Fibrefest Follow Up and Studio Clean up

Catching up on my blogging after a week of recovering and cleaning up from Fibrefest. After teaching a Hand-dyed Threads class, we set up my booth on Friday. I'm sharing a few photos before the crowds came. Yes, we had crowds! It was a successful weekend. Here's a view of my entire booth. I purchased some grid racks for the back so I could hang some work and samples of patterns made into quilts, along with patterns. There is a shelf along the back displaying the hand-dyed kits that go with the patterns.

In laying out my booth I decided to organize things in terms of colour. Right at the front I set up an autumn theme. I can't tell you how many people stopped just to pet the velvet!

I'd say the top sellers of the weekend were velvets and Textile Temptation packs. The visitors to Fibrefest are a more diverse crowd than just quilters and so I found it was the non-cottons that really attracted customers.

However, a lot of my past customers (many of them quilters) came out to purchase the cottons too.

 

Whew ... I was tired on Sunday night! Ended up taking Monday and Tuesday off. Standing and walking on those concrete floors all weekend caused a lot of leg, knee, and lower back pain. I was ever so glad I had a massage booked for Tuesday. 

In the past few days I did a major studio clean up. The tables are cleared to begin work on the sunflower commission next week. My sewing machines have been sent for servicing.

In cleaning up I even managed to excavate the chair in my studio, which has not been seen in two years ;-)

The fabrics that resided on the chair were put away so I can easily find them, in a cleaned out cabinet.

I straightened out the closet and moved some of the seldom-used teaching bins to the basement. Now I have a better idea where everything is, and some space to work in.

But of course I am back in the dye pots too. Trying to plan ahead for upcoming classes in the Maritimes at the end of October and early November. I'm not concerned if I dye too many kits because I need some for my booth at Quilt Canada next year. I just don't like to work in a last minute panic.

Looking forward to making some progress in the studio this week.

Quiet but Busy!

If I've been quiet, it is because I've been living in a fabric dyeing and tomato processing factory the last few weeks ;-)  I am busy preparing for my vending experience at Fibrefest Almonte the weekend of September 8-9. I hope I will see you there!

I have a great selection of Textile Temptation packs, velvets, and of course lots of cottons.

I've dyed a whole bunch of value gradations, including a 9-step neutral grey. I am in love with it!

As part of Fibrefest I will also be teaching a one-day workshop on Friday, September 7 on Hand-dyed Threads. Below is part of my collection. We will be dyeing thread in the morning, and in the afternoon I will share and demo a number of ways to use the thread.

Here's a photo of the tomatoes going in the oven for roasted tomato soup! Putting lots away in the freezer for winter. I've also made a few batches of pasta sauce.

If you are a member of the Canadian Quilters Association, you will have seen my article in the latest (Autumn) issue of the Canadian Quilter. If not, you can order single issues at this link.

I don't think I've mentioned on my blog that I will also be a vendor selling my hand-dyed fabrics, patterns and kits at Quilt Canada Ottawa, June 12-15, 2019. Since it is taking place in my city, I will avoid hotel, travel, and meal expenses making it more do-able financially. 

It's that time of year when sunflowers are blooming everywhere. Here's a two for one in our front yard. Reminding me that when Fibrefest is over I must turn my attentions to starting the sunflower commission.

It is also hosta blossom season. I'm enjoying photographing with the HDR setting on my Samsung Smart Phone. I feel that the results are often better than what I am able to master with the macro lens on my Canon Rebel. My shoulders thank me too as I am not carrying the weight of the Canon.

It's a long weekend coming up (Labour Day). Having worked in universities and colleges most of my working life, I always feel that this signals the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. I wish you all a fantastic last long weekend of the summer!

We've been having a heat wave here in my part of the world. It was so hot on Canada Day (July 1) that very few people showed up on Parliament Hill for Canada Day celebrations. I personally stayed in my air-conditioned house and was very productive. It cooled off for a bit on Friday, but now it is brutally hot and humid (it is the humidity that is the killer) again. I am dropping in with some news.

This week I am shipping Smoke & Mirrors 2 off to Festival of Quilts, Birmingham, England. It will be exhibited in the Art Quilt category. No I will not be at the show in August. I wish I could be though. 

Cascade 1 and 2 were both accepted to the Fibre Content show at the Art Gallery of Burlington. The show runs September 6-16, 2018. More info at More info: http://fibrations.org/. I probably will not make it to that show either. It is right during Fibrefest, and after a day of teaching and two days of vending I am not sure I will feel like making the six hour drive to Burlington. However, I am pleased to have my work there.

 

The rain we experienced after the heat wave provided a wonderful opportunity to shoot raindrops on the hosta leaves. I really am thrilled with the HDR setting on my Samsung Smart phone. I have been able to take better raindrop photos with it than my Canon Rebel with macro lens. Now that might have something to do with my own inexperience with the latter.

Dyeing continues in earnest. I am committed to working away at 30 or 40 meters each week to avoid a last-minute panic prior to Fibrefest. I dont handle panics so well anymore ;-)

Janet Kivisto sent me a photo of this wall of quilts at the Trent Valley Quilters Guild Show in Brighton, Ontario. In Spring 2017 I taught an In Full Bloom workshop to this group, and I think this group gets a medal for most pieces finished in shortest time (I understand there were a few more in the show). These were made using my Peony and Sunkissed Poppy patterns, and in many cases students purchased my kit of hand-dyed fabrics too. 

On Canada Day Weekend I spent a good amount of time on this. Two years ago I picked up a Mussel shell on the beach in New Brunswick. I did not keep the shell, nor did I even take a photo. I am using my memory of the shell as a jumping off point to produce this work. It will be called Mussel Memory.

Because I am working with two colourways (purple to blue and yellow-gold to orange) I am ending up with blocks in two colourways.

I am working with a variety of block sizes. Small rectangular blocks and small square blocks are completed. I still have to sew and add larger rectangular blocks and larger square blocks. Then it will be hard to get to bed at night while I play with these babies on the design wall!!

I am madly prepping for my class on Flowers, Foliage and Trees at the Haliburton School of Art + Design, the week of July 23. It is not too late to join us. There are still three spaces left. However, I am heading up to Haliburton on July 14 to take a class on Travelling with a Sketchbook. Lots to prepare and think of for staying in a cottage for two weeks, while also taking and teaching classes.

Last, but certainly not least, the couple who are commissioning work for their home have agreed to a design and I am just waiting for the signed contract. I will be blogging about the making of this triptych as it comes together. What an honour to make a piece that will have impact when visitors step into their home, and that they will hopefully enjoy each day themselves. It is kinda cool to be doing some new things and some things I havent done in a while. 

Almonte Fibrefest

It was really tempting to call this blog post "Thread Porn", but I was afraid it would be blocked somewhere out in cyberland. But that's the term I'd like to give to the following photo. This is a photo of part of my hand-dyed thread collection.

I'm pleased to share that I will be both teaching and vending at Almonte Fibrefest this year. On Friday, September 7 I will be teaching a class on Hand-dyed Threads, and on Saturday and Sunday, September 8 and 9, I will be a vendor selling my hand-dyed fabrics and patterns and kits. No I don't sell the threads. They are a bit labour intensive for that, but oh so gratifying to produce.

The lighter weight ones can be used for machine stitching. Here's a sample of some  machine quilting.

 The heavier weight ones can be used for couching or bobbin drawing.

What I am really developing a love for is hand-stitched, hand-dyed threads. Here are a few small samples I have made.

 

I hope I'll see you at Fibrefest. Until then, you will probably find me dyeing up a storm!