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Quilt Out Loud!

Friday, October 09, 2009 2 Comments »
Friday, October 9, 2009

A few months ago, I attended a taping of several segments of Quilt Out Loud at my favorite sewing machine store, Byrne Sewing. QOL is an internet TV program available only on QNN TV. And yes, you need to have a paid membership to QNN. No free lunch, as they say.

Anyway, it's a rather refreshing concept in that it doesn't focus on making quilts. It focuses on all of the things that quilters might be interested in -- including making cupcakes decorated like quilt blocks for your guild meeting; visiting a garden center to get color inspiration for your quilts from the plants; and book reviews. They even have "door knocker" segments where they knock on the doors of various quilters, and go into their homes/quilting spaces during the surprise visit. The hosts are Jodi Davis, a very sweet lady with a great on-screen personality, who makes beer in addition to being an accomplished quilter, and the outrageous (and funny) Mark Lipinski. I really like the program/segments a lot.

The two most recently released segments (filmed at Byrnes) are interviews with two women involved in designing fabric, Michelle Benko and Gail Kessler. For those of you from Pennsylvania, you might recognize Gail as the owner of Ladyfinger's, in Oley. She is also the Marketing Director for Andover Fabrics. They talk about topics like: Why do fabrics start looking the same? Who determines trends, both in fabric pattern and in color? and What about knock-offs? It's very interesting. Gail brought along her Golden Retreiver, Rosie, who was the inspiration for her most popular fabric line, Dimples -- a blender that's now available in a gajillion different colors. Michelle designs for Henry Glass, and has started her own company to produce "green" fabric.

I got my very own nano second of fame when they panned the audience at the start of the first segment. I'm the blonde in the center of the 2nd row, wearing a bright bue jacket & grinning like a fool. Hey, fame can do that to you. See my agent for autographs.

Unfortunately, Mark Lipinski is no longer associated with QNN or with Quilt Out Loud, so the current series of shows are the last in which you will see him. Personally, I think he was a hoot, and brought a lot to the show. I enjoyed meeting him immensely. He has bowed out of Quilter's Home Magazine as well. Sorry to see you go, cupcake!

I will try to post pictures later from the taping itself. The process is fascinating!
Love and pieces,
Pat

2 comments:

*karendianne. said...

Gosh how cool is this? Very neat. I love to know how to make a cupcakes decorated like quilt blocks. Of course, I'm not any good with stuff like that because I don't enjoy it so maybe someone else I know will learn to do that and, well, bring it along to some place I'm at. What a stupid comment this is. Sheesh.

Pat said...

Lady LD, you are too funny. The cupcakes were kinda cool, but nothing more that standard issue cupcakes decorated on top with colored icings in simple quilt block patterns. A lotta work, unless you had a couple people helping you. My focus with cupcakes is mostly on eating, not so much on decorating.