Here is my new "brand" designed by Mike Simmons

 

 

Merry Christmas to all of my friends, family, peers, etc.

2020 has been quite a year, hasn't it? I've been working on a ten-month project so I have been quite busy during this COVID pandemic.

At least it has kept my mind busy and focused versus concentrating on

the horrible state of affairs around us.......I am so excited to learn today that Washington State will be getting the first round of vaccines

tomorrow and the amazing health workers, firemen, emergency personnel will be first on the list to receive it. Those living in care facilities will be next, thank goodness. Since I am 75 years young with a few health concerns, I am hoping my husband and I will fall into the next category. My husband is 89 so I am keeping my fingers crossed that we will getting a vaccine within the next few months.

 

Yes, I have been creating quilts and writing and will share with you the news of my "project" in early February. It has been fun but hard work with more work to come in the next year.

 

So, what has been keeping you busy? I bet a lot of you have been busy making quilted treasures as Christmas gifts? Alas, I haven't been this year but maybe by next Christmas I will have time!

 

Here is our annual Christmas photo card for this year - I try to find a "winter"  quilt to feature each year. This quilt is called Winter Wonderland.

 

I wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year and happy quilting!

Fondly,

Joyce R Becker

 

 Well, somehow summer is over and fall is upon us. I love looking at the gorgeous colors surrounding us outside. All of a sudden, the temperatures are falling and there is definitely frost on the pumpkins at night. The photo above, is of our dog, Blondie and I created her using a photo, which I had blown up at a local copy store, then I traced her onto Pattern Ease - a product that stays in the quilt. I used lots of different types of mediums to create Blondie, including unraveled yarns, fabrics, fake fur, and actual Blondie fur (from when she was groomed). Her face is the actual photograph also enhanced with other mediums. I can't show you the whole quilt yet, but I thought it would be fun for you to see how much fun I had creating her. 

This post is short and sweet, but I just wanted to say hi and wish you good health and I hope you are having fun creating works of art at home.

Fondly,

Joyce

Filming a lecture and trunk show

Videotaping 

So here we are filming a lecture and trunk show that I am hoping to be able to present online soon for guilds, groups, seminars, associations, etc. My talented step-son, Mike Simmons, who is a professional videographer generously did the filming for me and his wife, Charlene, acted as his assistant. I could not of done this without them and I thank them from the bottom of my heart. If you are looking for an professional team, then you need to contact Mike and Charlene. Their rates are very reasonable and they will travel if necessary. Contact information:

EMail:msimmons@simmonsvideoproductions.com or 970-589-9825 They produce, direct, film and edit!

Recording and taping a lecture and workshop is definitely hard work and requires a lot of organization and per-planning. We filmed in my studio and in the main living area of our home. I included a segment on how to decorate your home with your landscape quilts in the hopes that more quilters will decorate with their art!

Stay safe, wear your masks, and wash your hands.....and Happy Quilting!

Fondly,

Joyce

Joyce R Becker, Landscape Quilt Artist and Author

    WWW.Joycerbecker.com 

I know it has been a very long time since I posted on my blog and I apologize. During this pandemic and current situation in the United States  it has been difficult to stay grounded and not steeped in negativity, hasn't it??

In spite of the current state of affairs, I have done my best to stay incredibly busy, working on new quilts and writing. I can't share everything yet but there will be more news in the future regarding what I have been working on. I have been very disciplined and most days, I work around seven to eight hours a day. 

The scene above was taken around a year ago. I have been friends with a group of women quilters for good grief, around twenty-five to thirty years - we are an off-shoot from the Evergreen Piecemaker's Quilt Guild in Kent, WA.  We have been very fortunate to go and visit one of our member's summer cabin once a year on Heron Island, Washington. It is a beautiful small island and in order to get to the island, we have to take a small ferry that holds about six vehicles. Once we are there, our host fixes us a magnificent lunch and her husband treats us with fresh barbecued salmon. 

It is such a joy to sit and listen to the quiet, to hear the wind rustling through the towering Douglas fir trees and the Cypress trees. Occasionally, there is the call of a osprey or an eagle. We treasure our trip each year, treasure our friendships, and laugh till we cry. This year, unfortunately, there will be no trip.....which makes all of us sad. It's like Joni Mitchell said in her incredible song, "You don't know what you got till it's gone...."

Meanwhile,, we continue to try and laugh, find joy, and love one another in our solitude. 

I can share with you that in the future, I will be presenting a lecture and workshops through a platform with my publisher, C&T Publishing. My step-son and his wife will be here tomorrow and he just happens to be a videographer.....we will have fun trying to film a lecture and trunk show. I bought one of those big ring lights, a microphone, and a new snazzy cell phone (and a great new laptop for editing) so that we can do the filming in our home. So, it's new adventures for this seventy-five year old landscape quilter.....I will try and post some photos from our session so you can see how it went.

Until next time,

Happy Quilting

Love, laugh, and find joy

Joyce