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

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

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

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!

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

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?

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

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........

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

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

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

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?

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!

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!

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

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

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!

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

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......

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 !

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"

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

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".