Author: Judy Coates Perez

  • Find Your Creative Zen: Mindful Stitching Workshop at Artists Rising Creativity Retreats

    Find Your Creative Zen: Mindful Stitching Workshop at Artists Rising Creativity Retreats

    Happy New Year! Are you ready to slow down, reconnect with your creative self, and embrace the beauty of imperfection? Join me for an in person Mindful Stitching workshop at the Artists Rising Creativity Retreats in Glastonbury, CT, from June 8-13, 2025. Nestled in the serene setting of a historic inn built in 1740, this…

  • Join me for a workshop in 2025!

    Join me for a workshop in 2025!

    After taking a year off from teaching workshops on the road, I have two 5-day Ink, Print, Repeat workshops on the books for 2025. I can’t think of a better time to spend knee deep in creative mode making beautiful dyed and printed fabrics. Ink, Print, Repeat Explorations in textile pattern design using DIY acrylic…

  • Happy New Year! I’d like to introduce you to the art of Mindful Stitching

    Happy New Year! I’d like to introduce you to the art of Mindful Stitching

    How are you feeling about 2024? I’ll admit to feeling a bit apprehensive about things, the world feels pretty rocky. I’ve never been into making new years resolutions, because I think they put too much pressure on attaining some elusive goal, but I am a big believer in prioritizing creative pursuits and taking care of…

  • Well, everybody knows that the bird is the word!

    Well, everybody knows that the bird is the word!

    New bird ornament pattern!

  • Changes…

    Changes…

    2023 Happy NEW Year!!! I wanted to update you on my future of teaching in-person workshops on the road. A lot has changed over the last several years as the pandemic has lingered and we re-evaluate how and where we spend our time and energy. And we need to get used to the idea that…

  • New opportunities to get creative together!

    New opportunities to get creative together!

    Dare I say it out loud? I think we are finally coming to the end of the pandemic in the US and we can start getting together again and make stuff. YAY!!! I have 2 very exciting gigs on my calendar this year. The first one is at Prochemical and Dye, in Fall River Massachusetts…

  • Upcoming in person teaching events on my schedule

    Upcoming in person teaching events on my schedule

    I have two workshop events coming up, the first one is Pacific International Quilt Festival in October, and the second is Craft Napa January 2022. I’m so happy to see how well California is doing with the pandemic, we have a high vaccination and mask wearing rate and our numbers are the lowest in the…

  • and so life resumes…

    and so life resumes…

    I feel like I need to write an essay on what I did over summer break, except this one would turn into a very long essay. I feel bad (but kinda not really) that I’ve neglected my blog for so long, because I have been really busy I just haven’t written about it, most of…

  • Felted Wool Ornaments

    Felted Wool Ornaments

    Well, here we are in the holiday season and the pandemic is worse than ever, unable to gather with our loved ones that reside outside our bubble. So with a quieter month ahead, I think it’s a good idea to have a few feel-good projects at hand. I love making felted wool ornaments for Christmas.…

  • It’s a Fall Fabric Designing Frenzy!

    It’s a Fall Fabric Designing Frenzy!

    Over the last several months I have been absorbed with designing fabric with Spoonflower. It started by designing mask fabric and then I moved on to designing a repeat pattern from my mushroom painting. After designing the repeat, I printed Fungi Fantasy in 2 different scales because I love the idea of seeing big mushrooms…

  • Are you in need of some creative healing?

    Are you in need of some creative healing?

    The registration for Craft Napa Uncorked opens Tuesday, September 15th at 9:00 AM  PST where you can sign up to take my prayer flags workshop. It has been a really hard year, and I can’t think of a better workshop to start 2021 with than one making prayer flags. It’s hard to know what shape…

  • Cool New Masks!!!

    Cool New Masks!!!

    Since this pandemic started I’ve been making masks pretty much non-stop, making changes and altering patterns, finding the best fit with the most breathable shape, and the best type of ear loops/ties. I’ve also been designing fabric specifically for making masks using my paintings, which has been a painfully slow process due to supply chain…

  • So what is it about death imagery in pandemics?

    So what is it about death imagery in pandemics?

    We have now lost over 120,000 souls to COVID in the US, and sadly that number is going to keep climbing because we as a country didn’t have the discipline to stick with the necessary precautions. It didn’t help that we have a government that fed us misinformation instead of a clear action plan from…

  • The coolest toilets and other things we saw on our last day in New Zealand

    The coolest toilets and other things we saw on our last day in New Zealand

    Before I start this post, I want to acknowledge what a tough couple of weeks it has been, on the heels of 3 difficult years. I’m so proud of everyone who has taken a stand day after day, during a pandemic no less, demanding long overdue change. It’s been painful to witness so much police…

  • My last workshop in New Zealand

    My last workshop in New Zealand

    What a pleasure it was to teach my final workshop in Whangarei, where I taught my last workshop in New Zealand 2 1/2 years ago, after NZ Quilt Symposium. There was an arts festival happening in the park outside, on the morning of class, and we got to enjoy some live music from a guy…

  • Sailing, takes me away…

    Sailing, takes me away…

    Our breathtaking view from our bedroom at Kerry’s house in One Tree Point. We arrived at Kerry Glen’s house in time for a glass of wine and a nibble, then headed to the local marina where we hopped on a boat with Kerrie’s husband Bob, and 2 of his sailing buddies. Believe it or not,…

  • Another gorgeous stretch of coastline in the Northland

    Another gorgeous stretch of coastline in the Northland

    After our lunch in Kaiwaka, at Eutopia Cafe, we drove out to the coast to take a more scenic drive to our destination of One Tree Point, and stopped at Mangawhai Heads beach. As soon as we parked the car, I could not wait to take off my sandals and sink my feet into that…

  • Finding Eutopia in kiwi paradise

    Finding Eutopia in kiwi paradise

    On our drive north from Matakana towards Whangarei, Phil and I stopped in the small town of Kaiwaka for lunch at Eutopia Cafe on recommendation by Alysn. Wow, wow, wow, my mind was blown away by the creativity and artistry that went into this structure, and the food was excellent too, so it was kind…