Kansas Here I Come

I want to tell you about the first ever National African American Quilt Convention. It will be a history making event. I will tell my grandchildren that I was at the first, the first. I won't go into the why and wherefores of having one for African Americans or why that is important to me or my grandchildren. So many exciting things are planned that I don't know where to start telling you about it. Let me start with my quilt exhibit called "The Women Who Fly" at the Lawrence Public Library.

The Lawrence Public Library is one of the seven most beautiful new libraries in the world according to http://www.techinsider.io/the-most-beautiful-new-libraries-in-the-world-2016-4
I am so honored and blessed to be there.


This exhibit is designed to showcase twenty quilts of women in many different walks of life. Several of the quilts are dancers but also women doing the many things we do to make the world go around. It is a testimony to the fact that we have to fly about the pain and strife in our lives while keeping it moving. (As the commercial says, Moms don't take sick days). We, as women, often do what we do with insurmountable strength as if we have invisible wings. This exhibit will allow you to take a glimpse of those wings.

Make no mistake- several exhibits are planned and even more are being planned as we speak. This convention will be like getting a quilting-education in four days equal to learning that could take you years.

The National African American Quilt Convention is happening in Lawrence, Kansas from July 12th until July 15th, 2017. The website is http://www.naaqc.org/   Everyone is invited. People are already signing up. One hotel is already fully booked. You don't have to be a quilter to come to this convention. Art lovers will love the great art on display. Lots and lots of exhibits are planned. Plus super awesome lectures are also happening. Have you seen Faith Ringgold before? If you have then you know what you have to look forward to, but if you haven't prepare to be delighted. Her lecture "More Than 60 Years" will be so informative and fabulous.

The line up for classes is fantastic. I am truly blessed again to be teaching a Scrap Quilt class on Thursday July 13, 2017 from 9am to 3pm. I can't wait to teach you how to make the quilt that is featured in my book "Scrap Easy". I was surfing the net one day for ideas of basketball players. As I rolled the cursor down the page an image of a lady in a flowing dress made of scraps popped into my head. To this day I have no idea how I got that out of pictures of basketball players. When I showed the first quilt, a lady bought it on the spot.  I am still amazed at the popularity of this design.

The great thing for me is being in the company of all the other great teachers. Lola Jenkins is doing a Portrait class. She is one of the great portrait quilters on the planet. She is a master of shadows. Check out her work and you will be pleasantly surprised. Sandra Johnson is teaching several fabric dyeing classes. She has great new innovative techniques especially what she does to jeans. Lori Triplett is teaching Indigo Resist Dyeing. She is a renowned author. Sherry Whetstone is teaching Victorian Crazy Quilting an Tea. Staying true to the vintage style of the 1800’s, students will embellish beautiful velvet, brocades, satin and fancy cottons with embroidery stitches, beads, trinkets and anything else that catches the eye. Bisa Butler is teaching Portrait Collage. She is the best at making a face from various beautiful fabrics. She can show you how to make magic with simple fabric patterns. Rachel Clark is showing you how to Make A Statement. She makes the loveliest wearable art. Renee Fleuranges-Valdes is teaching Mask Time! You can learn to make a mask that you can use to decorate in your home. Jan Hollis is doing Mosaic Fiber Art. I have been so influenced and inspired by her art. She has a wonderful eye for putting it all together. Go ahead and sign up for the convention and these classes today. Go ahead - pick one!

I have to give kudos to Marla Jackson for pulling these great group of artists together to teach us new and innovative techniques. Marla read my mind and did the da** thing. Yay!!!!

We are living in a wonderful time. Our grandmothers quilted in their own homes and communities and never met all the quilters of the world. We have the opportunity to get together first on social media and secondly, now at the great National African American Quilt Convention.

Save your money, so you can join the fun.  See you there!!!

Favorite Day

I know I have skipped a few weeks here and there. Please forgive me. Let's face it, my life is just not that exciting. So some weeks I can't think of a think to say.

Do you have a favorite day of the week? I do and it is Saturday!  I bet if I take a poll Friday will probably be everyone else's favorite.  I could sleep late but I don't. I can't wait to get up and get to my sewing project. I know that I will have a day of solitude when I can work as long as I want. I put Young Blood on the radio and then sing and dance to my heart's content.

When I was young Saturday was the day that my sister and I would hang out with Patricia all day. One Saturday we schemed to steal Ms. Henrietta's snuff. We had no idea what the snuff did or why Ms. Henrietta sent us to the store to get some all the time. We did know that she seemed to enjoy it so we decided that we would try it.

We swiped the can and went around the back of the house. We stuffed it in our bottom lip and swallowed. Then we went back to the side of the house where we would bounce a ball onto the house. Shortly after wards, the house started to spin. Everything was spinning. Served us right. We were drunk from the snuff. Who knew? I never ever wanted snuff again.

Patricia also had a wonderful blue bicycle in her house. I asked about it all the time. Finally she taught me to ride. Patricia was older than me so when her interest went elsewhere, she let me take the bike out on Saturday all by myself. I would ride off to Valencia's house and join her in a ride to town.

Valencia and I would park our bikes in front of the 5 and Dime. We would go in and separate. The lady would try to follow us around the store. She treated us as if we were there to steal. We touched everything and ran her all around the store and then we would leave. We didn't want anything but we got a kick out of baiting her racism.

I think Saturday meant freedom from routine very early in my life. Now it means a day to get totally lost in my sewing exploits. The hours just fly by. Sometimes I forget to eat until late in the day. And to top it all off, I was born on Saturday.

Do you have favorite day of the week and why?