We drove out on the West Cork Peninsula to see a group called Sheeps Head Yarns in the village of Kilcrohane. The group of fiber spinners, dyers, and crafters was founded by Niamh Egerton and Jemima Wallis-Eade. They started the Sheeps Head Yarn Festival which takes place in May a couple years ago in an […]
Food and Fiber Lovers’ Tour–Day 4
Sunday, August 27th brought us to the Rock of Cashel, another World Heritage Site with which I was unfamiliar. I’m starting to feel woefully ignorant of the significant and amazing places around the world. It’s a group of Medieval buildings set on an outcrop of limestone in the Golden Vale which include the 12th century […]
Food and Fiber Lovers’ Tour of Ireland — Day 3
We spent the morning at the Kilkenny Design Center, which is home to The National Design and Craft Gallery located in the former stable yard of Kilkenny Castle. There was an exhibition of fascinating designer wear, much of it featuring unexpected materials. Just like Project Runway! The piece below has yards and yards of pleated […]
Food and Fiber Lovers Tour of Ireland–Day2
On Friday, August 25th we went to the town of Graignenamanagh, no idea how to pronounce it!, for a tour of the Cushendale Woolen Mills. Our tour guide was the personable Phillip Cushen, the sixth generation of the family to run and own the mill. There are thirteen steps in processing the raw wool into […]
Food and Fiber Lovers’ Tour of Ireland
This was my second fiber tour with Kathy Brassill of Handcrafted Holidays. My first trip was three years ago in Scotland and England. I highly recommend Kathy’s trips. She specializes in the UK and Ireland and does but one trip a year as she is employed in three other jobs. Her trips have sold out […]
Quilt Judging Pointers
In August I was contacted by Brenda Wolfensberger of Quilter’s Stash Box asking me to answer questions on quilt show judging for her blogpost entitled “What Are Certified Quilt Judges Looking For?” Her questions were: 1. What prompted you to become a judge? 2. What year did you begin judging, and how did the decision […]
Some Quick Quilt Show News and More
Last weekend I received a 2nd place award for “Z is For Zinnia, C is For Cosmos” at the Northwest Quilting Expo here in Portland, OR. I love the “lemonade” quilt on the right. See more images in my gallery by clicking on the link. Then a few weeks back “Anasazi Roadways” was juried into […]
Quilt Show Catch-up
I am so woefully far behind in my posting, it’s frustrating. First of all, I want to recognize quilts from the Oregon Coastal Quilters Show in Newport, OR in August. Here’s the view from the Clearwater restaurant located at the Historic Bayfront where we went to dinner the first evening. Simply gorgeous. The food is […]
Studio Art Quilt Associates Benefit Auction
I just returned Saturday evening from Ireland where I did a Food and Fiber Lovers’ Tour through Kathy Brassill’s Handcrafted Holidays. A group of eight of us did the entire perimeter of the country over seventeen days. We visited a weaving studio, the gallery of two feltmakers, and a sheep farm among other sites and […]
Off to Ireland among other things
I leave tomorrow for Ireland on a Food and Fiber Lovers’ Tour organized by Kathy Brassill of Handcrafted Holidays out of Tacoma, WA. I went with her and a group of seven to Scotland and England in September 2014 and am very much looking forward to this trip. I will post photos on FB. If […]
Quilts by the Sea in Newport, Oregon
At the beginning of the month I was pleased to have the Oregon Coastal Quilters Guild ask me to judge their show this year. I judged for them the first two years they held a judged show and looked forward again to the high quality of their work. Every year they do a beautiful raffle […]
Not So “Humble Quilts”
Northwest Quilters’ Guild hosted quilter and blogger Lori DeJarrett as our guest speaker. Her blog is Humble Quilts and the title of her presentation was “Ten Reasons Why I Quilt.” Two which come to mind are to celebrate a friend or family member and to challenge herself with a new technique, reasons all quilters can […]
Coming Up Roses
It has been nearly a month since I last posted. Why so long? I have been swamped first with one thing then another starting with the first week upon my return from France. In no particular order: eye surgery–left eye judging the Oregon Coastal Quilters Show in Newport designing a simplified version of “Z is […]
Exciting Quilt News
While I was in France, I learned through a Facebook post from IQA/Houston that my entry entitled “Terra I” has been juried into this year’s show, which takes place November 1 – 5. The quilt is in the Abstract–Small category. I don’t know if I’m going to attend the show, as I return from the […]
Vive La France!
I’ve returned from three weeks in Provence where we stayed in the renowned wine-producing village of Chateauneuf-du-pape, which means the pope’s new chateau. The chateau was built in the 12th century. However, little is still standing as the Germans set fire to it during World War II, as they were retreating. Nevertheless, the chateau is […]
Two Great Guild Presentations
Once a quarter, I have two guild meetings the same week. This month both Northwest Quilters’ Guild and the Columbia FiberArts Guild had wonderful speakers for their evening programs. Rob Appell, who bills himself under the Man Sewing brand, gave a high-energy, entertaining program at Northwest Quilters. It was easily the longest program I’ve ever […]
Value Does All the Work
A couple weeks ago, I completed the ninth annual Master Art Series with Hollis Chatelain at The Oregon Garden. This year was all about neutrals and identifying our own style. Prior to class, we selected six pieces of our work: three that were successful and three that were not. Each day of the five days, […]
Drawing on My Computer
I mentioned in a previous post I was taking an on-line course called Digital Design from the Pixeladies. The ultimate goal of the course was to use a tablet and Photoshop Elements (PSE) to design fabric that you could have printed from one of the on-line printing companies, such as Spoonflower, or at home using […]
It’s a Wrap!
Beaverton, a city within the greater Portland-Metro area, has a Beautify Beaverton Vinyl Art Wrap Project. The city has selected artwork which will transform utility and traffic signal boxes into artistic features throughout the city. I’m excited to say I learned two of my pieces have been chosen. Here are the two pieces I’m going […]
Clean Up That Studio!
In March I started a year-long Master Studio Series with Lisa Call. I haven’t written about it, because it’s something I’m doing for myself and my art. My partner Mike isn’t even aware I’m involved in it. (You can see he doesn’t read my blog). There are a lot of moving parts to the program […]
More Good News!
I learned this past week that “Z is For Zinnia, C is For Cosmos” has been selected for the cover of the AQS 2018 wall calendar. Surprised and delighted is how I feel. And if that isn’t enough, the quilt is featured on the inside cover of the July issue of American Quilter magazine as […]
