A quick addition to my bloghop-giveaway post featuring my friend Lisa Walton of Sydney, Australia.  Remember I mentioned she made fabulous stenciled /painted quilts…she sent me a jpeg of my favorite:  Orvieto Memories, inspired by a teaching tour she led to Italy.

Lisa Walton’s Orvieto Memories

Also, you can find Lisa on Facebook, here.  This is her Dyed and Gone to Heaven Page, and she’s really close to TWO THOUSAND LIKES!   Let’s help her get there, so go visit and LIKE her page!  Enjoy surfing.

This drawing is now closed!  The winner is  comment 9, Jodie A!   Congratulations!

One of the joys of the internet is making friends around the world!   I’ve even “seen” Lisa’s studio and hubby thanks to the wonder of Skype!  Today I’d like you to meet Lisa Walton from Sydney, Australia.   Her passion for dyeing fabric and art quilts has turned into a wonderful business, Dyed and Gone to Heaven, and career as international teacher (tutor in Australian), author, and artist.  She fell in love with beads and then with surface design, and you can see all of these skills in her work.   Lisa has reviewed  my DVD workshop on her blog, Fibre Inspirations.  Yep, this video again:

My video workshop.

To order a DVD, visit my Store page here, or to order either the DVD or a digital download, visit Quilting Arts’ Interweave Store, here.  And, of course, you can enter the various giveaways thanks to the generous quilt artists who are helping me give away copies!

Lisa is the author of a new book that features her hand-dyed fabrics (which by the way you can order, and postage and travel-time from Australia to the US are not too bad!), but you can easily make these fun and fast quilts–and gorgeous too–using batiks and other commercial fabrics:

Beautiful Building Block Quilts by Lisa Walton. Order from her, here.

I frequently think I need to loosen up, and Lisa’s book has me hankering to try one of the Building Block Quilts.  I’m also seriously in love with some of Lisa’s stencilled quilts, a technique she teaches!  She sells ArtistCellar stencils, too.  I think I may see a small splurge in my future!

Many of you may recognize Bushfire, which Lisa made with Nic Bridges, as it was on the cover of the AQS books catalog one season!

Bushfire by Lisa Walton and Nic Bridges

Then there is this beauty–don’t you want to just go dye fabric and then PLAY?

Crystallisation by Lisa Walton

One of these days I hope I get to Australia, then I can visit Lisa and Peter at home, and they can tell me all the fabulous places to eat–Lisa’s FaceBook photos of her meals around the world are enticing!

Thank you so much, Lisa, for taking time from a VERY busy season to watch and review my workshop!

Please visit Lisa’s blog to learn how to leave a comment and a chance to win a download version of my video workshop, Art Quilt Designs From Photo to Threadwork!

And before I close this post, I have to share Fields of Gold, a quilt made with a gift from Lisa of her fabric.  The yard ranged from rust to gold to green….it is Lisa’s fabric that TOTALLY made this quilt work!

Fields of Gold by Sarah Smith, made with fabric by Lisa Walton. This quilt went missing when a private exhibit curator lost it in autumn 2011.

As with many of the participants in this bloghop, I first met Daphne Greig online (through the QuiltArt list tho it has been so long now I forget!).  She lives in one of the most beautiful places on the planet:  Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, and it shows in her work.  Thank you, Daphne, for being part of the final Holiday Giveaway to celebrate the release of my video workshop, Art Quilt Design From Photo to Threadwork!  You can see her review of the video workshop here.

To order a DVD, visit my Store page here.

Or to order either the DVD or a digital download, visit Quilting Arts’ Interweave Store, here    and see all my products there here.  And, of course, you can enter the various giveaways thanks to the generous quilt artists who are helping me give away copies!

Blue Ocean, Turquoise Sea, by Daphne Greig. It is no surprise that I love this quilt–the colors are SO me, but they are also so representative of the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada.

Daphne’s work ranges widely from pictorial, to applique, to pieced, to abstract!  She has an astonishing five (yes, 5!!!) books to her credit, and she still finds time to make art and teach!  I’m tired just thinking about it! You can find her books and patterns for sale here (and <blush> thank you for including my book on your sale page, Daphne!).  Daphne’s most recent book, Give and Take Applique, also has a companion DVD to help you create a class right in your own home!

Daphne’s Give and Take bundle with the book, DVD and supplies!

I’ve had the good fortune to run into Daphne several times at various shows where we have both been teaching.  Ironically, although I used to live less than 40 miles from her as the crow flies when we lived in Friday Harbor, Washington, and I had “met” her online, I didn’t actually meet her in person until after I moved to Maine!

Daphne also has a book on stained glass window quilts. The two on the top left look so much like the lush gardens you find on Vancouver Island!

And of course, anyone who has ever lived in or visited the Pacific Northwest can’t help but love the enormous cedar and fir trees that define the region.  Daphne captured it perfectly here:

Daphne Greig’s “Looking West.”

I love quilts that incorporate traditional with contemporary, as with the on-point squares that create the beautifully backlit sky and sea in this piece.

And what tour of the West Coast would be complete without Kelp!

Daphne Greig’s Kelp I. Aren’t the beads PERFECT?

So please surf on over to Daphne’s website, here, and leave a comment to win a video download of my video workshop, Art Quilt Design From Photo to Threadwork.

THANK YOU so much, Daphne, for being part of this giveaway!

Next up is Lisa Walton of Australia, then the final grand giveaway will happen right here!

