The Quilt Show and Me

Well, it's finally here. The Quilt Show is now showing a slide presentation of my episode (#501) that will start airing on July 6th. Why I can't seam to keep my hands from waving in the air I don't know. I'm not Italian. Maybe my Native America ancestors were very animated. I do know some where preachers on that side, so maybe that's it, I'm leading the church choir. I have a funny felling that my life is about to change big time.

It all started about 13 years ago when Joe, Matt and I moved to Sacramento. I didn't want to move there. We where living by the beach in Aptos, which I loved. I love the sand, the water, even the fog.

The economy was like it is today (crappy) and we had to go for financial reasons to find a cheaper place to live and for Californians there aren't many choices. Back then a starter home at the beach was $350,000 for 900 square feet of fixer upper, which meant it was missing some windows and doors and maybe part of the roof (AWESOME, it has a skylight!) So Sacramento, here we come. I cried all the way. When we arrived it was a wonderful 108 degrees in May. I had no friends or family close by and had just given up my fabric and wallpaper design business. Plus it was just too hot. You couldn't go for a walk until 9:00 at night. I was a little depressed to say the least.

One hot and steamy day I was clicking the remote and stumbled on a new TV show called Simply Quilts. The host was cute and bubbly and she was making quilts. I liked to make quilts. She was even incorporating art into her quilts. Maybe I could make a quilt to keep myself busy until the weather changed. Off to WalMart I went to buy fabric. I didn't even know there were such things as quilt shops. I made 5 quilts in about 2 months. I was obsessed.
So it is very appropriate that I have found myself on The Quilt Show today.
Who new that years after I thought my life was over and I had given up the job I loved and had to change everything in my life that I would be doing my passion and sitting next to Alex and Ricky in La Veta, Colorado. Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Enjoy the show and check out my cute shoes. Sorry for all the arm waving.

Summer In My Backyard!

It has been really hot this week. That is when the summertime heat reaches 100+ and our backyard becomes a cooling place to be and enjoy the outside. I have been holed up in the house because of the heat and because of printing patterns for my upcoming 2 week gig in Southern California. I am doing 5 quilt guilds in 14 days. What was I thinking?
For a diversion and to pretend that I am not as wimpy about the heat as I am, Joe and I like to spend the afternoons around the shady pool throwing the ball for our dog, Cosmo. I dip my feet in the cold water and always ask, "When are we getting solar for the icy pool?" To which Joe consistently replies, " *@$#%!!#^#^*!!!!, it's 100 #@!$@! degrees." In a nice way, of course.
I have turned into quite the Princess and the Pea in my older years. And I WILL get solar.
Yesterday as we set around the pool, and I actually went in, we read my first copy of CANDY CANE LANE! I now have 2 books, to which Joe is quick to add, "2 books, exactly one more than you have READ." It will be out in the stores in August. You can already preorder it on Amazon right now. If you would like a signed copy you can order if from my web site melindabula.com at the end of August.

Summer time is the perfect time to start thing about Christmas. So what that it's 100 degrees. Even the cool backyard colors go with this Christmas book. Just remember to keep your feet in the pool while you stitch.

Tahoe Blue!

How many colors of blue can you see in one day?
If you ever get the chance to visit Lake Tahoe, do it. It is a color filled vacation that pushes the envelope in experiencing the colors of blue. I have lived in Hawaii and that is also a breathtaking color feast. But right in my own back yard is the most beautiful lake in the world. Now I know why all the Prius owners in northern California have Keep Tahoe Blue bumper stickers plastered on their cars.

I just taught at a 5 day retreat at "the lake" called Flowers On the Lake. Our classroom had a wonderful view of the lake. It was quite distracting. I found myself and most of the students exclaiming at different times "look outside. I need a picture of that," and out the door they went, camera in hand. I know there is a Tahoe quilt in there some where. My girls did some beautiful work. There was a wide range of skill levels in the class, like there always is. Which I like. It's thrilling to help the artistic see something in a new way. But the best is when a new, never quilted before babe has the guts to try something totally out of her box. So in walks B.A. (I will call her that for now.) She has Master's Degree in chemistry and owns a winery in the valley. Love her already! And now she is mine for 5 days. I can't wait to see what she does. They are all precious to me and I love the challenge of pushing out their creativity. We all have creativity, just some of us don't want to do the hard work to access it and it is painful most times. Haven't you ever heard of suffering for your art? That is my job and I love the challenge. So B.A. was struggling. At one point on day 3 there was a tear or 2. Then, the next morning, she took me aside and said "I Get It! Last night I started to see the colors." What a thrilling moment for both of us. We giggled and hugged. I love my job.
So here is B.A. combining some of her hand-dyed fabrics.
I am so proud of these girls. Thanks to all of them, it was a wonderful time.

Can't wait to start planning another Flowers On the Lake for next year.

Fathers of Mine!

I wonder, as Father's Day passes us by, why there were not any shows honoring Father's Day? Mother's Day is a big business and the advertisers and media milk the day, weeks and months in advance. But what has happened to the Fathers? As my brilliant husband is watching the stupid Simpsons show as I write this piece, I wonder how different life would be if we spent a little more time reflecting on the fathers in our lives that really are Fathers Day worthy. Some of these men worked overtime so their family could live in a safe neighborhood. Some worked 2 and 3 jobs so his little girl could have that pretty dress to wear at Easter and later it became a fancy prom dress. Some sacrificed their own desires to keep the family together. Some worked so hard in terrible jobs day after day so their wife could stay home with there child. When they walked through the door after a hard day at work, they would drop everything to spend a little time playing with their children. I know not every person has a wonderful man in there life that they can called father and my heart grieves for them. I was blessed, and I give thanks to the 2 men in my life that stayed when they could have left and persevered above and beyond. I proudly give you the title of Father of the Year! Dads of a Life Time. To you two, HAPPY FATHERS DAY !!!!
Now I have to try and move one of those men away from his riveting cartoon show.

music

Christmas in June?

Last week I was at the Citrus Belt Quilt Guild in Redlands and The Night Owl quilt Guild in Ontario. These towns are full of the historic charm of old California. It just has that old Hollywood feel that I love. I guess I watch to many old movies.
The Citrus Belt girls took me to lunch after my lecture on Friday, to old town Redlands. It was very quaint. And wouldn't you know that right in the middle of this beautiful historic town known for its old fruit box labels. Was the best Brighton store I have ever experienced. it is called Mozart's. Of course I had to go in. The building was divine and the sparkles and beautiful colors where calling to me. Of course my students didn't try and stop me as walked through the door. In fact I think I felt a push from Jeta, one of the girls. Thanks a lot! They carry a line of one of a kind purse covered in silk, ribbons, flowers and beads. They took my breath away. These are true works of art. The shop was also filled with floral bouquet. And you know how I love bouquet. Then I heard a crash. My new Brighton purse just knocked over a display. My hands where too full of goodies. It felt like Christmas.
When I got home there was a big box waiting for me, from my publisher Martingale/Patchwork Place. It was full of all my quilt samples and projects for my up coming book called Candy Cane Lane. It should be out in August.
This morning as I walked down the stairs and viewed my living room. It really did looked like Christmas had arrived in June. This is way to early for me. I just took down the garland over my mirror in March. Well, really Joe took it down because I was out of town. He has a thing about, all decoration need to come down the day after Christmas. But I like to saver the mood for awhile at least until January 2.

