Day 2 with Sue Spargo

Tomorrow will be the last day of getting up early and heading to the Niagara wine country. The hours are flying by, there is so much to learn and I see me working at night and early morning at 6 A.M. Today the focus was on embellishments and the importance of the right needle and thread.
 Sue published a booklet the " Creative Stitching" how to create textures using 50 different stitches. I think we got the first dip and I call it my stitch bible.

  Here are great tips Sue shared with us:

if you are travelling wind up spools with the wool thread and keep it in the travelling case

to keep the Valdani thread from unraveling secure it with a baby hair clip

add texture to your fabric by ironing it over a rubber stamp

a gift from Sue ( why did I never thought doing it???) a printed cotton sheet to sew it into the 

needle case

You can find all her supply here.

Day 1 with Sue Spargo

In the early morning hours I left Toronto and drove to Jordan, a small village near Niagara-on-the Lake.
Jocelyn, the owner of Stitch has lovingly decorated  antiques between her fabrics and notions and sayings like these....R E L A X   and that's how I felt taking the class with Sue. I think nobody wanted to leave tonight, the long harvest tables had mountains of wool felt where we were working on our foundation for tomorrows embellishments .

Exquisite wool thread from Italy, Silken Pearl, ribbons, Valdani threads and chenille.

These are close-ups photos of her amazing detailed embellished leaves.

Workshop with Sue Spargo

It is late in the evening and tomorrow I have my first day of the 3-day workshop with Sue Spargo. Her folk-art style is whimsical and happy. She is coming to Canada and is teaching at Stitch in Jordan.

I prepared my background for the different wool felt applique embroidery.

I left the inner space neutral but added a long strip of different light colours to get this rectangle shape.

My bags are packed and more of my progress tomorrow!

The Woodsman's Weatherstick

I am returning from a 4 day trip to Vermont and visiting New Hampshire. Nobody would believe that strolling on a warm and sunny day through the town of North Conway people where taking about the hurricane Sandy. One store announced over the speaker to stock up on essentials like water and flashlights. I just happened to purchase this weatherstick here:

My friend Nancy would have liked to see that unique 5&10 cent store. 

One of the last ones is in East Aurora, NY.

The Woodman's Weatherstick bends up to foretell fair weather and if it bends down you have to take the umbrella out.

This rustic weather predictor did his work. You hear the gusting winds and rain outside from the effect of hurricane Sandy. I am watching my big tree outside bending with each gust of wind. This is the power of nature.

Inspiration by nature

Let's be honest, I have so many ideas and projects going through my head and at the end of the week nothing has materialized. Not that I have done nothing, I have finished a quilt for charity and a pile of really fun pillow cases which I love to show you soon.
I have tried many times and started doodling in a journal to write and sketch my ideas and after a few days this attempt was forgotten.
Last week I bought this very cute quilt journal with a design embroidery by Aneela Hoey. With beautiful blank pages and graph paper perfect to draw my next ideas.

Today, one of the most beautiful fall days here in Toronto I got inspired by the gold and red carpets of leaves . I collect a few leaves and seeds and placed them on my fabric.

( fabric by Malka Dubrawsky, Parson Grey, Lecien and Tula Pink)

Harvest Thanks

There is nothing more rewarding than digging up your own potatoes and squash.

And celebrating Thanksgiving with family and friends.

A day with Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably

I always wanted to take a class with Kaffe. Years ago I got inspired by broken china were he made mosaics and translated this into colourful needlepoint cushions or his famous knits - not shy of using  a burst of colours knitted in the most intricate patterns.
He is known for his big, bold and lushes floral prints. The workshop was about the layout and choosing fabrics for the Sunlight in theForest.

Arriving to the workshop and seeing the tables of unpacked heaps of fabric, it looked like each of us owned a fabric store.

Some were prepared and had cut all sizes ahead and their quilt was up on the board in no time.

This was my beginning - I am a slow worker - stepping back and re-thinking pattern choices.

So what did I learn:

How to read large, medium and small scale prints.

One colour prints read like a solid and might look dull with a big floral print.

Choose fabrics which read the same tones but introduce a fresh colour. ( easy said!)

Brake up floral prints with different patterns like stripes, dots etc. ( small scale)

Make it like a feast for your eye!

Choose the fabric for your borders at the end - it might be something totally different what you had originally in mind.

Get over it - fuzzy cut that flower right from the middle of your yard. Ouch!

Brandon and Kaffe critics at the end of the day.

After a 2 1/2 hr drive home I am tired and think about the turkey dinner for Thanksgiving.