Heart Rock #1

This little treasure was found while wondering on the beach last week along the No.CA coast. I was lucky enough to be invited to present and teach for the Pacific Piecemakers of Gualala, CA and boy what a time we all had. They meet in the fabulous Gualala Art Center which if you are traveling in the area, it is a must see.

Anyways, this is hopefully only the first of many heart shaped rocks that I will find along the way as I travel to so many fun and beautiful places.

I posted an album of pictures of the coastal drive, the steep walk down to the beach and even a few of the flowers found along the way. These are out on my FaceBook 'like' page, so I hope you click over and check out the rest.

Tomorrow I am off again to a wonderful place. Asilomar -- on the beach in Pacific Grove, CA -- there I'll be teaching for Empty Spools Seminars -- can hardly wait. And, maybe there will be a new heart shape rock found along the way.  Be well!

On the Road

This week finds along the wild coast of norther California...a and having wonderful time! Yesterday I taught Fast-piece Appliqué to a group at the Gualala Arts Center, and today at noon I will presenting a trunkshow of art quilts... What could be more fun?!

This morning I headed out for a hike down to the water in search of just one heart shaped rock. So there are pictures. Most will have to wait til home, but I did snap a few with the iPad and will try to attach them here. Happy Friday!

A Bit of Quilt Market - GiveAway

It was a wonderful, wild time gathering at schoolhouse presentations, then wandering the aisles of Quilt Market. So much to see in only a few days.

everyone milling about & making there plan of attack for the schoolhouse sessions

As  I made my way I saw many wonderful things, but as I turned one of those corners I saw Sue standing in her booth I had to walk over and say hi. Sue Spargo in the middle of all her wonderful patterns and WOOL...gotta love all the wool. We were chatting for a few minutes when the tree of red birds caught my eye...

Sue with the tree of red birds!

Well, (you know me & my birds!) I just had to have this to share. Sue graciously gave me a signed copy of her new book (with the wonderful little bird pattern) to share with you.

Since I only have the one to give-away here's how you can get your chance to win this copy.

You can LIKE my Rose Hughes - Ravenspeak Quilts Face Book page
then leave a comment on the fb page saying "I'm in" for the Sue Spargo's Spring Quilt Market book giveaway.
OR, become a blog follower and leave a comment on this blog.

The lucky winner will be announced next Monday!

Blogger's Quilt Festival - Yeah it is Spring!

Thank you Amy for the wonderful sharing of quilts through this Bloggers Quilt Festival, and all the others! I do love participating. This time around I am sharing a very special quilt -- recently completed --- though, it has been 20 years in the coming to fruition.

I call this quilt A Long Ago Wedding -- and I made it this year to commemorate my own wedding to my husband (David) -- Wedding vows taken in the little chapel below Half Dome in Yosemite. On a March day-fresh with newly fallen snow. I shared the whole process of seeing this come together over the last few months here on my blog. The last posting included links to each of the others, so I if you do want to read-all-about-it you can.

I feel really grateful to have had a chance to finish this piece and share some of my fondest memories through it, and I do hope you enjoy seeing it.

Student Work - Karen Eppler

Karen took the one-hour Make-It University workshop in Long Beach last summer where I got to share with attendees one of my favorite things --- Woolies! I loved seeing what Karen used hers for, and hope you do, too!

Karen's Words:
I am sending these via my phone but still working on figuring it all out,  This is a close up view of the woolies I made with you at the Long Beach Quilt show. When I took them home,  I cut them in half and turned them into flowers.  They are on a purse I made from a shrunk sweater.  Feels so good the actually use something I make in a class.  Hope life goes well with you and you are busy teaching and enjoying it.  Have a great day.

Student Work - Sarah Brewin

Sarah is an amazing woman-- living in Massachusetts she reaches out to help women in Kenya learn how to support themselves through a love of fabric. Her quilt is based on pictures she took during one of her many, many trips to that area. Presenting here ... Acacia Tree in the Mara

Sarah's Words:

All is well here, I finally finished my Acacia Tree from the workshop in September – attached a picture for you to see. I love it. Did lots of beading and had a wonderful time doing it. I was out of work for 9 weeks this winter – had foot surgery and couldn’t do much of anything. I have developed a new respect for feet!

The Basket project is going well – we finally have our web site finished check it out www.friends4kenya.org and I am planning on going back to Kenya the end of June... can’t get there any sooner.

Student Work - Eileen T. Wintemute

Today I am delighted to share with you this lovey quilt by Eileen Wintemute:

Eileen's words:
I thought you might like to see something finished from one of your classes. I recently finished the attached quilt (The Beaded Forest). I started this in the class that you taught for Flying Geese Quilters Guild last year. The method you taught was fast applique, where one edge is tucked under another and the raw edge is covered with yarn zig zagged on.  I am happy with the way the quilt  turned out. Thanks for the class!

Student Week - Kick Off - Cristie McGuire

Hi All -
Some months are just busy, and May is one of those times for me this year. I will be popping in an out and I thought it would be a great time to share some student works. These are photos taken of the quilts project either started during of from things learned in one of my workshops. Wherever possible I have included the quilters own words.

Hope you enjoy these & have a great week! ~Rose

To start off the week we have a piece by Cristie McGuire--

Cristie's own words:  I finally finished the quilt of my walk along the Seine River in Paris on my 50^th birthday, in which I used your fast-piecing appliqué and embellishment techniques that I learned in your classes this past spring (i.e., the fast-piecing applique class sponsored by Canyon and embellishment class sponsored by Seaside).

The quilt is small (17.5” x 25”), but very lively. The quilt is heavily beaded. I loved doing the quilt and got carried away with the beading (I am not sure if the beading shows up well in the pictures). The title of the quilt is “I may have been born in San Francisco, but I left my heart in Paris.” If you look closely there are three heart shaped beads in little pockets in the cloud at top left (am not sure you can see them in the photo). I loved using your techniques and plan to use more of them in the future. I have already got plans to embellish my Lyn Mann “birthday” quilt using a combination of your embellishment techniques. Fun!

Taking A Moment

It is early in the morning as I write this. I enjoy the quiet of the morning. Me, the cat and a cup of coffee finding a way to welcome the day. Today is a special day... my birthday, and I knew that there were cards waiting to be opened on the dining room table. I chose to leave them all unopened until today... to enjoy in the opening of the envelopes and reading the greetings. So often now our greetings come electronically. So quickly things come and go. Now, with the cards lined up on the countered to be enjoyed, for the heartfelt words remembered as I glance at them throughout the day - for the smiles they bring... the day begins.

The busy-ness we find ourselves involved with can keep us running from the time of waking through the moment it all lets us go to sleep. It is the moments we take to stop, look around us and reflect that stay with us. Enjoy in the moments taken.

It was a specially taken moment, a few months ago now, that I reflected on the memory of a snow-filled March day in Yosemite... on the chapel in the meadow below Half Dome, and on the wedding that took place on that sunny day. That moment taken is what brought me to this... my completed quilt honoring that day.

I hope you enjoy the quilt, and also the tale of it's creation. If you missed the earlier postings, I have linked the five other step-by-step chats here.

Designing - Stitching - The Top - Quilting - Dimensional stitching - Beading

I also hope this may encourage you to take that moment for yourself...
only you can give yourself this gift.