sharon b's Embroidery Class

The "Sumptuous Surface Embroidery" class that was to start today actually started yesterday as my yesterday was today in Australia. As there are people from all over the world involved, I imagine some might start tomorrow as their today will be Australia's yesterday. How fun.

The first weeks lesson, like any other handwork class, is on design. Wither I am teaching or taking, I have always enjoyed being involved in classroom situations where you have to start from scratch. It is amazing how concepts come to people; how some have to draw pictures, some write, some look at things, then when the light bulb comes on, other processes go into play so it can actually become a doable design. For some people this process takes days, even weeks and it's hard to believe for some take years.  I see pictures in my head.

I do fabric or as I like to say, I do rectangles, when I'm done, someone else can turn them into something else. I do hand-weaving, felting, quilting; all with the idea that they could adorn someone's body, somehow.

I have always embroidered, mainly on clothing (hippie) but on linens also, quilts too.  There is something about taking a thread and making a piece of cloth with it then taking more threads and decorating it. All embroidery is a form of surface design -- you are putting threads on a surface, but the first time I saw sharon b's work I was fascinated. I have embroidered, I have done bead work but to put them together in the manner in which she does is magic. I'm excited, I'm rambling, it's bedtime.

Very busy or maybe just lazy.

We have been very busy even though we only have 1 show a month through October.  I have missed posting about The Arizona Federated Weavers. This year it was in Phoenix and it was a fabulous Conference. Another benefit; we left home it was in the 40's, got to Phoenix 8 hours later and it was in the  80's (110 in the desert), the down side was back home to 40 plus rain.  If you live in the Southern California Desert it should be hot, period, they neglected to advise me about altitude.

We are preparing for CNCH in Oakland, CA, another weaving conference and Convergence in Long Beach CA, both of these shows are very large. Between these 2 shows we get to hop up to Missoula, MT for the Montana Association of Weavers Conference.

Other things happening, I am still knitting on my sweater - a little over a year now - this hobby is really slow but I'm told I'm doing well for a first time sweater. An addition coming right up to my tool chest, a knitting machine. I don't need instant gratification, I am a weaver after all but to work over a year to get a sweater is stretching it. I could knit in the booth but on this learning project I'm no using our yarn and that would be a no-no.
Project number 2, I'm crocheting some Granny Squares in our 20/2 silk, they are really beautiful.
I am also taking a embroidery class with Sharon Boggon in Australia with bunches of other people around the world, so I will be posting pictures of that also.  I love these around the world get togethers, my first one was the P2P2 project.

So I will try to be more diligent in my posting.  Right now I think I will go down around the mountain and see what is happening in downtown Acton. I just got 5 emails saying the west part of town is on fire. Another California season, although it's normally later in the year.