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.