Brand new items added to my website

Brand new product have been added to my website!

http://stores.homestead.com/hstrial-IBluhm/-strse-Products-cln-Bluhminators/Categories.bok

Tentative teaching schedule for 2010

Now it is the time for making commitments and shaping my schedule for 2010 and beyond.
It looks like I will be very busy traveling and getting what I wished for: a very busy schedule for 2010 and beyond.

Some listings are not final at present, but all of them [most likely] will be part of my schedule for 2010.

January 2010
Road to California-Ontario, CA-January 14th-17th 2010-vending, Booth # 317

April 2010
Round Bobbin Quilt Expo April 8th-10th 2010-Springfield, MO, Teaching, vending and an exhibit of my quilt collection
MQX-April 14th-17th 2010-Providence, RI-Teaching and vending

May 2010
HMQS-Salt Lake City, UT- May 6th-8th 2010-Teaching and vending
MQS-Kansas City, KS-May 12th-15th 2010-Teaching and vending
Trip to Europe-May 20th-June 6th 2010-business/pleasure

June 2010
Minnesota Quilters-St.Cloud, MN-June 17th-19th 2010-vending
Creative Festival-Cincinnati, OH-June 24th-26th 2010-Teaching, vending and an exhibit of my quilt collection

August 2010
MIlwaukee Machine Quilters Showcase-Milwaukee, WI -August 3rd-7th 2010-Teaching
APWQSymposium-Olympia, WA -August 12th-15th 2010-Teaching
RMQF-Loveland, CO-August 20th-22nd 2010-Teaching and vending

September 2010
Innovations, Tacoma WA-September 15th-18th 2010-Teaching and vending
Camp Mowana, OH-September 27th-30th 2010-Teaching

October 2010
Quilting on The Waterfront-Duluth, MN-October 14th-16th 2010 -Teaching and vending

November 2010
International Quilt Festival-Houston,TX-November 1st-7th 2010-Teaching and vending

This list is not complete yet and does not include any prospective & additional venues, private workshops, or quilt guild presentations which will be incorporated into some of the trips listed above.

Start with a Blank Slate

Start with a Blank Slate-quilt design anyone can do. This 148 page step by step tutorial about quilt design and execution should make quilt design easy for anyone to do. An easy to understand design concept is layed out in easy to follow steps.

This book has a CD with over 40 patterns from small ones through middle size to large and more complex patterns along with many design layout ideas. There are 241 PDF files on that CD, as all patterns and design layouts on the CD are presented in few different sizes.

'Bluhming Bugs' book

New book available for pre-orders!

'Bluhming Bugs' has soft cover, 10 mil clear plastic cover protection, printed in color on 32 lb high quality laser printer paper, twin wire binding. It has over 130 pages, over 40 patterns including 24 bug motifs, 15 quilt design layouts, one step by step project, one project done on Statler Stitcher plus many other samples.
One CD with all PDF format patterns and design layouts in different sizes is included with the book. Most patterns come in few different sizes and all of them can also be resized to fit your needs.
One may think: a bug is a bug, is a bug, good to be used as embellishment, background design insert or a nice accent etc. This book will open your eyes to endless design possibilities using a BUG!
All digitized patterns from the "Bluhming Bugs' book will be available for purchase in all formats after the book's release.

'Bluhming Bugs' book is available for pre-orders before March 1st 2009!

http://stores.homestead.com/hstrial-IBluhm/-strse-67/Bluhming-Bugs-dsh-available-for-pre-dsh-orders/Detail.bok

Nothing better than having a new book in print! I kept the Bugs close to my vest for almost 2 years. Now, it is time for them to be released! I did put a lot of passion in creating of this book. When you see it, you would understand why.

My Paducah 2009 quilt entry-done!

For better or for worse, I have tried very hard to create a major project for one of my upcoming books: Start with a Blank Slate. This "monster" quilt 104" X 107" took me over 4 months to make.

I have never worked on any project that long ever before! Destined to be a major step-by-step-project for my book about whole cloth design and execution, this quilt had no idea where it would end! One of the two: either in a closet, or in Paducah! I've had taken it off the frame once, and it was setting for many weeks, as I ran out of patience of working on the background filler after just a couple of days!

I was not sure about the fate of this quilt as I thought, it will take me forever to finish the background quilting! I can't make myself enjoying many weeks of doing the same thing! After my trip to Germany in November, I loaded the quilt back on a my frame and started plowing away! It took me more than two weeks to have the background quilting finished. I understand labor intensity, but I am too eager to move onto other projects!

I still was not sure about whether my major book project will be show entry worthy after it has been washed and steamed flat. That's the time when I make a decision about a show worthiness of all projects I have ever produced!

Once washed and steamed flat, I attached a temporary hanging sleeve using pins to have it displayed on my quilt stand ASAP, so I can view and make an appropriate assessment about the worthiness of adding color to the project.

Once on the quilt stand, I step back and view the entire quilt from the front and from the back from distance.

It looked OK to me! I was contemplating about adding color to the back, as I liked the snow white over the off white color of the top. For better or for worse, I decided to add color to the top ! It took me few weeks to have the color application finished, and again I was increasingly loosing my patience working on the star points!

Whenever I get involved in a project that takes longer than I would like, working on it becomes like pulling teeth!

I am not sure whether I would ever be able to work on one project for a 1 1/2 or more!

This quilt has 112 bugs, 464 feather plumes, 282 star points and over 60 daisies! I will be happy to add binding to it and finally call it done!

Teaching overseas, first workshop in Germany

Bluhming Background Designs workshop is my debut in teaching internationally. The workshop was conducted in German and English. The workshop took place at Quiltissimo located in Nordrhein Wesfalen, Witten, Germany. This business with 3 Gammill longarm quilting machines, owned and operated by Marie-Christine Chamas is a perfect place for teaching longarm quilting workshops.

Marie-Christine is an awesome host and we've had a very talented group of students.

We had 2 students from Germany, 2 students from Netherlands and 1 student from Switzerland. Teaching this workshop is so much easier with my extensive guide book on background designs available.

Bluhming Bugs-My next book project!

Next book in progress!-Bluhming Bugs. This book is going to be a pattern book with a collection of 30 Bluhming Bugs. Most of them will look unreal, whimsical, funky, unique, charming and cute! Not only will you have so many Bugs to choose from, but there will be many ideas about how to use them in quilt design.

Only a couple of friends have seen this collection, as I tried to keep my Bluhming Bugs close to the vest! Now, I am ready to share them with the quilting world! The collection is being digitized as we speak. The entire, digitized collection of 30 Bluhming Bugs will be available as soon, as my book is published.

I love my other books, but this one is going to be a very special one! My most favorite one!

Like most of my self published books, this book may grow to over 100 pages!