Dreamin' Up Landscapes & Embellishment Safaris

The workshop space was bustling yesterday as students worked stitching up their landscapes. Here they are showing off their quilt tops all sandwiched and ready to start the couching of pretty yarns that pull everything together.

With the workspace grown quiet again my mind is spinning with plans for my first ever Embellishment Safari.

Really looking forward to the hunt for any new, exotic or over-the-top embellishments that we can hunt up on our safari through Los Angeles schedule for this week.

If you've ever been here and know of a wild store that just shouldn't be missed please let's hear from you.

Stitchin' Up Book 2
~Rose

Quiet Time

The house and studio are quiet right now, but yesterday this was not the case. My first in-house studio workshop is coming along quite nicely, and my students and I are having a lot of fun. They came photos in hand and we dove right into designing yesterday morning. The photos were of trips to France and Italy and a bit of local fauna thrown in as well. The designs came together and then the fabrics came out. We all have our own personal taste when it comes to fabrics and it is a treat to get to see how each person derives their selections. The same design so takes on the personality of the one selecting the fabrics. One may have wonderful whimsical prints, another beautiful hand dyed or printed gems, and on and on.... it's what makes working with fabric so much fun.

I have to admit to getting so busy during the class that few photos were taken. The ones here show only the quiet workstations patiently awaiting the return of the students. Sunday is day-two. Stay tuned!

Happily Stitchin'
~Rose

Quickly Catching Up

No need to think about jumpin' today. Things are doing that all on their own. Episode #413, my debut on The Quilt Show began airing yesterday. It was great to see it, such great reminder of all the fun I had in LaVeta last year.

I am trying to stay close to the studio this week focusing on book two, but I wanted to thank all the great quilters up in Bakersfield (Cottonpatch Quilter's) for a wonderful three day adventure. It was a bit warm (104 at times) but we all had a great time at the workshop... looking foward to seeing the quilts after they are finished up.



The little blocks here were sewn up to be included in the 25th Anniversary celebration of the Empty Spools seminars in 2010.
These went off yesterday,

but not before Edgar (my receptionist) put his two cents in about the work schedule... this he did of course by laying right on top of all the fabrics for
the book two quilts.... he'll soon be shoo'd away.



More as the week progresses.
Happy to find stitch' time,
~Rose

After The Open Studio

The last lights were turned down on my summertime open studio on Sunday evening. The weekend brought lots of people into the studio to see all the quilts, books, and assorted other little things that have been stitched up. They were not disappointed and I want to thank everyone that stopped by. There was one large quilt (Midnight Flight) and many other little items that found a new homes, Edgar my reception cat was plum tuckered out. He had a great time wandering through everyone's legs and making all kinds of new friends.

The weekend through, I spent time Monday packing up my BACKROADS JOURNEY'S exhibit which is spending the summer on the road traveling to several Original Creative Festivals. The first one is scheduled for Cincinnati, OH - June 25, 26, 27, 2009.

Now it is back to stitchin for the book.
Hoppin' & Stitchin'
~Rose

Hoppin"

Things around here are certainly hoppin'. If you're close enough by I hope you're planning to stop by my open studio this weekend.

It is always fun! This summer, in celebration of all the colorful inspiration around me there will be a couple of color projects in the studio so everyone can join in.

Other things hoppin' include book 2, and I'm having a blast writing it... All is moving along on schedule!

The frogs on the log definitely only number 3 at the moment for I've jumped in.
The video link here will take you to the Pointer Sisters, and if you don't feel like jumping after you see it, I'd be surprised.

More will definitely follow... for now it is Monday... so JUMP!
~Rose

Play Continues

June is shaping up to be pretty busy, but in the midst of all the busy-ness the play group is my oasis. We have now been meeting for over a year and with all our own busy-ness going on we have found that some simple warm up exercises helps let go of all that outside stuff and 'be in the room'. We have a basket that we fill up with simple words or phrases written on slips of paper. Then at the start of each play day we pick one and spend a few minutes letting inspiration come.

Sometimes we draw for 3 minutes per pick, or other times we may use felt and glue. Recently we did quick paintings on sandwich paper (quite fun!), and then this week we did fused fabrics to felt. We up'd the time to 7 minutes for these. They are a great way to refocus... let go of all the other stuff that we may have going on. On occasion these become jumping off points for other personal projects or series... it's always interesting to see what pops up.

The photo I've include here is one from this Tuesdays efforts. The three words were, TRULY, MEANDERING & SMOKIN'. In the photo it shows a row from each of the artists with their interpetations of the words (start left to right). After three rounds of the word game we moved on to try out more things using Lutradur. A fun, relaxing time in the middle of BUSY-NESS.

Hope you get to try it for yourself sometime soon.
Happily stitchin' & writing book two,
~Rose

The Quilt Show - Episode 413

Is it really June!?
It is and I have been too busy trying to update and email to get the word out about stuff happening this month. First, and probably the thing I have been looking forward to for almost a year, it the airing of my episode on Fast-Piece Applique, on The Quilt Show. For those unaware this is a webcast tv style magazine (I guess that kind of sums it up). The guest stars are Ricky Tims and Alex Anderson, and I had a ton of fun visiting LaVeta, CO last fall to film my episode with them.

While Ricky and Alex were wonderful, the crew and staff of The Quilt Show were also delightful, and I was lucky enough to share my episode with Clare O'Donohue. She and I were both there with our first books. Mine Dream Landscapes, and Clare's The Lover's Knot! Both of us had a great time! Besides the excitement of being filmed and the live audience there were the visting ghosts at the LaVeta Inn, and a black bear, too!

Clare's mystery was wonderful and she is now writing her third book, with her second due out in September. There's always time for a good mystery and when you add the quilting scene as your backdrop it's not surprising what will happen.

There are other things happening soon that make this month special.
Over the weekend of June 12 thru 14 I will be hosting my SUMMERTIME OPEN STUDIO.

This year the theme will be all about color and there will be a couple of fun color projects to try your hand at while you're there.

Also, this month is the first time I am offering STUDIO WORKSHOPS.This first 2-Day workshop is scheduled for June 27 &28.
Join me for Dream Landscapes. Limited to 4 students. $150 (lunch provided).

CLICK HERE TO GET FURTHER INFO AND DIRECTIONS!

Happily stitchin', writin' and jumpin'!
~Rose