Leonie's Omnium Gatherum

Hari Kuyo - February 8, 2010

2010-02-09T12:06:00.003-05:00

Today is Hari Kuyo or The Festival of the Broken Needles in Japan. Once a year on February 8th, people, mainly women and in particular needleworkers and those in the textile industry gather at Buddhist temples to pay homage to their needles and pins. Alters are laid out with various gifts of thanksgiving and a container of tofu is set up so that people can bury their broken and bent needles in thanks for their service and to bring good luck to their stitching endeavours in the coming year. Traditionally women used to wear their best kimonos to this ceremony but this has taken a back seat to more contemporary dress. However, many young apprentices of needlework schools and textile houses are attempting to bring back this tradition and in fact, there is a renewed interest in general by the younger Japanese generation in the kimono and in these traditions.

To read further about Hari Kuyo and to see some beautiful color pictures of this ceremony, click on the links below:

http://stitchtress.wordpress.com/2010/02/08/hari-kuyo/

http://kikuko.web.infoseek.co.jp/english/harikuyo-wakamiya.html

http://qjphotos.wordpress.com/2009/02/15/hari-kuyo-pin-festival/

Creativity, Childhood and Arts Education

2009-12-02T07:38:00.006-05:00

Virginia Spiegel has just published a Blurb book entitled " Wild at the Edges: Inspiration from a Creative Life" which touches on her exploration of her artwork and her creative life. http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/blog/archives/4013 Her book couldn't have been more timely for me and I am about to order a copy to study and enjoy further.

Currently, I am thinking more and more about creativity and challenging oneself as I am taking an innovative class with the Canadian Embroiderers' Guild called The Broader View of Art. ( I will be blogging about this shortly - stay tuned). This class has given me much food for thought and taken me back to my early school years and ways in which my creativity was both encouraged and discouraged by various teachers and educational systems. I have also dug out old report cards etc. , which many years later have given me greater insight into myself and my creative development over the years. Having taught Creativity Workshops especially in relation to the Fiber Arts, I have an ongoing interest in the subject and especially how early childhood education has affected our creative processes and thinking.

There's a most interesting blog written by Richard Kessler, who is the Executive Director for The Center for Arts Education in New York. He writes on the importance of art education for children and how it affects their development, not just artistically but in life itself. Richard's take on things and his wonderful connection with fascinating artists, educators and scientists proves for valuable and insightful reading. Read his blog here:

http://www.artsjournal.com/dewey21c/

Another terrific read is the book "The Element " by Ken Robinson Phd. who is one of the world's leading thinkers on creativity and self fulfillment. In addition to his book, you can view a fascinating and humorous clip on his thoughts about " Do schools kill creativity?" on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

I hope you will enjoy exploring these gentlemen's take on the subject and reminisce about your own early development and how it affected your creativity both then and now. As always, your comments are always welcome.

LEST WE FORGET

2009-11-11T13:25:00.002-05:00

Lampwork by Kirsty Naray

" They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them. "
........Laurence Binyon

Please pause today to honour the memory of the brave servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice, offer prayers for the safety of those still struggling to maintain peace in the world and give thanks for their unselfish sacrifices in order that we many continue to enjoy the rights and freedoms they have fought for and continue to fight for.

Blog Action Day - Climate Change and Textile Recycling

2009-10-15T00:16:00.016-04:00

When I considered signing up for Blog Action Day, I wondered what I could really say or contribute in the way of something positive regarding the chosen topic " Climate Change". I'm not a hard core environmentalist or a " rocket scientist" with reams of research or data to offer up but like so many individuals, I can start to initiate change in my own home and local community.

What do I know best? - well being a person who creates with textiles on a daily basis, I have an appreciation and love for fabrics and fibre. However, the processes and manufacture of these very fabrics I adore is having a major negative impact on our world environment and is contributing to global warming and making detrimental changes to our climate.

Governments, manufacturers and environmental lobbyists are slowly creating changes to processes and years of neglect and mismanagement of the industry which has caused pollution, energy and water waste in astronomical and devastating quantities. But as individuals, how can we implement changes in our own back yards so to speak? Well, for myself, I can begin to share information with the public at large about the positive aspects of textile recycling.

I was shocked to discover that in Canada alone, there is an average of 7 kilograms of textile waste per person in our landfills and that accounts for 4% of all materials in Canadian landfills, while the average American throws away about 68 pounds of clothing and textiles in their garbage and dumps per year. Most of these articles are tossed because they are considered damaged, worn out, outgrown or out of fashion. We are indeed a throw away society. People no longer bother to sew on a button or replace a zipper or alter clothing. Home economics is no longer taught in the schools so children are not being educated in the skills necessary to carry out these tasks. Often both parents work outside of the home and it is economically far easier to replace an item than to make either the time or effort to repair it.

Alas, textile recycling programs are not as widely available in North America as other types of programs such as glass, paper or aluminum recycling but it would certainly not hurt to make enquiries as to the feasability of such a program in your community or to support said programs if they do in fact exist. It seems that more often than not, unwanted clothing and household textiles are either donated to charities or tragically end up in our landfill sites. Synthetic fibres will not decompose and while wool garments do, they produce methane gas which causes global warming. It is estimated that 38% of Canada's methane emmissions come from landfill sites.

So what can we do to make a difference? We can definitely take better care of our garments and household textiles by repairing or altering these items instead of disposing of them. We can be more aware, research and educate ourselves about the types of fabrics we are purchasing and attempt to buy more natural and organic materials and clothing.

Give your used and unwanted textiles to charities and thrift shops regardless of their condition. Items in poor shape can be recycled into rags for industry or can be shredded to make cushion fillings, carpet underlay and other forms of insulation. A large number of the world's population uses second hand clothes distributed by charitable organizations and the fabric from curtains and bed linens can be remade into apparel and accessories.

Consider donating textiles to church rummage sales or including them in your family garage sales. Think about the fun you could have by hosting clothing and textile swap parties with your friends -the giggles and comraderie alone would be worth it, while an old blouse or skirt no longer enjoyed by one of your buddies could look scintillating on someone else or make the perfect lining for a newly created purse, bag for shopping or other creative bent. Re-use older but still sturdy fabrics in quilts and household accessories such as runners, toss cushions, curtain tiebacks, or table coverings.

Encourage your children to take pride in their clothing and teach them to sew on a button or do minor repairs for themselves. Retro is " in" these days and perusing the aisles of your local thrift shop can unearth unknown treasures and camp clothing styles. The remaking or refashioning of clothing can be rewarding and fun and by using your imagination, you can create accessories and clothing from older style acquisitions which can result in a unique and individual wardrobe. You could be a trendsetter!

In conclusion, please consider the following:

Recycling textiles saves energy

Recycling textiles saves water

Recycling textiles saves natural resources

Recycling textiles reduces landfills

Recycling textiles can affect climate change

Surf the internet to find out more in depth about textile recycling and the positive affect it can have on our environment both locally and world wide.

Please click on the Blog Action Day badge in my side bar for more information and to connect to a myriad of other interesting and informative blogs taking action and providing information on the importance of climate change.

Ta Da .....at last......

2009-09-20T20:38:00.007-04:00

We are pleased to present A Way to Women's Wellness 2010 Art Bra Calendar!

Cover Design "Days of Wine and Roses and You..." by Barbara Blankenship

Please check out our new site at: http://www.artbra.org/

The 2010 WTWW ArtBra Calendar will feature all newly designed ArtBras, complete with stories, and three spectacular crazy quilts. Net proceeds from the sale of the calendars will be donated to two cancer centers in Pennsylvania. A portion will be donated to the Fox Chase Women's Cancer Center mobile Mammography van, which will provide free mammograms to Philadelphia, PA neighborhoods. Proceeds will also be donated to the Lehigh Valley Breast Health Center in Allentown, PA for Survivor Services.

We expect this year's calendar to sell-out! Over 50% of the calendar printing has been sold to date so please get your orders in early to ensure your copy. Calendars are $14 US, printed with heavy-laminated covers and gorgeous photography.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MEET THE DESIGNERS at the WTWW ArtBra opening
exhibition at
BYERS CHOICE, October 2, 2009
in Chalfont, PA

All proceeds from the Exhibition Opening Cocktail Party will be donated to Fox Chase Women's Cancer Center in Philadelphia, PA for breast cancer research. The WTWW ArtBras and Crazy Quilt Exhibition will be open through October 31, 2009.

Event Info

October 2, 2009 Cocktail Party
7 - 9 PM
Byers Choice, County Line Road, Chalfont, PA
Exhibition will be open from Oct 2-31, 2009

October 3, 2009
Calendar signing at the James A. Michener Art Museum
Doylestown, PA
October 4th
Calendar signing at Byers Choice, Chalfont, PA

Designers attending ~ Barbara Blankenship, Victoria Brown, Leonie Hartley-Hoover, Laurel Mazziotti, Stephanie Novatski, Brenda Wilson, and Julie Yonge.

Start your holiday shopping early and have the designers sign a calendar for you!

A Way to Women's Wellness, Inc
http://www.artbra.org/
info@artbra.org

Busy Month

2009-08-28T20:52:00.003-04:00

I am leaving Sunday for Kalamazoo, Michigan to spend five glorious days with Laura Cater-Woods and to break free and make some serious art. I have long wanted to study with her and I am psyched to go!

I will be home a couple of weeks and then off for three exciting days to the American Sewing Expo in Novi where I will spend some time with Koos van den Akker. I hope some of his glorious talent will rub off on me a little and inspire me to new heights. I also hope while there to meet up with my old mentor, Kenneth King, who has inspired and influenced my beadwork for many years.

In the interim, classes will commence at CEG where we are hoping for a wonderfully creative , stimulating year and the joy of being with old friends.

Not home long from the expo and it will be off to Pennsylvania for the grand opening of the WTWW Art Bra exhibit at Byers Choice along with the James A. Michener Art Museum events and a wonderful opportunity to spend time with my amazing friends and fellow Art Bra designers.

My go-to guys will be cat sitting and looking after affairs here in my absence ,bless them and probably enjoying a nice break from my female presence and the general chaos I seem to create. Thanks guys! Love you.

