Happy Dance, New Class and Necklace Upcycle!!!

I do a little happy dance every time I'm choosing threads.  I couldn't be happier since I now keep my thread on the large rings.  It is such a joy to lay the ring of threads right across the block to make my choices....

And remember in September when I told you I had a new workshop coming up at a quilt shop  using a new format.... an introduction rather that a series of classes.?  It's only a one-day workshop and I asked for only 7 people.  Well 9 have signed up and we've added another date in Dec. and that has filled up and now there is a waiting list for after the first of the year...  Mine you they are not really learning anything ....just seeing if they think they would like doing something with no directions, time consuming and addictive... If they like it, I can have sit & stitch at the shop or they can come to the house.  We meet here the last Saturday of the month and a couple Wednesdays during the month.. It's informal with everyone working at their own pace.   It works best here at the house as I HAVE STASH.... Wish me luck...  Here is how the workshop was advertised.

 Sunday Nov. 3 - 12-4

   "Introductory Workshop  to Crazy Quilting"

by Gerry Krueger

Crazy quilting is free-form and embraces all aspects of various needlework skills. 

Each piece is one-of-a-kind.

The afternoon  will begin with a slide show on crazy quilt history and various styles of crazy quilts..     Lots of samples of crazy quilting will be available to fondle and discuss.  Time will be spent on how to build multiple-layered seams, the hallmark of crazy quilting. Finally the construction of a block for a first project and a guide to the steps for success in crazy quilting. Lots of eye candy, freebies, and handouts. 

Although the jazzy red necklace upcycle was not on any to-do list , I just had to drop everything and do it...  It's been a long time since I've done any jewelry and I noticed I had a bunch of brooches waiting to be upcycled... Maybe this winter.  I lost touch with my beading buddy so I'll have to track her down.... I can hardly wait to wear this...

I used old beads, an old brooch, parts of another necklace and various beads and findings...plus the necklace I bought and disassembled...of course.

Crazy Quilt Classes

 

Well I'm trying a new approach.. The little needle shop where I taught last spring is closing its doors tomorrow.. A quilt shop is buying out all the inventory which is left... So I trotted myself over to the quilt store and I'm going to teach    there in November.

Last time students had to bring a constructed block and the focus for 3 weeks was on embellishing.  I have to admit that committed cross stitchers are a hard group to convert... Although I did end up with 8  converted CQers out of 18 students..  This time I'm hoping to convert sane quilters and am starting with a one-day introductory workshop.  I wanted it to be free but the shop owner will want a minimal fee for store space and advertising, which is fair.  It's just an afternoon and I'm hoping to attract stitchers who may be curious but wouldn't want to commit to a series of lessons.. If I get enough interest I can then offer a series of classes. I really want them to be free classes as the whole point is to get CQers - not to make money.

Here's the ad---whata ya think?

  Sunday Nov. 3 - 12-4

 

  "Introductory Workshop  to Crazy Quilting"

by Gerry Krueger

Crazy quilting is free-form and embraces all aspects of various needlework skills. Each piece is one-of-a-kind.

The afternoon  will begin with a slide show on crazy quilt history and various styles of crazy quilts..     Lots of samples of crazy quilting will be available to fondle and discuss.  Time will be spent on how to build multiple-layered seams, the hallmark of crazy quilting. Finally the construction of a block for a first project and a guide to the steps for success in crazy quilting. Lots of eye candy, freebies, and handouts. 

Meet Aspen...a CQer with a vision

Aspen was in one of my beginning crazy quilting classes.. The class consisted of accomplished mature stitchers and having a young person sign up was a special treat. I thoroughly enjoyed  this 16-year old young lady's enthusiastic participation.

She had a black block and was very decisive about her choices from the stash pile I provided.. It was obvious she had a vision and set about eagerly..  At each class she was bent over piece with great concentration..

Her mother said she kept at it until she finished and today it was hanging in the thread shop.  Here is an original......

BoHo Bag, Great Book and Tool Woman!

Kathy is one of the ladies who's been coming on Wednesdays to stitch with me and she finished the flap on her BoHo bag and it is truly lovely.  She is a very precise stitcher and the work on this is extraordinary for someone new to crazy quilting..  She has chosen  elegant fabric to coordinate with it and I'm anxious for her to assemble it..

 She also brought a book to share with me and I will share with you... For me it is especially timely because I'll soon start stitching on my lace cottage block again and also  in the mood to do a series of cottage buttons.

It's the flower beds that are so interesting.. In this particular one notice how the artist has used red to move your eye through the flowers and keep your eye in the foreground.  The mass  of white flowers actually pulls your eye to the figures..

There is much to learn from this book on how to handle masses of flowers in a stitched composition.
Wouldn't this painting make a precious center for a block?  Notice how the bunch of pink snapdragons (lower left) point to her and she is framed by the door.  These elements do not happen by accident.

The entire book is filled with photos exploring the whole era of cottage garden paintings.

There are many paintings where there are specific color themes to a bed....like this lavender and yellow bed... I especially like the placement of the daisies lower left and all the yellow achillea pointing to the center and the stone wall carrying the eye across and another mass of flowers framing the path.  Makes you want to stroll right in.... needs a bench tho!!!

And speaking of benches, here is my tool shop in the barn where I built all my benches.  I love power tools (well any tools) and can not think of a tool I do not have.  They know me well at Harbor Freight.  But each season it needs a good cleaning and sorting.  Last week my handy helper  came and we started..  This is the before picture... First we have to get the work benches cleaned off and all the spare lumber hauled out.

I think I'm just about done doing all this sort of thing and then I think of the obstacle course for Morris...oh yeah!  And I do want to build my coffin..

Using old stuff, good news and the wagon rescue

I believe it was last winter when I posted about this green piece of shirred fabric I rescued from a thrift store pillow sham cover.  It's alway easy to use a green and sure enough it is going to work with this RR block..  The miracle was that I knew exactly where it was! 

This piece is coming along nicelyI should be able to finish it up today when my  CQers are working.

Yesterday on the way home I stopped at the new  needle shop "Lovely Little Stitches" to show the owner some examples of crazy quilting and she was very enthusiastic and there are now two blocks on display and she'll have a sign up sheet ... hopefully we will get enough to start some classes..... I'm excited about it....

This is one of the pieces I left.... "The Rose."  I did this piece for my mother who nurtured and loved roses all her life.  The beautiful embroidered rose is an antique applique given to me by Cathy K. Lots of lace here and notice the "button nest" for the bird upper right..

Remember from last week the poor wagon buried in  overgrowth?

Well the shrub was severely pruned and the old wagon is again a focal point in the garden.