IQF Quilting Scene Give Away!

I just can't contain my excitement about my "Truck Quilt" being a part of the International Quilt Show Quilting Scene magazine! I'm in such a stitch about it that I just have to share it with you. Starting right now, I am having a GIVE AWAY of a copy of the publication. Here are the rules. Post a comment on my blog with your favorite fiber or quilting technique. On Wednesday night, November 2nd, I will put all the comments in a container (probably made of fiber, no doubt) and my precious little Studio dog, Cosmo, will pick the winner! 

Cosmo, my precious Studio Dog

Oh, don't worry, he is up to the challenge, as long as I give him a treat! So, make those comments, I can't wait to read them!

For those of you who (or is it whom) already have the magazine, my quilt is on page 37!

In case you haven't already figured it out dear readers, my favorite fiber to include in my art quilts...painted or dyed cheesecloth!

Now what's yours?!

Happy Posting!

My Time with Sandra Sider, President of SAQA

The past few days have been absolutely wonderful. Sandra Sider, President of Studio Art Quilt Associates, is one of the most pleasant, knowledgeable and fun people I have ever met. From the moment she walked into my home, I felt like I had known her forever. Sandra was here to conduct critique sessions and speak to the Dallas Area Fiber Artists, and I offered to host her. While Sandra was here she spent one-on-one time with me talking about my finished projects, the projects I am working on and the ones that I'm going to work on. And yes, I had to sit down and write notes. The insight and encouragement she gave me is priceless and I can see further down the "Fiber Art World" road now. The timing of this visit was perfect for me since I just quit working at the Soma Intimates store and was in a minor slump and trying to get back into my creative groove.

The program Sandra gave to the Dallas Area Fiber Artists was wonderful. She had curated a Fiber Arts show in New York. The slides of the work were wonderful and learning her thought process was provoking and has me thinking about how Lu Peters and I will hang the DAFA Annual show in April.

To make things even more perfect this past week, we were involved in watching (and still are) the Texas Rangers in the World Series. Now, Sandra is a big Yankees fan, but while in Texas, she is cheering for the Rangers. I have to share with you that Sandra has a "lucky t-shirt" that she wears every time she flies. It is one that she bought in Naples, Italy, and Naples in Italian is Napoli. And the best catcher in the world is Texas Rangers, Mike Napoli!

When I dropped Sandra off at the airport yesterday she told me that she was going to wear her Napoli shirt all day and all day today, to help the Rangers win the Series.

I just love this lady and have the greatest respect for her! Thank you Sandra and I look forward to seeing you again in Houston during the International Quilt Festival and again sometime in our "Fiber Future"!

I've Been Published!

 I am so excited! The "Lone Stars III: A Legacy of Texas Quilts, 1986 - 2011" is out and my Old Alton Bridge  quilt is on page 280. I didn't know the book was in stores until my friend, Connie Akers, told me at dinner Saturday night that she had seen it that day. So, Sunday morning we were at Barnes and Noble right after they opened to get the book and....the "International Quilt Festival Quilt Scene" magazine.

I had not mentioned it before, I wanted to keep it a secret until I saw it, but I had received an email about a month ago that they were considering my Truck Quilt as on the the quilts in the publication. And it's there! On page 32! As a Fiber Artist, one of my goals is to have my work recognized and publicized and I'm just in awe that it has happened twice, at the same time! What a wonderful way to inspire me and keep my in the studio creating and thinking up new ideas (that's not hard to do...those thoughts keep me awake at night, as I'm sure they do you too).

Speaking of being influenced with wonderful inspirations, I am currently hosting SAQA President, Sandra Sider, while she is conducting a critique session in Forth Worth and speaking to the Dallas Area Fiber Artists tonight. Being able to spend these 3 days with her and glean from her expertise has been encouraging and eye-opening. Sandra has given be wonderful confirmation on completed projects (and how I can improve the flow of one of them), guidance and encouragement on works-in-progress and best of all, she loves watching the World Series with us!

Alright, I'm off to work on a few pieces before we leave for the DAFA meeting!

Looking Forward

Under the Sea

This past week was very busy with work (yesterday was my last day at Soma), catching up from the quilt show, catching up from the daughter and granddaughters being here and getting organized for the upcoming week.