I hope to spend the rest of the year tying up loose ends, taking care of some family business and spending some quality time in the studio designing new
work and creating new classes.

So I will be quiet for a short time here on the blog but will be back soon with lots of news, inspiration and updates. In the meantime, stay well and continue to enjoy creating.

Byers Exhibit and James A Michener Art Museum

2009-08-28T19:32:00.006-04:00

The Byers Bra designed and created by Victora Adams Brown

The art bras are once again stirring up a great deal of interest as we look to the fall and the month of October, which many of you are aware is Breast Cancer Awareness month.
Byers Choice Ltd. in Doylestown PA. USA, is hosting a month long exhibit of the Art Bras featuring 35 WTWW ArtBras and three spectacular crazy quilts with some of the ArtBra designers, including myself, in attendance the weekend of October 2nd, 2009.

Friday, October 2nd at 7 pm join us for the Grand Opening of the Art Bra exhibit. Reservations are required and tickets can be obtained at 215-822-6700. There will be 2010 calendar signings at The Byers Choice gift shop Oct. 3rd from 10 a.m until noon and on Oct. 4th from 1pm - 3 pm. where you will have a chance to meet and chat to the artists.
On October 3rd from 1 to 3 pm the designers will be at the beautiful James A Michener Art Museum in Doylestown for a calendar signing and there you will get the opportunity to see Barbara Blankenship's "Grape Expectations" and my newest piece " Who's the Contemptible Scoundrel who Stole the Cork from my Lunch?" It will be a busy but fun time for sure and if you are in the area please drop by to see us and say hi. I'll keep you all apprised of the goings-on in further posts as the time draws near. I have been asked to keep " Contemptible Scoundrel" under wraps until the 2010 Art Bra calendar is ready to go but I think you will like this year's offering when it is finally unveiled.

Fiberarts in the news

2009-08-20T10:39:00.002-04:00

For those among you who enjoy knitting and perhaps poetry too, here's an interesting article on how a poet's words about a passion inspired an unusual challenge. I love it when I see how people push the boundaries and take on something that normally one would not think about doing. I look forward to seeing the finished product , learning what the poem will be and how impressive the size.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/aug/18/giant-knitted-poem

Art Bra Mania - Again!

2009-08-07T00:13:00.005-04:00

Detail - Little Miss Dynamite, copyright Léonie Hartley-Hoover

Well after a year's sabbatical, while everyone re-grouped and the hopes of a stable and generous sponsor was in the mix, there is wonderful news in that THERE WILL DEFINITELY BE A 2010 ART BRA CALENDAR!! For the time being, check out this link to Victoria Adams Brown's blog for initial news re the calendar. In deference to our amazing sponsor(s) we are laying low with revealing too much at present but stay tuned for exciting news re an exhibit and the 2010 calendar, which will be a doozey, let me tell you. There is much going on behind the scenes right now but we are all very excited and hope that many of our loyal and faithful followers of our work and calendars will be more than delighted when the news breaks officially. Thank you always for your continued support and interest in our breast cancer awareness programs and charitable efforts in the fight against breast cancer. We are truly grateful.

I can confirm that Somerset County Health Unit has generously loaned Little Miss Dynamite to be photographed for the 2010 calendar and we are grateful to them for their goodwill in working with us.

Please check in with our blogs for updates and future press releases.

Peace,Tranquility and karma....

2009-07-29T15:13:00.016-04:00

My third and fourth acquisitions from Collage Mania, "Peace" and "Tranquility" were created by another Chicago artist, Jacquie Stone. Now, my own personal imagery of peace and tranquility tend to embrace a myriad of blues and greens with touches of spiritual mauves, so what drove me to become so attached to Jacquie's Oriental, colorful renditions? I have to honestly say I was drawn like a moth to a flame by her creative use of texture and fabric manipulation in addition to both pieces being predominantly handwork.
Her unusual choice of background fabric set the pace and united both pieces of work. I totally appreciated the hand stitching that went into each piece and of course, the build up with beads was the crowning glory. The colors and shapes bring unity and harmony to these works and makes for an attractive pairing.
Once again I have to say that the colors are far more vibrant and outstanding in the flesh than they appear here.

Peace by Jacquie Stone

Detail bead and sequin clusters - Peace -

Detail of stitching and fabric manipulation - Peace -

I have always been drawn to artists with a flair for the unusual or those who are not afraid to create what they feel and make their pieces individual and outstanding. To me, these pieces of Jacquie's portray a sense of confidence and joy in the artist's work which in turn gives pleasure to the viewer.

Tranquility by Jacquie Stone

Stitch detail - Tranquility -

Fabric manipulation, embroidery and beading details - Tranquility -

Now for the KARMA - I purchased these two pieces based solely on their appeal to me with no prior knowledge of the artist. All I knew was she was from a surburb in Chicago not far from where my late friend, fiber artist Roxy Barkofsky was born and raised, Jacqui was involved in dog related charities much like Roxy was and she was donating her work in aid of a cancer charity that I had previously supported in Roxy's name.
After I had won my bids for Peace and Tranquility, I received an e mail from Jacquie which surprised and delighted me. She informed me thatshe had been one of my online beading students with Joggles.com (where students often go by christian names or user names) and she couldn't have been more pleased that I had selected her work to purchase. It was a lovely coincidence that gives me even greater pleasure in having Jacquie's work hanging in my home.

To view more of this multi-talented artist's work please check out Jacqui's site and her blog: Your comments re her work there or below on my blog are always appreciated.

Morocco via Texas

2009-07-29T14:03:00.011-04:00

The second piece of art I acquired entitled" Moroccan Mirage" grabbed me immediately when I first laid eyes on it. I have long since childhood had a fascination with Morocco and it is one of those far away places I hope to be able to visit in my lifetime.

The artist Laura Osbun who hails from Corpus Christi, Texas, is a very unassuming lady, warm, sensitive and delightful to chat to. Laura shares my love for Moroccan architecture, in particular the splendid arches that catch the eye. It was those very arches that inspired Laura to create this exotic artwork that I now have hanging in my Marrakesh inspired bedroom, where I can get lost in it on a daily basis. I fear my photographic efforts do not do justice to the amazing and vibrant colors Laura has incorporated into this work:

Moroccan Mirage by Laura Osbun

Laura hand painted the sky fabric, then used" a sort of reverse applique with the help of an adhesive fusible" to create the colorful buildings. She said she enjoyed working the free motion stitching around the arches and buildings and then used watercolor pencils to draw shadows inside the arches, giving them depth.

Detail and Stitched Edging - Moroccan Mirage

Stitch detail Moroccan Mirage

Laura's donation to Fiberart for A Cause has special significance for her in that she lost her young son Christopher to leukemia and her partcipation in Collage mania was a tribute to him. To quote Laura" I made this piece in his memory because the creative process of it brought me enJOYment ...joy...something he filled me with during his short yet remarkable life."

Your beautiful tribute has brought joy to many others too Laura. Thank you for sharing your amazing talents with us and I am beyond thrilled to have your artwork grace my home.

Unfortunately for us, Laura does not currently have a blog or website as she says she is " still learning to be friends with this computer" but I understand she is boning up on her " Windows: Plain and Simple" book and before too long, with the encouragement of her friends, we are hoping she will join the blogging community where we can continue to enjoy her creative talents and warm personality. In the meantime, please feel free to give positive feedback to Laura through my comments section below.

More Healing Art, Featuring " Hands"

2009-07-29T12:36:00.011-04:00

To continue with the healing art theme, I wish to share with you the first piece of art I purchased from Virginia Spiegel's Collage Mania. Please bear in mind that all three of the artists I will be featuring have given me permission to post their work and their work is copyrighted to them exclusively so I would ask that you please respect that.

Jeanette Thompson from Chicago is an artist through and through. By day, she is a high school art teacher and continues to pursue her own creative endeavors by night and on weekends. Jeanette's piece " Hands" hit a distinct cord with me as I have been struggling physically with some hand problems this past year so I have been rather focussed on hands and healing. But it was not just that factor that drew me to Jeanette's work but the positioning of the hands and the most intricate stitching that attracted me again and again to that page at CC. Hands was created on silk organza and free-motion stitched with variegated threads and the outer edges are zig zag stitched.

When speaking with Jeanette, she told me it was a favorite piece of her work and her inspiration for it was from a picture she saw in the newspaper. She said she connected with it, something to do with an artist making beautiful things with their hands and honoring them. She herself was quite pleased with the finished product and so she should be. Below you can see for yourselves:

Hands by Jeanette Thompson

It wasn't until I was physically able to see this piece of art up close and personal that I was able to appreciate the most intricate colored stitching and detail in the background:

Detailed background " Hands"

In particular, check out the stitching in the fingers of the hand:

Jeanette informed me that this was her first International piece but I am thinking there will be many more for this talented young lady. I am delighted to add this lovely piece of work to my collection. Thank you Jeanette.

For more of Jeanette's work and updates on her life and creative talents, including her recent experience at Turtle Moon Camp with Susan Shie, please check out her blog and be sure to leave her some positive feedback there or in the comments section here on mine.

Never underestimate the healing power of art

2009-07-12T23:34:00.004-04:00

Scientific studies claim that art heals by changing one's physiology and attitude. The body's physiology changes from one of stress to one of relaxation, from one of anxieties and misgivings to one of creativity and inspiration. For many of us involved in the arts, we know this to be a fact for certain and many times our spirits and troubled minds have been lifted and eased as a result of an artistic encounter.

In early May, Virginia Spiegel once again featured her wonderful Fiberart for a Cause online charity auction"Collage Mania" benefitting the American Cancer Society and what fun it was! The pure joy of perusing all the prospective pieces took me away from a sadder time and place to a brief couple of days immersed in the exciting work of so many talented artists who gave their time and talents to the cause. The auction is now closed but Virginia has generously left the site up online for viewing and inspiration. You can view it here:

http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/CM2009Collages1.html

During the frenzied action of the auction, I was fortunate enough to land four pieces of art by three artists and their work definitely uplifted my soul. I am most grateful to Laura J. Osbun, Jeanette Thompson and Jacquie Stone, not only for their contributions to Virginia's efforts but for also giving me permission to share their work with all of you on my blog. Over the next few days, I will be featuring each of the four pieces I acquired and connecting you with the artists , their comments on their work and their sites and blogs. So please stay tuned for some interesting posts.

