Catching Up!

Today is day 2 of my Open Studio and it's pretty exciting to see everyone coming through. There finding quite a bit of new things and that makes it fun, too. BUT, it time to catch up a bit.

The VOTE for your favorite raven quilts continues.
So far #9 is the favorite,
#5 is a close second,
and there is a tie between #1 and #14 for 3rd.
There is still time to vote, and get your name in for a chance to win the stuffed raven. Just click on the bar below and follow the steps listed.


Just last week I was off to San Luis Obispo for a guild meet-up and workshop which was tons of fun, and along the way I enjoyed traveling through one of the most beautiful areas on earth...the California Central Coast.
With a fair amount of time to stop here and there I did just that.

One place I stopped was at my good friend Dawn's quilt store -
Creation Station in Buellton.
I found her decking out a hat for a tea party the next day, and I got to see her wildly fun dress and a pair of matching gloves that just happened to turn up in time for the party. (was wishing I could go). I spent a bit of time there and found Dawn's collection of sewing antiquey things had multiplied tremendously throughout her store.

So, I asked her what was her favorite item.
This is Dawn with her favorite
antique Russian sewing machine.

This other picture is of an item I found rather curious.
Can you guess what this is?

Summertime Open Studio - MARK YOUR CALENDAR

and don't forget -- there's still time to click and

2011 Holiday Open Studio - Coming Up Quick!

I'm happily heading back into the studio after a wonderful
Thanksgiving break...
What's Next?
Getting ready for my Holiday Open Studio.
Hope you're close enough to stop by!

Cut & Paste Fun

Many folks stopped by the Holiday Open Studio on Saturday,
and many joined in the fun of making a postcard to be sent off to someone
and become part of the Global Gratitude Postcard Project...
Postal Workers -- be on the lookout!

One more day for this years Holiday Open Studio.. Stop by -- join in the fun!

A Quick Walk Thru-

Have heard from those too far away to join in the fun
at this weekend's Holiday Open Studio.
All wanted pictures... so here is a quick walk thru of 'my space' as of just before noon. Enjoy!

quilts of course -- but there are the red box quilts seen earlier

gratitude postcard workstation (well, a portion of it anyway)

the piece above the fireplace is the only one not for sale...

and goodies of course

there's lots besides quilts, and this is silk scraps...mmmm!

and of course more quilts!

If you're close enough to stop by I hope you have been tempted....

Just In Time - Holiday Open Studio

I have been having a great time stitching this week and it's exciting to be able to share the four finished red boxes with you here...
but, it would be even more fun to see them in person.

So, these will be among the many new pieces
that will be displayed during my Holiday Open Studio!
The dates are set--
December 10th thru the 12th
Noon 'til 4pm each day
Signal Hill, California

for directions - send me an email using the contact page on my website

Hope to see many of you there!

p.s. We had such a great time last year making Gratitude Postcards and being part of the Global Gratitude Postcard Project that I'm setting everything up to do it again!

After -Open Studio

A big thank you to everyone that came by my open studio last weekend.

I had a great time chatting with everyone and loved making the gratitude postcards. For those of you that came and those that didn't get a chance to there I'm posting several pictures of the postcards along with the person who made them. Total there were probably about 20 postcards that are now winding their way to the many folks we all want to say thank you to.

Quilts & Open Studio

This week has been crazy busy. I have been working on all sorts of fun things for my upcoming Open Studio. Not only will there be fun art to see, food & drinks to enjoy, but a fun way to show someone how much you appreciate them... How? Well, I always love to have a little hands on project during my open studio and this year we'll be creating postcards... OK, why a postcard?

Thru my recent Twitter-rompings I befriended a woman in Ireland-Roisin is the creator of an event called The Global Gratitude Postcard Project. You can read about by clicking on the project title, and you can be part of it by making a postcard at my open studio! We'll make them, snap a photo and give you a stamp so you can send your words of gratitude out there into the world!

The other part of the crazy-busy's this week for me have been working on two large pieces. One is a commission piece, and I am happy to say that it is done... the last of the bead were added, binding stitched just in time to have it's picture taken to show you all here. The second of the larger pieces is being made for a Kaufman Fabric invitational. Right now this quilt has been couched and machine quilted and is awaiting stitching and beading. Beading in this instance may not really cover it, for I'll be creating some specialized leaves from air-dry clay that will be stitched in place as well, BUT that is for another day!

I hope you enjoy seeing the quilts done & in progress, and if you're around I hope you stop by for my Open Studio next weekend. Dec 11-13.

See you soon!
~Rose

After The Open Studio

The last lights were turned down on my summertime open studio on Sunday evening. The weekend brought lots of people into the studio to see all the quilts, books, and assorted other little things that have been stitched up. They were not disappointed and I want to thank everyone that stopped by. There was one large quilt (Midnight Flight) and many other little items that found a new homes, Edgar my reception cat was plum tuckered out. He had a great time wandering through everyone's legs and making all kinds of new friends.

The weekend through, I spent time Monday packing up my BACKROADS JOURNEY'S exhibit which is spending the summer on the road traveling to several Original Creative Festivals. The first one is scheduled for Cincinnati, OH - June 25, 26, 27, 2009.

Now it is back to stitchin for the book.
Hoppin' & Stitchin'
~Rose

Hoppin"

Things around here are certainly hoppin'. If you're close enough by I hope you're planning to stop by my open studio this weekend.

