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.