Hoidy Toidy Houses and Quilt Cruising with Mary Lou in February to Panama, Curaceo,Aruba, Mexico and other hot spots of color!

Samples of wonky houses from Mary Lou-wonder where I get my ideas?

One of my most favorite workshops to teach is about houses and buildings with people inside and things to look at up close. I called it "Hoidy Toidy Houses" and I found a few photos from a workshop PLUS some real life houses on a cruise I did earlier and I am doing again in February.

Many of you know my friend Linzee who writes for American Patchwork and other magazines. She came and took my Hoidy Toidy Houses workshop and this was where she was on day three....Her blog is called pearl the Squirrel

A bright and happy sample from the Hoidy Toidy Houses workshop....now the windows need the people and things put inside....

Going "UP"

When I see a neighborhood like this I always think of Edward Scissorhands-I loved that movie

Details are always what story quilts are about....things that are fun to look at and to get closer to the quilt to see....not the dog in the window or entry on the left....isn't that cute?

A real building in Curaceo- come and visit it again with me when I do the cruise to Panama in February -Quiltcruises.com   The colors in the buildings and houses and the trees and the fruit give you a zillion ideas for quilts! I am not kidding!

And people think I make up the colors of my buildings!

Look at this fruitstand...can you imagine doing cool buildings in bright colors and a fruitstand in the front? Wanna know how? Come on the cruise with me or take a workshop (story) somewhere I am teaching...it is so fun!

Above is Folk Art that I took photos of painted on a fruit stand-I love any folk art...so free and so colorful and fun! -This was in Costa Rica on the cruise

Here are some Panama Molas that we all bought and I took photos of

Look at the color of the turquoise awnings next to the pink building and then the building in back of cheddar....gorgeous in the bright sunshine....

 Above was a mural of kids...I love murals because they spark smiles and things to think about...good murals are always about a story of the people....

This place was right on the ocean and was for sale. I would have loved to own it just because the color was so beautiful and the stripes on the columns outside...imagine the colors your furniture could be....painted chairs, birds painted on the walls of the diningroom, a kitchen with birds and fruits painted....

It must be wonderful to have this color but my goodness it is so hot and muggy there,,,I could not take the heat I am afraid.

My Husband went to high school in Panama as some of you know. He does well in the heat and I tell him that is why.

This was just a little vacation of some house quilts from the classes I teach and what we look at to inspire us.

You need to feed your artist by going to places that make you really look and imagine.

Just a smidgy of what I do in the way of story quilts and that doesn't count the hoochy piecing or flower power fun

Since so many people are new to me and to my blog, I thought I would show a few things that I do and make the point that I am a story quilter. I teach others to do a story quilt about who they love or what they love and what matters to them. I do this because in 80 years, someone will look at what you do and what will they know about you from the quilts you make? These quilts are a diary of sorts about our lives and who and what we love. The dog above is "Betty" my Grandkids lab. I did a quilt about my Grandson and Betty needed to be in it.

Below is a figure off of my fabric that is out now by Benartex and my email address is Lattegirl so it made sense to put her in there.

Above, my Grandmother was a cowgirl in South Dakota and so it was a fun subject to do a quilt about.

I teach a workshop called Hoity Toity Houses and you piece these large houses and leave room to put people in the windows and doors and animals on ledges and it is a ton of fun.

I taught in New Mexico a couple of years ago and I ended up doing the largest quilt ever. There were so many wonderful stories there and people that were beautiful of all shades and well, it was just a fabulous place with fabulous color!

This lady is a mix of Freda Kahlo and Georgia O'Keefe. It is loaded with crystals, buttons and milagros

This lady lives in a garden of color, stratas and fun. Her dress is made up of one of my fabric lines from Benartex...I love how the fabrics look together

I love angels and I wrote a book about quilted angels in 1996.

I loved both of my Grandma's who were both very different and lovely in their own way. The quilt has a little description of my Canadian Grandma who lived with very little but made such lovely meals and  gave such wonderful hugs, I never realized she wasn't rich.

My husband working in the garden.
If you would like to learn more about Story quilts I have a book available now called "Out of the Box" that is how to's and stories and creative ideas on how to get out of the box. July 11th I have a new book coming out with a friend named Mel McFarland (a really creative and fun friend) that is called "Out of the Box with Easy Blocks." Martingale is the publisher. I teach workshops all over and you can see my schedule and other things on my website at Marylouweidman.com
I am updating the store and will have my fabric on there soon as well as my new book.
    Thank you for visiting this blog.

BEST MEATLOAF EVER AND Wonderful color and piecing makes for a great day!

    I took the morning to go out to a lovely breakfast with my Aunt and her relatives from The other side of the State. Lovely, fun and nice people. It was a nice way to start the day. :0)
Dawn T. who came for my retreat told me she had the best meatloaf recipe in the world. I thought I did but this sounds darn delicious. Let me know how you like it please!

Here it is Mary Lou....the very best meat loaf recipe in the whole wide world...I could eat the whole thing myself...feel free to pass it on to whom ever you want..my mom would be pleased if you did.

 

2 lb hamburger

2 1/2 cups of grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp pepper

3 Tbl chili sauce

1 TLb Worcester sauce have no idea how to spell it

2 cups corn flakes

1 cup milk

2 eggs

mix in large bowl with hands is the best way...I put mine in a large cake pan, 9 x 13 I think, and make a ring out of it...leaves a large hole in the middle

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes

 When it is JUST about done I remove a little of the liquids so there is room for the sauce..I spoon the sauce over the top of the meat loaf and put it back in the oven just long enough to kind of set the sauce.

 

Sauce

brown one clove garlic in one Tbl of olive oil

add 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

dash or oregano

1/2 cup tomatoe sauce

2 Tbl honey

simmer for about 30 minutes

I usually make this while the meat loaf is cooking

 I hope you like it...I serve it with twice baked potatoes and it makes awesome sandwiches with some thinly sliced onions.

so the challenge is on.....let me know what you think when you get time to do it...

Dawn Tonioli..a happy retreater come home

Dinner at the Coeur d'Alene Hotel to end a wonderful retreat week! And thank you Australia!

Sandy from Sacramento toast huckleberry milkshakes to a fun week and lots accomplished at the retreat. This group of ladies became good friends and were lots of fun.

Shrimp and side of rice. We all drove to the Coeur d'Alene hotel for dinner and together time so we could view the lake and the wonderful hotel. The food there is wonderful.

chicken salad-it was mine and it was wonderful

Sue and Linda start their meals with a smile

Dawn starts her meal with a french fry

Sandy (Montana), Lissa and Sandy (California) enjoy their meals

Fajita anyone?

Lynette, Aija and Sue enjoy time together before everyone goes home

Sandy, Mary Lou and Wendy

Sandy (Canada), Lynette and Aija enjoy the evening

This pin cushion was supposed to be at the end but it doesn't want to go there so I will just say that Sandy Appleby had this at her machine and I thought it was adorable and a great idea-the bottom of it was a small jello mold (remember those?- and the skirt steak at the bottom was her dinner. :0) Glad I could tie those last two photos together. Haha

I just had to comment on Australia -I have had almost as many visiters from Australia this week as I have from the US- that is quite amazing and France, Germany and Spain all came in quite high for visiters- thank you so much. I am happy to know quilters from other countries are interested in story quilts and quilts and fun.