Having Fun with Blackwork

Spent the last couple evenings getting ready to teach this morning's class on Blackwork Filling Patterns. I love teaching this class as it really is one where you see the light bulb go on in people's eyes as they begin to understand the concepts and make it their own.

There were 16 in an ANG class today - all very experienced stitchers. Some had done blackwork before. A couple had taken classes from Ilse Althaer (?sp) on making Blackwork Reversible. And still the light bulb went on in these stitchers' eyes. It was so VERY rewarding. They came away from class thinking that Blackwork is fun! Hurrah - more converts. A couple even stated that they intended to finish the project -- high praise indeed -- so I'm riding high

Tonight is switching gears as tomorrow I teach beginning Metal Thread Embroidery with a bit of bullion basics thrown in for good measure. Of course putting the kits together is so much fun with a new kitten around.

You can lead a horse to water

It seems that this same theory holds true with needleworkers. They have been asking for classes on more advanced stitches, but no one showed. Spent large portions of last week doing up the handout for 3 raised stitches. Oh well! Yes I'll post the handout sometime this week - for the audience at large.

Yes the trip pics are up on the personal portion of the website. Spent several days doing a quick and dirty travel log with pics - including the costume and embroidery pages.

This last weekend was October Crown. A bit wierd as the site we use also was used by the CDF (California Forestry Dept) to fight a nearby forest fire. We had smaller space allotment than usual, massive modern lighting all day and night, helicopters flying in and out, and collie dogs in trainging for another group - dogs barked all day. A number of the off duty fire fighters came over to check out our group and its doings.

We came home with a kitten - 12 weeks old, from a friend whose cat had a litter. The husband has said we should get our present male cat a kitten so... Tomorrow the vet and when we get the all clear then we will do the introductions. Meanwhile I need to find a way to put all my fiber arts stuff away. I am sooooo spoiled as our current cat could care less about needles, thread, yarn, etc. He will act as a fabric weight and loves wool, but other wise is an embroiderers delight. I can see lots of challenges ahead.

I played hooky

Went on a wonderful 2 week vacation and didn't do any needlework. I really played hooky!

Husband and I spent lots of time in museums in Washington DC. Don't remember when I walked soooooo much. Ended the 1st part, on my birthday, with going to the White House in the AM, the Library of Congress exhibit on 350 years of Jewish Life in America in the afternoon, and Cirque du Soleil's Varekai in the PM. It is good to have a flexible mind.

Then off to visit friends in Alexandria via Mt Vernon. Wonderful house in old town, good food and company. Got our cat fix too. Then off again to Colonial Williamsburg. Lots more walking. Spent serious money on this trip on books - clothing, textiles, and cookbooks. The DeWitt Museum has wonderful drawers of textiles including samplers and other embroidered items so guess I did at least look at needlework on the trip.

Finished off the trip with a visit to horse country and another friend's home which is styled as a Regency Country House. She has taken an old "ranch" and rebuilt it into a working farm. It is completely organic and supports an English style tavern. It is also one of the largest farms for shire horses Ayrshire Farm.

I'll post pics to the personal website soon - if anyone is interested.

Finally readjusting to being back and the time change. Spent the day working on my handout for the class for October Crown - 3 Raised Stitches (Detached Buttonhole, Trellis, and Hollie Point). Yes I'll post the handout to the website after the class. For those that have a raised eyebrow as to whether Hollie Point is Elizabethan - Digby says it is, but others disagree.

Now to wind down with The Three Muskateers and some basic sewing stuff - yes sometimes you just need to do the repair work too.

Getting Ready for Vacation

Time seems to run sooooooo fast thesse days. I had planned to use August to catch up on my stitching projects. Instead it became recover from A&S. I'm finally feeling like being creative and work, which has been little to non-exisitent for the last couple years seems to be on a large up-swing. Soooo I've had to be "professional". While I'd like to think that I'm professional in the way I think and do things, having to put on the outward trappings is another thing altogether. Getting up early - putting on a full face of makeup - putting on panty hose - putting on the "suit" - putting on real shoes (pumps versus clogs) - getting in the car and driving through traffic... Then being there in the room 110% to hear the case. Most of the time I multi-task. It is something I'm good at. However, when I'm hearing a case - the others in the room wouldn't understand if I brought my needlework along. Oh- well. 2 cases later...

Did a little more weaving. Good relaxation on the evenings when I'm home from working. I promise pics soon. Did some research into a lacis project. I may take the test project with me on vacation. It is a lot of set up which is suitable for sitting around in the evenings that we aren't out and about or when we are staying with friends. Did a bit of prep for a set of blackwork collar and cuffs for me. I will take the frontispiece for the German with me to do, but will probably also take the collar and cuffs - repetition is good and relatively mindless work.

When I return I need to prep for the 3 classes I'm teaching in October, finish my surface embroidery project (the radish book) and do the next installment for my column. The first issue with my column should be hitting the stands about now - Sept/Oct issue of Needlepoint Now. Hope they made all the last minute fixes on the citations. Yes it is REAL (big grin).

PS my phone now has the email and phone numbers from my computers address book - now to do the final updates to my Palm. It works!

Coping with the Modern World

"Toys" are supposed to make life easier. I suppose in the long run they will, but for now I'm doing a lot of weaving to combat the frustration of trying to make my toys work together. Strange how all the creative energy gets eaten when dealing with picky little details.

Tonight was a big break through - my phone and my computer communicated. Yes Bluetooth technology really works. Some day I'll have my phone and a portion of my email address book on my phone. Yes I'll still have the Palm/Treo, but since the email and phone both are through the phone...

Part of this is trying to get ready to go on vacation. We have 2 weeks in DC-Alexandria-Colonial Williamsburg - Virgina coming up fast. Meanwhile I have "real" work coming fast too. Sigh -- not a lot of time or energy to play with my needlework.
It always seems that you have to do so much to get ready to go on vacation and then catch up on the return side. I sometimes wonder if vacation is really worth all the trouble. Most of the time my needlework is my mental vacation.

Need to think about what project to take with me on this vacation. I have no doubt that if I don't take a project, I'll wish I had, but if I do, I won't get a lot of time to stitch.