Karen Kay Buckley

OK, the new studio is pretty much finished and I am happy to say being used.  I am so excited I can hardly stand it.  As I’ve been up there working this week I keep saying out loud  “I love this room”.  Most of the thanks goes to Joe for giving up his man cave.  I married the most wonderful man ever.

When you first walk into the studio this is what you see.  Now the fact than I can get a quilt that is this large, 96″ x 96″, on my design board is fantastic.  In my old studio the lower portion of this quilt top would have been on the floor because my wall space was much smaller than it is now.   To the left in the photo are my sofa and cutting table, back to back.   To the right is a large work table and……you’ll see the rest soon.

While I am standing in the door to the studio and I turn to my far left you will see my ironing table.  I talked about this in a previous blog.  The top is an old hollow door that had been left in our basement when we purchased our house.  That was nice of the old owners.  I don’t think they ever thought it would be used in such a way.  Do you? I covered the table with an old wool blanket that I purchased at a house auction and then purchased drill to wrap over the blanket.  Over the years I found that drill held up much better than the muslin I once used on my ironing surface. The drill is attached to the hollow door using a large staple gun.  This is a fantastic surface when I am pressing large pieces of fabric or large quilt tops, backing fabric…..  One of the few things I am still waiting for is the pendant light that will hang above the ironing area.  I have a line of track and there will be two track lights and one pendant light over the ironing board.  When they get here I’ll be able to get ride of the standing light.

Even though I had this similar set-up in my old studio I did not have the center area for storage.  This is the other side of the ironing area.  The two end units were purchased at IKEA.  They are the bases for a bathroom sink.  Perfect height for ironing.  Then Lewie built the center area with 2 doors and shelves inside.  A girl can never have too much storage space!

As I swing my camera from the ironing area, along the left side, you come to the sofa and cutting table.

I believe I told you before that my cutting table is actually a kitchen cabinet from IKEA.  I do like IKEA.  I have had this unit for a least 15 years or more and it shows no signs of wear and trust me it gets used a lot.  The height is perfect for rotary cutting.  I have my spare rotary mats stored on the floor under the cabinet, just like I did in my old studio. And because this cabinet weights a ton and a half  (it is really heavy) I removed all the drawers so when Joe and his buddies carried the cabinet it would not be so heavy, and still it weights a ton!  One of the best purchases I ever made for my studio.

If you sat on the sofa this is what you would see….my large work table, also from IKEA, and my 2 sewing tables back to back.  When I was trying to decide on a layout for my new space I liked the idea of the two sewing tables being back-t0-back.  When I am working on a large quilt it will give me a lot more table surface.  My TV is centered on the wall straight ahead.  I had 3 outlets put in the floor.  One is between my two machines and one is under the large work table.  The other one is between the sofa and cutting table area.  Boy, am I glad I decided to have those added.  Some days my brain is working properly.

To the left you can partially see my thread drawer holder.  This is also from IKEA.  I am starting to sound like an IKEA commercial!  I had a drawer similar to this in my old studio but Joe found this bigger one when he was looking for the work table for me.  (Joe had to go to the Philadelphia area on business and since we don’t have an IKEA close to our house Joe offered to do some shopping for me.  What did I say….nicest guy in the world).   Just like my old one this one is also on wheels so I can move it around the room as needed.

Years ago I had my thread in cabinets on the wall.  Every single time I needed a spool of thread I had to get up and open all 4 cabinets and look for the thread I wanted.  One day I thought if my thread was closer to me and arranged by color and not by type of thread it would make my life easier.  Normally when I am working I need a certain color….say green.  Now all I do is open the drawer with all the green thread and find what I need.  It saves me a lot of time. I love that I can place it right beside where ever I am working.

If you were sitting on the sofa and looked to your right you would see my biggest splurge in the room.  My Herman Miller chair.  Yes, I treated myself to the world’s best chair.  When I was in Appleton, Wisconsin they had Herman Miller chairs at the desks in the hotel room.  They had a paper in the room telling about the chairs.  I did some investigating when I got home.  The price was….lets says high!  I asked Joe to use his magic fingers on the computer and see if he could find me one at a better price.  But, no such luck.  So, I bit the bullet and bought it anyway.  When I was on my way to teach in Delaware I made a little detour to a store that sold Herman Miller chairs so I could check out my options and do some test sitting.  I figured as much time as I will spend it that chair it would be my biggest splurge.  After using it this week I am very happy I made the right decision.

Still sitting on the sofa and moving to my right I have my drawers that Lewie built.

Keep moving to the right and you’re back at the doors.  Above the doors I decided to hang one of my favorite pieces of art that I have ever purchased.   I wanted to surround myself with many of my favorites pieces of art to inspire me when I am working.  I purchased this piece in Mexico.  I had it hanging in my old studio.  This piece is truly inspiring.

This next photo is a close-up but you’ll never be able to see the details.  It is made by hand.  On a wood foundation the artist places a hot wax.  On top of the wax the artist places pieces of yarn to form the design.  Impressive.  Really impressive.  When I purchased this piece many years ago I remember I could not sleep that night.  I was worried about the money I spent making the purchase.  This is another one of my splurges that I have never regretted.  I still love this piece of art and appreciate the work that went into making it.  Joe built a backing on the piece and painted it white so when you walk into the studio you don’t notice it because it is over your head.  But, on your way out of the studio you surely will notice it.  The maker is telling a story just like many quilters do in their work.

In the little alcove behind the cutting table I had Lewie build me a box in which to store my batting.  It is also on wheels so I can be moved if necessary.  I wanted it in white so it just kind of blends into the room.  I think when I am sitting to hand sew on the sofa it could be moved over beside the sofa and used like an end table.

