Drum roll please!

Peony Pride has been juried in to Paducah this year!

Needless to say, I'm delighted.

More from AQC

Inspiration is everywhere!

Teaching upstairs at AQC was especially fitting this year - as the the building has been restored with traditional stencil designs...and I had a wonderful time just looking up.

A stencilled building is my dream! So I really looked forward to arriving early each morning and taking a moment during setting up the class to just soak up and appreciate the art of the stencil - wall or quilt, stencils have played a big part in the beautiful and complex history of arts and crafts.

I just had to share some pics with you.



I can see a graceful, scrolling, traditionally based quilt design coming on, inspired by the edging and bannisters....








...or from this ceiling I can see a very simple but stylish yellow flower quilt...



I'm filled up with ideas. I love that this building can be such an evocative place.

You just feel like you should be doing something creative the minute you walk in.



I will definitely look up a lot more often now - no doubt I miss many beautiful features of building as I go about my day...and it takes a building like this to just remind me once again...yes, inspiration is everywhere...

AQC is over for another year

For all you lovely ladies, (and not forgetting Peter), who attended my workshop,

Thank you for a great weekend!

It was a pleasure to share stencilling with you, and I'm impressed with how well you all did....I'm always amazed that the same stencil can look so different, and seeing this process grow over a day class is just great.

- everyone focused and finished their panels with a gusto.

Thank you all for making it so enjoyable to teach stencilling this year, and please keep me posted with your progress!

I'm back home, I have a carload to unpack and my feet are aching!...but I just had to quickly blog and thank all the students - I had a great time and as every tutor knows - it all comes down to who's in the class.

its nearly time for AQC

Well I'm still trying to get through my shelf of UFO's and then I started Red Delicious to get through my serious stash of reds....but I havent been able to keep up with the comments generated by Red Delicious as much as I would have liked to, so now my free monthly BOM has a new home, via yahoo groups, if you're making this BOM and you haven't already- join in and post your pics - the blocks being made look so good it's putting me to shame!

Tonight I'm preparing for my AQC workshops. I'm going in tomorrow for set up, I cant wait to catch up with everyone on the weekend.

I don't know why, because it doesnt matter how well I plan, I always end up with late nights of preperation....even when I promised myself I'd be better organised this time around...so you'll probably see me with a strong coffee in hand...
see you there! Stencils at the ready!

Workshops Next Week

This weekend I'm winding down in preperation for next week. When I say winding down, I mean not starting any new projects! I am still committed to finishing my UFO's, working my way through my fabric stash and being more organized. I have 'nests' of papers and patterns and designs throughout the house which drives everyone crazy....but I find that if I file them away neatly...I forget all about them! For me, out of sight really is out of mind, so I've positioned my next few 'due for finishing' UFO's on the edge of my sewing machine table as a constant reminder.

I've had a very busy week, writing up some magazine patterns, testing some new designs and sourcing supplies for my workshops next week- this is a never ending issue. Sourcing the best possible supplies, always looking for new ways to make things easier for students...but I have to admit, I love teaching stencil workshop classes. Stencilling is something that can really transform your ideas about what it means to make your own quilt...it takes you on a journey where you can deisgn as much or as little as you want. Stencil blocks in a quilt can be a great feature - and entire stencil quilts where you 'stencil' your own fabric and really make it your own is somewhat addictive.

This is a stencil detail from Not Quite Shabby Chic. I've been preparing kits for my workshops next week at the AQC. For those of you coming along to one of my workshops, it's going to be a great day. I've already received some emails from students and I'm looking forward to meeting you all very soon!