Nellie, Clarence, and Tyrion chillin’ on the front porch.

I have not updated this blog since mid-September, and it isn’t because I haven’t had much to write about. On the contrary, I have so much to write about…beyond quilting. (And yes, I’ll get back to focusing on textile arts, but for right now I have a lot of other things on my mind.)

Vines along Highway 29 in Calistoga this past weekend.

I am hyper-focused on launching Crafting a Life, LLC, a media and retreat business that I will base out of my newly acquired digs in Napa. The issue is, I am going to have to exercise something that I am horrible at: patience. I’ll akin this construction process to the slow cloth/ slow stitching movement. This is slow building, which means I have to enjoy the process. (I am trying very, very hard but it isn’t easy!) I envision the end result so clearly in my mind: after a day of creating (with a lunch-time hike thrown in), sitting in rocking chairs on the front porch, stitching and taking in the views, and later collectively cooking poolside on a cool California evening. I am also trying to devise a program for children, too, and that has been a lot of fun drafting a mini-sewing and quilting curriculum together.

When I am a bit further along, I will post pictures and share more details, but in the meantime, Judy Coates Perez posted this behind-the-scenes blog of the photo shoot from September.

Since I am horrible with a hammer and a nail, right now I’m working on a lot of the boring business-y stuff to cross off my list: meeting with lawyers, website peeps, and insurance folks.

I am also trying to do something I am not very good at: slowing down and enjoying some time off.  When I went to Quilt Festival (which was so fantastic this year) several people came up to me and told me how relaxed I looked…and they’re right. I feel a sense of calmness, purpose, and focus that I haven’t felt in a long while.

I hosted an impromptu party when many were in town, which was so much fun…

And I invited some former co-workers from Quilts Inc. who have since chosen different work challenges but wanted the opportunity to reconnect with their quilting friends.

Left to right: artist Leslie Jenison, Amanda Schlatre (now Coordinator, Exhibits & Attractions at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo), artist Jamie Fingal, and Carmen Beck (now Manager, Convention and Meeting Services for the Pediatric Academic Societies).

We took a lot of photos that night but this is one of my faves:

This shot includes Allison Cooper (left) who is turning her wish of being a chef into a reality and now going to culinary school.

This past weekend I flew back to the Bay Area for some meetings and to visit my grandmother, but took in some downtime too. A must in the Valley is this little restaurant in Calistoga, the Calistoga Kitchen. If you order the grilled cheese sandwich, the cheese is melted literally into the slices of sourdough bread. I think it was the naughtiest thing I have ever eaten, and the ambience outside was pretty terrific, too!
I also spotted four community tag olive trees that cracked me up. The first of four, the “I Want Less” tag tree:

The “One Thing I am Grateful For” tag tree (more populated with tags):

The “Past Loves” tag tree, also well decorated:

I loved this past love in particular:

And “The Best Decision I Made Was” tag tree:

My favorite response:

While at Quilt Festival, I visited with my friend Wendy Richardson of Quilt Tapestry Studio. I bought up the rest of her over-dyed Napa fabric and would like to give one yard of it away to a randomly selected responder to my question below, inspired by the Napa tag trees:

Question: What has been the best decision you have ever made?

I’ll keep this open through this Thursday night and randomly select a winner.

Happy creating!

**Blog update 11/17/14**

Giveaway winner: Congrats to Craftygoofy49! I will email you for your mailing address. Thanks to all who answered…I LOVED reading them. 🙂

Small pink flags mark the general location of where they will pour the foundation. The stakes will be moved back about 15 feet from this location so I can accommodate more hammocks and grapevines in the front!

x

Great news: After repositioning a couple of times on the property to optimize views, plans and permits have been approved for the art barn! I am breaking ground next month and it should be completed by the end of this year. However, I know how building goes, so I won’t actually launch the retreat part of Crafting a Life until late spring.

With the approval to break ground, I celebrated by having a few bites of the world’s best sticky bun, compliments of Sweetie Pies, the bakery at the Napa River Inn (my favorite place to stay).

