Drive-By Quiltings

Mary Solomon of Cross Patches (a great quilt shop AND a Bernina delear in Collinsville, IL) tried VERY hard to make a drive-by quilting. However, she was duped by an impostor. That's right, we were sabotaged! She saw someone in a van wave to her as they went by and she thought it was us. - but it wasn't. She left her post just seconds before we got there. We saw Mary and Sharon, her store employee, trotting back to her car but not until it was too late to get an official photo!!! BUMMER!!!

Mary had brought Tis The Season to show us. She has kits for this quilt ready to go. It's an easy and effective holiday quilt. If you are interested in the kit contact the shop. Cross Patches is located one mile south on exit 15a off I-55-I70. Hats off to Mary for her heroic attempt to make the drive-by quilting happen. Thumbs down to the impostor who spoiled it for us!

Mary says:

One old man tried to pick us up, but fortunately no Illinois State Troopers...it was definitly not in Sharon's job description!

Kate Berggren Lasher from Albany managed to make it to an overpass on I90. She even went early and scouted out the location so she could send me a message with the exact details.

Kate says:

In the photo below I am with Dirk..our golden retriever, who helped me scout out the Drive-By location. I was opening up The Quilt Show, like I do every Tuesday and there was a message and a picture about "Drive-By" Quilting. "Good morning Buffalo", Ricky posted.. So..being that I live in Albany, NY and it's certainly on the way to the Cape(Hyannis). I started sending private messages on facebook to contact Ricky and Justin.

Here's a little back story. Three weeks ago, my sister and I went to another taping of The Quilt Show, in Boulder CO. Had fun, laughed, got inspired, won prizes for coming the furthest, gave a pirate themed present to Alex. Heard ALL about Lady Gaga...So, I feel as though I have a true connection with Ricky & Justin.. at this point so what could be "funner" than being involved with this drive-by?

So, after many messages I finally convinced them to NOT follow the route that their GPS had told them to go - that my way was a bit quicker. By this time they were closer than I thought.  

I had to get back in my Jeep and get to the overpass on Elliott Road. I kept hitting traffic lights and slow traffic. I was thinking that I wouldn't get there in time - BUT I did! I only had to wait about 5 minutes. I could see pretty far down the highway, and then I saw them coming with lights a-flashing.They didn't really slow down...but I saw Justin waving form the window. Nice rig guys!

I didn't have my camera with me because I thought I might drop it, since I was holding the quilt. The experience was awesome. I know it doesn't sound too exciting...BUT..if you are anywhere near their travel route, get out there, wave and get your own drive-by quilting! It goes to show you how SMALL this world really is. 

About the quilt:

This is my first bed quilt that I made after doing a few art quilts. The corners have applique stars. The stripes along the quilt are all3x6 rectangles of Red/Blue/Greens/Yellows/Purples/Oranges AND the middle row are all STAR fabrics. It was a way to use ALOT of my treasured stash. Simple, yet, time consuming. I had to get emergency swatches from my sister to have each row the same amount. (20 x 7) - that's 140 different fabrics. Oh..some are also from clothes/things my mom made us as little girls. So, it is also a Memory Quilt of sorts - for me at least.

Have I gone on long enough about this DRIVE-By event? Ricky gave me a call later to talk about the experience. Crazy as it was. It will be in my soul for a long time. Whoo Hoo!!! He told me I would talking about it for the next 10 years. I think he's right.

Penny Marble and hubby Charlie managed to connect with us on I-90 east of Buffalo, NY at Pembroke. On the left Charlie is holding a Kool Kaleidoscope called Celebration and the quilt that Penny is holding a Jenny Beyer Design called Brilliance.

Penny says:

Typically, on Tuesday morning, I go to physical therapy (for a recent hip replacement).  But, when I heard that you would be driving through my backyard on your way to the seminar, I knew I had to participate in the drive by.  So, I dragged my darling hubby, Charlie, out of the house bright and early, telling him we had to go hang quilts off the side of the thruway overpass. Surprisingly, he had little reaction - I guess after being married to me for 31 years, he's used to my craziness! 

We were able to coordinate the timing rather well! Standing on the bridge over the thruway, we got honks from a couple of big rigs while we were waiting. Then Charlie spotted the white trailer - then the flashing headlights. We unfurled the quilts - the one I'm holding (right) is a Jinny Beyer design called Brilliance. This is one of my favorite quilts. The one that Charlie is holding (left) is a Kool Kaleidoscope named Celebration.  Celebration was made with the intention of being a Project Linus quilt, but it has taken on a life of it's own. It will be in Ricky's Kool Kaldidoscope Quilt book (fall 2010), and had to take a trip to La Veta all by itself to be photographed. I just had to bring it out again for the drive by.    

