MARY LOU AND WHIMSY TOO

A Story About Childhood from my Cousin Carl

2012-03-12T16:52:00.005-07:00

I don't write that much on my blog but I wanted to share this as it reminded me of my childhood. My cousin who was the shyest most innocent kid in the world when he was a kid is still sweet and kind of naive. I am crazy about him. A family friend who had LouGerigs disease just died as did his wife. This couple was like an aunt and uncle to their family and we will all miss Bud and Bernie alot. Bernie was my Mother's best friend in gradeschool. Picture this.....I sure can, it made me smile. How about you?
Carol wrote-
I will never forget a time in 5^th grade, a kid, Greg, was told by another kid, Larry, that I took something from his desk. When in fact Larry took it. Greg let me know he was going to “beat me up” after school. So when the bell rang, I high-tailed it for my bike in the back of the school. But it was to no avail as Greg caught me. There was no convincing Greg that I did not take whatever it was. So the fight was on. Just as I was about to stop his fist with my face, my only defensive maneuver at the time, a teacher came around the corner. He stopped the fight, and sent us up to… Da da daaaa (insert theatrical music tones here) the principal’s office, the all powerful Mr. Nowell. Bud listened to my side of the story through my tears of embarrassment for being in trouble; “I DIDN’T DO IT!” and Greg’s side; “Larry told me Carl took it.” That was all it took as Bud said, “Carl, you can go home now.” So Bud knowing me and my parents, I didn’t have to convince him, he knew I was innocent. Wise man.
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I remember being blamed once for taking something and it was weeks before the girl who blamed me for taking it, found it in her room. Thise things stay with you for a lifetime don't they? I think as a child we all want to be honest and do the right thing and when circumstances happen, it lasts and stays with us. Don't you think?

Nagela's Mother Does it AGAIN! Amazing and FUN!

2012-03-05T15:06:00.000-08:00

I talked about my friend Nagela in Brazil and her adorable and beautiful and talented Mother who she calls "Mommy." So sweet. These two ladies too my Crazy Cat Class and went back to their room on the ship we were on (Panama Cruise) and they hand pieced a cat quilt.
This week I got this wonderful photo of a new cat quilt that is machine pieced and it is beautiful. whimsical and happy! Who doesn't love being happy and making happy things? Any child in the world would get this adorable quilt! It is fun to know that brazilian quilters love whimsy too!

Knitting Room- Would a Quilter Have a Room Like This?

2012-03-05T10:49:00.000-08:00

If YOU haven't taken a Mary Lou Class You Don't Know What You Are Missing

2012-03-01T19:55:00.000-08:00

The quilt above was made by Laurie Latta. She had many good ideas with the Flower power technique and made it into a Flower Garden story. (ALL with Mary Lou's fabrics too by the way)

De my California friend was working on a story quilt with a flower border and look at the darling flowers and great colors she came up with. These make wonderful borders for story quilts and if you are taking a story quilt class this year, I have new handouts!

I did the quilt above with all kinds of pots and flowers and one crazy and fun bird...color and pattern and whimsy make these wonderful and fun to hang

I wanted to share these pretty Wyoming girls and their flowers from a workshop

A lovely flower and smile too!

The birds and blocks were done at my Story Quilt class in Post Falls Idaho last year by Dawn Tonoli. She did a wonderful and whimsical story about her daughter in law for a gift and in the meantime she worked on this also and was deciding if this would become a border for a story quilt or a quilt in itself....the birds are in the Flower Power book and we work on them in the story quilt classes and on day two of the Flower Power class....so much fun!

Where there are birds, there are bees! Note the pieced leaf on the right of the bees...we discuss stratas and how to make more OOMPH and originality in your quilts as your inner artist comes out to play.

Look at this beautiful and happy group of Flower Power ladies...all different and all so much fun! I LOVE seeing what is invented in this workshop...they are so pretty and whimsical and fun!

The ladies above were at the Museum in LaConner when I taught there. Some of the class had gone home and so I quickly got these girls to pose before anyone else left...so pretty so bright and so happy!

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I wanted to show you what my backyard looks like and why I can't wait to do Flowers next week on the Washington State coast! Bring on the bright colors and the fun! All I have to do is make it through the pass as the guild said they didn't know who could pick me up from the airport so I am driving five hours over there. Crossing my fingers.

And finally, thank you to those of you who have signed up for the workshops this year. I heard that we have 18 signed up in West Virginia for the five day story quilt class at Cedar Creek...what fun! I am teaching story quilts in California this summer for Wacky Women,Cedar creek West Virginia in April, Madeline Island in October,

and finally for my own retreat in Post Falls Idaho in June (we are connecting to the Farm Chicks show in Spokane). My plan is to use some of the old pieces I bought at Farm Chicks last year and to show what you can do for a great story quilt using old embroidery, linens, old fruit tablecloths and fee sacks as well as other pieces....sound cool? It is! Check out my schedule for contacts at Marylouweidman.com

Lots to See and Do on A SUNNY Cruise!

2012-02-21T10:32:00.001-08:00

I just could not get enough of the wonderful happy paintings on the cruise...this was at a restaurant in Costa Limon and we went in and sat down and they made us move and then we asked for menus and they said the manager was writing them up in the backroom...we left, it was weird. Happily we went to a beautiful beach for a lovely lunch-better place and they had printed menus! haha.

This is Christine Porter and Karen Buckley on our way shopping and looking. I wish I looked as good as they do in warm weather clothing....isn't this a good photo of Karen?

Since house quilts seem to be the rage, I thought I would share this photo of house painting and scultures...such pretty colors! I didn't buy a thing....

I love the colors of the buildings and wish I could get away with this in my city...it isn't going to happen

beautiful colors!

Karen sitting and waiting for the taxi-they had a square there with lots of men just sitting in the heat doing nothing and the music playing was LOUD and fast and crazy -it was fun at first and then it kind of got on your nerves...do I sound like my Grandmother?

For anyone who has cruised you know that there is a towel animal on your bed everynight...a different one each day...It is fun and makes you happy

All of the trees there are filled with fruits to eat...these people eat lots of fish and fruits and evgetables....they are poor but in some ways they are rich-the children are adorable

In the front here is Amy who is in charge and Kim in the red who is also in charge of the quilters who cruise there. They are fun, easy going and do a great job.

Here I am in the middle with the girls from Sask. Canada- a fun group who were always laughing and doing fun things-they make you a Canadian wanna be

Here is Amy and Kim again and the lady on the right is from "Quilts Northwest" quilt shop in Seattle. I spend alot of money there when I am in town.

The lady in the middle is Kathy Kansier (she slammed her finger in the bathroom door the second day and was in pain alot of the cruise though she didn't complain) the other teacher on the cruise and her husband (who had a great sense of humor)on the right. This was the Grand Poobah table...we sat on the other side of it....

The table above was fun because it was one man who came with four lovely Port Townsend ladies-I asked him if it was his harem and his wife said "I am the only one he sleeps with." They are holding hands because I think it was their anniversary. Each person in their group was delightful.

And finally the "art" room. If you cruise you learn that they try to sell paintings to anyone who will come in and listen to them....

And the other things they try to sell is jewelry-diamonds of every range and lots of them in a big store on the ship-I took a quick photo of this cool necklace and got out of there lest someone try to sell it to me....It is blue agate (I heard the guy the day before trying to sell it to a man....I guess he decided against it. :0)

So really if you decide to cruise, there is lots to buy and lots to look at and there are chairs on the deck to sit and do nothing or read or quilt or dream while you look at the clouds and drink a cool drink...I did some of that too
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On another note here is the Lemonade Quilt about my daughter and her friend- Pam Dransfeldt quilted this and once it is home it will get buttons for flowers and eyes on the animals....I think the quilting is beautiful and the subject of the story quilt is dear to me and my children too.

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And finally a great idea for Mom's. This is for kids who are afraid to sleep in their bedrooms for fear of what is under their beds or in their closets. Put a sign over your Lysol and spray it under the bed and in the closet...fun idea!This was NOT my idea...I made my own cover and gave it to my daughter...you can make your own cover too and put it on any room spray....pretty fun!

Quilt Cruising Brings Beauty Each Day in Different Ways

2012-02-19T22:22:00.000-08:00

This painting was in lovely Costa Rica. I was lucky enough to visit with Karen K.Buckley and her husband Joe and Chris Porter and her husband Neill. Both of the husbands had fabulous camera systems and they loved to take photos (me too) so the trip to me was a huge success. Joe dickered a deal for us with a taxi driver who had two wives. The guy said the women hated each other and didn't like that he had two wives but he said "that's just the way it is going to be!"

The house at the top was a painting on a wall and it is screaming to be a quilt I think....

There are lots of things for sale and they all look beautiful because of the sunshine and light there...then you bring them home to the Northwest and they don't look as exciting. It is enough to enjoy the beauty of the things there, the people, the people you are with and the things that God provides for your senses (LOTS). Being there is wonderful.

Above was part of a display they had by one of the bars on the ship...I thought it was beautiful.

Above was a sign for a bar...I love signs and often take dozens of photos of just those.

On one of my days off, I just walked around the ship and enjoyed the ocean air and the beautiful sky and clouds...different each day

This was the name of the ship I was on. It doesn't look that big but up close it is HUGE and you are up so high from everything as you look out the windows or walk around the outside.

I was always amazed at the color of the water and how it changed...all beautiful colors that only happen where the sun shines it's brightest.

This is one of the pools...I waited for everyone to leave to get a good photo.

This Starbucks was the most beautiful color of blue! I "think" this was in Costa Rica. The coffee tasted just like at home.

Bags are for sale everywhere....they look beautiful there and taking a photo was as good as buying it and putting it away in a closet....

I LOVED these morachas and if it were not for the fact that my Grandkids would use them everytime they came over, I would have gotten them. The lady in this photo would NOT look up for Neill Porter no matter how much he begged her to. He wanted her photo. I was happy with the morachas.

We all wanted a photo of this beautiful lady. We all told her how beautiful she was and she was really a lovely person too. Happy to pose for photos. I did buy a Curaceo bracelet to take apart for a quilt I am working on from her and then I tipped her too.

These types of painting were everywhere...I loved them but not in Washington State

I loved the color of this van in the sun!

Here is the teacher Chris Porter with the beautiful woman....two beauties

Just took a quick photo of Aruba off the ship- I didn't get off there

I thought this painting on the side of a wall was quite beautiful. There are paintings here and there like this and that day a huge dump container with garbage was in front of the nice paintings...it was smelly but the beauty of the paintings was more important than stinky garbage for a short time.

If you ever want to go on a beautiful excursion, the Panama Canal Cruise is lovely and you do get to visit many wonderful and beautiful places.

