Mary Lou's Story Quilt Retreats are FUN, Creative, Colorful and Come with NEW friends and Invention Discoveries- See what YOU can do!

We have an ice cream store in Spokane with this name and I like their sign so I grabbed it on this cold winter's day...it is 1 degree right now...and I am thinking of how beautiful it is in Spokane, Millwood and Coeur d'Alene in June when we will have the Mary Lou Happy Go Lucky Annual retreat Here are some photos of years past and later I will post more. We do have FUN and love the whole package of what this provides.

More details here http://marylouweidman.com/retreats.aspx

Happy colors and designs by J9 as she makes a Flower Power quilt with easy piecing!

J9 shows off her foxgloves for her quilt- LOVE them! This is so fun and inventive and creative

 Below is a quilt coming along by Mari Linfesty...so cool

 Miss Tina takes a water break as she thinks of more things she has to cook and bake for us

These are Sandi's birds that she was working with...cute right??

Salad is served...delicious with the hot onion soup bread coming out of the oven...

Walls that go up as everyone gets creative.

Awesome work for us to ponder and enjoy by Mari

here Carol add's to her design wall. I think I caught her thinking and not posing....

here is Kathy adding to her story about going to the Washington Monument and other places with her Granddaughter- would have loved a memory quilt made by my Grandma for our memories....

Carol H's "Orange" flower

Blocks together to create something fun!

here Val shows off her rabbit after the cutting excercise where you cannot draw and you use your scissors instead...so fun and so creative too

How is this for a creative worm? Note the tiara and the smile

Story quilt all ready to tell it's story..great colors and fun!

 Birds of every kind and shapre- what do birds tell you? Original and whimsical...let's talk invention

Laurie and Eilene happy over a Mexican themed lunch!

 A cruise story quilt ready to show the Grandchildren in the story about the ship...

Eilene loves snowmen! Can you invent while making a story about a snowman you remember?

Sandy Fisher shows her daughter's sixth birthday. Wonderful! What birthdays do you remember????

A holiday with family on Aruba story quilt!

The day before the retreat a number of the girls visit Manito Park in Spokane (beautiful)

OK, I am having a senior moment on whose quilt this is all ready for the quilt story to go inside.

This quilt is by darling Dawn on the right. A wonderful person with so much talent and fun.

Salad, hot rolls and cookies

Vegies filled and plain-crisp and delicious

Seven layer bars for snacks...

 Delish snacks for us during the day to keep up our strength and happy attitudes! Tina is good about making the meals healthy and always fruits and vegies for those that want to stay healthy along with desserts and a snack table with chocolate, and loads of other things for everyone else.

Charlotte, one of the Bunny Sisters worked on this quilt called :"Music to Paint By." Her husband was painting and his nephew or relative came and played the sax while he worked. This turned out to be an awesome quilt and it is her husband's favorite.

I tell my classes (and it is true) that when you do a quilt for a man, it is always his favorite quilt. She backs me up on this now. :0)

Below is the beginning of Mari's cow quilt that had her whole family included. It is traveling now to all parts of the US and elsewhere. Great fun! Just got back from Iowa....

Huckleberries are a big thing here in this area and a huckleberry milkshake for Sandy and Mary Lou was just what we needed to make us more creative

Here is Sandi from Canada's story quilt about she and her Mother driving all over the US and Canada together-really fun and this is not a completed quilt in this photo....so fun in person!

Vegies and houses

This is the beginning of Sandy's amazing cow quilt that jhung in Houston not long ago and is hanging in Phoenix at the AQS show now. She does amazing work.

Here is the beginning of Sandy's COW- isn't she wonderful/ So many things you cannot see in this photo for details like dessers and candy's and hat and adorable eyeclasses-Creativity took her away and she h=just grew and ivented and made a fabulous quilt! MOOvalus!

Laura who is a Bunny sister did this quilt about meeting her husband in hawaii and she lived in TX-pretty fun

Lisa starts to put herself on the story center...great ideas ahead!

Below Sandy from Bozeman works on her quilt ideas- really fun watching the process of telling stories...

Below is Sandy from Montana's Italy quilt which won a first place ribbon -really fun to watch her invent and work out colors and ideas

Night before we start those that want to, meet at the Mexican restaurant after a day of shopping and seeing sites in Idaho and Washington....lots to see and do

Chicken and pasta and salad and hot bread and awesome dessert-what more could you ask for? Miss Tina knows her way around the kitchen!

