News - June 13th, 2014
BRRRRRRRrrrr,
Winter in the US and Canada provides time to sew, bake and make friends online.
I am working on story quilt and self portrait quilts today for workshops. It is very fun and the more I put people in quilts, the more I realize I am leaving a lasting testament to who I am and what I love. Your story is what you have as you get older and it becomes more important. These quilts are diary pieces to be left for others to see what is important to you.
If you don't want to tell about you, think about Aunts and Uncles and friends when you were kid, something funny that your Dad or Mom did or maybe a teacher or a neighbor. Do you realize how many hundreds of stories YOU have? With 365 days in a year, you have loads of stories!
The BIG news now is my retreat in June (19th-23rd. I chose June 19th because I have had many teachers say they would like to come so I am pretty sure school is out by then.
The theme for this years retreat is Christmas in June.
Miss Tina will come and cook again and serve up her great food and she will provide a cookbook for each student at the end of the retreat. Her food is not only delicious but fun!
http://www.marylouquiltdesigns.com/retreats.aspx We will be working on a large Christmas tree or wreaths in cotton of wool or both. I have patterns to hand out and I found some great ideas in Europe when I was there to share.
Connie and I took one of the things I brought back and we are going to do a kit for each student for an ornament gift. They are adorable and you don't see them here in the States (that I know of).
I have lots of ideas for making these your story and we will do alphabet piecing to make it personal and fun. I will show you how I am using embroidery to make it special and personal and also how I embellish with all kinds of things for fun!
We will be in a brand new facility and within five miles of FOUR quilt shops. There is alot to see and do in Spokane so you might want to come in and have an extra day before the workshop to go on a field trip to Coeur'Alene Idaho and explore the area with us. Great fun and lots to do and see.
For more information, go to this link.http://www.marylouquiltdesigns.com/retreats.aspx
You may reserve your place by emailing Mary Lou and paying a deposit of $350. and paying the rest by May 5th. Marylouquilts@aol.com It's going to be a blast!
I am working on five main things for my new classes.
NOTE- my Story Quilt Workshops are always available and always will be available as well as my self portrait workshops.
COWs- If you have been following me in the past two years you know that we have a whole herd of cows that are traveling across the US and now they will beabout Aunts and going to Holland and Switzerland. I am teaching a workshop with all kinds of ideas (given in handouts) and discussion of how to develop a fun theme and invent creative things to go on or with your cow. The cow pattern is pieced and easy pieced...no little fussy pieces. I will offer it in two sizes. This class is alot of fun. Make the MOOve to take the class and enjoy the process.
2- Christmas themed quilts, remembering Christmas and what it means to us (perhaps a memory or something we want to represent for the wonder of this time of year- these are good size single trees with ornaments done in all kinds of "things" using applique or fusing plus smalnd kids you played with and those stories.l yoyo's, lots of embellishments using buttons, Grandma's jewelry, beads, crystals, old keys, rick rack and other findings. We also add things under the tree that remind us of what we got once or what we would like to get. These make wonderful keepsakes that you can work on all year. Two day.
3- Beautiful Wreaths that are Christmas (or not- think 4th of July, Autumn, Birthday, Childs room) and done in both cottons and wools. I will be showing how I use rick rack, perle cotton and some fun stitches as well as many embellishments to make them oh so pretty and exciting!
4- Small Story Quilts (called SHORT STORIES) These smaller quilts (than my normal BIG ones) tell a quick little snippet of something that has happened or a thought, a theme or focus on a person, place or thing. I normally applique but fusing works here for fun too. These are creative, colorful, happy and fun.
5-Building Quilts with Easy Piecing. This is using my"hoochy mama" method of easy piecing and building a great quilt with a theme. We will piece words, buildings and people or trees or flowers (Flower Power book) and make an original FUN and happy quilt that could easily win prizes. Whimsy, invention, process and passion all work towards beautiful quilts with these ideas. Two day.
I hope you will join me for the fun and the wonderful outcomes as you grow in your design and composition. If you would like a workshop with me, two days or more please, contact me at Marylouquilts@aol.com
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I posted photos from my trip to Europe for ideas and inspiration on my blog as well as some nice things to think about and some amusing, happy items to see on the side bar. I hope you will stop by and join my readers who come in often to be inspired.
Check out my blog to see the photos. http://marylouweidman-marylou.blogspot.com/
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MOOOOOO- SPEAKING OF COWS....if you have a cow to show off from our book "Out of the Box with Easy Blocks" please email us a photo We are organizing MORE -The cow parade continues to grow and we hope to have new venues next year! We have 57 in our possesion now and hope to show off even more.
Good news, the cows are traveling to Holland and to Switzerland this coming year as well as AQS in Phoenix and Sisters this summer!
If you wonder where the cow pattern is, it is in the book Out of the Box with Easy Blocks which you can order from me here. Look at the tab that says "Go Shopping." Every Quilter should have both Out of the Box books to design their own great quilts!
Out of the Box -Easy Piecing Blocks. I did this book with my friend Mel McFarland who is easy to work with and a good and fun friend. We work well together. This book is $25. and is all about easy piecing cats, cupcakes, coffee pot and cups, princess's, high heels, popcicles, handbags and much more. Done the easy piecing hoochy way, it is quick and has lots of fun along the way.
I give little prizes to those who order from me.wait and see what I might send you :0)
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I have only ONE blog now...please visit it and comment and you might win some fabric...I don't announce this, I just do it on the sly once in while for fun.
http://marylouweidman-marylou.blogspot.com/
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Thank you to those of you who have asked about my husband Mark (the man I call the "nicest man in the world." Mark is doing well with his chemo right now and we are looking forward to a happy and uneventful year together. Funds are short for us but we have each other and a lovely family to provide lots of smiles and fun.
Mark takes 20 pills + on weekends and he still has a smile. He has lost his hair and his muscle though his sense of humor and love for every one is still there. Please continue to pray for him.
"If you always do what you have always done, you always get what you've always got."
Think about this if you are still doing the same old things over and over- this might be the year you change and expand and invent and challenge yourself!
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"A mind once stretched by a new idea never regains it's original dimensions. " Oliver Wendall Holmes
Thank you for coming here and for supporting me, I love my quilting friends.