Oh, Paducah!

I just got home, 2 days later than scheduled, from Paducah, Kentucky. But, do not worry or fret for me, because I just hit the jackpot and I never had to leave Kentucky.  I had an impulsive moment and acted intuitively for the first time in a long while. Those days of having to get home to the kid are behind me and now I have freedom I never had.  Maybe the empty nest is not so bad after all.

I flew into Paducah on a very small plane, which I love.  The plane was full of quilters and one poor traveler that had no idea what had just happened to him.  You could feel the excitement in the air as we landed at the  very small Paducah airport. We were met with AQS signs and a welcoming committee wearing red coats, right there at the airport.  Impressive.  I also meet up with 3 other teachers on the same journey.  They were Esterita Austin, Bonnie McCaffery, and Lyric Kinard. WOW!  What a creative bunch and, to top it off, they are really nice people. We all hit it off, and did what teachers always do when they arrive in a new venue.  We started worrying about whether or not all the class supplies we had shipped to Paducah had made it.  They had. 

The week was full of hectic running around - trying to find the right bus, would it be here in time, and how do I get this big bag back to the hotel?   We hauled big bags all over Paducah with achy feet and tired arms but it was all worth it because our students make it so much fun. They were hungry to learn and seeing them get it is such a joy.  I love my job!  But the true adventure was just around the corner,  disguised as the trip home.

We arrived at the airport on a rainy afternoon to make our separate ways home, and find the airport full of quilters. I'm glad I have a seat, but the plane is late and there are storms all over the place. Chicago has big delays and that is where we are all going first.  So we talk to the other quilters, meet some new friends and just wait. I start to get a little goofy while we wait, which is what I do best.  I mean, I'm good at getting goofy.  I am not a good waiting.
Oh, did I mention that we were hanging with last year's Best of Show winner at AQS and Houston, Mariya Waters, from Australia, who was there with her sweet husband?  Her quilts, yes, I said quilts, were bought for a lovey sum by the AQS museum.  It's just another day at the airport.  I got a cute shot of these romantic Aussies. Mariya is very witty and quite a hoot!

I will use this to blackmail her later.  I'm guessing that was her husband, but who knows?  I was still giddy from PADUCAH! So we wait and wait and then we wait some more. Then the gate agent announces, again, that our already late plane is going to be overweight and the carrier will be asking for volunteers to take a later plane. They will be giving a round trip ticket on United anywhere in the lower 48 states, along with a hotel room and meal vouchers for anyone willing to take a later flight.

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A light bulb goes off in my head.  Maybe I should stay and get the ticket so Joe and I can take a fun trip. I just missed our 28th anniversary being in Paducah.  No, I can't do that - it's crazy.  This idea is too impulsive.  I need to get home.  Or do I?   I call Joe to tell him what's up. He says go for it.  So, I told Lyric I was going to stay.  She was also calling her husband.  She wants to give the ticket to her husband who wants to see his brother-in-law in Utah for a boys' adventure.  He has been home with their 5 children. Yes, I said 5.

She decides to stay, so we walk up to the agent and tell her that we're in.  We both know that just our suitcases are heaver than most. It's one of the fun aspects of being a quilt teacher, always having overweight baggage. The airlines must love us. We hug all our new friends good bye and promise to stay in touch, which I know we will.

Now our new adventure begins.  It's Lyric and me and 2 other gals, Terry from Florida and Karen from Michigan, our new traveling companions. We know they are nice people because they are quilters.

We decide to take advantage of the extra day in Paducah and start plotting the plan for our next day in the taxi on the way to our new hotel. There were a lot of things I didn't get to see because I was teaching or sitting on a bus most of my time here. So we meet in the lobby the next morning and take off for town. Karen knows where the bus stop is and we wait in a misty rain. I am sure this is not going to be a good hair day.  We board a city bus/taxi.  First stop, the artist studio of Helene Davis.

What a treat. She showed us her house /studio/ dyeing room, which Lyric and I were lusting over. It's decked out with 4 washing machines and 2 dryers. I bought some of her beautiful shibori fabrics.

