One of the questions I’m most often asked is “Where do you get your inspiration?”
My short answer? ”Everywhere.”
That’s usually not the answer people are looking for. They want specifics, like publication name, date, and page number, so they can see it too. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way.
I don’t rely on any one source for [...]
Posts under ‘Artist Dates’
Colorful Quilt Inspiration
Red-Violet: March’s Color-of-the-Month
Welcome to the March Color-of-the-Month slideshow, offering tips on using red-violet in your quilt palette and featuring the most diverse range of fabrics, quilts, and accessories so far. This month I host Patty Young of Michael Miller fabrics, Marcus fabrics, art quilter Michele Hardy, LazyGirl Joan Hawley, and me, sharing fabric designs, traditional quilts, art [...]
One More Peek at Pink
February is almost over, and I’ll miss our look at everything pink this month. Being the only woman in a household of boys and men, it was delightful to play with pink fabrics, thread, pomegranates, baskets, and paints. I don’t want to say adieu, but March calls.
A couple more peeks at pink. I’ve shared this [...]
Watercolor Inspiration
Great art often inspires great art, and I’ve been inspired by my Color-of-the-Month table runner patterns to capture them in watercolor. I’m delighted to create in both media, as they complement each other. Quilting is a precise, geometric discipline, whereas watercolor is a loose and often uncontrolled process. Watercolor has a mind of its own, [...]
And the winner is . . . Sandra!
Congratulations to Sandra Davidson for winning the exceedingly tall FQ bundle from Robert Kaufman! Over 20(!) FQs will be arriving in your mailbox soon as a thank you for subscribing to my blog. Isn’t a big bundle of pink fabrics a lovely surprise to find in your mailbox during February’s cold days? We missed the [...]
Pink: February’s Color-of-the-Month
In the month of hearts, roses, and valentines, pink is a natural for February. Being the only woman in my home, I enjoy touches of pink here and there, so I had a blast putting together this month’s show. Nine terrific designers and fabric companies offer their tips for using pink in a [...]
Love Apple Table Runner
Creative Quilters, I’d like you to meet Love Apple, the February update to my new Color-of-the-Month pattern series:
Love Apple Pattern Update: $5.95 (free to pattern subscribers – keep reading)
Learn by Doing
This month’s color lesson is all about value, and you’ll learn how to work within a single color palette and still get enough lights, [...]
All Dressed Up . . . .
The cupcakes were baked, decorated, and ready to be nibbled on in a ladylike manner. My studio was sparkling, ready for the Mom & Me Quilter’s Tea guests to take a tour. Their parents won the experience at a silent auction for my son’s school. Books autographed, check. Camera, check. All done a day before.
My [...]
January Newsletter
The January issue of my newsletter is out and it’s filled with promise for the new year. While some resolutions are drudgery (losing weight and going to bed earlier), I personally like to cloak mine with fun opportunities. Like exploring a new aspect of my creativity. My latest newsletter helps me and [...]
Top Ten Habits Revealed
Look what the post man delivered today to my mailbox! My Top Ten Habits article is on the cover of the Feb/Mar Quilter’s Newsletter magazine above the masthead. Woo-hoo. I’m thrilled, proud, and humbled all at the same time. My husband and I are going out to dinner tonight to celebrate. In the [...]
All Dressed Up and a Transformation
I couldn’t wait to dress up Winter Bird on my table, with my Christmas china, candles, and flowers. My kids love having dinner by candlelight and think it’s quite a special occasion when I bring them out.
As I was arranging, adding, and editing the table setting, something started to happen. Can you begin to see [...]
White: January’s Color-of-the-Month
Welcome to a new feature in 2010 here at Quilts & Creativity: Color of the Month. The first Tuesday of each month, I’ll be featuring quilt and fabric designers and how they use the featured color in their palettes.
This month? White! Get tips and see quilts from your favorite designers for your own quilts.
5 Creative [...]
Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks: Old Glory is Mine!
