Hoochy Mama Retreat Hat Contest- plus Mary Lou's Retreat in Post Falls Idaho

Had to share this photo with you of these pretty quilters who take a workshop from Sandy Thompson each year. Sandy usually takes my workshop at Asilomar and then converts it into a workshop or retreat for her students. Sandy is very creative and she passes it along to these nice quilters. EACH and every lady here looks great and alot of fun to be with as they create with the hoochy mama technique!
This made me smile and since I have a birthday this week and am feeling older, I think this would be nice to have for a photo when you are too old to do anything but remember the fun things you did. I wish I was in this photo too.
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Three people have had to drop out of the Idaho retreat (Mary Lou's Creative Happy Go Lucky Quilt retreat) in June and now I have more openings. You won't want to miss Farm Chicks first on Sunday and then the Story quilt workshop along with Mary lou's new quilts that have more piecing and freeform cutting. We will be bringing our inner artist's out to stretch and to enjoy learning what you can accomplish with some prompts and confidence that everyone gets with some fun and new ideas.
Come and join the fun girls already signed up!---------------------------------------------------
Below is Mel McFarland, Sandy Thompson and myself at Road to California-we have become good friends through creating and quilting (Sandy is the teacher above who taught Hoochy Mama and challenged everyone to make those great hats! - we all met in a story quilts workshop at Asilomar. Think of the new friends you could meet, the stories you could tell, the techniques you could learn and the memories you could tell about YOU and who and what you love. Please consider taking a story quilt class. I am teaching many of them across the US.

Cow Parade and Road to California-I was blown away with the beautiful quilts this year!

I had to start this off with Sue Cresse's Cowman Miranda cow-Sue was in a bad accident in Sept and could not attend Road-she would have loved all of the attention her cow got at the "Cow Parade."

Above is Tina Neppl with her darling cow...very inventive and colorful

I could hardly believe this is a quilt-wonderful!

Sandy Fisher's MOOlon Rouge" is covered in big beautiful crystals...it is fabulous to see in person and so many people "ooh's and aahed"! Very fun

The quilt above is called "All that jazz!"

This quilt got more comments than any other I think....do you know who this is? Of coarse!

The quilt above was a group quilt and it was so great...very imaginative and creative!

The quilt above was my most favorite because it wasn't a photo and looked like it-awesome work!

Wow, how many years do you think this took????Overwhelmingly beautiful

Kathy Collins cow had such good design beginning with blocks from the "Hoochy Mama" book and then adding carrots on the udders and the value is great and the theme and well, Kathy has the "touch"
Hope you got to see the "Cow Parade" show at Road to California-if not stay tuned the show with all new cows and some of the old ones will be showing at various quilt shows-wanna make a cow? It is in the "Out of the Box with Easy Blocks" book. Buy it from Mary Lou and get a free chicken pattern, a fat quarter and a cow pin.
Marylouweidman.com
AND check out my other blog to see ALL of the wonderful cows!
Marylouweidman.blogspot.com
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Feeling Blue? LOOK at this post, it is happy and fun!

Isn't this the most darling photo? If you are having a bad day this surely will make you smile knowing that MAMA OTTER is showing off her little baby. I loved this!

I put this drink more water reminder to help you out since it is the beginning of the year and we all want to be healthier....don't we?

I do not know who this artist is but I do know that this was painted a long time ago and the artist is from Finland. But anyway, as we do story quilts and fun quilts, I often pick Grandma's or old ladies for my subjects....isn't this fun? Hope you are inspired and your artist comes out to create and have fun!

Speaking of fun, I have NO idea who took this photo but it was on the internet and it makes me really laugh....darling and inspiring too! Quack quack.....
Stay tuned for photos from Road to California where we had a COW show....very fun to listen to all of the laughs and lovely comments.....

Mary Lou's Creativity Story Quilt Retreat + snow fall here + things to think about and ponder

Here the story goes into the middle of the quilt canvas....it is nice to set a color palette first...most students say they will never look at fabric the same way again.

We always swap fairy gifts at the retreat and these adorable birds were one of the gifts...mine is hanging right here above my computer. It is a happy and nice memory.

Every student gets a "real" tiara here (no plastic) and it adds alot of fun and even some beauty to the group....locals wonder what we are queens or Princess's of.....

The above saying is SO true and if you are one of those people whose sewing room is always in pristine condition and never messy maybe you need to let go and have some crazy fun...it IS messy but you can always clean it up!

It is snowing here like crazy and word has it there will be between 2 feet and three feet by the end of the week. Luckily if my plane can get out I will be in LA tomorrow. Phew. It IS pretty though and hey, wouldn't this bike picture do a great quilt???? I LOVE it.

This is just a little bit of snow...now the word snow is GONE deep in more snow

The above quote was something my Grandpa used to say all of the time and he loved to call a nap "a good snooze." It always seemed like when you took a nap up in Canada at his house it was a good thing as opposed to when you were home and had to.

I have been so crazy with creative thoughts lately and I should end this month with four new quilts. I am having so much fun and am trying some new free cutting techniques I am going to share for great quilts with cool things. The above lady is so cool and wouldn't she be great with free form cut things here and there and then quilting and lots of embellishments? OH how much fun!

The above is credited to Mark Twain but Proverbs in the Bible basically says the same thing.....I've had to learn this more than once in my life.....

The photos here are of girls who came to the retreat I host every year in Post Falls Idaho. For those that come early enough we meet the night before at a Mexican restaurant. This year for those that come early enough, we will go to Farm Chicks the awesome sale here in Spokane that everyone comes to from all over the world. THEN we will meet in Idaho at the Mexican restaurant. GREAT fun! And hey even more creativity because of the fabulous things you can find at Farm Chicks. Don't know about Farm Chicks? Then "Google" it and see what you don't want to miss on June 2nd. June 3rd we begin the story quilt class and get new patterns, ideas for free form cutting and tips on your stash and what might be missing there and good food with chef Tina and a visit to an awesome quilt shop that will stay oepn for just us!

Happy girls meeting the night before we begin the class in the well lit and wonderful JACC art center.

Just some photos from last year and smiles and "stuff" to show you an idea of what goes on....

As you can see I took photos at different stages of different quilts. Very fun since all of the borders are different as well as the stories that go inside.
It is the one thing a year where I am close to home and can bring fabrics that work, give away things I don't have to ship, I can bring calendars I have collected for ideas and all kinds of things to show students and get their inner artists out and inventing and having a great time. Hope you can join us!

HERE comes the SNOW.......

The snow clouds moved in just like a funnel cloud. My neighbor Michael took this photo. We are supposed to get between 2 and 3 FEET here where I live within the week. I will be lfying in and out of this which is scary.
     I thought we had escaped the snow this year. I am going to get some coal and carrots for making of snow ladies....what do you think?

Just thinking of Things for the New Year That Make me Smile and Dream About Quilts To Come- Thanks to Some of My Students.....

The quilt above is by Linda Peterson

I have a stack of fabric and am getting ready to create a new New mexico quilt....that place and the color and the peace and the people and everything about it has captured my heart.

Don't forget the alphabets in "Out of the Box with Easy Blocks"

I must remember to pack my light giving plaids with me this year to make more blocks that glow! Hope to meet many of you this year as we learn how to improve your stash and enjoy color and bringing your inner artist OUT