Meeting new friends and renewing acquaintances

"Meeting at the quilt show"

I was lucky enough to meet two new friends that I had only known online, through Quiltart. We stumbled across each other online when we realized we lived in the greater DC area. What fun! What a teensy risk to take, to meet up and hope they were as nice in person.

When you correspond with someone online, isn't it common to imagine what they look like? Don't you start to form an image of them in your mind? Much like a novel, you begin to compose a picture of them.

When you meet there is a moment of accepting that reality may differ from your mental picture, then you are so happy to meet a new friend, one you know you have much in common with since you've been "talking" for months after all! The modern pen-pal.

A-Moo-Ha hanging with her friends!

 Another happy moment came at our little guild show.
I kept running into a woman who looked familiar, and we chatted at each shop like old friends, until she finally mentioned where she lived. I said, are you in a guild there, I spoke to one... she turned,  a lightbulb went off, and we gleefully hugged each other!! We had a moment during my lecture where we realized from across the room, that we were bonded in alike-ness. We 'got' each other! And here we are, together again!

That's the stuff life is made of.

Pretty Peonies at the lunch table

At the show, I was able to see friends I rarely get a chance to talk to, but we have time to catch up because we are there all day. What fun! I sat at lunch with two such friends, and heard stories about their lives that I had never heard. Oh my people are so interesting!

So very pretty!

 I taught two one-hour workshops over the two days, and felt a connection to the people who attended. They began in the short time of less than an hour, to feel like friends. Friends I might not hear from again, but you never know. I tell them, email or call me! They probably think I'm just being polite, but I mean it.

When you share a love of quilts, you start from a place of companionship. Maybe it's that way among other groups, certainly I feel a kinship among dancers, but fiber lovers are warm and cozy. Like their quilts.

After the show was taken down, my quilts collected, I headed home to recap the day with my husband.
We sat on the porch, a glass of wine in one hand and a glass of water in the other, I regaled him with stories of the day. I told him about conversations I had, and the idea for a book that came to me while there. He told me about his day. Cole watched the birds argue with the squirrels over the seeds.
My husband is also my friend.
I work alone and spend most of my day alone, so I cherish moments shared with nice people.
LeeAnna

more paint fun

Lighting really makes a difference. I decided to paint a seashell tonight in anticipation of teaching others
in my upcoming workshop.

I haven't done seashells in a while so after gathering up lots of paints, fabrics, tools, my patterns, etc, I
painted a bit.
The one on the left is on some kind of drapery material bought at a yard sale. It acts like silk.
The right is muslin



I'm using Jacquard and Seta, soft color, and just about any other textile paint who's color I like.
I use the little muffin pan for a palette, the one from frozen pastry puffs. I eat them for you, my students, just so you can paint.
You're welcome.

I checked out some picture books from the library and painted these from looking at the pictures. They will be changed with thread work, backgrounds, beads. But for now, thought I'd show you why I haven't been blogging... busy gathering supplies.
You are always welcome to look at my labels on the side for older posts about subjects you enjoy.
LeeAnna

Painted Seashells and sandcastles

A Day at the Beach  24" X 24"

Feels like summer is coming... This quilt was made for a challenge, interpret A day at the beach. I made it years ago, and aside from a fold line, it's as fresh as a daisy!
The reason I am sharing it with you now is I am teaching a workshop on painted seashells on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in a few weeks. I want to share pictures of the technique being used in a quilt.

 As always, just click on a picture to enlarge it and see details better.

There are beads hand sewn on the finished quilt, couched threads, but the fun thing about this is the
 sandcastle uses a fused bead technique.

I placed a layer of fusible web over the front of my sandcastle, probably steam a seam at the time.
I poured on tiny, and by tiny I mean miniscule glass beads, smoothed them out, and heated them up with an iron. They fused to the fabric and haven't moved yet.

They feel so sensual, and well, sandy.

 Another close up of the shells, thread work, and hand beading.

The technique I teach is so much fun. It is free-ing to your spirit, allows you to play with paint, is like coloring in a book, and can be done with any image.

I use textile paints, supply the paints and beads in a kit fee, and the student leaves with an almost finished small quilt. Win!!

This is the class project. I show you how to paint the shells, do free form curved piecing, applique your shells, hand bead, and do a quick binding by machine. It's a full day but a fun day.
I'll be speaking to the Olde Kent Quilters on the evening of May 19th, and running the workshop the following day. There may be room in the class, so contact me if you are interested in attending either function.

LeeAnna

Come see me!

This month I will be the guest speaker for the PAX River Quilt Guild in Southern Maryland.
The link is HERE

                 ---Shameless Self Promotion----
I will be doing my favorite lecture, "Where did you get THAT idea??"
Combining my years in theater, years working with teenagers as a social worker, and years as a working artist who loves a challenge, I have created a presentation that is fun and interactive. My viewpoint is everyone is creative, it's just a matter of allowing it to flourish.  Along with imagination games, and stimulating interaction between members, I share 50 challenge quilts in person. There! Come see me!

The partial view of a quilt I am sharing at the top of the page came from my imagination one day. I must say I get a lot of ideas while doing something mindless, and since there is so much mindless-time in a day what with normal chores like clothes folding and dish washing, there is a lot of time to come up with ideas to make.

She is made from scraps,. see the scrap containment system   Click Here  or look for the label-- Studio-- on the side for more posts on my favorite room. She is twirling the world on her finger, seeing possibilities in the everyday,