Build a Quilt Show -- Build a hanging system

So if Monday was a rough day, on Tuesday we were tapping our Ruby Red Slippers. Every quilt agreed with its place in line. All the hooks hooked and all the clips clamped and all the wood stood. Yay! 

Tuesday was hanging day.We had this hanging system built many years ago when the shows were organized for the purpose of raising money for the local museum. Now the guild organizes it and proceeds are used to advance quilting and educate the community about quilts. The museum donated the old system to us. 

As you can see, the bases are huge, heavy wooden triangles (of sorts). Each one holds a 4x4 upright, which in turn holds 2x4 crossbeams. Additional 1x4 crossbeams brace the system and keep the uprights from spreading apart.

We put cup hooks into the 2x4s every 15 inches. Then using binder clips along the top of the quilt, we just hung the quilts onto the hooks. The only time we had an issue was when the quilts didn't measure in increments of 15. That required adding another hook and clip. 

Because some quilts are heavy as heck, I had to devise a better mousetrap. On occasion the quilts would slip right through the binder clips. To avoid that, we slipped this open weave shelf liner over the edge of the quilt and pinned the binder on top. It gave just enough grip for almost all the quilts. 

However, there were some that heavy as heck just doesn't describe. Those quilts we hung on long rods. Then we duct taped the rods to the crossbeams. It looked rough but did the trick. 

One other issue occurred when we'd get close to the end of the line. We looked through the quilts and found one that would fit the last space. Sometimes that last space would hold a large quilt. Sometimes we had to dig for a just-the-right-size quilt. Sometimes, well, we just had to make do. But we did.

It turned out to be a pretty good system. Perhaps not the prettiest way to hang quilts, but it worked. Unfortunately, we could not afford to rent or buy a regular system, so making do is what we did.

Build a Quilt Show Series:

Getting Started, or A Bad Monday

The People Who Make It Happen

 Build a Hanging System

Procure Your Judges

Build a Quilt Show, Or a Bad Monday

First, you'll need lots of hands. You also need one really patient, hard-working husband. The kind who doesn't quit. Or take a break. Or know when to go home. The kind who can push past his own limits and drag you along. 

And you need friends who will do just about anything, show up on time, and work hard doing things they may not have done before--like work power tools. 

Credit for all photos goes to Helen Mire

Next, you need to have a good plan. And be able to delegate. Then be able to ditch every. single. bit. Of all of it. No, that, too. Whatever that is. Switch to Plan B. Then jump on Plan C. Then forget the plans and wing it. Or let said husband take over. He will anyway, why didn't you just let him loose? (Okay, so it wasn't really like that.)

No one is angry here. This photo of Mrs. Stress, who
is married to Mr. Dilemna, quite often looks just like this.

Finally, go with the one thing you really didn't want to do and tweak it along the way. Have a meltdown, throw a hissy-fit (that's a Southern b-word, btw) and be diplomatic. ALL AT THE SAME TIME.

Now breath. It's going to be fine. Here's how Day 1 went down: Ten of our guild sisters turned up and waited patiently while these guys unloaded the trailer and moved wood into staging areas.

Then the ladies put cup hooks onto the wide sides of the 2x4s according to my plans. In the meantime, Richard measured the space only to discover that the info I'd been given was off. Way off. The room was ten feet shorter and six feet narrower. Talk about a difference. Let's not go into how that happened. 

So then I had to scurry around trying to reconfigure the floor plan. In the end I had to have five straight, parallel rows of 2x4s to hang quilts. The mathematics that I'd spent hours on in an effort to streamline the work was ditched. "Just put the hooks every 15 inches." And in less than 30 minutes every bit of work I'd done had been reconfigured into the one setup I'd been trying to avoid. It may work better this way, or not. I have moved on.

We hauled wood, screwed in hooks, built walls, reinforced walls, set up bases, then moved bases, and managed to leave at five o'clock with the hanging system in place. And that was Monday. 

Build a Quilt Show Series:

Getting Started, or A Bad Monday

The People Who Make It Happen

 Build a Hanging System

Procure Your Judges

Sunday Quilt Inspiration: SELVAGES

Uhm, on Monday? Sorry all. We had a thunderstorm yesterday afternoon, so no internet until, well actually, I don't know. Then this morning I had a doctor's appointment so I'm quite late in getting this post out. My apologies.

The exact selvage pieces offered in the giveaway.

Since I've been offering a giveaway of a bag of selvages, I thought I'd offer a few ideas of how to use them. I may have done this before, but it's such a popular item on Pinterest that there are lots of new projects, so hopefully I'm not repeating any. 

A few selvage quilts...

I hope this inspires you to start saving and using those selvages. There are many more ideas on my "selvage, projects" board.  And don't forget to leave a comment on this post for a chance to win a bag of selvages. Not many people have commented, so you'd have a pretty decent chance of winning. I'll sent them where ever you are.  I'll announce the winner tomorrow.

Modern Monday: MQG at the Houston IQA Show [part 2]

Modern Monday

I've made a few of these little rosary wallets.  After I made one for myself, I got rather enthusiastic: I wrote this tutorial and cut out three or four more.  I've been able to sew up one.  So much for enthusiasm.

A friend who has a small shirt business (which I wrote about here) has asked me for help sewing the appliques onto some of her shirts. 

Those projects have kept me plenty busy enough, but then there's also been work.  Specifically, homecoming.  A parade, football game, class activities, pep rally, and dance.  I had to chaperon the dance, which means strobe lights, loud noises, sweaty smells, and a late night.  In a word, migraine.  Ah, the things we do for students.

So I've been keeping busy with lots of modern fabrics and small projects, but it's almost time to get back to a quilt or two.

What modern fabrics / projects have you been up to lately?

Linking up with

Crazy Mom Quilts