All I kept thinking while we were out there was "Don't drop the quilts on the thruway!"  =)

 Penny and hubby, Charlie

 Celebration, by Penny Marble

 Brilliance, by Penny Marble

Karen Goddard from Lancaster, NY and her friend Jean Schultz near Albany (Depew, actually) really tried hard but became our first "drive-by misfire". This was meant to be the first of two drive-by quiltings that were back to back - literally. This overpass was the immediate one before the one with Penny Marble (see her above). Karen and Jean we're driving like bats out of hell (but safely of course) and just couldn't get there on time before we blew by. My photo above was taken in honor of their valiant effort. I asked for their story and photos of them and their quilts. Check it out below.

Karen says:

Sorry we missed you Ricky and Justin! I heard about the drive-by Quiltings a few days ago on Facebook and the The Quilt Show site and was thrilled to hear you were passing through Buffalo. I live just east of there thought it would be great to do this.

I got up early this morning and messaged Ricky on facebook, but didn't get his reply right away. Facebook was giving me trouble. By the time Ricky got my phone number and called me, he was pretty close and I didn't think I would make it in time, but I tried anyways only to be stopped by a train at a railroad crossing!

My friend Jean joined the chase but Ricky and Justin passed by about 5 minutes before we got to the overpass! Jean and I took pictures there anyways and had a good laugh about it all! Hope you come back this way! Ricky you made my day just talking to you on the phone!!!

Karen Goddard - Lancaster, NY

Karen                                                                                                               Jean

En route to our seminar in Hyannis, MA. Kathyl Jogerst will forever be the first "drive-by quilting" on the overpass at mile marker 242 in Iowa City, Iowa. Kathyl had a new grandbaby the night before this photo was taken.

Kathyl says: 

It was a dark and stormy night. Well, no, actually it was a bright, sunny and windy Sunday afternoon. And I had a lot of nervous energy due to the excitement of our first grandchild being born the night before in far away New York City. As a member of The Quilt Show and a follower of Ricky on Facebook, I knew about the cross country trek Ricky and Justin were embarking on that weekend.  

I had left a message for him to wave as he passed exit 242 in Coralville, Iowa as that is near my house. That's when he said to wave a quilt at him as he drove through town and he was giving updates as to his location. Hummmmm  that could be fun. No, how in the heck am I going to stand on the interstate and wave a quilt? However, I do need to go to the grocery store and Ricky is getting pretty close, so maybe I'll just see if it would work out. And I'll throw a small quilt top in the car....just in case.  

As I drove over the over pass, I realize there is no place to park and I'd have to back track to park. Should I?  OK, why not?  So I park at a nearby hotel and cut across the lawn to get to the over pass. Uh oh.....I just saw a vehicle go by on the interstate and it was pulling a trailer!  Did I miss them?? No....I don't think it was a Hummer and I'm pretty sure that's what they would be driving. So I keep walking over the over pass with cars buzzing by and my little quilt top flopping in the breeze.  

I found a spot to stand where I would be visible if anyone was looking. After 5 to 10 minutes, I'd decided I'd give it another couple minutes then head out....I probably was too late. About that time, in the distance I saw a distinctive vehicle profile pulling a trailer. It's them!  

As I furiously waved my quilt top, the lights on the vehicle in question came on and were flashing at me!! Wooo Hooo! The vehicle slowed a little bit and as they drove by, Ricky was hanging out the window, taking pictures and waving. I'm pretty sure I even heard a "Wooo Hooo!".

Well, that was certainly fun, I thought as I walked back to my car. Wait until I tell my friends at my small group. They'll think I've really lost my marbles. A few days later at my small group meeting, my friend, Sugar, said she saw me on the over pass a few days earlier and hoped I didn't have car trouble, but it was very busy and there was no place for her to stop and check on me!!! They couldn't believe the real story and hooted when I showed them the picture Ricky took!

About the quilt:

Most of my finished quilts were hanging in an exhibit downtown, so I chose a recently completed top to wave. It seemed appropriate however, since it is a pattern by Alex and made with the GO! cutter endorsed by Ricky and Alex. Let's keep it in the family! Even more appropriate since I was the winner of a trip to a taping of "The Quilt Show" sponsored by Accuquilt! It's a small quilting world and I'm so happy to be a small part of it.

Kathyl Jogerst