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

Threads and Beads

My head is spinning with great embellishment techniques and fibers. My hands just don't work fast enough to do all the creations in my head. I just had to share some pieces with you that I have been working on.

I have been having a great time creating with our hand dyed threads and beads. I love the little fly stitch which was introduced to me while teaching in Melbourne, Australia by one of my students. Here I used hand dyed #8 perle cotton and wonderful seagrass which is now one of my favorite threads. I love how using different fibers gives you a variety of looks.

Here I have used a metallic thread and hand dyed floss for a coral and a Pekinese stitch. They give such depth to the wool.

I also have some stranded Japanese flosses which I love because the variegation is short and you get instant textural gratification. Here I have done a chevron stitch as well as bullion knots.

I have a great bead book which I have been experimenting with and love this coral stitch done in silk thread with seed beads.

Have fun creating

Sue

Preview of Creations

I am so excited I have finished my first queen size quilt that will be published in my new book this spring. 'Robin Run the Hedge.' I created the center as a BOM a couple of years ago then went on to add a fabulous polka dot border then a 16" appliqued border. My wonderful friend and machine quilter Carol Rickard finished quilting it this week. I have now bound and labeled it and it is ready to ship to my dad for photography. An added bonus was receiving the first draft of the book from my dad this morning. It feels so good to be almost ready to send the book to the printer. As I am off to Barcelona and then to Nantes, France to teach in April we wanted the book at the printer before we left. It feels so good to be on target.

I have also been working on my projects for Primitives of the Midwest in July. I will be teaching three classes. Above is a glimpse of my Pomegranate Table Rug.

I have also finished the third in a series of projects using my CD Folk-art Dreams from the Electric Quilt Company. This Nifty Notes Journal will be posted on my website as a kit for March. It incorporates stitchery and beading.

Well my two girls Kelly and Aimee are becoming wonderful knitters. Here is Kelly's first pair of socks. Didn't she do a great job!

You may have noticed that I have add a few more creative blogs to my favorites list. The one is my son Jason's jasonspargo.blogspot.com who is unbelievably creative. He is taking his first drawing class at Central Washington State and would love you to view his work.

This weekend I am off to NEORQC in NE Ohio to teach. We will be working on the Altered Texture class. I promise to take lots of photographs to inspire you all.

It is snowing here in Ohio again. I can't wait for spring!

Keep stitching

Sue

Happy Valentines Day

I can't believe it is already February 14. Happy Valentine's Day! It is still snow covered and very cold here in NE Ohio. It just doesn't seem fair that my sister in Spokane has temperatures in the 40 and 50 with signs of spring in the air and we are still knee deep in snow. The only thing I can say it is great weather to sit and stitch and that is what I have been doing for weeks now.

It has been really good to have a break in my travel schedule and catch up with many projects here at home. I am also working ahead as I will be away from home a great deal in the next few months.

With my students here at home we have been experimenting with new metallic threads as well as many new stitches and beads.

We have also used a variety of colors of our hand dyed silk velvet. I just love the texture the velvet gives to each piece.

Wendy dyed use a large assortment of rick racks and braids which we have had fun working with. We are sad as this is the last lot we will get from her as it is too time consuming to dye in small quantities.

It has also be challenging as we have been working on light backgrounds for a change and using all our new bright fabrics. Our new quilt has a combination of hand dyed wool, Japanese fabrics and fun cottons. Many of the blocks are pieced and incorporate velvet and silk ribbons and rick racks.

It has been challenging to work with a new color palette but I must say I am really enjoying the results. I am loving the combination of gray, taupe and cream. They say gray is the new black!

Keep stitching

Sue

Winter in Ohio

It has been a while since I blogged. I have been really caught up in paperwork and new projects and programs for the website. I have also made a few new projects for my book which Quiltmania is publishing in English and French. Now I am finishing up a quilt for my new book for spring market. During the last few weeks it has been snowy and cold. Really good weather to snuggle up at home. I have not been traveling to teach but have had a couple of my classes here at home. We are working on a new project with more piecing with special attention to embellishment. Each month we learn a new stitch and then challenge each other to use it in a unique way. It is such fun to see what each student comes up with. It is amazing to me how much fun you can have with a few unique threads, ribbons and beads. Here is another wonderful way to embellish a printer fabric. This touches make each piece uniquely yours. I am so looking forward to traveling and teaching in 2010 as I feel I have so much to share and love to see the creative pieces my students produce. Keep Stitching Sue

Hot off the Press - New Needle Point Designs

I am so excited Patty Bommarito from www.PattyPaints.net has just introduced the first eight of my designs in a series of hand painted needlepoint canvases. I am thrill with the way she has interpreted my designs but still been able to give them her own spin. It makes me want to take up needlepoint! This Pineapple Fish scissor Fob is so fun with its polka dot tail. How did she know I love polka dots. Many of these designs were originally pincushions and small wall hangings but Patty has designed them as pictures, small pillows and even a scissor fob. Polka dots again! The Rabbit is shown here as a canvas and also stitched. I hope these inspire you all to keep stitching. Keep warm Sue

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to All from a cold and snowy North East Ohio. I hope that each one of you are blessed in 2010. Sue