Congratulations to Virginia and her associates for raising over $18,000. in just two days for the American Cancer Society. After an astounding four years of commitment and goodwill, I wish Virginia a well deserved break with much peace and contentment as she now returns to her studio to pursue her own art.

Back to the future

2009-07-12T23:02:00.003-04:00

Nothing like a stark dose of reality to shake life up. The last seven months seem to have flown by, yet in some ways seem an eternity and alas my artistic pursuits and creative life have been on hold due to the serious illness of a beloved family member.

Although I have a few hurdles still ahead of me, I will be slowly returning to blogging, pursuing my artistic endeavors and in the not too distant future, teaching again. I have missed the joys of interacting with and actively participating in the needlearts community. At this time, I wish to express my sincere thanks to so many of you who have reached out to encourage and lift me through these difficult times. Your love and support have buoyed me through some dark days and I am most appreciative of your friendship.

In updating my blog, I have made it easier for people to add comments and I encourage you to partcipate in my future posts.

Important USA Orphan Works Bill

2008-10-31T12:03:00.002-04:00

As you know my blog is primarily textile and stitch related and I try to keep political debate at a distinct minimum but there is an issue pending that I feel needs to be addressed and at the very least, other artists need to be made aware of it. I have long tried to emphasize to fellow artists and my students as to the importance of respecting copyright. I have often taken a shit kicking for it too but feel very strongly about this subject and will continue to foster that respect and attempt to educate others about the legal issues that can ensue.

The Orphan Works bill in the US is a most controversial and complicated act , if which passed, will have ramifications affecting artists worldwide. I encourage my fellow artists to educate yourself on this issue and act with your conscience accordingly.

On April 24, 2008, the Orphan Works Act was introduced into the U.S. House and Senate. Currently, copyright is granted the moment a work is created. The Orphan Act Legislation proposes a change in U.S. copyright that would require artists, illustrators, photographers, and any creative individual to actively maintain and defend their copyright by registering each and every work with privatized registrars. Failure to do so would leave everything you’ve ever created as an artist up for grabs by anyone who wanted to copy, reproduce, create derivative works of, or flat out steal your work since the act defines an “orphan work” as any work where the author is unidentifiable or unlocatable, and applies to both published and unpublished works, U.S. and foreign, regardless of age..Once your piece of work is placed onto an Internet site; it will become the full domain of any person who wishes to copy your originality. A large majority of people who see a design, photograph, etc. will not take the time to research its original ownership, or see how long along this work was published. This is where as an artist you should be concerned, and unfortunately the Legislation of the Orphan Act of 2008, does not protect you as an individual.
( With special thanks and credit to Pamela Baker)

For a reasonably simple explanation of the bill, click the link below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orphan_work

For my American friends to seek more information and how to contact your members of Congress to express your concern and/or protest the bill :

http://capwiz.com/illustratorspartnership/home/

There is a page for international parties to send their thoughts and register their protests also and I urge my Canadian and European friends to participate if at all possible. Although at the moment, this legislation is US based, believe me in time this will have a powerful affect on all of us and our work and we will feel the trickle down effect worldwide! Click this link for international responses:

http://www.illustratorspartnership.org/01_topics/article.php?searchterm=00267

A word from Sara of Sara's Texture Crafts, with credit to Sara, on how to go about protecting oneself:

"I do feel the most important thing we can do as on-line sellers of arts and crafts (as well as opposing, or seeking more preferable amendments to such bills/laws as 'Orphan Works), is to start adding copyright 'watermarks' to our product/artwork images (completed or otherwise) before we post them to forums, social networks and shopping sites. That way it is clear where the design came from and the year it was created. Should you then wish to follow through on any unlawful copyright infringement, you the 'originator' will at least have some power to authenticate your claim. At the moment I see far too many photos of works that are unmarked by the artists... these could all easily be 'borrowed' for someone else's gain. Remember even if the text accompanying the photo in question contains details of the author/origin of the work. The photo itself can be downloaded separately from any blog, social network, forum, search engine and some websites... in these cases if a photo is unmarked it could easily be reused in another way without any credit to it's origin, becoming an 'Orphan Work'."

We are not amused!

2008-10-29T23:41:00.010-04:00

On occasion Mother Nature can be a bitch and last night she lashed out and dumped an early vicious winter storm on us causing much tree and plant damage. It's rarely we get a snow storm of this intensity before Halloween! London is known as The Forest City and we are fortunate to have so many beautiful trees and reforestation programs here. The tree damage was unbelievable as you can see here:

http://www.lfpress.com/cgi-bin/publish.cgi?x=galleries&s=gallery&p=2715&pg=0

Frozen sweet peas early a.m. and evacuated to safety by afternoon along with lavender and a yellow rose

Wild crab apples iced over at the Westminster Ponds

Fir tree bent to the ground by the heavy ice

And , you might ask, how is this textile related?

Well of course, I have taken some storm related pics to transfer to fabric for the ongoing tryptich! So I might forgive Mother Nature just a tiche, in spite of her tantrum, for giving me this golden opportunity!

Art Bra mania this month.......

2008-10-15T21:15:00.016-04:00

Photos - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Being October and Breast Cancer Awareness month, there has been a resurgence of interest in and publicity about the Art Bra movement so I am going to share some blogs and sites with my readers so they can find out more about it and view the spectacular work of the artists involved.

http://lubbockonline.com/stories/100708/loc_341109771.shtml

http://picasaweb.google.com/bwilson266/ATimeForWomen#

http://rosesonthewater.blogspot.com/2008/09/looking-back.html

http://novasblossoms.blogspot.com/2008/10/october-breast-cancer-awareness-month.html

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060803/ENTERTAINMENT/108030084/-1/BUSINESS01

http://cqmagonline.com/vol04iss03/articles/480/index.html

Although 2007 saw the last calendar published, the travelling exhibit is still touring the country.

If your gallery, guild or show should be interested in displaying the exhibit, please contact Vickie at victoria@ribbonsmyth.com

Nefertiti - August 2007

The Art Bra quilts are still an ongoing project. To see all of these beauties and the invidual blocks:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/artbraproject

And Finally - Thanks to the original Little Miss Dynamite - Take a bow Vickie!

Photo credit - Mike Brown

2008-10-15T14:26:00.001-04:00

On a roll with Little Miss D....

2008-10-15T11:03:00.022-04:00

Rolling is the operative word here as making the little dynamite sticks took considerable patience and dexterity! First I had to find the perfect wick or cord for it. My husband was fascinated with the process as he was a mining technician in his younger days and knew what dynamite should look like! I had about 8 different strings and cords to try out and my husband and I sat at the kitchen table with a teflon cover placed on it - barbeque lighter in hand, like a couple of pyromaniacs lighting them all to see what kind of residue they left and if they burned to our satisfaction. They did NOT!! So, off I went in search of the perfect " wick". I finally came back with four more cords. The ultimate winner was nylon and polyester and it burned to perfection.

I had a quarter of a metre of the most beautiful reddest red ultrasuede I could find and after a lot of measuring and balancing size against the female figure ( found in a bin at a charity shop a couple of years ago) I drew some sketches of different size strips I thought might work. I did a couple of dummy runs on felt and then with the rotary cutter , cut two different size strips from the suede. I cut more than I needed as I knew I would no doubt ruin a few and then came the tedious part, rolling the sticks as tight as I could....they had to be really secure. I proceeded to seal the edges cleanly with E6000 as those sides would not show. I had quite a production line going by now. I cut a series of 16 inch nylon/poly cords and lined them all up. Using a large eyed needle, I threaded a single cord into the eye . Then I carefully lit the farthest end with the barby lighter until it was molten, then blew on it just when it was at a certain stage of gooeyiness ( therein lay the trick - it had to be just the right amount of gooey !!) and then I put the needle through the dynamite stick and pulled slightly so the gooey knot caught inside the stick, without mucking up the ultrasuede outside but thereby gluing itself to the inside of the stick. A tricky feat I can assure you! Each one had to have a little tug on them to see they were secure enough. Next,I had to estimate how much wick to leave at the top as I had to burn that end to a perfect little knob to look realistic enough. That was a "suicide mission" because if the fire caught too quickly I was left with a sad looking stub not a nice shaped wick. If that happened, the dynamite stick was ruined as the other end was already secured inside. I only destroyed two of them so that wasn't too bad in light of things ( no pun intended). It was a fun experience but took a lot more time ( and patience) than I bargained for.

The string of firecrackers on the left cup was a little demon to make as there was a curved seam on the outside of the bra cup which formed a " dip" and the bugles would not lay as flat as I wanted them. It was an exercise to turn a purist's hair grey and I can't begin to tell you how many repetitions of silamide are securing them. I couched down two layers of nylon/poly cord one on top of the other, between the two rows of bugles and then " lit" the top of the crackers for effect.

The " explosion" on the right cup was three layers of ultrasuede, which when stitched over the outer fabric, foam underlining and back lining made for six layers of fabric to stitch through. No mean feat!

The word " Danger" was colored in orange on the safety ribbon so I had to very carefully paint over it in diluted red acrylic and then seal it.

The stars and the shooting stars are made from angelina and then bonded onto handpainted yellow ultrasuede. I also painted the HOT insignia and then I made her a little firecracker necklace out of bugles and swarovskis.
The beaded flame on the left hand side is ready to light the wick on the dynamite.
I put on the little glass chili peppers saluting Vickie's hot Texan culinary tastes and if you zoom in on the overall pic, you will see LMD is holding a pomegranite margarita in her left hand. I can tell you I was ready for one myself after this process!

Little Miss Dynamite leaves home.....

2008-10-13T00:47:00.021-04:00

Little Miss Dynamite is
officially in her new home
at the Somerset County
Health Department in
Westover,Maryland,
having cleared
customs without an
international
incident!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month both in Canada and the United States and I've had close associations with BC charitable causes on both sides of the border for several years now.

This year I chose to honor Victoria Adams Brown , the original Art Bra calendar creator and founder of The Way to Women's Wellness Foundation by creating Little Miss Dynamite ( my nickname for her) and donating it as a gift to the Somerset County Health Unit for their exclusive use in their health education programs to promote breast cancer awareness.