It is always fun! This summer, in celebration of all the colorful inspiration around me there will be a couple of color projects in the studio so everyone can join in.

Other things hoppin' include book 2, and I'm having a blast writing it... All is moving along on schedule!

The frogs on the log definitely only number 3 at the moment for I've jumped in.
The video link here will take you to the Pointer Sisters, and if you don't feel like jumping after you see it, I'd be surprised.

More will definitely follow... for now it is Monday... so JUMP!
~Rose

The Quilt Show - Episode 413

Is it really June!?
It is and I have been too busy trying to update and email to get the word out about stuff happening this month. First, and probably the thing I have been looking forward to for almost a year, it the airing of my episode on Fast-Piece Applique, on The Quilt Show. For those unaware this is a webcast tv style magazine (I guess that kind of sums it up). The guest stars are Ricky Tims and Alex Anderson, and I had a ton of fun visiting LaVeta, CO last fall to film my episode with them.

While Ricky and Alex were wonderful, the crew and staff of The Quilt Show were also delightful, and I was lucky enough to share my episode with Clare O'Donohue. She and I were both there with our first books. Mine Dream Landscapes, and Clare's The Lover's Knot! Both of us had a great time! Besides the excitement of being filmed and the live audience there were the visting ghosts at the LaVeta Inn, and a black bear, too!

Clare's mystery was wonderful and she is now writing her third book, with her second due out in September. There's always time for a good mystery and when you add the quilting scene as your backdrop it's not surprising what will happen.

There are other things happening soon that make this month special.
Over the weekend of June 12 thru 14 I will be hosting my SUMMERTIME OPEN STUDIO.

This year the theme will be all about color and there will be a couple of fun color projects to try your hand at while you're there.

Also, this month is the first time I am offering STUDIO WORKSHOPS.This first 2-Day workshop is scheduled for June 27 &28.
Join me for Dream Landscapes. Limited to 4 students. $150 (lunch provided).

CLICK HERE TO GET FURTHER INFO AND DIRECTIONS!

Happily stitchin', writin' and jumpin'!
~Rose

More Open Studio Fun

My open studio this year was great fun, and many of the quilt artists with quilts in my recently published book showed up on Saturday for a fun afternoon with lots of signature swapping. The champagne flowed and conversation turned to the swapping of techniques recently tried out (afterall most of us are quilters), and tales of exhibition trials & tribulations. I wouldn't say we figured out anything of great significance but we had a nice time chatting about it all.

All the while I shared my new work and new series of patterns for everyone, and books and pens were passed around as people introduced themselves as Trish, page...., or Betsy, page.....

Trish & David delighted us all with the new pieces they were turning in for the upcoming travelling exhibit Seasons: Spring. Others shared and swapped a few shopping favorites that included http://www.beadwrangler.com/ that was touted to be THE place to buy jean thread, beads or 16wt pearl cotton.

Later in the day we snapped a couple of shots of the 'folks' in the book and others while they were cutting and pasting and having fun creating their own bookmarks at the worktable.

When everyone left the brownies were all gone but there was a drop of champagne left to help me get through the clean-up...

All in all a day filled with friends, fun and lots of sharing.
Happy Holidays to you all! ~Rose

Open Studio Fun

It was really great to visit the Joanell Connolly's studio last weekend. There was a number of fun people there to chat with, great art to see and purchase, and even a wonderful poetry reading by Gabrielle.

As Gabrielle read several of her poems I felt like was transported to wonderous places. She also had books of her poetry there and I fell for a poem called
Then There is Red.
At one point in my quilt artmaking career I purposely sought out using red. It had never been a favorite and I felt challenged to move outside my comfort colors. Some of the results of that experimenting (way back in 1997) was the piece.
Don't Think Yourself in a Jail.
The red challenge was just the beginning of my continuing study of color.

Gabrielle's poem says:

Red is everything
you ever wanted it to be.

Sure, its got
a bad rap:
red with embarrassment
or sunburn
and once
politically.

But I'll take red
any day--never
a stop for me
but full on go.

It's an enthusiastic color,
not at all shy.
Bulls love it and
they can't be wrong.

Where would Minnie
be without her
red and white
polka dots
or the day without
a red letter?

Foget about Hester.
I mean, at least she got to wear red.
After all,
it could have been
puce.

I loved the poem. It was perfect.

If you want to begin your own study of color you can download free color lessons from my website: www.rosehughes.com

But, if you want to see where red, purple, yellow, blue.............. are taking me now you can always check out my work at my open studio. This coming Fri-Sun. December 12-14.

I wish you all a 'red' letter day! ~Rose

December Fun!

December is certainly upon us and with it lots of holiday invitations and 'open studios'. I love to go check out other artists studios to see how they work, and chat about what they are doing. It's also fun to find wonderful little treasures that I can give for holiday presents. This weekend I'm heading off to the studio of Joanell Connolly. Her studio will be open on Sat & Sun and you can check out her work at http://www.joanell.com/ .

December has started off to be pretty exciting so far, for last night I had a wonderful time being interviewed by Kim Wulfert on http://www.womenonquilts.blogspot.com/ .

We had a great time conversing on my own art work and my journey so far. Kim did a great job of asking really interesting questions about my art, and the business of my art, and the interview will be available to hear or download from her blog very soon.

My recent trip to Olvera Street provided me with some little embellishments and some fun ideas on how to use them are whirling around in head.

Bells, calla lillies and other fun little trinkets....

Happy creating! ~Rose