Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Feeling Great!

Last night was the Minnesota Contemporary Quilters meeting, and our guest was Nancy Kazlauckas the author of Thread Calligraphy! She and her husband Jim are just nice people, with a good amount of wit! I had the pleasure of having dinner with them before the meeting, and they are just good people!

While I was at the meeting (before it started) I checked my email and found an awesome email! The North East Minneapolis Arts Association, that hosts and does all of the publicity and planning for the Art-A-Whirl art crawl in may, sent me an email. They are using one of my pieces in their ad for the silent auction this year! I am SO excited! It will be a full color, full page ad in the directory, and they plan to use it for posters and postcards too! Wahoooo!

I went into the studio on Sunday, to work on my Quilt With A Sense of Humor - the guild challenge this year. I actually ended up leaving with the quilting done!

Here's a couple snapshots of the "Dali Llama":



"Dali Llama" is done with wool felt (this was sold fairly cheap in the same section that the acrylic craft felt is in), wool yarn, and roving that has been needle punched into the felt. He is 37" x 47" of cuteness!

I went in yesterday, and before I started quilting, I did what everyone should do, but we sometimes for get to! I took out my bobbin casing to clean out the lint, as you can see, it's been awhile! It sewed even better after taking the bunny out!



Then I got to work quilting this, as soon as I have the binding turned and add some paintsticking, I'll post final pictures:



I will be going back into the studio today most like, the next goal is about 10 sets of 12" quilted block, and I think it's 4 sets of approximate 20" blocks quilted. (Not all in one day of course..but over the next week or so.) I think it will be more efficient if I make all the blocks first, then quilt all of them at the same time - ya know how you get into that "zone" when you're quilting and it seems to fly by? I'm hoping to invoke that phenomenon!

The quicker I can get my pieces done for the sale, the sooner I can start to plan my classes that I want to teach there this summer. I want to teach, but am terrified! Luckily, with the size of my studio, these will be intimate classes. I think surface design classes will be kept to 10-12 people at most. And any classes requiring a machine, probably only 8, 10 max. I think it might actually be nice, because if you're teaching a group of 20-30 people, it's much to hard to make sure that EVERYONE is getting it, and doing okay.

The question is, will I get any students to sign up and come? Eeek!

3 comments:

Bridget473 said...

Congrats on being published for the Art-a-Whirl -- how exciting! Love your new projects too!

Janet Hartje said...

Stephanie, you will be an awesome teacher! Look at all you have accomplished in this past year!

I love your Dali Llama!

I'm glad this MCQ meeting went so well for you!

Congratulations on the ad! How wonderful for you to have others appreciate the beauty of your work!
Janet Hartje

Anonymous said...

Stephanie - How great for you. Full color, full page! You are a star. Your quilting has really progressed. I finally sat down at my machine the other day and wondered when I had last cleaned the bobbin. I had a bunny in mine, too. Sure sews better when the bobbin has room to turn! I love the Dali Llama. Can't wait to see him finished. I'm sure there will be no problem filling your classes. Can you say "waiting list?" Enjoy. Carolyn in Kerrville, TX