Sew Popular 2015-2016 TIME TO VOTE!

"SEW POPULAR"

The "Sew Popular" category is one of the most exciting parts of our Challenge!  Out of all the beautiful quilts we received, twelve quilts were chosen to be entered in the Sew Popular category.  Pictures of the quilts have been posted on the Hopes & Dreams website, so it is time for you to cast your vote!  

Just follow this link, and vote on your favorite quilt by Friday, September 30, and our talented winners will be announced on October 3.

Congratulations to the finalists in the 2015-2016 Sew Popular category:

Pat McDonald of Pittsburgh, PA "Crossroads Quilt"

Gloria Guyer of Tillamook, OR "French Ribbon Embroidery"

Carolyn Richter & Kay Iverson of Greely, CO "Celtic Maze"

Dianne Gilbert of Ft. Collins, CO "Celtic Maze"

Mary Ellen Zeitz of South Windsor, CT "Akllietare"

Jackie O'Brien of Whitesboro, NY "One Block Wonder"

Terry Albers or Green Bay, WI

Janice Lonsinger of Altoona, PA "Gumballs with Stack & Whack"

Johanna Moore of Westminster, CO "Scrappy Circles"

Karen Williamson of Pensacola, FL "Oasis in the Desert"

Diane Severence of Windsor, CO "Floating Stars for Christmas"

Barbara Hutton of Carolina Shores, NC "Feathered Star Sampler"

Because of the generosity of the many wonderful sponsors of the Hopes & Dreams Quilt Challenge, we are able to award three winners this year!  First place will receive $1250 in awesome prizes, second place will receive $750  in prizes, and third place will win prizes valued at $500!

Good luck to all our finalists!  

Check our Hopes & Dreams Facebook page on October 3 to find out who won!

Grand Sponsor Guest Blog: Judy Martin

                                                                                    

Hi everyone,

I’m Judy Martin. I design quilts. I make quilts. I write quilt books. The first was Log Cabin Quilts, written with Bonnie Leman in 1980. The most recent was Extraordinary Log Cabin Quilts, released last fall. In between I wrote 20 other books, including Scrap Quilts, Pieced Borders (with Marsha McCloskey) and Stellar Quilts. To see those books and many others, click HERE.

Over the years I've invented 5 tools, the most popular of which is the Point Trimmer. It allows you to trim the nub off any patch that comes together at a 45-degree angle. This helps you perfectly align neighboring patches and helps reduce bulk. I've also designed several fabric lines.

The most unusual quilt-related thing I've done is design a game called Quilt Show, which has only recently been released. My husband and I are avid game players, and in 2009 we entered Quilt Show in the Rio Grande Games Design Contest. Our game was one of four winners. Our prize was to have the game published by Rio Grande Games, the leading American publisher of European-style games. Quilt Show is a game for 2-4 players. The things you do in the game are the same things you do as a quilter: You collect fabric; you turn the fabric into quilt blocks; you turn the blocks into quilts; and you win big cash prizes at the game’s three quilt shows! 

Right now I’m working on a quilt for a contest. Until this year all the quilts I made were specific projects for whatever my next book was. It didn't hurt that I really liked most of them, but there was always that other motive: It had to be appropriate for the book I was writing. Let me back track and tell you about the last quilt I made.

"The Fabric of My Life: 1969-2014"
Featured in Quilters Newsletter
Dec/Jan 2015 issue

Earlier this year I designed and made a quilt for Quilters Newsletter’s 45^th Anniversary Contest. The quilt had to be exactly 45” square. Since I have been making quilts for 45 years and used to be a senior editor at Quilters Newsletter, the contest was just calling my name. It was a labor of love. I plowed through my fabric, itself the accumulation of 45 years, and cut one patch from each of about 2100 different fabrics. Each fabric almost dripped with fond memories of where it was purchased or how it was used in previous quilts. It was like finding an old scrap book in the attic.

So I made this quilt, in part to enter it in that contest, but primarily because the project spoke to me. The quilt will never be patterned in one of my books. I simply made it because I wanted to, and what a wonderful feeling that was! Oh, and the quilt was the first runner-up in the Quilters Newsletter contest and will be on display at Quilting LIVE! in Atlanta, September 11-13, 2014.

Now back to my present project. Since that Quilters Newsletter contest experience was so good, I didn't hesitate when another contest piqued my interest. I suppose there is a chance this quilt I’m sewing right now could end up in one of my books, but it doesn't matter. I’m enjoying the process of making it.

I choose to support the Hopes and Dreams Quilt Challenge for a couple of reasons. First, I can’t imagine the horror of watching a loved one succumb to this terrible disease. The mother in me wants to help in some small way.

The other reason has to do with giving back to someone whose products I use. I use Quilters Dream Batting for all my quilt projects. So when Kathy Thompson (owner) of Quilters Dream began this program, I was naturally more receptive. It’s human nature to help those who help you.

It would be nice if a year from now I didn't have to sponsor the Hopes and Dreams Quilt Challenge because a cure for ALS had been found and the disease had been eradicated. More likely, one more year isn't going to be enough to wipe out ALS. But one year can make a difference, and eventually we’ll get there.

Judy Martin
http://www.judymartin.com

You can join me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/QuiltingWithJudyMartin

Read about Judy our Featured August #battgirls

Ice Bucket Challenge

Why is everyone dumping buckets of ice water over their heads you ask?

If you've been living under a rock for the past few weeks, lets catch you up to speed on the latest viral sensation that's getting out of hand...in the very BEST way!