If you are a guest at the Napa River Inn, breakfast is included. Not only can you order a choice of breakfast sandwich (e.g. egg whites with spinach and tomato on whole grain), you additionally get a choice of a bun or muffin to counterbalance a healthy attempt at breakfast. This gooey, cinnamon treat is simply sublime.

x

I also met my new accountant in Napa to discuss next steps. I was a little envious of his business address…

x

And then later I drove down to Los Altos to my grandmother’s to meet my cousin’s newest enterprise, her first baby.

All in all, a fantastic trip with headway made and a lot to celebrate. And for the first time, my dream of launching this gig is starting to feel very real.

Dream Retreat Fabric Giveaway Update:

Congrats to Corliss Eden, your name was randomly selected for the huge box of fabric. (I’ll email you for your shipping address.) Thanks to all who spent time sharing their ideas for a dream retreat! I have printed them all out and have gotten a lot of fantastic ideas, Thank you!

You know when someone tells you, “I have good news and bad news…which do you want to hear first?” I always want to get the bad news out of the way.  So here goes with the bad news: I had earthquake damage on my recently purchased Napa property where I am planning my new business next year.

The good news (actually the GREAT news): It is not that bad in the scheme of things, can be fixed, and it is not going to set me back time-wise for construction and renovations.

What didn’t fare so well were some of the historic buildings downtown (mostly with brick and stone facades) that hadn’t been retrofitted to withstand a quake of this size. After I flew out to Napa and assessed my place, I drove downtown and saw that one of my favorite older buildings that houses The Vintner’s Collective withstood a lot of damage and was red tagged.

The above picture looks bad, but they are rebuilding and will be back in business, just like most every other business that was hit. Napans (or as some refer to as “Napkins”) are resilient!

Having lived in California, Massachusetts, Colorado, and Texas, I have learned that Mother Nature can morph into many forms, whether it be a snow blizzard, a flooding, a hurricane, a tornado watch, a hail storm, or an earthquake. You just have to take your pick!

Besides feeling all shook up, the nascent stage of launching a new business has been an exciting project to take on, and I was very happy this summer to host a few sets of moms and daughters to show them my vision:

Above is my best friend from high school, Cindy with her two girls, Maggie and Lily. I thought it was just my adult friends who would ask me when my place is ready so they can come stay, but nope…Maggie wanted to know if she could have her birthday slumber party at my place next month. Sorry, Mags…next year!

x

You may recognize these two former Quilting Arts blondes above: my sister-in-law Sally and my niece Lindsey who came all the way from Massachusetts to visit me. We had a fun time together and they were very excited to go the Kendall-Jackson winery, the “Mothership” as Lindsey affectionately refers to it.

x

And lastly, Judy Perez and her daughter Indigo (taking pictures in the distance) came to check out my digs too. Indigo, an amazing artist like her mom, is helping me with artwork for the business.

Judy also proved to me that if her art quilt gig doesn’t work out, she is a very gifted pool cleaner…

x

While I prepare to relocate next year, I am paring down my art supplies, including a sizable box of fabric:

This lot includes hand-dyed and screened fabric, some really adorable prints, and upholstery fabric that would be GREAT for over-dyeing. Just answer the following question by midnight this Friday, September 12, and I will randomly select a winner. (I am very sorry to all my international friends, but this box is sizable, and because of the weight, I can only ship to a U.S. resident.)

Question:

A part of Crafting a Life, LLC, will include retreats. What would your dream retreat be?

I love the above borrowed quote from “Sex and the City.” (Thanks to a good friend for recently reminding me of it!)

In reference to this quote, I’m not tired exactly, but I have been restless for a long while and I’m ready to run my own gig again. I’ve leaked via social media what my initial plans are, but here’s the full deal:

In 2015 I am moving to Napa and I’m launching a media and event business.

The name of the business is Crafting A Life, LLC. It will focus on quilting, sewing, mixed media, cooking, journaling, fitness and of course—being in Napa—oenology (wine). There are  also plans for children’s crafting programs too (sans wine).

The initial phase of Crafting A Life, LLC, will consist of boutique-style retreats—small classes in an artful, inspiring environment. For these retreats—while learning skills and perfecting techniques—there will be fun diversions, short hikes with incredible views of Napa Valley, music breaks, great food and drink, and discussions (taking place in rocking chairs) to collectively share studio and art tips.