Above is Lisa who is so proud of her story quilt- like a self portrait. Leave your idea of who you are for generations to come! learn creativity, fun and color plus design and composition!

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Above, a story quilt on a sunny day story...quite wonderful....

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Above, Molly gets her story quilt done about her first date with her husband-so great and will be here to show people who she loved, when and why!

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Closeup of Judy's story quilt

I provided bracelet makings for everyone thanks to my friend June who taught me how to do these...they were awesome. This year we will have ornament kits

Below is a story quilt by Judy about being a docent at the Monterey Aquarium, it just got better and better and better....this was not complte, it was in the works

here Kathy and Sandi dish up their meal...great fun and selection- we pride ourselves on Tina's cooking and baking!

Below are blocks that wil lmake up and awesome quilt! Love the colors and whimsy-J9 who came last year will be attending again!

Below are gift bags from last year...pretty wonderful plus all of the fairy gifts and tiaras. This year's theme will be Christmas so wonder what you are getting? Pretty cool surprises, that's what!

Inspirations from a 65th birthday. I am officially an old lady and happy that I made it!

Yesterday on my birthday I received this darling card from Stephanie, a friend from long ago who I keep in contact with and get to see when I teach for her group at Aunt Mary's in Smokey Point in two weeks! Hooray. Isn't this creative and fun? She took some of my fabrics and made this. I love the edging don't you? GREAT idea! Thank you Stephanie.

Knowing how much I love Paris and adventure, Stephanie sent me this notebook that I could use for a journal or for drawing. I love both ideas.
Isn't this cover wonderful? VERY happy and creative. Made me smile when I opened ths package.

I got this darling birthday card from my friend Molly along with a nice lunch box type container filled. It is always so nice when a gift arrives the day of your birthday and you were not expecting anything.
Mark and I decided that we did not need to spend the money on a gift for me. We have learned the difference between needs and wants. And truthfully everything I want is out of range right now. And I cannot think of a thing I really want anyway. I am so happy with m y family and my friends that I see that as a gift that I really love!SO, below is the box that Molly sent and it was so pretty. There is a little handle on the side just like a lunch box and it is so cute.

Inside the box was all kinds of surprises which made me smile too. Don't you just look at a package like this and wonder what could be in there? You have already seen the darling card she sent. We love that designer.

Lindt candy is a favorite since I got to go to the facotry in Switzerland...very fun. If you have not tried this chocolate candy you must. It is very smooth and very good.

Inside the red paper was this little bundle and it is pattern paper it was wrapped in. Isn't that a great idea?
Now look at what I opened!

 Isn't this the CUTEST bracelet you have ever seen? I just love it. And today (the day after my birthday I wore it to my daughter's house where we had brunch for my birthday since everyone was skiing yesterday and had to make their weekly lessons. Such fun for all. I expect to be wearing this a ton. It goes with everything. Molly knows what I love. I see my hands are looking like my Mother's and Grandmother's. How did that happen and when? I didn't notice this before. Oh well, I am happy in spirit and that is what counts.

At the bottom of the box was this cashmere scarf. Since it is going to be 1 degree this week where I live,it will come in handy. It is so cold today and will drop even more. Isn't this the perfect color for someone who misses the sunshine and Spring or summer? Both of these have such happy colors. No gray or brown for me. And polka dots too! My most favorite pattern in all of the world.

This is a card I received from one of my "Cupcake" friends. She belongs to a group we have had for about 15 years. There are six of us and we are the cupcakes. Laurie who lives in Lopez Island is very thoughtful and creative too. I so appreciate being remembered. The perfect card for a "cupcake" girl.

Below is a card from a friend I have had for many years that is a flight attendant-many of you know Susan from Seattle. Susan is a cupcake member also and she always has things that make me laugh...loud and alot. She is so much fun! This card is typical of her joy.

As it happened, one of the bunny Sisters Charlotte, sent me this newspaper article about the COW exibit we had in Houston. Mel McFarland and I curated this show. If you want to see it , it will be showing at the AQS show in Phoenix this month. Anyway, what a gift this article was. Charlotte's cow was "Moolah" and it is featured in the article as was Laurie's Moody Blues (Laurie sent me the cupcake card.)  I am having a brain miss and I cannot remember all of the names but Tina (the girl who cooks for my retreat) did the Mooey Cowliente quilt and Sandi from Canada did the Cow that jumped over the Moon. I have a photo of my friend and I from Houston with us in front of the cow pie and I am having brain problems remembering her name which I know well. Ever have that happen? I am 65 now so I have an excuse.