OK, let’s more to the back of the studio.  Along the left wall, just down from the batting box,  is my drafting, lightbox table.  The metal was a strange shade of gun metal blue.  Joe painted it white for me so it would fit nicely into my new space.  Right before it was moved from my old studio I leaned on the glass to kill a stink bug that was in my studio.  Well, you guessed it….I broke the glass.  It is nice that we live next door to a glass cutter.  I hate those stink bugs for more than one reason.  One of the few things I am still waiting for is my chair for at this table. It should be here this coming week.

To your right is my desk and storage shelves above.  These were prefab cabinets from Lowe’s.  I know…what happened to IKEA.  Hey, these were close by when I needed them and worked perfectly.  Lewie took the 2 center doors on the top shelf and replaced them with glass.  I had this vision that I wanted to store some of my favorite things in this cabinet and be able to see them.

I opened the glass doors so you could better see inside to see some of my favorite things.  I arranged my embroidery threads by color, again, just like my other sewing threads.  Having them arranged this way makes me happy.  And when I am looking for let’s say…red thread…I simply pull down the red thread jar.  On the second shelf, to the left, are some antique buttons I purchased at a house auction many years ago and they are in antique glass containers.  To the far left is a pin cushion made by Sally Collins.  Sally sent me this amazing gift as a thank you for some little thing that I did for her.  I have admired her work for so long I told her when I got this incredible little package in the mail I felt like I had won the lottery.  I could not possibly put pins in it!  Heaven forbid.  Maybe some day I’ll be able to….but not yet.  Her work is done to perfection.  Behind the bight colored doll is a fabulous little counted cross stitch piece my sister made for me years ago.  Love it and appreciate all she put into making it.  On the bottom is another one of my favorite doll makers.  I stumbled onto this artist when I was traveling in the state to Washington.  It makes me feel good just looking at these shelves.

Hanging under the cabinets are pieces from another Mexican artist.  Each wing on this hummingbird is hand painted.  The workmanship is so beautifully done.

On top of my cabinets in another piece by the same artist.  Again, each individual feather is hand painted on wood.  Each feather is removed to get it home and then reassembled.  I took a photo before it was disassembled so I could get it back together again.  That was smart thinking.

Keep going to the right and you next come to my bathroom and then fabric shelves.  First, lets talk about the bathroom.  In my old studio I did not have a bathroom.  I had to go down one floor and through the bedroom to get to a bathroom.  Now, I just take a couple of steps and there I am.  When I used to have to go downstairs I was easily distracted by the laundry, the computer office area, etc.  No more of those distractions.

And then of course my shelves of fabric.  The door in the center of the photo is a closet area.  Perfect for storing more stuff.

More fabric shelves.  This is the multi-colored, black and gray fabrics.

And then the soothing color wall of fabric.  If I’m having a bad day I could lay on the floor and look at this row of shelves and feel much better.  I owe a big thanks to Lewie for building my shelves, drawers and cabinets.  The room is awesome because of all Lewie did for me.  Thank you Lewie.

So, just a couple of final items and the room will be totally finished.  I have some small rugs that I ordered.  One will go in front of the sofa and one on the floor in the bathroom.  My pendant lights and drafting table chair should be here soon also.  Things have come together nicely.  I plan to produce some amazing quilts in this room.  That’s the plan.

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Last year in the spring I read the book “The Help”.  When I heard they were making a movie on this book I could hardly wait to see it.  The book was so darn good.  Many times when I’ve seen a movie based on a book that I liked I am very disappointed.  But, not this time.  I loved the movie as much as I loved the book.  Each actress cast played her part to perfection.  When I was describing some of the characters to a friend of mine this weekend I told her that Bryce Dallas Howard plays the roll of the bitch and she played a great bitch.  I won’t be surprised if she gets an academy award for this roll.  And Emma Stone played a great “Skeeter”.  She was perfect for this roll.  But, best of all for me were “The Help”.  Viola Davis made be cry with her incredible performance.  And Octavia Spencer as Minni.  Oh, she made me laugh and cry.  At one point in the movie when many people are clapping a lady in the attendance was so into the movie she clapped right along with the movie characters.  That’s how into this movie you will be.  You need to go see this movie.  And if you have tears close to the brain…as one of my friends describes me….you’ll need a couple of tissues.  Some might say it’s a chick flick but Joe liked it just as much as I did and agreed that it followed the book.  But, then as you know, Joe is an exceptional kind of guy.

What are you waiting for?  Stop reading and go to the movies.

There were just too many amazing quilts at the show in Hershey to share them all in the last blog.  So, here are some more of my favorite quilts.

This first quilt for this blog is called “Natural Wonders” and was made by Kathy McNeil from Washington.  Doesn’t it feel like you could walk through this stone arch?  Kathy made excellent selections on her fabric to obtain the depth perspective.  After being close to the area where Kathy lives recently I can understand why she would make landscape quilts…there is so much beauty along the coast.  You can find more about Kathy at http://www.kathymcneilquilts.com/  Kathy’s quilt won Best Pictorial quilt.

This next quilt was hand appliqued and quilted on a longarm machine.  It received an honorable mention.  The quilt was made by Barbara Burnham and Marty Vint.  The name of the quilt is M.E.C. Remembered.

Anyone of you who has made a Baltimore Album style quilt knows how much work it took to applique all these blocks.  And even if you have never made a Baltimore Album quilt you can appreciate all the time and love that went into this quilt.

One of the categories that I am so happy to see at this show is one strictly for “youth”.  You have to be between 12 and 17 years of age to enter this category.  The winner of this category this year was Michaela Murphy from Mifflinburg, PA. The name of her quilt is “Joseph’s Coat of Many Colors” and Michaela started this piece in a class last year with Marilyn Doheny.  Good job Michaela.  I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of her quilts.

