Bringing Peru Home

I recently took a trip to the textile museum in Washington, DC.  The museum is small with only a few rooms which I felt couldn’t do justice to all the history and global influences on textile design. I was mostly enthralled with the gift shop with a wonderful selection of books and magazines I found myself sitting on the floor sifting through pages of scrumptious photos.

I love textiles. I just want to look deeply into the stitches and find out how each and every weave is accomplished. I never appreciated work more than my visit to the weaving market in Chinchero, Peru located 13,000 feet above sea level. The air is thin but that does not stop these women from producing. We watched as they dyed alpaca wool and worked looms for hours creating the tightest stiches imaginable.

Shopping in the local market was a feast for the eyes with brilliant colors and patterns stacked like candy.

The difficult part of shopping was choosing just one thing to bring home when every piece was its own work of art.

After a long day in the high altitude, we happily returned to our peaceful chakra garden, mystical surroundings and yoga room at Wilka tiki in the sacred valley of Urabumba.

Driving down 3000 feet in altitude also helped the headaches and breathing, giving us energy for some much needed yoga. In the studio I was keenly aware of the antique carpets and woven mats used making each little bench a unique retreat. Everything at Wilka Tika awakened the senses of the soul.

Have you ever had the “after vacation blues” when you know work is awaiting you and the memories and restful feeling of the trip begins to slip away?  Those blues set in for me on the airplane ride home. To channel the energy from the trip I took out my computer and began drawing the hundreds of small geometric shapes that would create “Batik” by Wallovers, reminding me of the fabrics in the peaceful valley.

“Batik” is a stencil design that once applied to any surface will create the look of hand paintied and dyed fabric.

Remembering the wonderful spaces at Wilka Tika Retreat I realized the space between the walls at home was a perfect spot to fabricate a bench in our own small yoga room. I began by painting a wonderful red and fushia base, hand-brushed to create a an impression of a woven background. I used modern masters metallic Gold Rush paint and some mica powders for the strong contrast of a yellow gold. The base was then made from Terracotta  chimney flues that I painted in a periwinkle blue.

The final touch was the Bench pillows made from the fabrics collected at the markets in Peru and the Chakra Gardens book from Wilka Tika. What a cure for the blues!!!

Proceeds from the book benefit the non-profit Wilka Tika Children’s Fund to support the isolated mountain schools and Andean children in their communities founded by the writer and Wilka Tika owner Carol Cumes.

Inspiring Duo

Being the mom of an incredible budding artist, I had to tell you about this inspiring pair. Tracy Lund has been a loyal Wallovers’ customer for years. When she approached our booth at the Faux Expo in Orlando I thought she had a twin. Then I realized this gorgeous woman was HER MOM.

As I listened to them discuss design, review the stencils, and make decisions I couldn’t help but think….”I hope this is my daughter and me someday”. So…. I thought it would be fitting with Mother’s day approaching this weekend,  to highlight this mother and daughter team in honor of all the mothers and daughters out there who share common passion.

Tracy and her mom Libby started out in the Dental field and ventured off together to take Tracy’s hobby to a more professional level. Tracy founded Tracy Lund creations in 2000. When she became busy with her work she began to call her mom in for help and eventually Libby joined her in business. Together they create custom artwork for designers, homeowners, interior decorators and builders.

“My mother and I have always had a close relationship so it made sense that we would work together on this creative venture”, Says Tracy

Over the years the team has stayed on top of the latest techniques, styles trends by taking classes taught by the best in the faux fnishing industry.

“We keep up with the modern trends in the industry through stenciling. We are able to create modern and old world styles from the stencil and medium we choose.”

Here the team is using Wallovers’ “Twisted” stencil over a colorwash to create an eclectic look. You can learn more about Tracy and Libby at  www.Tracylundcreations.com

From another creative mother and daughter team…Happy Mother’s Day to all!!

The Challenges of Education, Health Care and Economic Sustainability

There was a lot to cover in a small amount of time in the village. As our bodies started to acclimate to the heat and lack of food we began to get energized to interview and interact more directly with the residents in the village. You can fit alot into an “African” day. The roosters start to crow about 4 AM and the sun rises shortly after that and stays high in the sky for the nex 12 hours. I never wore a watch on the trip and it was amazing how quickly I was telling time by the location of the sun.  We began the day meeting with the teachers and discussing educational needs.