It all began when Massachusetts resident Pete Frates, 29,  who's been living with ALS since 2012 and his family  came up with the idea. The challenge involves people getting doused with buckets of ice water on video, posting that video to social media, then nominating others to do the same, all in an effort to raise ALS awareness. Those who refuse to take the challenge are asked to make a donation of at least $100 to the ALS charity of their choice.

People all over, even celebrities such as the Kennedy's, Justin Timberlake, and NFL football teams have accepted the #icebucketchallenge. And since we are determined to find a cure and raise awareness for this awful disease, of course we took the challenge as well!

Those brave enough to get drenched on this sunny warm Friday (thank goodness, could you imagine this during the winter?) came prepared with bags of towels and extra clothes to change into afterwards. I even think I saw a hairdryer in the bathroom haha.

Buckets of all sizes, NONE too small were filled with ice and water to the rim! They were placed under the trees out front of Quilters Dream Batting Headquarters as 7 thrill seekers waited for a chill. Kathy Thompson, owner of QDB, decided it would be fun to "nominate/challenge" other batting companies. You will have to watch the video to see who she will choose.

Soooooo COLD!!!!!!!!!!!

Sharon

Jane

Jason

Kathy K.

Gina

Neva

How could we leave out the boss?? Kathy Thompson

We couldn't be happier to be soaking wet amongst many others in the hopes to find a cure and raise awareness for ALS! 

We hope to come across your video in the social media world. 

Dr. Feldman Univ of Michigan

Three Weeks Left in the 2014 Hopes & Dreams Quilt Challenge for ALS

24!

That's how many days remain in the 2014 Hopes & Dreams Quilt Challenge for ALS!  While this year's challenge ends July 31st, there is still plenty of time to send in a quilt and have a chance at winning some fabulous prizes from our wonderful Sponsors.

Presenting Sponsors ($2,500+)

[Click on each logo to visit their website]

Quilters Dream Batting
589 Central Drive
Virginia Beach, VA  23454
(888) 268-8664

J.N. Harpers is a fourth generation business in Canada that distributes fabrics ranging from fine apparel, exquisite Italian shirtings, a full range of interfacings, as well as a full compliment of products for the quilting industry - batiks, cotton prints, excellent basics and batting.

J.N. Harper Co.
8335 Devonshire Road
Town of Mount Royal, Quebec H4P 2L1
Canada

Grand Sponsors ($1,000+)

[Click on each logo to visit their webpage]

 

Dragon Threads
490 Tucker Drive
Worthington, OH 43085
(614) 841-9388

Forever in Stitches
120 N. Main Street
Bluffton, OH 45817
(866) 434-7552

hang it dang it
Innovative Solutions
692 Roger Canyon Road
Laramie, WY 82072
(307) 760-5279

Judy Martin Books
Crosley-Griffith Publishing Company, Inc.
P.O. Box 512
Grinnell, IA 50112
(641) 236-4854

Minick & Simpson
1528 Miller Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI  48103
(734) 665-8334

Mistyfuse
Attached, Inc.
Brooklyn, NY
(631) 750-8500

Quilters' Gift Shop
2506 Robinson Street
Colorado Springs, CO  80904
(719) 635-0968

Straight Stitch Society
35 Meadow Street, Studio 316
Brooklyn, NY  11206
(347) 422-0970

The Warm Company
5529 186th Place SW
Lynnwood, WA 98037
(800) 234-9276

The Wooden Bear
1685 McBride Ridge Court
Winterest, IA  50273
(866) 927-8458

Golden Ruler Sponsors($500)

[Click on each logo to visit their webpage]

Angela Walters
Quilting is my Therapy
AngelaWaltersquilting@gmail.com

Swirly Girls
info@swirlygirlsdesign.com

 

All generous quilters who donate a quilt will be entered into a general drawing to win great prizes, including Quilters Dream Batting, books, patterns, fabric, notions and more valued at $1,000.

All quilts must be postmarked by July 31, 2014. Quilts received after this date will automatically be entered into next years challenge.

THANK YOU!  For the gift of your time, talents and quilts that are helping us bring HOPE to our DREAMS of a CURE for ALS!

Meet Linda Teufel of Dragon Threads - $1,000 Grand Sponsor of Hopes & Dreams

Say hello to Linda Teufel.

Linda Tuefel owner of Dragon Threads.

Linda has owned and operated Dragon Threads Textile Art Books since 1994.

Linda is also the author of two books, KOOS couture & collage and Quilting Party! Group Quilting for Celbration, Commemoration, and Charity.

Linda loves helping others, whether introducing them to a new idea or twist on a traditional art form, or inspiring someone to make quilts that are donated to others.  She believes in Hopes & Dreams and became a Grand Sponsor the very first year of the challenge in 2009.

When we asked Linda why she continues to support Hopes & Dreams by donating $1,000 in books as prizes each year, she said, "My best friend's mother has ALS and went through it and my Aunt had it, too.  I didn't watch my Aunt go through the daily struggles with this disease, but I saw her from time to time and it's pretty disturbing up close.  My best friends mother was in her body, but couldn't come out having lost all muscle movement.  They got her a machine to help her communicate and then took her to Germany to try testing.  It was very sad. Donating the books is a little thing to do.  It's not finding a cure, but it is something."

Yes, Linda - it is a big something!  If you will, take a moment and click here and tell Linda "Thanks!" for continuing to support the Hopes & Dreams Quilt Challenge for ALS as a Grand Sponsor.