Patchwork Asociacion Espanola

Yesterday we celebrated the girls of May birthdays with our annual lunch. In the past it has always been a very delightful day and this celebration was no different. Four of us have BD’s in May, Laura Wasilowski, Anne Lullie, Emily Parson and myself. Really any excuse to come together and eat and drink is good. Those in attendance who do not have May birthdays but are willing to celebrate were; Judy Coates Perez, Jane Sassaman, Barb Vlack, Ann Fahl and Trish Williams. Fun was had by all. I was having too much fun and didn’t take a picture, but I’m sure there are lots of pictures on the others blogs.

We laughed we eat we talked a lot. It was great.

My birthday present from Laura was a really wonderful surprise. Laura recently taught over in Spain. She returned with two great gifts for me, and I’m sure other stuff too. First was the magazine Patchwork Asociacion Espanola. I was a featured artist with a two page spread inside and my quilt “Woodland Treasures” featured on the back cover.

The second big surprise was my book “Fabric to Dye For” translated into Spanish.

What a trip that is to see your work in a foreign language.

Thanks for these fun birthday gifts. But the best gift of all was going to PA and being with my son and his wife as they baptized our precious new grandson Micah. Being a grandparent is the one of the biggest joys I have ever experienced.

The gown Micah is wearing is one that I made 26 years ago for our youngest son for his baptism. I made it with the thought in mind that it would become a family tradition. Megan was kind enough to ask if he could wear it, so my wish is coming true. It is smocked and has tatted lace on it that I made. It has a bonnet and booties but the bonnet was too big and the booties lasted all of a minute on his little feet. What a treasure it all is.

And the winner is...

So I decided to go to randomnumbers.com to help me pick a comment number. I entered 1-100, because I had 100 comments, and 65 came up as the winner.
Maggie Szanfranski was the 65th commenter. Congratulations Maggie. I know you will enjoy this book. Please email me privately at frieda@friestyle.com and send me your address.
Thanks to everyone else who participated. If you go to Laura's website and check out the next blogger on the blog tour you still might have a chance to win a copy of Laura's fun book :)

Fanciful Stitches Colorful Quilts

My good friend Laura Wasilowski has written the most charming and fanciful new book. It contains 11 fused projects for you to make and fanciful stitching for you to create on top of these small whimsical house quilts.
This is my interview with Laura in our booth in Paducah, April 2011.
If you leave a comment today, here on my blog, you will have a chance to receive a free copy of this book.

Interview with Laura Wasilowski about her new book Fanciful Stitches Colorful Quilts

Artist Village

On Monday a new blog tour will begin. I participated in making a house for “the Artitst Village”.

My house is the little one in the middle with the orange roof.  On my day and prior I will be posting pictures of my house and telling about the process of making it. I hope you will drop by and view it as well as all the other artist.

Here are all the links for the tour.

Susan Else (website) May 2 http://www.susanelse.com/

Frances Holliday Alford May 3 http://www.franceshollidayalford.com/weblog/

Pamela Allen (website) May 4 http://pamelart.homestead.com/titlepage.html

Frieda Anderson May 5 http://friestyle.blogspot.com/

Lisa Call May 6 http://blog.lisacall.com/

Jane Davila May 9 http://janedavila.blogspot.com/

Naomi Adams May 10 http://killerbeedesigns.com/blog1/

Jamie Fingal May 11 http://jamiefingaldesigns.blogspot.com/

Barb Forrister May 12 http://www.freespiritartstudio.blogspot.com/

Vickie Hallmark May 13 http://fiberartglass.blogspot.com/

Connie Hudson May 16 http://beyondtherail2010.blogspot.com/

Leslie Jenison May 17 http://leslietuckerjenison.blogspot.com/

Sherri McCauley May 18 http://sherrilipmanmccauley.blogspot.com/

Judy Perez May 19 http://judyperez.blogspot.com/

Melanie Testa May 20 http://www.melanietesta.com/mtype/

Laura Wasilowski May 23 http://artfabrik.blogspot.com/

Kathy York May 24 http://aquamoonartquilts.blogspot.com/

Fanciful Stitches

Be sure and stop by my blog on Tuesday May 3rd and leave a comment. I will be post an interview with Laura Wasilowski about her new book Fanciful Stitches. If you leave a comment on that day I will pick one lucky winner to receive a free copy of her book. You will love it!!! I do.

Artist Monday

I want to share with you an artist who I think is doing some wonderful work.

I went to my quilt group this last Wednesday, I belong to PAQA a group that meets in the Chicago land area. I don’t get there very much because of all the traveling that I do. SO, I really enjoy it when I get to go and see all my quilting buddies.

My friend Darcy Berg was there with some wonderful art for sale. I had to buy this little quilt from her, it was too wonderful. It is mounted on a painted stretcher canvas. It measures about 5” x 5”. It is a picture  that she took and then manipulated in Photoshop. She then printed it on fabric and added more interest and detail with paints and thread. If you would like to see more of her work please go to her website.

If you live in the Chicago land area she will be teaching at the following venue:

Shibori: Dying Texture into Fabric
June 14, 21 and 28, 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.

and

Photography Meets Art Quilt
Tuesdays 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
August 2 - 23, 2011

Here's the link to the Hinsdale Center for the Arts: http://www.hinsdalearts.org/

Darcy Berg
http://www.darcyberg.com
http://cleverturtle.blogspot.com

PAQA

Today was our monthly PAQA meeting in Glen Ellyn IL. It was as usual a very fun and educational meeting. Usually in December it is packed with members who haven’t made it all year but manage to come for the annual holiday sale. This year however was very lightly attended and we didn’t even have snow or ice or storms. However those of us there had a fun time as is attested to by my good friend Laura Wasilowski who not only led us in song, but also modeled how a Christmas tree skirt should be worn.

Judy Coates Perez’s Christmas tree skirt featured in the Quilting Arts gift issue.

Laura can’t say she doesn’t have any holiday outfits.

Sew Forever

I meet Becky Campbell in Columbus OH. Becky has a great product we all can use. She makes Tyvek quilt storage bags. Check them out on her website at Sewforever.

Katie Gingrass Gallery

A few days ago a group of SAQAIL/WI members headed up to Milwaukee for a fun day of art. After visiting the MAM museum we headed over to the third ward district, which has many galleries and fun shops. We immediately went into the Katie Gingrass Gallery. And low and behold who should we find displayed but our old gal pal Sue Benner, a SAQA member from Texas.

Sharon Rotz

My friend Sharon Rotz has a new blog, check it out.