I really need to try harder to keep caught up with my personal blogging! Has it really been 8 months? Let me think back over what I have done since my last post.
In April I attended a class sponsored by the Rocky Mt. Crazy Quilter's. Judith Baker Montano came to Denver to teach her landscape class. What a time we had. There was a spring storm the first day and we learned to stitch by candlelight when the electricity went out. Judith brought lots of inspirational landscape pieces in progress and some finished quilts too. Of course she autographed books for us, had lots of supplies to sell and found time to regale us with some of her adventures. It has taken me several months to complete the project that I started in class. I call it
The Peak In Early Autumn. Here it is:
I really enjoyed playing with the fabrics, learning to manipulate them, burn them, and press them into submission. I also gained a new appreciation for perspective, scale and proportion. I definitely intend to use this technique again and again. The embellishing was difficult to stop once started. There were so many things that could have been added.
When Summer came, we went to Vegas and I found a really cool fabric shop that sold high end fabrics and trims. Picked up some wonderful pieces with gifting in mind so I can't share those here right now......probably said too much already, LOL.
I went to the Stitching Shenanigans Retreat in Estes Park at the end of September. It was several days long but I only got up there for one day. It is so hard to get away from the kids and with only one car I had to make sure that all was covered during that time at home. DH drove me up, dropped me off at the retreat cabin and went fishing for the next 12 hours. I had a great time meeting many ladies whose work I have admired online for quite awhile. Took up a SW Fiesta Cheesecake for the snack table and everyone seemed to enjoy it. Several of us went into town in the afternoon to the Elk Fest to shop. The stitching shop there was mostly for yarn but I managed to find some silk ribbon and felting stuff so I was quite happy.
I prepared a gift basket of stitching tools and treasures for the Chinese Auction. Was happy that Ilys from Canada won it. She seemed to like it a lot. I was the lucky recipient of a cute handdyed fabric triangle hanging pot/basket which was brought by Colleen Anderson. I am thinking of using it for an orts bag near my sewing rocker. Here is a photo, isn't it different?
Colleen was also a vendor at the retreat and I bought some vintage ribbon and trims from her. We had fun cutting up old ties for crazy quilt use after the Ugly Tie Contest.
I was happy to meet several of the members of StitchMAP who also were there. Speaking of StitchMAP......I have been very busy helping to organize another Color Theory Course, and editing several new courses. We had a Christmas in July swap that was great fun. There were several new Challenges in which the ladies produced some fantastic pieces of needleart that just blew me away. One Challenge was the making of a Victorian Heart Pincushion and embellishing it with their favorite technique. I also made one to share. I used perle cotton to make bullion roses and for-get-me-nots. I used a recycled damask dinner napkin to make the heart. Here it is:
On a personal family note, much of our summer was taken up practicing for and attending Little League baseball games. My son was the head coach for Axel's team and they both did a great job. Of course school starting brought with it a slew of activities. One exciting one was fourth grader Axel's first foray into the world of Science Fairs. He did a project on whether or not you could grow spinach in the dark. I am really proud that he earned 40 out of 40 possible points for his efforts and presentation. Grace began first grade this year and she has done wonderfully. Axel made honor society and Grace would have, because her academic grades were excellent, but her little chatterbox personality got her a few too many cards pulled for disturbing the class, LOL. I think she has a greater appreciation for the need to be a little less social now. Little Bella turned 4 just a bit ago and she started Pre-K. She is a head shorter than her pals at school but her social habits very much mimic her sister's.....oh dear! She is learning to write her letters and memorize her address. She has been to her first birthday party for someone outside of the family and wants to invite her friends to the house for a sleep over. Isn't 4 too young? ROFLOL!!! My son has his hands full with these kids and I sit back and laugh. Payback for when he was young. Of course, they all live with us so I get a front row seat.
I hope to be posting again sooner than later. Keep your needles flying and your spirits will soar!
Hugs, Shari