Somerset is sponsoring the Designer's Cup Challenge, a bra art competition to raise awareness and educate women about the disease. The competition is open to anyone who lives or works in
Somerset County. Vickie gave permission for Somerset to use some of the images from the Art Bra Calendars in their brochure for promotion purposes.

All bras received by the October 10th deadline will be evaluated by a committee of judges selected by the program sponsor. Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place, as well as a People’s Choice Award, voted on by attendees of the opening reception to be held on October 29, 2008 at the Governor Tawes Library in Crisfield MD. In a separate post I will share more photos and descriptions of techniques in the making of Little Miss Dynamite. Below is a copy of the Press Release for LMD.

Press Release
“LITTLE MISS DYNAMITE” COMES TO SOMERSET COUNTY

WESTOVER, MARYLAND, OCTOBER 7, 2008 ---- The Somerset County Health Department’s Designer’s Cup Challenge recently received an art bra entitled “Little Miss Dynamite”. The bra is a gift from designer Léonie Hartley-Hoover of Ontario, Canada in honor of the original Art Bra calendar creator Victoria Adams Brown of Perkasie, PA. Brown’s dedication and sacrifices via her advocacy and promotion of breast cancer awareness, research, mammogram programming, and patient support has led to her being referred to as “Little Miss Dynamite” by the artists who have contributed their time and artistic talents to aid Brown in her efforts. Brown is also the founder of the Way to Women’s Wellness Foundation. Brown is one of those rare people whose enthusiasm and vitality is infectious and her determination and hard work are at the core of the Art Bra movement. The result of her efforts is evidence indeed that one woman, with the support of a few friends, CAN make a difference!
“Little Miss Dynamite”, which is for promotional purposes and is not eligible for prizes, will be available for public viewing along with the art bras submitted for Somerset County’s Designer’s Cup Challenge at the reception on October 29, 2008, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.at the Governor Tawes Library in Crisfield. Refreshments will be served. Suggested dress is jeans and dressy tops. The cost is $5.00 per person, payable at the door; however, reservations are required and can be made by calling 443-523-1760. Any proceeds after expenses will benefit Women Supporting Women Crisfield Chapter and/or the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
# # # #

Science, Engineering,Travel = Stitching?

2008-10-05T23:45:00.004-04:00

I have always tried to encourage my students to see the world through different eyes. Sometimes people just get so locked into reading stitch related books and magazines that they tend to see the world with blinders on. If you reach a point where you feel you've reached a creative block, pick up a magazine or book that has a very different topic to what would normally attract you. You just might surprise yourself as to what can inspire you. This week I have been watching for the Science and Engineering Visualization challenge results. Look at these photographs - the wonderful color combinations, shapes, sizes and design elements you can pick out from them. I can see so many beaded pieces in these photos - can you?

http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/scivis/index.jsp?id=win2008

Then hop over to the Telegraph newspaper in the UK and check out their fabulous Nikon travel photography competition. You will see the top ten choices but to the right hand side of the page under "Related Articles" you will see the rest of the competitors' works. The pics are impressive and will definitely stir up some feelings in you. Enjoy!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/3086912/Nikon-travel-photography-competition-The-10-finalists.html

Long summer gone.....catching up with Fall !

2008-10-02T13:23:00.011-04:00

Well, there's blogging and..... blogging.....there are those who are faithful daily to their blogs and well, there's the rest of us. I've never been one to keep a diary capturing day to day life - just too busy living to write about it ! However, our blogs keep us in touch with others and update us from time to time on events and creative endeavours. With the colder weather settling in and hibernation mode approaching, perhaps I'll be prone to writing a few lines more often! I'll give it an honest go.

The Art Bra Ladies continue to thrive and have created wonderful blocks again for this year's wall quilt contribution. The calibre of the stitchery and creativity among this group is superior and I feel very privileged to be among these artists. Every year the quilts are more spectacular and being a participant is daunting as one has to strive to be better always so as not to disappoint oneself or the group. I'd like to thank all of the women in this group for setting the bar high and for encouraging me to push the limits with my work. Below is my block for 2008 and if you click on the Flickr site below that, you will see an enlarged version of my block, in addition to the fantastic blocks my friends have made for this year .

Léonie's 2008 block

http://www.flickr.com/photos/artbraproject

I will post pictures in due course, when the quilt is completed, as the final result is always breathtaking and eye candy worth ogling!

Victoria Adams Brown has also featured my block on her blog's August 3rd posting where she gives more information about the Art Bra quilts and this year's offering.

http://itsonlyribbon.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2008-08-03T17%3A14%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=7

Fall is the time for getting back into the swing of teaching and workshops too. I am teaching two repeat online classes with Joggles this semester, Bead Embroidery for Beginners and Intermediate Bead Embroidery. The classes have just started this week so if anyone is interested, it's not too late to sign up, so hop on over to http://www.joggles.com/onlineclasses.htm for further information and sign up.

Glorious landscapes

2008-07-27T11:25:00.004-04:00

Who doesn't love Mother Nature? She has long been a beloved subject of artists of all genres. Of late, it seems there has been a passionate interest among textile artists to create landscape art and there are numerous blogs and tutorials available to pursue the technical aspects of same. However, we are always seeking inspiration to kick start our creative bent. The photo heading up my blog today is of an iris bog not far from my home. After what seems like a " forever" winter, one is greeted by a sea of yellow and rich greens which lifts the spirits and warms the heart. I hope to incorporate part of this glorious scene in my ongoing Earth, Sea, Sky tryptich which I will be blogging about in the future.

For breath taking photos that will hopefully give you some inspiration, clink the link below. Thanks to Smashing Magazine for their always insightful and informative blog articles:

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/07/11/50-remarkable-nature-wallpapers/

Do you tend to explain your art?

2008-07-18T10:27:00.002-04:00

"Explanations are the traitor of art
Serious art defies easy interpretation, and artists should resist the call to explain themselves"
......Jonathan Jones

This quote from the Art & Architecture blog in the British Guardian newspaper http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/art/2008/07/explanations_are_the_traitor_o.html
gave me food for thought this morning. As textile artists, do we explain too much or does the need for explanation go hand in glove with the medium?
There are a myriad of blogs out there in cyberspace written by textile practitioners, many of whom are professional teachers or by those who naturally teach as they write to their readership. Everywhere you look tutorials abound. BUT I notice that aside from the " tutes" and blogging, many textile artists seem to have a need to explain their work and why they did it etc. Even at Gallery Openings where texile art is prominent, I hear artists explaining their process to viewers or prospective clients. I personally don't see this done as much in other mediums in these type of venues. More often than not, you see the viewer immersed in deep thought over a painting or sculpture and you can almost see the wheels going around while they try to discern in their own mind what the artist is trying to say.
What are your thoughts on this? Does our medium demand explanation or is it the fact that there is a largely female population immersed in this art and verbal communication comes more readily to women? As females and nurturers, does teaching or explaining come naturally? Do women artists in other mediums feel a need to explain their work?
Hmmmm.....????????

For my CQ Friends

2008-07-13T17:45:00.002-04:00

Many of my good buddies are Crazy Quilters and I personally LOVE the medium. My ever vigilant son , the DA, put me on to the Apartment Therapy site recently. Goodness knows how he came across it!
I've often thought about crazy quilting the old wing back chair in my studio and this patchwork link has certainly got me re-thinking this again!

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/fabric-textiles/patchwork-upholstery-from-squint-limited-055717

OK ladie and gents- start the wheels going around!

July 4th - Happy Independence Day to my American Friends!

2008-07-02T14:47:00.005-04:00

Textile of the Day

On July 4, 1776, the United States claimed their independence from Britain and Democracy was born. Today Independence Day is celebrated all over the nation and by Americans stationed around the world.

Greetings to my American friends and have a safe and enjoyable day!

To follow up on our Textile for the Day here's an interesting site to learn more....

http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/index.html

I've been tagged

2008-06-30T22:09:00.004-04:00

.......by my good bud Betty Pillsbury over at http://www.greenspiralherbs.blogspot.com/

This is not something I often do but I will humour my dear friend as she knows my secrets and if I don't follow through she might threaten me with 100 lashes of chenille, for she also knows my foibles ( and I have rather a dodgy relationship with chenille!). So here goes.....

Ten years ago.......

I was living in a small rural village fish bowl, albeit an idyllic setting but one where privacy was a foreign word!

Five things on today's t0-do list........

Read ,my new Image to Stitch book by Maggie Grey
Continue the reshuffling of the studio to find more room to move around!
Prepare vegetable vindaloo in the crockpot
Finish some gardening projects
Sit with my family on our back deck, sipping a drinkie and watching the Canada Day fireworks!

Snacks I enjoy.....

Cheese and crackers
Berries and yogurt
Fennel ( anise)
Savouries of any kind..
a good cup of tea, esp. blueberry tea and mint green tea

Things I would do if I was a millionaire.....

Set things in place for my family that would always ensure their financial security
so they could enjoy life more and for some, to take risks to follow their dreams
Take that long desired trip to Morocco
Set up a foundation that would do quiet meaningful deeds for others
Hold an ultimate stitching retreat with a huge gifting suite and swag for my true blue loyal friends who loved me when I was not a millionaire
Find that elusive beachfront home with a huge studio and uber garage

Places I have lived.....

London, England
Worthing, England
Toronto
Montreal
Mt. Brydges

Other Bloggers:

Introducing new blogger Vickie Brown - http://www.itsonlyribbon.blogspot.com/

Happy Canada Day! July 1st

2008-06-30T21:09:00.012-04:00

Textile of the Day !

Today we celebrate Canada's 141st birthday and most everyone has time off work to enjoy the day in whatever way they please. There is much to be thankful about and to be grateful for living in this wonderful country where we enjoy so many freedoms and opportunities.

On Canada Day, I'd like to salute our peacekeepers and men and women of our armed forces who are stationed around the world proudly representing our country and helping to make the world a safer place for all.

I am both fortunate and proud to be a Canadian.

