Something About Nothing

I was so busy during the  Utah Quiltfest  that I didn't take many pictures. One reason I didn't get pictures was that I forgot my camera when I taught my lunchbags class.  However I did have my phone:  Nine out of the ten students finished their lunch and sandwich bags. One of the students did not bring her machine down because it was too much for her to carry. All of the ladies did a great job! I did manage to bring my camera and take two photos of the set up for my Painting on Fabric class. I showed quilts I have made using different paints and also displayed some books about painting on fabric.   Once the class started it was all lecture and I think I yammered on about various paints and techniques for  over an hour and a half and about 10 glasses of water that my wonderful angel supplied me with.  I had 17 students and only 16 handouts (there were some last minute sign ups I didn't know about).  I was fortunate enough to have two friends in th...

I was inspired by this message by Leslie Riley and thought those who stop by here might enjoy it too: The Others Let's talk about  the others.  I've always had a love hate relationship with them. There was a time when I stalked newsstands, waiting anxiously for the next issue to hit the shelves. I'd buy them all, devouring the eye candy and inspiration. I lived for those magazines. But then, slowly, it would creep in. You know what I'm talking about - the doubt, the disappointment, maybe even a hint of depression. "I'm not good enough." "Everyone else is so talented." "How come my work never looks that good?" Instead of being inspired to go make something, I felt like giving up. And that was  after I had been published in those very same magazines! Now it's blogs and even Facebook.   The others  are there, too, happily showing off all they have accomplished this week, today, or even in the last 5 minutes. Not only are they doing ...

I'm getting ready for my sister to fly in tonight to visit me for the weekend.  I'm so excited.   And at the same time I am getting ready to teach next week at the Utah Quilt Guild Quilt Fest. Why does it seem that getting ready to teach 3 half day classes is just as intense as getting ready to teach 3 all day classes?   "I know! I know! Pick me, pick me!" It's because I still have to schlep the same amount of stuff! I've been making lists in my head for weeks and I finally started getting them on paper last night.  I'm thinking I need to buy some serious containers to pack all my supplies. Look how pretty: I could really arrive to class in style. I'd be the cool teacher with all the awesome supplies contained in beautiful boxes. Why isn't there a Container Store in Utah? I guess I'll need to think practical: But if I am really thinking practical I will need to keep within my budget: So whatever it takes, I'm getting ready and gettin...

Two little journal quilts. . . I was having a rough week and my friend suggested I make a quilt with a bag to put all my troubles but I decided I needed flowers.  I love flowers.  Flowers make me happy. "There are always flowers for those who want to see them" Henri Matisse I pieced the background from scraps and then painted the flower on with FW Acrylic Inks. I then hand quilted the 6" square with black pearl cotton while I watched my daughter play volleyball. My next journal quilt was made using citrasolv to transfer an image I created using a cut out from a newspaper photo and some words from the newspaper. (see how to do it here) I'm calling it "the elephant in the room." It is quilted on the machine using King Tut threads.

The two newest critters to join the Whimsy family, Snowflake and Claudia from Melly & Me.

Spent a wonderful day judging the canning at the fair today. This was about my 7th year judging. The pickles in the foreground were delicious. We don't taste everything just the things we are certain won't poison us - funny but true.  We only taste the jams, jellies, pickles and dried produce. All those jams and jellies sure put you on a sugar high, even though we only taste a tiny amount of each.  My favorite was the apple butter.  It was fantastic!   Here is the crew I have been judging with for the past upteen years: