Pondering a Thought

Today on Maria Shriver’s Facebook page she posted a quote by Juju Chang (and I love Juju Chang). “What does your best day look like? Live a piece of it every day.” What an inspiration. It makes me think about how my world is changing now with Jeff’s diagnosis and having him home all day, every day. Honestly, I love having him home. I don’t have to grocery shop and do errands by myself. He’s a great companion.

Juju Chang’s quote has me thinking about showing Jesus in my everyday life, in the little things. Making sure I don’t get exasperated answering the same questions several times a day, doing things differently than  I had done them before (because I’m not by myself any longer), taking a slower pace with things and enjoying the little things that life brings. I am also reminding myself to stay thankful in all situations, even the hard and difficult ones.

Since my world is changing, there isn’t as much time to spend in the Studio. Lately, I have been lucky to snatch a couple of hours a week to work on a baby quilt for church. I haven’t had the opportunity to touch any of my art quilts that are in progress or dye fabric. But I am content working on the baby quilts right now. When I get the one on my table complete I will hopefully have time to get out one of my art quilts and finish one. And being a women of faith, it will all happen in God's time. For if I try to create the time, something will happen and end in frustration. And what would that solve? How would that feed my creative spirit?

So, here are my questions this week for you. What is the best part of your day and how are you going to spend it? And, what is your favorite part of your art and why?

Let me hear from you, some days you are my avenue to the world outside. Keep me entertained.

The Beginning of a New Era

This morning I woke up very grateful and with a very large amount of appreciation in my heart. When I get to church later this morning, there are oodles of people in my life that I am going to be singing praises for, along with God and Jesus Christ, of course.

As most of you know, if you read my last post, my life is in a constant transition right now with Jeff’s diagnosis of Early Onset Alzheimer’s. This past week I have been able to enjoy him being home every day, all day, doing things together, him doing the yard when he wants, him cleaning the house and helping cook the meals. It has been a great week (I hate cleaning the house)! The past couple of months have been very stressful and our financial adviser told us this week, “Your homework is to go home and book a vacation!” Now that is an assignment I am all over! The next day I got busy and we leave soon on a cruise. Best way to vacation, see several places, only unpack once and the only place I have to drive to is the airport! Whoo Hoo! So our financial adviser is one of the people I am most thankful for, not just because of the vacation, mind you, but because she has shown us that God is taking care of us by surrounding us with HIS people and is providing the emotional and physical things that we need.

Then yesterday, oh my goodness, we had the first official Dallas Area Fiber Artists Board meeting of the new board, and I am President. This board ROCKS!!!!!! The energy and new ideas these artists have is amazing! New ideas for new programs, working together to move things around to accommodate each other, and being so supportive of each other and excited about how we are going to promote and increase membership! The biggest step  DAFA is making right now is a totally new website and blog. Click over and see the beginnings. A lot has been done and I am so proud of our Web Goddess and her team for all the hard work they have put into it. Okay, I do have to brag a bit more, I am on the team and have done “some” of the work on the blog and I get training this week on the website. This awesome board was the group of people I woke up this morning thinking about and thankful for. They are going to make my year as President easy, fun and filled with excitement!

As for work in my studio, well, nothing is going on there right now, but maybe I'll have a day this week to work on one of the baby quilts I'm making for the church. I'm hopeful that during our cruise I will take some pictures that will inspire new pieces and collect some things on a beach to work into a new piece. Wouldn't that be grand?!

God Bless everyone, have a great Sunday and remember to be thankful for the people and artists God places around you!

Little Did I Know...

Shattered Curves

I love “Shattered Curves” and the way it evolved for months in my studio. Little did I know when I created it that it was going to speak so loudly and boldly in my not too distant future. God has a way of working through us that way, doesn't he? 

Last year was a great year for me. Venturing out to sell my hand dyed fabrics at quilt shows, “Old Alton Bridge” was published in Lone Stars III: Texas Quilts Today, “Outside In” and “Truck Quilt” were juried into the International Quilt Festival in Houston and I taught my first workshop to the Dallas Area Fiber Artists. Not to mention, my regular duties with the DAFA Annual Show and being on the board, oh, and I volunteered to be the President of DAFA for 2012-2013. It was my year of stepping out and on the path of working to build up Studio Jules.

