September Stitch-In

Some of Ann's nature dyed fabrics including cotton scrim.

A very "intimate" Stitch- In this month...just Ann Z. and me! But, it doesn't seem to matter how small the group...I still get so much out of the sharing and idea bouncing.

Even Ann's purse from Guatemala was wonderful to look at!

Ann Z. just came back from visiting her artist sister in Beverly, Massachusetts. Apparently, Ann's sister is very into gardening and the two of them had a great time doing some natural dyeing (including onion skins and beets). I love the colors of Ann's swatches...so subtle yet beautiful. Ironically, one of the books I'd brought in to show Ann was all about that! It's called Natural Processes in Textile Art: From Rust Dyeing to Found Objects by Alice Fox. It's a really gorgeous book by Batsford and I can't wait to have a bit of time to dive in and try a few things! (BTW my good friend, Jennifer Coyne Qudeen aka Rust Junkie...is featured in this book! Congrats, Jennifer!)

Buffalo Boy

Ann also brought in Buffalo Boy from the Healing Cloth workshop. She is making some progress and has decided to use a heavy but flexible interfacing for the body instead of the original layers of acrylic felt. She's considering adding buttons to the shoulders so that the arms can move (hope that you do that Ann!). For those of you who don't know the back story about Buffalo Boy, Ann is making him for her foster great grandson who is having a lot of emotional difficulties. Ann says that he is starting to do better and I'm sure he'll be really excited to get his "super hero". Go here to read more about this.

Some more lines stitched...just ran out of my thread!

I brought my Dad's letter in to stitch, but never quite got to it (did some stitching when I got back home) since Ann was such a great sounding board for my ideas about my upcoming new class: Hand Stitching (Personal Mark Making). I'm SO excited about this class that I keep jotting down more and more ideas. But...now is the time to get going on the actual projects and determining what is really doable in the five sessions. I'm also hoping to turn this into an online class (working on that!).

One more sweet little story before I go...
I was just about to run out of the specialty thread that I was using to stitch my Dad's letter. It's a hand dyed thread from Sampler Threads...Buckeye Scarlet. I just love the subtle variations in it and love that color red. I purchased it over Memorial Day weekend when my husband and I were having a quick little vacation in Frederick, Maryland. The name of the shop is Primitive Homespuns (really wonderful shop!!!) and so I contacted the owner, Kathy to see if she'd send me another skein. I sent along a photo of the stitched letter. Well...she was so sweet and is gifting me a skein so I can finish stitching. How wonderful it that! If you happen to be visiting Frederick, I hope that you stop in there. On the top floor she has a nice selection of threads and wool fabric (for rug hooking). The furniture is created by her dad and Kathy makes many of the textiles, painted signs and "primitive" cloth dolls and animals.

Line by Line

I stitched two more lines of Dad's letter.

Yesterday, I stitched a couple of more lines of my Dad's letter.

It felt good to get back to it after all the preparation for the Quilting Arts TV segments.

Just reconnecting with the cloth and the words. I'm really loving the feel of the stitched fabric.

I'm also spending time this weekend thinking about goals. I'll be meeting with my Master Mind group on Tuesday and we'll be reviewing our last 6 month goals and making new goals for the next 6 months. I'm starting to think more clearly about the path forward. Spending time with other artists this past week and seeing what they do has helped in that respect.

Cleveland Rocks! QATV Taping in the Can!

Here I am with host of QATV, Susan Brubaker Knapp. Betty Ford was so sweet to whip up a beautiful quilt using my fabrics! You can see it to the left.

I just returned from a few days in Solon, Ohio (just outside of Cleveland) where I was taping my two t.v. segments for Quilting Arts TV. What a great experience! I do admit that I was nervous right up to a couple of minutes before the cameras started rolling but once they did I was in "teaching mode"! Though I don't remember everything I said now...I do remember that I managed to get all that I'd planned to say, said and all that I planned to show, demo-ed. In fact, Quilting Arts editor, Vivika DeNegre seemed so surprised with the change in my demeanor that she came out and said after the first segment... "You were so relaxed!" But really...the whole Quilting Arts and KS Productions teams really support you and make you feel like you are truly a star! Thanks to all of them.



The other wonderful part of doing this was the people I met...some of my online friends are now no longer virtual, but real friends (Lisa Chin and Susan Purney Mark). And I have a number of other new friends (especially my "roomie", Susan Edmonson) and contacts because of this adventure.

I also think I've gained a new perspective on "being professional". I plan to make some changes and to start moving along my path with new conviction.

I'm excited to see what happens!

Thanks to all of you who sent your well wishes...I really appreciate your support!

Off to Cleveland and Roy Reminder

Here's a project I'll be featuring in one of my T.V. segments.