Quiltcruises.com

Quilt Cruise with Mary Lou and Crazy Cats made for alot of fun and creativity too!

2012-02-18T20:44:00.001-08:00

This is an example of a "crazy Cat" from the book "out of the box with easy blocks" by me and Mel McFarland. I taught the class on the cruise ship, the Zeiderdam this week while sailing the Bahamas. It was wonderful. One woman only brought enough fabric to try it out and here is her wonderful and happy cat! Not so craZy right?

Above are close sisters Martha Stewart (YES you read that right and her sister Marsha. Marsha was a patient and kind sister who took time out to show Martha how she did the techniques...I was impressed with their love and devotion to one another. Martha told us that she was invited to THE Martha Stewart's show which invited all Martha Stewarts from the US and Canada. Pretty wonderful.

Here was the beginning of the lovely and Out of the box cats that students made...as they finished a cat, they put it up....

Above is Terry who you often see on my blogs. Terry is a positive, fun optimist who everyone loves to have in class....she is always fun and her energy makes us all happy. Note the cat bowl with the fish in it in her wall hanging she has here....

This is Nagela and her Mother who took my cat class. They are from Brazil and they are wonderful and beautiful...photos don't do them justice. After beginning the cat quilt,Nagela AND Nagela's Mother finished it in their cabin by hand! This was totally "out of the box" for them as they love precise stitches and perfect blocks and points ....I think this is perfectly wonderful! And most of it done with nice stitches by hand....wow.

We had such a NICE group of people on this cruise. To find information, go to Quiltcruises.com

I am not scheduled for another cruise and hope to be invited again and hope that if I am YOU will join me for the fun. Good friends, good food, lovely locations, adventure, comfort and all around fun. AND Kim and Amy who run it are nice, positive and fun.

We went to Panama, Costa Rica, Curaceo, Bonaire, Aruba, and other places and quilted when we weren't off the ship (the Zeiderdam). Delicious food, shows at night, beautiful water, friendly people and things to see and experience each day.

If you took any of my classes on the cruise, I would LOVE to show your project here on my blog.

Creating with Wool, cotton light giving stash of different scales and the color of the year....I must add greens, turquoises and fushias to it on black!

2012-02-02T12:32:00.000-08:00

Finished my Folk Art Fish and started another one....this is so much fun and I will be offering a workshop on wool and how much fun folk art can be. Stay tuned....maybe your guild would love a workshop in this.

Different stitches and how to's on embellishing make this all so much fun!
Plus everyone who sees this hanging on my wall wants one!
For those of you going on the cruise to Panama, this will be class for 15 of us! Can't wait for wool and cruising too!
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Color of the year- Tangerine Tango-these fabrics were a gift from Molly for my birthday. I am going to make cats head out of them...I think that will be perfect.
I had a teacher in school that said your eyes read color better horizontally than vertically....you be the judge here. I am doing the cats in the "Out of the Box with Easy Blocks" book-so fun and they always get rave reviews....try them-easy, inventive and fun

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A nice fabric stash of lightgivers and different scales does alot for fun blocks for border or quilts for your walls or beds. I started making these blocks this week and have a great quilt that these will border. I have enough to begin a wall quilt for my entry too-if you take a workshop from me, you know we are going to talk about what a GOOD stash entails and mistakes people make when they buy the wrong fabrics. Yes you can actually buy ones that don't do what the good ones can!

There are dozens of blocks here and as I ironed I just piled them one on one...wait until you see the finished product! So creative, fun and a recipe for a great quilt! If you do civil war as some of my friends do, you might now like this...."Smile"

I wanted to post this on the side but it was too big to so I am posting it here....pretty cool place right?

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

2012-01-31T20:53:00.000-08:00

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!

2012-01-24T19:32:00.000-08:00

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!

2012-01-23T18:54:00.000-08:00

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

2012-01-18T15:39:00.000-08:00

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.......

2012-01-17T18:11:00.000-08:00

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.....

2012-01-15T13:34:00.000-08:00

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

Springboards for Inventing New Artwork with Images-Look At These!

2012-01-12T15:08:00.000-08:00

How many times did you use the "Airplane" to get your kids to eat? I did ALOT!

Someone sent me this darling quilt photo and I think it is a good story quilt! I'd give it a prize if I knew who to send it to. Love it!

The quilt above was made by Karen Grabowski at my retreat in Post Falls. This was the beginning of the quilt. I love Flower Power Flowers and have been using them as a beginning for some of my story quilts. Look at the color in this! If you aren't using color in your stash, you are missing out.
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The photo below is something from my files...I love sunflowers and anything that looks like Mexico-color and pretty images- I loved this for a springboard for another quilt.....

There was a time I could have really related to this, how about you?

I don't know if this is paper, paint or a quilt above. I had this in my photo file and I think it is awesome. Love the colors and the play of lights and darks. Don't you?

I ran into a photo of these cupcake papers online and I wish I had kept the source but as an aside, please look at the background of red and how lovely these colors look on it. Beautiful and kind of a waste that you wouldn't see this when eating a cupcake!

As many of you know, I have a real thing about loving bottle trees. I saw this in New Mexico and think that maybe it is too much for my yard but hey it is cool somewhere else that has alot of space! Love those bottles!

So ,y friend Susan Typpi who many of you know sent me this dog picture that her husband gave to her for Christmas. Isn't this artist great? So many inspirational ideas off of this one picture. Do you have a favorite dog you want to tell the world about? How about being whimsical and inventive?

If you belong to a guild, I am starting to teach "Freehand Cutting" in quilts where you freehand cut things and don't draw them and then add and add and add and delight yourself because your artist has come out to play! Fun and easier than you think. You might surprise yourself with just how good your inner artist is!

This is not my drawing above but it could be a self portrait if I ever rode a bike....which I should and I wouldn't look like this.

Above is one of my Mary Lou Hearts....I love doing these and how you can have so much fun with pattern, size and color! Just in time for Valentines Day! Who says hearts have to be red or pink?

And finally, I have to show a photo of my three Granddaughters. The oldest one is on a hockey team with one other girl and all the rest boys-they are called "the killer bees". She is really quite feminine and the skinniest little girl you have ever seen without that outfit and all of the padding...she is the best skater on the team. :0) She plays with her brother and boy cousin and her dream is to be the first girl in the NHL. A dream that thankfully she won't be able to make. The other two girls like soccer and art. I don't think they will go the hockey route. Phew.

Happy Color things and my latest story quilt in the works (thank you Timeless Treasures!)

2012-01-08T15:36:00.000-08:00

So I spent part of last night when I couldn't sleep looking at dishes (one of my all time favorite things) and I found this pretty Scottish tea cup-LOVE an idea of a kitchen full of these! And wallpaper in a kids room too!

If you don't belong to my chatroom on yahoogroups (Marylouweidman) then you missed the wonderful ornament swap to make a Christmas tree with once you get the blocks you swapped-WONDERFUL stuff and everyone will have a great tree next year. I am going to design a new ornament swap for next year for this summer. To meet nice girls from all over, come and join the fun and the friendships.

I was looking at the piece above and thinking how much some black and white fabric can make the difference in something good and something fabulous- I love this!

I got a box of fabrics from Timeless treasures to work with and I bought some more and I decided that I wanted to do a story about my daughter when she was five and her girlfriend and their lemonade stand. It was fun seeing the two of them so excited over $4.30. They are still great friends today. I am putting another border around the outside and getting it quilted and adding eyes for the animals (buttons) and other fun details. I have changed the faces to be smaller since I took this photo.

Owls are my new favorite thing....stay tuned for lots of story quilts with owls of all kinds in them.

I adore quail too so I added a little one in front of the cat I did. Can't wait for this to be quilted! I want it for classes this year when I see you!

Inspirations Continue in the Year 2012! A NEW year and a NEW Artist coming out in you!

2012-01-05T11:10:00.000-08:00

Here is another Ruth McDowell Chicken quilt...wanted you to see her wonderful choice of fabrics....always with alot of texture first and color...she is a master at this. I love her things and she is really a nice person.

Above, I think this should be a mantra for all of us in the New year! BELIEVE you can turn out masterpieces and you will. Take classes and take advantage of your stash and your inner artist!

I love the photo above-anyone who takes a class from me and smiles makes my year and more! LOVE THIS

I think the quilt above is a great example of a pretty quilt for Valentines don't you? We are doing a heart swap in my Yahoo groups (MaryLouWeidman) chatroom. It is going to be really fun and you end up with blocks from all over

This should be a poster for sale for every quilter...this could easily be my husband who finds every stray pin in his own foot..........

Let's Let Inspiration Take Us on a NEW Year's Journey of great ART!

2011-12-31T15:24:00.000-08:00

Above is a rooster photo I took of one of Ruth McDowell's roosters she sells. My friend has bought at least two of the chickens and a fabulous banana quilt also-wonderful in every way.

My cousin sent me this photo of these leaves which are quite wonderful and creative

Below is a sculpture by a guy who did sculptures for the Michigan airport...he does fabulous stuff!

Color and buildings and fun

I love anything with sunflowers don't you?

Below is my friend Mary's quilt about making delicious coffee cakes (100 of them) on December 11th every year! Quite wonderful and her 90+ Mother helps her...wonderful story and quilt too!

My cousin took a photo of this quilt below and sent it to me. It is wonderful and so many ideas with older pieces could be done this same way-clean out those drawers!

Houses don't have to have windows on them, they can have people or flowers ot the moon or what idea does your inner artist give you?

Kites in quilts are outstanding!

Saw this idea and it was so cute, I had to share it.........

A quilt begun in one of my workshops- come to Post Falls Idaho in June and see what we can do-I have new tricks up my sleeve for awesome results!

I have had the poster below on my blogs before because it makes me laugh out loud everytime I read it. Whoever did this has my sense of humor. So funny.

Happy New Year Dear Friend!

Bringing out your INNER Artist with Creative Ideas

2011-12-27T17:37:00.000-08:00

Above- shoe pattern from Out of the Box with Easy Blocks- Below Keako Goki

I am inspired by so many things and I have files and files and files of art I love. I thought I would share some of these wonderful pieces with you to inspire you for the New year. I sincerely hope YOU work towards a story quilt about YOU and who and what you love to leave as a fabric diary. Someone would LOVE to see what you have to share you YOU with the world. I would be thrilled to think you are working towards story quilts! I have a series of workshops I will be giving this year on just story quilts- in California (Two Wacky Women), Madeline Island Wisconsin, Cedar CreekWest Virginia, and Post Falls Idaho in June which is my own retreat.

I hope to meet some of you there as you develop your inner artist and bring her out to show the world who you are and what you can do!

Pretty inspiring right?

Are these the colors you imagine to create something wonderful from?

2011-12-26T13:39:00.001-08:00

Hey! Where is my red? What do you think of these colors?