Next stop was the tea shop, Serrina Tea (get it?), for lunch.   Bad news!  It had a closed sign in the window. I think I saw Lyric stomp her foot out of disappointment.  Then the door opened and out came about 15 or so Coast Guards. We sort of stood at attention. I then shot out proudly that my son is a Marine.  They shout back Semper Fidelis! They ask me if I know what that means.  Yes, I tell them, "Always faithful."  Then they ask me if I know what their motto, Semper Paratus,  means.  I say  Always hungry?  and they all laugh.  There motto is Always ready and they ARE!

While I was teasing the Coast Guard,  our new friend Terry had slipped into the tea shop and was inquiring about lunch. A small detail like a CLOSED sign does not stop Terry.  They invited us in and we had a private lunch and tea that was fabulous.  After lunch the owner showed us the ballroom upstairs with it's beautiful tin ceiling tiles. They are renovating this 1800's house that used to be the Elks Club during Prohibition, so you can guess what the elks where brewing down in the basement.  It was awesome.

But we are not done yet.  After lunch we walked the 6 blocks to Carol Bryer Fallert's Studio and Shop. We have called ahead and she invites us over.

She takes us on a tour of her house, studio, classroom even her to-die-for bathroom.  She has a collection of art quilts by some of the best quilters in the world  hanging all over her house.  It was amazing.  I loved the ceiling in her living room the most.

We are all looking at each other and are feeling the same thing. We can't believe we are doing this.  It's so unreal. Then, to top it off, she asked how we were getting back to the hotel.  We said,  the bus. She said Oh, no you're not.  I will take you back to your hotel.  So, we all hop into her minivan and - yikes - Carol Bryer Fallert is driving us home. I know, couldn't you just die?  As we floated out of her van, not one of us felt the ground under our feet.

That night we had dinner together and all knew we had just had a special day that we will never forget.

We talked like we had been friends forever, which was really nice.  I have been reliving that day since I got home. It was definitely the best part of my trip.

But it made me think about how many other wonderful experiences we are missing because we have to plan everything down to the last detail.  We make lists and MUST stick to the list.  We even get mad if the plans on our list get changed.

But, maybe next time your plans get changed you can try to look at it as a gift.  It might just be an opportunity to experience something new that you  might otherwise have missed.  Don't be afraid, take that chance.  Without taking a chance,  I would have missed a wonderful gift, wrapped up in an extra day in Paducah.

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Ogallala Quilt Festival

How can I tell you about some of the nicest people I have ever met in a town that, well, I have to face it, is hard to describe. But I just had one of the best trips of my quilting career.

It starts out with me flying into Amarillo, Texas on a very windy day.  I later learn that is normal for this part of the country. I land and meet my hostess and helper, Rosemary and Beth, holding up my book so I can't miss them. The first thing I notice as we make our way to Dimmitt, Texas,  yes,  I said Dimmitt, TX. What  do you mean, you have never heard of Dimmitt? You really need to get out more. The first thing I notice is there are no mountains. It is as flat as a pancake.  No mountains, not even a little hill.  It's hard for me to know where east and west are because the sun is straight up. This is called West Texas or the Panhandle of Texas. It's so cool, nothing like being in Houston.

As we drive to Dimmitt, about an hour away, the girls give me the lay of the land and an overview of the weekend's events at the quilt festival. I notice some ominous dark clouds, off on the right.  OH, NO! I think to myself, this is TORNADO country!

I can handle earthquakes, but I have no idea what to do if there is a tornado. So I try to act casual and ask the girls, "If there was a tornado, would you show me what to do?"   They both laugh and tell me, "we haven't had many tornado around here lately."  Which, I find out later, is not the truth.  As we are driving, Beth, from the back seat, tells me, "See that pile over there? That is where a tornado touched down and what is left of a mobile home."   I tell Rosemary to pull the car over - I have to get a picture of this.  I take my photo and get back in the car to the giggles of the girls and Beth telling me now. "Oh Melinda, that was just a pile of junk! They laugh again. (picture below)

There is one stop light in town and everybody drives only American made vehicles, mostly big trucks or Chevy Suburbans.  There was not one self important Prius driver in the whole town.

