The Last Couple of Weeks

I just spent a couple of weeks in Spokane with my son Jason and my family. I had a great time. I also spent many hours working on my 'Workt by Hand' project. Unfortunately I can not share it with you as it is a secret. I picked Jason up from school in Ellensburg where there is a fabulous house that has great creations in the yard. I believe it was created by a local professor. Of course I loved this bird!

We also spent a morning watching the sheep, lambs and lamas in a pasture near my sisters home. They were fun to watch and photograph.

Last weekend I taught at a new quilt store in Cortland Ohio, Olive Grace. It is owned by a young gal Kori and it is delightful. Housed in an old school house and is full of an eclectic collection of fabrics, gifts and trims. www.olivegracestudios.com

We worked on my Saffron Needle Roll incorporating hand dyed wool, beads and ribbons.

I have just returned from The United Quilt Guild in Salem Ohio. We created blocks from my Magnolia Quilt using a wonderful array of fabrics and threads. Many students worked on the center house block. Some are going to continue to make the whole quilt and others are going to incorporate the block into bags and pillows.

I love this flower block from the quilt. It has so many areas to embellish and use textural fabrics.

I am leaving for Barcelona and France in the morning with computer in hand. I am hoping for internet access so I can post this fabulous experience. I will be teaching in Nantes, France so will post as soon as I can.

Keep stitching I love what each one of you are creating.

Take care

Sue

More Student Work

I love it when my students send me pictures of finished work from classes I have taught as I don't often get to see the finished product. The above 'Michelle' pillow is Karmen Sunshine's from a class I taught in Atlanta. It is made from hand dyed wool and accented with a great polka dot fabric.

The Wild Tulip Bag was a kit from my CD series which Teresa Fritzley embellished wonderfully with her own fibers, roving balls and beads.

I love teaching at 'Out of Hand' in Calgary Canada. Last year we worked on 'Greenbrier' in a two day class and Wendy Sells just sent me pictures of her great piece made from silk and cottons all done on the sewing machine.

I am sure you will admit this piece is wonderful! I love to see pieces made in other fabrics beside wool and also machine done instead of handwork. It just shows with a little bit of imagination my patterns can be done in any medium.

Please keep sending me photos I love to share what each one of you have been creating.

I am in Spokane spending time with Jason and my family as he is on spring break. I have also been working on my 'Workt by Hand' project which I am so happy to say is nearly complete.

My goal was to have the new book 'Robin Run the Hedge' to the printer and by WBH project complete before I leave for Barcelona and Nantes on April 11. The book went to the printer yesterday and my project is nearing the end. It does feel so good to be on target!

Creative stitching

Take care

Sue

Grand Junction, CO

I have just returned home from a wonderful teaching trip in Colorado. I stayed at my friend Andreas home and was delighted to see all her projects she had made using my CD 'Folk-art Dreams' by Electric Quilt. It is a really fun product with about 180 blocks on it that can be changed to any size you desire. The above pillow is a block from my 'Mercer Lane' quilt and the small quilt below is the center of 'Uniontown Square'.

She also used a block from my book 'Greenbrier' to make this journal which she embellished with beads.

This is the little 'Lea' bag which is great to hold small notions, rug hooks or pencils.

I just love this pillow! Last year I taught for my friend Kerry in Salt Lake City and they all embellished this block from my book 'Magnolia'. Andrea put it together as a pillow using a wonderful beaded trim around the edge.

Linda Jenkins from Piece O' Cake Designs is a member of Sunset Slope Quilt Guild in CO and she shared this wonderful new quilt of theirs from their new book my whimsical quilt garden

The class I taught was my 'Altered Texture' and loved all the embellishment techniques each student tried using wonderful threads and stitches.

The velvet rick rack and fabric just gives great texture to this piece.

These variegated threads give wonderful depth to this edging.

Don't you just want to touch this fern. I love her use of three different fibers to get this result.

These Heishi beads are stacked with different beads adding more dimension.

These leaves are layered and them embellished with a closed fly stitch using seagrass and embroidery floss. I find this all so inspiring! I hope to spend the day doing a little stitching myself.

Keep Creating

Sue

Teaching at NEORQC

What a wonderful creative weekend I spent at NEORQC this past weekend. I had 16 students in class and everyone pushed the limits. I am sure you will agree once you view their work. As it was a weekend retreat we had more time to concentrate on each element in our piece. They used a journal to record ideas and we all shared with each other.

I taught my Altered texture class which emphasizes individual creativity. I provide wonderful embellishment fibers and fabrics for purchase and help each person think outside the box. Great textural berries and flowers.

Use of fabulous yarns, seagrass and beads.

A wonderful variety of flowers were created. Some using fussy cut fabrics, beads and buttons.

Here is a fly stitch with a bugle bead.

Hand Dyed silk velvet. What wonderful texture.

Sequins, velvet and beads

Pekinese stitch with variegated thread

Couched yarn with my son Jason's hand stamped metal tags.

Fun couched yarn.

Silk leaf with feather stitch.

Bullion and french knots

Couched chenille and hand dyed yard

We experimented with a variety of stitches, threads and beads to embellish the stems.

Fun Japanese picot yarn.

French Knots using chenille

Velvet rick-rack couched and embellished with french knots.

Ribbons and rick racks.

Wonderful lace on the vase.

Below Darlene chose to put this tag on her piece to record her embellishment journey.

A class like this always inspires me to learn more. I have been stitching every day since I get home.

Keep creating

Sue