More QSDS - with Esterita Austin

Connie St. Clair and I spent a wonderful week taking a class from Esterita Austin. She is an absolutely great teacher. This is one of her pieces...taken from a photo of her cousin. It was recently in Quilting Arts Magazine and I'm sure, lots of other places.
Here is one of the students with her photo and work of a local homeless man.

This was a portrait of a woman from India which I was working on (actually this is the second version) and I don't like it at all. My friend Connie St. Clair's piece...done from a photo of a model. The body needs to be completed.
This was a terrific piece.


I just loved this one but the last day the maker was putting feathers on it. Not my choice of finishes.

More QSDS Photos

Here are a few more photos from QSDS. Connie St. Clair and I would make the rounds of other class rooms during the lunch break. Unfortunately I wasn't able to obtain the names of the quilters as the rooms were usually empty.

This quilter was showing this wonderful quilt on her "wall space" and during the week had other "crow" related quilts there.

This quilter seemed to be a whole series on circles and had containers full of them in various sizes at her work space
This quilter from Alaska was doing a series on birds which was just fantastic.

I have been a bit tardy in posting this week. I went to Binghamton to present a fashion show of my garments to the Broome County Quilt Guild. They are a terrific group which meets as a lovely big hall at the Endwell Fire Department. One of my daughters lives in Binghamton so it was a great opportunity to have a visit with her.

Our task during the class was to make a small piece based on the kantha system of small stitches. This is what the students did:


My piece is the fish in the middle...top row. I just love the running man underneath.
Closeup of one of the large quilts. This was a trip to New York City by some of the group.

Small piece.
This represented Mahatma Ghandi spinning his thread to weave his cloth.

QSDS - Ohio - Marks Class - Dorothy Caldwell

Our first two days was a stitch class with Dorothy Caldwell. These first samples are Kantha Quilts from the Bihar region of northern India. They are known for their rows of tiny stitches which are in effect the "quilting" although their is no batting. The quilts tell stories.

Its Tidy Up and Pack Day #1

Its loose ends day. I have been working on web page supply lists for upcoming classes which i always seem to be behind on. Okay...they are no fun. And I have been taking photos of some of my huipils to list on Ebay. I know I will need fabric money when I'm at QSDS next week. Some of my favorite dealers will be there. Here is one of my favorites which was purchased in Santiago Atitlan, on one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. You can tell what village the women in Guatemala are from by the huipils they wear. Santiago's are one of my favorites with the beautiful birds. They are beginning to make the birds larger and also make them by machine. Unless you look at them closely its hard to tell the difference. And I am sure they aren't doing it on an electronic Bernina. I have only seen them using treadle machines.
This is what I call the Butterfly Vest. Actually its probably a jacket and the sleeves sort of come down to the elbow. This one is made from red and black cottons from my stash and some beads and cording. The shape seems to be flattering to a lot of people because of the little dip in back and points in the front. And the pattern is very easy to make and fit.

Its Playtime More or Less

I bought a huge piece of mica on Ebay a few weeks ago and have been having fun "cutting" it apart. When I get it thin enough (but not too thin) it can be used over photos to add an interesting texture in art quilts, and the like. You can sew it by machine if you sew slowly and carefully. And the leftovers can be ground a bit and sprinkled on glues which dry clear. Fun stuff for sure.
My peonies on the left side of the house are starting to bloom and I brought some inside. Luckily without ants.

Its Clean the Studio Day...well maybe a bit

The top of the worktable in my Studio has been looking like this (or worse) for quite some time. It makes it hard to do much besides sew up here. So today (now that I am free from the Bernina garment) was cleanup day. Doesn't it look like it needs it?
Well, maybe not this wall today.
This is better but not as good as it should be.
Ok, this isn't perfect but its as good as its going to get today. On to other priorities.