Pat Sloan's Blog

Brand New

What's BRAND NEW in my studio as of Sunday afternoon?? 

A Design Cam!!

New link on my website to the webcam on the left side bar. Here is the direct Link to the page
http://patsloan.typepad.com/quiltershome/pats-design-wall.html

I have it updating every few hours... and remember I don't make quilts all the time.. so I'll switch out things .. show you quilts from the books.. fabrics I've recently gotten... fun stuff!.

So what do you think? Tell me in the comments below (To leave a comment, click the WORD comment after the advertisement. Scroll until you see the place to enter your email addy and the comment. You do not need to sign up for anything).

oh yeah... if you see a row by row with pieced blocks and flowers... the quilt is a block swap for my Second Life quilt group... Zhu wants the tops done to have a virtual quilt show... look Zhu.. I'm DONE!!!
(what's Second Life? READ HERE)

if you see a 12 block applique.. that is Folk Art America that will be a pattern in a few days!

First Favorite...

My First Favorite Color is.... Yellow!!

It is truly spring when our daff's come up and the yellow bushes burst with color... woot woot... I can't wait to dig in the dirt!

"You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result."
– Mahatma Gandhi

What action will YOU take?
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Sun Studio

I do believe my favorite stop on our Memphis trip was Sun Studio. It wasn't long, but it was MAGICAL!

Never heard of Sun Studio? Sam Phillips opened a recording studio  where dreams could be made on a piece of plastic. Dreams that could be heard on radios across the country.  A little studio where great artists burst onto the music scene.

One of the most well known is Elvis Presley ... who made his first recording here. BUT... it took a year before Sam signed him on as a recording artist. Elvis persisted and Sam's assistant,  Marion Keisker, liked him... but it still took a YEAR for Elvis to make an impression. This truly amazed me. As that meant it was a year that he had to knock on doors, have confidence in himself, and a year to keep trying.

Other notables are Charlie Rich, Junior Parker, and Billy Lee Riley who recorded for Sun with some success. Then artists such as Jerry Lee Lewis, BB King, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, and Carl Perkins would become superstars.

The building is small and the studio is pretty much ALL studio. It was designed and built by Sam. On the tour you STAND right in the recording studio! I was SO AMAZED! Oh often do you get to BE exactly in the middle of an exhibit?

This is a guided tour and on our day both guides are also working musicians. I thought that was VERY cool. The tour starts in the 'shop' part that has booths and an old fashion soda counter. This WAS a restaurant, the studio was only next door. Top photo is the shop.

Our guide was excellent as she gave us neat inside stories as well as the normal things you expect to hear. But the experience jumped 800% when she took us right into the studio. That is the 2nd photo (my dad in white, Karen in front with blue jacket).  We had about 30 people in the room surrounded by large photos and vintage recording equipment. She told us more stories and played recordings for us.

Since the building had stood empty for something like 20 yrs, there was little of the original equipment. But Sam Phillips donated one microphone to the museum. I think she said there were ONLY THREE microphones! And this is one of them. One of them that recorded ALL those great songs.

And guess what?? We got to touch it and pretend to SING (big pretend for me...hehe!)

So don't delay... click on over to Sun Studio and take the virutal tour..
http://sunstudio.com

ps... Gregg picked a LOW number yesterday and Pam in NJ won the prize... woot woot!!   I LOVE all the great comments.. the online workshops are going to be SO FABULOUS! Just a hint.. we filmed them in MY STUDIO! So this is very personal, like you are sitting here with me... fun fun!

Just a little...

A new venture...  I Can't Believe I'm... brought to you from Leisure Arts and ME!

This is a brand new Online workshop website in the making... so quick like a bunny go HERE http://www.icantbelieveim.com/

Then send an email to be put on the NOTIFY list.. woot woot!

Go send an email to be on the notify list, then tell me you signed up in the comments... I'll give away a prize tomorrow!

Can't wait? I have a GREAT online workshop at American Patchwork & Quilting. 
Click HERE for the fusible applique workshop
http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/apqu/

And Click THE SHOPPING PAGE HERE
to buy a kit to make your quilt!