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE-

2011-12-24T21:00:00.000-08:00

I WISH EACH OF YOU THE MERRIEST CHRISTMAS EVER WITH THE MANY BLESSINGS THAT MONEY CANNOT BUY-FRIENDSHIP, LOVE FOR SOMEONE AND LOVE FROM SOMEONE-THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH- FRESH AIR-WATER-MUSIC-

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS TO FEEL THE SPIRIT OF THE DAY.

May your Eight Days of Light Be Wonderful and Happy

2011-12-22T17:25:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share a nice greeting to my friends who celebrate Channakh and all eight days of light...and delicious Latkas, applesauce and other delicious foods...I can pass on the liver pate' but everything else you bake and cook is wonderful!

Happy Holiday!

Images to Inspire from friends and from me and my camera! Enjoy!

2011-12-21T17:21:00.000-08:00

My cousins sent me this photo and I want to make some of these! Aren't they pretty?

I love any kind of creative pillow and this one is beautiful, isn't it?

Can you believe all of the butter this woman eats and cooks with?

Above is Freddy Moran's stash and she has three more besides this....sheesh! Fabric envy!

COLOR of 2012-DO YOU APPROVE?

2011-12-20T01:47:00.000-08:00

I posted two posts today so be sure to check out the one below also please.
I just wanted to show what Pantone color sent me....I adore orange with pink and violet so I am pleased though maybe it doesn't sound good this time of year. :0)
The Pantone color of the year for 2012 is Tangerine Tango. For those of us orange addicts, it's going to be a great year!

Tangerine Tango is vibrant, uplifting and universally flattering.

SnowFlakes Are Addictive for Quilters- Call Me a Flake

2011-12-20T01:26:00.000-08:00

Before I write about doing the snowflakes I love, I had to tell you about these roasted chestnuts and how good they are! If you can't find them on the street then do a google search to make them in your kitchen-they are fun to serve to kids who watch them bake in the oven and then peel them. With some Starbucks hot chocolate and marshmallows they are wonderful. By the way, that hot chocolate is the BEST I have ever ever had.

The block above has a theme of hearts-I started out with an upside down snowman and when they didn't work, I added hearts....

Below I wanted to cute out a woman with a bow in her hair and arms...it was kind of fun

I am always thinking about Maui and what a wonderful place it is for beauty and color. So I was inspired to do the next five snowflakes putting in flowers and leaves-they make pretty cool snowflakes don't they? The third one is ladies with flowers on their heads.... I can't wait to go back and these may become a Hawaian style quilt!

Above, I always loved putting hands in my quilts as I think we often remember people for their hands and what their hands do and in Hawaii we always see people using their hands to tell a story.........kind of like Italians tell a story with their hands only different!
If you wanna give this fun link a try, go to
http://snowflakes.barkleyus.com/
Please write and tell us how you liked these- it takes a little time to learn how to do the scissors but once that is done, it is totally fun!

Snowflakes are so creative and help with "thinking" as you cut-just like in quilting and crafting!

2011-12-17T21:59:00.000-08:00

Bunnies and more....

Dancing girls

Above is a snowflake I cut from the program I mentioned in my last post -I posted the link under the Santa photo. I teach a cutting excersize in my story quilt workshop and if you took that you will be way ahead of the game. The snowflake above is birds-but when the colors are exchanged "white" for :blue" it is hard to see them-they are on the border with the wings that form a heart in the negative space. Imagine these in quilts! I am experimenting with this as a technique....stay tuned.

In the meantime, to have fun, use your hand eye coordination, click on that snowflake link and see what YOU can do! It is tereific fun and kind of addictive too!

OH hear the Bells!

Christmas Moose and lanterns done by my 10 yr old Grandson

Angels all around

Snowmen who like to dance

Angels who hold hymnals

Try this-I am addicted- it is so creative and fun!

2011-12-14T23:43:00.000-08:00

http://snowflakes.barkleyus.com/

This is a program to cut a snowflake...at first it is kind of hard and once you figure it out ytou can cut angels and snowmen and all kinds of things into your snowflake...a great creativity excercize and hard to leave alone!
GREAT quilt ideas here and you can download and save these or you can send them to a friend. FUN for the season for sure.

Hooray Nathan is Home with Aleece-And an Italian Quilt is Ready for Quilting!

2011-12-12T20:05:00.000-08:00

First of all I had to share this lovely photo of my neighbor Connie's son who arrived back from Iraq and was greeted by his wife Aleece. He will be here for Christmas and everyone is so excited and happy for him and his parents, wife, brothers, sister etc.

Hooray Nathan, thank you for serving for us.

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Being Happy With What We Have That We Take Forgranted....and read the comments-there is a real tear jerker there

2011-12-11T17:45:00.000-08:00

Went shopping today to buy Pajamas for the homeless (I give them to the Mission where men can spend the night but must bathe and change into pj's-their clothing gets washed and mended or replaced if it is really bad.I call this "Jammies for Jimmy's" thanks to my friend Donna who became a friend from taking some of my story quilt classes.. It is so cold here and to just imagine that anyone would be living outside or having to walk around outside all day. Brrrrrr. I am going to heat up some warm soup, turn on some Christmas music, sew on some wool projects and then crawl into my warm bed with my warm pj's. And I am not going to take it forgranted. How about you?

Thinking about the best gift I got as a kid....-read the comments for a good laugh too

2011-12-06T20:22:00.000-08:00

You know, it is hard to remember all of the Christmas's that came and went and what was special about that time etc. Do you remember fighting tinsel on the Christmas tree and how your Mother would say "take ONE piece and don't throw it on, place it".

And also remember how tinsel started out all foil and broke all of the time and then they made it out of silver plastic and it was easier to put on...and throw when your Mom wasn't looking? And those bubble lights that sometimes about set the house on fire?

Or was our house the only one?

My Mother used to make a chocolate chilled cookie thing that was mainly chocolate with colored marshmallows in it and walnuts. Remember sliced cookies from the fridge with walnuts too? Like butterscotch I think. Every year she made that and yucky rum balls which I never did develop a taste for.

And she made fruitcake and my Dad made fudge and they bought groceries and made up lovely boxes for friends. I usually got new underwear and always hoped for a new blouse or something I could wear to school.

In those days we spent alot of time outdoors playing because we weren't allowed to sit and watch television and hey, not all of the kids in the neighborhood even had a television.
On snowy days, we sledded all day long and went home exhausted and cold. Mom always had a nice hot dinner of some kind because that was the way it was back then...no tv dinners, pizza, tacos, or sandwiches.
I remember well, the ice skating in the winter at Tullee pond in Spokane and how some of the parents would come and watch and show the kids how to pivot and glide...the ice over the extinct volcano was always solid.
Not so today....I don't think it every gets hard enough that anyone would dare go skating on it. Christmas Eve always centered around going to church and remembering what this day really meant.
When I got older I would attend at least two different churches and sometime three if I could find someone to go to Midnight Mass with me too.
New Years Day was always wonderful because my Dad took us out to a fancy restaurant.
We didn't go out to eat like people do today.
Those days were so much simpler and so much nicer in some ways. We didn't have all of the political bashing, we didn't have as much gossip about stars and things having to do with sex, people weren't around swearing and harsh talk,
people were more trustworthy, there wasn't as much stealing at a moments notice
, a hand shake meant something, chores were something most kids had to do to learn how to work,
we respected our elders and knew how to chat with adults,
it seemed that more people went to church and were better for it and most Dad's worked and most Mom's were home doing the housework etc.
It was a good time to be brought up and many of those rules and ways stuck with us as we plod through these newer times. It was slower, it was sweeter and it was more innocent.
I miss that.

I think Cat cartoons are funny anytime....

2011-12-06T00:45:00.000-08:00

Grandma Robin's (Pfeffernusse) Peppernuts

2011-12-05T10:52:00.000-08:00

So, like everyone this time of year, I like to have things around for guests and family and I found something everyone just LOVES! These little pfeffernusse or peppernuts have a grand gingerbread taste and are a lovely little snack size. They are delicious alone. Served with a soft blue cheese, or one of those cheese tortas with cranberries, or Some lemon curd mixed with soft cream cheese, they are a wonderful treat that everyone raves about. They are made here in my town but you can order them directly from the company. I met these people through my daughter who favors their product for her family.

I used to make cookies with my Grandmother that were pfefferneuse and these take me right back to that time. If you order them, you won't be sorry. They are delicious!

Contact DeeDee at peppernutcookies.com -her address is 11903 South Player Drive-Spokane,WA 99223

Their website is www.Peppernutcookies.com

THE Beautiful and the Whimsical-please comment it makes me happy

2011-12-04T17:01:00.000-08:00

Reminds me of Psalm 91:4, He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
There is absolutely nothing to fear about tomorrow; for God is already there.

Thanks to my friend Cindy for sharing this with me. I like to use this scripture when I was afraid on a plane ride but it is so good for other situations for everyone isn't it? How nice to know God loves each of us equally and is there to be our protector.
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I remember a quote that said something like "you can't find your place in the sun until you leave the family tree....that could be a quote on this photo too but not nearly as lovely as the first one

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Most people who know me know I have two bottle trees and I love them. In the spring, trumpet vine starts growing up them and the bottles (all blue and one red) cast a neautiful glow on my garden. Look at this guy.....I would like to say "a man after my own heart" but maybe NOT.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-me-bottle-farm-20111204,0,4510530.story

Senior Texting codes from my friend Kathy-very funny and true

2011-11-30T13:01:00.000-08:00

 SENIORS TEXTING CODES:

ATD....At The Doctors.

BFF........Best Friend Fell...

BTW......Bring the Wheelchair.

BYOT.....Bring Your Own Teeth

FWIW.....Forgot Where I Was...

GGPBL...Gotta Go Pacemaker Battery Low.

GHA.......Got Heartburn Again.

IMHO.....Is My Hearing-Aid On.

LMDO....Laughing My Dentures Out.

OMMR...On My Massage Recliner.

OMSG ...Oh My! Sorry, Gas.  This is my favorite.....

ROFLACGU..Rolling On Floor Laughing And Can't Get Up...

TTYL....Talk To You Louder

Merry Christmas Season as we begin the color, excitment and quilting, painting ideas!

2011-11-28T17:20:00.000-08:00

Several years ago I was in Las Vegas where I was supposed to connect on a plane to my city. It snowed hard there and you would have thought an alien spaceship landed or something because everyone there was in a dither on how to drive,whether the sky was falling and they canceled all flights. Two days later they got the flights out but my own city was snowed in and not letting planes land so I was stuck another two days. I took a taxi downtown and bought clean pj's since I didn't have my suitcases, and some clean underwear, a sweatshirt and new make up and a pile of magazines. Because of boredom, I went to the casino's and took dozens and dozens of photos. There were the MOST beautiful poinsettias I have ever seen and display after display. Each casino had a huge expensive display of toys, presents, glitter, sparkle, bows, nutcrackers, ornaments, trees, icycles,snowmen, children, animals of every kind (HUGE) and they were beautiful but no representation of what Christmas stands for (a Birthday of our Savior) anywhere.