The Ogallala Quilt Festival in held  in this very small town. Being located between Amarillo and Lubbock,  it is also within traveling distance to New Mexico.   Quilters came from all over Texas to enjoy this fun festival.  This is their 13th year and it keeps growing bigger every year. They invited me back in 2008 to be there featured teacher this year. Quite an honor. Next year they will have Paula Nadelstern.
I taught 3 classes and did my lecture on Friday for at least 300 people. After my lecture they had a quilt auction with a real Texas auctioneer who talked so fast it made  my head spin.  It was so fun.

But don't let the one stop light and big trucks fool you, this is a very sophisticated group of people and quilters that know their quilting and are very talented.   These quilters take over the whole town and Dimmitt loves it and rolls out the red carpet.

My accommodations where awesome.  I stayed at Jon and Nicky Riddle's house.  He is the pharmacist in town and Nicky is a talented interior designer.  My room looked like it was out of House Beautiful.  I had a view of 5 horses in the pasture across form their house and I bought 2 of the cutest designer necklaces at the drug store they own.

I saw Longhorn cattle and real cowboys in tight jeans with spurs on their boots.  Every time any of the girls saw or talked about a cowboys with tight jeans they all would smile and squeal for joy like they where 18 again.  I even started to get the cowboy fever. There is something in their water.  I am sure of it.

When the locals drive through town in Dimmitt, they lift one finger up off the steering wheel when they see another car coming.  That is their wave to the other car because they do REALLY know that person.

I was driven back to the airport by Lisa, a stylish young woman.  She asked me if I had ever seen a zonkey? Nope, I had never seen a zonkey.  So she whipped a u-turn to show me the zonkey.  It's half horse, half donkey and half zebra. OK, so that adds up to an animal and a half - I'm an artist, not a mathematician. So cool.

So now, I am back in my home with green trees, rolling hills and traffic. I drive by people I will never wave at  and live on a street where I don't even know the names of the people across the street.


Thank you Rosemary and West Texas for a wonderful time.  I will never forget you!

Fabulouse Fusiable Flower Sewing Tote

It was a busy Friday.  I got a lot done. Finely! I have had many requests for a pattern for my Sewing Tote, I carry with me when I teach.  It has room for all my sewing supply's.  Plus, it looks HOT, if i do say so myself.
There is a secret pocket inside for carrying your projects, like my applique.  And it has 5 vinyl zipper pockets for you thread, scissors and lipstick.  The pattern comes with 2 Fabulous Fusible Flower designs.

This is a great place to practice your Renegade Thread Play.  I have added a lot of photos in the directions, to make it easy for you to see the, how to's, of construction.   I bought the handles for the tote, at Micheal's, for about $5.00.   The vinyl for the zipper pockets, I got a Joanna.  It's the same vinyl you would cover your table with, or in my family, Grandma Jessie covered her sofas with in the 50's.  It was real comfortable when the temperature hit 100 degrees in San Bernardino,CA.

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I also used the zippers that come on a roll.  But 5, 12" zippers in your favorite color, will work also.  The finished size of the sewing tote, is 14" x 35" open, and 14" X 20" closed,  for carrying.  The pattern will be up on my web sit today.   www.melindabula.com  click the shop.  The pattern is $ 18.00.  Hope you enjoy this as much as I do.  

My Pony Express!

Shipping and packing, shipping and packing.  That is all I seem to do these days.  I can't seem to get it right either.  How hard can this be?  Last month I sent my class supply to San Diego and they ended up in  Illinois. That was UPS's  fault.  They said, they would be there on Wednesday and they where right on that it.

They just delivered it to another freaking state!!!   

Now I have a FedEx account. This should be great. Yesterday they where to pick 4 boxes at my house.  How sweet is that?  But they never came!  So I called to find out, that I had shipped the boxes to myself!   What !! I give up.  If i'm not dealing with the airlines and over weight suits case issue.  It's that I missed the cheaper shipping price by just by one day.  Story of my life.

All I want to do is create.  But making money is getting in the way of creating.  

No wonder Van Gogh cut off his ear.

So the car is full of boxes and I am leaving for my UPS store. What was going to cost me $60 by ground, is now $200.  It is just not my day or week for that matter.  So when I get home from running the Pony Express, riding my faithful steed, Tahoe. (he has seat warmers).  I will try to make it to the studio and complete my new patterns. Or maybe, I will make a new quilt and called it, 

" More Prozac Please"!

