CAN YOU GUESS WHAT I'LL CALL THIS COW QUILT?

This is a sneak peek of what I worked on all day Monday.  This is the cow pattern from Mary Lou Weidman’s book “Out of the Box.”  I blogged about it here.  Recently I attended a week long work shop with Mary Lou and have also been working diligently on my Story Quilt.  More about that later.  I just wanted to let you know I’m not just sitting around and twiddling my thumbs.  This quilt is quite large and involves a lot of thought and appliqué. I hope to add long lashes to those cow eyes and have already changed the bird on her head to a flower above her ear.  I must have made a dozen changes today. You can see some of the other cow quilts people have made by going here. They are so darn cute and fun to create.  You should try one.

On another note:  I did do something else today.  I baked.  This is something I rarely do.  It is not good for me to have baked goods in the house because somehow, some way,  things that are round and contain chocolate keep calling my name!  But yesterday while blog hopping I saw a recipe for cookies on the Bake at 350 Blog and had to try it.  These cookies are not only huge, but wonderful as well.  Check out the Morning Monster Cookies here ( you’ll have to scroll down on the blog).   Don’t think calories.  Think OMG these are good!

Patchwork Duck Designs has a great tutorial for a car seat cover.  What a nice gift this would make.

PS:  I just wanted to tell you that I linked up to Connie at  Quilting By The River today.  Take a look at all the other blogs who have linked up.
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Stay Calm! Stay Kind! Stay Positive!
Caroll

WEST VIRGINIA WORKSHOP WRAP UP

I had to show you this!  How do you like a purple sewing machine!  I have never seen one before and had to take a picture.  Rosemary brought it with her to the Mary Lou Weidman classes in West Virginia.

 Above, during Show N Tell, Rosemary showed us a quilt that she had made.  Isn’t it beautiful!

 This gives you an idea of how Mary Lou creates her quilts.  This is the start of Rosemary’s story quilt.  Her story is about her husband.  I’m sure it will be a beautiful quilt because…

 Rosemary has experience making a story quilt.  Above she shows us the story quilt she made last year.  It is about where she lives, West Virginia.  Across the top (which you can’t see) it says “Almost Heaven.”  And of course, on the bottom is written West Virginia.  So clever.  I can almost hear John Denver singing.

 Carolyn is another creative student.  Above she shows us her quilt.  She explained that some time ago she was ill and friends sent her a heart block to let her know they cared.  She wanted to use the hearts in a quilt and she came up with the above design.

 This is the back of her Cross Your Heart quilt.  How lovely and what a wonderful tribute to all her friends who wished her well with a heart block.

Just so you don’t think all I did all week was take pictures and talk to people, I want to show you my first Hoochy block.

 Here are all my blocks ready to be sewn around the quilt center which will then be ready for my story.  

And here it is on the design wall in my sewing room, waiting for me to choose the fabrics to appliqué in the center.  I almost didn't show this as that corner is a little dark and cluttered.  But here it is. Hope to show you progress on this project soon.

Well, that’s all folks. There were 21 of us and I’m sorry I didn’t get pictures of everybody.  It was such a fun group and so wonderful to be surrounded by such talented and positive people.  And have I said this before?.... Mary Lou is a fantastic teacher and knows how to get your creative juices flowing so you feel free to step out of your box.   I hope to attend next year and see everyone’s finished story quilt.

Recently on Sew We Quilt,  Amanda Murphy had a tutorial on an interesting block.  Check it out.
♥
Stay Calm! Stay Kind! Stay Positive!
Caroll

MORE FROM CLASSES IN W VA

I’d like you to meet Sharon who attended Mary Lou Weidman’s Story Quilts Classes with us in West Virginia.  Sharon has admitted that it was difficult for her to step out of her box.  She was used to more traditional quilting with everything symmetrical.  However, Sharon really worked on her idea, creating, rearranging, and getting to feel comfortable with what she was learning and doing.  I’m anxious to see her finished quilt.

Sue W. came to the classes with her daughter Donna (I posted her picture yesterday).  I’m thinking that it was Sue who got Donna to come as Sue is an avid quilter.  She showed us a lovely Calendar Quilt that she had made.

This is another Sue; Sue B. who raises Standard Poodles.  Notice her necklace.  She explained that is made of pipe cleaners wrapped in fabric, and then twisted into this beautiful necklace. 

Sue B. had some wonderful blocks posted by her work station.  Here she is showing us the house she just made.

These are some cute blocks that Sue B. had posted on her wall.  Love that bird’s knees!

We not only learned about quilting, but we took a brief respite while Carol H. (above) shows us how to use greeting cards to make an album for scrapbooking.  I think I’ll have to print off all my pictures and put them into my handy dandy little album.

Mary, my roommate, shows us the bird that she made.  Don’t you love that bird’s feet!

 Check out Mary's tiara.  Mary Lou gave each of us a tiara to wear because we are all princesses!

That’s all for today folks!  More pictures tomorrow.

Molly Flanders has a tutorial for a spike border. 

♥
Stay Calm! Stay Kind! Stay Positive!
Caroll

MORE ABOUT THE STORY QUILTS CLASSES

I wanted to show you more pictures from Mary Lou Weidman’s classes in West Virginia.  As you may know, Mary Lou has a distinctive style and unique way of making a quilt.  I learned so much from her during that week and I will share our experiences and projects with you over the next three days. Above are sample blocks that Mary Lou posted on the wall for us to see when we first walked into the room.  You will notice in some of the following pictures that we made our Hoochy blocks and taped them to the wall by our work areas too.  It was fun to watch the blocks multiply.  (You can learn to make Hoochy blocks by getting one of Mary Lou’s books.  Check out her blog here)

Kim holds up a piece of light giving fabric.  Mary Lou said that after you take her class you will never look at fabric in the same way again.  That is so true.  Notice the light flowing from the fabric that Kim is holding.  I came home and looked over my stash and thought….some of this has to go!  It just will not do.  It has no light!

