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Lucky me-I got to go to QuiltCon, the Modern Quilt show in Pasadena this year! This was my first visit to a major Modern quilt show. There were lots of strollers and babies and it was delightful to see such a young crowd get so excited about quilting. I loved the venue too-open and very well-lighted with lots of room in the aisles to easily see and photograph the quilts. It was a fun road trip with Martha Wolfe and Judy Coates Perez. The 6-hour drive flew by in a flash with all the chatting. Judy used to live in…
And on to the Big Quilt Room: Best of Show went to Donna Dale with this beautiful piece quilted by Lin Squires. Donna started with a Primitive Gatherings pattern and incorporated wool and inking into the top. It was just so exquisitely done, a heartfelt quilt. Karla worked on this quilt on three continents and three cruises over three years! It is so cheerful and light hearted-it evoked a smile from me. This is the first group quilt by the guild’s small art quilt group and was made for their boutique basket. Thirteen members worked on this quilt which I thought…
I didn’t have enough time this week to go through my photos of the Big Quilt Room of the Folsom Quilt and Fiber Guild show. It’s been a super busy week for me so I’ll post those photos next week. Lucky me, I got to take an Improv Piecing class with Ellen Schmidt at Meissner’s Folsom location. It’s hard to find the time to take classes so I’m very picky about what I take. I was excited when I saw that Ellen was going to offer an improvisational piecing class. I had purchased and enjoyed Sherri Lynn Wood’s book, The…
My local guild is the Folsom Quilt and Fiber Guild and we put on a fabulous show every year-not that I’m unbiased! The Small Quilt Room was the best ever, in my opinion. I was dazzled by the variety and quality of the work in both the small quilts and the wearables/home dec/other fiber item categories. I confess upfront a couple of lapses in my photos. The Wearables area was dark and poorly lit. Every photo I took was awful except one which was of a white sweater. I am very proud of our guild’s work in this area so I…
One week ago today we moved to our rental house and the renovation of our “real” home commenced. So much has happened in a week! I have made 6 previous moves with my husband since we married, but this one was far more complex than even a cross country move with 2 boys in tow. Each item had a designation, every single one: donate, trash, storage, consignment or rental. Ugh. Other moves have pretty much been pack ‘er all up and move. I was reminded how much trash a move makes-moving is not eco friendly! I forgot to take a photo of…
I am still vibrating from my experience at Pokey Bolton’s Craft Napa. At one point I was unable to sleep and I just voiced these phrases into my phone to capture the moment: Collaborative synergy Porous minds, ready to absorb I poured out ideas and they ignited Fearless, open, adventurous students Tidal waves of energy and creativity Burned through curriculum in record time Students left ready to create their own personal vision Other teachers also felt that the Craft Napa energy put students and teachers alike into an uber creative state of mind. It is hard to describe and may…
My friend Catherine Redford asked me to review her brand new DVD which is all about machine quilting on a home machine. I met Catherine at the Houston International Quilt Festival last year and we became fast friends. Catherine is funny, personable and….. multi-talented: she machine quilts on a domestic machine, hand embroiders, beads, does English paper piecing, works with wool and is a Modern quilter whose work has been published many times. Check out her impressive gallery here. She originally hails from London but has been living in the Chicago suburb of Naperville since 1995. And she is a…
I’m in Napa right now at the inaugural Craft Napa. I am super excited about this new venue and concept. I can feel the excitement building from the social media posts of students and teachers alike. I’ll be sure to write about it after I catch up upon my return. Like any major teaching event there is lots of prep work. I offered students the option of a kit with their quilt sandwiches and most took the offer. That does make for a lot of stuff to carry. We need rain so desperately in California but did it have to…
What a way to end the year-“Prairie Afternoon” was juried into an international Studio Art Quilt Associates exhibit: “My Corner of the World”. The exhibition will open at the Stratford Perth Museum, Stratford, Ontario, Canada. I am over the moon excited! The concept of the exhibit as described in the Call For Entry follows: My Corner of the World invites you, the artist, to examine your world – the world, real or imagined, that represents what is important in your life. It might be where you reside, work, or grew up. It might be a favorite place from any point in your…
I’m working now on a quilt that I was compelled to make. My inspiration came directly from this book: I know, I know, it looks suspect with its generic title and a Foreword by Martha Stewart. But this book is filled with exquisite quilts made with skill and artistry and it is an inspiration for any kind of quilter: Modern, traditional, art, contemporary. (I have no idea why all the photos in this post are not “clickable”-sorry!) And here it is, the source of my obsession. I love this quilt in a way I cannot fully explain. It sounds overstated, but…