Visiting Alabama a lovely experience in Autumn

I was invited to Huntsville Alabama to teach easy piecing blocks like hoochy and Flower Power. We had so much fun and while I was there I got to see some of the city and it was wonderful. If you haven't been there put it on your bucket list. I will be showing class photos later and you can see some now on my other blog-Marylouweidman.blogspot.com

So I just got home from a lovely trip to the South. I started teaching in Huntsville Alabama where I hadn't been before. Lovely place with lovely people. There are great places to eat with good food...why is it that the South has more places that are not chains and they know how to cook and bake fabulous things? I would weigh at least 150 pounds more if I lived there and I am not kidding. We had a Flower Power two day class in Huntsville...so fun and some really great creative girls there.

Here is a quilt done with those strip rolls...she said she chopped off 18 inches and then just pieced this...I would chop this up too for houses, flowers and other hoochy fun blocks....I thought this was exceptionally beautiful with it's light and color

If you haven't made Flower Power Flowers, you are missing out...they are fun and creative!

I wanted to say how much my hostess's went out of their way to get me water (I always want water back at the room) and other things I needed and they helped me carry my heavy heavy bags and just were wonderful. I have had such NICE hostess's this Fall and it sure helps. My back is giving me trouble again and when I get help it sure is nice. The hostess in Alabama hauled so many things to bring for her girls...we had sweet and unsweet tea each day and special ironing boards and I cannot imagine people offering to run for that hard job, but they do. :0) My other hostess had lost over 140 pounds, can you imagine? She said she is a new person and eats the right way now. A real inspiration to all.

This lady shared her adorable house block swap quilt with us and she worked on a hoochy border for this quilt. It is going to be super fun, super color and great anywhere she hangs it! Loved her sharing with the class and even better was she came with her wonderful Mother-I love it when Mother and Daughter sew....really great gals

This poster was shared by the house lady's Mother- we all LOVED it...so fun

You know I really notice in the South how people help each other more with carrying things in for the class, setting up, complimenting each other, saying nice things, introducing each other, bringing treats for others to share etc. This is just an observation...not saying all quilters aren't wonderful but you sure notice how nice everyone is and no whiners that I could see in class...it is a fun experience to see this. I hope to go back and see other parts of Alabama some day. Stay tuned I want to tell the story about an Afgan women I met in the airport and what she told me about living in Afganistan. I am too tired now but will be sharing it for sure. NOTE- I got down payment money from most of the retreat girls who signed up for next June. If you were one of the ones who told me you are coming, please send your money now to me so I don't sell your spot. I only have a couple left. Happy Fall Y'all!

"COWS " You said???Look at these bovines...so fun! Plus Mary Lou's Retreat next June....

I am packing my cows to take them to Huntsville Alabama and then I am taking them to Memphis. I can't wait to show the girls there how much fun they are! In the meantime I keep getting letters from people asking where they can get the cow pattern. It is in a book done by myself and Mel Mcfarland called Out of the Box with Easy Blocks. I am making an offer below if you order it from me. I will fill the orders in a week and one half when I get home. Love to put those surprises in the package too. If you are looking for a really fun project that is easy and CREATIVE to stretch with, this is your project. Here are many samples from friends and students. Hope you love this show and tell as much as I do....

I see I have repeated some of the same cows here but I can't tell because on my copy of the blog, it is only letters and looks like gobbeldy gook....know what I mean? Hope you enjoy these...I sure do....Starting with an empty slate and putting the cow together in about 2 1/2 hours, and then using your creativity for fun is what it is all about! A Bee project is a great idea too...challenge each other and see what you can come up with!

This cow was done by Kathy Collins and I had to put it in here because it has all of the plaids from one of my fabric lines here...I LOVE plaids and hope to do a line with cool plaids included...just for YOU...and me too!

Out of the Box with EASY Blocks is the book you want to get the directions on the COW quilt....so many ideas and so fun!

Thought I would show the changes from where I started....these are so much fun to do! Honeslty if you get the book, you won't be sorry. I am going to send other measurements for a 3/4 size with every book I sell as well as a fat quarter of fabric, a past card, and a Mary Lou pin...and a pattern of mine too....

Closeup's are fun because you can see the details!

Kathy Collins used the hoochy method for her background of her cow....love this!

Sue made such a clever headress on her cow...we all love it! Every single friend here did something different and this is the fun! I might mention that I teach a two day workshop on these cows too....

To order the book and get the extras go to Marylouweidman.com

ChiCOWgo, PsyCOWdelic, Cowabunga,Marilyn MOOnroe, COWtown, ACOWtant, and just try switching or changing the words "Cow", "Heiffer", "MOO", Dairy", "Milk", "herd"....and see what you can come up with. We will be looking for 45 quilts to show this spring around April at Large shows....please think about showing your creativity....the COW Parade has already been shown to three large shows and we hope to do more and more and have it " spread" (get it? across the world! Try it, you will love it....I am on my 5th one! ----------------------------------------------------- I am almost full for my next retreat. If you contacted me about coming please send in your $300. HOLD money. The FARM CHICKS, Post Falls Days and Art on He Green in Brown's Addition will be connected to the retreat again! Hooray. Miss Tina will be back to cook for us also. You can contact me or you can into my website like you are ordering a pin and in the place for a note put that you would like to put your depoit down on the retreat. Marylouweidman.com Mari, I got your check and Sandi I got your charge info with the pin order ;0) Thank you girls...we have fabulous people signed up this year...it is sure to be the best ever!

HAPPY AUTUMN INSPIRATIONS FOR YOU

Many of you checked out my website the last couple of days (over 100 yesterday and I think it is because I had my template changed to loads of photos you could click on. I loved the look and would like comments on whether to leave it like this or change it back to photos everywhere you can click on. Please let me know. I am going to Huntsville AL and then Memphis this week and when I get back, I will either leave my blog like this or change it to tons of photos like the last couple of days...please comment. In the meantime, these photos made me smile and I wanted to share something smile worthy with you, my friends. Isn't September Glorious? Quilt watching the negative news and start looking at inspiration and color, design, line, shape and fun! This is what makes us happy and fulfilled and don't we want that? People around us want us happy too! Happy September to You .

All buttons! WOW

And finally, my cousin John who works at the Magic Castle...look at this close up and it is pretty funny....he is creative and fun.