I came home with beautiful photos and a sense of sadness that somehow this country of ours that says so much about diversity cannot even mention the word Jesus anywhere lest they offend someone. I don't get it and I guess I never will.

So, this Christmas I hope more people will say "Merry Christmas" and not "happy holidays" because honestly without Christmas the excitement of all of the things people decorate with would not be. I am only too happy to say "Happy Hannakah" to my Jewish friends and to delight in the silvers and blues and dreidels and beautiful menorrahs and latkahs and all of the other things that make this wonderful. Can't we all just accept one another on an appreciation level as we honor our friends and neighbors and hope they will do the same?

So, anyway, the Christmas Season begins now and tomorrow we will put up our tree and wish each other a happy Christmas season with everyone we love both family and friends. One never knows if this is our last Christmas or not and so it is nice to make it memorable for everyone and to remember why Christmas comes to visit us once a year.

Images to Inspire you towards Christmas Quilts-Channkah too

2011-11-25T17:14:00.000-08:00

I took this photo in Switzerland when I went to Europe for Bernina and took side trips with other designers. Somehow this Santa Poster just makes me smile and would be such a great quilt! He looks to me like what the real Santa would look like. A Santa that loves all children of the world no matter what color, or religion they are. Who doesn't love all children?

I have a whole slew of Christmas photos in my files and I wanted to load some of them on here to inspire you to maybe start a story quilt with a Christmas theme and work on it throughout the year....it is such a nice theme - family together, love, sharing with friends, joy of cooking, joy of decorating, all of the colors and the sounds of the music and the smells of things coming out of the oven. How blessed one can be even with very little. A hot cup of tea, a cookie or candy, some Christmas music or a sentimental movie and a heart that is thankful. This is a tough year for me having lost many relatives that meant alot to me for the holidays. They can't be replaced but I can find joy in what God puts in front of me and you can too. :0)

A Gift to YOU-Simple Gratitude-Watch This for a True Blessing

2011-11-22T22:35:00.000-08:00

Only 1/2 of one percent in America has served in the military-so few give so much to each of us.

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Please click on the link below for a real blessing-it is sure to make you feel great

http://www.wimp.com/simplegratitude/

I like watching this before bed....makes for lovely dreams

Things to Inspire the Artist Within YOU

2011-11-21T15:41:00.000-08:00

I just read that 15% of all Americans are on food stamps. I just taught in Troy Montana and learned that their food bank was in trouble and clearly many people there and other places I have been lately are out of work or worse and last week I heard that the Coeur d'Alene Idaho food bank is also in trouble. I have to my food bank before I left but now I am planning on writing checks to the two other food banks to share the blessings that I have (jobs teaching and selling books). The thought of others now having enough to eat for their familie's makes me want to share and I am in hopes that by sharing some of the people who are blessed will pass that along to others. No matter where you live, please pass along some of your blessings to others and ask them to pass along their blessings...this surely makes the world a better place for all of us. We are blessed to be a blessing and if you are not sharing your blessings, you are missing out.
Below are some images that I thought you might like and that inspire me and hopefully YOU.

Aren't we lucky that we can SEE and enjoy the things our eyes can delight in. Such a wonderful thing to discover new ideas through our eyes.

I love images of women doing different things.

Turkeys are always something to make us smile and the colors of feathers and the silly way they walk all to delight us along with the taste!

Freddy Moran had this on her table years ago and I always loved the image of the table cloth, the pottery and the pumpkins....she has such a talent with designing

One of my most favorite people is Emily who owns Tasuti Zoo one of my most favortie shops! I usually get a photo with her once a year at least-she is kind first off and talented in art second...I admire her wonderful spirit.

Fower Power quilts continue to inspire me...love these blocks and beginnings of a beautiful quilt....if you don't have the book, you would love doing these....

I have been teaching my wreath class alot lately and it is fun to see what people add on their wreaths to create something wonderful for their holiday (Christmas) walls

This is my friend Kathy who is working on a Christmas Tree quilt she started in one of my classes...Kathy is extremely talented in quilting and I admire her style and kindness

A nice Atlanta girl offers a photo of her tree as it progresses in class-what fun!

This is in the Seattle airport and I love the images when I am hurrying off to the next plane gate....

I am so thankful that now I have time to work on quilts, and work on designs for Timeless Treasures (I LOVE this company). I want to do some bold bright and exciting prints to make wonderful quilts with!

I am sharing this photo of Freddy's entry hall and my friends Susanne and Jeanne...can you imagine having a tree in your entry? I would love that in my imaginary world....

Christmas Stars give light and ideas of images for quilts as does this adorable Polish angel....Maybe you might think about these images in a way you could use them for a fabulous quilt or craft of some kind

Here is a class with my wreath photo....Nice girls who made a wreath of their own and hopefully now, they are done and hanging.

Some things to make YOU Smile Before I Drive Back Home in the Snow....

2011-11-17T23:22:00.000-08:00

Happy Turkey preparation week....I will be home in plenty of time to bake and clean and make my share of the meal with Son's in-laws....such fun.
Don't forget to keep your thankful gratitiude list going to bring you the gift of creativity. This was an important lesson I learned in the best art class I ever took.

Just In Time for Thankful Month...Isn't this wonderful?

2011-11-16T13:37:00.000-08:00

Thank you Francie!

Mel sent me this card and I think it is delightful-Can you imagine this as a quilt story with YOUR friend?

2011-11-15T12:58:00.000-08:00

Roxanne's shop in Carpinteria on Maple a Delight to visit and enjoy

2011-11-13T18:55:00.000-08:00

Here is a wall at Roxann'es quilt shop that makes any quilt look sensational! Such fun and such great stuff to buy!

I love dots and this wall was so pretty....

I didn't think I like this color pink until I saw this darling wall and the place I got to sign books- "order please-ONE MALT and a Cherry Coke plus a Huge plate of fries and catsup!" And...."where is that book about dieting"

One friend that stopped by to say "hello" told me "the good old days are back when I come and shop at Roxannes! I totally understand what she was saying...my heart was happy the entire time I was there and Roxanne, is thoughtful and kind and has great friends and a darling daughter who works there.

The jewelry is something else with positive sayings and Roxanne's special little angel in some of them, I bought some nice things to wear as I travel...so many happy things in this shop and so many nice gift ideas too

A close look shows my friend Wendy Price's tags for quilts here....if you don't have them you should-they are darling tags to sew onto your quilts. They are called Tag-It-On. And below are beaded fish...always fun and colorful!

This is thankful Month as you all know and I encourage everyone to keep a journal of at least ten to fifteen things you are thankful for each day. This makes any artist more aware and gives you new insite on how blessed you are in your everyday life. I am happier with a simple cracker and some tea than I am with a banquet....a little music, some wheat crackers, photos of loved ones and friends, some fat quarters, flowers and hand cream make me giddy. Today I am most thankful for a warm home, beautiful leaves on my lawn, a nice husband who never complains about his trips to the airport, beef stew on my stove, berry pie, warm socks, a nice blanket on my bed, the color turquoise, the smell of the cold air, dear quilting friends I meet on the road, someone who laughs, a nice cousin named Linda Georgeson Gates, a car to get me where I need to go and most of all today SLEEP-
Tomorrow I give away fabric packets to four lucky people who posted comments and belong to my followers list here

OUT OF THE BOX WITH EASY BLOCKS-Buy this book for great fun and CREATIVITY and WIN some AWESOME FABRIC

2011-11-06T18:47:00.000-08:00

Above, Mel and I do School House at Market together. How nice to share the fun and the excitement that we love with the projects in the new book! So simple, so quick and so creative!

I wish you could see these chicks in person. They are so pretty and would make the perfect baby quilt for any little darling....boy or girl and as I said they are quick and they are fun!

The book contains TWO alphabets and it is fun to see what people create with them. As many of you know, I have been doing words in quilts for years.....and names in quilts make for a lasting momento for someone you love....

OK, everyone knows I LOVE cats and always have. I thought that plaid cats would be super in this book and I put together this quilt quickly using the hoochy mama method I do with all of my quilts...it is fun to see little kids smile when they see this quilt and in my workshops, often show how to make the cats and we all laugh at the sheer whimsy and joy they behold!

Living in Washington I love coffe and a pot and coffee cups seemed a great idea...here I chose a French Fabric and some crystals for bling to make this fun wallhanging....I can't have enough French things in my house...I love everything French...except liver pate'

Mel did this fun cow with the sock tongue and in the book it is explained how to do the pieced background. Now, the other thing is what we call the COW PHENOMENA. We started with a purple cow in the book. Soon, Mel did a Holy Cow and then I did a cow town and then our friends started doing them and my friend Dawn Tonioli did six cow quilts and said she may never do anything else but cow quilts....Now we have a whole show called "Cow Parade" that will be at Road to California in January and at the Minnesota quilt show in June....25 wonderful (and counting) Cow quilts with play on words for each one...all different and all fabulous! If you haven't done a cow, you should....only about 2 1/2 hours to do one and then the fun of the theme and embellishments....it is hard to make only one. I am on my 4th and so is Mel and our other friends are on their second and third ones....

I will be at the Santa Barbara Quilt guild this week enjoying the members, the beauty and fun and State Street and hope you can come to the meeting and see wonderful quilts in person. Also, you can get a book from Roxanne's quilt shop in Carpinteria and get my signature on Saturday. Would love to meet you there! Come and get a pin.

Our friend Susan Typpi did Panamoo Canal and Eilene Hamiltopn did BOOVine..... So cute and so much fun! I am delighted with the way the book worked out and the creativity it gives for all levels of quilters....
And best? The smiles it brings too.
I am sitting on a pile of Paula Nadelstern fabric that has great light givers in it. I am going to choose four names from people who leave a comment and I will send out a bundle to these 4 people and a new cow pin- Please comment and join this blog and you will be in the running and glad you did it since the prize is multiple yards.... I will be back in town on the weekend and giving it away (in the mail) the beginning of the week!

Two Ways to Think About This......Plus giving Thanks,,,,

2011-11-06T18:18:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me knows I adore Bakelite jewelry. I can't afford the expensive bracelets I admit but I can dream. When I was younger and in my 20's I collected depression glass. I used to have dreams I was swimming and under the water in the sand was hundreds of pieces of rare depression glass. I am over that but since then I have the same dream about bakelite but it washes ashore and no one but me is around.