I'd like to share with you some pictures of my beautiful home land accompanied by the music of one of our national treasures, Gordon Lightfoot. The song " Beautiful" also has great sentimental meaning for me so I hope you enjoy both the music and the scenery as much as I do.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=gVM7hrQsghA&feature=related

Happy Birthday to my beautiful Mum

2008-06-30T00:25:00.003-04:00

My Beautiful Birthday Girl Joanie

After a long absence, I am finally returning to blogging. I have been spending more time with my Mum this past couple of months and today we celebrated her birthday. She was in fine form, matching wits with my fellas and holding court as the grand dame of the family. She thoroughly enjoyed her day and we are lucky to still have her to spoil.

On a textile note, paisley prints seem to be coming back into fashion and they are one of Joan's all time favourites! So, one of her birthday gifts was three yards of paisley fabric in her favourite colours. I am going to make her a quilted jacket with it to keep her cozy and warm for those cool summer nights and early fall days. She was delighted and we spent the afternoon pouring over ideas and pattern designs. We will keep it fairly simple and functional as the fabric is jazzy enough! If I play my cards right, she just might let me use the bit extra left over to tart up some denims for my upcoming Denim Duds Redone class at http://www.joggles.com/

Birthday Fabric for Jazzy Girl

Surfer Girl......

2008-04-06T16:21:00.011-04:00

At last hints of spring are in the air and while snow still exists on the north sides of the streets, in the depths of the woods and of course, arena parking lots, there's the promise of more blissful days to come. Tomorrow, I am running away to take a scenic tour of Lake Erie's shore only thirty five miles from home. It's my own kind of personal holiday. Via Aylmer and a wonderful Mennonite thrift store and St. Thomas, where there's a delightful family farm market and a yarn shop crammed floor to ceiling, I'll wend my way towards Port Stanley, a picturesque little fishing village that always lifts my soul. Nothing like a brisk ( read chilly) walk on the beach, collecting the flotsam that nature has deposited there over the winter and then a warm coffee and home made burger at the welcoming Mackie's, a fixture on the beach since 1911. This time of year you don't have to fight for a seat although the pedestrian traffic is steady enough.
I love the beach this time of year in all it's wildness and solitude. It's a time of rebirth, a time to think and reflect and be inspired, gathering ideas for new works. In a beach frame of mind, here's a few sites to give you some inspiration too.......

Leonie, surfing the sixties and still hanging ten!

http://www.waveridersgallery.net/surf-photos.php

http://browse.deviantart.com/photography/nature/waterscapes/

Happy Birthday Digger

2008-03-30T14:45:00.005-04:00

But seriously.......

Twenty years ago today a very special person came into the world who epitomizes the words "Omnium Gatherum". He fits the description to a "T". His natural curiosity, thirst for knowledge and sense of adventure opened up new worlds to me and taught me to see through fresh eyes. Thank you for teaching me , loving me in spite of my faults and for being such a beautiful soul. The world is a far better place because you are in it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY D.A.

and by the way, congrats on the OC Oscar for Best Random Knowledge

" Just when I discovered the meaning of life, they changed it! "....George Carlin

Easter eggs - nah, I'll take the eye candy please!

2008-03-23T10:51:00.006-04:00

My kinda Easter blooms! Beady blossoms by Jenny Friske - Daffs by Mother Nature

Well it's Easter Sunday and the sun has finally broken through the grey gloom and the dirty brown snow is finally starting to recede somewhat. Spring has officially arrived but Mother Nature has not yet fully come around to that realization! With Easter falling early this year, there's no spring bulbs up, no sign of green, no robins and in a flurry I hid the Easter eggs and no one can find them, including me! The cat seems to be the only one having any luck in that department as I hear him excitedly batting them around the hardwood floor in the hallway.
I'm incredbily restless, not bored but slightly unsettled. I't's just that time of year and I NEED COLOR ! I'm not in a creative slump but I've got the bouncing brain syndrome plaguing me once again ( too much creative energy but can't hone in on one idea long enough to kick start it ).
I decided to leaf through my creativity folders. Smashing Magazine's Creativity Spark from Masters of Illustration immediately drew me back to one of it's older posts but one that will definitely get your gears rolling:

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/08/21/creativity-spark-from-masters-of-graphic-design/

Be sure to scroll down the screen as it just gets better and better. If you click on the individual photos, you will link to the portfolios of the artists for even more eye candy.

Ahh, who needs Easter eggs?

Tardy blogger, busy stitcher

2008-03-09T16:55:00.002-04:00

Hi folks:
Sorry to be such a tardy blogger, but life takes over periodically. Besides devoting time to the senior set whom we love dearly, I have been clearing the studio for bigger things to come. As we moved closer to our family to help out, we sized down considerably and we ( read me) is feeling the pinch enormously. I've reshuffled that studio so many times and there are only so many walls ( read two) without doors and windows taking up space. Both available walls house my enormous bookshelves with over the table lights underneath - that leaves zilch for design walls, art etc. SO, we make do and dream on for a new abode in a couple of years.
Although I've not been blogging about much these past few days, I've posted a site that will give you all much inspiration and hopefully will keep you busy for a while. I plan to be back with you very soon with new projects in tow.
Living in the snow belt keeps us busy too - 20 cm last night! The snow plough operator made sure we continued our exercise workout by depositing most of the street's detrius in our drive way AFTER we had cleared it out! OUCH !!!- ah BUT we are living in CANADA, it is MARCH and although we whine - which is allowed this time of year - we wouldn't want to live anywhere else on earth!

Take a snow shovelling ( or gardening break for those of you who wish to gloat!!) break here and get inspired .....

http://apps.exploratorium.edu/10cool/index.php?cmd=browse&category=2

The Mighty MacFAB

2008-02-16T12:20:00.005-05:00

Rita Zekas has written an article this weekend in the Toronto Star about one of my favourite fabric haunts in TO, MacFAB or MacDonald-Faber as it used to be known. There is always something new and exciting in their stock and it's definitely the in place for buttons if you are looking for something different or one of a kind. It's a treat to shop there and you always find more than what you came for! The staff are wonderful to deal with and will go overboard to help you find what you want for a special project. Just don't mention Annie Lennox to Cameron or he'll get excited and lose all sight of what your shopping needs are! He's a humongous fan and will talk about her til the cows come home! He's never missed a Toronto concert. Let's hope they don't print her on fabric or he'll have BOTH windows covered!
In all seriousness, it's nice to see MacFAB get some good press.......

http://www.thestar.com/living/article/302948

Here's their web site too:
http://www.macfabfabrics.com/index.htm

New major project almost under way.

2008-02-07T23:32:00.000-05:00

I have been working on a long range plan for a personal project. It's been three years in the design stage and I think it's about time I MADE time to actually start the hands on work . I think I have secured the needed fabrics and beads for the project with a couple of exceptions that are still in the design works and that I am still collaborating on with a couple of friends.

This project, which is to be a tryptich, was inspired by a tiny Japanese dancer, Mari Osanai, a one of a kind performance artist,trained in classical ballet and modern dance ,who interweaves Noguchi taiso, yoga, tai chi and hip hop into her performances. She has her own unique style of complex movements, twisting her body so easily you'd think her bones were made of jello.
She wrote and performed a solo piece entitled " Sea Watching" and I was so entranced by her that I returned four times to see her at the London Fringe Festival. In fact, her performance was so magical and mesmerizing, I had to take my son, who has an appreciation for dance and a good girlfriend along because Mari defied description and seeing was actually believing!
I confess I did in fact see her perform this piece FIVE times as on the fifth occasion she teamed up with Xiang Bang Fu of the Toronto Chinese Dance Theatre at the Toronto Dance Festival and they turned Sea Watching from a solo performance into a stunning duo performance that kept the audience spell bound. Such is the magic of creativity and the dedicated artists who give their all in the delivery of it.

Once in a while, someone like Mari touches your soul and you carry around the memories of that moment for a very long time. "Sea Watching" has now manifested itself in the guise of a textile piece that excites and stimulates me more than I can put into words. During my design phase, the working title of the piece has been " Earth, Sea, Sky" just to facilitate naming the myriad files I have been accumulating but I think I shall have to come up with a more worthy name in time.
However, I will be starting this project soon and will blog my progress on it so I can spotlight the lampwork artists and fibre artists whose work I have carefully selected and hope to incorporate into this labour of love.
Just this past week, I received a lampwork bead from Jenny Friske-Baer of Divine Spark Designs. Jenny creates amazing beads of the most superb colorings and stylings. I already had the beautiful batik fabric selected for a portion of the earth segment and when I saw Jenny's bead I knew I had to have it. Oh wow, am I a happy camper with this combination! The colors blend beautifully.

It's like camoflauge - can you spot Jenny's spree?

Chinese New Year greetings

2008-02-07T21:33:00.000-05:00

Artist: ayako fujioka

As a family, we have always had a soft spot for Toronto's Chinatown, which is located right next to the heart of the textile district. It is a delightful area that is bustling with humanity and the air is always electric with sounds of street vendors shouting out and encouraging people to shop in their stalls etc., the many different chinese dialects and other languages, the street sounds of trolleys and delivery trucks. Walking through Chinatown makes one feel so alive and happy. There's almost always a constant air of excitement and joy for life there.

I always take time to visit the area of Dundas and Spadina , as an extension of my textile consumerism. I have a couple of special vendors I visit there who deal and love to bargain with me for their exotic beads and stones. I always seem to walk on air when I leave their premises with a bauble or two stashed in my pocket and I then go to my favourite green grocers and pick up fresh produce to take home. This time of year is especially enjoyable in Chinatown with fresh branches of cherry blossoms for sale in the shops, the splendid shocking pink and green colors of the exotic dragon fruit, the heavenly smells of pork buns wafting from the bakery and vibrant red New Year decor everywhere.

This year our Chinese friends celebrate the Year of the Rat and it's a special year for me as I was born under this sign. Jasmine tells me it is lucky. I think she is right if the bargain I struck with her sister for this antique jade is any indication. Gung hay fat choy for this happy little rat!

A very special xie xie to my friends and suppliers and all best wishes for a happy and

successful year ahead!