Oh, but wait a minute! This year the path has come to a screeching halt and my best laid plans have been shattered.  My “Mr. Wonderful” was having health issues and we needed to figure out what was going on. And this, my friends, is why I haven’t blogged in two months. “Mr. Wonderful” has been diagnosed with Early On-Set Alzheimer’s. Yes, at the age where we are starting to plan his retirement in 10-12 years, we are facing the worst nightmare we could imagine. The past two months we have seen to two neurologists, one neuropsychologist, MRI’s, PET scans, you name it, we are doing it. It is a roller coaster each and every week. We are at the point of accepting the diagnosis and trying not to talk about it every day. We are getting use to making adjustments and re-thinking the future. There is so much information out on Alzheimer's and so much research work that is being done. At times it is all very overwhelming. 

So, my friends, if you don’t see posts from me as often as you would like, know that I’m still here, just other issues are taking up my studio time. And I am fighting each week to make time in the studio!

What am I working on now? Well, baby quilts. Our church just started a Baptism Quilters group and I am working with them. I have a couple of art quilts on my table and wall, but those are slow works in progress.

I'll try to post as I can, they just may be short and sweet posts about what I'm working on, or just completed.

Dallas Quilt Celebration 2012 is Underway!

The Dallas Quilt Celebration 2012 started yesterday and opening day was fantastic! The quilts are awesome, as always, and the vendor area is rockin'! The Dallas Area Fiber Artists are in the Special Exhibit area with our community service project "Pathways" benefiting the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative.

My booth was busy yesterday, quilters and fiber artists are loving the ice dyed fabrics and the hand dyed perle cotton. They are snatching up the hand dyed thread trash like you wouldn't believe!

Here is a picture of my booth (number 196) if you are coming out today or tomorrow, come by and say hello! I am thrilled to meet so many creative people and share my excitement about my fabrics!

Getting Ready

This coming weekend is the conference of the Texas Federation of Fiber Artists. I've been dyeing, ironing, labeling and getting ready for the weekend. For those of you who are going, here is some eye candy for you!

Hand Dyed Perle Cotton

The Dallas Quilt Celebration is coming up fast on the heels of the TFFA conference, my booth number is 196, so if you are in the area, come by and see me. 

I will have lot of fabrics, fibers, thread and Misty Fuse at both of these venues.

Finished and Ready to Go!

I finished my two art quilts for the Dallas Area Fiber Artists collection for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative. Here they are!


The one to the right is named "Who's Path Did I Cross?". My inspiration statement on this one is this: I sketched this from a picture I took in Charleston, SC. It makes me think about all the people that have walked across this building entryway and the people they have influenced, people they knew and people they didn't know. I think about the people that can't remember due to Alzheimer's. Nonetheless, they played a significant role in the lives of others, directly and indirectly.


The flag quilt below is named "Path of our Forefathers". Here is the inspiration statement for it: The idea of this flag came to me from the flag hanging in the entry way of the Smithsonian. Thinking about the image of this restored flag, it reminds me of our forefathers and the thought process they went through to carve out the path of our country. Reading the writings of Thomas Jefferson, I know it was a hard process, done with a great deal of prayer and obedience to God. I’m thankful for the process in building our beautiful country and wish we could get our current leaders back to working together instead of tearing us apart.

Okay, today is my day to get to spend the afternoon creating a new quilt.

Have a great and creative day!

Time to Get Busy!

Didn't I say I was going to post more regularly this year? Where has the time gone? My excuses? Family in from out of town, playing with the grandkids and catching a cold. This past week I tried to play catch-up, but my cold was getting the best of me. I tried to do some quilting one day, but when I caught my thumb with the machine needle, I gave up and turned off the machine. Yes, I'm current on my tetanus shot.
Today I'm in the studio and ready to quilt two 9 x 12 art quilts that I created last week. Misty Fuse and the iron I could handle without hurting myself.
These are the two 9 x 12's I am going to quilt, thread paint and bead today. They are two of my donations for DAFA's Special Exhibit in their Annual Show for the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI).

Building Entry

Left: "Building Entry" is from a picture I took when we were in Charleston. It is the entry way to one of the buildings we passed by when we were on a walking tour. I used Tsukineko Fabrico markers on duck canvas.