Now with it being Thankful month and all I am trying to do my best to enjoy and give THANKS for things that are not things. Then I met Les and Loretta at Market and first of all they were so charming and nice I couldn't help but talk to them for over an hour. Les remembers "American Hurrah", a quilt shop in Manhatten that bought and sold quilts before it was fashionable. I met Joel and his wife in the late 70's....there were alot of things that Les and I remembered or had in common. I told him it was a divine appointment. If you loved Bakelite this is your place....look at these wonderful polka dot bracelets! SO cool. This guys knows more about bakelite than anyone I have ever met and he has many books from the 20's, 30's and 40's on the subject. Such a nice thing to meet someone and learn so much! I was truly inspired and so far no dreams of found treasures of colorful bakelite but I am sure it is going to happen.

If you are in the market, he knows his stuff and his prices are the best out there. Tell him I sent you please....he is alot of fun and his wife Loretta has a beautiful accent and a beautiful voice and is super nice. They are a great couple.

I was so moved by one of the comments left here...it made such an impression on me and I am so happy to think about it.
"If you were only provided with the things that you thanked God for yesterday, what would you have today?" THAT is going to be my mantra.....it is changing the way I pray along the way in my travels. Wanted to share it again in case you missed it.

Quilt Market 2011 Provides nice friends and beautiful quilts!

2011-11-01T22:20:00.000-07:00

This hippie was a Texas trims salesman from Tx....a very nice guy with a shirt of all Tx teams...Mary Lou and Mel grab him for a photo.....

Cool quilt- I love anything with fruit!

And I like anything with flowers

And I like color and weird shapes!

Above Jennifer Sampou is back and designing and lives in Mexico for now and had wonderful fun color in her booth and milagros around her neck and a fun attitude! Pretty cool right?

Hey lucky me, I ran into Susan-here is her info-she writes a great blog and is so NICE and she is a great quilter too! http://wwwbluemoonriver.blogspot.com/ Susan Brubaker...

Love outhouses because they remind me of times when I was little visiting my Grandparents and their friends in Canada....

I adore any quilt that this lady does.....it kind of reminds me of my stuff only her is her style...she is a great story teller isn't she? So happy, so free and so colorful. Wish she lived next door. I think her name is something like Bodi Gardner.....

This reminded me of my grandsons....it doesn't look like them but it is three boys....boys are so special. Loved this quilt.
I leave for MN at 5am in the morning so I won't be adding anything for a few days until I get back home. I plan on alot of nice people this week and my hotel is across from the Mall of America so I get new underwear. I think that is all I bought the last time...pretty funny.
This is Thankful Month. Think about your many blessings and consider have a little gratitude notebook around. The more you are thankful, the more you realize how many actualy blessings you have. We are blessed to be a blessing. if you are ignoring this, you are only hurting yourself. Want to be a better artist and more important, a better person, try the gratitude journal. All good artists know this is the secret....those that are thankful for their gifts, receive more.
Please check out "Mary Lou and Cherries Too" for more photos and info on two great retreats that I am doing next year!

Friends who Smile and Laugh Make Me Happy Too

2011-10-26T23:15:00.000-07:00

Above is my friends Sue, Tina and De. Sue and De were in a horible car crash last month and their car rolled seven times. De has a borken neck and Sue has 7 broken ribs, a crushed hand, arm and shoulder, and other injuries. Thakfully they are healing and could have been killed. They are going to heal and will be quilting again with us when we can all get together. We love laughing together and counting our blessings.

Just thought you would enjoy smiling faces, silly whimsical things and colorful blocks. Isn't quilting FUN? Endless ideas and the BEST friends you could ever ask for.

Autumn Photos for fun and Something Serious to Ponder- a great quote too!

2011-10-26T17:29:00.000-07:00

Emily who owns Tasuti Zoo does really fun stuff and this is one of her many wallhangings that are sort of like a story quilt except they are not quilts......Color, whimsy and a ton of fun...she is my kind of gal!

Sunflowers always look good in a fishes mouth don't they?

These are my two Grandchildren who are cousins...they are fond of each other

If you are old like me, you remember when pumpkins all looked the same and now....they are wrinkly and colorful and creepy and FUN!

Look at the wonderful colors and shapes and light on these-would be great for a drawing class wouldn't they????

This is my Grandson during his Wild Bill phase.....

The block below was one of Wendy's from last year and I especially loved it because of the owl on the hat!

My husband is reading a book about a Lutheran Minister during WW11 that spent time in a concentration camp I think his name was Baunhaufer. He keeps reading excerpts to me and I asked him to write one of them down because I remember well, my Mother quoting this to me when I was in Jr. High .

"First the came for the Socialists and I did not speak out-because I was not a socialist

Then

They came for the trade Unionists and I did not speak out-because I was not a Trade Unionist

and then

They came for the Jew's and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew

and then

They came for Me- and there was No one left to speak for me.

I think this is pretty profound

I hope I am the type of person who would speak up.

And a nice quote to think about before bed below........

" Anyone who thinks the art of conversation is dead ought to put a child to bed." Rober Gallagher

Comments from Students Let's Me Know They "Get It" and That is So Wonderful

2011-10-26T10:31:00.000-07:00

You know friends sometimes a student writes and tells me how they feel about creating a story quilt after taking a workshop and I am just giddy because then I know they "get it." Bringing your artist out to play brings a whole new meaning to quilting and creativity. I had Mary Margaret Hogan in my class at MISA (Madeline Island) and this is the letter she wrote to me. If you haven't taken a story quilt and I am in your area, honestly you should take it and tell the world about YOU.
Mary's letter says-

"This work is so amazing. I am using the large one. I decided to start with the hair (of course) and woman's face. I'm tracing as I go along, so I get to some sewing. It sort of feels like the characters or the story is emerging from the quilt. I feel like a madwoman as I want to keep cutting, placing, and sewing so I can see how it is going to turn out.

I have some quilts that I may try to use as backgrounds for one of these, which will mean applique on top of an already quilted piece. But why not?"

Creativity and the Beauty Of Tahoe....

2011-10-25T15:35:00.000-07:00

I picked up the MOOlon Rouge quilt from Sandy Fisher and my goodness what details. It will be great fun showing it at Market! Sandy is really good at quilting and color and whimsy. Note the tassle on the udder....very funny.

One of good friends named Lynne could not make it this year because of chemo so we put together something fun for a pillow for her. She will love it and know how much we missed her and her best friend Nancy

Above is my buddy Kathy Collins who lives in Atlanta and is a lawyer and a delight! I have known her many years from my workshops and we became good friends. She made this cow and told me it wasn't a reflection on my body,,,thank heavens....I hope she was being truthful- Anyway I love it and it is made of different fabrics I designed over the years. By the way, I am not with Benartex any longer.....

Candy brought her totally complete story quilt and I wanted a good photo of her with it done....I love it-color, content, great story and whimsy-wonderful!

It is 5:30 and Tina and Candy toast to a productive and FUN day

As I was posting this blog, I saw that Sandi from Canada sent me a photo of her pieced cow....I think it flew OVER the Moon! Very whimsical Sandi!

If you have not been to Tahoe, you would love it-gorgeous in any season, it is a great destination place. I am thinking of doing at least one retreat there next year...it will be on creativity and might include paint-I would love to do that somewhere...so many ideas, so little time

look at the clear color of the water-fabulous!

Our friend Kathy was on this boat- I wanted to be but put my quilting first...I am still not sure that was right....oh well next year

Tina Made this cow for our show at Market. I think it is wonderful and all of these quilts are so much better in person-the color and theme of this is fabulous!

Kathy Collins made this quilt and put in a hoochy background with stratas....I think it is spectacular. The colors in person are wonderful and hey, the theme is super too. I told her once it is quilted she should have carrots hanging off the cows tail.

SO much fun!

Would love some comments please

THE Cutest Halloween Quilt Ever!

2011-10-22T17:57:00.000-07:00

Above is my witch block for the witch swap that the "Tahoe Quilt Chicks" had. It was hard deciding what to use for her dress but as you know I like fun, color and larger prints which many people will not buy. If you do not have larger prints in your collection, you are missing out! They have alot of personality and carry a great
message. As I look back on this post and the photos of the witches, I notice that no one else used a larger print. I wonder why? Small scale seems to be the choice and is it because we are taught that in quilting when we start? Or, is it safe? Or is it that we want to keep the scales of our prints small if the block is small? Why do we not choose larger prints? Maybe we don't because we don't use these in real life because we look bigger...what do you think?

Here are a couple of photos taken while people were fooling around with the blocks...all so different and so much fun. Three people still have to turn theirs in. Below, Tina put her blocks in a Halloween bag along with See's candy...wonderful touch! Tina is one of the most creative and FUN girls out there. I think she will be cooking for my retreat in Idaho in June which is almost full.

Below, I am going to put these 12 girls together for a great quilt and maybe I will do a swag border and will have it up next year...it is so much fun. I may also do some lettering and would love suggestions...someone suggested "Which Witch"-any other suggestions for fun?

Knowing that I will still have three blocks coming my way, I am going to make a banner for my fireplace for next year.....Autumn is my most favorite time of year!

How about You?

Hoochy Mama, Flower Power and "Out of the box with Easy Block"s Makes for GREAT quilts!

2011-10-13T16:09:00.000-07:00

So I got these photos from a friend who works for Martingale (Leanne) and she and Mary Burns wrote to brag on their wonderful friend Tracy Overturf who make this cute scrappy and easy piecing quilt complete with DOG she made from the cow pattern. Pretty wonderful i would say and the colors are just super!

Look at all of the aspects that are easy piecing in this...right out of my books and perhaps the bottom row is Freddy Moran, an old friend of mine.
I LOVE this kind of quilt and who wouldn't and hey, it could be a pieced story quilt about your dog and your garden. Piece some letting with names and places (also in my Out of the Box with Easy Blocks Book) and you have a great piece that will pass along some information about YOU!
So much fun!

A LOVELY LETTER to my chatroom friends from a story quilter who did my workshop

2011-10-12T16:52:00.000-07:00

Ladies, she wore me out or maybe it was the 1300 miles i drove. I came home so
full of energy, you know; clean my sewing room, organize all my scraps, sweep,
clean basement, clean yard, wash outside of my house, power wash deck and they I
realized I was exhausted and didn't do a thing for 2 days.

The class was so much fun, I never heard a complaint and I heard lots of
laughter. Wow the stories that were told in class would take a year to make. I
am actually working on my story quilt every day, today I got shoes on my feet
(my DD wondered why I had Duck tape on my feet) and a wooden spoon in my hand,
tonight it is time for the cat. Things just keep running around my head (lots
of emply space there). Tonight one of my DD called and said she thinks she and
I should make a Haloween quilt together. I said, fine, she can do the
emblishments.

