Quilting Arts June/July 2014 Issue Available in Canada/New Northcott Line

Just to let readers know that the June/July issue of Quilting Arts Magazine, with my profile interview, is now available at news stands in Canada. I picked one up at Chapters on Saturday night.

Today I am sorting through hundreds of poppy photographs I've taken over the years. I need to come up with some sketches for my next Northcott line of fabric. Yes, the theme will be poppies, plus a luscious palette of mottled fabrics based on my hand-dyed fabrics. Just sharing a little poppy inspiration today.

Dye Happy, Part 4 & Student Work

Yesterday was Session 4 of my Dye Happy class at Wabi Sabi, so I'm sharing some photos. By the way, for those of you on the western side of Canada, I will be teaching this 5 day class at Cherry Tree Quilts, in the beautiful Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, August 18-22. My "Hosta Leaves 101" class has also been added for August 16.

This fabric was created by Ruth using black-eyed peas bound with elastic bands.

 

More flour paste resist 

and bomaki shibori

 and a value gradation by Bev.

 Folded fabric by Valerie.

Arashi shibori T-shirt by Bev.

Becky at the soy wax batik station, wearing her arashi shibori T-shirt.

Students took turns at the soy wax batik station, and at other times worked on whatever project they wanted. Becky decided to dye another colourwheel.

I treated myself to a couple of dyed tunics recently. These are actually dress blanks I purchased at Dharma Trading Company. They fall a couple of inches above the knee, and I think will look best with cropped leggings.

On to some student work. Judy took my "In Full Bloom" class several months ago, and made this poppy. She dyed the background fabrics in our Dye Happy class and brought the finished result to class yesterday. Love how the centre picks up the blue of the background and the diagonal value gradation in the background.

Barb Westfall took my In Full Bloom class in Winnipeg back in March and sent a photo of her finished piece. Her work also features a diagonally pieced background. Great job on the values.

This is my original quilt, "Kissing Joy". The poppy pattern that students are using comes from the bottom poppy on this quilt. This photo of Wendy Wood and I was taken at the Manitoba Prairie Quilters show and conference in March 2014. Thanks for the photo Wendy.

I heard a report that several students at the Huron-Perth Quilt Guild finished their poppies and had them displayed at their quilt show this spring. This one, by Thea Rijkhoff-Ramler, was shared on Facebook. I love the little red accents she has placed in the wonky background blocks.

This peony was made by Sylvia Young in my two-day (design your own) "In Full Bloom" class last year.

Heather Williams won a second place at the Common Thread Quilt Guild's show two weekends ago, for the piece she began in my Liberated Radial Piecing class.

Always a pleasure sharing student work :-))

Hosta Heaven

On my way home from teaching in Prince Edward County, I had the pleasure of visiting a private hosta garden near Charleston Lake, north of Lansdowne, Ontario. A big thank you to my student, Carol Garner, for introducing me to this paradise! Many varieties of hostas were unfurling, in a wide variety of colours and shapes. The water droplets from the rain certainly enhanced them. After the rain, and against the grey day, the leaves absolutely glowed and emitted light. I was in HOSTA HEAVEN!

I don't think I need to say anymore. Please enjoy the photos.

In this last photo, the blue-purple grape hyacinths provide a stunning contrast against the yellow green of this variety of hosta. If you are interested in knowing the names of each type, they are posted near each plan. I am more interested in the highlights and shadows, the lines, and the curves.

I am planning to return to this garden again in other seasons. Stay tuned!

A Trip to Prince Edward County, Ontario

This past week I spent time hanging out in Prince Edward County (Picton and Bloomfield), lecturing and teaching for the Prince Edward County Quilt Guild. Above is the view of Picton Harbour from my hotel room.

I delivered a lecture on Wednesday evening at Pinecrest School in Bloomfield. You can see members arriving for the lecture here. What a wonderfully friendly and helpful group of women. I had an entire team helping me transport my stuff back to my car at the end of the evening.

Thursday I taught "Liberated Radial Piecing" in the classroom at Picton Fabric World. The classroom was fairly spacious with each student having their own table.

This class involves a lot of sewing and cutting before you can begin to design your piece.

We start with a lot of strip piecing of fabrics that have been cut free-hand.

Enjoy the riot of colour in these photos as students begin to cut up their stripped fabric and form a design.

I decided to stay an extra day since this is a part of Ontario I love. Last summer I posted some photos taken of an August day in Prince Edward County. You can see those here.

In Bloomfield I found this sign in front of a home, inviting visitors to their garden. I did just that!

I found magnolia trees in full bloom :-))

Bleeding hearts:

Tulips everywhere. Enough tulips to rival the Canadian Tulip Festival in my own city of Ottawa. And they all had drops of rain enhancing them.

Hostas are unfurling everywhere at this time of year. But just wait until my next blog post ... HOSTA HEAVEN!!