We found the most challenging aspect of sustaining the school is providing enough incentive for educated techers to teach.  Education of any kind in South Sudan is a rare commodity. The few that have made it through secondary school have usually left the country through a sponsorship of someone in the family or a foreigner. When they return they are far more educated than anyone in the village and perhaps than many in the country. Their skills are so highly sought after that keeping them incentivized to stay is a great challenge especially when their is no support from the government.  They stay though, because they cannot afford to continue on with university education. So each step of the way they are back in a stagnant place. It is our challenge to to try to get teachers on the Goverment pay list,  but even that the pay is extremely minimal. Gabriel Bol continues to advocate to the Ministry of Education to pay teachers and put an emphasis on building schools and sustaining them. We ended the meeting by presenting the teachers with pencils and sharpeners for the students.

The challenges are great in the new country and with so much emphasis on security and infrastructure, promises that are made to teachers are rarely kept. The other teachers we encountered have only a primary school education, still valuable in a place where so many are illiterate. Our challenge is to find way to continually train and reward teachers in the village.

I cannot help but mention the incredible understanding I now have of the time, effort and emotion that Gabriel Bol Deng puts into this project. During our trip he worked tirelessly to meet with everyone he could, get opinions from top level officials to teachers and residents of the village, to holding and caring for babies, small children and pregnant women. He also had the added burden of making sure that Cory and I were doing ok and I know that I could not have done this trip without him and all his incredible connections.  His life is split between work and family in the US and work and famly in the village. Wherever we went,  from Juba to Ariang, people greeted us and appreciated us and knew that we were friends of “Bol’s”. Having a complete understanding of the difficulty of his task made the trip that much more meaningful to me.

Next we conducted a meeting with Traditional Birth Attendants. These women have  received this title from carrying the torch of generations past who have had the role. They have little to no training and care for women during birth using methods that were used centuries ago.

Amazingly, many women fair well and the natural remedies and processes used work in many cases. The difficulty is when there is a complication. There are no clinics nearby and,  although there are cars and roads now available, no one has the means to use them. Women are carried on stretchers for hours in the sweltering heat to a clinic where there may or may not receive the care that they need. Clinics we visited in South Sudan store medications that were expired and not refrigerated when necessary.

Cory spent a couple of hours reviewing some basic health care for  emergency situations and best practices during child birth. Training and basic supplies such as latex gloves and suction tubes would make a huge difference in preventing infection and other complications but they are not available to these women.

For two days I met with the group of women that run small business in the village. The businesses are extremely limited,  most making tea or sell tobacco. Ariang and the surrounding villages have 10,000 residents and some of them do have small income that can filter back into the economy of the community if the goods are there.

The first meeting had over 50 women and was a bit overwhelming but the next day we gathered a smaller respresentation who could discuss the economic needs and current situation of the market in the village. Hope for Ariang’s Education project provides income for many who work on brick building and other construction aspects of the project.

The women explained that people are going to the neighboring town of Akon to buy bread and Chipati and felt that if they had the access to an oven to make these items that the money would stay in the village and provide them with a small income to help feed their families.

We discussed forming a coop wth all the small businesses to use an oven to make the new producst for the village. The ideas kept flowing and we left many options to evaluate. It was exciting to see the women hopeful and to know that the Sudan Canvas Project would be able to begin to provide for the fincancing of a project that the women would take owenership of. We explained that the purpose was to begin something sustainable by them, that they could grow and develop and that the project would be a partnership between the women of Ariang and the Sudan Canvas Painters and donors in the US.

The feeling of hope became palpable. Gabriel and I left knowing that we would be propelled to move forward with the project so we could make a small difference in the lives of the women. Knowing that making a difference in their lives directly affects the lives and health of the children and ther ability to attend school.

I have come to realize more than ever that the education project, health nutrition and sustainability of business are all interwoven to make the community develop. We cannot look at one alone. Cory and I ralized the importance of our advocacy work would not just revolved around discussing conflicts and the North but also putting pressure on the Southern Government to address these issues and invest in systems to move them forward.

Our meeting ended with some ceremonious dancing. By participating we showed the women that we stand in solidarity with them, their hopes and their culture. …and I know Gabriel got a kick out of it too!