I had so much fun thinking of all the project I could do to go with this quilt. In fact, the publisher said I had to many ideas and cut some great stuff from the book. (the more pages the more the book cost.) So I will be offering some cool companion patterns for this quilt book in in the future.
So I guess it's not to early for Christmas. Christmas can be at any time and any where. It really is a state of mind. So Merry Christmas to you in June!

I only had him YESTERDAY.......

When you give birth, you have no idea about what is ahead of you in this life. The longing for that child and the overwhelming love hits you like a load of bricks. I never knew that love could go so deep. You go through all the stages with your child. You worry and cry for them. You laugh with them and at times laugh at them and what they say. At each step in their life and yours is something new for both of you.

Then the day arrives when all your hard work as mother comes to the final steps. When they graduate from college, which you have worked so hard to prepare them for.
I remember when he was 1 year old we dedicated him at Baby Dedication Sunday at our church in Santa Cruz. For Protestants it is like a christening where you acknowledge that this gift you have been given from God is just passing through your hands and that God has a purpose for this child's life and that you will raise him to know God. Joe and I walked up with the other new parents holding their little ones that Sunday except all the parents where holding newborns, the oldest being 3 months old and we stood there holding our bigger than his age 1 year old who was carrying a piece of lace in his chubby hands. I noticed that the other parents all had family members in the crowd that were taking pictures and waving but we where alone, just the 3 of us. It's always been that way.

I knew then that God had made this little man I held in my arms for some sweet reason. Maybe it was for future grandchildren to cuddle and love or it was to be a doctor or a teacher that would help others. We had no idea. But every night I have prayed for God's will in my child's life. That baby dedication was 21 years ago. So today is the day that I realized as a mother that I have one more big event to challenge me as a parent. Something that I never envisioned. Last Saturday Matt received his degree in Mathematics and today, on Memorial Day, I watched my only child leave for boot camp to become a United States Marine.

The joy on his face made me realize that this is what God had made him for. After boot camp he will spend 2 years at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey to become a linguist and from then on, who knows?

So he won't be the dentist down the street or sit in an office crunching numbers and making tons of $$$$$ . But he will be doing what God has gifted him for. So my prayers have been answered, just not in the way I wanted God to answer me. God has bigger plans than a mommy can imagine. I do have tears today but they are tears of deep pride and thanksgiving. I know my child is doing what he was made to do.

My blog is a little heavy today but filled with great pride.Who knows what the future will hold for this man and his mom, but just maybe someday we might have a Bula in the White House.

I was woundering if they have ever thought about painting it yellow?

Summer Nesting

I don't know what got into me this week, but I have had an overwhelming desire to nest. Maybe because my only son is graduating college on Saturday and I am feeling a little melancholy.
For the last 4 to 5 years in the spring I put white/cream slipcovers over my family room sofas. Kinda my version of Shabby Chic. I am trying to pretend that I am at my beach house in Santa Cruz spending the summer. Which is really a dream (I will go back one day.)
Those slip covers always looked messy after teenagers and my husband got done lounging. I was always tucking and straightening. What a pain.
So yesterday I had a great idea and finally the time to do it. Instead of just canvas slip covers that didn't fit the sofasI made custom fit slipcovers that look so much better. Its a great sofa in the winter at Christmas time, being green. But in the summer I need a lighter color to survive the hot days here in the foothills outside Sacramento.
I found some cream quilted cotton throws at Marshalls for $ 39 each. I bought 6 of them and one soft green for accent color. While in line with my shopping cart full of quilts, I was mistaken for a employee and asked "Who is going to help you make all those beds?" I thought that guy was flirting with me then when I saw his girlfriend/wife give him a dirty look. Maybe he was.I must have looked a little weird. So anyways last night and this morning I have been busy in my studio working like a mad woman. Ah !!!! They are done and so comfortable and I love the soft look they bring to the room. I need a few more pillows but that's for another day. But I now have a new problem. I don't want anyone to sit on my new white sofas. If my husband even looks in that direction, I quickly throw a quilt over the sofas before he can sit. He just looks at me and shakes his head. What a patient man.

Today has been a mad rush to get 2 of my quilts into IQA Houston show. Of course am last minute Susie and I had to pay extra for next day. The applications are due tomorrow. I have been so busy lecturing/teaching and traveling, that I now have to schedule my creative time by blocking out weeks on my calender. Here is a picture of my digital quilt and the original picture I started with. This is the first time I have enter a quilt using a different technique. It's kind of scary. But if i don't try I will never know. Art is about pushing your talent to the Max's. One of my students commented recently, "that you don't have to compete with others, because you are too busy competing with yourself." She is so right. I think entering my quilt art into quilt shows has made me a better artist. Try it some time and see what happens. I'll let you know if I get in.

I have a new fetish, Vintage cookie jars. Here is my newest purchase from eBay. I still have my Barbie addiction, still obsessed with old linens, buttons and salt and pepper shakers. But I never thought I would go cookie jar crazy. Whats a girl to do? I need some serious help!

Quilters Escape in the California Redwoods

Have you every driven your car through a giant redwood tree that is 10,000 years old?
Have you ever seen the sun set over blue mountains framed in a purple fog?
Have you ever created a masterpiece at the foot a winding turquoise river? Well then, you need to get out more.
And have you ever seen Big Foot?

I am teaching in a
historic logging town of Fortuna, way up north by Eureka, California at a wonderful retreat called Quilters Escape . this is big foot country.
This big foot thing is no joke. He really has been spotted here for years.

I'm sorry I digressed.

My classroom is full of light, with a river view that is undescribable. There are rolling green hills and a barn in the distance. Today I could see a herd of golden brown cows up against the rickety fence feeding on fresh grass that made me think it was good to eat. All organic, of course.
Then, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a flash of something moving. It was bigger than a cow and standing upright like a man. Just as I was demonstrating how to use Steam a Seam, I gasped and tried to stay calm. That was not a cow on the side of the hill, or was it?
Using my calm voice, I tried to keep my cool. I knew what it was. but i didn't want to alarm the class.
I later borrowed a flashlight from the maintenance man and walked the outside perimeter of the classroom. Just as I had suspected, I found footprints as big as my Omnigrid 24" ruler. Oh my G!

The girls had no idea the next morning as I walked calmly into class, but I was on the lookout all day today for you know who!

Messy Room

Today it stopped raining enough to pick some roses and enjoy the spring colors. This pot started out as a fairy garden but now is just a succulents garden in fabulous greens, that looked just perfect on my broken dish table. I know there is a fancy name for broken dish art, but i haven't had enough coffee to remember what that is.
This is my Aunt Mindy's Flower Basket pattern done in all blue's. The border reminds me of the broken dish table. I used Alex Anderson fabric by P&B. Which is the perfect color of blue.
The pattern has 10 embroider blocks. I just did 4 blocks for a mini quilt that hang over my blue denim sofa.
My studio is so messy right now because i am finishing up my quilt to enter into Houston. At the same time working on new designs and packing for my up coming retreat at Quilters Escape. Today I hope to have time to clean it up so I can start another project i have in mind. Its a doll.

