Gold Coast of Oergon

I was invited to teach for the Azalea Quilters and the Gold Beach Quilters, both on the beautiful west coast of Oregon right past the California border.  If fact, if you blink, you will miss the sign that says Welcome to Oregon.  It only took 7 hours to drive and that’s good because there aren't any real airports very close.

This stretch of highway is called The Redwood Highway and starts around Santa Cruz and runs up to Canada (I think).  But really, it’s the same Hwy 101 where you can sit in traffic in Southern Cal for hours just to go 20 miles. But once you get to about Willits in Northern CA, the trees start to get really big and majestic.   

This highway runs the length of California to Oregon and beyond.  It’s one of the most amazing drives in the world.  If you have never been in the big redwood forest you need to put this trip on your bucket list.  Plus, this is also Big Foot country.  There have been more sighting here than any other spot. Everywhere you look there are signs that he (she?) was there.

I thought you might like to see my drive home and pictures I took along the way.   When the rain stopped and the sun came out,  WOW - what a beautiful day!  Keep your eyes peeled for Sasquatch, it likes it up there, too.


Side Note:
I also meet on this trip a wonderful woman who is a member of the Azalea Quilters. Her name is Diana and she has been using my technique a lot and she is really good. She brought 4 of her quilts to show me what she has made from my designs. It was a thrill and an honor to meet her and see her work. Here is Diana and her beautiful quilts.

Clematis from my book, Cutting Garden Quilts.

Apple Bowl from Cutting Garden Quilts.

Wisteria Lane from Skinny Table Runners and Quilts.

This is my all time favorite, Coneflower from Cutting Garden Quilts.

Diana and me.

Working on "Paradise"

Merry Christmas!

Walk to the beach.

Where does your inspiration come from?   Mine comes from everywhere, especially when I travel.  I am so grateful for the sweet time I have at the end of this busy year to just reflect.   It’s been a great year but there has not been a lot of pure creative days, one right after another. I should be making Christmas cookies and putting up lights but I have had this quit idea I'm about to show you  in my head for the last 6 months.

Coconuts scattered on the beach. 

That is why it's been so sweet to go to the studio and play in fabric day after day.  What a beautiful gift.  Thank you, God.  Soon, these days will be over and back on the road I go.  I still get to work on my art but not weeks at a time to play.

Here is a little of what has been on my design wall. It all started with my trip to Australia this summer, which was winter in Australia.  I taught at Quilting in the Highlands where they even had a Christmas in July luncheon. So I did have an early Christmas.  After my teaching gig we took a much needed holiday and flew up to the town of Cairns on the Great Barrier Reef.  It was warm and sunny there, closer to the equator.

The Great Barrier Reef is out there somewhere.

I sat every day with my little child’s sketch book that I bought at the MOA museum in Sydney and painted the beach and the palm trees, the waves and the rocks and even a picture of Joe I can’t show you.   The paints were not that good but the exercise of looking closely embedded the views in my mind.  So, of course, when I got home I had to recreate my images into fabric and thread.

Paint set.

I was so happy to find this paint set at the museum. The paper was the wrong kind and would curl when you added the wet paint.  The paint brush was the size of a tooth brush but I would have painted with a stick.

Jungle outside our tree house.

So here are some of my photos, my little paintings and my art quilt, Paradise. The painting of Joe in going in the vault.

Morning light on the beach.

 New quilt called Paradise.  This is what I have started from my painting and photos.

Cutting table. 

Palm trees overhead.

Yes, I cut every one of those pieces.

Working on the refection in the water and the clouds in the sky.

My paints at home.

Joe
PS. If you want some Christmas Joy read my last post for a good laugh.

Christmas Candy Dish

Sometimes we just need a good laugh and I have one for you today. With Christmas breathing down our necks, it’s good to have some holiday humor.  Most of the stories I tell are of goofy things that happen to me as I travel in the quilting world but I think that some of my foibles may have been inherited.  Maybe it’s a genetic mutation in our family genes.  It is clear that I am not the only wacky member of the Hopkins family.

Joe and I are getting ready to visit the family down in Southern California.  It’s an all day trip on the main California highway that will be a 2 lane, pot-holed, chock full of 18-wheelers nightmare.  I can’t wait!

We are all getting excited to be together, so let the Christmas decorating begin!