I come to find out that another of my favorite quilts was made by a friend of mine, Nancy Simmons.  Nancy took a class with Betty Neff on this compass pattern and then made “My Muncy Compass”.  I love the antique feel of this quilt.

This next quilt is called “Star Berries” and it won Best Longarm quilt.  It was made by Gail Stephanek and Ronda K. Beyer.  I love the colors, the different borders, the different background fabrics and the workmanship.  It all adds up to one great quilt.

“The Loading Dock” is simply amazing.  It won Best Quilting on a Domestic Machine.  This quilt is 87″ x 86″ and to think that it was so well quilted on a home sewing machine is impressive.  The quilt design is impressive as well.  The maker is Mary S. Buria from Indiana.

Here is a close-up.  This quilt just brings me joy and the more you look at it the more you find all kinds of things hidden in the quilt…Noel in the window….names of the reindeer…the background is the world map (where Santa travels).

“Star Struck” was a first place winner. It was made by Cheryl L. See of Ashburn, VA.  This quilt was all sewn by hand and has over 12,000 hexagons.  Really.

Holy Cow!  Cheryl has an impressive collection of fabric to make the colors on this quilt shade so well.

Making a monochromatic quilt is not something I find to be easy but when I see them I always love them.  Monochromatic quilts have a softness about them.  “Clouds in My Latte” was made by Karen Manchetti of Port St. Lucie, Fl.  Karen won 2nd place.

Her quilting is stunning.  You can find out more about Karen at http://creativelongarmquilting.blogspot.com/

And no great quilt show would be complete without vendors.  And Quilt Odyssey offers lots of great vendors.

In case you wonder why the isles look empty it is because I could not get into the show to take photos until the last day right before the vendors were ready to close.  I was too busy teaching the other days.  Based on the comments from the vendors I talked with they had lots and lots of customers.  And based on the comments from my students they did their fare share of supporting the economy!

It bears repeating…if you have never attended this show you need to mark it on your calendar.  Great vendors…great quilts…and great teachers (I’m a little biased on the last one.)

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I recently finished reading Abyss by David Hagberg.  This is a new author for me.  When I was downloading books to my Sony Reader I read the write-up on this book and decided to give it a try.  I am glad I did.  It is an action thriller with cutting edge technology. Ex- CIA chief Kirk McGarvey is the main character.  He has come to the aid of NOAA scientist Dr. Eve Larson who is working  to stop global warming and to stop deadly storms across the planet.  Her project involves harnessing ocean currents to alter the planet’s weather for the better.

Contract killer Brian DeCamp walks into Huctchinson Nuclear Power Plant with a group of students taking a tour.  DeCamp’s mission is to cause a meltdown so catastrophic it will make Chernobyl look like small potatoes.   DeCamp is than hired to cause some difficulty for Dr. Larson.

This book held my interest and was well written with believable characters.  I understand the author has written previous books with this main character, Kirk McGarvey.  I would definitely go back and read some of his previous books after reading this one.

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During the course of the past year I have picked up and then subscribed to some very wonderful magazines published by Stampington & Company.  The magazines are a little pricey but I think they are worth every penny.  The first one I stumbled across on a newsstand in a bookstore was “Where Women Create”.  I read every single page and went back and poured over the pages for inspiration.  The subtitle of the magazine is “Inspiring Work Spaces of Extraordinary Women”  and it really does explain the magazine in a nutshell.  The photography and page layouts are simply beautiful.

This past year they introduced a new magazine called “Where Women Cook” and since I like to dabble in the kitchen I thought I would check it out.  This is just as beautiful and packed full of information as “Where Women Create”.  Again, I feel compelled to read each of the women’s stories and read over their recipes.  If I read correctly each of these magazines are published 4 times a year.

And finally, I found an issue of “Art Quilting Studio” which I think comes out only once a year.  It is just as the title suggests….more geared towards art quilters.  I love getting a glimpse into other quilters studios.

You can find out more about this company and their awesome magazines at www.stampington.com

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The next blog will be an update on my finished studio.  I’m waiting for a chair for my light/drafting table,  some pendant lights and a few other small items.  Even though there are a few things still needed to finish I’ve been working in there this past week and carrying a few last items from the 3rd floor…outside…and up another flight.  You’d think I would have lost some weight doing all this moving!

Teaching for Quilt Odyssey in Hershey is always one of those seminars that I really look forward to each and every year.  Working with Missy Molino, the show organizer, is a real pleasure.  Plus it is only about an hour drive from my house.  The show started off with a student bringing in a finished project from the “Folk Art Fantasy” class which she had taken with me last year.  Here is what Janet Jones brought to show me.  Thanks for sharing Janet.  Job well done!  That is such a great way to start the show.  I just love seeing students’ finished projects.

I thought I would share a couple of my favorite quilts from the show.

The quilt below was made by Alice Tignor from Severna Park, MD.  The name of the quilt is “Mountain Stars”.  Alice’s quilt won first place in the miniature quilt category.  The pieces were teenie tiny and the workmanship was done to perfection.

“Ring Around the Posy” received my Judge’s Choice award.  It was made by Elizabeth Miller from Charlotte, North Carolina.  It is all sewn by hand, and hand quilted.  The workmanship on this quilt was excellent. I also really appreciated the border treatment on this quilt.

“Sakura 1: Hanaogi Views the Cherry Blossoms” was a very impressive quilt and was also completely hand sewn.

The quiltmaker, Megan Farkas from Sanbornton, New Hampshire, developed such wonderful details including the faces and the choice of quilting design.

“Tree of Life” was made by Mark Sherman from Coral Springs, Florida.  It is machine appliqued and quilted on a longarm.  Mark’s work is impressive.  You can find out more about Mark by going to his website http://www.remarkablequilts.com/  You will also find out more about the story behind this quilt as it was made in memory of Mark’s brother.