When Carolyn Beam from Quiltmaker asked me to participate in their 100 Blocks issue I was thrilled to contribute, as Quiltmaker is the magazine I recommend most to my students. It’s a great learning tool, and their 100 Blocks collector’s issue does not disappoint. It’s packed with appliqued, pieced, and mixed-technique blocks, so no matter [...]
Do I Need an Excuse to Visit a Quilt Shop?
More photos from my trip to Athens and Dragonfly Quilt Shop. As you walk in the shop you’re surrounded by gorgeous fabrics and samples that you can’t wait to make! Love the beautiful white armoire filled with goodies. The shop had a Kaffe Fassett table to get quilters excited about his workshop at Dragonfly. Deb [...]
Behind the Scenes
After I shot this video at Dragonfly Quilt Shop in Watkinsville, GA, I gave a lecture to the Cotton Patch Quilt Guild in Athens, and drove home for a late-night arrival. The same day, my elder son attended a workshop at the local Apple store on how to use iMovie.
I’ve been the computer expert in [...]
Georgia Quilt Council’s Fall Convention
Last weekend I attended the fall convention of the Georgia Quilt Council in Carrollton, GA. After all the years I’ve been quilting, this was my first time attending the council’s meeting, and I was impressed. These ladies know quilting and know Georgia. I met many wonderful quilters, appraisers, shop owners, historians, guild officers, and teachers. [...]
Beautiful Mondays
Most people dread Mondays. After all, they mean back to work, away from home and family. And rainy Mondays are the worst – as it’s doing here in Georgia today (the photo is from Amicalola Falls on a sunnier day).
I’m deciding on a different outlook. Mondays present a great day of opportunity. Monday is a [...]
Side Trip
We spent last weekend with family attending my father-in-law George’s funeral. My boys were dreading the long drive home, so I scheduled a side trip to break up the drive and work in a little history as well. I guess once you’ve been a homeschooling mom, you’re always looking for those teachable moments.
We decided to [...]
Fall Workshops and Quilt Shows
Fall just begs for a new quilt, doesn’t it? I have only a couple of workshops left in the fall schedule! Be good to yourself and schedule an artist date by signing up for my workshops. Then get even more inspiration at the fabulous quilt shows coming up – of course I expect you to [...]
Facebook for Quilters
How would you like to have an exclusive one-on-one color consultation with me for your next quilt? My July 2009 email newsletter has a special section on social media for quilters. Today we’ll look at specific ways you can use Facebook to connect with like-minded quilters across the globe, and how you can win a [...]
Art Week: Gee’s Bend Quilts
Today’s the final day in the Quilts & Creativity Art Week, and I’m concluding with a bang: quilts from the Gee’s Bend quilters. I’ve featured works of art from the Big Canoe Fine Art show in honor of my own art quilts that are on display at the Ann Litrel gallery in Woodstock. Previously I [...]
Art Week: Wood
It’s wood day in the Quilts & Creativity Art Week. I’m featuring works of art from the Big Canoe Fine Art show in honor of my own art quilts that are on display at the Ann Litrel gallery in Woodstock. Previously I featured sculpture and glass.
The wood pieces in the Big Canoe Fine Art show [...]
Art Week: Glass
It’s glass day in the Quilts & Creativity Art Week. I’m featuring works of art from the Big Canoe Fine Art show in honor of my own art quilts that are on display at the Ann Litrel gallery in Woodstock. Yesterday was sculpture and you can see it here.
The glass-blown artwork in the Big Canoe [...]
Art Week: Sculpture Day
It’s art week here at Quilts & Creativity, in honor of my upcoming talk at the Ann Litrel gallery in Woodstock. I dropped off the quilts today and got a behind-the-scenes tour from Ann, and her gallery is gorgeous. Her paintings are luscious and color-rich.
I’ll be talking about my color inspiration, how I [...]
A Real Book’s Lasting Value
I want my work to last. Longevity is one of the three main goals I have for my books. The other two? A post for another day.
I realized long ago that it took just as long to write a book that was trendy and out of print after two years as it did to write [...]



