Jenny's Fish from My Wool Fish Class- Like Wool? Take a Class for Great Fun!

So I just did a cruise as you know to Panama and on the cruise I taught my folk art fish. I love anything folksy! Wool is one of my all time favorites to work with and I think Jenny from Illinois did a superb job with the fish and the embellishments. What fun!




I thought this photo said volumes and makes me happy I have a wagon if I need it and a sewing machine carrier. If I tried this, my machine would be in a million pieces, how about you?

A Cold Snowy Day Invited Sewing for Mary Lou and Her Granddaughter

So, it is a cold and snowy day here and my Granddaughter played hockey this morning and came over to spend the night. "How about learning the hoochy technique of sewing a quilt?" I said> "Sure" she said and we were off!
Papa went and got us sandwiches at Subway and we sewed and ironed and folded and unfolded...I am teaching her to love fabrics and color as I do! What fun to work on this hoochy quilt together. We will back it with Minke and have it quilted for her room. Love making memories with my Grandkids. How about you working with someone younger and getting them hooked on quilting too? It is so much fun to do together!

Short Story Quilt for Workshop Sample

Just got my Short Story sample done and am ready for the embroidered story and some other little magic touches to make it even better and more of a story! Can't wait to show this off. Timeless treasure fabrics and quilting magic by Pam Dransfeldt.


And the story is_ My Aunt and Uncle Used to live on some acrage and I used to go and spend time with them in the summer on their "hill". They both worked and so I walked back and forth to town and used to love to feed the cow in the pasture grass I picked and then I discovered a garden with carrots and I found out that I could pick those and eat them as well as berries here and there. She drove a turquoise carmen gia and I remember thinking how glamourous she was. She thought she was too but in reality we were both wrong, she was kind of countryfied. because they had a cow there was always fresh cream and butter and we drank whole milk which didn't seem strange then...my Aunt used to put a little fresh cream in the middle of each cinnamon roll she made before she baked them. Yum! I used to go and fetch eggs with my Aunt for Sunday breakfast and pancakes...it was a lovely little house and the yard around it was so pretty with birds in all of the trees and a slow paced life...I love those memories....

Color Cruising in the Bahamas is so Inspiring and Lovely

What one sees when they travel to the Bahamas is the intense color of everything from fruit to water to clothing to buildings...it fills your senses and then there is the music and the food and the business of the locals trying to sell you crafts, drinks (mostly alcohol concoctions), fish, beautiful produce and rides in thier taxis and vans to show you the area.



In this blog today I have focused mainly on Aruba. I did not get off the ship there. I have been there before and that was enough. I thought it would be fun to take photos of the people looking as we pulled up to the dock at Aruba....I like looking at the poses of people and how they stand etc. This was on the 10th floor of the ship. The photo I have in this blog of the ship taken from far away was our ship when I was off of it one day. It is HUGE and beautiful. The food is excellent and plenty (no chance to get hungry) and your room is cleaned twice a day. Like royalty really...what more could you ask for? I was gone 11 days and I taught three days and did a demo one day of hoochy hearts -just the thing for Valentine's day! Many of the ladies were from the US but what fun to also meet ladies from Brazil, Canada, York England, and France. Everyone friendly and fun....no kidding EVERYONE.



Clouds and water change every other hour or so and the color and the shape and the waves and the shadows...all enchanting and lovely. Such a nice experience to be around the sun which shows off so many beautiful things! As an artist if I were to start over, I think I would go to the bahamas and paint.....so many lovely things to paint and see. For now I am happy working on a Bahamas quilt....







The ship provided a lovely atmosphere too, to enjoy the trip and safety. The captain was a young man with a wife there and a young child. He was Dutch and a lovely man who was very professional and very nice. Cruising is a lovely way to see the world and there are some deals out there if you search the internet.
Quiltcruises.com is the group I work with as I think it is the best when it comes to quilting cruises. The two girls who run it are fun and professional and very nice. There is a small shop on board that has things one would need to do their projects they are taking classes for.





In the end after any traveling experience, you have your memories. I have lovely memories thanks to the people I was with and the beauty of the area and nature under the sun. I recommend a trip to the Panama canal Cruise. It is lovely.

Mary Lou's FOLK ART FISH CLASS A HIT!

The diningroom on the Zeiderdam Holland ship provided lots of color and laughs as we created folk art fish for fun! Quiltcruises.com created many happy people as we toured the bahamas and quilted....wonderful fun, friends, food and fabric!