Snow Buddies by Ruth Powers

I’ve got enough photos (the edited list!) for at least five separate posts of quilts and blurbs.  I decided that this year I would post both the quilt AND the signage from Festival immediately below it.  I just ADORE Ruth’s shaggy dog!  Good composition with the shepherd behind to set him off from the wintry background.  And notice the successful shadows to anchor the dogs to the earth since the horizon line is somewhat blurred on the left (as happens on a blustery winter day).

IQF signage for Ruth Powers’ Snow Buddies

Oh I’m SO IRKED! My friend Franki Kohler made this portrait of her beloved dog, and it is blurry AND I forgot to snap a pic of the signage! But it was too sweet not to share!

Kool in Ketchikan by Ingrid Catteneo.  This is a good sized quilt..maybe 40 inches across.  I totally love the dogs in sunglasses!  Think I’d like their humans, too!

signage for Kool in Ketchikan

Watch Your Step: Fall by Libby Lehman. 

Many of you have by now heard that back in April Libby suffered a ruptured aneurism followed by two massive strokes, followed by many, many seizures.   It is a miracle Libby survived the aneurism, let alone even one of the strokes.  Clearly, Libby’s indomitable spirit (and perhaps a greater purpose for her to remain with us) have conquered the first obstacles.  After a few difficult weeks in early Autumn, Libby is back in fine form and healing and improving daily.  If you are so inclined, you can follow Libby’s progress thanks to family and friends (known as Team Libby) at Libby’s page at Caring Bridge and can also make donations to help cover the costs of her care (which aren’t covered by insurance).  Here is what her family posted:

If you would like to make a contribution to the “Libby Lehman Medical Fund”, you may use paypal.com.  Just set up an account with paypal.com and donate to libby.medfund@gmail.com,  or send a check to her sister, Cathy Arnold at 2220 Stanmore, Houston, TX 77019 for deposit into a special account at JPMorgan Chase Bank.  For more details, please refer to the [ Caring Bridge ] Journal entry entitled “Contributions – Angels Needed”.

Signage for Libby Lehman’s Watch Your Step

I hadn’t seen any of Libby’s recent work, so was thrilled to get to see both old and new pieces on display.  Karey Bresenhan and IQA set up a display of Libby’s quilts in *primo* territory where folks could see Libby’s works (gathered from her holdings and those sold but whose owners lent them for the show), meet Team Libby (I got to meet her son Les and sisters), and make contributions to help Libby.   If you can afford just a few dollars, every little bit helps.  And sending prayers and healing light is free, and I swear it is working.  Libby’s recent improvements began just as things kicked into gear for Market and Festival–she KNOWS we are all out here pulling for her!

Jane Sassaman’s prize-winning quilt, Illinois Album, which garnered the Baby Lock Master Award for Innovative Artistry (on of the BIG prizes!).  The black border kinda disappears next to the drape, but it is stunning.  I got to say hello to Jane, and told her I didn’t know what thrilled me more, that she had won a top prize or that she was entering work again!  

I forgot to snap a picture of the signage (was too busy chatting with Jane and not trying to sound/feel like a dork), but at least I got this close up!

And here’s to the Maine contingent! My friend Pat LaPierre McAfee, of Supreme Slider fame, is a top quilter. She won (another!) first place ribbon for this beautiful work, Shades.

Signage for Pat LaPierre’s quilt, Shades.

Adagio by Dianne Hire, quilting by Pat LaPierre and Dianne Hire. I saw this quilt when it was at the top stage–Dianne had begun work on it well over a decade before I saw it a couple years ago. It had to get tucked away –work and life happen! But she brought it out and OH MY! Wish you could all see this in person. The colors and rhythm and designs make my heart sing!

And the signage for Dianne Hire’s quilt.

I just LOVE IT when I get to share the amazing work my friends make!   Today I get to introduce you (in case you haven’t already seen / met her) to Susan Brubaker Knapp of Blue Moon River Studios.  If you surf over to her website and blog, you have another chance to win a copy of my video workshop, Art Quilt Design From Photo to Threadwork (which you can also order, here).

My video workshop.

or to order either the DVD or a digital download, visit Quilting Arts’ Interweave Store, here. And, of course, you can enter the various giveaways thanks to the generous quilt artists who are helping me give away copies!

The first quilt of Susan’s that I saw was this one, and it took my breath away. I had recently “met” her online through the QuiltArt list. We share a similar approach and style, and have become friends and finally got to meet in person when teaching at the same venue. I always look forward to finding her at a show and getting caught up in person!

Susan’s background in graphic design is clear in her work.  She has such a strong sense of who she is as a quilter and artist. We share a love of the quilting, though most of Susan’s art quilts are now wholecloth painted, we approach the quilting and use of thread in a similar (though not identical) way.   I See The Moon was in the Dinner@8 exhibit in Houston a couple years ago:

I See the Moon, by Susan Brubaker Knapp

We also share being moms two two teens/young adults (hers are girls, mine are boys) and cats!  We have four (of every color so no matter what you wear the hair shows); not sure how many she has, but there are at least these two:

Susan Brubaker Knapp’s cat Maximum, in “Maximum Cat Nap.” Look at that fabulous fur!

I LOVE that one is named Trouble, hence “Trouble in the Pumpkin Patch!”

Trouble in the Pumpkin Patch by Susan Brubaker Knapp.

Susan is a great teacher, and now hosts–with Lyric Kinard– a retreat each Fall in her home state of North Carolina.  Please do visit her site and have an enjoyable browse.  Then if you can see her quilts in person…wonderful!

Thank you so much, Susan, for being my friend and for being part of this bloghop!  Remember to visit her site and her blog.