The Flag

Right: "The Flag" is an image I have had in my head for years. We toured the Smithsonian years ago when we were in Washington, DC on vacation and this is of the flag hanging in the entry. I have beads for the stars. The background is hand dyed batting ~ a new technique I think I really like.

Okay, time to get busy, because I also have fabric to dye this afternoon!

Happy New Year and New Goals

Ice Dyed Fat Quarter in my Etsy shop

As usual, time gets away from me and I'm late on my New Year's post. I spent time looking back to my posts a year ago and realized that I've come a long way in the past year. I don't think I created as many pieces are art /art quilts as I did in 2010, but I accomplished a lot. A year ago I opened my Etsy shop and it has been a success, in my opinion. Those of us that sell our creations, always wish for more sales, but I can't complain. I'm happy with the progress. I started selling my hand dyes at quilt shows and have 4 shows planned for this year, so far. My dyeing methods have grown from parfait dyeing, to snow dyeing, to ice dyeing. I have dabbled a little more in surface techniques and this year I plan to expand more in this area. I feel the direction I want to move this year with my art quilting is calling for an expansion in this area. I tried some new styles of art quilting this past year and plan on trying to be more abstract this year, but using the influence of structures and geometric objects and colors that are out of my normal palette.

I hosted Sandra Sider for a weekend, while she was here for critiques and lectures (she is a lot of fun!). I learned so much in the few days that I spent with her and it has given me a broadened view of where I want my art quilting to grow. Thank you Sandra!

Part of my plan for this year is to take time to photograph new structures to use in my art. I usually get up and head to the studio, but this year I'm going to make an effort to have a day or two each month to spend time outside and photograph.

This past year I was able to show in three different quilt shows, this year I already have three planned and need to spend time planning others to enter and broaden my scope of entering quilts, that means, I need to get busy and create some more art quilts!

The Dallas Area Fiber Artists have their annual show in April and this will be my last show as Show Co-Chair. When our new board takes over mid-year, I have volunteered to be President and have several ideas in mind to encourage our group to expand and grow as artists and in membership.

Well, I'm sure there is more in my brain that I wanted to share with you this morning, but right now I have to get busy and photograph more fabric for my Etsy and Art Fire shops. The end of the year was very good to me and now I need to get busy and post post post!

My big thrill of the year? Having "Old Alton Bridge" included in the Lone Stars III;Texas Quilts Today book and the "Truck Quilt" included in IFQ Quilting Scene Magazine. Plus being interviewed by the Alliance of American Quilts. Being in these two publications and being interviewed made going to IQF so much fun this year, especially since Jeff went with me to enjoy the festivities and see all the quilts.

Happy New Year everyone and I pray that your creative dreams and goals are accomplished this year!

Ice Dyeing Again!

Even in the midst of Christmas shopping and making Christmas presents, I had to spend a few minutes in the dye studio yesterday and ice dye some fabric. I needed some fabric therapy. This piece (one yard) is Strongest Red and Clear Yellow. I also dyed a half yard and four fat quarters. I don't have time to load them online yet, but if you are interested, drop me an email and I'll make time to take pics and send them to you.

While these beautiful pieces of fabric were washing and drying I got to work in the studio and made this precious tool belt for my grandson (he's pretty precious too). I already had this in the plan when our son asked me to make Hudson two tool belts. One for their house and one for ours, that way he can help Paw Paw in the workshop. I used fabrics out of my stash. Faux suede  and Building Blocks by American Jane Patterns. I found an online tutorial for the pattern. One-Hip-Mom has a great blog with the tutorial. The tool belt went together quick and easy. She has some other great tutorials on her site too. Check it out!

Okay, time to get back to work on the next little Christmas surprises!

One Christmas Project Down, Time for the Rest!

One Christmas project has been completed and I'm ready to clean up my studio and get on with planning the next! My studio is in chaos, well, chaos for me. You all know how I like my studio organized and straightened up, I just can't create with piles for fabric on the floor, on the worktable, and sitting on different stools and counter tops.

Last night I had a great time at the Dallas Area Fiber Artists covered dish and Christmas Silent Auction. I was able to win a beautiful necklace made by my dear friend, JoAnn Musso, and a black and white original painting by Flo Barry. Both are wonderful women and I am so blessed to have handmade creations from both of them. I try to get one of Flo's black and white paintings every year for Jeff's office. I have decorated it with black and white photos and art work.

