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These quilt blocks for story border by Diane.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE INTERESTED IN TAKING EITHER OF MY ASILOMAR WORKSHOPS, THE NEW MAILER IS ONLINE NOW. DON'T WAIT OR YOU WON'T GET IN. MY CLASS FILLS THIS WEEK. EMPTYSPOOLSSEMINARS.COM

Sylvia's story on the left....
Next year will be the year that I have alot of new stuff since I am working on my book NOW. The photos here are a few I grabbed from borders to one little story to the blackboard in the bathroom in Pacific Grove of a nice restaurant. We have fun everywhere we go!

Hope you plan to join in the fun for five lovely days.

Deb's quilt-turned sideways for some reason....

Gingers border all prepared for a wonderful story! I love these colors

Something good to memorize

"FILL MY MOUTH WITH WORTHWHILE STUFF AND SHUT IT WHEN I'VE SAID ENOUGH."

More Wonderful Quilts and Things I Love

Above is a window quilt I thought was really quite fun and interesting to study.

This was a lovely quilt from a distance and then look at the threadwork once you get close!

Below is the kind of quilt I love to make though I could not make this one. It is scrappy and lovely and the fabric on the borders is wonderful too. I wish this was my quilt to hang in my home.

Below are my tulips. Now how long ago did your tulips bloom? This is a silly weather situation here in Spokane Valley and we don't have global warming here.

I LOVE the colors and shapes of tulips. At one time Mark ordered 600 bulbs. Our yard was awesome but what a pain to dig up those a few years later to replant. I left many of them in the compost pile.

Speaking of encouraging creativity. This is my Granddaughter Ava. Give a kid a package of blue tape and they have fun and tape their lips closed...what could be better for Grandparents? haha.

I looked at this photo taken of my son and Grandson and it made me sad to see my Grandson is no longer a pudgy little toddler...he is a boy...with no front teeth...and a family that loves him dearly.

Here is an idea for you creative people who like to sew clothing. This dress was made from a simple child's t-shirt and some fabrics that were attached as a ruffle and a flower on the front. My Granddaughter looked darling in it and I was happy that Tusuti Zoo (shop in Pacific Grove) made these to sell. It was a win win.

Isn't it nice how you can take three easy things (strawberries, fresh pineapple and cookies) and make them look fit for a queen easily if you have one of these great stands? This is a nice time of the century if you like to entertain...there is so much out there!

If you don't get my newsletter, you missed out on my pulled pork recipe (this week) that is excellent. Don't miss more fun stuff. You can sign up on the right side of this blog above..simply scroll up.

Spring Market in Portland FUN

Top is the front of the quilt by my friend Melinda Bula and the back of the quilt is all of the quilting and threadwork....isn't this wonderful????

A rose is a rose is a rose...unless it is a quilt.


Nancy Halvorson and I in her booth. We are friends and use the same stylist at benartex (Esther) who only works with us! We both love Esther and think she is the best in the business.
Nancy's skirt has a handmade lace over the coral color...it is wonderful. She showed me cute photos of her two Grandchildren...this seems to be what I love to talk about with my friends...oh and color, joy, recipes and happy things too.

This is a photo of Kathy (my right hand gal Friday) on the left, Brenda who is a good friend from Texas, Stacy (Marti Michele's daughter) who is rooming with brenda and me at the end of a full day at Market. We are at my favorite restaurant in Portland called "Mother's" which features comfort food. We are eating dessert in this photo...caught again.


Above is a wonderful and colorful quilt from Market. Below is a closeup. This was wonderful.


Above is a photo of Sharon Yenter and I. Sharon owns In the Beginning fabrics who I used to design for. We talked about old times and one time when she and I went to a restaurant right before Christmas and we had lots to talk about and when we went to order dessert they said "you've had the table long enough and you need to leave." It was upsetting at the time but we have laughed alot since. We hope we can do something together again in the future. It is always fun to work with friends you have a history with.
Marsha McClossky came by and she has a Grandson named Jack as do I. Sharon's Grandson is Zac and my other Grandson is Mac. We all laughed at Jack, Jack, Zac and Mac.

Above is a photo of a great quilt from the Netherlands I thought was charming. Great ideas for faces and whimsy and color.
Market was fun this year and I hope to connect with more good friends in Houston this Fall.
My biggest regret? I had a lunch date with Pat Sloan and I could not find her.

A Lady Who is Creative...

PLANTING A BOTTLE TREE PUTS COLOR IN YOUR WORLD AND PROTECTS YOU FROM EVIL SPIRITS TOO

I have had a lovely bottle tree in my yard for four years and in my last house I had several bottle trees out in my garden to trap the evil spirits (an African legend) and provide beautiful color to my yard. Now I am on a mission to find small blue bottles to get more color and fun out there. Remember all of those cute little blue bottles people sell at thrift stores? And where are the red and purple bottles? I can't seem to get enough beautiful color in my life.

Happy Autumn. :0)

Large or small old trees make great bottle trees.

Great perspctive here...though I would not want to live with the man that did this to his yard.

For a great bottle tree in California, scroll down.

Whimsical Stories at the Crown Plaza....Christmas for the Santabarbaraquiltingretreats.com

Above is Jan and jeanne and I am wondering if I dyed my hair blond and wore heals if I could be their older sister. These girls are both artists and it was great fun watching Jeanne use her own dyed fabric for her Rejoice wallhanging.


Above is Christina who came all the way from Philadelphia to take the Christmas class and also learn Hoochy Mama blocks. She is a quilt artist and had a lot of ideas and spunk and was a great asset to our class. I think she is a woman with Wisdom. I always look for women with wisdom so I can learn new things and pass them along to my daughters and friends.



Above is the two photos I took of a wallhanging that Peggy from Gallveston did. It is a little story of her Mother and her trying to get their dog and cat to sit still while they got their Christmas photo taken. You can see the different views. She had a elf who was the photo taker and hoochy borders all the way around. Once this is done and quilted it is going to be a great quilt! Below is Peggy with her stash and sewing machine. She was decked out in Christmas gear the entire week. She won the prize for creativity and the "mood" of a cheerful Christmas holiday.


Below is Roxanne to worked on several quilts at one time. She is doing a quilt of Motherly advice for her daughter Nicki. She had written a book for her and now is going the quilt as a follow up. What advice would you put in a quilt for advice?


Below is Chrstina (Tina) and I with dueling candy canes. She was going to go and spend Mother's Day with her son's family before she headed home. She has Granddaughters she is just crazy for. I knew just how she felt. :0)

My friend's Mel and Chris came by the class and brought their story quilts to share with everyone for fun. They also brought the best cupcakes I have ever had. We all enjoyed the different flavors and I caught a quick photo of Chris enjoying one when she didn't think anyone was looking. :0)

Above was the beginning of a Flower Power quilt of Mel's. She has a variety of great flowers down pat and it will be fun to see what happens with this quilt as it develops.

Above is Nancy who kept us entertained with her stories and fun quips and Mari Linfesty who knows more facts that anyone you could ever imagine and she is funny also. She is appliquing on her snowmen on her Rejoice quilt. It was fun to have someone bring up a subject and Mari would chime in with some unknown fact. She did this all week long.

Above is a photo of Doris who cleverly pieced her goose on her Rejoice quilt. Doris is from Anchorage now and originally from Germany. We all loved her accent and fun stories about the origins of Christmas traditions.

Above is the background of a quilt by Mari. It is a story quilt about when her Mother took her two boys on the Queen Mary and they got the chicken pox and were quaranteened in their room. She taught the two little boys the finer art of playing poker. Now this will be a fun quilt and we are hoping it will be done in time for my new book!