"My bags are packed, I'm ready to go...." Well, not quite all packed...but getting there!

I'm off to Cleveland, Ohio tomorrow (actually Solon). I'll be taping my Quilting Arts T.V. segments on Wednesday. I'm excited to get the chance to meet some of the other artists and also the folks from Quilting Arts and KS Productions who are putting the series together. It usually takes about 3 months or so before the shows start to air on public television. I'll keep you posted!

In the meantime, this Thursday is the next installment of Roy G Biv (the colors of the rainbow and beyond). This month it's Metallic Gold. Since I'll be out of town...and busy...Jennifer Coyne Qudeen will be in charge of this month's challenge. Have fun posting up to 5 photos featuring Metallic Gold and then hop on over to Jennifer's blog to leave a comment. She'll link to your post for our monthly blog hop. We still have a few months to go. See below for the colors we'll be featuring for the rest of the year.

October 15: Gray
November 19: Pink
December17: Blogger's Choice

Healing Cloth Workshop

Rosemary B. mended her favorite apron with bits and pieces of family textiles rich with history.

This past weekend, I taught my Patching, Stitching, Weaving: Creating Healing Cloth workshop. As I mentioned in a previous post, it is a workshop that is "near and dear" to my heart. I always look forward to seeing the path this class takes. There are often many interesting discussions about who the cloth is for and why it is being created. Most students work on small wall hangings but this time a couple of the participants decided to take a different route...

Some of the textiles Rosemary plans to incorporate into her apron.

Rosemary B. brought in a favorite shibori apron that was torn. She also brought in many generations-worth of textiles rich with family history. There were aprons from her grandmother, hand-stitched pillow cases, a lovely stitched bonnet, a beautiful tatted covering, an almost-completed crewel embroidery (by her mother), pieces stitched by her two great aunts and even a piece of her daughter's work. So much history! Rosemary decided that she wanted to mend her apron with bits and pieces from the textiles made by these strong women. She told us about her grandmother, who at the age of eleven had to quit school and take on the responsibilities of raising her two surviving sisters (Rosemary's great grandmother and her grandmother's baby sister died during the influenza epidemic of 1918). She also told us about her great grandfather who was a waterman harvesting oysters and Maryland blue crabs from the waters of Chesapeake Bay...so an oyster shell also became part of this family tribute. I can't wait to see this piece when it's complete!

An oyster shell attached to the apron to symbolize her great grandfather...who was a waterman on the Chesapeake.

Ann Z. brought in the almost-completed, sweet little dog piece from the last session of the Story Cloth class. I love this sassy little pup! She is making it for her granddaughter's seven-year old foster son. Ann met him this summer and he helped her pick out thread colors to stitch the piece.

Unfortunately, this sweet little boy is having many adjustment problems and Ann decided to use the Healing Cloth workshop to create a special "super hero" for him. While she was visiting, Ann noticed that her foster grandson loved to put on a colorful wrestling costume and dance around the house. Ann decided to create a flat doll super hero she is calling Buffalo Boy. The buffalo symbolizes protection, strength and balance.

Ann printed the buffalo symbol which will become part of the super hero's top.

Peggy G. is working on a piece that incorporates one of her favorite symbols--the spiral. She talked about how she is learning to live fully while understanding her limitations.

Lynn C. wove together strips of subtly-dyed fabric. She is patiently stitching each intersection with tiny running stitches. This stitching is a mediation for her...something to carry with her to work on when she sits in the hospital caring for a loved one.

A meditation of tiny stitches using variegated thread.

Two of my students were a bit under the weather...but I'm looking forward to seeing what Celia P. and Barbara M-C create...hopefully when I see them at a future Stitch-In.

Thank you all for a great class...as usual...probably way too much information and more time needed for stitching!

Another Printed Fabric Giveaway...Architecture!

It's been a while since my last post and I have a bit of "housekeeping" to do. The Printed Fabric Bee is having another fabric giveaway. This month, Deborah Boschert was Queen Bee and her theme was Architecture...12"x 12" and all blues.

Above are the 6" giveaway fabrics so far...many more to come...including mine! If you want to be eligible to win, be sure to leave a comment on either Deborah's blog or The Printed Fabric Bee blog. She'll be picking a winner on September 15th!

I've been a busy bee myself...I'll be heading off to Cleveland, Ohio in a week and a half to tape two TV segments for Quilting Arts TV! I'm very excited....and a little bit nervous! What an honor to be asked! So...I've been spending many hours in the studio painting and printing fabric in preparation. A big box full of samples and supplies headed off to Cleveland yesterday.

Today, was the first day of my Healing Cloth workshop...I'll be posting about it tomorrow...such promise so far!