Bentonville Arkansas and Crystal Bridges Museum offer great creativity, color, nature's beauty and oh's and ah's

The purse above was made bgy a lady named Sam who was at the Arkansas "Calico Cutups" guild...I think it is adorable and really me. For you girls who make bags I thought this might spark your creativity!

I love reginal folk art and hey, isn't this cool??? On my way to Arkansas from Tulsa...what a BEAUTIFUL part of the USA! Route 66 I think....

Below, after Dorothy picked me up to go to Crystal Bridges, the art center funded by Walmart's daughter (Sam Walton's Daughte Alice) In Bentonville Arkansas. I HIGHLY recommend it and I get to go to alot of art Museums. It is wonderful and divided by dates of artists. She has gotten some fabulous art. The only downside is she does not recognize quilts or textiles as art yet...hopefully someone will educate her to see their fabulous worth! I am posting some of my favorite things including the beautiful scenery which is seen indoors as in indoors is outdoors and outdoors in indoors.

Sometimes the people walking around outdoors become like painting pieces in a beautiful art piece -it is quite wonderful and inventive...

I think one of my most favorite (inventive) piece was this red orb that you looked through and how it changed the background behind it....you can see blocks on the floor but they disapper in the photo but with your eye you can see them....I took many angles of the plain and it changed each time...wonderful!

I think you can see why I loved this beautiful Museum so much. Lovely people worked as security and friendly people to direct you to one place or the other. My back has been hurt so I didn't get to walk the paths as I wanted but this is all part of the experience too and they are packed with flowers and trees and interesting sculptures....this Museum has been well thought out and reminded me of the Getty in California...lots of the same well place ideas for those who want to "think" as they look.

The selection of art is really wonderful too. Hope you get to go there and visit. The city itself is wonderful and later next week I am going to show photos of the original Walmart store (Sam Walton Museum and show other photos of my time in both Tulsa (wonderful in so many ways) and Arkansas.

Tulsa Provides Lovely Sunshine, New Friends and Alot of FUN

Debby is pictured here in her vintage Mexican jacket. I had one of these when I was a little girl and would love to get a red one. They are so cool! As we were chatting, Debby (who is shown with her best friend in the world Annette) showed me her shoes that her son who is a tattoo srtist designed. I need to find her card in my suitcases....he did an amazing job and photos don't do them justice. Debby had adorable outsits each day and she has that touch for what she wears. You know what I mean? Really fun to see each day what she wore and she is really nice.<

Many guilds have pretty raffle quilts and this quilt is lovely. The Tulsa guild shared in making it and a lady (I forget her name) did the border. Each stitch is perfect and it would be so great on a bed or a wall. I bought tickets and have my fingers crossed. I am due to win a quilt because I keep buying these tickets and nothing....know what I mean?

I think the davantage of teaching in Tulsa when the sun shines bright is the fun you have and the friends you make. We had 19 of the nicest ladies who all shared and were fun and willing to try anything and to make free form flowers getting Out of the Box. The value of a workshop that is longer is having time to get your artist out and inventing and discovering. We had people from three states....Oklahoma, Missouri, and Arkansas..........very fun for a girl from the Northwest!

A few years ago I had a wonderful lady named Jan in my John C. Campbell workshop. Jan is very talented and very nice. Jan made a cow and I think it is wonderful! So we posed for a photo of the two of us with our cow quilts. If you haven't made a cow, they only take 2 1/2 hours to put together and they are really fun. Just pick a cow theme like "OCOWhoma", cowa bunga, holy cow, COWafornia, How now Brown cow?, cow town, Marilyn MOOnroe, etc. We thought up tons of cow names. The pattern is in my OUT of the BOX with EASY Blocks book along with lots of other cute patterns.

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Post Falls Idaho gets AWARD! Hooray for the place we have our retreat!

These are the "bunny" sisters or as many of you know them Laura from Texas and Charlotte her sister from Florida who come to my retreats and workshops. These two girls sew like the wind and I think they hold the record for story quilts made. Their lives are made for story quilts and they have a list of many that need to be done.
Laura's husband sent me a letter with a notice that Post Falls Idaho where the retreat will be held in June was selected as one of the top ten places to live for Mountain/water communities. I just found out that the day we go to Farm Chicks in Spokane, we will also be able to attend Post Falls Days. They will have a small quilt show of mine there and lots of see and buy and eat. Isn't this what those town fairs are all about? Fun way to start off the retreat.
By the way, this is my fourth annual retreat and I need two more people. This may be my last year if I don't fill. If it is my last year it will be a FUN one with lots of fabric given away, a quilt for every student as well as new patterns, tips and ideas and of coarse the bunny sisters. :0)
GREAT news! After seeing this, TWO more sisters are planning on joining us! I am leaving it open for one or two more people. I have had two people say they want in but haven't sent their money-as the saying goes "put your money where your mouth is".
I am so excited at the addition of Kathy and Judy who are as much fun as Charlotte and Laura! And Best friends from Boise and Mari who runs the block swap and Sandi who has come for years and others who are in for a great and memorable time!

PRETTY FABULOUS PRINCESS'S (Out of the Box with Easy Blocks Pattern!

Out of the Box with Easy Blocks by Mary Lou Weidma and Mel McFarland-
Here is Carol's NICE letter. Isn't it fun to see how someone uses a simple pattern and makes others very happy?
Mary Lou,
Thank you so much for your kind response. I have sent the three pics separately as I still don't know how to add attachments on my iPad! The quilts were made in the reverse order I numbered them and you can see my progression from very similar to yours on to more daring in the ballerina with the tutu! Every girl in Elise's kindergarten class now wants her own princess quilt. Not gonna happen! Thanks for you continued inspiration. Hope to meet you one day soon.
Sincerely,
Carol Simpson
P.S. a friend used the pattern in the book and just reduced everything by half. They were adorable, too.



I was thinking about auctions for schools and this would be such a nice prize. To have someone buy a quilt that you would make after they buy it to what their little Princess would be. I think that these patterns would make great self portraits (think about a challenge) and also do people in your bee or quilting group for fun. How about your Grandma or your Mom or your Aunt or your neice or Granddaughter as a Princess/ Want to make a Princess in the story quilt workshops I am doing....just plan on it. If you want a supply list to help you and are taking the retreat (any of them) I will send it to you. These are great fun as is everything in the book! Thank you Carol---------------
Just got this lovely email-thank you for the sweet comment on these quilts!-----
I just saw the 2 Princess quilts on your web site Mary Lou and
Cherries, Too and I hope you will tell the quilter how much I loved
them. I have been e-mailing all of my friends with grand daughters
and telling them about it and where to find the pattern. Please
thank the quilter for making my day!
Kris Luxon
San Diego
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Free Quilts at Mary Lou's Retreat! Thought you might like these-they are fun!

I have other quilts too to bring with me- we will put them all in bags and number them and then each student will draw a number..should be fun....I have some nice fabric prizes we will do this way also...










Imagine happy little hangings in your bathroom or kitchen or bedroom! I have a stack of outfits that became little wallhangings and I am giving one away to each student at my Post Falls Idaho retreat this year. These are whimsical and fun and that is what the creative week is about too.
I have Apron day planned for the first day and everyone will wear their favorite aprong.either one they made or one they bought....it should be fun with the tiaras (real ones) that I have ordered. A little color and a little class.