What I've been doing,The Needle Lady,Diane Rose-totally blind quilter,Your Funny for Today,Your Color Fix for Today

So, what have I been doing? I have been multi-tasking like a crazy woman lately. My teaching schedule at the end of this year has been phenomenal and I love it that way. I cannot tell you how much I love meeting quilters and sewers and how much I love teaching. Houston Quilt Market and Festival has left me full of colors and inspiration that is ready to explode forth from inside me.

I have been making class kits, designing new applique patterns ready for the new year, creating new classes for 2010, booking classes and lectures for 2010 and 2011,working on a quilt for a very special person in my life, watching my corgie pup Zoie grow by leaps in bounds in this first year she has "owned me", and ......immensely loving every single minute of designing my second fabric line. Oh how I wish I could tell you what it is, but you will just have to wait.

I am also working on a contest for everyone who would like to participate using my first first fabric line "Iridescence" with Avlyn Fabrics. You will just have to check back in the beginning of the year to see what the contest is all about....hope you will join in!

Meet Pam Turner,the inventor of the Spiral Needle
I am so inspired by this woman who did this all for the love of her mom. Pam was frustrated in watching her mom thread needles, that this was the springboard for her inventing a tool that is well worth visiting her website to not only read about the story behind her invention, but also to read about how she learned, tried and made it possible for her to make these herself.
I think you too will love her story.

I LOVE when I see something re-invented for a greater purpose, and what I love more is the story of why Pam invented these needles. Being a "patent illustrator" for shy of two decades (before my professional quilting life), I am always intrigued with the story behind an invention.

Her website is informational, but more so inspirational too....make sure to visit!

To read more of this article:click here.

Diane Rose
The only known totally blind quilter.

I am truly humbled today in all I do. I hope after you read, you too will look at what you create with new "eyes"
Meet Diane Rose. Diane is so far the only known totally-blind quilter. This amazing lady has completed 600 quilts. YES!!! 600.

Vision-impaired with glaucoma all her life, Rose became blind as a result of an accident in 1984, a mere four days before she was to undergo a cornea transplant. But not only has that condition not slowed her down, Rose has used it to serve as a means to motivate others to achieve their true potential.

She has used her lack of sight as a springboard to give motivational talks both within and beyond the context of her ministry, Rose of Sharon Ministries. "The way I look at it, if I can do what I have done, without sight, how much can you do?" she said.

Her achievements are considerable. Even without sight, Rose was heavily involved in the Nashville music scene as a journalist covering the various aspects of, and personalities in, country music.

And it's not as if she has been dabbling at quilting, either. "I have been doing it since 1998," she said, "and I have made more than 475 of them." She also has a goal to make 500 quilts by Aug 14th 2008 which is her 10th anniversary of making quilts.

In fact, Rose's music connections have resulted in quilts being sold to such personalities as country music legend Loretta Lynn. "The quilt I made her used to hang in her gift shop," Rose said.

And that's not all. "President Bush has one of my quilts hanging up in the office of his ranch in Crawford, Texas," Rose said proudly.

So, how does a blind person make a quilt at all, let alone make quilts that famous people would want?

"By feel," she said. "The first quilt I did, I did with polyester instead of cotton."

What's the difference? "I can feel the texture of the polyester," she said, "but the cotton was too smooth to be able to feel.

To read more about Diane, please visit her website and let her know quiltrose@prodigy.net
how inspirational she is to quilters.....I know she has inspired me!

YOUR "FUNNY" FOR TODAY

YOUR COLOR FIX FOR TODAY

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