Quilt Studio Tour!

Wow. Does that sum it up? Wow.

Today I went on a Quilt Studio Tour, touring studios in Visalia, Hanford and Kingsburg, CA. Nine studios were included on the tour. I made it to eight. The one I missed was Country Manor, which I was told to be sure NOT to miss. I missed it. It is a place where many local quilters congregate for retreats and classes, but I've never been there. I can't find a weblink to get a peek. Sorry about that.

I loaded fairly large photo files, so if you want to see details, be sure to click on the photo. :)

The first house I went to was Debbie Van Fossen's. ooh aaah. I stopped dead in the living room, not needing to go further. It was like walking into the pages of Country Living magazine, when they're all dressed up for Christmas. Debbie has an artist's eye, and it's not limited to her quilts. It is on display in every corner of her home.

There were quilts on the railings outside the house:

Here is Debbie, in her Studio. Notice the piece of furniture her hand is resting on. This is a popular piece, available from Ikea. You will see it in a few more of the studios on tour. Each quilter is thrilled with it. Her walls are painted with pale pink and white vertical stripes. Very happy!

The second house was that of Barbara Sindlinger. Here it is from the outside, and again, there is a quilt on the bench near the front door.

Of all the Studios, Barbara's was the most like mine. I say that because I suspect she needs to be able to see what she wants to work on, just as I do. Then again, I was told that she finishes a project before beginning a new one. hmmm. The two shelves below the shelf of books are completely filled with finished quilts.

Next on my list was the home of Kathy Veltkamp. I loved the quilt hanging outside, signaling that yes, indeed, I was at the right place.

This is Kathy's Studio. (See the Ikea storage to her right?) Her Studio is immaculate. And I know it's ALWAYS like this. :) Kathy oozes with organization. I wish it would spill over and infect me! Oh! And see the quilt to the left of her head? The one with the Log Cabin border? I made that quilt for her a few years ago. I was THRILLED to see it hanging on her wall. The center is machine quilted with a wreath of cherries. Kathy is the one who taught me to machine quilt and gave me the confidence boost that I so sorely needed. I am honored to have a quilt hanging on her wall. Thank you, Kathy! :)

I don't remember if I saw this license plate in her driveway or at the next house. I kept running into it for the remainder of the tour.

Next stop, Hanford, and the home of Anna Koelewyn. She's the Featured Artist for our 2010 Best of the Valley show.

Here's Anna, in her Studio. (See the Ikea piece under the window? It has glass panels in the drawers, and hers are filled with fabric.)

I wanted a second shot of Anna and her Studio, to show you her new baby (on the table) and the sign on her door.

From Anna's, I went to the home of Sara Kelly. Her husband is a photographer, she is an artist, and the home is just what you might imagine the home of two artists to be. Every nook and cranny has something of interest, and I could have poked around there all day. But that would have been nosy and presumptuous of me.

Here is Sara's Studio. She (and several of the others) is working through the book to the right, on the table. Many of the completed assignments are behind her, on the design wall.

Next on the list, Grace Hoya.

I wanted to show you the fantastic natural lighting in her Studio, unfortunately it backlit everything and you see no detail. (If you click on the picture, it looks better bigger.)

Here she is, from the other direction. Do you see that black storage on the left? She's the only quilter I know of who has a wine collection (labeled and catalogued) in her Studio.

From Hanford, I traveled to Kingsburg, and the home of Becky Karlie. I LOVED Becky's home. If I thought I had a lot of Christmas ornaments, I was mistaken. Becky has all kinds of Christmas decorations FILLING her home. It is beautiful!

Here is Becky's Studio. For the past several months, she's been saying she couldn't find the floor. Doggone! I should have gotten a picture of the floor! It's a beautiful wood floor, with plenty of walking around space. She says it took her days to find. Well, Becky? It was worth looking for! :)

The last house I visited was that of Linda Blassingame. Even the leaves dropping from the tree outside were artistically arranged. I'd been told that Linda could be an interior decorator, and her home certainly displayed a lot of flair! It is beautifully decorated - ALL of the homes were beautifully decorated! But Linda even had a runner on her washer/dryer and Christmas decorations in her laundry room. I have to admit, that never would have occurred to me!!

This last picture is Linda, in her Studio. She asked where I wanted her, I requested the rocking chair. It was my favorite piece in the room, and looked so welcoming. (Do you see to the right of her elbow? There's that piece from Ikea again. Linda says she had hers first.) How about the CD tower on the left, filled with fat quarters?

So wow. What do you think? Are you inspired?

I came home feeling a bit inadequate. My Studio is the only part of my home that I would show to anyone. However today, it looks like a tornado has gone through it. The rest of my house? It's done in early garage sale. It would never stand up to the scrutiny of curious quilters. I now have new goals for 2010, and they're not quilting goals.