Slash and Burn North of the Border

For today's class in Slash and Burn, we worked like the dickens, but didn't manage to get the entire top finished. That said, a lot was learned, tried, and discovered. I had fun, and I think the group agreed. A lovely and welcoming group of women at the Muenster retreat.

Just a Brief Talk About Me

I promised the gang on board tonight for my talk at the Skaskathewan Stitches Conference that they'd be on the blog, so here they are. They waved later. And laughed. So, all was good.

Doing it Gloriously

Glorious Prints was the topic for today's class at the Saskatchewan Stitches Conference. We did it all -- direct dye, monoprinting, stenciling, silkscreening. Now to rest up for doing it all tomorrow -- with more fabric and another day. 

Tailoring Class in the Olden Days

I'm headed to Muenster, Saskatechewan (the prairies of Canada) to teach along side classes, some that feature tailoring. So, just checking what was expected back in the day. This week will definitely be wilder, if for no other reason that a very different teacher (see protype at left).

Gather TIme

Most of the work I did today was to set aside the quilts and sketches that I'd use as examples of technique in both surface design and improvisational quilting when I visit Canada's prairies next week. My aim is for one suitcase.

This is Only a Test

In June I'll be at the Saskatchewan Stitches Conference. I've a workshop that calls for using fabric that hasn't been treated with soda ash. So, here is the left half without and the right half with. It's different, but not by much.

Pretties Done Pretty Well

I'm still thinking about this composition by Ann Marie from my "Cutting Up the Pretties" class. Her sketch is the small bit at left, the right is the drawn out version with her hand painted fabric cut and placed. I know it is not easy to use forms that are not solid fabric, and this piece works.

Big Sky, Good Bye

What a spectacular sky for each day in Muenster, Saskatchewan. You'd never tire of this, certainly. I'm headed back to upstate New York, but with fondness for this landscape.

Cutting Up

Ann Marie had Vermeer light for working, but all I could see was the shirt she was wearing. Good thing it wasn't part of Cutting Up the Pretties for my class. Just her hand dyed fabric.

More Eyes on Your Work

Fiber artists often work alone. A retreat, class, or collaboration allows us to get a second opinion or fresh look at our work and our process. So, my class had lots of attention as they took to "Cutting Up the Pretties". Or maybe it was just the newcomer from New York they wanted to see.

Improv Sketches

My Improv Sketch class at the Saskatoon Stitches Conference had wonderful small works in progress throughout the day. Many students were new to free hand rotary cutting, and took like fish to water at adding a skinny line. Well done, my class! And I couldn't resist a second photo of the gang here. They really really are that much fun. Honest.