Experiencing Life in the Village of Ariang

Landing in Wau I can honestly say we had no idea what was in store for us. Our questions to Gabriel about life in the village were continuously answered with…”you will see”. Knowing that he wanted us to form our own impressions we began to just soak in the experience. The roads from Wau to the town of Kuajok are treacherous, but we have heard an enormous improvement from before the country gained independence. Wearing our nauseau bands and slipping homeopathic remedies in our water, we bumped our way through red earthed roads and woody shortcuts to enter Akon where we were greeted by the Paramount chief of the surrounding villages, Nyal Chan,  (later to become known as “our favorite man”), and had  a chance to talk about the conditions and politics of the country.

Our first formidable moment was when we realized that our traveling campanion, Wol, was having an allergic reaction to the over the counter cold pill we have given him in the car. His eyes were almost swollen shut and he was short of breath.  Frantically we insisted upon finding a clinic. Our first intro into healthcare facilites in South Sudan, expired and non refrigerated drugs run by a medical assistant with very little training was not comforting.  South Sudan is curently prioritizing security, road infrastructure and training of civil servants. Health care has not quite made it to the top of the list and it might take years before it does.

Clinics are run by untrained health workers or medical personnel with little education, mostly trained in other countries. Although not completely satisfied with the treatment, Cory’s nursing expertise was able to establish the best option, get Wol’s reaction under control and get us back on the road.

Once in Kuajok we made a stop to visit some of Gabriel’s family and  learned about some local cooking traditions.

Rolling out the dough for Chapati (my favorite)

as well as making another health care stop to visit Gabriel’s sister in law who is 8 months pregnant and suffering from various complications.

Her daughter also needed medical attention as she was showing signs of malaria. Little did we know the seriousness of the health issues we would experience. As we worked our way closer to the village, the health condition of villagers grew more disconcerning.  The lack of clinics, trained health care professionals, vehicles for transporting, and food for nutrition was alarming. We encountered a villager near death from starvation, children with distended stomaches and pregnant mothers barely eating.  Effects of the the drought and crisis on the border of Sudan has reached far into the small villages. Humanitarian aid has turned to caring for incoming refugees from the North and those affected by tribal conflicts so many villages go without any assistance at all.

But what was most amazing was that amongst what seemed to be such a despondent condition, we were greeted with fanfare, celebration, and traditional, dance and blessings by the most wonderful, joyous and happy villagers of Ariang.

We ceremoniously stepped into the village over a sacred cow.

Next we toured through Ariang school and inspected the classrooms and building and participated in a meeting where people from many surrounding villages came to welcome us and talk about the education project for the village.

Life in the village took a while to adapt to. The scorching hot sun, red earth dust kicking up  into our faces and lack of food made the thought of spending many days perilous, but each day we adapted a bit more, found small moments of comfort in a wet rag, cool breeze or walk by the Nile. Each day, as I became more comfortable, I grew to respect the resiliency of the people even more. I would watch them carry on all day without a sip of water or food not understanding how it was possible that they could carry bundles of necessities on their heads, cook in the heat and care for their families under these conditions. The villagers eat one meal a day made of the same wheat product called Sorghum that does not seem to have much nutritional value. (sort of like a flour/bisquick product to us).

We were offered the traditional honor of a the elders’ blessing where we were doused with ritual water (which we were thankful for in the unbearable heat).

Our first day was a wonderful entry into life at the village. Traditionally the first day is one of rest, sitting and talking and learning. We experienced sifting Sorghum and  some traditional African drumming.

The Dinka tribe make up a large percentage of the Southern Sudanese people. Cattle is the honored and respected commodity, each having its own name and place in the clan. Cory and I were blessed and given our own cows. It  was a huge honor but also a bit daunting having to tie down our cattle in front of all the clan elders who have raised them as their daily occupation.

After all the initiations, the sun began to set and the air began to finally cool as we took our walk back to the Tukul.

After some game time with the children, the villagers helped us prepare our mosquito net outside where we would sleep under the African sky, full moon, and howling dogs.

As Cory and I slept outside under our rig we could still hear celebratory drumming and singing through the night marking our arrival. We felt overwhelmed by all the fanfare but looked forward to beginning our work the next day learning about the lives of the women, health care and education.

There’s Hot….And Then There’s Juba Hot!

When we come out of our “container” sleeping quarters we are hit in the face with 110 degrees of humidity. We have respite when we are back at the camp along the Nile with a hot breeze but at least the air is moving, These residents along the river definitely have the right idea!

