She took the log cabin block and warped it, using color and value to create the sense of depth. Spectacular!

Based on a 1934 mail order pattern! Once constructed, Joan realized that it looked like the international radioactive nuclear symbol. Symbols that represent Ukraine are incorporated into the quilting and piecing.

I love these colors, especially the perky little yellow triangles on the edge.

Mainly Japanese taupes and prints. Beautiful setting.

I love how the quilting mimics the mini quilt within.

One of my favorites – the colors, the wavy lines, the illusion of distance.

Spectacular in person! Rita and I have become friends as we run into each other at shows and when I visit my sister. The applique was a last minute addition and the quilt was 10 years in the making. Her quilting is representative of things in the garden.

Rita frequently uses this design that she calls “baby butt” or something similar, giggle.

Xiaoping wanted a polarizing experience – Small/large, simple/complex, fluid/linear, modern/old.

Based on a photo by Margo Clabo, an incredible quilt maker in her own right. She made the quilt in the photo. David brought this scene to life with his applique, piecing, embroidery and quilting.

Having worked in helathcare during the pandemic, Gretchen felt the need the change jobs and slowly felt the creative light within her return.

Made from men’s neckties!

I have seen many Amy Pabst quilts at the Houston show over the years. Her work is exquisite, impecably pieced, and gorgeous. It was a treat to see a collection of her work all at once. Enjoy:

Thunderstruck, Amy Pabst ( 20″ x 22″; 4,330 pieces)

And I’ll be heading back to Denver shortly for a family reunion and a new exhibit will be up by then: “Three Women Who Quilt”, with work by Lea McComas, Sharon Schlotzhauer and Jane Mathews. Can’t wait!

And I couldn’t leave Denver without some grass/weed pics as well as my final sunset:

I’ll be sharing at:

Nina-Marie’s Off the Wall Friday