I write like I talk, too much. I just want to urge every one of you to take a
class with Mary Lou. She will never run out of ideas.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
And I didn't even have to pay her to say these nice things.....hope to get some of YOU to do a story quilt too. You can start by reading my "Out of the Box" book which is all about creativity and story quilts. This book is NOT the new one called "Out of the Box with Easy Blocks."
In any case any quilt you do today that tells about YOU is a quilt that will be here in 80 years to show things to others about who you are, who you love, what is important, collections, expressions etc.....
-----
Thank you MARY, you made my year!

COW QUILTS from Dawn Tonoli- VERY fun!

2011-10-11T19:40:00.000-07:00

This lovely cow quilt is from Dawn Tonoli who has been making my style quilts for many years. Taking a pattern from the "Out of the Box with Easy Piecing Blocks" book, she really created alot of whimsy and color! She said she might just stop making anything but cow quilts because they are fast and they are so much fun! As you can see the quilt above is MOOcho Villa and this cow has a cowboy hat and mustache....pretty creative!

Above is a closeup of MOOcho Villa.....

The cow above has a sky theme and is called "MOOLAW"....nice colors and fabrics and theme

MOOey Christmas everyone! Complete with a halo and Christmas tree and wreath fabrics to make her very festive and ready for Christmas. I would add crystals to this one for sure.

MOOey in Pink...I think she needs flamingo earrings...who said you can't have a cow in the bedroom? She would match beautifully! Look at the print here isn't it wonderful? So whimsical and fun!

I have a block swap i

I have a blkock swap often in my YahooGroups chatroom and they swapped birds not long ago and here Dawn took the darling birds she got and created this whimsical and wonderful quilt....so free, so happy and so fun. To join the group you simply go to YahooGroups and type in Mary Lou Weidman. We share lots including recipes, quilts ideas, where to purchase things, holiday ideas and we even support our friends who are under the weather, ill or sad because of family illness's or death. It is nice to offer to help any way we can and many girls send cards to people they do not know. This room is awesome.

AND you meet many quilters and sometimes meet them in person in Houston or other quilt shows. Many close friendships have been made in the chatroom. Come and join us!

Story Quilt Beginnings Makes for Fun Letter and Photo

2011-10-11T09:10:00.000-07:00

The photo above is a story quilt beginning about Mary who makes stollen for her family and all of her friends (70 or more). She has her border done (we do this first to set a color pallette) and now she is putting in the story. Those red drawers behind her will have buttons on them for pulls. She has lots of good ideas for this. So if you want to do a story quilt and learn how to get out of the box, think inventive and creatively and have lots of fun telling the world your story, come to Madeline Island next year or one of the many places I am teaching story quilts. My schedule is on Marylouweidman.com
She wrote this to me today-
I wanted you to know I am finally "getting" what to do and now i don't want to go to work. Darn. I called in to work later hours (which my boss likes anyway). I just wanted to show you. I loved the class and learned so much more. I enjoyed all the people, we learn from everyone. Mary Graves

Madeline School of the Arts Class Brings Fun, color and Ideas for Story Quilts

2011-10-10T19:18:00.000-07:00

This is a beautiful photo of Mary Margaret who we all enjoyed. She has a great personality and tells you just what she is thinking which we all loved and she dyed her hair for the class the most beautiful color of purple. It fit her and we all LOVED it and wished we could pull it off as well.

Mary Margaret took my "quilter's" fabric I designed and she made a great block showing parts of the faces. Very clever and we all thought she showed it off in a unqiue and fun way!

Below are blocks that will be a story quilt border....lovely blocks with light giver fabrics....

Below is Sue Bright's story quilt border. She is doing a quilt called "the Little Store" and it has a candy counter with an old man with glasses and a mustache and a little girl in a cute outfit buying candy (it is her when she was small). Who can't relate to penny candy and these pretty colors we used to have around us when we were little.

I still do.

Above are some of Mary's blocks, aren't they pretty and scrappy?

Original and fun blocks take shape to make a quilt canvas for a story quilt.

Above is Jackie with an original and pretty block.

Above is Penny's lovely sunflower which just fit in so well with the beauty of the colors outdoors (Autumn). I told Penny that my five year old Granddaughter said "Mimi, I don't like it when people tell me what to do." And Penny said to me "I know just how she feels." THAT has to be a story quilt for either Penny or me!
Note the white block on the bottom that Penny made. I just loved the way those colors looked in person....so subtle but so pretty.

I wish I had photos of each person...I guess I am too busy talking or something. You can see the group as a whole and how nice they all look. Love class photos and MISA took a class photo and then marked each name individually for us to take home so we know who each person is. WONDERFUL gift for each of us. I will be there next year same time and hope you consider saving for it NOW. It is sure to fill and we will have lots of autumn ideas for quilt stories that will last for generations.

Judy gets her border going for the story about she and her husband
NOTE- see Mary Lou and Cherries Too for more on Judy's quilt.

Pat Sloan's Radio Show has Mary Lou on Monday -TODAY-I will be on the 2nd half of the show

2011-10-09T16:02:00.000-07:00

I chose two photos of Pat I love. One is really nice with her lovely hand and watch and she looks so wise like someone about to give advice to someone who did something....and below, I could not resist this beautiful scarf photo!

SO, Pat Sloan interviews all of the Grand poobah quilters and I feel lucky that she wants to talk to me on her program.

I have known about Pat for many years since I bought a charming basket pattern of hers in greens. She makes the kind of quilts that if I change my story quilt style, I would love to follow HER around and take her classes. They picked the right person for her job, talented, fun and NICE and she smiles. Don't you just love a quilter who smiles? I do! So, please listen to what we chat about. I might tell about an odd happening with my husband's Aunt who died this week. I was crazy about her...she was ahead of her time. Come listen! And check out Pat's blogs and website and facebook-she must be cloned!

http://toginet.com/shows/creativetalkradio

Madeline Island in the Apostle Islands Hold Autumn Magicl for tenHappy Quilters

2011-10-09T12:01:00.000-07:00

MISA or Madeline School of the Arts was host to my story quilt class this week and here are 9 lovely women who drove and flew from many different states to take the class. This school is built on an old farm and the farm house has been rebuilt (beautiful) to hold guests and teacher and many buildings brand new host guests in adorable bedrooms with fridges, microwaves and all of the things you would want including a fabulously beautiful setting in a meadow surrounded by Fall trees of all colors. What a place to create story quilts! The classroom is large and windows on every wall. It is really a wonderful location on Lake Superior. For people who have not seen the color in the midwest it is a real treat.

I am used to large ferries since I live in Washington state and the ferry from Bayfield to Madeline island is small with lovely (SO nice) people who work on it and it is a short 15 to 20 minutes across with many opportunities to take photos of the beauty of this charming place (on both sides)

I know it is against the law but I could not help but take photos as I drove by the trees.....it doesn't show just how heavenly the colors are.

I will be going back to teach story quilts there the second week of October next year. If you live anywhere in the midwest you would be so glad you came and got in on the flavor and the fun of this beautiful place in the fall.

I was so busy taking photos outside and in the classroom, I didn't get the photos of the red buildings of the school of arts. You can see that by going to their website-google MISA.

Above is the only photo I got of this little building which is adorable and filled with wonderful art-it is the office of the owner of MISA (Charles)-I love this windmill and thought it would be keen in a quilt!

I flew into Duluth and drove a couple hours to the ferry. The ride was simple straight forward and delightful. Madeline Island and the Apostle Islands are in Wisconsin and just over the hill from Minnesota. Think about what kind of quilt you could make while you enjoy everything about this wonderful destination and also the people in the workshop who are enjoying Autumn along with you. Think fresh apples, Apple Pie, fresh fish, pumpkins, scarecrows and all things Autumn.

Story Quilt Sharing Here-Isn't it PRETTY and FUN? Comment please

2011-09-30T17:23:00.000-07:00

I got a wonderful email this week and wanted to share this adorable quilt with you....great subject and fun colors and awesome lettering....hope to see the whole quilt on a wall (photo) sometime. I'd give this quilt and A+!

She wrote this to me below: 2 letters so you will get to see both......

Hi Mary Lou...I read it from cover to cover.....Quilted Memories.....put on my thinking cap and produced the attachment. Had more fun making this quilt than any other I've ever done. Have been quilting since 1999. Thought you'd enjoy looking at it. Sandie Duerksen, Aiken, South Carolina

Sorry I had the wrong email address for origianl message. Thought you'd enjoy seeing your inspiration....just loved reading the book and working on my toucans...Sandie Duerksen at Aiken, South Carolina
ON another note, I will be leaving for the Apostle Islands to teach at Madeline Island-a Beautiful place for beautiful story quilts! FUN. I will be there next year this time and if you start saving, you can come and see how to make a story about YOU or someone YOU love!

Advice from a cow...no silly not me.....

2011-09-28T16:46:00.000-07:00



	Wake up in a happy mooo-d. Don't cry over spilled milk. When chewing your cud, remember: There's no fat, no calories, no cholesterol, and no taste! The grass is green on the other side of the fence. Turn the udder cheek and mooo-ve on. Seize every opportunity and milk it for all its worth! It's better to be seen and not herd. Honor thy fodder and thy mother and all your udder relatives. Never take any bull from anybody. Always let them know who's bossy. Stepping on cowpies brings good luck. Black and white is always an appropriate fashion statement. Don't forget to cow-nt your blessings every day.

Autumn things to think about......

2011-09-27T19:11:00.000-07:00

This is a rug inside the shop Tasuti Zoo and it seemed like a good one to start today's blog with. Wouldn't this be cute in a quilt? You could do the witch's feet and say "WIPE YOUR FEET"
I love the new fabrics that are Halloween this year....a group of friend and I are trading Halloween Witches. We should each have 14 and it will be alot of fun to have a whole quilt done with them. Any ideas of what a witch would say surrounded by her girlfriend witches? I would love to have it done for Halloween this year but I don't see that happening.....maybe......
Below is a photo of a witch that Wendy Price or Sandy Fisher made....they were the ones that got our group going on these silly witches...poor things, no hair and no broom....

I was looking through photos and thinking of Fall and decided I would download a few. I always loved this sunflower...it made me want to do ceramics...but it would make a keen quilt block too!

I had an owl swap on my Yahoogroups (Marylouweidman) chatroom and here are some of the owls that someone made to swap...aren't these wonderful and so much like Autumn! Who,Who,Hoo. Come and join us for the block swaps, I am working on a book and am sharing some of my designs to give people a chance to hoochy, easy piece for fun and sharing.

Below is an Autumn angel I made sitting on a pumpkin....I like dark reds for backgrounds and turquoises with oranges for Fall....scrappy is wonderful if you know what kinds of scraps to buy.....