People in Juba wear long sleeve fashionable shirts and sport coats all day. Dignity in dressing is very important to them. Cory and I scrambled to find the best of our limited wear to head out to our meetings.  The more we had a chance to speak to both Sudanese residents and Sudenese foreigners the more educated we have become about the situation in Juba and the surrounding communitities and States. Sudenese who live in Sudan are extremely positive about the changes they have seen over the past few years. With paved roads they can now get from town to town when in the past a simple 1 hour ride might have taken a whole day of travel. I had expected the new growing city to be much further along in development but I have already learned that the tiny steps of growth like a tile ceiling or concrete wall in place of a restaurant under a tree is huge progress here. On the contrary, Sudanese foreigners seem a bit fed up with the lack of growth and development they see directly affecting the people outside of Juba.

After breakfast we met with Alaa, Program Coodinator for a maternal and child health training program associated with Mass General Hospital in Boston, where Cory is a nurse. Alla discussed ways in which they train front line health care workers in rural villages to provide emergency care during child birth.

The program works by village elders selecting those in the village most capable of administering the program. Due to the lack of literacy in most of Sudan they have put together a picture icon training booklet that will direct the provider in understanding emergency situations. The trainer is supplied with a package if basic medical equipment that can actually save a life during birth. They have trained 72 master trainers in 10 States in South Sudan who have reached over 700 front line health care workers.

Next we went to Roots center for Women’s Empowerment. Here we had the opporunity to discuss how a program training women to make jewlery has created economic growth within rural villages. The program works mostly within communities close to Juba but hopes to expand to include other States of South Sudan.

It was inspiring to see how the women were stringing beads using bamboo and other local resources. Women are brought to Juba in groups, trained in jewlery making in the workshop, and then sent back to villages with materials to work by themselves.  We will keep this opportunity in mind as we evaluate the business possibilities for the women in Ariang.

Cory and I were happy to support the women by purchasing a few gifts!

In the evening we were treated to dinner on the Nile by Gabriel’s Cousin and Director General for the Ministry of Gender /Child Social Welfare, Santino Majok Deng. Mr. Deng has been overseeing a 4 million dollar womens’empowerment program funded by World Bank since 2009. The program grants $400,000 to each of the 10 states in South Sudan for financing entrepreneurship for women. Groups of women apply for the grants. The women’s businesses range from sewing for school uniforms to agriculture and cultivation. The advancement of women is a huge priority in the newly formed country. Although the funding for this project has ended, Mr. Deng was extremely interested in The Sudan Canvas Project and our business initiative with women in Ariang village.

We also discussed the challenges facing the government, specifically the oil crisis, food shortage, border violence and tribal conflicts. I felt an incredible sense of committment to peace from Mr. Deng.  Although these issues keep them from focusing on the development of important programs, they are committed to peaceful resolutions to these conflicts.

We are so excited to now embark on the most important part of the trip, experiencing life in the village. We are leaving the compound in Juba to board our flight to WAU.  Hope there’s a breeze there!

First Stop Kampala, Uganda

Every trip starts with one adventure. Ours was Cory almost missing the flight from DC to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I was prepared to go it alone and meet her there but she arrived last minute….exasperated…… and we boarded!

The Streets of Kampala Uganda are hot and crowded. Add in the smell of the gasoline and the bumpy roads and you’d wonder why anyone would choose to come. But watching the people lumbering by with incredible loads on their heads, whizzing past on either side with 4 to a motorcylce or seeing the piles of bananas, mangos and pineapples being wheeled down the streets makes the senses come alive.

Look up into a tree on the highway and vulture sized birds sit in their nests above your head and you know you have entered  an entirely different world.

We came to Kampala for the purpose of bringing Aluel, Akook, Adual and Deng to boarding school.  We spent the first day visiting, learning Dinka and of course, some art lessons.

When we arrived to pick the kids up the next day they were excited to show us how they had filled their sketch pads. Each small painting was more colorful then the next with subjects from the New President of South Sudan to the US flag, fashion and flowers. They loved their watercolor gift!

Next we were off to get them ready for school. Checking the packing list, shopping, and lugging…  no different from taking my own kids to school. The only difference was they fit everything required, and I emphasize “REQUIRED”, in a small metal trunk and carried everything up three flights of stairs on their own. One trunk broke so we pulled over to a street vendor, bought a new one, threw it in the van and continued on.

I might also add that these four Sudanese children, who were brought to Uganda for primary education in 2009, live alone in a small apartment to cook, clean and take care of themselves during their one month break. It was humbling to see how much they could do and how little they needed in their lives.