Mary Beth was creative in making this lovely flower.

This is a close up of Mary Beth's flower.  Isn't it stunning!  I love it.

Betty was perhaps the most productive of us.  Look at the blocks on her wall.

Now look at how many blocks Betty has made.  And it's not the end of the week yet.  Wow!

Donna was new to quilting.  She dyes her own fabrics and made her first quilt block with us.  Notice the blocks behind her.  These were made with some of her hand dyed fabrics!  She is an artist and I hope to see the end product of her story quilt.

Terry had attended Mary Lou’s classes before.  She really knows how to step out of her box when creating blocks.

Terry had decided that she was going to use Christmas colors to make her quilt.  These are some of the blocks that she created.  I love the “snowmen” (yet to have eyes) and the snow on the wonky geese’s wings.  We thought they could be used as roof tops too.

Since this is a Story Quilts class, Terry shows us the story quilt she made a while ago.  It is about how she and her friend walked together every day during all kinds of weather.  The writing across the top says “Friendship is Always In Season.”  What a beautiful tribute to her friend and their time together.

That’s all for today folks.  More pictures and stories tomorrow.

Serendipity and Spice has a nice tip for keeping your shower door clean. 

♥
Stay Calm! Stay Kind! Stay Positive!

MARY LOU WEIDMAN CLASSES

At last I get to tell you about my trip to West Virginia and my classes with Mary Lou Weidman.  Above is Mary Lou.  Isn’t her smile wonderful?  It gives you an idea of how much fun we had all week long.  ML (I’ll use her initials from now on) is truly an artist.  She has written five quilting books, owns a pattern company, designs fabric, and has taught all across the US, Canada and eight countries.  Teaching people how to get out of their box is her passion.

This week was all about making a story quilt.  Students learned how to make the Hoochy Blocks which are usually on the border.  We then learned how to design our own “story” for the center.  ML brought a number of her quilts to show us.  I love the one above.

This quilt is a story about her grandmother.  You can see more of ML's quilts here.   And here.  I took those pictures when ML was at the West Michigan Quilt Guild a couple years ago.

Above, ML has instructed us on how to make the Hoochy blocks.  The process calls for sewing squares on a strip of fabric and then doing a “Hoochy dance”  as an easy way to flip the squares over so they are ready to press and cut.  You’ll have to take one of her classes and learn about this fun “event” and hear how she got the idea.  

 My roommate Mary attended the workshop last year and above she shows us the quilt that she made.  Isn’t it fantastic!  Her story is about making coffee cakes.  Every December her family gets together and makes over 100 coffee cakes to give to friends.  Note the pink list that holds the names of the lucky recipients (right side of the quilt).  I’m trying to figure out how to get my name on that list!

ML’s new book that I posted about here  has a pattern for a cow.  Quite a number of people have taken the idea and run with it.  Above is ML’s cow.  I love the title:  Psy cow delic 

Another Cow.  I’m trying to think of a clever title for my cow quilt.  I understand ML is doing another cow quilt.  I can’t wait to see it.

This is Mary’s (roommate) cow quilt.  Isn’t it cute!!  I was going to make one with the heading Bess A. May Moo-cho, but didn’t think anyone would know what I was referring to.  So back to the “thinking” table.

I don’t want to overwhelm you with pictures today so I’ll close with a picture of the entire group.  There were 21 of us.  Not only were they 21 of the nicest people I’ve met, but they were so creative too.   Our accommodations were wonderful.  We had a big room to work in with each of us having a large table to work (spread out) on.  And the food was fantastic!  Come back next week for more pictures of the students and their individual work.  You’ll be as impressed as I was with their work.

In the mean time, take a look at this tutorial.  Almost looks like something ML would do.  Check out the Life and Times of Jill.  

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Stay calm! Stay kind! Stay Positive!

Caroll

BE AN UNPREDICTABLE QUILTER

This is another sample on display at the two-day workshop held this week by the West Michigan Quilter’s Guild. Teacher/author/quilter Mary Lou Weidman has introduced us to a new way of making these awe-inspiring quilts. She encouraged us to move out of our box and not be predictable. Mary Lou’s quilts are anything but predictable. That’s what keeps the mystery in her quilting.

These blocks above are Mary Lou’s samples for the Flower Power workshop. Her flowers, birds, and insects are powerful and unique. They are also a challenge to the more traditional quilter who is not so comfortable moving out of her box. A lot of grumbling and giggling could be heard throughout the day. With Mary Lou’s encouragement, we plodded on and actually came up with some nice blocks.

Above are some of the blocks we students made during the two-day workshop. We have a long way to go before we achieve Mary Lou’s creative beauty, but she got us started and on our way. Mary Lou says that the scrappier a quilt is the better because it makes a quilt interesting and less predictable. She is an excellent teacher, and kept us sewing and cutting steadily throughout the two days. We certainly got our money’s worth with Mary Lou teaching us and urging us to tap into our inner creativity.

This is a close up of one of the wall hangings made during the day. Didn’t this student do an excellent job! She said she is going to put a green border around it. Check out Mary Lou’s blog for more creative ideas. The link is on my sidebar.

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Until next time, Happy Quilting! And be unpredictable!!!

Caroll