Now, decorating for Christmas in the Hopkins house has always been a big deal.  I have been blessed to always live in a beautifully decorated home even when we had no money.  Which was always.  You don’t need $ to have a beautiful home, just creativity.  I have now carried this tradition over to the Bula household but not this year.  I am going very low-key this holiday season. 

Having a mother who was a fabulous interior designer makes the holidays very festive.  I have always said that Martha Stewart has nothing on Lavonna Hopkins.  Except for a funny first name.  

So let the decorating commence.  I am sure my dad was on a ladder with his head up in the attic, pulling down all the dusty Christmas boxes containing the lights for the house, the nativity scene, the 18 foot tree, the Santa’s village to be displayed on the baby grand piano and all the little bells and whistles she has always done.  As time goes by we all start to get a little older and my sweet, creative mother has been battling some memory challenges that can seem sad but sometimes they are just downright funny.  It’s interesting how she still remembers how to decorate but has forgotten how to cook.  She can’t remember who was on the phone but knows everyone in an old photo.  We are all grateful that she can still decorate for Christmas and, most importantly, wants to.  She told me she didn't do too much but I assure you, she has.  It’s not going to be quite the same decorating that she did back in her heyday but it will be pretty. She sounded so excited on the phone and that made me happy.

Then I get the following  email from my sister, Jacqui, that has set the mood for this upcoming trip:

Okay this is too funny!!!!!!

Mom has decorated their whole house for Christmas, it looks really nice.

She has her Christmas candy dish on the coffee table in the family room - - - - - - -

It has been there for about 4 days I saw it - - - - - - -

Jillyan just called me at work and said Mom (Nana) has filled the candy dish with TUMS!!!!!!!! Like full about 35 TUMS

Jillyan went to see what kind of candy they were, pastel colored round disc candies and said each one has TUMS printed on it!!!!!

I had a good laugh; Jillyan is going to let Papa know asap. I don’t think we should be snackin on TUMS (however they do help with strong bones).

Just though I’d share - 

I sent her a response and I got this email back:

Okay – And the funniest thing is when I told Dad about it last night he said . . . . . . .

 I thought those tasted funny!!!!!!  Then he said to me “well it won’t hurt you, you could eat 8 of them and be fine”! (Yeah a little constipated).

He said he had told Mom they tasted like TUMS and she said it was CANDY!

Merry Christmas!!!!

Ice-Dyed Fruit Loop

As this year winds down I find that I still have creative obligations knocking on my studio door.  Houston International Quilt Festival is over for 2012 but planning for 2013 is already in the works plus I was just asked to be part of the faculty for a fantastic 2014 Panama Canal Cruise that Deb Roberts Tours and Road to California are planning.  This is going to be a big event. 

So we need some new patterns for that cruise.  Oh, I forgot to tell you that all these proposals have to be in by December 5th. 

So, for the last couple of weeks I have been working out the bugs on some new pattern ideas.  Not all my ideas have worked out and I thought you might like to see how it has been going.

This may not look like anything but a yellow blob but I have always wanted to do an orchid. Orchids grow all over the tropics - perfect for the Panama Cruise!  By day 3 my husband, who now works out of the house alongside me, decided to take one of his 3-4 "breaks"  during the day to visit my studio and inform me that maybe this orchid might be a little too hard for a cruise.  Remember the gals on the last cruise?  They didn't  want anything too challenging, they just wanted to have fun.

 To be finished on another day..

OK, he was right. This may be better for another day.  Back to the drawing board. 
Then I found the perfect tropical subject matter and it's not a flower.  How about my favorite bird, the toucan? 

He is so cute and has such personalty and I made him in 2 hours.  Now this is more like it.  I started adding leave to the background using my ice-dyed green fabrics.   It gives the leaves a  watercolor look without having to use a lot of different fabrics, which is great for the cruise because the cruisers don't want to bring that much stash with them.  I will have the ice-dyed greens in their kits. 

Finally, he is done.  Next is the stitching, which will have to be done at home but the pattern will have details for how to quilt this cute little guy.  I think he needs a name...how about Fruit Loop?

He looks hard to make but he's really easy.

Now, for all you orchid lovers out there, don't worry,  I am still working on the orchid pattern - just not right now.  It will be a great one day class for the future.  Maybe at the next quilt show near you? 

