Quilting at the Castle with Jenny Doan (Warning--LONG post, lots of photos!)

This is the place--an event venue in our valley called "The Castle" (okay, technically it is named Castle Manor, but we just refer to it as The Castle).  My Girlfriend's Quilt Shoppe brought Jenny Doan of  Missouri Star Quilt Company to town and sponsored a 2 day event here.

On Friday there were two half day workshops where we were taught the finer points of the Disappearing Hourglass. There were 50-60 women in each session and I was in the evening group.

This is Jenny's Disappearing Hourglass quilt. It is very pretty and I was glad to try out this pattern.


















These are the blocks I got finished. Some women made more, some made less. It all depended on how well you could focus in a room full of chatting quilters!

Jenny is just as genuine and friendly in person as she seems in her tutorials. I observed over the two
days that she never appeared weary of the endless signing of books, bags and anything else that would accept a Sharpie Marker. She never seemed impatient to be done and always responded with kindness to each request. She has a perpetual smile, a ready laugh, and an endless supply of entertaining stories.

Sarah, Jenny, Me, Natalie

Her daughters are cut from the same cloth, and were a delightful addition to the experience.
None of them ever complained about the endless photos they were asked to pose for--many of them by me.
These are talented, gracious women who are involved in a business that I can't even begin to comprehend--brick and mortar stores, a website, online tutorials, magazines, email newsletters, etc. My head swims at the thought of keeping all of that going, but they do it with a smile--and travel besides.





Saturday morning we were greeted by shop owner Kris (on the left), and her twin sister Kim (of Kimberbell Designs), two more remarkable women. Aren't they cute? They are pretty sweet, too. And if you can't tell them apart, they will each answer to the other's name, so you won't feel stupid. : )












Well over 300 women were there to enjoy the trunk show, lunch, and workshops. This is looking down from the mezzanine at just a part of the crowd.

The shop had put out a call a couple of weeks before the event, asking for quilts made from Jenny's patterns, to be on display. They were draped all around the railings on the mezzanine level. This is also where the shopping area was set up, and Jenny's daughters were demoing some products. So you could shop, enjoy the quilt show, and catch the demos. Doesn't it look fun? I made the loop several times!

Yes,  that is a Primitive Gatherings quilt on the railing at the right side of the photo. They had kits available for it in the shop, so it was on display. It is a gorgeous quilt named "Words to Live By",  I believe.

Here you can see my little Disappearing Pinwheel Part 2 quilt in the display.

I got my little quilt finished just in time to be turned in late. Does that make any sense? They asked for the quilts to be in by Tuesday, but I had just started it Monday. I called and was told that they could take it as late as Thursday night. As I walked in the store that evening to turn it in, I was surprised to see Jenny, Natalie and Sarah sitting there, visiting. Jenny had Sarah take this shot of us with the quilt.

Of course, I had to make some ornaments, but you probably already knew that. I reduced the 3" churndash/pinwheel blocks a little more and these ended up 2 1/4", before the borders. So the finished ornaments are 2 3/4"--just a little larger than I usually make, but I wasn't sure I could go smaller with the pinwheels. Now I want to see if I can.
I labeled the backs with the name of the event and date and gave one to Jenny and one to each daughter (didn't get a photo of the last one).

The trunk show was delightful. We saw a lovely collection of quilts, were taught with some "in person" tutorials, were entertained with funny happenings (like when she broke her leg making her first video for her shop--well, maybe that isn't funny, but it was the way she told it), and moved by stories of the people who have written with their thanks for what they have been able to learn and accomplish without ever leaving their homes. These letters have come from new quilters that don't know where to learn what they need to know, young mothers who can't get out to shops easily, people with handicaps who really cannot leave home, even a woman in a war torn country who said Jenny had added color to her life.

 We laughed, oohed and aaahed--and some even cried, as Jenny kept us hanging on every word.





In the afternoon we rotated through 5 stations. We did a service project for breast cancer awareness, had a chance to try the new Baby Lock embroidery machines while working on a cute Christmas mug rug from new Kimberbell software, had a class on Christmas gift ideas to sew, had time to shop and watch demos, and attended a meet and greet in the outdoor gazebo where Jenny continued to sign anything and everything, and we were able to get even more photos taken.

My daughter, Aimee, Jenny, and me, in the gazebo.

After we finished at The Castle, My Girlfriend's Quilt Shoppe was opened up for us to shop, have refreshments, win door prizes and visit one last time with Jenny and her daughters.

 It was an amazing weekend, made possible by some amazing people--the shop owners, Kris and Mike Thurgood, their incredible staff, Jenny, and her daughters.

Jenny, Kris, Sarah, Natalie

I am glad that I got to share Saturday with DD#2 and I wish DD#1 could have joined us, but NH is a long way from Utah.
Until next time,
Janet O.