Here I am outside before I entered into Roxanne's quilt shop! So fun and boy do they have the exciting fabrics, threads, trims, and darling things for your home...this is Lorraine and me. She set us up to take a little pin cushion class....wow, was it fun! I rarely get to take classes and I always want to and when I do, I am over the moon happy! Here we are with out examples...mine will have twice more beads! I am the one on the left with the red pin cushion and the blue polka dot strap...so fun!!! Here I am with "the" Roxanne. I have known her a long time and she is just an awesome girl with a heart of gold! She and I love bright whimsical things and angels for sure. Her shop is in Camerillo (I think)...or somewhere close to there....good Mexican restaurant close too. It is on my top five best quilt shops ever! It is great having good friends and Mel McFarland who did Out of the Box with Easy Blocks with me loves to make doll clothes. My two Granddaughters both got American girl dolls from their other Grandmothers. I could never afford a real one. Anyway, they come over and bring their dolls and they play and we have tea parties. I bought a cute pattern book and Mel offered to bring it home and make clothes. So far she has made both of the girls a dolly quilt, a sun dress and adorable pajamas. The girls do not know this yet and I know they will be thrilled...who wouldn't be? I wish I had a doll to dress haha....love miniature anything...so cute! Aren't these sundresses the cutest??? So fun and it will be so nice to show them to the girls who will love them! My cousin sent this to me and make me laugh...because with my kids this was true.... The girls above too the pincushion class with me...Pam, Jane the designer and Lorraine,,,we had a great Mexican food lunch...really good (Rudy's) Here we talked Roxanne into getting on her incredible counter so we could get a fun photo...boy is she a good sport! Look at that counter! I want it in my kitchen...when I have the lotto house built that is.... Below are just some of the nice ladies from the Camerillo guild which I LOVE to teach for...I have made lifetime friends there. I taught the cow class and we had so much fun! Below is the beginning of Julie's car racing cow Next is an awesome cow with a fab background....I am having a sr moment and blanking on a name I know well! Next is Pam Burdicks cow above...with cow boy boots no less and fringe on them...fun! Below is Lorraine's cow in the vegetable patch...wow look at that udder! In my lectures I always always end with four nice things every quilter should do. One of them is "share your stash" and I suggest that when a friend has a bad week that you buy them a couple of fat quarters with a chocolate bar and wrap with a ribbon to make them feel loved...the next day Julie went up to Ron (a quilter) and handed him the fabric and candy. I asked If I could take a photo and he offered to leave the candy wrapper and maybe wrap a piece of cardboard if I didn't take it soon enough...haha. Julie you are a doll and did the nice thing. Thank you for perpetuating quilting and for being kind too. When I win the lotto, I want a machine just like this only black...and they have one there...hope I win soon.... Below is Pam's purple cow and she is doing it as a Christmas story quilt when she got this for a gift...isn't he cute? Next is the dancing cow....forgot her name.... We had 22 lovely people in the class. If you belong to a guild and want a FUN, creative class, maybe you might consider hiring me to do the Cow Parade.....they are not hard and they come out all different and all cool. We will have 30 of these in Houston and over 40 at AQS in Iowa! Won't that be wonderful? Hanging together and all different including what is hanging from the udders is really fabulous. You hear so many comments and people giggling...it is a happy way to make a happy quilt. Friends have so blessed me lately and several times I totally forgot about my husband and troubles at home. It is so fun to laugh and enjoy life and quilting and nature and God's many blessings. I told my class this week that it REALLY is important to tell your loved ones and your friends how much they mean to you. You do not know how long you will have to do this and as life becomes more precious, you realize how good it feels to tell those around you how special they are. AND friend, YOU are special to me.