Blog
NOTE: There are TWO posts today, this one and another on where I review new threads. Make sure to read the other post too! Monday was sooo much fun-I presented a portion of my trunk show at Meissner‘s in Sacramento, right after Hanspeter Ueltschi of BERNINA talked to the audience about upcoming developments. Hanspeter Ueltschi (“HP”) is the 4th generation Owner of BERNINA so it was quite an honor to share the same stage. I seem to always forget to take photos OF the audience or class and oops, did that again. The audience was enthusiastic and eager to hear what…
I enjoyed a fabulous class in “Mosi Jogakbo” with Youngmin Lee at A Verb for Keeping Warm in Oakland last Sunday. Bojagi, Korean wrapping cloths, are used in everyday Korean culture to carry everything from special objects to ordinary items. Jogakbo, or patchwork bojagi, is what Youngmin taught. We worked with Ramie, a natural fiber that looks very similar to linen. Youngmin was a patient teacher, as it took awhile for some of us to master the basics. Youngmin brought lots of beautiful bojagi, including this gorgeous, diaphanous piece. It is oh so beautiful in person. Youngmin’s class sample using hand…
I’ll get my PIQF photos up next week. I have a particularly busy week with a lecture and workshop plus I am taking two classes! I am so excited-I’ll be taking the Sew Together Bag class from Angelina McKenna at Meissner’s-I have wanted one of these bags forever and Angelina is too fun! And, be still my heart, I was able to get into the Mosi Jogakbo Patchwork class with Youngmin Lee at A Verb for Keeping Warm in Oakland. I am beyond excited. After all, what AM I going to do with all those sheers? I am excited to…
If it’s Fall, it’s the “kickoff” of quilt show season, and the Goldbug Quilters‘ Show is the first of the season in my area. I always look forward to their show and one reason is… Cello Chocolate is a vendor! Why don’t ALL quilt shows have chocolate vendors, huh? They make “handcrafted chocolate from single origin cocoa beans”. They set up a tasting bar with samples of all their chocolates and you really could taste the difference with “notes of honey” or vanilla or berry. How cool is that? There were some quilts there too… I don’t usually admit to having a…
My son was married last week to his beautiful girlfriend, on the 10-year anniversary of their meeting! It was a glorious event in Chicago, an intimate affair with around 45 friends and family. I am still in Afterglow Mode even as I write. We enjoyed a 6-day stay for the wedding. Apparently Chicago had been in a dry spell until we arrived. The night of our arrival I went foraging for healthy food to fill our little frig and it dumped buckets! I brought a hardcore raincoat along and I’m glad I did. It is The Windy City after all…
I’ve lived in northern Ca for 17 years and somehow not made it to Quilting in the Garden at Alden Lane Nursery in Livermore, but this year I got to go! This is a unique annual 2-day event held in the beautiful Alden Lane Nursery where hundreds of quilts are pinned to lines hung from enormous and beautiful heritage oaks. The show featured artists at C&T Publishing with special honor to Jennifer Sampou. And this year Pokey Bolton curated and juried a 48-quilt exhibit honoring the life and contributions of Yvonne Porcella. “Live Your BRIGHTEST Light” honored Yvonne’s life of…
I was prepping this week, prepping for everything: my Open House, sending off “Stipa Gigantea” to Art=Quilt=Art, my son’s wedding and teaching. After intense, all-day work for 4 days straight, the Open House went well. This was primarily for Hubby’s golfing friends and we planned for 50. I have NO experience with that kind of entertaining so this was a huge challenge for me. I did not even have the basics-so off to Cost Plus World Market for 48 plates and all kinds of serving spoons, cheese knives, serving dishes, etc. And buying food I would never eat myself-I actually went through 10…
There’s not much quilting or dyeing going on around here! It’s been a whirlwind for the last week or so-all of it good. I enjoyed a weeklong teaching trip to San Diego and now this very inexperienced entertainer is planning an Open House for FIFTY on the 16th. That gives me exactly 2 1/2 days to cook, prep and clean! My trip to San Diego was fantastic. I visited both the El Camino Quilters and the Friendship Quilters of San Diego, with a full day off in between, pinch me! I taught two very different workshops so I took even more…
I recently was notified that “Stipa Gigantea” was accepted into “Quilts=Art=Quilts” at the Schweinfurth Art Center in Albany, New York. This is a Biggie, one that I am thrilled to be a part of. You may remember my fairly recent decision to move into art venues as opposed to quilt venues. I am hoping to learn more from being in art venues and I am well aware that in general, it is difficult to get into art venues and my rejection rate will probably be much higher. So imagine my delight to be accepted into this prestigious exhibit! Beginner’s luck?…
It was my goal to have 27 colors of silk organza dyed to use as a starting point for um, something. My color choices were somewhat random I’ll admit. I am so excited about these beautiful samples of organza! In each case I used Dharma Trading’s Acid Dyes and their Citric Acid. I have no idea what I’m doing or why, I’m just following what I’ve been told by Dharma and friends. I’m just having fun! I will get into the science of it if I decide to pursue this path again. Roxane Lessa wrote me that it’s a lot…