Fun with Elvis quilts

2008-02-07T11:14:00.001-05:00

Julie over at Big Horn quilts sponsored an Elvis Quilt contest and has posted the results in a gallery on her site. There's some innovative pieces there and you can vote for your favorite before February 15th.
Also check out Julie's amazing fabric inventory - it's the best and I have had very good service from Big Horn! No affiliation - just like to share good dependable sites with you.

Here's the link to the Elvis gallery and voting procedures:

http://www.bighornquilts.com/elvischallenge/elvisindex.html

Armed for the Winter

2008-01-26T16:54:00.000-05:00

The latest fashion rage here is arm warmers and at -16 degrees plus windchills, this weekend you darned well need them. Especially if you are foolhardy enough to have invested in one of the new three quarter sleeved coats so you could be tres trendy!
Having said that I can remember sporting magenta coloured thighs but looking so cool in a camel mini coat and Puss in Boots styled brown suede over the knee boots in the heart of January. But that was when I was young and foolish......and now I am old and comfortable although still striving to be fashionable within those parameters!

To check out the latest " must have" accessory for those winter climes.......

http://www.thestar.com/living/Fashion/article/296741

Followed up by: Make your Own Stylish pair

http://www.thestar.com/Article/296742

Ooh, wouldn't this be such fun. Hit your local thrift shop, buy some interesting wool sweaters - cut the arms out and get that Embellisher working! It puts a whole new spin on the term "Throwing down the gauntlet" doesn't it?

Arts, Crafts as a political and social tool

2008-01-26T16:19:00.000-05:00

A merry little Christmas elf thought it would be fun to put this button in with my Christmas goodies. Of course, the sentiments were greatly appreciated and don't we all wish that was the answer to it all!

Interestingly enough, shortly thereafter I discovered there was a recent interesting exhibition in Calgary, Alberta ( Canada) entitled " Craft Hard Die Free: Radical Curatorial Strategies, Craftivism in Unruly Contexts". The photograph accompanying the announcement certainly made my button look like small change:

The colours are so full of life and joyful and definitely this artist made a powerful statement!

Unfortunately, in any associated information regarding the exhibition or in my research of same, credit was not given to either the artist or the photographer which to me, is a major and grievous oversight!

However, in the course of my search, I discovered another very interesting blog which covers digital, radical, techno, innovative, fine, D.I.Y, process, craftivism and hobbyist craft - The Craft Research Blog which covers the diversity of the crafts movment in the world today http://www.craftresearch.blogspot.com/ It's a little headier than most of the day to day stuff we discuss in blogging the textile world but certainly worth a read.

Back in Blogland

2008-01-26T16:04:00.000-05:00

After a rather long hiatus from blogging, I'm attempting to get back on track! A couple of major deadlines, then Christmas hols, in addition to some serious concerns regarding our elderly family members and the passing of one in our extended family, has steered us away from things more creative.
Catching up is never an easy task but we are getting there. A special thank you to those who in private e mails have offered their friendship and support. It has been greatly appreciated.
Now onto the new year, albeit a bit late but it's a start!

We're off and running......

2007-10-21T21:41:00.001-04:00

Joanie and I are off to Toronto to attend The Quilt auction at The Distillery District and see our " Girl Crazy" meet it's new owner, along with 50 other quilts that will go to loving new homes. I hope to take a few photos while there so will be posting soon with news of this fabulous charity event.

We're quite excited about it all, as when I put the last stitch in " Girl Crazy" and with much relief shipped it out of the studio, I had hoped in my heart of hearts that it might fetch $500. Cdn. Well, it is our understanding that the opening bid tomorrow night will be $ 450. And that does not take into account funds that have been raised via the tote bags and prints or the PR work it has done to raise the profile of the charity as the corset travelled across Canada.

We are over the moon about it's success and looking forward to schmoozing with fellow stitchers, prospective buyers and overall enjoying an evening of fun and laughter. A big thank you to all our friends and special appreciation to Dave and The DA for your love and support throughout this venture. We are truly grateful to all of you!

Watch this space for final results!

Long delay

2007-10-21T19:39:00.000-04:00

Time has eluded me where blogging is concerned this past week or so. Contractors at the house have kept me on my toes more than I'd like and trying to get ahead on some studio work has been a priority as I will be more than occupied this next week. Lots of things happening right now as The Quilt auction, CEG guild program and Creativ Festival are all on this week. There will certainly be lots to blog about shortly....so please hang in there.
I hope my American friends enjoy their time at Houston and my Canuck buds enjoy Creativ Fest.
Talk to you soon.....

More re Aquabond

2007-10-12T13:19:00.001-04:00

Allie left a comment re the Aquabond and a few others have enquired via e mail. I do know that it was difficult to obtain here in Canada but then it seems we are always behind the old 8 ball when it comes to new products. Having said that, CEG workshop members went into a " group buy" and we found a supplier on the west coast, http://www.stitchesquiltshop.com/
located on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. They were excellent to deal with and not only did they give us swift and efficient service but also sent along lovely quality ball point pens for each of us with their compliments! I'm sure there must be a US supplier but the Stitches Quilt shop would not be too far Allie for you to deal with from your location if you had problems getting it elsewhere.
Here's some other information I've gleaned that might help:

Aquabond can also be obtained through Bernina dealers and it is called" Aquamagic Plus"

For Irene and others in the UK : Aquabond or Aquatic Bond can be obtained through Barnyarns
The clear soluble that you put on top of the Aquabond is also called Avalon Fix and it can be obtained through Madeira suppliers.

Also, one can use Solvy as the top soluble but it is a bit foggy looking as opposed to clear so not as easy to see through when stitching .

All of these items are cheaper by the yard or metre from the roll than in packaged forms.
I think a yard would go a long way unless you are planning a very large wall hanging.

I hope this is helpful to some of you who would like to play with this newer product and
I'd love to hear some comments in time from those who have tried this technique. I LOVE the fact you can hand stitch through it without needles getting sticky or having to force your needles through the fabric, thread layers.

"Girl Crazy" on it's final journey!

2007-10-08T09:37:00.000-04:00

I visited "The Quilt Project" once more and checked out " Girl Crazy" before it went on it's final journey to Toronto. ( See my post August 21st). The " old girl" has held up exceptionally well and after a thorough examination of the piece, I'm happy to report it required no repairs or fix ups whatsoever. I guess triple stitching all those beads in place with silamide thread does pay off!

" Girl Crazy" has travelled across Canada and become quite the party girl so it's a credit to the terrific staff and amazing volunteers at The Quilt that the piece has been handled so well. Kudos to all of you and a special thanks from Joan and myself. It's been a blast working with you!

I enjoyed a lovely lunch with Debbie Deichert who is the Executive Director of the project and we excitedly discussed the upcoming auction ( October 23rd) in Toronto. " Girl Crazy" is now on exhibit at the beautiful venue of Casa Loma and will then head over to The Distillery District where it will meet it's new owner! Joanie ( my Mum and co-designer) is in fine fettle and it will be my privilege and pleasure to escort her to the auction where we plan to enjoy the fun and say goodbye to our " baby".

It seems most gals can't resist " trying on" Girl Crazy" and Carol Miller, the founder of The Quilt Project is no exception as she shows it off at a PR presentation in Stratford. http://www.thequilt.com/sponsors/media_room.html

Deb tried it out too.......looking good girl!

Deb Deichert, Executive Director, The Quilt Project

Who knows who will be wearing her next? We have an idea who - so stay tuned as the auction draws near!

More J & J workshop news

2007-10-07T20:15:00.000-04:00

With three absolutely packed workshop days, there is really not enough space in the blog to relay all that went on but it was very stimulating and everyone was pumped up to the hilt.
Jean's latest craze ( besides her obsession with pavement and potholes) is pushing the limits on the embellishing machine. I always had reservations about the Embellisher as I wondered if it was really worth the investment. Having spent a couple of days with Jean ( who will embellish almost anything that comes within her grasp) I have decided to purchase one. Seeing firsthand what the machine is truly capable of and having thoughts of creating your own fabric is just far too engaging!
Jean has a piece of her embellisher work in the new book " Embellish and Stitch" by the late Val Campbell-Harding and Maggie Grey. You can check it out via Maggie's blog http://www.magstitch.blogspot.com/ I've just ordered a copy for myself so will let you know more about it first hand when it arrives. Maggie was invaluable to me and CEG London a few years ago when I was teaching mask making, by sharing teaching materials and helping me to track down the then elusive " softsculpt". Thanks again Maggie!
Jan and Jean also have a wonderful series of books ( and a couple of new ones coming out shortly) available through their Double Trouble Enterprises http://www.doubletrouble-ent.com/ and they can also be obtained on this side of the pond through Barb at http://www.joggles.com/
A very special thanks to Jan and Jean for yet another fantastic visit with us. They had each and every one of us on stim overload and left our minds racing and our fingers itching to create!
While here with us, Jan and Jean stayed with Connie Jefferess, a highly revered and beloved member of our guild. All three were close friends with the late Constance Howard who was our guild patron for many years and it was wonderful that they could enjoy some quality time together while the workshops were going on. Below is a photo of Connie, Jan, Johnnene Maddison, our guild workshop convenor and Jean.

Notable quotes from the workshop:

"It's not what you have, it's what you do with what you have" - the late Constance Howard

"Life's too short and I'm too busy"- Jean, on cooking

"Some of you are too good and tidy for your own good" - Jean

" Make it atmospheric and textural not applique plonked on" - Jan on creating work on Aquabond

"Don't let your beads sit there like measles "- Jean, on adding beads as embellishments

Can you say stim overload?