Gabriel left me at the boarding school to “check them in” while he and Cory went to find a lost bag at the airport. I chose that assignment to be with the kids and also avoid smelling fuel for 2 more hours. It took hours to get their  supplies checked in, uniforms ordered, bed selected, and money in the cantene. It was hard seeing their dorm room beds stacked 3 high with barely a mattress and side by side for rows; but observing their smiling faces and embraces with friends I new they were happy to be there and excited to be back at school.

Unfortunately many friends from Sudan did not return from break probably due to inflation and the food crisis at home. Aluel, Adual, Deng and Akook know education will change their lives and they will do anything to stay in school. They also have to stay on top of the class to impress their Uncle Bol who they know is the reason they have this opportunity. It would make a huge difference in America if  every child knew what it is like in a developing country with out opportunity for education. We are soon to get a real taste of it in the village.

After a long, hot, day of errands we retired to the hotel where I crashed hard under the mosquito net and quite necessary breeze from the fan. Wake up call for 5AM, for our flight to Juba, South Sudan.  

Chillin’ With Chalk Paint

Nothing is more daunting then thinking about repainting cabinetry. Right?

No longer! Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint makes all the arduous preparation a thing of the past. It can be applied to any painted surface. The surface for this Refrigerator wall was painted to start in a latex Ben moore paint, Classic Color 1146. I wish I remembered to take a “Before “pic!  Isn’t that everyone’s biggest mistake??

We get so excited about the project and complete it without ever showing how awful it looked to start. Darn.

Well, at least I can show you the process.  For some reason I can NEVER just use a paint color out of the can the way it comes. Why is that? It’s like disease. For this project  I mixed three colors: 3/4 Emperor’s  Silk red,  1/4 Arles and a touch of Primer red. ok , I know that’s more than 100%  but that’s always how my measurements turn out.

After mixing and testing to dry on a sample of wood,  you are ready to paint the cabinet. Apply the paint with a wide chip brush or even better, Pierre Finkelstein’s  Spalter brush (yes, that’s actually the name of it). As Tiff Ziter said at the Faux Expo, “Here Cynthia, Use this Spalter brush…you will never use a chip brsuh again!”  Well, she might be right.  At least not for this application…..hard to give up old scruffy chip brushes forever but  this brush is a MUST HAVE!

Apply the paint heavily so you have complete coverage in one coat. During the application hit the thick spots with a hairdryer or heat gun so they bubble and chip off, giving the affect of old weathered paint.

After you have completed the painting and chipping process, let the piece dry overnight. When you return you can begin the waxing process. Annie Sloan sells a great brush for waxing. I have to say I also tried The Wallovers Allover brush and it worked great so if you have one of those on hand you can definitely use it!  The results are awesome!

Lightly coat the surface with clear wax first. This controls the dark wax and enables you to apply it with a lighter touch. The clear wax will allow the dark wax to rest on the surface a bit and not darken it excessively.  Start light as you can always build up on the dark wax.

And that’s it! With a little patience you can create a piece that looks like its from an old barn. And, because you can skip a lot of the preparation work and sanding and stripping, it is actually fun!

 

Creative Explosion

I had just brought my daughter to college and went through all the emotions of leaving my best friend and soulmate off for her new life, when I received a text from her that she’d be coming home.

Hurricane Irene was coming up the coast and threatening to slam into the coastal towns in Ct. The college was closed. I had mixed emotions about having her back and starting the whole difficult process over for both of us, but I knew 3 days of having her home was a gift.

So I am not bragging, but who wouldn’t want to see what this blossoming artist comes up with in a day in the studio.

First she asked me for some old magazines and an hour later had created these beautiful bowls to put her jewelry in at school.

Them empty tin cans were turned into small treasure to hold pens and pencils.

Scraps of cardboard were decoupaged and turned into storage boxes.

“Ya got any yarn, mom?”

This container was literally made out of yarn, cut up tin cans and fabric. My first thought was that it would make an awsome lampshade!  As I struggled to get my one assignment complete, she continued to wow me with her imaginative creations.

Next came hand made frames and cards from watercolors, acrylics and anything found on the table. I secretly hoped to receive one sent from her while at school.

After 2 days, creative overload hit and she took off to visit her brother in Boston. Before she left she made sure to remind me to save the messy craft paper she had used as a palette on the table. I don’t need to ask why. I am sure it will become someone’s birthday card….or maybe a letter to her at school.