Next on my " "To Do List" is cleaning up the studio and planning the next Christmas surprises. I have a couple in mind, but I can't tell you, because then it may spoil Christmas for someone. Sorry. I am going to create my plan of action for dyeing fabric, planning out shows to enter, new creations that are in my brain, (some I've pulled fabric for already), plus planning out the creation of our new master bedroom quilt. I've dyed most of the fabric already, thought I had dyed it all, but after I ice dyed a yard to add in, I've decided that I may need another yard. Just love the ice dyed fabrics!


I hope all you have a productive and beautiful day!

Christmas Creativity!

I'm still busy working on my Christmas creative list. These little notebook cases are darling! I am streamlining the process of cutting, quilting, stitching together. I'm almost done with all the quilting, but I need to take a break and stitch some of these together today. I'm seeing my BFF tomorrow and want to let her pick one out! Today is going to be hit and miss on the stitching because we are having rain storms. One wave has already gone through and another one is on its way. I have great surge protectors on my machines, but I still hate to be sewing along and the power surge. When I have the machine off I'm going to plan out my next project or two.

Since I'm making so many notebook covers, I have been using quilting stitches from The Free Motion Quilting Project. Leah has great quilting patterns and tutorials on her site. I truly appreciate the hard work and time she has spent on this project! This has been a great time for me to be able to try out new quilting patterns and expand my mind and not stay with the same quilting designs that I usually use.
Okay, need to get busy before the next wave of thunder storms!
Create and be Happy!

Getting Organized

I know I talk a lot about organization in my studio and here I am again and this time I'm promoting a friend of mine who has written a book on organization. Kathy Wright is a dear friend of mine and has written a wonderful book on being a busy mom and being organized.  The book is named appropriately The "Wright" Way to Get Organized. I'm telling you about this book now, because it would be the perfect gift for someone on your Christmas list, or download it for yourself! Kathy had the book published on Blurb, so downloading or ordering the soft or hard cover books are simple!
Enjoy!

I am up to my ears with projects and things to do. With getting ready for Christmas, taking care of household things and celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary, I don't know if/when I will see the light at the end of the tunnel. Today I've been working on my website, Studio Jules Art. My step-son has taken care of it inthe past years for me and the time has come that I needed to take it over and off of his busy plate. I truly appreciate the hard work and time he spent on my website in the past years. I decided to move it to the blogger site and use it as my gallery and categorize my art work and art quilts by year of creation with links to Etsy and Art Fire for the ones that are for sale. Plus it links back and forth to my blog easily.

Take a peek and let me know what you think here on my blog post.


Yesterday I started on Christmas projects for the Dallas Area Fiber Artists Silent Auction and as Christmas presents for some well deserving fiber friends. The other day I bought Simple Quilts and Sewing magazine because it has some great projects and ideas in it. One that really caught my organized eye is the notepad project by Betty Berginski. This is a great project to use fat quarters and/or scrap fabric in your stash. I've really enjoyed cutting out and making several of these as gifts!

Notepad Case

Inside of Notepad Case

December Shipping/Shopping

"Confused"

Well, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are over, but Christmas Shopping is still happening! To celebrate the shopping season, I'm offering FREE SHIPPING on all Art Work and Art Quilts in my Etsy and Art Fire shops. Use Coupon Code ARTWORKFREESHIP in both shops to get the free shipping on these beautiful pieces!

The piece above is called "Confused". It is mixed media on stretched canvas. Painted with textile and acrylic paints, denim, silk, cheesecloth, painted Misty Fuse, papers and beads. It is listed in my Etsy shop.

I have a lot of fabric that isn't posted on either shop (just haven't had time to take the pictures and post them!), so if you are looking for a certain color, color combination, or size, shoot me an email and I'll let you know what I have! The Ice Dyed fabrics are fantastic!

Okay, off to clean up my desk, do much hated paperwork, and clean up the Christmas decorating mess. I've done as much as I can do this year for decorating. What isn't done, is going back in the attic!

Happy Shopping with FREE SHIPPING everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving and Black Friday Free Shipping!

Color Explosion - in my Art Fire Studio

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I just love this day. It is the one day every year that I get to serve my family. Have them in our home and cook big. I love to cook, but don't get the opportunity to cook big very often - aka, empty nest syndrome. I get to spend today visiting with my parents, sister, sister-in-law (brother is working so his plant workers can have the day off - such a good guy!), nephew and Mr. Wonderful.
Cosmo, our precious Maltese, is all dressed up in his Thanksgiving bandanna and ready for the company to arrive.