T-Shirts Gone Crazy !

I like to wear something that I have created when I lecture and teach.  I have some basic criteria for the ensemble I wear.  First, it has to be stylish and cute.  Preferably making me look younger and skinny. That one has been a little harder to achieve lately, but I am still trying.  I figure that I can't stop the aging process but will go down looking the best I can. My mom taught us girls that and she is a very beautiful woman at 70 something and so is my friend, Peggy. She always looks HOT and is having a big birthday this year. Hopefully, we will be celebrating in Hawaii. Can't wait.

While having coffee with Peggy the other day, she started telling me about this wearable art technique using 100% cotton recycled t-shirts. The book is called Alabama Stitches.  A great book, using t-shirts fabrics and reverse applique.

While I was waiting for my book to arrive from Amazon.com I started my own interpretation from what Peggy had told me. This sounded like cool technique and I was starting to getting obsessed with the idea.

The next day I was shopping with my husband for new work clothes.  He recently got a promotion. (I am so proud) and I was supposed to be helping Joe find a shirt when my mind started to wander over to the Tony Hawk (of skateboard fame) t-shirt rack.  I started fondling the t-shirts right there in public. Like you haven't done that, too!

Shopping with Joe is sometimes hard for me.  I love being with him but he is a little slower than I am in making decisions. He also likes to research, compare, contemplate and hardly every makes mistakes because he is very thorough.

My shopping style is a lot different. I like to walk fast, scan the perimeters, then get in and get out.  I know what I want and what will work so I grab it and go. Maybe I should have been a man (that would be very awkward for Joe).


So this day my mind started thinking of that wearable technique as I waited for Joe to decide if those 501s fit the same as the other 501s.  I was starting to go crazy. Back to the shirts. I grabbed a brown, a burgundy and a wine color each in XL.  I was going to try this when we got home.

You first deconstruct the t-shirt and then stencil a design.  I didn't do that on my Tony Hawk shirt, above.



The book gives you a leaves stencil design. Then you cut and reverse applique your stenciled shapes using the other t-shirt behind (above).

Then you can add beads to embellish. The Alabama Stitches technique even lets the thread knots show on the top of the work. It's so cute.

I didn't have the kind of thread they were using, so I used what I had, which was pearl cotton size 8.
It is turning out so great that I ran to Target and bought a pack of men's XL white t-shirts and dyed them cool colors and have spent the last week making these fun wearable art t-shirts that have had a mind of their own (below).On the shirt above I used some beautiful blue and turquoise hand dyed pearl cotton I had bought from Laura Wasilowski. I am ruching the neckline using more of her thread and soon going to add beads. This one has a uneven hem and cap sleeves and it fits!!!  Now to find the right pants.


I think I will teach this technique one day at my May retreat in Tahoe. If you aren't signed up yet, we have just reduced the price. This is a great deal for 5 days and 4 nights of classes, plus all meals and your room.
A single room is $550, double is $500 and a non-participating guest is $350. It's right on the lake and some rooms have lake views.  Plus, we are going to play with fabric, try some new stuff and maybe play with  beads.  What could be better?

If you are interested let me know at melbula@comcast.net.  This is a shameless plug.  You can also go to my website for more information. www.melindabula.com.

Joe's Best Friend

It has been a difficult couple of weeks. We had to put our beautiful and loving dog, Cosmo, to sleep on Saturday. It's OK, because it was his time. There is a time for everything and we knew this was coming. He was going to be 14 this year. That is a long time for a very large Golden Retriever.

I fell in love with Cosmo the day I saw him. He was the only male of three puppies. He would roll over his sisters and then look like he had just won the game. I had just had a miscarriage weeks before and was a little emotional at the time. We already had Molly (our female Golden) but when Matt and I looked at Joe, we could not say no as he was also falling in love with this fluff ball. So we paid the $350 which was way more than we had and took him home. Matt loved him and our other dog, Molly, was not sure at first, but went right into the mothering mode within days.

A new puppy is a lot of work. We were living in a new town, Folsom. We had a tiny backyard in this townhouse. We had no friends yet and all our family lived miles away.

