Artist Spotlight and Giveaway: Melinda Bula

Part of the fun of teaching is meeting your colleagues, which then become your friends. I met Melinda Bula while teaching at the American Quilt Society show in Paducha during what is now affectionately known as the tornado year. We had quite a lovely adventure together, spending an extra day in town after volunteering to get bumped from our flight. You can read about it here.

We have seen each other since but mostly as we rushed past each other on our way to classes. We did sit next to each other for a delightful hour at a reception in Houston and oh my, had she had another adventure! Her class supplies just happened to be on a train that DERAILED!!!  So there she is on the first day of the International Quilt Festival with a room full of students and no kits, no supplies, nothing. I think she might have had her quilts that she flew with.

And here is how I know she is a great teacher even though I’ve only poked my head into her room once or twice to check out what her students were doing. My roomie (also a teacher) said she that Melinda’s students were laughing so loud most of the day that she had to shut her door so that her students in the room next door could hear her teach.

As teachers do, we looked over each other’s products and I came home with one of her patterns. I didn’t intend to make it but wanted to see how she self-publishes them. Who knows, one of these days I might make a few patterns.

I opened her pattern and oh my! You are in for a treat! This pattern is pages and pages of paint/cut-by-number pieces complete with a color chart that makes it super easy to recreate one of her gorgeous floral wall quilts. Her work is simply delicious and the instructions were clear and easy to understand.

Want it?

Leave a comment here telling me what you think makes a good teacher. 

I’ll pick a winner next Monday.