Tomorrow is Black Friday, so I am offering Free Shipping on everything in my Etsy and Art Fire Shops. If you shop StudioJulesArt on Etsy use the coupon code "BlackFridayFreeShipping" and if you shop StudioJules on Art Fire, the Free Shipping is already taken care of.

I pray each of you have many things to be thankful for this year. Family is on the top of list!

Ice Dyeing, Oh My Goodness, I'm Hooked!!!!!

Okay, in my post day before yesterday I told you about my first day of  "Ice Dyeing". I'm hooked, hook, line and sinker. This is the way I'm going to work for a while. Just look at what happens!

These two are already posted on StudioJulesArt on Etsy.

Colors used: Lilac, Fuchsia, and Clear Yellow

Colors used: Slate Blue, Basic Red and Lemon-Lime Green

Can you believe how beautiful and gorgeous these fabrics are! Here are the other two. They are in my StudioJules Art Fire studio.

Colors used: Lilac, Fuchsia and Clear Yellow

Colors used: Slate Blue, Basic Red and Lemon-Lime Green

11-11-11

Double Tulip Quilt, Quilted by Alma Baugh 1966

As we look back in history, World War I ended, on the 11 hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. When I was checking FaceBook this morning there was a post from The Quilt Index reminding me of the significance of this date in history, along with a post of a quilt made in 1918. I'm reminded the "quiet" way women have played such a strong roll in our history by creating quilts to warm their families, give direction to slaves through the underground railroad, pass on family histories and love, oh, the list goes on. I appreciate this important piece history and how it has played in our lives and how it has evolved into elaborate traditional quilting and art quilts. I give great thanks to the pioneer women who passed down this tradition to their daughters and granddaughters. There is a history of quilters on Mom's side of the family. The picture above is of a quilt on my quilt rack. Two of my grandmothers' cousins made the blocks in the 1920's and then her step-mom (the only great-grandparent I knew) quilted it in 1966. After Mimi finished the quilting, it laid on my bed. My mom kept the quilt until my 40th birthday and then it became mine. Lucky me! I'm so blessed to be able to treasure this piece of family history and know the history of the blocks and quilting. When Mimi was quilting this quilt, the blocks were old enough that the fabric was thin and fragile. Mom asked why she was spending time quilting a quilt that was already in slightly poor condition, and the answer was that it was the best way to spend the day and to pass time.

Today, I treasure getting to spend my days in my studio, passing time, continuing a family tradition of quilting, even though it is in art quilt form, not traditional quilts.Well, I periodically make traditional quilts, just ask my grandkids!

Dye selection

 Yesterday I spent a good part of the day dyeing fabric. In the August/September 2011 issue of Quilting Arts Magazine, there is an article on Ice Dyeing. Oh yum! So yesterday I decided it was a great time to try it. Here are some pictures of the beginning of the process. I selected my dyes and dyed 2 yards per color selection.

Fabric, Ice, Dye

I only had enough ice to dye two color selections, so I'll ice dye the other two tomorrow. Lucky for me, we have a nice under the counter ice maker!

In the instructions it said to cover the fabric, ice and dye with a cover, well I used my favorite fiber, cheesecloth. I also put some cheesecloth at the end of the tray to sit in the dye run off. Can't wait to see how it all comes out in the wash later today.

Cheesecloth over the ice

Here is a picture of the fabric and cheesecloth, the ice has all melted and is ready to start the rinsing and washing process. There will be pictures tomorrow of the completed pieces!

Ice has melted and ready to wash! Love these colors!

Dye Color Decisions

Decisions, Decisions...what's a girl to do. I need to get busy dyeing fabric so I'm not behind come the first of the year when the quilt shows are all gearing up. Last week I made a delightful trip to United Notions/Moda and bought 5 bolts of PFD.

Today, I'm sitting here with my list of dye colors and my color wheel. Trying to decide what new color combos would be pretty and pleasing to the eyes of my customers. 

So, help me out here ya'll, what color combos do you like?

IQF 2011 - It was a wonderful time!