Cosmo was a handful, not at all like the laid back Molly. He wanted and needed to have a bigger place to play. The potty training was wearing me out. By the end of the first week I was worn out. Joe came home to a crying wife, no, I was sobbing. I told him I was a failure as a dog person - maybe we need to give him back.

Joe knew I had been going through a lot with the move and the miscarriage so he bundled Cosmo up and took him back. It was only 4 blocks way so he walked back to the people we had bought him from.

I started to cry the minute they left. What had I just done? I was so regretting my emotional decision that I wanted to scream. I had lost a child and now a pet. Matt gave me big hugs and was sad, too. We waited for Joe to come back.

A few minutes later I saw the beautiful sight of my husband and, in him arms, the fussy little ball of fur who had no idea what had been going on. We rush to them and with tears kiss them both. Matt was so happy and even Molly was glad to see them. What happened? Why did you bring him back? You knew I needed him, didn't you? Joe calmly explained that the owners were not home.

Again, I burst into tears and knew that Cosmo would be mine forever and, of course, Joe would be, too. We all hugged and kissed. So that is how we found Cosmo 14 years ago.

Saturday we had to say good bye in the vet office. The vet said she would give us a few minutes to say good bye. As Joe stroked Cosmo's head, Cosmo lifted up his paw to "shake", as if to say It's OK and and put it in Joe's hand. Cosmo had not done that in years. It was like he was saying good bye to us, too. When the vet said it was time to go, Cosmo jumped up, bad hips and joints and all, and walked away without a limp or a stumble with the vet assistant . Joe looked at me with tears in his eyes and we both knew Cosmo was ready to go, too.

What comfort it was to have those little gestures that we knew where not normal for this sick dog. God has a wonderful way of preparing us and giving us comfort in this normal process of life.
So this blog today is for Cosmo. The animals in our lives are true gifts from God. They comfort us when we have hurts and losses. They love us unconditionally. They don't judge us. But, unfortunately, they are in our lives for such a short time. He was, however, in our family's life when we needed him the most.

Now Matt is grown and gone, Joe has a new position at his work and I am traveling the country teaching. How different things are from that day I cried when I saw Joe walking back with Cosmo in his arms. Thank you God for that sweet gift.
Doggy heaven is full of comfy sofas that mom doesn't make you get off of.

California School of Fuse

Whenever I teach my fusible technique I inform my students that they are now in the California School of Fuse. This is not to be confused with the prestigious Chicago School of Fusing. We are two difference birds even thought I may have taken (stolen) the idea from the Chicago gals. We don't have a glee club or a fight song, yet, but we are working on that. We do have a short bus called a Tahoe.

The mindset of this California School of Fuse is simple. Just like in the state of California, I will show you what I like to use and why, and when class is over, you will go home and do what every you want, whether the majority votes on it or not. Because this is California. I guess I am making fun of my beautiful state and rightly so. We are the land of fruits and nuts and that is just at the Capitol.

I am always amazed as I travel up and down this wonderful and crazy state that the quilters are all the same and wonderfully bonded together with a creative passion that makes us a family.
Californians are a little in their own world, to say the least. We are an adventuress and creative state. Which sometimes make me and others here a little frustrated.

California is made of and was discovered by immigrants and pioneers all looking for a better life. Whether they came across the borders or left the Midwest during the dust bowl or were looking for gold in the hills above my house, we come from a hardy bunch of settlers. Just like the wonderful quilters I meet all over the country.

So to commemorate the official opening of the California School of Fuse I have designed a fabric label for the back of your quilt. If you have taken one of my classes, you can now proudly, or not so proudly, display this label on the back of your fusible flower quilt. This label states that you have graduated from the CSF and that you know how to use scissors and and an iron. You have stepped outside your creative box, colored outside of the lines and will use only the colors that thrill you. If you have taken one of my classes you now belong to this creative (sometimes a little wacky) group of fusible pioneers we call The California School of Fuse.
If you would like a label for you flower quilt you can send $3.00 for postage and handling to:

Melinda Bula
Chancellor of the
California School of Fuse
3221 Woedee Drive
El Dorado Hills , CA 95762

If you would like to go to our official school training camp you can email me at
melbula@comcast.net for information on
Flowers On the Lake, May 10-14 at
beautiful Tahoe Lake .