Its funny, but my mess (work in progress) on my table, caught my eye. The colors and composition reminded me of the succulent garden on the broken dish table.
You can find beauty every wear, even in a messy studio if you are looking closely.
Don't miss these moments.
O.K. my moment is over, now back to cleaning up this messy room.

My Kind of Town!

So there we are in Chicago, "Our Kind of Town" stuck at a Quilt show. I'm in heaven because these are my people. But my sweet husband has had enough of me winning awards and looking at quilts. So on Saturday we ditched and went into the City. Joe figured out our route with the hotel's concierge and off we walked to the Metro, taking the blue line. As we approached the platform to wait for the train, I hear a "Melinda!". Oh, no, we've been caught ditching the show. No, it was just my friend, Mary Kerry, from California, another quilt artist. The last time we ran into each other was in Morro Bay at a quilt shop.
Mary and Joe on the Metro. Is he holding my purse again?


We walked to the Navy Pier. You can't leave Chicago without having a hot dog. We stopped at this place called Billy Goat Grill for a dog and by chance it just happens to be the place made famous by John Belushi and Dan Aykryod on Saturday Night Live. "Cheezborger, cheezborger, chips, chips, no Coke - Pepsi."
Then we where on the search for Bob Newhart's apartment. Joe informed we have now been to all of Bob Newhart's television home towns. How exciting for us.

This sculpture is at Millennium Park. What a beautiful park. Its called the Bean. Can you find us in the reflection?

Spring Has Sprung!

Today is the first day that I really feel that spring has arrived in Northern California. Beside all the sneezing that is going on in my house. My roses are full of blooms and the pollen is falling by the bucket load.
Today I am working on a new floral bouquet quilt. I hope to enter it in Houston this fall. I was taking picture of it and realized that this would make a beautiful new header for my blog. So welcome to the new look.
There is a new magazine or should I say it is really like a book. It's called the Artful Blogger. It's really cool with great ideas and writing from other blogger. The one I liked the best was an artist that said " I'm not much of a writer so here are my pictures." I can relate to that. I love to write. It's just time consuming because I can't spell. I have to re check the words about 10 times before I post and still I get it wrong. The other day I was writing up a flyer for my up coming retreat in Tahoe and put down lesion instead of lessons. So for that retreat you can have 4 days of Lesions for only $600. Such a deal!!!



I have this little pillow on my bed. I made it about 7 years ago. It's my design but somebody gave me this anonymous saying. I turned it into a cross stitch pillow so I would never forget these very true words. Here they are:

Dear Lord,
So far today I have done all right. I haven't gossiped, haven't lost my temper, haven't been greedy,nasty, selfish or over indulgence. I am very Thankful of that. But Lord in a few minute I going to get out of bed and from then on I'm going to need a lot of help!

Splendor In the Grass truly is splendid!

I just bought the most beautiful purple rose on a recent trip to Southern California. The girls, my mom sister and nieces’, went on an outing to Rogers Garden in Newport Beach last month. The roses where all blooming and there she was, the most perfect color of purple rose I have ever seen. Thanks god that I had driven down this time, because I was not leaving without that rose. I picked the bush that had lots of little buds ready to bloom. When I got home this Sunday from IQA Chicago Show, they were all in bloom. I have never seen a rose this color. I know she will have to be a quilt someday, just like I knew that Splendor in the Grass needed to be created. It’s funny to see your creation (quilts) win awards. When I was making Splendor in the Grass, I never thought about what will happen after it was done. It just had to be created in cloth. I get a little artistically obsessed.

I took a picture of 3 red day lilies at Bushnell’s garden center in Granite Bay. They have a beautiful day lily farm in the back. I always miss the blooming season but this day I hit gold! And I just happened to have my camera with me. For 3 months I longed to make this quilt but I was on a dead line to finish my first book, Cutting Garden Quilts. I place the picture up on my computer and starred at that picture of 3 months. Every day I longed to be up in the studio. But, I was learning how to be creative with words instead. When I would hit a blank wall with the book writing, I would look at my beautiful lilies picture, get inspired and continue the writing process. My reward for completing the book was that I could finely make the quilt.

So the day I put my last word on the page, sealed the envelope and return from the UPS store. I grabbed my scissors and started this quilt. I work on it nonstop for about 8-9 hours a day. Joe brought home a lot of take out. i finished the quilt top in 7 days. The thread work took another 5 days. Then I was done. I was overwhelmed and I fell on my knees and cried. I knew it did not come from me but from God. It just flew out of me. Like a exploding volcano. My finger tips where on fire. I knew then that I had had one of those rare artist moments that may never happen again. It still makes me cry. But it happened, that is why it is so sweet to have won “Best of Show” with this quilt. Not because I had any intention on winning anything, but that this quilt was meant to be in the world. It’s also nice to know that I am not the only person that thought it was special.

Summer Rose

I am working on a new pattern. Just in time for spring. Its called Summer Rose and I am in the process of adding beads that look like dew drops and other fun embellishments.
This is going to be a great quilt class to teach. It comes with a color chart, of course. And I am pretty sure you can turn it into what every color of rose you like.
I have just been asked to teach at Road to California in January 2010. It looks like it will be 2 classes, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. One class will be this new Rose. I will also be doing a luncheon Fashion Show which will be fun. I may even have some new outfits to show.
Summer Rose will be available soon, So keep checking my web site shop.
www.melindabula.com

Visiting the Old West in La Veta, Colorado

I wake up most days and can’t believe I do this for a living. No, not misspelling words on my blog but being able to create every day. Although the business of creating is an art form in itself, I think its called marketing out in the real world.
I find it almost as challenging and fulfilling as painting with colorful fabrics and threads, but not really.
This month has been filled with new adventures that started off with a trip to beautiful Santa Barbara, Ca. I drove down in one day, did my lecture that night. The next day it was an all day class. The girls made beautiful flowers. After class at 3:30 I drove home. “Why the rush?”, you say. I was flying out the next day to La Veta, Colorado via Denver. I rented a car and again drove 3 hours south of Denver to La Veta, almost to the New Mexico border.
You see so much from the front seat of your car.if you are looking. The mountains where full of snow and the landscapes color palate was so beautiful in shades of blue, taupe, sage with hints of pink and lavender.
Again, I started taking pictures from the car.

I pulled into La Veta about 2:00 pm. The town was more than small. If you blinked you'd drive right past it. It was like driving into the old west. Only my trusty steed was a Nissan. Where were Gary Cooper and John Wayne?
And there it was, the Ricky Tims Studio in the middle of town. I parked the car (Lightning) and followed 2 of the local town folk through the front door of the studio. I had no idea what I was doing.

It was surreal. I went from the old west to The Quilt Show out on the prairie in the blink of an eye.
They were just starting to shoot the next show. The audience was in place, about 50 people and I could see Ricky and Alex through the all the lights, cables and cameramen.
Someone said "Hello, Melinda” and it was Judith Baker Montano. WOW.
They got me a seat in a section called the "Queen's Box". Which I loved.
I looked around and there was Esterita Austin getting ready to shot her segment. Carol Doaks had just finished. And there was Joanie Zeire Poole, award winning heirloom quilter. They where interviewing Jan Krentz via satellite. I couldn’t believe I was there. Somebody pinch me.
If you are not a member of The Quilt Show you need to join. This is just the beginning of exciting things happening on Web TV. Plus you get to see my segment in a few months. So stay tuned - there is more to come.