I am also building an art barn to host retreats (date TBA ). However, the website for Crafting A Life, LLC, will launch within a few weeks.

So if you would like to join me for these retreats starting next year, and maybe take a nap-a while here, you are welcome to. After all, I plan on investing in a number of hammocks. 🙂

#craftingalife

#homeofthepokeypour

Something about the term “heirloom” and Cheryl Sleboda in the same sentence seems oxymoronic. When I hear the word “heirloom” I think traditional and dainty…more Martha Pullen than someone like Cheryl: someone who works in the comic book industry, sporting bright red hair and a platinum blond streak as wide as a quilting ruler. When I think heirloom, I don’t think of someone whose logo is a skull with cross bones made of a needle and thread, nor someone who in many  ways is a quilting pioneer, using LED lights in her quilts.

But alas, Cheryl has surprised me because not only has she proven to be an innovative quilter,  but someone who can take the term “heirloom” and make it modern with her new DVD, “Heirloom Sewing Techniques for Today’s Quilter.” In this DVD, she demonstrates numerous techniques for dimensional fabric manipulation. Using running stitches and drawing guides, she covers everything from smocking, gathering, puffing, pleating, scrunching, and more.

I am far, far down on the roster of Cheryl’s blog hop to help promote her DVD, and others (listed below) have covered in depth the content of the DVD. However, I just want to chime in and say that if you want your quilts to pop (literally), Cheryl’s DVD is the go-to learning tool because she makes complicated patterns easy.

I should also add that Cheryl has her own tool, an heirloom smocking template, that does the drawing grid work for you! I am going to get this tool because I think it would be GREAT for shibori work. In fact, her fabric manipulation techniques would be really fun to try with shibori.

Hmmm…I think that’s my next studio project when I am back home again.

To learn more about the content of Cheryl’s DVD, check out the blogs below!

June 9 – Susan Brubaker Knapp – http://wwwbluemoonriver.blogspot.com/

June 10 – Maddie Kertay – http://www.badassquilterssociety.com/

June 11 – Faith Jones – http://www.freshlemonsquilts.com/

June 12 – Lynn Krawczyk – http://smudgedtextilesstudio.com/blog/

June 13 – Julie Creus – http://www.latodera.com/blog

June 16 – Catherine Redford – http://catherineredford.com/

June 17 – Megan Dougherty – http://thebitchystitcher.com/

June 18 – Pokey Bolton – (me)

June 19 – Jamie Fingal – http://www.jamiefingaldesigns.com/

June 20 – Cheryl Sleboda – http://muppin.com/wordpress/index.php/blog/

I recently was invited to New York City for the weekend, and wanting to keep my mind occupied (more on that in a minute), I couldn’t have picked a a more picture-perfect weekend to go!

A view of the Freedom Tower in the distance. (Picture taken from the top of the Empire State Building.)

x

I took advantage of three beautiful days in the city, starting every day with a run through Central Park…

xx

…where I came across a most ambitious (and strong) dog walker. (That’s 10 dogs she is walking together.)

x

I also visited the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, spending a somber three hours there. There are no words for this…

x

x

x

x

On a more cheerful note, I also went to Mood Fabrics of “Project Runway” fame, and I was so overwhelmed by the stacks and stacks of bolts towering over me, I didn’t buy a single thing. I also went to the Museum of Sex because 1) such a museum actually exists, and 2) you never know of you will learn something. 😉

x

And on a G-rated note, I saw my best friend’s little sister perform as Mary Poppins in “Mary Poppins, the Musical.” If you are in the tri-state area in the next couple of months, I highly recommend bringing your family to see this production!

x

Lauren Blackman as Mary Poppins, playing at the Westchester Theatre in Elmsford, NY.

x

I also spotted someone in Times Square who has gained so much notoriety for playing his guitar in nothing but tighty whities,  he recently gained national endorsements from Fruit of the Loom. Yes, I’m talking about the Naked Cowboy. Below we are scheming a pose for a picture.

And here’s my 2014 Christmas card!

x

That’s a joke by the way! (And if you are wondering if I had any Purell in my purse, I am always packing.)