Standing with my Old Alton Bridge quilt

Oh, it was a wonderful time at IQF 2011. The Friday night reception for the quilters in the Lone Stars III book was exciting. I had a wonderful time getting to know some of the quilters, signing each others books and seeing the quilts.

Here I am with my friend Amy Walker

Saturday we have spent the day looking at the quilts with our wonderful friends, and former neighbors, Dale and Amy Walker. Amy is my dear friend who introduced me to appreciating antique quilts, which led to me deciding I could make traditional quilts, which led to me getting board with piecing and discovering art quilting. So to the day with her was icing on the cake for me.

After we looked at all (close to all) the quilts, I reported for my interview with the Alliance of American Quilts. Treat for me, I was able to meet Amy Milne. What a wonderful woman! I have an admiration for her energy and excitement about the "Save our Stories" project and the work they are doing.

Okay, how much shopping did I do at festival? Well, not as much as I usually do! I had my list of dyes to buy from ProChem, the Masters and Masters 2 books from SAQA, my annual splurge on fudge, and Jeff bought me a bracelet. That's it! Believe it or not! This trip was about seeing the quilts with Amy, spending the time with Jeff, the book reception, and the interview...shopping was not too high on my list and I know that is hard for some of my "dye" hard friends to imagine, but it's true.

Saturday we were going to go to the Gala on the Green, but we just couldn't get the energy to go. I had awoken Friday morning with vertigo and it was just about gone, but still teasing me a bit.  Sunday we  drove home, listening to a Nickolas Sparks book and I loads of ideas stitching around in my head. I always have more ideas than I have time to make art quilts, but it is the passion that gets me up in the morning and into the studio each day.

Today I worked on some charity quilts and will finish them up tonight while, hopefully. Tomorrow, well it will be a day to "dye" for and working on the background of a new little quilt I'm testing out.

Happy creating everyone and enjoy your creative brain more than that other side!

And The Winner Is....I mean Are....

Waiting to pick the winners!

Well, Cosmo the Gentleman, (yes, that is his registered name) did his duty this morning. He just wasn't up to it last night, so first thing this morning we came up to the Studio and got to business. Here he is with our wonderful fiber bowl and 13 entries. Now, Cosmo reminded me that I have not just one, but two extra copies of IQF Quilting Scene, so he is going to pick 2 winners! Well, okay then!

 

Picking Winner #1

Winner #1 is Gail! Gail enjoys free motion stitching/quilting and couching instead of satin stitching (I need to try that, I have several couching feet!). Congratulations Gail, I'll email you to get your address.

Picking Winner #2

Winner #2 is Lu Peters! Wonderful! Lu is one of my favorite people and I'm blessed to be the DAFA Show Co-Chair with her this year! Lu has two favorite techniques, variegated quilting threads and adding embellishments.

Congratulations Ladies! I hope you enjoy this magazine as much as I have. I think I have read through it 3 times this past week and there are wonderful articles in it!

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!

DAFA Workshop and Being Creative Today!

Everyone is being creative!

Our wonderful Program Director
Linda Disosway

Suzanne Morgan
working on her abstract creation

This past Saturday I spent a wonderful day with members of the Dallas Area Fiber Artists, teaching my Painted Cheesecloth and 12x12 Sunflower workshop. Here are a few pictures of the members and their creations!

Valery Guignon
also working abstract

Valery's painted cheesecloth

DAFA President - Janet Jelen
working on Sunflower placement

Karen Fischer and Pam Patton
sharing creative ideas

My work schedule this past week hasn’t allowed me to be in the studio very much, but I’ve made some progress today and have the basics to three art quilts in progress and the thoughts of several more are written down. Here’s a peek at what I’ve gotten started. Hopefully I can finish these next week before I leave for the Trinity Valley Quilt Show in Fort Worth. If you are in the area, don’t forget to come by, see the show and say Hi!

While I have been working in the Studio today I have been listening to "Sister's Choice" by Emilie Richards. I love her books and to my wonderful surprise there is a quilter in this book. One that, like me, wanted to venture beyond the traditional quilts and enjoyed exploring art quilting. I appreciated the way she expressed the way quilter's are. Paraphrasing, they always have a quilt in process, a quilt on their work wall, a quilt under the needle, quilts in our heads, quilts waiting to be bound, quilting until our final breath. Isn't that how we all feel?

Continue to be creative my friends!