The detail work on Mark’s borders is incredible.

The next quilt “Fire and Ice” won 1st place and Viewer’s Choice.  It was made by Claudia Pfeil from Krefeld, Germany.  The quilt is all machine sewn and includes over 55,000 Swarovski crystals.  Absolutely Stunning!

Here is a close-up.  You can find out more about Claudia at http://www.claudiapfeil.de/index.php?article_id=29&clang=1

Marilyn Badger’s quilt “Super Star” won Best of Show.  Marilyn is from St. George, Utah.  Marilyn has won many, many awards for her exquisite workmanship and they are well deserved.  If you Google Marilyn Badger you will find a lot more information on Marilyn and her amazing work.

Here are some close-ups of Marilyn’s quilt.

I love that she used some of her pieced shapes in her quilting design.  It adds an all over balance to the quilt.

“Pine Burr” was machine pieced, hand appliqued and hand quilted.  It took 7 years for Judy Elwood from Kalispell, MT to make this stunning quilt.  It won an award for Best Traditional Artistry.

Here’s a close-up of “Pine Burr”.

There are more quilts to share but I think I’m blogged out for the day so I’ll share more quilt with you in the next blog.

If you have never attended Quilt Odyssey in Hershey, PA (www.quiltodyssey.com) put it on your to-do list.  You will not regret it.

I just returned from the most fantastic trip to Oregon.  This is going to be a long blog so go get a cup of tea or coffee.  I first taught for the Mountain Stars Quilt Guild.  You can find out more about this guild at http://www.msquilters.com/  My guild contact was Gerri.  Gerri picked me up at the airport in Medford, about 1/2 hour outside of Grant’s Pass.  The guild actually meets close to Grants Pass in a cute Grange building in Rogue River.  Day one I presented a new workshop to the guild on hand applique.  Day two I presented a lecture.  Prior to the lecture the guild had an amazing show and tell and I had some wonderful surprises.  First, the guild from Jacksonville, OR had asked for my permission several years ago to use my pattern, “Midnight Floral Fantasy”, as its fund raiser.   They said they pulled the quilt off the wall from the winner’s house just so they could bring it to show me.  It looked fantastic!  Well done ladies.

And then one of the guild members, Sue Pharis, who had emailed me in advance, brought her “Japanese Garden” quilt using my pattern.  This is the first one of these that I have seen finished.  I am in awwwww.  The quilt is amazing.  I am so happy Sue shared her quilt.  I know how much work it took to make this quilt.  Great job Sue.

After the lecture Gerri reserved seats for her, me and her sister-in-law, Jean, for a ride on the Rogue River.  It is called the Hellgate Jetboat Excursions, www.hellgate.com.    These jetboats ride across the water and the drivers like to have some fun.  They jam on the brakes, turn quickly and try hard to get their passengers wet.  Now, Gerri has been on this ride before and said that if we sat in the second row we would not get wet.  This is the last time I take Gerri’s advice on where to sit.  We were soaked.  And I mean soaked.  The water was dripping off us.  But, it was fun.  Here are what the boats look like.

Here are some views along the way.  The Rogue River is absolutely breathtaking…especially when the cold water smacks you in the face!  It does take your breath away.

Getting wet was well worth it to see these views.  See the eagle in the tree, on the left?  We saw eagles and osprey.  We had a great view of the osprey nets.  They are very, very big.

The ride takes 4 hours, including dinner, and covers 36 miles of this gorgeous river.

After teaching a 3 hour workshop on Sunday Gerri took me to the airport to pick-up a rental car.  I drove to the coast to the Gold Beach Quilters guild.  I drove back to Grants Pass and took route 199 to Route 101 into California and up the coast.  This has to be the most beautiful drive ever.  I cannot believe there are not lots and lots of car accidents as drivers are gawking around looking at the amazing views.  If Joe had been with me we would have had to stop about a million times so he could get out and fish.  The roads are twisting and turning, so it’s a nice slow drive.  And all along the way you follow the rivers.

The road dips down into California and into the redwoods.  This photo will not do it justice.  You really need to see these to get the perspective on how large they are.

This drive took a lot longer than normal because I kept stopping to take photos.  It was just one amazing view after another.

Once I got to the coast I turned right and headed North.  Again, I had to keep pulling the car off the road so I could enjoy the view.  Mr. Seagull was just hanging out.

While it was in the triple digits in Pennsylvania I was enjoying weather in the mid 60’s.  Nice.

Connie from the Gold Beach Quilters took care of me while I visited her guild.  We had some lovely walks on the beach with her dog, Butch.  I love dogs and of course Butch knew I was a dog lover.  Connie made the most incredible fish stew.  She is going to share the recipe with me and I’ll share it with you in a later blog.  One of the things I found to be interesting was that there were no broken sea shells on the beach but lots and lots and lots of smooth rocks.  Since the Rogue River empties into the Pacific Ocean in Gold Beach I will assume the stones come from the river.  I collected a few to bring home with me.

I decided rather than rushing back to the airport I would take an extra day to do some sightseeing.  Chris and Elaine from the guild volunteered to show be around their area, Port Orford.

Every corner you turned there was another incredible view.

View from inside the lighthouse.

Do you see all of the oval type shapes on the rocks?  They are seals.  After you notice the white area you will start to see grey seals all over the rocks also.

And then the icing on the cake.  The town of Port Orford has a fantastic quilt shop called the “Quilters Corner”.  Lovely shop and lovely shop owner.  You can find out more about the shop by going to their website www.homebythesea.com/Quilterscorner.html

And you wonder why my stash of fabric is so large.  I always like to visit the local quilt shops.  For a town with a population of just over 1,000 I was pleasing surprised at this quilt shop.  The quilt on the top of the photo below, to the right, was made by my host Elaine and she won first place in their challenge contest.  Sorry I cut off the one of the left as it was made by my other host, Chris.  Sorry Chris.  Both Elaine and Chris were excellent hostesses.  They took me for a dungeness crab cake at lunch that was too die for.

