The Painting Technique

Many have asked about my painting technique on the pelicans and want to know how I learned. I was able to spend a week with Sharon Schamber in a small group week-long retreat. During this retreat I created Oliver, my owl quilt. I have used the techniques I learned from Sharon in so many of my quilts over the years - like I have said before, if you ever get the chance to take one of her classes, do so! Her wealth of knowledge is unimaginable - you will learn so much, I am proud to call her my friend!

So, back to the painting technique. If you are unable to take one of her classes, you can order one of her DVDs on her daughter Cristi's website, Purple Daisies Quilting. The DVD is entitled Quilt Fairy (Concept, Design and Construction), and it was based on the techniques covered during the week-long retreat. This is the next best thing to having Sharon there with you in person.

I've taken what I learned from Sharon and added my own style to it. Yes, I do some things differently, but the base technique is still there -- you have to take what you learn and make it work best for you - adjust, adapt, change, but most importantly learn, as much as you can!! Try new techniques and practice - not every piece will be perfect, but I'm sure you will learn something new with each piece.

Hopefully this answers the questions many of you have commented and emailed me - keep creating!

I know it's been a while since I had a meaningful post.  You know other than a recap of my photo a day challenge.  It's just so much has happened -- both good and bad -- and it is kinda' hard to combine the two, so I will try my best.  You'll just be reading along, me on the other hand will be going through an emotional roller coaster over here...

We'll start with the bad - Mabel, our most loving fur-girl! ...and here come the tears.  Some of you know how hard this past year has been and how much we have gone through.  But, everything turned for the worse back in the end of January and we had to make the hardest decision ever...

Mabel was just shy of her 9th birthday.  Mabel was my favorite dog -ever.  Mabel was diabetic.  Mabel was full of both cancerous and non-cancerous tumors.  Mabel lived a great life.  Mabel never knew she was a dog -- she thought she was one of us and Peaches was our pet.

We will miss you Mabs!

Here's why I said roller coaster... where do I go from here.  I always like to start with the bad news - it's done, it's over - now on to the good!  Me, I'm taking a quick break to get a cup of coffee -- you all can keep reading...

Yummmmm, that's a good cuppa' coffee!

Where to start... 

Wonderlust and The Choice both hung proudly at Road to California.  No ribbons, but I'm sure lots of people enjoyed looking at them just the same.  Which leads into more good news.  Two of my quilts, The Choice and Stella Luminosa, will be traveling in a special longarm exhibit with Original Sewing and Quilt Expo for all of their 2013 shows - how freaking exciting is that?  What an honor to have been asked to participate.  So, if you're at any of the OSQE shows (and there are a lot of them) make sure you check out the exhibit!

AND.... as if all of that wasn't big enough news.  Here it comes -

I am now a Gammill Quilting Artist - whoa, this is big fantastic news!  The formal announcement has yet to be made, but you can visit my artist page on their website and check out all the other good stuff as well!! They have a great new forum which is fantastic for those needing help and advice.  Click here to check it out!  And, if you happen to be visiting Gammill HQ you can visit four of my quilts while you are there -- yes four, Oliver, Clouds in My Latte, Iron Acanthus, and Simon's Folly -- they are living there for a little while.  Lots more big news coming up about this awesome-ness so stay tuned!

Wonderlust... on the road

On Monday I shipped Wonderlust off to Hershey, PA.  Next week she will be competing at Quilt Odyssey - a fantastic show.  If you're anywhere in the area, make sure you stop in and visit, you won't be disappointed.  It runs from 7/26-7/29.  Here's the website for more details.  I was honored to take two ribbons there last year, a Third Place on Oliver and a Second Place on Clouds in My Latte.  Surely this year's quilts will be incredible.  Unfortunately I won't be able to attend... busy here quilting away on customer work.  If you do happen to go, feel free to snap some photos for me!

Once Wonderlust is finished at Quilt Odyssey, she's being rushed home, and immediately rushed back out for a super-secret something.  I can't share yet, but don't you worry. As soon as I can, I will.  I also have some super-secret info on Clouds in My Latte... to be shared at a later date.  Oh... loving all these secrets -- feeling so spy-esque!

But the best news happened this afternoon.  Wonderlust is going to Houston!  WooHoo!!!  I received my Finalist Notification late this afternoon.  I am beyond thrilled.  This is my second year in a row competing at Houston.  You'll remember, Oliver was there last year.  If not, read about it here, he even made it into International Quilt Festival's 2011 Quilt Scene magazine.