2007-10-07T18:50:00.000-04:00

Well I've been pushing the envelope time wise, creatively and personally of late. CEG London members spent a wonderful three days with Jan ( Beaney) and Jean( Littlejohn) and the time literally flew by. They introduced us to Aquabond, a new water soluble stabilizer which is a dream to hand stitch through. It comes with a paper attached which you remove to work on. The Aquabond itself is extremely sticky ( that is an understatement!) so make sure cats, dogs, kids, husbands etc. are far from your work area. You secure it to your worktable with masking tape so you don't stick to it and it doesn't move out of place while you are working on it. You begin by laying out threads,cords what you like in a grid like fashion on the sticky Aquabond. You can lift pieces off and re-appy if you so choose. Add heavier threads, strips of fabric, whatever takes your fancy. Then you place a water soluble light plastic ( Guillieta) over the entire piece and press into place. At this point, you can machine or hand stitch it together. I used a #14 Chenille needle ( as in honking great needle) so I could use heavier threads and wools to stitch through the sandwich using large cross stitches, Romanian couching, knotted cable, sorbello stitch to name a few. Even with the heavy threads and large needle, the needle just slipped through the AB like butter. Like other water soluble stabilizers, you absolutely have to make sure your stitches are connected or when you wash it away, your piece will disentegrate. We were all collectively holding our breath when it came time to wash ours, especially the hand stitchers. Fortunately Jan had been quietly inspecting our pieces when we least thought she had and was pretty much assured that they would all turn out and they certainly did. See below!

Aquabond samplers laid out

Jan critiquing our pieces

As is the usual case with our guild members, the work was very diverse. They are such a creative , talented group and it's a joy to see everyone's individual take on things. Many pieces had a lacy effect to them and others specific design layouts. I incorporated small pieces of fabric into mine and made mine more dense. I was seeking a forest floor /grassland type of thing. I left some threads intentionally long as I could not decide whether to cut them or not and didn't want to be disappointed later on. I added some pieces of silk rods and of course, beads. I will lay it over another piece of printed fabric when I get back to work on it. Jan refers to me as the " wayward one" as I always tend to do my own thing and push the limits when trying new things ( and some old ones too!). I really enjoyed this technique and definitely want to play with it some more.

The "Wayward One's" piece

The ever ebullient Jean

Textile world losses

2007-09-25T11:42:00.001-04:00

The textile community is mourning the loss of three very dynamic women this month: Joan Colvin, Laurel Burch and Susan Oroyan. All most individual in their own right, talented and very giving of themselves. The ethereal beauty of Joan's quilts, the vibrant colours of Laurel's fabrics and the whimsy and delight of Susan's dolls have given us such an amazing legacy to inspire and influence us for years to come. We shall miss their earthly presence but will long remember their magnanimous contributions to the world of fibre arts. The heavenly angels' wardrobes will surely be upgraded to near perfection!

Thank your lucky stars........

2007-09-18T12:37:00.000-04:00

Sometimes in this world, when we are hurried, stressed and anxious, we tend to take for granted all that we really have and how fortunate we are. Everyone has their ups and downs and we all cope differently with the hand life deals us. Slow down, stop to think for a moment , count your spoons and tally up all you have to be thankful and grateful for .........

http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/2004/11/the_spoon_theory.php

Exciting days with Jan and Jean

2007-09-18T12:18:00.000-04:00

The Canadian Embroiderers' Guild London is sponsoring Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn in an intensive three day workshop starting tomorrow! I've been anticipating this since March and can't wait to see them once again and catch up. They are always on the cusp of what is new and exciting and never fail to leave you inspired.
I'll be reporting back to you on what transpires - so watch this space!

Betty Pillsbury - CQ Queen goes Green

2007-09-18T10:51:00.001-04:00

Many of you may already know Betty Pillsbury through her amazing talents as a crazy quilter and teacher of the needlearts www.bettypillsbury.com
What you may not be as aware of is the fact that Betty is also a passionate herbalist. Betty and her husband Dan, own an idyllic piece of property in the heart of the Catskill mountains in upstate New York, where they run a small family owned herbal business. They have worked diligently over the past few years to turn this pretty but once bare piece of land into three acres of paradise ! I would like to congratulate Betty and Dan on having their property certified as a Botanical Sanctuary this summer! Kudos to you both on being rewarded for your intensive labours and love of all things herbal and natural!
You can see photos and learn more about their endeavours at http://www.greenspiralherbs.com/ and check out Betty's new blog http://www.greenspiralherbs.com/ where you can follow their adventures, trials and tribulations and ultimate happiness in doing what they love.
Now to tie this back to needlework - many of us know all too well the aches and pains of repetitive strain injuries. It can be agonizing and debilitating! I have discovered a few sources of relief via Green Spiral Herbs that have helped me immensely and you may want to check it out for yourselves when surfing their site. I am not affiliated in any way with the business, other than I've been friends with Betty for a number of years and know the Pillsburys to be hardworking, honourable and dependable folks to deal with. In addition, I have personally found their natural products to be quite effective in dealing with stitching pain issues and let's be honest, anything that can give comfort and keep us doing what we love has got to be a plus!

Toronto the Good

2007-09-15T21:51:00.000-04:00

This is $ 200 Canadian .....

AND

This is $ 200. Canadian.......

Toronto 's Queen Street West can soon part you with your cash. This was one stop but when you are in supply land, like all good Canucks, you stock up for winter! I spent all Wednesday afternoon on Queen Street West, in Toronto. I never made it to Chinatown or Kensington market both of which were a mere kick in the butt around the corner. I had several projects in mind for the next few months and Queen West is a veritable wonderland for beaders with several new shops appearing in the last year or two. I am still more than loyal to my regular haunts but did manage to take a look/see in one or two of the newer shops which had a few unique items but quite frankly overall they don't hold a candle to my old faithfuls. In addition, I made a must-visit to Mac Fab for their amazing buttons and Sussman Bridal for trims and millinery supplies unequalled. I even managed to grab lunch today, something I seldom do when I go alone but it's been a bit of a frenzied week and I was near one of our favourite bistros, Shanghai Cowgirl and was drawn in. I mean, who could resist an offer like this one:

One has to keep in mind that Queen West is a very old district in Toronto and the shops , on average, are quite decrepid and packed very close together. I've often pondered about the fire codes and sirens play like constant background muzak in the district. Some shops are so crowded when you get inside, you can hardly swing a cat around. Known as the Arts and Design district on the newer street signs or just the " Textile district" to us oldies, you can expect that the shops are as individual and diverse as the owners themselves. Shanghai Cowgirl is a new business in the overall scheme of things but has existed on Queen for a couple of years or more. It is an eclectic place with an old forties type bar in the front with stools and a few tables and booths at the back. The infamous Brit chef, Jamie Oliver, has graced the premises and given it his thumbs up! The staff are all quite young and all very individualistic in their dress...no uniforms here, except perhaps for the tatts which are prolific, varied and colourful! In spite of the old worn wooden floors, the place is spotless and it is a kick to sit back with a " pop" and take in the atmosphere and "people watch" while you wait for your order. I think I was the only one there not sporting a pair of PF flyers ( or a tatt)! Oh, and did I mention the food is fabulous? I had a wonderful strip loin steak on a toasted bun with crisp tasty teriyaki vegetables and a side order of sweet potato fries ( one of the house specialties.) After a pleasant laid back break from arduous shopping, I headed out into the madness and flurry of Queen Street and dashed over to my old faithful, Arton Beads. The original shop, shown to the left in the picture below, is a tiny place which is packed to the gunnels with beads and findings. On the weekends, you literally cannot move in this place for shoppers and that's no exaggeration! It's literally " bum to bum" and every man for himself! Owners River and Alice, have opened a second shop right next door where you can buy one of a kinds, crsytals and more exclusive items. It is always a pleasure to shop at Arton's and you are welcomed with open arms. River in particular has a photographic memory and knows the prices of every item in the shop. When you take your baskets of merchandise to the counter, he swiftly writes everything down in pencil on a small pad and I actually priced everything on paper once myself as a little test and he hit every one spot on, right down to the tiny charms! He's a mathematical whiz as well as an excellent purveyor of beads .

And what would a trip to Queen West be without a stop at Mokuba? The name speaks for itself. The ribbons are to die for! Their newer location is so light and bright with a wonderful skylight and a contradiction to everything on Queen W. Very classy and upscale and of course, right in the heart of the textile district where you want and need it to be!

As six o'clock rolled around and weary shopkeepers were closing up, I lugged my loot towards the parking lot where my grateful bod sank deeply into the seat cushions of my car. Physically I felt knackered but mentally I was on a high and so satisfied with the day's acquisitions and events. Now to jostle and manouvre my way into the traffic ( a feat unto itself!) joining the surge to the Gardiner Expressway for the Formula 1 rally drive home!

Gardner bound!

Farewell beautiful, engaging, energizing megacity until October!

Here comes the wench?

2007-09-11T13:08:00.000-04:00

Those of you who have ever been to a medieval re-enactment or know folks who indulge in this pastime, can appreciate just how seriously they take themselves in making sure everything is realistic as possible. Costumers spend hours stitching every little detail right down to the underwear, boots and gloves. Here is a link, yet to another wedding. This time 14th century traditions in the here and now:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=481210&in_page_id=1770&in_a_source=

In addition, I've added a few sites for you to peruse more medieval stitchery and costume. They are but a few out there but these alone could keep you busy for hours on end and contain some fascinating information:

http://www.sca.org.au/broiderers
/http://aeg.atlantia.sca.org/
http://stannes.atlantia.sca.org/
http://www.costumegallery.com/

Now back to the 21st century for a moment! I'm off to Toronna (that's affectionate Canadian slang for Toronto) on a " supply run" tomorrow and will be back with lots of news on what's happening in The Megacity. Thursday is the opening day of the Canadian Embroiderers' Guild Fall session so there will be lots of textile, stitching news and photos towards the end of the week!
Take care, be safe, stitch well and talk soon......

More colours to make you think!

2007-09-10T00:32:00.000-04:00

Here's another wonderful site that gives you some amazing colour palettes to play with and there is an overwhelming number of combinations. Some of them will excite you, some will make you shudder but all will incite a reaction in you. You will also find news, articles and trends among many other colour related topics. You could spend hours here playing and learning.
http://www.colourlovers.com/

In addition, there is a link to a most interesting colour and design blog, which I have enjoyed for some time. It's a fascinating read and will educate you daily!
http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/

After getting psyched up with all this colour stimulation, now go through your stash, beads or threads and pick out some colours you don't normally gravitate to and put some together...... mix and match and play! You'll be surprised what can develop from these exercises.

Ah go on, be a kid again!

2007-09-06T20:56:00.000-04:00

Although I am busier than ever with three or four large projects on the books, my mind has gone into limbo this past couple of days. Ever have that happen to you....the old bouncing brain syndrome when you just can't get the beano to settle in on one thing? In a way, it's a good sign as I know when this usually happens, shortly thereafter I have a flood of ideas and a flourish of creativity but for the time being, it's a bit frustrating and disconcerting.