Stormy Seas

Winter at the beach is so mysterious. I love it. My beach experiences have always been on the Pacific Coast or Hawaii. I don't really know the east coast shoreline but I hope to visit someday. I just spent the last 5 days teaching in Pacific Grove, CA at Empty Spools Seminars. Wow, what a place. It’s held at the Asilomar conference grounds right next to Pebble Beach.
During this stay a rainy storm blew in and dampened the grounds and all of us. That doesn’t stop quilters one bit. In fact, it made the smells stronger and sweeter and the colors where brighter. In my class I am trying to get the students to look closely at colors and values in just one flower petal at a time. It can be very challenging. So the rain was an added blessing. The waves at the beach where breaking at least 6 feet high at times. Then the sun would peek through the storm clouds and let a little ray of light shine onto the front of a breaking wave as it crested. The wave would glow with a deep turquoise blue green, edged in white froth. I couldn't wait to plant my bare feet in the cool wet sand and squish it between my toes. Which I did while taking pictures of the stormy sea. I see a wave quilt in my future.
My room was so sweet - it even had a romantic fireplace. Too bad I was alone. But I was there to teach and encourage although I was having a secret romantic interlude with the ocean. Don't tell my husband!
With each teaching venue I try to push up the ante for myself in developing my teaching style. This time I became the “Queen of the PowerPoint.” Each day I could show the students visually what I was talking about. The first day was finding your inspirational photo. Second day was how to paint with fabric. On the third day, I taught how to use color and value to create realism. The fourth day they got a break. My girls did tease me about "where is our PowerPoint?" But that night I had a surprise for them. It was my turn to do a short presentation to a very artsy crowd of about 300. They had 3-4 teachers present each night and I was the last to present. By the last day, I knew the crowd was getting very wary of one more presentation. I seem to always be last and I wanted to do something that reflected me and my art. It had to be dramatic and memorable but short, no more than 9 minutes. So, in true Melinda style a great idea came 3 days before I left for the retreat. I had a dream about this PowerPoint presentation. Even the song I used was in the dream. I was very nervous about the timing but my friend, Dawn, helped me along the way. I have found out that I like working with this new computer techno stuff. It’s just a new art medium. So I have put up the presentation on YouTube for you to view and enjoy.

Next time I do this I will try and dream up my PowerPoint at least a week before I leave. NOT

Folsom Quilt and Fiber Show

This weekend is the Folsom Quilt Show in Folsom, California. It just happens to be my home guild and, yes, it is near the prison that Johnny Cash wrote and sang about. But this is one of the best local quilt shows I have ever been to and I am not just saying that because I am a member. There is so much talent in this group it is amazing. It is a funny and encouraging group of women and you just can't help but have fun there.
Here are some of the wonderful award winning quilts.
This first one is by is Judy Danes . Watch for her in the future as she will have a new book out in March on her thread painting that is to die for.
The second quilt is by Patty Berghamp who is a fabulous appliquer. This quilt is so perfectly stitched and would look wonderful in my studio.
The third quilt took my breath away the minute I saw it. WOW! It was made by Dee .
The last picture is of our fearless leader, Karla Delner, who found a friend who was being smuggled in the back of a baby stroller to see the quilts. You can see she has a firm hand when showing him the door.
Got to go now and take more picture today. Stay tuned for more.

Phoenix

Phoenix is so beautiful this time of year. Not only is the sky a perfect blue but the temperature is just right at 70 degrees. I was invited to teach at Quilting In The Desert in Phoenix. Right away I noticed, I do not have any idea how to travel with piles quilts and supplies. You would think that all those years as a fight attendant would have taught me something more than just how to serve drinks in turbulence. But I was there with my designer luggage, a stylish leopard print that I thought at the time was the cutest luggage ever. My traveling life has differently changed from a sweet week in Hawaii to down and dirty, business travel. Its hard for me think of these teaching trips as business because I love to do this so much. So I am now in search for the biggest, toughest and lightest(tired of paying for the extra weight) suit cases I can find. Not only did the handle break off my bags but the side's ripped.
As I watched the other very seasoned teachers fly into town. It was pretty obvious that I was the new girl on the circuit.
Paula Nadelstern was sporting 2 large vessels that she got in New York's garment district. Katie P M was wheeling in some well seasoned hard sided red and blue monsters. Pam Holland was quite chic with her red hard sided carry on with red patten leather Birkenstocks and a matching red purse. I see that this packing thing is an art form all on it's own.

I did met some wonderful people at this retreat. Very creative and sweet. We laughed a lot. I have been invited back for next January which I look forward to. Next time I fly to Phoenix I will take the right luggage and spend more time in the airport because they have one of the best art exhibit in a airport that I have seen so far. Even there freeway art is fabulous. So if you are ever going to Phoenix take the right luggage and spend time looking around, it's quilt a treat.

The picture is of my favorite airport art “Samson” by Artist Brian Goggin. Its here at the Sacramento airport down at Southwests baggage claim. Which is really not that comforting while waiting for your bags to arrive.

January Baby

I don’t know why I hate the cold so much. I was born in January, I am supposedly a winter baby. But I do dislike the cold.
Yesterday I called my mom to wish her a happy birthday. It was 80 degrees in Southern Cal. They had all the windows open and were trying to let the breeze in. I instantly had a childhood memory and remembered the smell of that warm southern California air in winter. The skies are really blue and you can see the snow capped mountains up at Big Bear. If you stood on the roof of their house I bet you could see to the beach that is only 10 miles away. I remember as a teenager we would ditch school on days like this and go down to the beach. No one would be there and for miles you would see nothing but white sand. In the summer these same beaches were so full with sweaty bodies you couldn’t find a place to lay your beach towel.

I just got a call from The Quilt Show's producer, Angel. I’m going to be on their show later this year. I am doing my taping for the show in March. First thing she asked me was "what is the temperature there?" I said “what?” she said it was 14 degrees in Chicago and snowing. She needed to live vicariously through me for just a moment. Aren’t you in California? What a baby I am. It will warm up to a nice 60 degrees today here in Northern California. Maybe even 63. So OK! I may be a winter baby, my birthday is coming soon, which I would like to forget. And I hate the cold. I still can’t figure that one out. I’m pretty sure the lesson here is about learning to be content with where you are who you are and at how old you are going to be.
I have added some pictures of my January garden and the colors are quite beautiful. You couldn’t get these colors if it was hot. And I wouldn’t have the wisdom I have if I weren’t another year older.

It’s a New Year!

It’s a New Year. I am so grateful for the chance to live another year doing what I love. To create.
2009 is going to be a year of travel, teaching and trying new techniques. I am off to Phoenix at the end of the month for Quilting In the Desert. Then back to Asilomar in February for Empty Spools Seminars.

