Saturday, July 27, 2013

Story Quilts and Other Workshops with Mary Lou-Let's be Happy and Creative!

I am adding fruit to my flower power workshop....there is nothing cooler than fruit....and of coarse Flowers.
Wait until you see what I have cooked up plus Fall will hit us soon and I am working on pumpkins and crows and houses and creativity!
I have a Christmas tree (large) that is almost done for a workshop and of coarse my wonderful wreath which you can do in cotton or wool any size...and get some names and things in there that relate to you.
Hope you consider hiring me and taking workshops from me in the next couple of years before I retire. I think I have a great place for my retreat and it will be on for next June so you can hit Farm Chicks too. Miss Tina will be our chef once more.



I even have several wool projects I love to teach and embellishing goes along with that! SO much fun
Bird and Pineapple and my little mermaid! Mary Lou LOVES wool and all of the things that can be sewn on to it for fun!
Please give your guild or shop owner my name to teach a class or two...I would love to invent and be creative with you...and maybe a laugh or two would not hurt either.
I will be teaching story quilts at Asilomar, My retreat (stay tuned) and also West Virginia Cedar Lakes...hope to help you tell your story there!
Wait until you see my latest there stories which no one has seen yet!
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For those four wonderful ladies who sent me a red car on sky colored fabric for my husband's surprise quilt, thank you! You mean so much to me for your kindness...I hope to get enough for a full sized warm quilt for him. The blocks can be any size and need to be any kind of red car on a sky blue background. If you do one, please send it to Mary Lou Weidman-1521 N. Argonne #276-Spokane Valley, WA 99212-2555------
I am leaving town and my brother in law is moving in with his wife for a week to help Mark. I plan to quilt all week long and bring back story quilts to finish up. Next week I am going to show the many postcards and get well wishes people have sent and also the four car blocks too...you will love them! SO much fun!
Thank you sincerely for your cards and kindess and prayers which we cannot buy. You friends are amazing and I am so happy for your support. God blessed me with YOU>

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Story Quilts and This and That.....

I have shown this cow before...it is one of my favorites...Cherise Smith did this when we took a Ruth McDowell class...we took three of them. Ruth is so good and she is funny too and we loved her for a teacher.
Do you know what makes me happy? Birds fro the Flower Power book makes me happy...they are all different and they are so much fun. Imagine a row of these and some flowers below and a great border...would be fabulous to hang it in your livingroom, entry or hallways.....FUN
I am not sure whose quilt this is but I LOVE it! I think that anything organic is so much fun to show off in a quilt and these shapes are gentle and soft and oh so pretty....good for summer and fall!
I don't know who made this quilt. I took photos in Houston and these quilts remind of of story quilts and what I like to serve ...I make killer cinnamon rolls! And I make killer orange rolls too...all from scratch like Grandma did....
This reminds me of the sink in my Aunts house on the farm....always lots of animals to see outdoors and good things to eat on the counter....she was kind of crabby but the atmosphere made me happy just the same....I was of that generation when I was a kid that "children were to be seen and not heard"...glad that is over with because I love hearing from my Grandkids and just kids in general....love their approaches on what they notice...that we don't....
I admire anything that Bodi Gardener does....she does awesome story quilts that I can relate too...so fun! She has never been to the US and I would dearly love to take a class from her (she lives in Copenhaugen)
This flag above is from Stix furniture. If I were a rich person I would buy one of these flags-I think it is beautiful and I have considered doing my own flag as a quilt but sheesh...do you know how long it would take me to applique this? I could do a whole story about our family in that time....Anyhow, it is cool isn't it?
I ran into this photo taken in Sante Fe which is one of my most favorite places in the world....Heidi is standing there with her guy she made and I think he is wonderful in every way. She sent me a box of milagros and Mexican things to use on my quilts. Wow, I have used most of them an loaded down the quilts and small samples...so fun! Sante Fe got into my soul somehow and I love going back....Alex on the left became a good friend and we touch base now and then and that is fun.
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This was kind of a difficult week for me. My husband has had radiation for two weeks and handfuls of chemotherapy pills. He has Glioblastoma which is a fast growing brain cancer and he is stage four. We have been married 44 years and I think he is wonderful and such a nice person. It is hard seeing him suffer and it is hard wondering if we can pay all of the medical bills. The best blessing is my quilting friends who have sent cards. Mark wanted a red corvette his whole life and when he came out of surgery (they removed a lemon size tumor) he said "I want a red corvette." Anyway, some girls are doing red cars (any kind) on a light blue sky tone on tone background. So far we have four of them. We would like enough to make a quilt for him for when it gets cold. If you feel like you would like to make a block OR send a post card (he loves seeing where people have been or live) please send it to
Mark Weidman
1521 N.Argonne #276
    Spokane Valley, WA 99212
Stay tuned and I am taking photos of the cars and some of the cards people have sent....YOU quilters have blessed me greatly these past few weeks, thank you.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

