Are there any Cookseyvillians out there?

I've been quiet lately on the blog, because I've been busy on three fronts: first, I'm still trying to get my art studio organized. Also, I recently joined California Fiber Artists, which has me scrambling to prepare submissions for their website, upcoming portfolio, and an exhibit in April. Third, I've been putting the finishing touches on my submission to the SAQA auction, which is due in March.

I promise to put up new photos soon!

In a completely different vein, you may be interested to know that there really is, or was, a Cookseyville, in Illinois. I found this out a while ago when I googled the name, but I haven't been able to find out much about it. This makes me suspect that the town no longer exists. Except on this blog, of course. ;-) If any of you know anything about Cookseyville, Illinois, I hope you will clue me in.

Bowers photos

The first photo is the one that appeared on the front page of the local section of the OC Register newspaper on Monday. The second photo of my hands appeared along with the first one in the slide show online (link in post below).

The photographer was Mindy Schauer.

I'm in today's local newspaper! The OC Register put me on the front page of the local section. They photographed me at the Bowers Museum at a quilting event. I was selling my patterns and notecards - they did well. Here's the online link: Scroll through the photos. I hope it works for you.

They botched up my website. I hope people can figure out it's cindycooksey.com, not cindycoolsey.com!


http://www.ocregister.com/photos/quilting-quilts-great-2302713-exhibit-guild

time to get organized

This being the beginning of a new year, I've been spending some time trying to get organized. Getting rid of magazines, sorting collage ephemera, etc, things like that. Basically I am fixing storage systems that haven't been working well.

I am pleased with myself for recycling the Starbucks gift box my daughter passed on to me: I'm using it to hold all my applique threads. It's a lot more attractive than the ugly plastic/black storage system I had before, where the spools kept falling out.

Too bad I didn't take a photo of the old system, but here are photos of the new one. As you can see, it has three different sections, and it's working out perfectly.

visit my website

I've been making some much-needed updates to my website. There are several new quilts, and more to come soon. I also updated my "What's New" Page. So check it out, at www.cindycooksey.com

more show and tell

Now that the holidays are over, I can share some of the holiday things I made for gifts, mostly for family. I made several felt ornaments, following the directions of Judy Coates Perez in the most recent Quilting Arts Gifts issue. They were really fun - roving, panty hose, felt, beads - wow! Here's a photo of the felted balls in progress. I made a bunch with felt leaves and beads. I didn't have any green felt, so I dyed some white wool felt scraps that I had. I had the roving around, too - I thought it was pretty but hadn't done anything with it yet - so I didn't have to buy a single supply for this project.

After a while I got tired of doing the fanciful fruit ornaments, so I made a couple with buttons and beads.

I also made cloth shopping bags for gifts, using an existing bag as a pattern. It was easy and fun. I used corduroy that had been given to me, so it was "free."

Here's the amaryllis from Trader Joe's, that bloomed just in time for Christmas day!

I also wanted to share the "Cats on My Quilts" notecards I made, featuring my quilts and my two calico cats, Matilda and Olive. I gave some out as Christmas cards (using red card stock) and I also sold some when I was at the Bowers Museum last November.

Last of all, I wanted to say that my "A Dance to Spring" quilt is ready to mail off to jo so that can be part of the "Spring Forward" special exhibit. This exhibit will debut at Road to California in January. It may be a bit premature to show it all now, but I'm hoping a detail photo will do for now. It's inspired by a tiny photo of my mom, who was dressed this way for May Day in the mid-nineteen-twenties.

eclectic show and tell

I have been so busy that I haven't had time to post everything I've made in the past months. So now I'm playing catch-up, going through my camera and getting caught up. It's crazy - here it is 4 days before Christmas, and I'm updating my blog. I should be in a frenzy baking gingerbread men.

This is going back a few months, but I made a Halloween doll, a gypsy girl doll to be more specific, inspired by the mixed media pages I did for Annie.

I also made a Christmas doll for this ornament exchange that I'm in. It's pretty similar to the gypsy girl in the basic body. Yes, these are two different dolls! The dresses are both removable - they can wear other clothing, and they have little snaps to close up the neck and waist lines.

I made an Obama mini quilt that I donated to the local Democratic Party Headquarters by UCI. I told them they could raffle it off or whatever they wanted to do.

And I donated a "Little Pink House" to the Flying Geese Auction. I hear it did pretty well.

So that's enough for tonight. More eclectic updates soon....