I truly love to teach and the art of teaching is everchanging and constantly pushing me in new directions. I recently had a student not sure she wanted to take my class. She wasn’t sure she wanted to do flowers or raw edge appliqué and she wants to work in black and white. I know, why is she taking my class? It made me think. As an artist why do we take classes? Ask yourself that. Why did Mary Cassette hang out with Monet? Why did Van Gogh hang with Gauguin? Think about it!

Could it be to learn?

How can you learn when you come to a class wanting to do your own thing? How can you grow as an artist if you don’t want to glean something from the teacher and those around you? I don’t get it. When you stop learning you might as well just die. You know it all. How sad it that?

Art is a never ending process. It’s not who finishes what or what awards you receive. Creativity is playing, making mistakes, trying new ways and solving the problems. It is never about finishing. Because there is always something new to figure out. Completing a project is your reward for solving the creative problems. Then you take what you learn from that project and move on to the next, one hopefully more challenging and difficult.

I have been playing around with computer art for the last few months, trying digital fabric printing and manipulation. It has been great fun and challenging. I love my computer, it is such a great artist’s tool. My husband had no idea what he was doing when he taught me how to work the computer years ago and now I am just as nerdy as him, except when it crashes. Then my sweet man gets the frantic wife call from me at work. Picture him sitting in his PG&E truck working in the hood, giving me tech support over the phone. He is still the top nerd.
Here is my first computer art piece. It’s called “A Boy and His Yace”.

My son’s security blanket was a lace placemat we had gotten as a wedding present. He went through all 4 placemats before the age of 4. That’s one a year. I added the last bits of the lace I had saved to the quilt. He is 3 in this picture and very serious. The beads around his body are little sayings that he said as a child. The numbers in the background represent his love of numbers at an early age (he was doing math at 3). The butterflies are him leaving the nest and spreading his wings.

So this year let’s try to learn from those around us and try new things and see what happens along the way.

God bless you in the New Year.

Christmas Time is Here!

When the temperature changes I get a little moody, I am a warm weather girl by nature and could easily live on the beach on a deserted tropical island. But I love Christmas and all that comes with it. I just finished decorating my home inside and out. When I was putting up the twinkle lights on my white picket fence the neighbors walked by and scolded me for being late this year. They said they count on me to bring the holiday feel to the neighborhood when I put up my outside lights. That was so sweet. For 26 years I have been in charge of the outside lighting. Joe usually gets stuck working lots of overtime when the weather turns cold. He works for the gas and electric company. I am pretty mechanical so I love to figure out where to place the cords and how many strands of lights I can get on one extension cord before it blows. Then the thrill of figuring out which loose bulb on the strand is causing all the problems before I give up and just buy a new strand.
I seriously had thoughts of not decorating this year. There is a sad feeling in the world this year. The economy is the worst its been in 50 years. There is greed and evil all over the news. I think the greed makes me the sickest.
Then I remember a story about my grandfather Hopkins. He was a wonderful grandpa. During the depression he owned a grocery store in Decatur, Illinois. It was hard times for everyone but by owning a grocery store my grandfather and his family (my dad) never had to worry about food. But that didn’t stop my grandfather from leaving bags of food on the porches of families in need. He did this all year long. That is just what you do, you think of others. So I did, and then I realized how much I love Christmas. I love the music, I love to decorate, I love sweet family times but most of all I love the meaning of Christmas. I love to know that 2,000 years ago the world was changed because of the birth of a special child in a manger during really hard times. And that is why we have Christmas today.
From my family to yours, have a Merry Christmas and try to remember the true meaning of the season.

Teaching at IQA Houston

It has been a wild few months. I feel like I am just now caught up on my beauty sleep.

I had a manicure and pedicure last week for the first time in years. I all most fell asleep in the chair. I highly recommend the treatment. Next week, I am going to try a facial. I know, what has gotten into me?

Well, I think it’s all this hard work, doing what I love. When you are privilege to be working at what you love, you sometimes forget to stop and take a breath. It’s like I can’t get enough. To be able to create is so thrilling and fun I never want it to end. Joe is anyway reminds me to eat. Probably so I won’t get grouchy at him.

This was the first year teaching at the International Quilt Festival in Houston. What an experience. I walked into the teachers’ lounge that first day and there where all my favorite teachers. To think I was there with them. My teaching supply’s had not arrived yet, because someone was a little busy teaching allover to look at her calendar and get thing sent in time. I knew they would arrive because I had to pay the big bucks to make sure they did arrive in time. The IQA staff was fabulous and so friendly. They helped me with everything. Thank God because I needed it.

Friday was my Cone flower class. It was full with 26 students from all over the world. Wow! Great class, except when I returned from lunch, I left the room key in the door and someone took it. You sign your life away when you get the room key and of course my room I had only one key. After class Peggy and I spent hours digging through the trash tearing the room apart looking for the key. It took us hours. That night I missed the SAQA reception that I had reservation for. This was only the beginning. Late that night about 2 am I hear a lot of noise from the adjoining room. It was Halloween night so that is to be expected. At about 4 am I am awoken again by a loud bang of a door closing and then screaming and banging on my room door. The person was screaming to be let back in his room but had miss took my room for his. his room mate was not waking up. This went on for awhile. He was banging so hard that my door was moving. I was so scared. I called security for assistant. Finely his friend let him in the room where they proceeded to yell at each other for another 10 minutes. It was a great night.

Next day very tired, I waited to be let into my room. Still can’t find the key. I set up the room. Today we are doing a new pattern I design for Houston, the Yellow Daisy. It’s a little more challenging than most patterns, but is so cute. Class is full again with 25 students. As we were getting to know each other and setting up, the “teachers pet” from the next room, comes in and tell me to “keep it down”. They can’t hear in the next room. Funny! But wasn’t she in my class yesterday and had a little attitude with me even then? I tell her to inform the teacher that she may want to speak up a little bit more. I still can’t find that key. Maybe she knows where it is?

Before lunch break I received a visitor to my room. This was the very balls-z woman that told me on Preview night a couple of years ago “That my stitches where S—t.” Not crap, but S--t ! To my face! I won 2 awards’ that year. What more could a girl ask for. She just wanted to come back and inform me that I need a new sewing machine and hoped she hadn't hurt my feeling back then. I told her that when the money tree brings in a new crop of $$$ I will certainly up grade. Not every one that wins at Houston has a fancy machine. Some of us our on a budget and have to earn the money. It seems that everyone just wants to help. I found out later that she also told Hollis Chatelain that her binding was S--t.

Remember the movie with Jack Lemon “The Out of Town-ers”? Well this week I felt like I am now in the sequel called ,"The Out of Towner II." I again had to wait to find someone to lock up the room and was to late and too tired to make the Silver Star banquet. Alex Andersen was receiving her Silver Star. She has had a big impact on my quilting life and yours to. She is the number one quilter that has brought the Art of quilting to the main stream and put a young, hip face on it. It was cool to quilt because Alex. We all owe her a lot, especially me.

So the question is. Should I teach again next year at Houston with all the drama and problems? You bet! It’s the most wonderful quilt show in the world. And if you haven’t been, you need to go. It’s like living inside an art museum and fabric mall for a week. You get to eat, drink and sometimes sleep quilting in all its wonderful forms. Are you kidding!!!!! Yes, I will be back teaching next year.