"County Fair" challenge for Camp Watch a Patcher....Hooray!

Loved the animals in this wonderful challenge that provided the small flowers pring, the green grass pring and the red print....super...thought that they were all winners!  I am proud of what Pam did with the cow pattern.
The udder on the cow is always the most fun part....here Pam used great buttons all sizes to show it off...isn't this fun? She also took a flower right out of the book to put in there....Look at that quilting! Look at those words...isn't this cool???
 
fruits and vegies....
All things we love about the fair!
Look at the nice smile on this Pig! Haha.
The California and the quilt below are two separate entires...both great!
The pig below won many honors...it is funny and cute and has tons of good tread work on it and the girl who did it is upbeat and postive! A win win....
Happy fabric in the quilt below....
Hey, it is another CUTE cow with COW PIES as it's theme...how fun is that? And note the pig flying too!!! Love it with the blue ribbons included
These dimensional flowers were really cute!
Look at the detail below...isn't this a good theme?
Happy and cute clown and those flags are great going across and framing him in! Love his grass patterned hair. It was really fun to go through and look. My camera did something it should not have...it shadowed some of the photos so I could not use them. This gives you an idea of the fabrics and the fun!
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On another note, I teach at the John C.Campbell Folk Art School in Brasstown and this past spring I taught a story quilt class and Jan got her borders done and they were beautiful and since her husband was working on a peacock, she decided she would too.
So we figured out a good way to do a peacock tale and decorate it and then she said she wanted to use the slogan "we still make things" of John C.Campbell...and she did. This catalogue cover is what came about and on the back of the catalogue is the metal peacock her husband made. If you do not get the catalogue you should, it is awesome! You can just google Joahn C.Campbell and go to their site and sign up! Come and take my class there or one of hundreds of other fun classes!

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

The Latest COW addition to the HERD!

Jane Yenorio-Coscarelli is a dear friend of mine and I admire her work. She offered to do a cow from the book "Out of the Box with Easy Blocks" and this is hers. Isn't it wonderful???? It will join the herd for the next show which will have many many cows parading together. Hope you make a Cow!

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

It's a beautiful Day in The Neighborhood

Our friend Sandi Henschel from Canada took this photo at Sisters in front of Laurie Latta's Moody Blues cow. We have a small herd of cows there to tempt people to make more and to share them with us for the shows we have planned. One show will have  30 cows and the other one will have 40! We have big plans for next year and are hoping to do a Cowlander or a new cow book if we can get someone to publish it.
I think it would be awesome to have the over 75 cows in one great colorful place! The cowlander would not have the dates on so you could use it and put your own numbers in to make it a perpetual COWlander...pretty smart huh?
Here is a photo of Mary Lou and Mel and Jean Wells...I have known Jean for many many years and remember taking a class from her when she was making stenciled fabric for her little girls dress's. Her little girl Val is in charge of the whole thing at Sisters along with people who work for them and she has kids of her own now too. Sisters is 38 years old! It is amazing to see all of those people who come every year. Such fun and the cutest little town ever.
Saw this and had to put it on the blog today....red always makes me smile and a red bluse, new shoes or jewelry always make me giddy to this day and that started in 7th grade. I LOVE red ginghal and white polka dots on red....so pretty with a hint of turquoise and yellow or black.
Pam who was the head of Camp Watch a Patcher this year did this adorable cow. It is so cool up close and the details are fab!
Cute face and eyes! If you want the pattern it is in the "Out of the Box with Easy Blocks book" and I will send you an extra fat quarter and a pattern or Mary Lou pin with your order. I appreciate orders as I have to earn a great deal of money to pay for my husband brain cancer care and our daily expenses. I am thinking of doing small kits and selling them. I am not sure how that will work but I will list them here on my blog. Stay tuned.
Colorful udder on the cow right?
Let me say that we appreciate it when you order books from us instead of Amazon. We pay more for our books and we send out little gifts with your purchase. I use this money to pay for things for my family and now I will be using the proceeds for medical bills for Mark. Go to Marylouweidman.com to order please.