I am adding this little bee I put onto a quilt....the bees seem to be all over this time of year, trying to finish up and get ready for winter...that is if you live where I do....

Dark backgrounds (plaids) make for great Fall quilts with whimsical things in them for fun....there has to be an Autumn story quilt just waiting to come out that wants to be told and all you need to do is get some fabric, some simple ideas and jump in! All of my books tell you how to do it and if you have taken a workshop from me, you have a good idea how to approach this! Having a cheery attitude comes first and then action comes second.

Wanted to mention some of the plaids I have for sale on my site and more that will be added soon that were just released....Plaids are light givers and you will find many light givers on my site because that is what i design...I know what works well in quilts and these do! Fun!

A funny story about my friend the teacher when she was new.....

2011-09-26T16:17:00.000-07:00

    It was in the Fall and they had a teacher's meeting and several teachers talked about this kid (little) that was trouble. So my friend (the music teacher) was ready for him. It was the day of the Halloween party and they had music in the morning and the boy started acting up.

My friend walked over said "get your chair and move into the closet!"
"You are NOT going to act naughty in my class!" And she shut the door and preceded to teach the music class.

    Later that afternoon, she went to get her coat to go home and there sat the poor kid and he started to cry and said "did I miss the party?"
She hugged him and said "yes." And she waited to get pulled in and fired.
No one ever said a word about it and the kid was as good as gold the rest of the year. Haha.
Now there is a story quilt idea!

Roxanne's, A Wish and A Dream.-Carpenteria opens a new quilt shop!

2011-09-23T09:55:00.000-07:00

Many of you remember going to the Treasure Hunt quilt shop in Carpenteria California. My friend Roxanne owned it and later on sold it when she thought she wanted to retire. The shop closed at least a year ago and guess who is back? Roxanne! Look at the fabrics....wouldn't this be a fun place to buy fabric??? You bet! Roxanne obvisouly is creative, fun and she knows what to order to get us excited about color and making fun quilts. She does her own style of story quilts so naturally I love her and wish her fabulous success. When you go to Carpenteria, ask where the good Mexican restaurant is and make a day of it! It is a darling town with lots to see.

Someone is pretty proud of her and who wouldn't be, she is darling, talented and a great friend to many people.

PANAMOO CANAL - Susan Typpi does it again with COW fun!

2011-09-19T12:51:00.000-07:00

So this summer when we had our cupcake retreat I whined and got my friends to make a cow quilt for school house at Market. Susan just sent me this adorable photo of her cow. Isn't she fun? A couple of years ago Susan and Laurie and I and our husbands went to the Panama Canal on a cruise. My husband went to high school there so it was kind of a sentimental trip for us and having our good friends there made it a lovely memory. We girls loved looking at all of the lovely Mola's there and Susan bought some really lovely ones and saved them to do something great. Well, this is pretty GREAT! See how much fun the cow pattern from the new book is? It's the perfect challenge for sure! And on another note, I will be going on another Panama cruise this february and would love you to join me. I am sure to be talking about these cows and bringing at least one. I think this cow take the cake! Susan it takes the cupcake! LOVE it!

Isn't this Funny the Way Life IS when you are young ?

2011-09-18T21:53:00.000-07:00

I have to laugh at this photo of my young Granddaughter who is the top scorer on her soccer team. She is on the far left and she made a goal and the girls in yellow all realize it while her teammates are still playing...she is cheering like a cheerleader for herself....really fun to watch. I am reminded of stories my Mother told me about her playing sports and so, it goes on.....isn't life wonderful?

Autumn Serves Up Beautiful Colors and Ideas for Fall Quilts!

2011-09-17T16:43:00.000-07:00

I always loved this photo I took at Freddy Moran's house in the Autumn. She had this quilted tablecloth, a super face bowl and little pumpkins and it just looked so charming,,,great colors and textures....

Buying pumpkins and things from the harvest is always big on my list as long as some of my family is there to enjoy along with me. The colors of the different oranges and greens and tans are all so beautiful and the shapes of the harvest are all so different as you can see from the following photos....

Even a bowl of limes next to a few pumpkins is gorgeous and limes in a clear vase are wonderful to look at!

Hoochy Mama quilting or easy piecing can make up any kind of theme and the theme of Autumn was easy and fun. If you have the Flower Power book, you can find a pretty cool pumpkin and crow in there to create from. Having a starting place is half the battle!

THE GRASS IS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE-KELLY GIRL IS AMAZING!

2011-09-15T17:56:00.000-07:00

I love checking Kelly Girls Blog and this quilt with the cow from the book is getting better and better and better....and now she is doing the border....it is going to be a work of art and something we will ALL just love. This would be so cute on a kids wall, in a family room or anywhere! Hey, it matches my entry hall! Check our her blog!
http://kellygirlquilts.blogspot.com/

Easy Piecing Hoochy Style for FUN

2011-09-13T13:27:00.000-07:00

My group of chatroom friend on Yahoo have been swapping easy pieced blocks for over a year now and it is fun to see how a simple pattern I send them can be changed into original and creative blocks for the swap. We have 36 people swapping fish now.
I am posting three blocks that people sent me out of kindness. I wasn't in the bird swap which I regret. They are fabulous! Dawn, my friend too pity on me and send me two wonderful birds. I love them. Miki sent me this fish this week which was very thoughtful and so appreciated. Aren't these blocks cool? Imagine getting an envelope full of different blocks for a creative, colorful and original quilt. So fun! Join Yahoo groups and type in my name or send me a note that you want to beong to the chat room. The biggest bonus is the people who share in there and the friendships that are made. Sincerely, we have made fabulous friends in there and you can too as well as these great blocks!

Story Quilt Tree Skirt for a small tree and a child! GREAT idea Charlotte!

2011-09-12T21:42:00.000-07:00

I love it when people share their ideas and Charlotte from the Houston area brought this idea to show me and I LOVED it! She bought Christmas trees for each of her Grandchildren and she made a little tree skirt for each child and every year she adds a different item to the skirt. The ideas and shapes and embellishments are awesome. Such a clever idea and it is a story quilt Christmas skirt. Don't you wish your Grandmother had made one that you could touch and enjoy and show off? Well, maybe you know a child you could make one for and you would both be very happy!
I had more photos and they disappeared from this post and my file...Charlotte, feel free to send me images if you can. This is so cute. Be sure to click on the photo so you can see the details.

Why are scarecrows always BOYS?

2011-09-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

I took my last fabric line from Benartex and made a girl scarecrow. I always love cats perched pon pumpkins and I made a hoochy pumpkin (so easy) and put a cat on top. Then I did a hoochy skirt and jacket for my girl and added stick legs and a head and hat. She needed a purse like we all do and it made sense to make a sunflower handbag. Love birds in my pieces and either cherries or apples (something RED) and added bluebirds. In the end I added a mouse to the cat for fun as I knew my Grandkids would love seeing this.

This little scarecrow looks darling on my wall. I will be bringing her to Madeline island to talk about hoochy piecing pumpkins and gourds and flowers for Autumn (or any) story quilt. October is the perfect time to do a story quilt because it is right in the time we think about the beauty around us and we are going into holiday time. So many good ideas to leave a memorable legacy quilt about someone or something we love!

Buttons for embellishment add to the whole fun and whimsy of the piece.

Fun at Peggy Baldwin's House! Need to be sparked creatively? Look at the photos....

2011-09-09T18:49:00.000-07:00

Peggy's amazing eating area...so much to look at and enjoy!

I have known Peggy Baldwin for many years ever since she took her first workshop from me. Her quilts and my quilts are at the Galveston Historical Building along with some of our other friends and it is fun to see Peggy's whimsy and color sense. This week I stayed at her home and gee whiz I could have done a hundred story quilts based on her things and her adorable Mother who has an interesting history and a darling way about her as does Peggy. I took some photos thinking I might tempt you to come up with some ideas on your own of things to make others (and you) smile in the way of happy quilts. Enjoy Peggy's house as much as I did!

Peggy loves cats and she loves color and these amazing chandeleers.

Awesome aren't they?

Such a cute idea....

The other thing I want to mention about Peggy is that she is always the first one to offer to work and get things going, together, put away etc. She is organized and fun and her story quilts are wonderful....hope you make it to Galveston before the show closes the end of the month! See my other blog- Mary Lou and Cherries Too

for some photos of the show.

I know Peggy would love some comments and me too!

TEA at Queen Mary's Tea Room in Seattle,Susan Typpi shares a Story Quilt Time with her Granddaughter-Lovely!

2011-09-03T15:31:00.000-07:00

My friend Susan has a Granddaughter who loves pretty dresses, ballet and the fine things of life-Susan took her to tea and this will make a wonderful quilt. Susan is my flight attendant friend who makes fabulous story quilts and is one of the best cooks in the world and she is very nice too as many of you can attest! Susan lives in Seattle.

I didn't see any peanut butter or sloppy joes here-it is too classy for me and my Grandkids. :0) Besides, I have no cool hat-isn't her hat darling?

Mari Linfesty Makes a Herd and Karen Grabowski creates color and hoochy fun!

2011-09-03T12:47:00.000-07:00

Karen Grabowski did this darling hoochy "Flower "power" quilt and isn't the color in the border dramatic? Karen is a quiet girl who doesn't say much and then you look at what she is doing and you are amazed! Mari Linfesty sent me this wonderful photo to share with you, They sat together at the Post Falls Mary Lou retreat.

Long ago when I was working on cows and thinking about how they should be hoochy pieced, I sent the instructions to Mari Linfesty and asked her to add some bells. She did two and send me the photos and then the blocks. She is very creative and I think a whole cow herd could be quite happy! Just think every quilter should do a cow from the book because they are so quick and so much fun! The eyes add lots too! Thanks Mari!

Bugs, Treasures and the Beauty of Family and Lopez Island-Being Thankful Always feels GOOD

2011-08-30T14:43:00.000-07:00

I am always thankful for friends who become like family. Laura, my friend in Texas is this typoe of friend along with her sister Charlotte. They are story quilters that take my workshops and make me smile etc. They have good sentiments and are funny too.

Laura knows my five year old Granddaughter has LOVED bugs since she was two and she draws bugs, saves the ones floating in the swimming pool, holds bees in her hand and talks to them (has never ever been stung), and love creept beetles etc.

So, this week we got two wonderful pillowcases from Laura for her. Look at this delightful fabric! I took them over today and made one little five year old very very happy. You might think about this for someone you know. A pillowcase is a lovely gift and with the fabric out there look at the variety!

Isn't this fun to think a little girl who loves pink and fancy dresses would love bugs too-sahe is crazy about this fabric! Me too!