And just because today is FRIDAY... and it's FUN DAY (read quote in case you forgot --->>>)

Check out the 4-patch stacked magic Cathy made. She used the pattern at my WEBSTORE.. CLICK HERE

And created fun Monkey blocks for her granddaughter... don't you want to be adopted???? I do!

 

CLICK HERE FOR THE PATTERN

And a Quote, let's have a Magical day!

"I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning."--J.B. Priestley

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Learning about Memphis Music

On Saturday we started our day with a lovely breakfast at Blue City Pastry. I wish this shop was around the corner from me! I'm sure they thought I was a CRAZY tourist for taking photos of the inside, outside AND pastry case... LOL! 

The cinnamon rolls were heaven with icing... yum!!!!! Thank you Cindy for pointing me here!

Fortified with a great breakfast we headed to the Smithsonian's Rock and Soul Museum. Gregg and I had been here on our other trip and totally loved it. I feel it's a 'must' to start your music trip at this museum. It is SO well done. You first watch a short film about Beale street and how the music we hear today got started. Lots of interviews and old photos. It really explains what was happening on this street  and why. 

Then you have a personal audio tour where you listen to the displays and can hear more if you like. Even several juke boxes filled with music you can listen to. I think we could have spent HOURS here. The size is small, the information is power packed.

Like this little tidbit to the right. You can get a listing of all the songs at the museum's website!

After this tour we HAD to go to Sun Record recording studio. more on that this weekend ....

Blue City Pastry- http://www.bluescitypastry.com/
Rock and Soul Museum - http://www.memphisrocknsoul.org/home.htm

PS - You know after this trip I'm now in love with guitars...  This print was in our hotel bathroom!

pps - Tomorrow's post is not on Memphis.. but on a NEW project of mine.. don't miss it!

ppps - You Memphis girls are VERY lucky!

 

 

Rock and Soul

As soon as we arrived in Memphis the airport let's you know you are about to have a GREAT time! B-B-Que, Music and more .... then off to Beale Street we went!

The Hampton Inn off Beale was our destination, Gregg and I stayed here one evening on another trip. It is an excellent hotel and continues to be.

As soon as we could, we dumped our bags and headed around the corner to Beale. Our hotel is just one block off Beale.

It was 3:00pm on a Friday afternoon and there was LIVE music playing... it was fantastic! The streets were filled with people and more music played outside and inside.

There are many painted walls and we loved the 'Rum Boogie' sign.. dad and Karen seem to have won the gumbo award, hehe!

We spent time walking the street and soaking up the 70 degree sunshine. We stopped in 'A. Schwab', which has been in business since 1876. They carry souvenirs and real old fashioned department store items. Nothing fancy, but they DID have a wall of buttons and loads of elastic... I'm not sure WHY they had so many packages of elastic.. but hey... they have it if you need it!

  Then a stop across the street for Gumbo at King's Palace, sitting OUTSIDE of course, it was wonderful! The original King Palace sign was found in Rum Boogie's basement. This store was a pawn shop at the time. When the pawn shop went out of business the Rum Boogie owner bought it and put up the original King's Place sign. See the 'air conditioned' underneath.. I LOVE that!

Many people told Karen the best place for ribs downtown was Rendezvous where your wait could be long. We ventured over about 7:00 and saw a HUGE line! Thank goodness they are a HUGE place.. so it was only a 20 minute wait! Rendezvous is an 'experience' as they are not full of southern hospitality. Service is more like our local Vienna Inn... a rough diner where you need to order fast and know exactly what you want... it's good to know this in advance... hehe!

We ended the night at BBKing's place for music. We had the honor of seeing Blind Mississippi Morris play. He is rated one of the 10 best harmonica players in the world by Bluzharp magazine. Read a bit about him at Wiki HERE

Rum Boogie - http://www.rumboogie.com/
Rendezvous - http://www.hogsfly.com/
BBKing - http://www.bbkingclubs.com/
Kings Palace - http://www.kingspalacecafe.com/home.htm