My friend Mary Kate from California took four days with me at Camp Watch a Patcher. She decorated her sewing machine with her Granddaughter....is this cute or what? Wish you could have seen it in person.
TOP of machine
There should be some kind of contest for this...I want mine done in Polka dots and gingham and crystals with bling!
This was a gift a couple of months ago from Sandy and for some reason today is a RED and white dot day! Need to think of something fun to sew!
Here is my husband, my Grandson and my Son golfing together last week. If you did not hear my husband has been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. He is happy and talking like nothing is wrong with him. I went to the dentist today and when I told them, they were all shocked and teary like us. I have insurance until Sept and am trying to decide if I want to get all of the work needed on my teeth while I still have insurance...it is still alot of money. I am praying about it and hey, it isn't that big of a thing in the scheme of things at our house. We are enjoying each other so much and every day with him is a treat. He has been taking radiation and chemo since last week and no complaints. He is tired...but he went for a three hour walk with my daughter yesterday and it is hot! I'd be tired too.
     THANK YOU to those of you who sent postcards...he is thrilled at looking at the places people live and he got three from Australia. He has his little collection on the coffee table to show everyone. Some are funny like an Oklahmoa lady sent a cement blue whale photo and there are lovely photos of sunsets and palm trees on the ocean. I am hoping he keeps getting them. It makes him so happy.
The address is 1521 N.Argonne #276- Spokanne Valley, WA 99206
We would both love to see where YOU live and enjoy the picture. A lady made her own card with Snoppy in a plane and we laughed at that because it was so cute.
     Some people are making red car on a sky blue (light) background tone on tone so that he will have a warm quilt when it gets cold to snuggle up in. He loves RED cars and wanted a corvette he said when he came out of surgery. :0) Haha.
       
I may have shared this quilt before but isn't this fun? It is called Bovine Intervention. Haha....so many ideas no one has thought of yet....think about what cow you might do....All it takes it 2 a/2 hours and it is simaple and then you add the details!
Marylouweidman.com
Just wanted to share some awesome blocks in awesome colors....don't you love these foxglove flowers????
I have always loved with Boly Gardener does with her fabulous quilts. I am longing to make some quilts about Mark and I now for stories....I think I am going to divide a background like this and put a wild border on it and go for it.
I am working on my drawing book seriously because I MUST pull in some money.
I am also going to draw up some basic stories and blow them up quilt size and sell them as patterns. I think this will help with bills and it will be something I can do from home.
Hahaha, I had a dream the other night that I walked out into the yard and Donald Trump was my neighbor. He was holding his wife's hand and he walked over like he knew me and he said "hey, how've you been, I haven't seen you in a while." I looked behind me and he was talkng to me. Haha and then I thought I knew him and started talking about North Carolina and California and quilts. How is that for a weird dream. Didn't ask him for money but that must have been why I had the dream. Haha.
Life is funny and really Mark and I have learned to live for the day and to count God's many blessings. I can see where he has provided friends who call or stop by or know something about taking gingerale or something that helps. :0) My Grandkids have been such a blessing and two of my neighbors well three counting one's husband have said just the right things. One brought us dinner on a sad day and it was delicious and we felt so loved and it turned out that we sat there and talked blessings. My husband is such a nice person.
God taught me a long time ago when my son had cancer that GOOD things always come out of bad things...and there are often more good things. People are what are important and that has been what has blessed us. He has laughed and said how did these quilters know about sending postcards...he doesn't do the internet or computer and he has NO idea what a blog is. He said he was born twenty years to late. NOT me. I loved the 60's and all of that creativity and fun!
So dear friend, hug someone and count your many  blessings and love the people around you. Life is short and being upset over little tif's is not going to help your heart of your health. If you aren't already doing it, make a list of things that blessed you today. Mel bought me some moisture cream for my face and hey, I am so happy to smell it and feel it. Little things make BIG memories.
I love you for visiting here, thank you!