Our home is surrounded by tall oaks intermingled with sassafras trees that seem to "glow" from within during this Fall season -- what a glorious site as I look out my studio window. Here is one of Her Majesty's on going projects that is being developed -- again I have to wait for the scrumbles (for those who don't know about scrumbles, you are really missing out!) and the pieces felted to match "tell" me what they would like to be. Whether or not I can accomplish it is a different story!
I realize that it is a long time between postings but I have been working on four new projects -- the first in a series of Samplers for machine needle felting that I hope to launch very soon. Once I've found the right partner(s), I'll post some pictures. During my travels, I've found that there is a great need for simple projects for those who don't have access to classes and want to gain confidence, learn techniques. The machine needle felting trend is starting to really catch on as I said it would three years ago! Keep tuned for more about this first "Sampler." . . . . . . of course, there is always the book that is coming along nicely. The other item that I've spent lots of time working on but more time pondering over is the hand dyed wool garment. It helped when I recently purchased a dress form (thanks to Project Runway, my FAVORITE show!). I have finished designing the front and let the "curves" tell me what to do. Now the challenge is to piece the remaining fabric for the back and to incorporate some of the same design elements, i.e., curves and texture. The pictures you see here are where we are now -- will it be a vest or will it be a jacket? Will it be a winner . . . . or will it be an "out" and have me disappointed with the results and force me to begin all over again to create something else? I'm trying to take it slow and allow it to come to life. Oh well, it would make a very pretty bag!
This morning, as I was faced with some hand dyed wool felt leftover over from my watercolor landscape class preparation, my creative spirit perked up her sleepy head. Some of these pieces are a nice size and mostly blue. Not only was the wool too wide but needed to be "squared" so I saved all the edges which were thick and thin but also quite pretty in soft shades of blue and green. Her are beginning pictures of this experiment . . . . . . keep tuned to see what happens!
On September 17, I'll be teaching the Watercolor landscape (you can see the picture on the June 29 post) at Randy's Quilt shop in Greensboro, NC. I met Randy last year when I taught class at Babylock Tech in St. Louis and I'm looking forward to seeing him again and meeting Debbie, his assistant. This class is really fun and allows students to be creative using a variety of roving, yarns and ribbon embellished on to a hand dyed wool background to create their dream English countryside. The completed piece can be used for a wallhanging or would be fabulous framed in a shadow box. I've done quite a few landscape pieces -- the first was made for a birthday gift using Harris Tweed. It was purchased in Lewes on the island of Stornaway where it originated. It makes it all more special because we visited my Mother's cousins who still live there and who used to be Harris Tweed weavers. In fact, Mom's uncle who was a Minister was instrumental in visiting London and taking the necessary steps to protect the name from those foreign companies attempting to steal and use it for their inferior cloth. Every yard of authentic Harris Tweed is identified.
Thing have been busy in the Queen's studio these past few weeks as every spare moment has been spent updating samples and preparing for upcoming events. On September 8 I'll be teaching a bag class and on September 9 presenting my trunk show at Creative Sewing in Columbia, SC. I'm very excited that I'll finally meet Evy of "A Bit of Stitch" and Peg, the owner of the shop. If you have an embroidery machine you really must check out Evy's designs. This is the bag that was designed for class using a collection of sumpteous materials in soft salmon and green and the Babylock Embellisher of course.
If you have an embroidery machine you really must check out Evy's designs -- she is just so imaginative and clever. Her dimensional Sugarplum Fairy is simply amazing -- for the past two Christmases, I have stitched many complete with their sparkly ballet dresses, posed and hung them from the chandelier for our own families version of the Nutcracker. The grandchildren love them and they make wonderful tree ornaments.
Her Majesty is doing a Happy Dance today -- the sun is shining and the flowers are very happy -- especially the Goose Neck Liatris! (she's not quite sure that the spelling is correct but they are gorgeous nevertheless - all pointing their dainty goose-like heads in the same direction). Mind you, she's not complaining at all about the recent rain as the palace garden was crying out for water -- but a week of steady rain was a just a little too much. The Queen has been "painting" with fiber again, but this time it is all about soft watercolor hues -- here is her latest endeavor. Put your daily tasks aside and imagine taking a walk through this dreamscape English countryside and getting lost in the scenery -- can you hear the bubbling brook hidden by the trees? When you are tired, you can retire to the upstairs room with the gabled window, rest on the feather bed, close your eyes and listen to the songbirds.