Oh and by the way, they never found the key and they charged me $50.

Shelburn Museum, Vermont

My family and I just got back from a trip to Vermont.
As my dentist said, while his hands were in my mouth,
"Why Vermont? Do you have family there?"
No, we don't. But in a way, I do. 2 of my quilts have been on display at the Shelburn Museum since May. The show will be over by October. I had to go and see that it was a reality that I was in a real and very noted museum.
I planned the trip for months. Even Matt wanted to come with us. We took the red eye to New York then onto Burlington, Vermont. We stayed at the this adorable place that was better than a bed and breakfast called the Howard Street Guest House. www.Howardstreetguesthouse.com. Check it out.

Vermont is so beautiful and green. The houses are so quaint and charming and come in every color, even yellow.

The Shelburn Museum is fascinating with all of its exhibits and collections. When you first arrive you are greeted at the big red barn.
There was a sign on the wall noting all the exhibits on display. There on the sign was a picture of my Pansy quilt and the exhibit I was in.

The museum in in Shelburn, Vermont on Lake Champlain.
It's one the nation's finest and most diverse and unconventional museums of art design and Americana. Over 150,000 works are exhibited in a remarkable setting of 39 exhibition buildings on 45 beautiful acres. There is even a Vermont light house, covered bridge and the famous boat, Ticonderoga. The Shelburn also has one of the largest and most noted quilt collections in the world.

This year they where highlighting the special exhibit Mary Cassatt: Friends and Family.
They had planted the grounds with chosen varieties of flowers for the occasion. To go along with the event was a special exhibit of flower quilts, historic and new. That is where my quilts come in. They where shown in the Hat and Fragrance Textile Gallery and Gardens. It was so cool. The next room had Hat Box collections that were to die for.
Next to that was a display of hooked rugs
and needle work samplers.

After we saw where my quilts where, we went over to the Mary Cassatt exhibit. She has always been one of my favorite Impressionist painters. She was also the good friend of Electra Havemeyer Webb's mother, who founded the Shelbune Museum.

I was just staring at her paintings when I hear laughing coming from the next room.
It was Joe and Matt reading a timeline of Mary's life. They both thought it was so funny that she came to a point in her life where her family (like mine) told her that if she was going to be a real artist, she needed to start selling her work and that she was also known for being outspoken and spoke her mind. I didn't see what was so funny.

As I walked around studying her works I realized that my art was in the same museum as Mary Cassatt.
I felt a lump in my throat and tried not to show Matt or Joe that I was starting to get pretty emotional. Then my sweet son came over to me put his big arms around me and told me how proud he is of me.
That was it!
Tears start to fill my eyes, then a security guard, watching all this, started to share a story about the exhibit. "...and that one over there is the first Monet to be brought to the United States." He looked at us funny as I tried to catch my breath. I finally had to tell him that I was feeling a bit overwhelmed, because you see, I have 2 of my art quilts here on the same grounds as Mary Cassatt and Monet.
This can't be happening. But it was.
He quickly told the docent and they all made a big fuss that made me want to get out of there real fast.
Joe was making funny jokes about me and my quilts that made everyone laugh.
Matt just gave me those big brown eyes that said he knew how I felt.

Later, I spent about $200 in the gift shop and was able to calm down and felt much better.
It's amazing what a little shopping will do.

Spring Market in Portland

Just got back from my first Quilt Market, although I feel like I live at the "market". I couldn't find any Cheetos or Capitan Crunch, just luscious fabric and fresh color everywhere. Now that’s my kind of market.

My creative juices are flowing. I was there doing demos for Martingale (my publisher) and Checker Distributing plus signing my book. I had a wonderful time with the Martingale & Company publishing family. They are the BEST!

We were talking about the great book review I got from Mark Lipinski in Quilter’s Home magazine. Then someone said “do you want to meet him?" Of course I did. Then the Martingale girls grabbed my hand and we ran around the corner. There he was, in all his glory, holding court. It was great. I screamed. He screamed. Kisses flew. It was so fun. I asked him to sign my book. He wrote: well, you will just have to read that for yourself. He's the bomb in the quilting world.
It was wonderful.

I walked up and down each aisle taking it all in. Ifound some new lines that I just love. They are young and fresh and I could have rolled around in their fabric all day.

One was Tanya Whelan, she has a great look with clean colors. Her palate is alot like mine. Another was Tina Givens. So creative and, of course, there was Amy Butler. We went to her schoolhouse presentation after I had done mine. Her husband was there moving fabric around and he reminded me of Joe. I called him Mr. Amy and they both laughed like they had heard that a few times. Joe has always been called Mr. Melinda. Especially when I was designing wallpaper and fabric years ago. You have to be a real man to take that name and he is. Its been 26 years so something must be working.

As I was watching the people, we walked by Amy Butlers booth. You could not get in the place. It was packed. So I stepped back and found a funny shot. There where 3 Mennonite women just examining every little thing in her booth. Even the Mennonite women get this fresh look.

I also met with 2 fabric companies that both said yes to my fabric designs. So maybe you will see me at the next spring market. Keep your fingers crossed.

Got to go. The real market is calling. Mother Hubbard's Cupboards are bare because she was out playing in Portland.

Just Joey and the Family

This is my quilt, Just Joey. It's about the man I love and all his loves and worries. I started this in Mary Lou Wiedman's class at Asilomar in 2004. I got it out the other day to finally finish it. My thought is that if I see it everyday I will finish it. We will see.
It is such a magical quilt. I know why Mary Lou's classes are always full. Something happen to you and your quilts in her class.

My whole family had an opinion about this piece. Other quilts I have made and ask my family, " What do you think?" I get the same pat response: "That great, looks good, when is dinner?"
But not with this quilt. It's a family quilt and the family all has strong feelings about what's going on. Like, "are those shoes, where is the Yellow house?, the computer needs to be a laptop, (we have upgraded since 2004) the goatee looks like a mustache, Dad's arms look like Popeye's." It goes on and on. Maybe that's why it's not done yet. They keep helping.

It been really fun to make a quilt that everyone wants to be a part of. Try it and see what happens in your family. Because no matter how many days I isolate myself in the studio, very self absorbed, because art really is about SELF, I am just a part of a wonderful family. They are the ones who got me here.

Here is the story of Just Joey:

This is Joey. He is a devoted husband and father. It's always raining on Joey even when the sun(Son) is out. He loves to spend time with his son, playing ball with his dog and working on the computer. He reads math books for fun and brews fine beer. He won't let anyone touch his lawn and lives in a beautiful yellow house that he bought for his wife. He is very funny in a warped way and is very much loved by all.

The Crying Towel

I have been searching eBay for vintage fabric, like table cloths and linens. I came across this very interesting kitchen towel. Of course I had to buy it. In our family we have a running joke about optimistic me and pessimistic Joe. Joe always teases me that I see things too naively and would trade the house for magic beans (that's wrong?). I always counter that he could be a millionaire and still be worried and see doom and gloom around every corner. He explains that he is just being a realist.

So when I saw this towel I knew it was for my man. I keep it in a kitchen drawer and wave it around when he starts in on one of his the world is doomed rants.

