Shipshewanna

Did you notice we were gone.

We went to Shipshewanna  to attend 2 southern

gospel concerts.

Thursday the BOOTH BROTHERS

Friday the ISSAC'S

Both were awesome.

We arrived home refreshed in the spirit.

Plus the car was filled with fabric, more fabric

and food.

Fresh suet for the birds, breads for the freezer,

A case of Yoder canned peaches.

Sausages from Yoder meats.

A winter worth of treats.

Did I say seeing lots of quilts.

Shipsee is the mecca for quilters. 

Fabric

I said no more fabric

Guess what I ordered because it was half price.

Bad 

Now I have to live till 100.

Where did the fabric go?

The bedroom is the new fabric storage.

It has the least amount of light.

all sorted.

Solids and Commercial prints.

Easy access

Two racks of batiks.

The grey chest holds fabric backed with fusible.

It still is a bedroom for guest or family.

With projects in progress on the bed.

More Ideas from the internet

 I am looking forward to 2017

I am going to try some of these ideas I

found in the blogs I follow.

 Love the triangle idea.

What a great way to use up fabric.

 I love the way the lines interrupt the 16 patch square.

Then the next snow storm I will be doing some dyeing

trying to achieve the soft colors like Elaine Quehl

So much to do and not enough time.

Washing all the fabric in the studio.

Last month I decided to wash all my fabrics to remove

the chemicals used in processing.

What an endeavor.

One I have too much fabric.

It is making me think twice about going into a fabric store.

I will need to live to the ripe old age of 100 to use it all.

Two it has been a challenge not to stop and start creating

something. The beautiful fabrics give me ideas and they

flow under my iron. The urge to stop and start making

is hard to resist. I am about half way now.

I am determined to finish by the end of the year.

After all January 1st is when I start next years quilts.

I have a flower theme show and the Chair show in

August. Today my helper and I will do the Christmas

stockings. We will stay away from the irons for a week.

While off to stuff stockings.

Fabric

You know she is a true friend when she brings you

back fabric from her vacation to California.

What a pleasant surprise when Claudia showed

up with a surprise for me. I love the bright colors.

Love love the blue with green leaves.

Some fun in the future for me.

Finally this morning we wake up to a sunny day.

A good way to start the weekend.

I have a busy day planned.

First a furniture sale,

Then getting a new head shot taken,

then finishing up the border on the fund

raiser quilt.  A good day.

Well I am  off and running.

Have yourself a great day.

Surface Design

I am finally getting my act back together.

My various heath issues made the class difficult but

I would not have missed it for anything.

I learned so much. I just hope I wasn't a drag

on the rest of the class. My daughter said she

kept expecting a call to rescue me.

I think in the future a one day class is all I

should manage considering.

Sorry for not posting much last week.

 These are two of my altered pieces off fabric.

 I used this fabric below which I put in Rit color remover

than over dyed with olive. Than the fabric was layered

 textile paints both opaque and transparent.  I  than

used screens and added another layer to the fabric.

I will show you tomorrow the last layers.

If you are ever able to take Jane Dunnewold's

class do she is an awesome teacher.

Shopping again

 We went to Shipshewanna for a concert again.

We  went on Monday and we are still both very

tired. The Booth Brothers are so good.

I was very bad again. I bought too too  much

fabric. The browns and greens are for me.

I am going to make a quilt for our bedroom.

Finally something just for us.

 Than I needed some solids.'I found that Yoder's

has the best prices on solids. 6.50 a yard.

The best thing is you get to see the true colors.

 I have taken a liking to the stripes from the Fasset

collection. They are so mellow.

Now I am going to have to live to 120 to use

all of this fabric.

Good thing we are not going back until FALL.

Studio Tour

 Thought I would show you my studio when it is

reasonably clean. I have a very large workspace.

I am really fortunate. 3 ironing spaces, 3 cutting spaces

and 2 design walls. This is just some of my fabric.

 I have another shelf unit in the bedroom and a

8 x 11 walk in closet for fabric and supplies.

 My inspiration wall is full of ideas.

I keep the things I use most of all around me.

I can reach the beads, small pieces of fabric, threads,

bolts of 805, peltex and thermalon within reach

of my chair. I would say I am very lucky to

have such a sunny and large space.

All the more room to get messy.

Today is a luncheon with other artist.

We will go to Asparagus a Vietnamese restaurant.

I will take Doris my 91 year old friend with me.

She will talk my leg off we have not been

together for a few weeks. She has been too

busy to have time for me.  :)

Have yourself a great day.



Busy busy

 Sorry about not posting.

I do not know where the past 4 days went.

I was folding and packing the fabric for my Nancy Crow

workshop. Christmas shopping. Christmas baking.

It is amazing how much time it takes to sort out

what a person needs to take to a workshop.

Mind boggling.

I also need to get all my Christmas prep done.

I will have only 9 days when I get back

from the class.

The week-end promises to be warm and sunny.

I plan to get everything ready for the workshop

so I can relax the week before.

Spend some quality time with my husband.

Nancy Crow workshop

I did an impulsive thing.

Signed up for a Nancy Crow workshop in December.

In Muskegon Michigan right on the lake.

In the lake effect snow area.

For a whole week.

Think positive.

I am going to have knee surgery October 10 for a

torn meniscus. Bothered me since May.

Time to get rid of the pain.

 I will have 2 months to get in shape.

What a great incentive.

SO I went to my stash to look for 80 solids.

I found 13.

yikes.

I went on line and ordered 56 more.

I will dye the rest of what I need.

She recommends 80 to 100 one yard cuts.

plus 5 yards black and white each.

plus 9 grey

and the list goes on.

I figure I can wash and iron all of this

while I am recovering.

It is great to have a new project.

I have been burned out with the knee and

all that has gone on this summer.

This will recharge my muse.

:)

 

 



Stash Building

 I found this fabric on Fabric.com

Called Scriffito.

This fabric will be great to over dye and screen print.

I like it so much I ordered more.

I think it will make a great masculine quilt.

 The luscious colors are Carol Falbert Breyer's fabrics.

I met her in Grand Rapids last week.

Love the color of her hair.

Red.

These are great colors for the stash.

 The blue and gold is great.

The red will provide great accents.

Back to the studio this morning.

Working on a new show entry.

Today I start fusing and stitching.

New fabric

 We never have enough fabric.

Right!

Well I thought I needed to add bits of red to my quilts.

Loni Rossi does red right.

I can just see red maple leaves.

Sumac in the fall.

 I see lots of fun in these photos.

I love the moths and the dragonfly.

A quiet day in the studio today.

Finally.

This week has been busy.

What I would rather be doing.

 Picking out some fabric for a new project.

and finding bright threads to go with it.

 Reading some of the quilting books I was going

to read during the winter we did not have.

 Watching the birds outside. The robins have started to arrive.

Instead I was Cooking all Sunday morning.

Delivering quilts to a show Monday morning.

Sorting my tax papers Monday afternoon.

Today I need to finish my tax prep for Friday's appointment.

Wednesday I need to spend some time in the yard

Maybe Thursday too.

So you see there is not much time for the studio this week.

I will miss it.