I decided to putter through some of my old favourites online and came across this one.... a wonderful site from the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC - it's the Kids Art Zone and there are a plethora of things to do and play around with that just might stimulate your mind ( or mine!) Take a look-see.....

http://www.nga.gov/kids/zone/zone.htm

I'm toying with colour combinations these days and teeing up my stash with embellishments, threads, beads etc. I have on hand and playing 'Russian roulette' with some of them.

If you're playing with your fabrics and need a nice little colour boost, check out this wonderful resource.

http://beta.dailycolorscheme.com/

I think I need a run to the Toronto textile district next week, with side orders of Chinatown and Kensington market - that always seems to stimulate me! Yeh, let's work that into the agenda!

Restless and ready to rip.....

Another wedding dress story

2007-09-03T11:33:00.000-04:00

I'm not usually that struck on wedding dresses persé but I do love a bit of history. In today's edition of the British newspaper, the Daily Mail , there's an article on a wedding dress that has been handed down in a family. Six brides have worn the dress and it is very interesting to view the photos and see how the same dress has been altered and accessorized over the generations. Personally, I love the 1935 version. How about you?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=479617&in_page_id=1770

Manipulating satin cords

2007-08-30T15:24:00.000-04:00

Léonie's Square for the 2007 Art Bra Quilt

There has been a discussion on the Crazy Quilt Embellishers list regarding the use of satin cord ( commonly called rat tail) as an embellishment in crazy quilting. Victoria Adams Brown, http://ribbonsmyth.com/ a dear friend and Grand Mistress Poohbah of the Art Bra calendars and A Way to Women's Wellness Foundation has kindly asked me if I would post a picture of the square I did for this year's Art Bra quilt ( see above).

You will see in the upper right hand corner, I have manipulated the chartreuse satin cord into a shape that I thought complimented the brass buttons - almost a Celtic type of design. The holes in the buttons were large enough that I could carefully draw the cord through them, which helped in stitching them more securely to the fabric. I also made a loose knot with the cord at the bottom centre of the design and then added a cloisonne bead and a couple of shell star beads to offset it. On the upper left side, I made a snake like design back and forth across the seam line with the purple cord and then simply couched it down with a lighter shade of thread. Round metallic chartreuse beads set into the loops created the finishing touch. Now, Vic has taken this technique and run with it - twisting and knotting it and adding wonderful vintage button clusters http://www.flickr.com/photos/ribbonsmyth/on her crazy quilt vests . Ooh I LOVE the overall effect and that lavender with the vintage buttons is to die for! Allie Aller, another talented art bra designer and stitcher extraordinaire, has a tutorial on her blog showing us how to attach satin cording to a quilt border http://alliesinstitches.blogspot.com/2007/08/adding-cording-to-border.html . It really offsets the borders and adds a touch of class to her already exquisite work. There should be enough inspiration here to get you all going!

Thanks for your support!

2007-08-29T18:12:00.001-04:00

I'd like to acknowledge those of you who have made comments on my blog and also those who have sent private emails, supporting me in my new venture in blogland! Thanks so much for all your encouragement and support! It is greatly appreciated!
It was a bit daunting at first but I am slowly catching on and after a month of on and off frustration, finally managed to post a pic in my profile. I had a charming one of myself when I was much younger, but decided who the hell was I kidding, so went ahead with a more recent one - scary but a little more realistic! Ha!
I thought with my guys away, I had this week to myself but I've spent a few days with my Mum and it's been very rewarding. I am so lucky to still have her in my life and try never to be too busy that I can't enjoy her company for a while. Today we went shoe shopping and saw some amazing filigree leather shoes from Brazil that would knock your socks off. But, having toyed with the killer winkle pickers in my youth, alas, I could only admire them! I digress, but the experience reminded me of a book I am reading by Nora Ephron, called " I Feel Bad About My Neck". It is a light read but a hilarious accounting of women dealing with getting older. I love her line" Oh, how I regret not having worn a bikini for the entire year I was 26. If anyone young is reading this, go, right this minute, put on a bikini and don't take it off until you're thirty four." Ah yes, great thought in retrospect Nora!
But back to the shoe foray today, it reminded me of the Shoe Challenge Barb at Joggles is hosting. It is going to be so much fun and I for one, have taken Barb up on her quest for altered shoes! For further info, check it out at: http://www.joggles.com/shoe-challenge.htm
And while I'm at it, congratulations Barb on your four year anniversary of starting the Joggles company. You've done an amazing job in the time frame. My best wishes go to you for your continued success in the future!
( And P.S. I'll be teaching the online Intermediate Bead Embroidery class with Joggles starting in January - so watch my blog and Barb's web site and newsletters for information on Joggles mid Winter classes!)

The Queens' Wedding Dress

2007-08-27T21:09:00.000-04:00

Today there is a wonderful article in the London ( UK) Telegraph about a then 18 year old Betty Foster, a seamstress in the workrooms of the designer Norman Hartnell and her recollections of working on the wedding dress of Queen Elizabeth 11 of England. This year the Queen celebrates her 60th wedding anniversary and the dress has been on display in a special exhibit open to the public at Buckingham Palace. The story is quite delightful.

Here's the link to the article:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/portal/2007/08/28/nosplit/ftroyal128.xml

There is also an online site about the collection and pictures via this link:

http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/default.asp?action=article&ID=500

Sharon's on the move......

2007-08-25T23:39:00.000-04:00

Sharon Boggon in Australia, affectionately known to the stitching community as sharonb, has been beset with frustrations regarding her blog inaminuteago. As a result, she is in the process of moving her site to:

http://sharonb.wordpress.com/

If you know anything about Sharon, you will appreciate that's a lot of material to move! Sharon is a natural communicator and has generously contributed so much to the online stitching community. Her online stitch dictionary alone is worth it's weight in gold Please take time to drop in on Sharon's new blog and offer her your thanks and support! A new addition to Sharon's blog is a lovely photo of herself so you can now put a face to the generous spirit!

Rolling Broccoli !

2007-08-24T10:57:00.000-04:00

Today I have something which is bead/textile related in that I had wonderful service from Jessica and Susan Partain of Inedible Jewelery. Jessica acknowledged my purchase of some broccoli cufflinks and notified me they had been sent. In the course of our conversation, I gave a short explanation of " why broccoli". Jessica asked if she could use the information in a written communication and in return, Jessica also agreed that I could quote her in my blog.

"One of our lovely customers purchased a pair of these broccoli cuff links recently. We always send a thank you email, confirming the purchase and letting people know when their goodies will ship. Virtually no one ever responds to this email. In this instance, however, she replied and gave us the story behind her purchase- a rare treat for us! Turns out she wanted these broccoli cuff links for her husband, who happens to be an avid motorcyclist (strictly BMWs, which sounds really familiar, Mr. Inedible being a vintage BMW addict rider himself.)What on earth, you might ask, does broccoli have to do with BMW motorcycling? Well, everything it turns out! Her husband is a member of a group of motorcycle enthusiasts (emphatically not a motorcycle gang) that call themselves The International Order of Rolling Broccoli Riders. It is certainly the best broccoli-themed association ever invented! So, when you're traveling through Canada or some of the more northerly parts of the US, be on the lookout for some really friendly guys on BMWs. You'll know it's the Broccoli Riders if they all have green thumbnails. (Or if they're wearing broccoli cuff links!) "

PS - Just to explain the green thumbnails, whenever the Broccoli Boys sponsor a rally, instead of stamping hands to get back into the grounds, they use green nailpolish on thumbs!

Both Jessica and her sister Susan design and make the jewelery AND some wonderful foodie charms which many of you beaders and crazy quilters out there might LOVE for your creations. Check out their Etsy site too. I have no affiliation - just had great service! Thanks Ladies!

" Girl Crazy"

2007-08-21T21:24:00.000-04:00

Rough scan of the mock up for the" Girl Crazy" print

I guess what has been uppermost in my mind lately has been the ongoing interest and success of " Girl Crazy", a crazy quilted corset donated by " The Hartley Girls" to " The Quilt" a breast cancer support project, based in Stratford, Ontario. The Hartley Girls are comprised of myself, who does all the physical stitching and design layout and my darling Mum Joan, who is my #1 design consultant. She is also a twelve year breast cancer survivor.

Joan - my Design Consultant at the Artists' Preview - May/07

" Girl Crazy" seems to have taken on a life of it's own with The Quilt issuing a signed numbered limited edition print, beautiful totes and shoe /wine bags, and it's image is displayed on all the marketing materials for The Quilt including corporate invitations, auction tickets and programmes. Whew! Who knew that a piece of vintage lingerie would inspire us so and our creation would become such an ambassador for the cause?

The DA checking out the merchandise at" The Quilt" gift shop

The actual crazy quilted corset has travelled across Canada and has been exhibited at auction sites throughout the year. This Thursday it travels to Halifax, Nova Scotia, the heart of the Maritimes provinces, to be on show during the auction there. It then returns home to the Stratford exhibit until mid September and then it will begin it's final journey. The corset will spend four weeks at the luxurious Casa Loma venue, a majestic " medieval" castle in the heart of Toronto and then will move to The Distillery District , a national historic site and an extraordinary artistic community. On October 23rd, it will go on the auction block with several other beautiful donated quilts. We couldn't be more delighted with it's success but ultimately, we are thrilled with the funds it has raised for this most worthwhile effort.

Joan and I would especially like to thank and acknowledge the wonderfully creative minds at Red Rhino for their innovative ideas and the tasteful way in which they've handled our work. Thanks folks!

I'll be posting more info and pics closer to the auction date.

First Foray into Cyber Space

2007-08-21T21:15:00.000-04:00

At long last, I've joined the world of blogging! Friends and students have often suggested I start a blog to share ideas, news, inspiration and to give them updates on what I am doing. It's taken a while but I've jumped in with both feet and I'll let the chips fall where they may!
Special thanks go to my two " tekkies", my son, affectionately known as The DA, and my friend Kevin in Wales, for their sage advice and patience in " teaching an old dog, new tricks".