Its Here at Last

Stop the presses!  Hold the wire and kick the cat! I think that might be kick the can?  Oh, well...that explains why the neighbor cat doesn't come around anymore.   I have exciting news - my book, Cutting Garden Quilts has just been reprinted.  Martingale/Patchwork Place is the publisher.  I think this is the fourth printing, but who is counting?   They arrived  just in time for my trip to the International Quilt Festival in Houston this last week.  I did feel a little sorry for my UPS driver having to pack the 4 heavy cases up the 8 steep stairs of my cute country porch in the rain.  Joe is now carrying the cases off my cute country porch back down to the garage in the rain.  Those books go more places than I do.  I love men with muscles but if UPS guy and Joe ever compare stories I may end up having to move all my stuff myself.   Happy to say the case sold out in 4 days of classes and I didn't have enough for the Saturday sampler.

Well, happy days are here.  I do not mind that I had to cut a deal to get the book back out,  it's worth it.  Why? you may ask. This is the one and only first book that shows you how to create a flower quilt from your own flower photo as an artist paints a painting.  It's like having me in your sewing room helping you or messing up your sewing room just like I do here at home.  What could be better than that? You cannot get the basics of my technique, unless you get the opportunity to take a class,  anywhere except in Cutting Garden Quilts.  Yes, I have learned so much more over the last 5 years of teaching you, my students, and I will be putting that in the next book but the basics are a classic to build upon.  As my art teacher always said, Melinda, you cannot break the rules until you know the rules.

The pictures and layout are one of the best.  It is like a fine coffee table book.  The book also has 5 flower patterns that turn out beautifully. Many of my students have won ribbons on the quilts they have made from this book.  Love That!

This peach rose is called Just Joey.  It was given to my husband by my mother after Joey's Mother died.  She always called him Joey.  It produces wonder fragrant flowers in our garden and can now bloom in your home.   I recently sold this quilt to a wonderful quilt collector couple on Cape Cod.  That was how I was able to get Joe to go to Australia with me.

I have learned many new tricks since writing this book but the basics of developing your own flower into an art quilt is still the same.

I love this flower, the clematis.  I just taught 3 fabulous classes in Peoria, Illinois and one of the classes was the clematis.   I had a great time and the clematis flower class was from this book.  Here are some of the pictures of their wonderful flowers.

You can now go to my web site and order your book if you do not already have it.   If you have it, but can’t find it (believe me, it happens) you may need another.

I love this student.  She was bold and creative and not afraid of color in any way. Her flower turned out amazing.  The only other student that has done this color way was Helen in Ukiah, California and she rocks!

If, you like, I will sign the book to whomever you want.  Christmas is right around the corner and this would make a great gift.  It is a classic because when the publisher stopped printing this book about 5 months ago, the book was selling on  Amazon.com  for up to $1,000 a copy.   So hold on to this one because if I have an an  .. unforeseen accident, and there are a few here in town that have me on their short list, this book could really be worth something.  Enjoy!  And a big Thank You to Martingale for re printing this valuable book.

Renegade Thread Play Coloring Class

Renegade Thread Play Coloring Class

The Next Step

There has been some confusion about my Renegade Thread Play class in Houston on November the 2. So let clear up all the mess so you can feel prepared for the class.  This is a techniques class, but we will be making a flower to practice on.

We start with the basics of what Renegade Thread Play is.  Then we will practice a verity of stitches.  Work out all the kinks and hopefully after lunch, we will start our flowers and use the stitches you have just learned.  

The pattern we will use is my sunflower.  However, it does not have to be a sunflower.  Make it in the colors you like.  So bring your favorite flower colors to class.  Here is a value chart to help you with fabric amounts next to each value.  You will also need three greens that you like with your flower.  Fat quarters yards work great.

You will also need a background fabric, cut to 18” x 22”.  A low loaf cotton-batting cut to 30”x 30”.

For the back of your quilt, you will need 1 yard of any fabric you like, to use as a fabric border on your quilt and as the back of your quilt.  A few medium size safety pins to hold your quilt layer together, quilting gloves, 1 spool of Aurfil 50 weight cotton thread in a color that blends with your backing fabric colors.  1 package of Jeans Denim or Top Stitch Needles, Size 80/12, white chalk pencil.

I will bring some fabric kits if your bags are just to full. Any question, please email me. melbula@comcast.net