Below I took a photo of the ferry that came to take me, my daughter in law and two of my Grandchildren to Lopez Island for a nice vacation of five days with my son's family

Below is my lovely daughter in law with two of my Grandchildren

After gathering buckets of shells, we decided to switch it up. My husband and son brought over the bikes and other things and we all went down to another beach. This beach has the most beautiful rocks you have ever seen. You can cover a bird house with them, make a little pile on your coffee table in a pretty tray or put some in your garden as a memory of a lovely trip.

I started collecting only flat round ones and then I started a collection of pretty green ones, kind of a jade color. I will spray them with varish so they keep their lovely color like they are wet.

Here is part of the family looking for their own treasures...this is agate beach so they are looking for those too

We searched for trasures in the daytime and each night we played games like Apples to Apples and trivial pursuit and we made up questions too. It was so much fun laughing together and discussing things we learned from the cards. Fresh air and time together. What could be nicer? Now I am home, and cutting out a story quilt and am anxious to get my fish from the fish swap in my chatroom on Yahoogroups.com

I think an ocean story quilt with free and easy pieced fish will be right up my alley.

Every day provides something fun for a story quilt.

I started with bug pillowcases and I am ending up with the t-shirt front I bought for my Grandson. I buy bug things knowing that even when they are outgrown, my Granddaughter can use the images for her drawings etc. Who knew that bugs would give me so many quilt ideas....stay tuned for an up coming BUG story quilt!

What did you do this week that you might want to do as a little diary quilt? So much to tell about our lives and such lovely fabric out there too!

Autumn Story Quilt Workshop -OH! The color, the invention, the piecing, the applique, the fun!

2011-08-23T13:51:00.000-07:00

Above are the darling cabins...aren't they perfect on the grounds of an old farm redone?

Above is the ferry to LaPointe-isn't this beautiful? Imagine this in October! I can smell the Fall air just looking at this beautiful photo!

http://www.madelineartschool.com/Classes_Teachers.cfm?StaffID=105
Contact Kate at MISA@cheqnet.net

So, I wanted to point out that soon I will be doing a story quilt class that will be sure to be wonderful and different in many ways. First of all it is on Madeline Island which I understand from friends who have been there, that ist is pristine and lovely. The school itself is built on an old farm and it is an idealic setting. The happy part for me is that it is the beginning of October and I LOVE Autumn and all of the things that make it special. Color, memories of leaves, pumpkins, Jack Frost, black cats, witches, ghosts and the many costumes that kids wear as they go out for candy to fill their bags....remember? I do. Bobbing for apples and caramel apples and I remember taffy pulls at girlfriends houses. Scarecrows...so many ideas for those! Thanksgiving ideas and pilrims, turkeys walking around, Indian corn with it's beautiful colors (so cool to piece this-I will show you), corn husks, pumpkins, gourds and squash and all of the beautiful leaves again and the colors...the wonderful colors. I will bring hoochy patterns for gourds and pumpkins to show to the students to get in the Autumn mood and bring a scarecrow quilt both boy and girl! These story quilts tell about YOU and what you love about Fall or anytime of the year. I will be bringing some ideas for piecing and embellishments and how to start a great scarecrow (more ideas) and piecing pumpkins and houses and the fun that a little fabric and other bits can bring for a sensational story quilt.

Remember the idea of this is that in 80 years people will know something about YOU and how you celebrate this time of year or simple celebrate in a daily way by building a quilt that is a one of a kind piece.
Come and meet other quilters and see what I have that is a new idea (I always have lots). Some of these ideas I have never shown and you will love how fun and easy they are. It is always fun to get to know other quilters and the way I teach these longer workshops, you will make new friends and they will know you and you them as we share the many things that will make this a memory of a wonderful time in a wonderful time of year! Please come and join us on Madeline Island.

Holy Cow MEL is A fun friend!

2011-08-19T16:00:00.000-07:00

So I am with Mel this week sewing and planning and having fun. I worked on three cows and am now putting together the background for a story quilt about an aunt and uncle. So much fabric to sew and never enough time.
The quilt at the beginning is Mel with one of her cow quilts. So cute and fun. The alphabet is in the new book as well as the cow and instructions on pieced backgrounds for fun.
The second photo is of Mel at Bothell County Village where e bought lots of fabric and enjoyed the silly chicken.I am itching to do another chicken quilt....maybe a hoochy one.
The last photo is of Mel at her sewing machine...I can't tell if she has something in her mouth or it i the sunlight behind her. In any case she is fun to be with an sew with as are the other cupcakes.
Hope you are enjoying creativity in some way today!

Face Quilts...try one they are fun and creative

2011-08-18T10:23:00.000-07:00

Thought I would post this photo of the cupcakes who I am with. This quilt is n the new book along with instructions on making faces...easy and FUN. Everyone in my grooup made themselves except Eilene who made her husband Joe. So we called this quilt "four cupcakes and a cup of Joe."
Pretty fun stuff...think about your family or girlfriends....wouldn't this be fun?
I am continuing more cow quilts to show at arket...I am addicted to these fun and wonderful quilts!
Hope you are enjoying this last bit of summer.

2011-08-16T21:50:00.000-07:00

cinnamon rolls- we are at Whidby Island sewing with the cupcakes -my gal pals that I sew with-we have been meeting for twelve wonderful years! I love my gal pals like sisters...so nice to make friends over quilting...and eating. See some of the things from this week so far....

Berry Cobbler....wonderful stuff for dessert after crab cakes and wonderful salad

In the jars in the bckground are candy bars, toffee, pretzel snack mix,cookie in the front....well, you get the picture! NOW, look at the plate Susan brought.....

So, there are two other sayings that are fun and my photos didn't turn out so well....
" For the love of god please stop eating like this"
AND
"do you really need that last helping???"
I don't know about you but I want to get a set f these plates!
If you don't belong to the Yahoogroups for block swaps you should! The new block swap for FALL IS STARTING UP, And the fish photos are fabulous! For a linkg see the fish side bars.
GREAT NEWS! My old blog is back in Business!
Mary Lou and Cherries Too. That blog will be centering on color and story quilts and fun (see the chickens) and this blog will be color and easy piecing and fun. Different and both good....at least I think so....Thanks for visiting! More on the retreat tomorrow......

MOOOOOOving- a cow made by Mel from Out of the Box with EASY blocks

2011-08-13T20:38:00.000-07:00

If you haven't made one of these cows, you should...they are so awesome in person and my prediction is they will win some ribbons along the way and inspire! Each one is so different and so much FUN. Doesn't everyone have a cow memory? I sure do.

YOU know how I love cherries and I got this cool photo from my dear friend Linda from Tukwilla-she is the hostess with the mostest

Check out Julie's blog today- "Me and My quilts"-the link is on the right hand column here,,,,scroll down. She has a coat of many colors to share.

AND on Monday, go to "Sewtakeahike" you can find her link the same place as Julie's blog. She is going to post a cool quilt she made from the book above...very fun.

WINNERS- the winners of the two house patterns are Em and Pam from Kirkland.

I have them in envelopes so send me your address's to Marylouquilts@aol.com and I will send them off to you. Mark drew before he went off to bed...

Wanna Take an Incredibly FUN Class? Here it is! Flowers that Are Out of the Box and FUN!

2011-08-12T15:18:00.000-07:00

Flower Power is a bit of everything as you can tell when you look at my old blog, my website and this blog....we do flowers, bees butterflies, leaves of all kinds, a frog, ladybugs and loads of other fun things...Flowers run the gambit of bight and happy and fun and of Coarse out of the box! Wanna stretch and do something different that is loads of fun? Take this workshop!

I am teaching Out of the Box "Flower Power" quilts many places coming up and some people have asked me to mail them samples which I do not do that this stage of my teaching. I have done so many books and I figure you can buy the Flower Power book OR look here at my blog or at my old blog or on my website Marylouweidman.com

So to make some people happy (which I try to do, I am posting some photos here to show you the idea. Flower Power is an excellent class for getting you to Stretch "outside the Box" and bring your inner artist out to play. It is amazing how big students smile when they see what they can do and how they discover how creative they are and they didn't know it! I love this workshop!

The quilt above was the first time I encouraged my students to please each do a block. Diane Morrison who is on the left had been diagnosed with Aplastic anemia and so the class all made a block for her and here is the quilt and here is the book that came out of the flowers done hoochy style. That was five or six years ago. Very fun and Diane loves the quilt. We all do.

There are many incredible flower quilts done in my workshops and I don't have them in my files...look around on my sites and I am sure you can find them. What is more fun than flowers and things in your flower garden for a quilt subject? Not much. :0)

WIN,WIN,WIN- Such Designs! A New Quilt Pattern Company with Pazazz!

2011-08-10T13:34:00.000-07:00

So me and my posse where walking around (girlfriends) at Long Beach and we came to this darling booth with a darling girl and an older darling assistant. They had this quilt of houses on the wall and they were so pretty. They also had an amazing kit for jewelry made of t-shirts. I wanted the necklace which had NO kit. So after we got back to LA area, we went to the goodwill and bought about 18 t-shirts in different colors and followed the directions and I left town and everything with Sue. How exciting. I think I will get to try all of this out at the Quilt Chicks of Tahoe in October. A group of past students that formed an Out of the Box type group to inspire one another! Fun.

ANYWAY, this lovely designer gave me two patterns for giveaway's on this blog. I leave town Sunday so comment on something fun you would like to do that is "OUT of the Box" and I will have Mark pull a number. Can't wait to hear what you have to say. These patterns are adorable and exciting!

For me I always remember the Bible verse in Genesis that says we are blessed to be a blessing. Many of my quilter blog friends and others have passed along the word about my company and me and my workshops and I want to do the favor right back. This girl was very upbeat and nice! Nice goes a long ways for me.

Who wouldn't love a set of these pillows all over the house? I would!Such Designs is the name of the company. Love that too! http://suchitysuch.blogspot.com/ Below is the darling booth that drew us in

Below is the necklace that cost me some cash at the "GoodWill" for many multiple colored t-shirts. Hope we do get around to making the necklaces because we ALL bought this darling pattern...and you know how I love my colored jewelry....gotta have fun, whisy and color!

Piggy and the Hula Girls

2011-08-10T09:40:00.000-07:00

I have had this pig for many uyears and all of the kids love him. The girls decided her needed to be potty trained so here he is waiting to be taken out of the bathroom and rescued.

When I was in Hawaii I brough back these hula outfits for the girls and they thought they were very funny. My oldest Granddaughter didn't know what she thought of the coconut shell top. But they got right in the spirit.

It is funny how those skirts fit. Both girls are skinny-the five year old just got out of wearing her 18 month size pants...she is teeny

The girls have gone home and piggy is left with me...and his headabhe, he is exhausted