Charlotte lives in Florida and she used her special Florida paper to mail me the note along with the newspaper. I turned it over and look, it looks like a high heel and sort of reminds me of Italy. Right?

Or is it just me?

I had to show this platter. It is one of my most favorite belongings. I LOVE tiaras and Sandy and Wendy gave this to me last year. It is so playful and it is ME. Sandy gave me a gift certificate to Target yesterday also. It is my favorite in town go to store. I love what they have...so many cute things so it won't be hard to find something. I am thinking that this Spring I will get something for my garden. Can't wait to start cleaning up out there and planting. 

I wanted to share this little picture I have had for years. I have long been a huge fan of Janet Bolton and I think this is kind of a knockoff of her style of things. The initials are different so it isn't her but isn't this darling? Makes me smile everytime I see it and when my friends helped me clean my sewing space, they put it up. 

I am ending this with a photo from a card. There are so many of you that could be sitting right here next to me in our robes and holding hands and smiling. Look at the style of the fancy girl on the left and the other lady on the right. Isn't this funny? The older I get the more my friendships mean to me. I dearly love my friends like family. As they say "make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold." All my friends are diamonds. Thank you sincerely for visiting my blog. Hope these colors, and fun things inspired you like they did me! I am officially an old lady now and it is so freeing. I don't have to follow the crowd. I make cow quilts and am happy doing it. And story quilts will always be my thing because I love telling about a life that is happy and well lived.

Hearts and Cows and Invention and Creativity

These are new heart blocks by Sandi Henschel for my swap.  Pretty fun. Very Hoochy and very colorful and fun! I especially like that black with the big snowflakes as it added some punch in there-it works if the background is mostly dark black as white usually takes over and makes you eye want to go there instead of all over the quilt surface. I call it the white rule!

Isn't this fun? I love it! 20 blocks....makes you feel in the mood for love...or more hearts and sewing. :0)
This will make a lovely quilt for twenty of the girls who are swapping blocks. FUN

THIS is the truth! Think positive and not negative. It starts with making gratitude lists and you can start smell and build it. I have my Grandkids doing this anytime they come over.
Today I am happy for the beauty of snow, that my husband is going sledding with his Grandkids after school. for raisins in oatmeal (yum), for warmth in our home, for flannel ph's, for a good stash, for sharp needles, for time to sew, for good friends on the internet, for something hot to eat on a cold day, for kids who love me, for the privilege of loving my kids, for emails from a friend out of the blue, for cow quilts, for being able to laugh, and for you.

Above- alot of you wanted this posted again because it made you laugh...it IS pretty funny.

Isn't this new cow darling? This is by Carol Heuter who comes to my retreats from Arizona. She is so much fun and reallly creative and inventive. I think he is wonderful and look at those boots! NOT to be missed!

Here is Winnie the Moo who I think was done by Leanne. If I am wrong please correct me. Isnt she fun and she loves her hay. Love the fabric and the eyes and the border is great!

Carol Drudy is a friend who took my retreat in West Virginia and she has style! I thought this adorable cow had so many good touches in it! Lots to look at and lots of fun while looking. I loved how the cow is whistling, don't you?

I had to show this again because it is just too darn great! Jamie Morton took my workshop at Asilomar last year and she is a wonderful artist that works in many ways. She is working on a wonderful tribute story quilt about her Father. It is going to be wonderful.
I was so excited when I saw these darling cows because it makes you smile just like the ones above.
    THIS is what this is all about. Taking an idea and doing a cow for FUN and enjoying the way it makes you feel. These cows have traveled all over the US and will be in Phoenix for the AQS show, Hooland and Switzerland and in Sisters again this summer. Right now we have 56 quilts in the collection that travel and more all of the time.  I had a man tell me that he has worked at hundreds of quilt shows and never heard laughter and excitement like the cows. I think it is because it is ok to laugh and there is so much to look at. THIS is what creativity and inventing is about. Making something that brings a response from people. If you can do that you made it!
The pattern is in the Out of the Box with Easy Blocks book.
      And I am putting in a shameless promotion here-if you don't know how to invent and be creative, come to my retreat with summer in June. See side bar. Not only will all of that be covered but we will have some of the most creative students that help each other and are happy and awesome!
     Also I will be in Tahoe for story quilts and in West Virginia at Cedar Lakes for my five day story quilt workshop this spring. Come and join us! http://marylouweidman.com/schedule.aspx

Valentines Day Mary Lou swap,Mary Lou's Retreat Projects (some), Empathy vs Sympathy what's the diff? And Mary Lou Retreat INFO

I have a block swap room as many of you know and this month we are working on (what else?) hearts!
Michele is Johnny on the spot and has hers done already.
I picked these colors and thought they would look cool and the one of our girls in the group (Deb) sent me this photo from Pinterest (no name, I am sorry, hope she see's this).

