Do you believe in Fairies?
When I was a girl, I loved to spend time with my Great Aunt Temple. She was a rebel painter who loved to paint purple flowers, especially Violets and Thistles, just to rile up the neighbors who thought thistles were weeds. (It is the Scottish National Flower) She thought purple thistle blossoms were beautiful, and I agreed!
Aunt Temple lived in a trailer on an acre of land in Temecula in Southern California. Her acre was planted with fruit trees, and as I remember it, stuffed with a rainbow of annual and perennial flowers. Something was blooming all year round. When I went to visit her, we would squeeze lemons from her tree, make lemonade, and then take a sketchbook and watercolor paints out to her garden. Our intention was to catch some fairies and paint them.
The first time I visited her blooming paradise, she gave me a copy of Cicely Mary Barker’s “Flower Fairies” book with full color plates. I studied them carefully, so I would recognize the fairies when they decided to show themselves. While we were waiting, she would show me how to draw and paint tiny Violets.
In 2009 when Michael Miller came out with their first collection of licensed Cicely Mary Barker “Flower Fairies”, I was just beside myself. I was instantly transported back to Aunt Temple’s secret garden, and those long hot afternoons sipping fresh lemonade in the shade….watching for a little sparkle of fairy dust among the Poppies and Birds of Paradise.
Sophie and I are traveling to Herndon VA this week for the Sacred Threads/SAQA/Quilt Alliance weekend, and we look forward to seeing many of you on the Wash DC bus tour Friday, or at the events Saturday.
sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana and Paul
****************
Luana’s Travel Calendar:
July 18-22 – Sacred Threads & Not Fade Away (VA & DC)
July 30 – Aug 6 – Birmingham UK – Festival of Quilts
Oct 16-22 – Winnipeg & Churchill, Manitoba Canada
Oct 25-31 – Quilt Market & Festival – Houston
Nov 13-17 – Color Marketing Group – Tuscon AZ
eQuilter Classroom:
Sept 13-15 – Cas Holmes – FRCQ Workshop
Oct 8-10 – Jacqueline de Jonge – Enchanting Stars & Dream Flight – Registration OPEN
April 13-15 2020 – Susan Carlson
June 1-5 2020 – Paula Nadelstern
