ebb

A few weekends ago I spent a day with quilting star Carolyn Friedlander, participating in a workshop hosted by my favorite little shop in Burlington, nido. It was great fun to pack up my supplies, drive north along gorgeous interstate 89 and then unpack in a classroom full of friends, both old and new. Carolyn was a wonderful teacher. She shared clear directions, encouraging comments and introduced a few products and techniques that were new to me. I love her emphasis on "slow stitching" and her book Savor Each Stitch has become a source of inspiration for me. 

In the morning we worked on paper piecing with her pattern "outhouse". I had done plenty of paper piecing before, years ago. The technique came right back to me and I was reminded that it often feels like one is thinking "inside out" when doing paper piecing. It was such fun to see all the different versions of the wee little houses that classmates made. Such a variety of interpretations!

We broke for lunch hour and then switched gears and took up hand applique.

In the photo at the top of this post, you can see progress on my own version of her applique pattern "ebb". I rummaged thru a lot of my scraps and collected fabrics that remind me of our meadow. The piece is hand appliqued, and I am loving Carolyn's needle-turned technique. The biggest challenge to getting this done in a timely fashion is the trouble caused by a certain kitten who is ever so intrigued by a needle and thread...

Have any of you been trying something new? My friend Anne over at My Giant Strawberry has inspired some folks to try daily work in sketchbooks. She's got a wonderful series on her blog, highlighting various artists and their daily habits, and she is offering her own class at Skill Share as well.

Also, please note that from now on, I will respond to your thoughtful comments here on the blog, right under your own comment. I look forward to more dialog with you, dear readers!

You may also notice a new blog over in the sidebar. "A Repository For Growth" was my answer to my aging brain. Sometimes I hear a great piece on the radio or read something and then forget where it came from. The new blog is my attempt to keep track of these things. Maybe you will find something of interest there, too.

It's also my intention to update our reno blog eventually. There is so much to say!

xo