Let me tell you, my stomach had been in barfy-butterfly mode all afternoon.  So many talented quilters were posting on facebook that their quilts had been rejected.  I was so nervous, anxiously awaiting my email... whether it would be an acceptance or a rejection.  The levels of anxiety today were off the charts.  Thank goodness I had a guild meeting, it helped to keep my mind off it, if only for a little while.

And don't worry, I'll keep you informed about all that super-secret stuff real soon -- I promise!

Synchronicity

Synchronicity, coincidence, fate -- call it what you may.  Everything happens for a reason.  I say this a lot, mostly because it is true.

Let me start with that fact that I don't usually take classes, for a few reason, namely my ADD - it is very hard for me to stay focused long enough to learn and also to not disturb the rest of the class.  This mainly is why I very rarely sign up for classes, also because I'm finicky -- the class must be a technique that I don't know, it can't just be yet another way to fuse something -- I've got to come out of that class saying wow, I can really use this in my creative process.  So, in my history of quilting to date I have taken two classes.  The first was a week-long retreat with Sharon Schamber -- you can read all about it on my other blog (just search Oliver and/or Sharon Schamber retreat as there are way too many posts to link each one).  Anyway, that class was where Oliver was born and started a special spark in my creative genius.  My second class was just yesterday.  One of the guilds to which I belong had signups for a class with Bonnie McCaffrey.  Well, turns out, so many people signed up that they had to hold a lottery as there were only 20 spots in the class.  I was lucky enough to be chosen in the lottery.   Before we get to the synchronicity part.... let me tell you, I suck at domestic machine quilting.  Yep, totally suck!  There is a good reason why I'm a longarm quilter, no one in their right mind would possibly even bother to look at anything I'd quilted free motion on the domestic.... don't believe me?  Let me share my practice piece that I did at home so as to not totally embarrass myself in class

Okay, stop it!  Pick yourselves up off the floor, stop laughing, wipe the tears from your eyes, and say it with me... I suck!  I think back to all those quilts I quilted on the domestic and say how?  But then I realize because all I did was meander, easy peasy!  Now my brain only wants to do amazing things and my domestic capabilities are nil.  So after my left brain explained this to my right brain I felt much better, and could totally accept my sucky stitches.

So starts Bonnie's class...  did I mention I was supposed to follow a line?  Oh no!  A line, and I was supposed to stay on it, can't be done!  Here is my wiggly, giggly, oh so glittery project:

I must say, the thread Bonnie suggests is YLI Candlelight... LOVE!  I also must admit that I can't wait to try this technique on the longarm.  I came away from this class with so many ideas blooming, the only difference was they were blooming in the longarm garden.

So, a little paint, some beads and in only three hours I had a super cute new technique piece of fabric, oh, and also a cute pic of me and Bonnie... notice she's the cute one, me, I'm the one with frizzy hair, sixteen chins, and googly giggly smile and thanks to magic of photography I can now see how much weight I really need to lose -- another day another post.

So, if you're new to this world and haven't heard of Bonnie, check out her website http://www.bonniemccaffery.com/ so many fun and exciting things!!

So, on to the synchronicity part...
I was honored enough to be included in dinner with Bonnie and two of my quilty buds.  Wow, what a fantastic evening... dinner did go on for almost 4 hours, I'm sure the restaurant was more than happy to see us leave, but the ideas, discussions, and general wonderfulness that happened was great!  One amazing thing that happened was Bonnie decided to do a vidcast of our art group, Journeys Thru Art, and showcase our door challenges.  What!  Holy crapola, you aren't kidding!  So... breathe, yes, we spent this morning filming and laughing, and nervous knot bellying (oh wait, maybe that was only me), and then we even had lunch!  Bonnie is an wonderful person, and really does make you feel at ease in front of the camera.  Haha... I say this now, when I see the vidcast I'm sure I will be totally freaked out by myself, but we'll deal, when it's time!  Oh, and the best part, I'm sick with an awful cold and my voice is equivalent to a strange squeeky toy.  So when you finally watch the vidcast, please remember I was sick, I really don't squeek!

And, for the totally synchro part....
I've been talking and talking about doing videos of my longarm quilting... guess what?  No, really, guess!  Okay... Bonnie just happens to be a fantastic videographer!  So, it's not happening yet, but soon, okay sometime in the kinda' near future, Bonnie will be filming me... yep!  Just as soon as I can figure out a plan you'll be able to view, rewind, fast forward... just don't pause, I am positive I'll look awful or have some seriously stupid look on my face, really, I do that, so please don't pause unless it's to look at stitches! 

Not to worry, I will keep you all informed when all of this is happening.  I will most certainly send out a link when the vidcast is on her website.  And I will most definitely let you know when, where, and how to purchase my video... now, to contain it all and come up with a plan...