All in all, a great trip! One of the reasons I was trying to keep my mind occupied for the past few days is I had just made an offer on a property in Northern California, my homeland.  Knowing that it could take several days to hear anything back, I was very glad for the Big Apple distraction.

Just a couple days ago I found out my offer was accepted, and I am now back in California for two days to begin the due diligence process. This property isn’t just a place where I can live, but where I can work, too. (Hey, I can’t play and travel forever!)

The zip code? 94558.

Napa Valley.

I hope this works out,

Since I announced my resignation, I have been overwhelmed with the outpouring of letters, emails, FB messages, and kind gestures  of support. Thank you for being so understanding and for taking the time to reach out! I am really looking forward to a bit of a break, and time to think about next steps. So as they say in Hawaiian…Mahalo. Thank you.

Speaking of Hawaii, I went to Maui last week and attended the wedding of my best friend from high school. She is going to throttle me for posting this particular ephemeral bit of embarrassment from more than 23 years ago…

I think we look a lot better today, laugh lines and all…

Meet Cindy–one of the kindest people I have ever met. She has been through so much in the last few years, and on top of keeping it together, raising her two girls,  (and doing it all with an exemplary positive attitude), she is a nurse in pediatric oncology at UCSF. She is–quite simply–resilient.

Fortunately, her kind nature was noticed by a similarly nurturing and humor-loving person: a research doctor, “Dr. Rob,” in pediatric oncology, also at UCSF. Cindy and Rob have been in a relationship for several years, and at long last he got a ring on her finger.

Luckily for all of Rob and Cindy’s friends, they made it a destination wedding in Maui so we could all take some time off, chillax, and celebrate with them.

After a nearly 10-hour flight, I arrived to this view…

I spent time with old friends and meeting their children for the first time. Below is Rose, Cindy’s college roommate from Georgetown, and her daughter Kiera. I was hell-bent on getting Kiera to like me…but it wasn’t easy and it took me a while.

A couple days later, I was honored to help watch over Kiera on the beach when she felt “sleepy,” and when she asked me to be her escort to go to the public bathroom, well…I’ve never felt so important to anybody or anything in my life.

I also watched my friend’s kids giddily do the hula on stage at a luau.

And the night before the wedding, the adults toasted with Pokey Pours.

The morning of the wedding, we took the groom for a 7:00 AM Cross Fit session (where I got my ass kicked).

Before the ceremony I caught up with an old friend from high school days (and we toasted you, Bud Chatham)!

And when it came time for the ceremony, we all got our tissues ready. Below, Rob is escorted by his two daughters.

Then Cindy’s two daughters made their way up…

And then I saw Cindy make her way, flanked by both her parents. If you thought I was crying and putting my waterproof mascara to work, you’re right.

And Cindy, always the ham, did this when she got kissed…

I am so glad to see my friend happy.

And the best news of all, by the end of the trip I had won over a new BFF!

An incredible time.

I’m staying the course. I am keeping to my promise of welcoming new adventures, embracing change, and exploring new opportunities.

Mahalo.

Save

I have been incredibly fortunate the last two (plus) years to work alongside some amazing individuals who have been nothing but family to me:

x

I have loved being Chief Creative Officer at Quilts Inc., but I have been giving it a lot of thought lately, and have decided to be the Chief Creative Officer…of me.

Last week, I submitted my resignation, and after teary hugs with coworkers, and a wonderful meeting with Karey Bresenhan who has always been so supportive of me,  I departed, and am officially now my own CCO.

I resigned for no other reason than I am ready for a break after a lot of change in my life the past few years.

My bucket list over the next few months:

• See if I can train Tyrion, my new puppy to be a service dog, and go to hospitals to bring smiles to children’s faces.

• Finish the baby quilt for my great nephew who was born last October. (I hope to finish it before he turns five in 2018.)

• TRAVEL! To date, the roster for the next couple of months looks like this:

Hawaii next week, with a trip to San Francisco, Napa, Marin County, and Monterey the following week. Later in May, I’m heading to Costa Rica, and in June, I’m going to Zurich, Amsterdam, and London…where I will sit court side at Wimbledon (and eat strawberries and cream).