You know so many trips that I have taken over the years to teach for guilds I pretty much went in, taught and then left.  I never took the time to really see the area.  Sometimes there really is not enough time based on my schedule but boy am I happy when I have a little time to spare.  Think of all the incredible things I would have missed if I had not taken the time to smell the flowers.

Joe and I just returned from a week in Mexico.  We celebrated Joe’s birthday and our 30th wedding anniversary while we were there.  We stayed at the Mayan Palace which is a time share resort, located close to Playa del Carmen.  I blogged about this place 1 1/2 years ago when we went there in December 2009.    Going in July was not all that different since the temperature does not change drastically in that part of the world.  But, this time the mosquitoes were in full swing. It had rained for two solid weeks prior to our arrival and the mosquitoes were about 3 times the size of the ones I normally see and man could they bite.  Ouch.  Really.  We purchased some bug spray called “Bye-Bye” and it did not help at all.  I think the mosquitoes actually enjoyed it!  Normally in the mornings I like to take long walks around the compound as the gardens are magnificent.  But, this time the walks were limited and I did my cardio at the gym.  But, I was still able to take some great photos while on some of my walks.  The gardens are truly impressive.

This was my view as I sat and read on the beach.  What is not to like?

While I was reading on the beach Joe went on some dive trips.  He said the diving was excellent.  I’ll take his word for it since I do not enjoy diving.

And I ran into some more of my lizard buddies this time too.  Some of you think these guys are scary but I think they are awesome to see, as long as they are outside and not in my room!  Can you see both of them on top of the stone fence?  They blend in pretty well don’t they?  I think they are amazing creatures.

The town of Playa del Carmen has some very nice shop lined streets.  Great for strolling and people watching.  We went into town at least 3 times and I know you’ll find this hard to believe but, yes, there was a Starbucks and yes, of course I had my regular chai tea latte.  It was fantastic to sit at the outdoor table with Joe while I sipped my chai and watched all of the interesting people.  PS  There were no mosquitoes in town!

I took a photo of the chairs in one of the local restaurants.  Aren’t they great chairs?  They would not look good in my house but they look great in this location.  People often ask my where I get my inspiration for my quilts.  I say…look around you.  The colors in these chairs are great as are many of the design elements in the fabric.

And in the evenings when the restaurants open you will find lots of mariachi bands stopping to play along the streets.

Great week.  I am revived and relaxed. As a result of my R&R there is no real news on the studio.  My goal is to be working in the new studio in August and I think I’m going to make my deadline.

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Now for some book reviews.  Right before I left for Mexico I finished listening to “Live Wire” by Harlan Coben.  As you know I am a Harlan Coban fan.  In this novel he brings back a favorite character, Myron Bolitar.  Myron is a sports agent and this book starts with one of his clients, Suzze T asking Myron for help.  Suzze is 8 months pregnant and married to a rock star.  There is a connection between Suzze T, the tennis pro, and Myron’s family.  The connection grows as do the characters and Myron’s connection to his family.  Great book and excellent reader.

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One of the books I read on the beach was called “Summer Rental” by Mary Kay Andrews. I do not believe I have ever read one of her books.  It was an easy and interesting read.  Three best friends from high school, who are now in their 30’s, decide to meet and spend a week at a rental house in the Outer Banks, Nags Head, North Caroline.  Since I love the Outer Banks the book had more interest for me because I knew a lot of the places of which she spoke.  Ellis, from Philadelphia, was recently fired from a job at the bank which she loved.  Juila, living in London, is an aging model has lots of issues and some of them relate to her high school days.  Dorie was betrayed by her husband and holds a lot of secrets from the past and present day.  A 4th character comes into the picture as Dorie meets Maryn at a restaurant in town and invites her to stay at the beach house with them.  Maryn is on the run from an abusive husband.  The 5th character is the owner of the rental property who lives in the apartment above the rental house garage.  Each of these characters were in need of some change and carried some issues from the past.  All in all….a great beach read.

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Then I read “Lake of Dreams” by Kim Edwards.  I have also read by Kim Edwards “Memory Keeper’s Daughter”.  “Lake of Dreams” takes place in the Finger Lakes area in New York.  The main character, Lucy Jarrett, discovers a hidden past through letters and traces found in stained glass windows.  As the book starts Lucy is living in Japan with her long time boyfriend, Yoshi.  She receives an email from her brother that their widowed mother had fallen and had some minor injuries.  Lucy decides that since she is between jobs she should return home to make sure her mother is OK.  The story has a good balance from past to present day and the characters were very believable.  Lucy believed that when her father died out fishing on the lake it was in part her fault.  As the story unfolds she finds there were other factors that played into her father’s death.  Good book with well developed characters.

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And my final recommendation for this blog is “Saving Max” by Antionette van Heugten.  I really got sucked into this book and had a hard time putting it down.  One of the main characters is Max Parkman who is a teenager, autistic, very smart,  emotionally fragile and is accused of murder.  His mother, Danielle, is an attorney, but not a criminal attorney.  She decides it is in her sons best interest to work with the attorney she hires to prove her son’s innocence.  What Danielle finds makes you want to keep reading.  Another book with good characters and an interesting story line.

I am in the middle of another good book.  Maybe I’ll be able to finish it on my flights back and forth to Oregon later this week.  I have never been in Oregon before but I understand it has a lot to offer in it’s beauty between the inland and coastal areas.  I’ll find out and let you know.