Celebrating Life and Freedom

Ok. I know it’s been a long time since I have posted a new blog.  I can only say that I have been preoccupied with many great things. My daughter’s graduation from High School for one, and all the wonderful celebrations that come along with that momentous time in life…

and a wonderful project uniting the artist community to raise awareness for Sudan’s women.

The paintings coming in for The Sudan Canvas Project have been moving and inspiring. Artists who might not have otherwise known about decades of atrocities in Sudan are now researching and becoming inspired to paint.

This creation of art by Cleta Grant of San Francisco is called “Icon I”. It’s combination of silk, linen, organza and burlap on stark black background brings to life the tents of the displaced persons camp through use of texture. A hiding, emotionless face tells the viewer about the hopelessness of war.

Artist Linda Francis of Westport, Ct paints the women of Darfur. Although dressed in the colorful Sudanese drapery, the expressions on faces of her women and the supportive hand of one woman on anothers shoulder strongly depicts the arduous task of waiting for food in the displaced persons camps.

More and more paintings are being submitted. Some are celebratory as South Sudan, after decades of war and marginalization, celebrated freedom of their new sovereign nation on July 9.

Locally, we celebrated as well for the people of Sudan. Friends and neighbors gatheed in the art studio to create signs in preparation for a small rally of peace at Trumbull’s Town Hall.

Although it was a day of celebration here in in Juba, South Sudan, many are also saying strong prayers for peace.

South Sudan’s significant resources have triggered a border war in the disputed area of Abyei perpetrated by the Islamist regime in Khartoum. A regime headed by Gen. Omar al-Bashir  who has been indicted  by the International Criminal Court for perpetrating genocide in Darfur. A recent Abyei border agreement  between North and South Sudan signed in June is tenuous.  More than150,000 refugees  fled to the South from Abyei displaced by raids of Northern forces in May.  Because of recent border conflicts between Sudan and the new Republic of South Sudan.

South Sudan’s hard fought freedom is a credit to the US brokered Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005 that laid the basis for secession from Sudan.  The citizens of South Sudan voted overwhelmingly (99 %) in the January, 2011 internationally supervised Referendum for Independence. *

Although attendance was light  (12 noon on a gorgeous summer Saturday), these wonderful activists came out to support. We had a special guest at our Rally, My friend Evelyne Mukansongk, a Rwandan Genocide survivor, who spoke about the importance of hope and the power of forgiveness.

I hope to be writing more about Evelyne soon. You will absolutely love to meet this charming, insprirational woman.

*paragraph taken fromarticle by Jerry Gordon

From Stencil to quilt

When I was asked to paint on muslin I was challenged. First of all, if I made a mistake, if the paint bled under the stencil or left a mark, I was finished. You can’t paint over or get fabric paint off fabric. I was also asked to try a new paint that I was introduced to at the Quilt show in Houston last fall. So the inexperience with this particular paint and the thin Muslin was enough to make me sweat. The muslin was given to me by Rockland industries to then be made into a quilt.  hmmm, ok, I’d like to see this happen.

Well, Of course I used a Wallovers stencil to start and chose a couple of contrasting and happy colors, copper and aqua for my design. I chose Mediteranean Tile as it is simple, small with an easy repeat! By blocking off some of the design with masking tape, I easily turned the stencil into a two color pattern.

Surprisingly, the  thin muslin was extremely easy to work with! (Roc-Lon #5115 118/120″, bleached, 100% cotton, CRF  crease resistant finish). The stencil, with a little spray adhesive on the back, stayed beautifully on the fabric. The fabric did not scoot and the paint……like butta! (Stewart Gill Paints available through Notions Marketing)

I still do not know if it was the fabric and the way it accepted the paint, or the really creamy, delicious fabric paint that made the job so simple. I used the old swirl stencil technique, (I am usually a pouncer),and the small, 8oz container  of paint completed 2 sides of a king size quilt. It just kept going and going! After stenciling the two king size sides of muslin, I shipped it back to Roclon and off it went to the quilter. Where the real magic happened!!!

White Lotus Quilting in Bainbridge, Washington took this basic painted muslin and tuned it into a real work of art.

By adding her own creative touches to the design, Marybeth O’Halloran and her quilting machines at White Lotus created a one-of-a-kind, muslin quilt.

Gorgeous! what a team effort! Thanks Rockland, Wallovers, Stewart Gills Paints and White Lotus. Can’t wait to see it displayed at the next quilt show!