"Under the Sea" is a upside down mini-quilt (9x12) that spun off from my "Outside In" quilt. I haven't finished it yet, but hopefully I will sometime beading on it this weekend, definitely this next week. It is due to SAQA-TX by the 28th for the SAQA-TX exhibit of 9x12's at the International Quilt Festival. I have a sunflower quilt also and need to get busy on beading the center of it.

With so much to do this next week, I couldn't help but add to the mix a 2 day workshop with the Trinity Valley Quilt Guild. Larkin Van Horn is our guest speaker this month and is giving us a 2 day workshop on "Beading is Applique'". I'm so excited to be able to spend two days with her and learn more about beading on my art quilts.

Saturday, Sandra Sider, President of SAQA will be coming to town for critique workshops and a speaking engagement with the Dallas Area Fiber Artists. And she is staying with me! I'm so excited that I get to entertain her for a few days and bask in her knowledge and expertise. Saturday night I have invited DAFA and local SAQA members to my home for a cookout and a get-to-know Sandra evening. Our new grill has been completed, so we are going to get the chance to test out massive grilling on it and enjoy our fire pit with great conversations. If you are a local SAQA member, contact me and come for the cookout Saturday night!

Now, I must get to beading...

Where Have I Been?!?!?!?!?!

Gosh, I knew I had been busy, but I didn't realize it had been weeks since I paid attention to my blog! My weeks since my Painted Cheesecloth workshop have been filled with working for Soma Intimates and getting ready for the Trinity Valley Quilt Show in Fort Worth, TX.

The quilt show went well. Here is a pictures of my friend, Kathy Mayhew, in our booth at the show.
Now I am trying to find time to finish unpacking from the show and see what I need to dye for the Texas Federation of Fiber Artists show in February. February is the semi-annual conference for the Texas Federation of Fiber Artists. There will be a gallery show, classes and a dinner. I'm going to vend the show with Kathy's surface designed fabrics and my hand dyed fabrics and fibers.

As much as I enjoy the ladies at the Soma Intimates store, I had to give them my notice this past week. I really hated doing it after only a couple of months work, but my fibromyalgia just isn't cooperating with the routine. I've been in a lot of pain the past two, going on three, weeks and I just had to give it up. I'll work this week and then I'll be back in the Studio full time and working on loading more fabrics in my online shops, vending quilt shows and developing classes to teach.

I was encouraged at the TVQG show by our members and members of other quilt guilds to teach and learn the dying process and my painted cheesecloth process. The experience of working out in the public and not being able to pace myself properly has taught me that I must find an avenue where I can pace myself and work with my passion and be able to share it with others. So, there is my focus and that is what I am going to strive for. Passing on my passion, and as artists, don't we become more passionate about our art when we can pass it on and see the excitement and joy it brings to other artists?

This week our daughter and twin granddaughters are here for a visit, so we have been busy, busy, busy with these little "Princess Angels". Yesterday, we went to the Fort Worth Zoo and saw lots of animals they don't get to see at the LA zoo.  I would love to show you pictures, but for some reason my phone isn't wanting to forward pictures to my email address, so I'm stuck right now. Why do we hold our selves  hostage to technology?

That reminds me of what my dear friend, Lu Peters, wrote in an email to me lately, "Obviously technology is not my strong suit! If it fits under the sewing machine or in a hoop, I could manage it!" Isn't that the truth! Keeping to the basics is so much easier for some of us than trying to master the latest and greatest technology.

Well, I while I was writing this I realized that I do have a cable that I can use to transfer media between my Droid and computer, so now I can get the pictures from the zoo! Maybe I was maxing out the memory capabilities of the phone or something.... Who knows, not me for sure!


Okay, so here are a few of my favorite pictures from our visit to the zoo yesterday....

Oh, to have a long neck and be able to reach things!

King of the Jungle!

See No Evil, Hear No Evil and Speak No Evil...

Amanda and Sadie feeding the birds

I'm reading several magazines right now, one of them is "Artful Blogging". I'm ready for inspiration and encouragement to keep motivated and improve my blogging habits and art. So, and I may have said this before, I'm going to make a better habit to keep in touch and let you know what I am doing and what I am learning!
Stay Creative!