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I am so excited to share another of my students works with you.  Karen Gulotta took my “Oriental Flowers”, machine applique class in May when I taught for her guild in Long Island.  I love Karen’s color choices.  Good job Karen and thanks for sharing.

Talk to you when I return from Oregon.  Hopefully I’ll have more studio news then and for sure I’ll have some photos of the area to share with you.  Sometimes I think I should have been a travel agent!  No really, I love what I do too much to ever think that I have the wrong job.  I fell strongly that I have the right job and love every minute of it.

I made a decision when I first started to blog to not post any comments that were made on the blogs.  But, that does not mean I don’t read them and truly appreciate them.  I just don’t always have time to respond to all of them.  Just wanted those of you who are regular readers and write often to know that I hear you and keep your comments coming.

Wow, I have lots to talk about in this blog.  First, I just returned from a fun trip to Delaware.  It was nice to have a driving trip for a change.  It gives me time to listen to an audio book while I’m driving.  The Helping Hands Quilt Guild has a membership of around 100 and I think they were all at the lecture on Monday evening.  The room was packed.  Then on Tuesday I did a workshop for the guild.  The ladies promised to send me photos of some of their finished blocks later this summer.  I’m holding them to it.  I developed laryngitis while I was there and the students were real troopers about moving to the front of the room to try and hear me.  Today I have no voice at all after working hard to finish the workshop yesterday.  Here are some of the smiling faces of the guild members.

This was a great group of ladies and if you live in the area you should check into becoming a member.

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I recently finished listening to Jodi Picoult’s new book, Sing You Home.  Another excellent book.  I am a big Jodi Picoult fan which if you read my blog you know how much I enjoy her writing. In this book she tackles gay rights issues.  This story is about Zoe Baxter who is a music therapist.  After several unsuccessful attempts at having children Zoe’s husband leaves her.  Zoe starts to pick up the pieces of her life and finds another partner.  The story is told through the eyes of the three (3) main characters, Zoe, her husband and her new partner.  Enjoy.

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On my recent trips to Long Island and then to North Carolina I had students who talked about and had a new idea for a sandpaper board.  I find a sandpaper board to be invaluable when I am tracing around the edge of a template or when I am placing shapes on my background fabric. I feel that it allows me more accuracy in my work.   I use my sandpaper board flat on a table.  I then place my fabric on top of the sandpaper board and then my template on top of the fabric.  The sandpaper grips the fabric which makes my tracing easier and more accurate.  The next place I find the sandpaper board to be useful is when I am placing shapes on my background fabric.  If I have the sandpaper under my background fabric it holds the background securely in place until I get my applique shape pinned or glued.

This idea is quick and inexpensive.  At the hardware store purchase a peel and stick floor tile.  Peel the paper from the back.  Place a piece of fine grain sandpaper, sand side up,  on the sticky side. I then used my rotary board, ruler and a utility knife to trim the excess floor tile away.

When I’ m finished, in about 5 minutes, I have a great and inexpensive sandpaper board.

The adhesive back really holds the sandpaper securely in place and makes a firm foundation on which to trace and place.

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Studio update.  I got lots done this past week in the new studio.  Jim, the electrician has most of the lights in place.  And I moved lots and lots of fabric onto my new shelves.  There is still a lot to do but I made a lot of progress this week.  Isn’t the fabric just beautiful?  I am so excited.

Around the corner….

The desk top is finished but Lewie still has to attach it and drill a hole for the cords.

Joe’s buddies came over and helped move some of the heavy pieces.  I’m waiting for the TV to arrive.  It will hang on the wall between the two sewing machines.  Joe made a trip to Ikea for me this week and purchased the large white table.  I love it.   Note: under the large table there are outlets in the floor.  Jim put 3 outlets in the floor for me.  I know they will get lots of use.

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This past week I received a really pleasant surprise when a student who had taken a workshop with me last summer in Maine sent me images of the project she made as a result of the workshop.  Margaret Solomon Gunn sent me photos of what she did using my block “Heard It Through the Grapevine” with lots of modifications.

I love what Margaret did with the design and her machine quilting is outstanding.  I hope she wins lots of ribbons.

Talk to you again in a week or so.  Hope to have more to show you in the studio in the next blog.

I arrived in Appleton a little after lunch and did not have anything on my schedule until the following day.  My guild contact, Pat, took advantage of this time and showed me some of her surrounding area.  Our first stop was the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum in Neenah, WI.

Pat told me they had a collection of paperweights.  I had no idea what to expect.  Well, let me tell you, there were a lot of very interesting paperweights.  The museum boasts the largest collection of paperweights in the world!  And they might just be right.

As the story goes Mrs. Evangeline Bergstrom bequeathed 632 pieces in 1958 and the collection has grown to over 2,300.  And Mrs. Berstrom did not start her collection until she was 65 years of age so just think if I started collecting now I could maybe exceed her collection!

And then a short distance from the museum we saw this lighthouse.

As we continued our journey we ended up checking out some of the local quilt shops.  In my haste to get into the first shop and…well, to shop, I forgot to take a photo of the shop.  The name of the shop was “Primitive Gatherings”.  I met the owner of the shop, Lisa Bongean, the week before at the conference in Alabama.  Lisa has a charming shop and the interior fit the name perfectly, primitive designs.  It has a very relaxed atmosphere.  To find out more about Lisa and her shop go to www.PrimitiveGatherings.us/shop

The next shop was called the “Quilt Shop”.  The interior of this shop was so very bright and cheery.  The shop had a fantastic selection of batik fabrics.  Even though I am in the process of getting ready to move my studio, which means moving a lot of fabric, I still purchased a little more fabric while at the “Quilt Shop”.  The selection was so good I could not stop myself!