While I replenish my creative tank and embark on my Eat Pray Love adventure, I will always remain a friend of Quilts Inc. Although I am sitting Spring Market out, I will attend the Festivals…but as a civilian. 😉 And of course I am going to champion Festival’s Pet Project at the 40th anniversary of Quilt Festival this fall!

As I make this transition in my life, a picture from my childhood came to mind:

Above, I am at the helm of Freedom, the 12-metre racing yacht, which a few months later, won the America’s Cup in 1980. (Skipper Dennis Connor, my dad’s friend, is cheering me on behind me.)

I am ready to be the skipper of my own adventure.

Thanks to all of my quilting friends who have been so supportive of me over the last 14 years. I hope you’ll continue to read my blog and stay friends as I craft a new life.

With love,

Pokey

I got to do something pretty sweet this past weekend: hang out with Leslie Jenison and meet Tim Jenison of “Tim’s Vermeer” fame:

For those who don’t know,  art quilter Leslie Jenison is married to Tim Jenison, an incredibly gifted and talented inventor who took a sabbatical from his company, NewTek, to take it easy and relax (::::cough::::):  and attempt to paint Vermeer’s “The Music Lesson.”

The original Vermeer painting resides in Buckingham Palace. After some cajoling, Tim was able to go inside the palace and have a 30-minute audience with the painting (no camera equipment allowed).

x

Never having painted before, Tim had a theory about how the 17th century Dutch Master was able to paint such photorealistic paintings, and surmised that Vermeer used optical lenses and mirrors–technical aids–to help create his masterpieces.

The documentary chronicles Tim’s journey to recreate a Vermeer in the exact conditions Vermeer painted: everything from constructing the actual room in “The Music Lesson” (from scratch) in a warehouse in San Antonio; mixing pigments (only pigments that were available to Vermeer); creating lenses using 17th century technology and tools; carving furniture (which Tim had never done before); making the windows (never did that either)…everything.

In the documentary, Tim’s first attempt to test his theory was by painting a picture of his father-in-law, and angling a mirror in such a way on the canvas, that he could essentially match the tone of the paint to the photograph, and recreate an image.  When the edge of the mirror seamlessly blended with the color of the paint on the canvas, then he knew he had a perfect tone, and that’s how he painted. (Go see the documentary…he explains it much better than I am trying to!)

It took Tim seven months to finish his Vermeer masterpiece, but in total–including building the actual room–Tim’s Vermeer took five years.

x

Above: Bizzi the schnauzer guards Tim’s Vermeer.

x

And the painting now resides in his bedroom.

It was incredible having the chance to see the painting in person!

x

And of course I loved the quilt on the bed. Leslie shared with me that she purchased an antique quilt top (a grandmother’s flower garden pattern), then had a friend free-motion quilt it with black thread in whimsical designs.

x

x

It was a memorable experience, too, seeing the documentary in San Antonio not only with the Jenisons, but with one of my very favorite artists, Jane Dunnewold.

All in all, an incredibly inspiring weekend, and one of those experiences that makes you do a life inventory. Any quilter or creative person reading this post, I highly recommend seeing this documentary.

Trust me, you will come away changed.

It’s been a long week, but I am thankful three fantastic things happened in the last few days:

1. Bruce Springsteen released his latest album, “High Hopes!”

2. Virginia Spiegel demonstrated her fundraising prowess yet again, and with the help of fiber artists, exceeded her goal for Fiberart for a Cause and raised more than $5500!

3. And the best news all week? LIBBY LEHMAN GOT TO GO HOME! Read all about it here!

In celebration of the above events, I thought to do a little Friday giveaway, this time a sampling of Painter’s Palette yarn from Koigu that they generously gave me at TNNA this past weekend. Yarn lovers know these skeins offered in sumptuous colors are fantastic for garments, but they work well for hand stitching, too.

Answer the following in the comments area, and I’ll choose a winner on Tuesday. My question is one you’d expect on a Friday afternoon:  What kind of stitching or surface design trouble do you plan to engage in over the weekend?

Me? I’m leaving on a jet plane in the morning so I am packing a small plastic bag with my English paper-piecing project.

TGIF!