This is a great article on the Wall Street Journal: http://bit.ly/9Jobdg   

VIDEO:  Enjoy!

We had a wonderful week together at Asilomar in Pacific Grove, CA. The Empty Spools Seminars hosts several sessions each year, and 8-10 quilt workshops each session. Please enjoy the quilts made during our workshop!

Picture slideshow personalized with Smilebox

ARTIST APPEARANCE and AUTOGRAPH PARTY! Date:    Sunday, March 28, 2010  Where:  Quilter’s Paradise, 1451 Montiel Road, Suite 140, Escondido, CA 92026  Time:    1-4 pm  Click for directions  Come visit with quilt designers whose work is featured in my new book Quick Diamond Quilts & Beyond!Â

Quilt artists featured:

• Betty Alofs 
• Anna Mae Bach 
• Kathy Butler 
• BJ Coopes 
• Frances Cunningham 
• Jan Darnell  
• Carol Gilbert  
• Jacqueline Lacey
• Lee Olson
• Nancy Rowland 
• Jane Sassaman 
• Cindy Stearns 
• Suzanne Taylor 
• Patricia Votruba
• Amy Wazny
• Pat Wolfe
• Julia Zgliniec 

Machine Quilters:

• Faye Collingsworth
• Sue Mezera 
• Jill Miller  
• D’Andrea Mitchell 
• Carolyn Reynolds
• Lois Russell 
• Janet Sturdevant Stuart
• Marita Wallace 

I look forward to seeing  you on Sunday for our Autograph Party!

We lost a dear friend this week. I met Jacqueline at Paradise Sewing Pfaff store in Poway, CA. She was the funniest person I had met in a long time! Jacqueline was creative in a free and exuberant way, sharing herself and her art with those who showed an interest. Jacqueline created and submitted projects for two of my books, Quick Star Quilts and Quick Diamond Quilts.

Jacqueline, Nancy O, Jan and Anna Mae

From Naomi: “Jacqueline had been in ill health the past couple of months. On Thursday she was admitted to the ICU with pneumonia. Unfortunately, her weakened body couldn’t fight the infection, and she passed away on Friday, March 5, surrounded by her calligraphic and artistic  family.

You are invited to share memories and celebrate Jacqueline’s life with her sons, Steven and Gregory Lacey, and their families this coming Saturday, March 13th, from 3-8 p.m. at 858 Summersong Court,  Encinitas CA 92024. Condolences may also be sent there. If you wish, please send or bring a tribute to Jacqueline for her sons to have as a remembrance. It should be on 8 ½ x 11 paper. You can write or draw or glue (fabric?).”

  

 

 

Welcome to Bloomington, Indiana! If you are within driving distance, you must add this annual show to your calendar! The town of Bloomington is charming – built around a court house square, the shops and restaurants lure you into their cozy establishments. Bloomington is home to Indiana University, and is culturally diverse.

Highlights on this trip are dining each evening with fellow teacher friends. The first night four of us went to a great restaurant/pub called the Irish Lion.  PHOTOS  It is an old building, beautifully preserved, as if you walked into a honest-to-goodness Irish tavern. We dined on corned beef and cabbage, beef pie and other specialties.

Workshops the first day – Thursday – went well. Mine was a Quick & Easy Broken Star without Y seams. It was a 1-day class, and the students progressed well. Our classroom wall space was not good for mounting design walls, so I regret I didn’t take photos during class! Classmate John finished his quilt top (roughly 70″ square) and plans to piece the small broken stars (12 of them) to create a border and increase it to bed-size.

Last night we dined at Farm Bloomington restaurant facing Courthouse Square. Chef Daniel Orr’s culinary skills are world-reknown. The restaurant is very eclectic inside, with artistic divisions between dining areas such as quilts, farm implements, and salvaged everyday antiques. The General Manager gave us a tour of the two-story restaurant, including the cellar. It is a wild collection of ephemera from bygone days, wall murals, small private rooms with Christmas lights strung merrily.

Six of us sat in a private high-walled circular booth right near the kitchen, just near the wall adorned with an antique bedpan collection!  We ordered a variety of dishes, and our enthusiasm encouraged the chef, who plied us with additional tasty treats. “Here, try this – complements of the chef!”  I ordered the Bitter Orange Glazed Hoosier Duckling with Sautéed Pumpkin and Honey Glazed Chestnuts. WOW was it tasty!  Other highlights: we tried a Minty Green Pea Guacamole (unusual, creamy, chilled, slightly sweet) and the intriguing Three Floyds Gumballhead (which turned out to be a beer!).

The highlight of the evening, aside from our converstaion and “tales from the road”, was seeing musician/songwriter John Mellancamp and his lady companion, who passed through the restaurant and ate in a quiet area within sight of our table.

I hope to see the quilts at the show today, and will post a message  if I can take a few photos! My workshop begins in less than an hour, so I must run! Today I am teaching the strip-pieced Variable Hunter Star – although this design looks very traditional, the fabric choices determine the finished project.

This is TERRIFIC! C&T Publishing is hosting a Jan Krentz Giveaway!  http://www.ctpubblog.com/2010/02/23/jan-krentz-giveaway/  Simply click on the link, read all about the promotion, post a comment, either on the C&T blog, or on Facebook to get your name in on the drawing! GOOD LUCK!

FOLLOW UP:   The lucky winner was Suzanne Golden, who wrote: “I love the design on Hidden Path, as it reminds me of a maze and could be a real challenge to complete, but well worth the effort.”  Congratulations, Suzanne!

I have just returned from Toronto! What a great bunch of quilters at the York Heritage Quilt Guild! We had a program and two workshops: Colorwash Hunter Star and the Summer Salsa Lone Star. Thanks to the wonderful organizers:  Erica and Jeannie, Katie, Carolyn and Linda! Katie loaned me a winter coat, which allowed me to bring extra quilts!

It was great to show the newest book − Quick Diamond Quilts − and quilts from all 5 books to the warm and friendly York quilters in Toronto. Even better? Watching the Olympics in Canada as they cheered their athletes to victory! I admire the hard work – seven years of preparation – and think the Canadians are hosting a wonderful Olympic event.

One evening I went with guild members to Glow Restaurant − which features a unique menu of local and healthy offerings. Glow was located right near an ice carving display, and a small figure skating rink. The ceiling changed colors and the menu covers had grasses imbedded in a thick plastic.

 

Watch for my newest book on newsstands this month! A few years ago I began brainstorming with quilting friends on all the quilts we could make with the Fast2Cut 45-degree diamond rulers. We had so much creative energy and inspiration to share!

Once the flurry fabric scraps settled, 32 new patterns were created – far too many for one book. Thankfully the publisher agreed with me – the designs could be sorted into two styles. Last year, my 4th title,  Quick Star Quilts was released, featuring 20 great patterns with diamonds pieced in star or kaleidoscope style patterns.

    

This month my newest book, Quick Diamond Quilts is released – inside you’ll find 12 fresh new designs to get your creative juices flowing!

Watch CBS News Videos Online
March 16, 2008

You will enjoy this link! Artist Anastassia Elias has an interesting website, and a special art form! Please visit her site to see more! (click on photo to activate a slideshow link). 

Artwork by Anastassia Elias