Fine art to funky traditional: life and quilting
Six inches of snow fell late Sunday evening, and it has since turned to ice. Our boys have been out of school all week, and won’t go back until Tuesday due to MLK Jr. holiday.
It was fun the first day, sledding, throwing snowballs, and hiking mountain trails in the snow.
The second day it was still [...]
We”re doing a virtual studio tour over at the Color-of-the-Month forum, sharing photos of our creative quilting studios, and I thought I would share mine with you. My own studio is the bonus room over my garage, and I share it with my husband, who has his office here too. He often jokes that I [...]
I spent the last two months getting ready for being a vendor at Paducah. I’d heard wonderful things about the town and its residents from other quilting vendors, so I was excited to learn I’d gotten a premium booth with Susan Edwards at Wildhair Studios, just one block from the National Quilt Museum.
Richard, a friend [...]
Sweet and pure elation over catching this rainbow trout on Saturday. We ventured out on the first warm and sun-filled day and spent the afternoon on the boat. It was true bliss: sun warming our faces after weeks of snow and clouds, his catching not one, but two rainbow trout and pleading with his dad [...]
Haven’t we been here before? Twice in one winter is almost unheard of in this part of the country, even if we are in the mountains. We just don’t see that much snow, not that anyone around here is complaining. More opportunities for snowball fights, sledding, building snow men, and making a fort in the [...]
My favorite school party is on Friday: the annual Valentine’s Day party in my son’s elementary school class. Why is it my favorite? It’s the one time the children focus on really giving something to others in their class. Everybody gets a Valentine’s Day card, and they each decorate a box to hold their treasures.
In [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Tuesday my two sons will go back to school for another year. We had such a lovely summer it’s hard to say goodbye, but the friends, memories, and good times will be with us always.
Farewell to:
sunny days swimming and socializing at the pool
sleeping late after staying up until the wee hours finishing a great summer [...]
This week I hosted six children in my quilt studio to make Quillows. They were practically giddy they were so excited! We planted the seeds of lifelong sewers and quilters, and they were beaming with pride and tightly hugging their Quillows when they left.
On Monday we started by making a mini-Quillow. This turned out to [...]
This is my favorite spot this summer. Peaceful, lush, and serene. Hot, of course, but not terribly oppressive when I’m in my hammock swing.
The planters are an anniversary gift David and I gave each other years ago. It was love at first sight at my favorite nursery in Alpharetta. The carved bear is a gift [...]
My boys and I spent a hot, humid, Georgia morning in our yard trimming, pruning, and cutting back shrubs and other landscaping that had become overgrown in the searing heat the last few weeks. All this for Father’s Day. David has been working tirelessly, and I didn’t want him to come home and be reminded [...]
I took this photo of me around Mother’s Day. I’m in my bedroom, painted a creamy yellow color, which I love but so many find it difficult to get right. Behind me is a quilt made for me by my bee group: we each asked for specific blocks that we would put into a quilt, [...]
One of my favorite summer events is Symphony on the Green in my community. The local symphony orchestra sets up on the golf course, we bring our quilts, picnics, and sparklers.
These folks had the best seat in the house. They were across the lake and could watch from the comfort of their back porch.
My absolute [...]
I feel like Dorothy after she dreams of faraway places and travels to Oz, only to find out there really is “no place like home.” I adored every moment of my book tour, all the women (and men) I got to know personally, their stories and quilts, and spring Quilt Market was a fantastic experience.
And [...]
We’ve just returned from a lovely spring break holiday, full of sun, white sand, and wonderful natural resources. Our family is big on enjoying the great outdoors, and we walked, biked, kayaked, snorkeled, and took boat rides into the Everglades and Biscayne National Park (which is mostly underwater in the Florida Keys).
Our original plan was [...]
What is it about spring that makes me want to throw open the windows and swap out the winter pillows and fabrics for brighter, more light colors? Same goes for the blog. I’ve photographed a new header image and am trying a new Wordpress theme that’s easier on the eyes. Larger fonts, wider sidebars. I [...]
I had a lovely visit from a quilter from New York recently. Janet Root, SAQA member, quilt teacher, and avid quilter, stopped by to chat about quilting on a rainy day. We sat in the keeping room, fire blazing, and talked about teaching, our students, and where the best sales are (end-of-bolt sale at Little [...]
I’ve got an entire gallery of photos from the book launch party over at the Color Mastery book blog. Here are the personal ones:
My younger son announcing the winners of door prizes. He was all smiles, sneaking sweet treats, picking out fat quarters, and giving me hugs throughout the evening.
My older son would quietly rub [...]
I was party mom for my son’s class, and it’s my favorite party of the year. The one celebration where the students give gifts to each other, make handmade Valentine cards, and lovingly decorate boxes to hold all their goodies. Chocolate, handmade cards, and a soft & fluffy craft – what could be better?
Bookmark [...]
It’s here! Color Mastery’s publication date is here! The books are in the stores, on shelves, available online, and the publicity is hitting the media. I’ve written so long about quilts, creativity, and color, that I haven’t shared that much about me. So I thought I’d take a few moments to let readers [...]
I watched the inauguration yesterday with my teenaged (!) son who was home sick. He delighted in pointing out all the places he visited on his leadership trip to Washington D.C. this fall, and he was visibly excited about watching the swearing-in ceremony.
As I tucked my younger son into bed last night and we cuddled [...]
As promised, here is the video of our great gingerbread smash. We have a blast pulverizing our creation that we so lovingly built one month before. A fun family tradition here.
I’ve created my own channel under ColorfulQuilter at YouTube. It will have videos I upload during the upcoming Color Mastery Blog Tour, Feb. 2-10. Watch [...]
It’s official. My husband David is a blogger. It was only a matter of a time before he would launch a blog for his homebuilding business. With a little help from his beloved wife. He’s offering a series of posts on building “green,” as well as what changes you can make to your current home [...]
Welcome to award-winning publisher, author, and quilt artist Maria Peagler's online studio and classroom. Relax, have some fun, and take a look around. You'll find quilts, free lessons and ebooks, all in an uncluttered, ad-free environment. Keep checking back, I've always got something new. Better yet, subscribe to my blog!
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