The quilting Genres I love.

During my time home I need to complete 5 quilts and I’m well on the way to doing that at the moment. I find that working on a number of genres at one time works well for me. I don’t get bored with one quilt… and at the end I finish 5 quilts at once… (well there is a possibility that I won’t) It all depends on babies, family, babysitting, another visit to the skin specialist and the need to stop and sigh every now and then.

Paubhas painting.

Our first stop was at a traditional painting studio.

Paubhas are painted on a rectangular piece of canvas. It is prepared by applying a mixture of buffalo glue and white clay on it. The surface is then rubbed with a smooth stone to give it polish. The painting is done according to the rules and dimensions handed down by tradition, and artists cannot exercise their creativity.

Rural roundup – a quilting Odyssey.

Women in cars, buses and carriages of all kinds descended on the town on Friday but they didn’t come empty handed. Quilts for show and tell, coolers full of cheeses and wine and other dietary ‘necessities’ and the stories unwound as the conversation flowed.

Lake Atitlan Adventures – Guatemala.

I’m part (a very small part) of a program that features the crafts of various countries. The team seek out master craftsmen from countries around the world and shares their talent with the us all. I’m looking after the cast members and I’m featuring as a Master Craftsman in Antigua using a combination of indigenous art to crate the new.

Do you know what happens to US school buses when they retire? They become ‘Chicken buses’

When American school buses reach the age of ten years or 150,000 miles, they are sold at auction. Many of these buses are bought and driven down through Mexico to Guatemala where they are prepared for their second lives. In contrast to their modest first lives as yellow buses carting children to school, their second lives are spent stuffed with people, topped with roof racks full of cargo, and driving at high speeds over mountain passes. The old yellow paint is covered with colorful murals and praises to Jesus. They are called. “Chicken buses”

Other things we did in class. – Capture and Create.

Lets indulge the child in us and create whimsical images.

We discussed the images and how to create them after first making a ‘reminder’ list. Write down the things you see. Create them as you see them, not as others do. This is your design.
My list was the grass blowing in the breeze, Elephants, patterns, Zebras, Lions and hippos.

The trees with the weaver bird nest, the river and the texture.