And then the last shop Pat took me to was the shop where the first two days of classes were to be held. The name of the shop is “Piece By Piece”.  You can find out more about the shop by going to http://www.piecebypiecellc.com.    Below are some photos from inside the shop.  What a great shop with a lot of character.

I loved the displays and the high ceilings.

The shop also has a large classroom.  It was very well laid out so there were plenty of outlets and the students had lots of room to work.  Thanks so much to the shop owners who allowed the guild to hold the classes in a great location.

The first two evenings after class, Barb, another guild member took me around to show me a bit of the area and out to eat.  Here are some of the things we viewed.  The Fox River runs through the area and there are lots of great views.

There were many white pelicans in the river, close to the dam.  I had never before  seen this kind of pelican.  They sure were catching their share of the fish which means the fishing in the Fox River must be good.

And look at this little guy.  He posed for his photo.

Both Pat and Barb really made my trip to Appleton a very memorable one.  I will remember Appleton fondly because of their generosity.  Pat truly went above and beyond her duties as the program chair and I really appreciate all she did to make my stay comfortable.  We had diner with several of Pat and Barb’s friends on Friday evening and they all made me feel like part of the group.  They’ve been getting together on Fridays to sew for many, many years.  But, I was made to feel like I had been in the group for a long time too.  When you have quilting in common it allows for lots of great conversations.

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Studio Update.

When I returned home on Tuesday from Appleton the carpet was in my sewing studio.  Beams’ carpet in Carlisle did a great job installing it for me.  Because we have had Beam’s install carpet in most of our house with great results I knew they would do a good job for me in the new sewing area.

I started putting fabric on the shelves on Wednesday.  This is going to be awesome for fabric storage.  The opposite side of the fabric shelves is going to be my design wall.  I hope to have that in progress tomorrow or Friday.  It won’t take much to get that made and up.

I purchased pre-made cabinets and while I was gone Lewie installed them.  Lewie is redoing the doors for the two center cabinets on the top.  I really wanted them with glass so I could display some things on the shelves.   And I’m waiting for the desk top to be completed.

My ironing station is in the room but not quite finished.  I had this same station in my old room but in the center I just had a piece of fabric on a metal rod so I could hide junk under the ironing area.  Lewie built me a much better base than the one I had in the old room.  The top is a hollow door that had been left in our basement and I put it to good use.  It is covered with an old wool blanket and then wrapped with fabric called drill.  I found that drill wore much better than muslin.  Years longer actually.  The side that you cannot see has enclosed shelves.  It makes a fantastic ironing area.

And the drawers are just about finished too.

I am going to have so much storage I won’t know how to act!

I should have lots more to show of the studio space in the next blog.  We’re moving furniture in, which includes the sewing machine cabinets, later this week.  And Joe’s buddies will hopefully show up to help with some heavy furniture pieces.  Nothing like moving down three floors and then up one!

I’m off to Dover, DE to teach early next week.  I’ll talk to you soon.

I was lucky enough to be invited to teach for the Quilt Symposium of Alabama www.qsai.org/.  Paulette Burgett was the teacher contact and she was simply a delightful lady.  She had everything very well organized.  The seminar was hosted by the Heartland Quilt Guild.  The volunteers from the guild work tirelessly to have vendors, a judged show, transportation for the teachers to and from the hotel and so very much more.  And they make it look easy.  But, those of you who have done anything like this know it is a lot of very hard work.  The seminar was held at St. Bernard’s Retreat and Conference Center in Cullman, Alabama.  This town was hit really, really hard the beginning of May with tornadoes.  The ladies explained  there were about 30 tornadoes that touched down within a small area.  Here are some of the things I saw on my way from the hotel to the conference center.

I was shocked when the ladies told me that only 2 people where killed during this massive storm.  If you saw the total amount of devastation you would have thought hundreds of people where killed.

The location for the seminar, though just a short distance from this massive damage, was untouched.  The conference center had just a couple of trees knocked down.

On the final day of the seminar there was a thunder storm that came through Cullman.  I guess this tree came loose during the big storms and decided to fall over onto the electric lines on Saturday.  It knocked out all of the electricity on campus.  The good news was that the electricity, which meant the air conditioning also (with 95 degree temperatures) was only off for a short time and it happened during our lunch break.  The electric company came to our rescue.

The ladies from this area were real troopers.  I think holding the seminar was just what they needed.  To enjoy themselves for a couple of days after some difficult times was a good thing. My heart goes out to all of those who lost their homes and/or family members.

Here are some of the ladies hard at work during the Folk Art Fantasy workshop.

Here are just a few quilts from the show that I thought you might like to see.

This is called “When Mom’s Away….It’s a “Bad Dog” Day.”  The maker is Sherrie Cahill.  It made me smile.

This was actually a Best of Show winner from the 2008 show.  It is called “Purple Mountains Majesty” and the maker was Mary Grace Brown.  I thought it was just beautiful and great workmanship to boot.

This miniature quilt made by Cheryl Clabough is called “Tropical Paradise”.  Cheryl said she made this in a class with George Siciliano.  It was very impressive.

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Sewing room update.  The drawers are in and the security system is in.  Tomorrow the painters arrive and next Tuesday the carpet comes.  Things are rolling along nicely.

I leave Friday for my next teaching trip to Appleton, Wisconsin.  Should be another fun adventure.

My hostess, Cheryl,  from the Capital Quilters Guild which hosted the North Carolina Quilt Symposium http://www.ncqsi.org/ took great care of me.  When I went to Cheryl’s lovely home she had a project finished and displayed in her office that she made in one of my workshops.  Here is Cheryl’s Garden Medley quilt.  It was very nicely done.

I arrived early in the Raleigh area to judge the show.  We started with 4 judges, me, Ann Fahl, Skelly Skeleton and Kathy Sullivan.  Raleigh had some record breaking heat while we were there and one of the judges did not make it.

