Tsukineko Inks at International Quilt Festival, Long Beach

My first day teaching at festival, I had a full class with 24 students and a lot of wonderful work was produced using Tsukineko's All Purpose Inks.

We always start by using a dry brush method; dipping the fantastix tool in to the ink and working on white fabric and then progress to using paint brushes and lightly colored hand dyed fabric.

It was really fun seeing these two gals in my class again, they took my mixed media painted fabric class in Long Beach last year.

One of my other students from that class last year, Ruth Hunt, was also in a couple of my classes this year and brought this beautiful bag she made from the fabric she painted and collaged in class last year.

I love seeing the things people make using the techniques they've learned in my classes.

50% off Daler Rowney Acrylic Inks at Blick

I just wanted to let you know that the Daler Rowney Inks I used on my last quilt are on sale at Blick.com for 50% off retail.

Blick Art Materials: Save up to 60% on Select Items through August 17th!

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Hanging The Space Between Exhibit

Wednesday morning, Leslie, Jamie and I packed a van and a car full of quilts, suitcases and supplies for teaching and headed to Long Beach to check in to the hotel and hang The Space Between exhibit they curated.

We hung 40 quilts in record time, it probably helped that I'm so tall I could skip using the ladder and toss the hanging things over the top of the rods and adjust the quilts.

Without the AC on in the convention center it gets pretty warm on set up day. After several hours of hanging and adjusting the alignment of all the quilts, we were pooped.

The view from the convention floor.

We were thrilled to catch up with Pokey at the end of the day.

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A Trip to Hoffman Fabrics

After my long weekend in northern California, I flew south to meet up with my gal pals Leslie Jenison and Jamie Fingal to hang out for a day and tour Hoffman Fabrics before heading to Long Beach for festival.

The surf culture influence was all around from bolts of Hawaiian print fabric to the warehouse walls lined with surf boards.

Michelle Flores, on the right, was our wonderful tour guide. I first met Michelle at dinner last year in Houston.

Michelle pulled samples of some of the new batik lines to show us.

Look at all those bolts of fabric,

sorted by theme.

This is machinery that folds the fabric onto bolts.

In the evening Jamie made us a fabulous dinner, then we soaked in the jacuzzi with glasses of wine and lots of laughs.

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Northern California will always be home to me

I just got back to Chicago yesterday and am just getting to writing some blog posts, so please be patient for the Quilt Festival pics that will be coming in the next few days.

Last friday I flew up to Sacramento to spend the weekend with my folks in Davis.

Some of my favorite california plants

I love Matalija poppies!

More cool giant pinecones

Davis' awesome farmers market

I saw this modified bike in Davis,

it must belong to the person who owns this tandem one that I saw last year in Davis.

It's when I see grocery stores that look like this, that I really miss living in California

I loved seeing my friend Joanies chickens who now roam the back yard of her home in Sacramento.

It's hard to believe Joanie and I became friends almost 35 years ago, when we lived in Salmon Creek, California.

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