Our blocks will be scrappier and we are swapping 16. So either we need to put wider sashing in for a nap quilt or make it a story quilt or use other blocks to make it bigger.

There are so many fun things to do with hearts and I love this little quilt I made for the bedroom of a Grandchild. It is nice seeing words and words that contain afirmations are great especially LOVE. Hearts are almost like words, right? This quilt is in my book I did with Mel Mcfarland called "Out of the Box with Easy Blocks." There is an alphabet just made for words in quilts! Two styles! You can order the book here and get prizes in with your order! Marylouweidman.com
    Don't you just LOVE reds and pinks this time of year???
The darling quilt below was done my my friend Kathy Collins. I love her work.

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My daughter snet me the neatest thing on the difference between sympathy and empathy.
It is well worth taking time to see and you can skip the ad at the beginning too! You won't regret taking time to see this and it will make you a more thoughtful person too. Something to really think about in the New year!
http://lifehacker.com/this-video-explains-the-difference-between-empathy-and-1487494909
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I could not believe my eyes when I saw the jackets that the USA is wearing...are you kidding me? And they make fun of quilters! Sheesh, could they have gotten more on these if they tried??? This is funny and I thought at first it was a joke. Guess the joke is on the atheletes. Yikes..
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 Mary Lou's Retreat is staring to fill up and we have many awesome things planned for you in a brand new facility that is only a few short miles to four different quilt shops. YES four. Miss Tina will cook for us again and we have fun extras planned. The theme is Christmas in June and I will have all kinds of patterns for Christmas trees and wreaths and some small projects for ornaments and ideas of ornaments with kids for when you get home. We are hoping to plan a cruise on Lake Coeur d'Alene for the day before the retreat and then we will go to Mary Lou's favorite shop there and then to dinner at The Coeur d'Alene hotel for those who want to. Hope you and some girlfriends might like to come. We planned this for later in June so you teachers can come and not worry about your schdedule.
More info at Marylouweidman.com

Above -"lunch is ready"- French onion bread and anti pasta salad ala "Miss Tina -brownies from the oven for dessert...Below Miss Tina takes a break with strawberry basil water

Below is just one of thw wreaths we will offer along with a large Christmas tree 

Just one tree sample-now the figures all have faces, buttons, crystals and embellishments 

Ideas galore!

Perhaps you would like to do a pieced ornament tree...come and get the directions for a fun one of a kind tree with sayings pieced in like "JOY" or your family name 

Mary Lou went to Germany, France and Switzerland  and got many image ideas for trees and wallhangings. She will be teaching this class at Asilomar in 2016 and plans to use this as her first workshop. Trees, angels, little gnomes, beautiful ornaments and loads of other ideas will work well for making lasting quilts to be kept in the family or outside of the family for years. SO many good ideas and we have them for beginners and the well seasoned quilter. :0)

Hope to have your come and have fun with us and we hand out tiaras, makings for ornaments and all kinds of Christmas related ideas for winning one of a kind quilts! And, we won't be cold!

I am blessed, Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, Valentine's projects and Connie helping me

 I decided to join my block swap with Valentine hearts and we are using black backgrounds and red hearts...stay tuned to see the results! Very fun

Speaking of Valentines, my Grandson came today and wanted to make a quilt. We worked on a Valentine for his MOM and DAD and he was quite pleased...this is the second little project we have done and more to come...

Connie came over yesterday and we laughed and talked and sewed on Mark's quilt....we have one more day possibly two to get this put together for him....

It is more fun sewing with two people than one...in my opinion...

Connie is also working on a new cow and I have one in mind....we were looking at my stash and gee there are SO many ideas there! Do you ever notice what wonderful fabric you have and wonder why you haven't used it? That is where I am.
I am thankful to have a place to sew and a good stash...I am blessed
    Today my friend sent me this to share...they sound good and easy to do for Grandkids.... what do you think?

And the winners ARE....

The winners of the comments (chosen by drawing names out of a bowl) are....
Diane P.
Jan R.
Janice Martin
Mary Winegar
Jacqueline
Lovely comments all, thank you.
     Please send me your address's within two weeks and I will send you out fabric and buttons for a nice surprise!
    Congratulations!
My email is Marylouquilts@aol.com