The truth of the matter is that we need opposites in life and in a mate. Joe and I call it sharing the brain, but really its for helping to have a balanced life (even though my right side of the brain is infinitely more developed than his meager left side). We have to work with what we don't have, to be a whole person and a successful artist.

I can’t draw a picture without a piece of paper. I need it even though it is different from my paints or pencils. There are fabric colors that you may never buy or use, but to make the art work, you need them. Even if you don't like them. Many times you have to add the opposite color to make your art balanced and the painting work.

I have never been a fan of yellow. When I first started quilting, my fabric drawers where full of brights and jewel tone fabrics. I stayed away from gold and yellow. This seems funny, coming from a woman who lives in a yellow house (that’s another story for another day). When you are creating a painting, you naturally squirt out all your paint colors. The primary colors go first: red, blue and yellow and then you start mixing. I have never given it a second thought that yellow was on my palate. But when I started quilting or painting with fabric, I found I wasn’t buying yellow fabrics and I needed them. Just like it was paint on my palate.

You are making a conscious choice of fabric selection at the store. It is very easy to get distracted by all the beautiful fabrics and colors. We need to rethink the way we buy fabric for this kind of art quilting. Remind yourself when at the store that what you are doing is buying COLOR for painting, not quilting. The question needs to be If I had to mix it in paint, what
color would it be? That means you will probably be purchasing the opposite of what you may want or think you need.

When painting with fabric you will need the muted, the ugly, the dull, the too bright and, of course, the extremes in values when building a balanced color palate.

That is why it is so thrilling to make one of my art quilts work. It’s always a surprise what colors I had to use to make it work.

Yours,

Miss Magic Beans

Visit to Chico

Just got back from teaching/lecturing in Chico for the Annie Star Quilt Guild.

I also had the opportunity to visit my son, Matt, and his friends at Chico State. Chico is a great place in the middle of northern California. It's like a hidden little jewel. It always blows me away to see these little towns all across California that I have heard of but now get to visit.

To get to our workshop facility we had to drive 25 minutes outside of Chico through miles and miles of beautiful almond orchards. They are all in bloom this time of year and the air smelled so sweet. I also learned that it is pronounced ammond not almond.

So I have to say my husband was right all these years.

I stayed over another night so Matt could take me around and show me the town and his favorite hang out spots. The first place we had to go was his and his father's favorite hamburger joint, Nobbies. They don't take credit cards, cash only. Wow! It was great (and cheap). Best burger ever.

The next morning Matt and Jenny (the cute girlfriend, that I love) took me to their favorite brunch place, Breakfast Buzz. It was a true college hang out. Including a few college guys trying to shake off the hangover from the night before with a champagne brunch.

It was fun to watch the college crowd and be with Matt and Jenny.

Chico has some great eating establishments. We walked around the town and went into a great art store so I could stock up on supplies. I am really glad that Matt is at Chico. He is doing so well.

Sand Dunes at Asilomar

I have been to Asilomar 4 times now, 2 times teaching and 2 times as a student. I have never walked through the sand dunes. I always go directly to the beach. This time I spent some time exploring them early one morning before class. They are so peaceful and a little eerie.

As I walked along I saw little these little yellow flowers popping up out of the sand. Someone had come along and put chicken wire cages carefully around each flower. You could find some flowers without cages that must have popped up overnight.

I think they where protecting the flowers from dangerous and ferocious deer that roamed freely along the park grounds. Man doesn't have anything better to do than to protect nature from nature. Something is wrong with this picture. Haven’t they lived side by side for thousands of years? I guess there is always a cause that someone can get all worked up about. I wish that people would get more worked up about saving and protecting children and less about a deer eating a flower they have eaten since the beginning of time.

I did enjoy the flowers, but the chicken wire cages took something away from the experience of walking in nature.

Asilomar in the Fog 2008

Just got home from 5 days of teaching at Asilomar for Empty Spools Seminars. What a beautiful place.

It rained so hard when we were driving there I was a little concerned but the minute we arrived it was a warm 57 degrees and sunny.
Each morning there would be a salty layer of fog sitting just on the shore that would burn off about noon. I forgot how much I love the fog. I took a lot of pictures of the foggy beach, waves and the sand dunes. I love taking foggy pictures of the beach. Fog seems to allow me to see color better. Maybe because I have to put color where there is none.

My class was very challenging this year. I love challenges. I always learn from them but, as for being the teacher I want to be, I have a long way to go.

I think the challenge started on the first night when they called all the faculty up on stage and introduced them one by one. I was already overwhelmed by who was up on stage. Alex Anderson, Sue Benner, Lara Wasilowski, Velda Newman, just to name a few. They usually go alphabetically and when they got to Kirby and Laura Schwarz-Smith I knew someone had passed over my name card. Diana is very organized so I ran up on stage and I made a cute joke about being forgotten. Someone later asked me if we had planned that cute skit (of course we had!) I don't know how Diana can remember everything she has to, because I can't remember my own child's name and I only have one.

My class was made up of beautiful women, all different but so much the same. On the first day we are supposed to start class at 4pm and end at 5pm, even though we only have 1 hour of teaching.

I had 2 students who I knew would be late because of a late arriving flight. They walked into the class and had this serious look on their faces. I thought its because they were late. But later we all found out it was because they had just gone through a hair raising flight, where they dropped about 2,000 feet, swerved to miss something, (God only knows what) while passengers were screaming and crying in fear. The things people will do to be in my class.

But in this class, I had a very interesting young artist that pushed my teaching skills. Every night I would go back to my room and try to figure out her daily questions. “Why do you do that?" "Stop encouraging me, I need criticism.” At first I wondered why she was questioning my technique. I then realized she wanted me to analyze my processes and put descriptive words on how the real artist, ME, does what I do. She was working on a commissioned piece in class, which now I know, was too much to take on when you're learning a new technique. She was also very concerned about wasting fabric and had not brought the right fabric colors for her 2 white flowers. White is very hard to translate, because its not made with all white fabric. The brain knows that they are a white daisy and a calla lily but the picture was taken with yellow light and shadows that are not white.

It was like she was bringing a horse to a motocross race and wanting me to make it work. My technique is simple. I look at my photos, choose the right colors of fabric for that picture and start creating. As a teacher, I have had to train my students to look closely at their subject matter and the only way I can do that is to walk them through a series of exercises. They don’t really know they are going through this process. It slowly opens their minds and takes the fear away (there is a lot of fear going on) and trains their eye to look closely at the detail. By having them drawing on their picture, making a pattern of that drawing and the process of tracing the shapes in the pattern, by day 3 they have all weaned themselves off the pattern and are using their eyes to look closely at their original photo. My sweet babies .

Road To California

Joe and I had a great time last weekend at Road to California Show. I was very surprised to win Best In Show for my Monterey at Dusk quilt. Wow!!! And my Romance quilt won a Honorable Mention. There were a lot of wonderful quilts there. It’s weird to take your husband to a quilt show thought. But he survived and so did i. In fact I had a lot of fun having him there.

Mark your calender because the next wonderful show is my own guild show.The Folsom Quilt and Fiber Guilds big show is Feb 1,2,3. It all ways has fantastics quilts and wearable arts. This we are having 3 featured artist. Freddie Moran, Kathy Sandbach and Yvonne Porcela. That one artist and day. You can't get better than that. I will be signing books in the Quilters Corner booth. Come by and say HI.