Really, the judging was inside in a well air conditioned building.  The organizers had a great system of organization for judging and it went very smoothly.  All three judges were in agreement on our Best of Show quilt.  It was amazing and had exceptional workmanship.  The name of the quilt is “Swamp Hibiscus” and was made by Judith Heyward.   You can find out more about Judith at http://www.judithheyward.com/

Here are some close-ups.

I wished that I had taken a photo of the dorm room where I stayed during my visit to Peace College where the symposium was held.  The committee in charge of taking care of the teachers’ dorm rooms did a fantastic job.  When I walked into my room there were fresh flowers,  snacks, a hand made fabric cover on a 3 ring binder, a hand made needle and pin holder with a spool of thread, fresh sheets and a quilt on the bed.  There were 19 teachers and 19 members of the guild donated quilts for on each teacher’s bed.  How awesome is that?  This group really went above and beyond to make sure our trip to the symposium was memorable.  In case you are not familiar with this event, it travels to different parts of the state each year so it is hosted by different guilds.  They work their butts off in really warm weather to ensure everyone attending has a nice time.  Thanks to all of the many, many volunteers who worked to make this such a pleasant experience.

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My friend, Lytle, told me to read a book called “A Dog’s Purpose” by W. Bruce Cameron.  I would highly recommend this to all animal lovers.  It will make you laugh and cry.  I really enjoyed reading this book.  I was reading parts of it while I was on the airplane and had to put it down before the tears started falling.

Wednesday I depart for Alabama.  I’m teaching for the Quilt Symposium of Alabama.  Should be another fun adventure.

I’ve got lots to share in this blog.  First, I had another quilter email me a photo of a quilt they made using one of my books, “Applique Basics: Flower Wreaths”.  It is hard for me to express how excited I am when this happens.  I love to see finished projects from my books and patterns.

Rose Remund made this stunning quilt which she calls “Floral Wreaths”.  Rose’s quilt has been accepted into the AQS show in Knoxville, TN this July.  Good luck Rose.  I’m rooting for you to win a ribbon.

My next adventure took me to Middletown, Virginia to the “Top of Virginia Quilters Guild”.  It was a nice, easy 2 hour drive on Interstate 81.  This is the church where the ladies meet for their workshops.  Very interesting architecture and textures.  And I love the red door.

And there were some beautiful stained glass windows.

Check out some of the flowers in the church gardens.  Aren’t these colors amazing?

Here are some of the ladies from the guild hard at work during the workshop.  I had a fantastic day with the ladies from the “Top of Virginia Quilters”.

I got home Thursday evening and unpacked and repacked to leave very, very early for my next adventure to Carson City, Nevada.  I worked with a really nice group of ladies from the “Carson Valley Quilt Guild”.  Marilyn and Sharon picked me up at the airport and we enjoyed some time together visiting a quilt shop, checking out the workshop space and seeing some of the area.  This is the view from my hotel.  Amazing.

Sharon was my hostess and this was her first time doing the job.  She really went above and beyond the call of duty.  When I got to my hotel room Sharon had this gigundus basket in my room.  She knew that I ate vegetarian so she made sure I had plenty of snacks.  This really is the largest and most thoughtful basket anyone has ever given me.  I told Sharon I would have needed to stay for a week to eat everything in the basket plus the added items in the refrigerator.

While I was in Nevada I taught 3 workshops and did one lecture for the guild.  Here are some of the ladies at the lecture meeting.   They had one of the best show and tells I have attended.  There are lots of great quilts coming from this guild.

After finishing the first day of classes there were no guild plans for the evening so Sharon took me on a 2 1/2 hour tour of Lake Tahoe.  I have never been to Lake Tahoe and of course have heard lots and lots of great things about the area.  I am here to tell you it is all true.   Here are some of the things I saw on my drive with Sharon and her grandson.  Gigantic pine trees and the sky was so blue.

I had a fantastic trip to Carson City mainly due to Sharon’s hospitality.  That being said, there were a lot of guild members who made this a very enjoyable trip….Marilyn for making us go to the quilt shop (I had to be forced!!!  Do you believe that?) and for sharing in some of our dining experiences…and to Pat for driving me to the airport hotel very late on Monday evening after the lecture so I could get an early flight the next morning….and to all of the students in my workshops.  All combined they made this one very memorable trip.    Great group of ladies.  I am glad I crossed paths with all of them.

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New studio update.  Lewie is building me drawers along one wall.  He’s well on his way.  The more it rains the more work Lewie does in the studio.  On sunny days he has another job he’s doing.  I keep hoping for more rain.

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When I was in Virginia a member of the guild stopped by at lunch to make a purchase and she brought this cute little gift for me.  It is a little travel sewing holder.  It will hold a small pair of scissors, some needles and a couple of spools of thread.  How cute it that?  I know I can put this to good use.

And then when you fold it in half it will not take up much space at all.  Nice.

For the past many years when I have attended the International Quilt Festival in Houston, TX,  I see this booth that sells patterns for this box below.  I always tell the vendor that if they sold them finished I would surely purchase one because I think they are wonderful.  But, on my schedule I know I would never find the time to make it.

When you remove the lid the sides fall down and this is what’s inside.  There are lots of little sections to hold scissors, needles, pins and the center could hold scissors.  Inside the lid is a place for pins.  I love this little box.  And I now own one of these awesome boxes.  My original contact for the guild in Nevada, Carol Graeber, made this for me as a gift.  I could not be happier.  Carol,  thank you, thank you, thank you !!!!

My next trip takes me to Raleigh, NC for the North Carolina Quilt Symposium.  I’ll be back in touch when I return with news from North Carolina.