Yesterday was my first class form the new book. We worked on the coneflower. It’s exciting to see my students master a flower I designed and make it their own. Here are the pictures of their flower. They did a great job can’t wait to see them done.

Cutting Garden Quilts

I just received my first copy of my new book Cutting Garden Quilts a few weeks ago. Wow!!!!!
What a beautiful book. I think it is the most beautiful book I have ever seen. Of course I am a little prejudiced. Martingale's design staff captured the feel I wanted perfectly. I have so much to be thankful for this holiday season. Thank you to all my friends that encouraged me to show my quilts. To all the Sacramento area quilts shops that invited me to teach and practice my technique. But most of all to my husband Joe and son Matthew, who had to live with me and a house full of fabric, had to eat fast food more that once a week, learned to be masters the art of laundry( I should of writen a book long ago) and even cleaned a tolliet or 2. Thank you so much.
I will be having book signings starting in January. You can check out my web site www.melindabula.com for dates and times. If you would like to pre-order a book
from me and have it personal autograhped you can contact me at www.melbula@comcast.net
Thanks again.

Price of the book is $ 27.95 + shipping and handling

Good Day Sacramento

I'm up at 5:00 am on the day of my first gallery opening. I have to meet the models down at the gallery. Good Day Sacramento Chanel 31 is doing a live interview of the new gallery and my show. It should be riveting T.V. I get the models in there outfits and we wait for the camera crew to arrive. In walks this very young reporter who has know idea what this is all about. Her hair is all messy and I think she is wearing tennis shoes. Cindy, the gallery director show her the power room and comments on, how nice it is that she dressed up for the occasion. Back she comes and for the first "tease" of many they do in between the commercial breaks. The reporter really is quite good. By 7 :45 we are going live, and by 7:47 its all over. They didn't even show the outfit I wanted to highlight. The Grapevine Coat modeled by my beautiful friend Sue Burkland.

I call my husband to see if he has watched the show. He groaned that he had to sit through the whole torturous show watching the shows hosts, eat a bug and make a cake out of diaper.
Now that is true love. Well, so much for my TV career. I have included some pictures of the beautiful models and a link to Chanel 31 for the interview they did later that night on the evening news. Good Day Sac didn't think the interview was worthy enough to put up on there web site as a highlight and I agree. But you can watch the host eat of the bug if you want.
cbs13.com - New Artwork Allows You To Wear Your Investment

Gallery Show Set Up

Today was the final setup for my art show. It is so exciting.

I stood in the gallery today all by myself and felt a wave of emotion come over me. It’s hard to think that this same girl that has struggled all her life to read, keep up in school and find where she fit in this world, is writing a book and having an art show.

I once had a school counselor in high school tell me that the best I could do was to be a box girl down at Safeway. Not real good for the old self esteem. But I knew in my heart that he was wrong and that God had made me for some reason so I set out to find what that was. I always knew I was an artist. Even at 6 years old. So here I am. What an amazing ride. Don't ever be afraid of trying because even your failures will become stepping stones to your success.

So here I am today having an art show with another artist that is truly fabulous. You have to check out Kristine Buchanan's web site kristinebuchanan.com. Her watercolors of flowers are so detailed and full of color. She also is a very creative jewelry designer and has 3 books out on her Micro Macrame jewelry. It’s not your mother's macrame.

Opening night is Friday but early Friday morning Good Morning Sacramento is coming out to the gallery to see what it's all about. We have to be there at 6:00 a.m. That’s way too early to look good on TV.

Trip to Ashland, Oregon

Just got back form Ashland, Oregon. What a beautiful and artistic place. I was teaching a 2 day class at Quiltz. My hostess, Karen, informed me that they where going garage saleing in the morning and would I like to come along before class?
I knew then that I was staying at the right house. I love old, cheap junk. (How do you think I met my husband?) So off we went before class started, to hunt out treasures. Karen drove while Jane navigated and Denise, Marnie and I kept each other warm in the back seat.
Soon I found that Marnie, Karen's 18 year old daughter, had quite a knack for negotiating.
Nothing over $ 2.00. I found her giving me a look like I had be taken when I purchased a silver cake plate for $20. I must look like a city girl. By the time we got back to Karen's house I had filled up the back of her car with junk, I mean treasures galore. Thank God I didn't fly and I have an SUV. I can't wait to go back. The class was full of creative women that were fun to be with. Karen has invited me to be in a fabric challenge that her art group is doing. It's a chocolate challenge. You have to use a named candy as your inspiration and a certain fabric that they have picked out. My candy is Good and Plenty. Loved them as a kid. Joe brought home 2 boxes for inspiration. I think we ate one whole box just to get our juices flowing. More on the challenge is the months to come.

I had a great time and met some new friends.

Candy Cane Lane

Yesterday I went down to my favorite quilting spot, Quilter's Corner ( www.quilterscornersac.com ) It was great to sit and work on a project just for fun. Sometimes I have to get out of the studio and see my friends.

I am working on making another Candy Cane Lane quilt.
This quilt seems to be very popular and all the shops want a sample. Making the first quilt I used a basic needle turn technique. This time I am using the freezer paper and starch method for preparing all the pieces. I love this method because you can turn under all the seam allowances, arrange them on the block to see how they will look, then glue them down with Roxana's glue. Then stitch away. You get such crisp shapes and curves. I am not the most perfect appliquer but I love to do it.

Pearl P. Pereira ( P3Designs.com ) has mastered this technique.

You can't sit in front of the TV or in a doctor's office with a Fabulous Fusible Flower quilt.

If you are going to Pacific International Quilt Festival in Santa Clara, October 11-14,
look for my Candy Cane Lane quilt in the Old St. Nick's booth. I will also have two new quilts in the show.

Welcome to my new blog!

I am very excited to have my own blog. This will be a great way to show you my work in progress plus show off some of my student's work. It's been fun teaching and lecturing around California. There are some wonderful quilters out there. Now I can show you my trips as I will soon be teaching outside of California, as well.

I just got back from a great time in Fresno, CA. I spent 4 days with the San Joaquin Valley Quilters Guild. I took a tour of old town Clovis. So cute. I have posted some of the pictures I took along with my friend, Lynn, who shoots pictures with her iPhone. Very cool.

Take a look at one of my new quilts, "Fresh As a Daisy". I made this for a special exhibit called "In Full Bloom IV" at this year's 2007 IQA quilt show in Houston. I tried something different on the back of this quilt. I used a black backing fabric and let my bobbin threads show. It has the look of a soft water color painting all done in thread. They may not show the back of the quilt at the show, so if you see a white glove gal have her show you the back. It will be our little secret.

I also received exciting news this week, that I have won something on 2 other quilts that I entered in this year's Houston show. I can't believe it. I won't know what I have won until I get there for the Winners Circle Awards Tuesday night, October 30. One is a floral bouquet called "Romance" and the other is an oceanscape of Monterey Bay called, "Monterey At Dusk".

Check back often, you never know what I'm up to next.

Welcome to my new blog!

I am very excited to have my own blog. Now I can show you my art in progress as well as my student's work.