July Classmate Dinner Gathering...

Our group was a little smaller this month. One of our regulars fell off her bicycle and broke her forearm. First, let me say "Kudos, kid!" I consider myself fortunate if I don't fall down putting on my underwear in the morning! I'm not making light of her injury as she had surgery to repair it yesterday, but man, I admire her vitality for even trying to continue to ride.

Other classmates were out of town, and one is undergoing chemo. Her treatment was yesterday, so she wasn't up to joining us. We pray for her every day.

As usual, our group had a great time catching up. One of us took a cruise to Alaska, while the rest of us stuck close to home. Others will be traveling to the east coast soon, so we'll have something new to talk about when they return. We talk about our grandkids, families, (sometimes) aches and pains, and of course, this time they all wanted updates about Handsome. 

We all care deeply about each others families and lives, and I think that's one of the nicest things about our entire group. We chose the date for our next dinner before going our separate ways, and we're all already looking forward to the next time. Old friends really are the best!

Well, THAT Was Fun (Plus Class Information)...

Well, if you know...you know. This is how I spent Monday, preparing to get to the hospital at 7:45 Tuesday morning. Good times. Actually, I was out cold for most of the morning.

In the interest of avoiding "TMI", I'll forego the details. What I'll say is that I got a perfectly clean bill of health. Came home with Handsome as my chauffeur and spent the rest of the day doing mostly nothing. 

My deep apologies for not sharing something creative, but I can't show what I haven't got. I did hoop up more natural linen fabric, so I can make two more sheepy pendants for my shop, but didn't have the clarity nor concentration to start making perfect, little French knots. 

I think Handsome wants me to run errands with him this morning. He needs to get some new dress slacks for his concerts - and sadly to wear to a funeral of a dear friend next week who passed away in Florida. I'll take him to the airport next Monday. I'll stay home with the my canine and feline girls to keep the home fires burning.

When we get back home, I'll start on the sheep, hoping to finish them today or tomorrow and then get them listed.

There's been some interest in learning this alcohol ink egg coloring technique, so I'm planning to do a  FREE Facebook live class on Saturday morning.

If you're interested, please comment letting me know. Participants will need to purchase their own alcohol inks. Hobby Lobby, Joann's, and Michaels all have them, so hopefully you can pick some up. Here's the full supply list:

Alcohol Ink Assortment - in the stamping section of the stores

1 or 2 sheets of felt (will be cut into smaller squares)

White plastic  eggs (white works best. Must be plastic)

99% isopropyl alcohol - small bottle is fine (I got mine at Walmart)

plastic table cloth or something non-porous to protect your work surface

disposable plastic gloves to protect your hands - you'll want more than a few pairs. I bought a whole box at Walmart. 

Plan to wear a smock or an old shirt if you tend to be messy. The ink won't come out of anything you get it on.

Lastly, you'll need a non-alcohol sealer for your eggs. Sarah suggested Krylon™ Kamar Varnish, which you can get at Hobby Lobby or Walmart. This is what it looks like to help you find it.

I'm planning the class for 10:30 am Central Time (US), Saturday, March 16, 2024, so you'll need to find out what time that might be for your time zone. I'll save the video to Facebook so those who can't make it can view it later. If you are unable to get your supplies by the class, don't worry, you can pick them up later (or order from Amazon) to make your eggs another time. I'm doing the class now in case you'd like to have them to add to your Easter decorations this year.

I hope you'll join me in my studio on Saturday morning! I can't wait to share this technique with you!

Goldwork Floral Wreath...

ClaraStitching Goldwork Wreath Class Piece

I received an email today from @clarastitching (on Instagram) with a pre-offer to her new class offerings. She's going to do another Zoom session for the Four Leaf Clover class that I took last month. When I took that class, we asked her about a piece that was behind her in her work space. The gorgeous embroidery shown above was that piece.

We asked her if she'd teach it, and if she did, to please offer it to her former students first. (We were pretty cheeky on that point, I admit.) She did just that yesterday, though. I immediately signed up and paid for my kit. I'll have the opportunity to prepare my materials prior to the start of the class in early April. 

If you're interested in taking this class, you can go to Instagram and follow @clarastitching. She'll soon offer the class to all, and you'll get signup links for both classes.

In the interest of full disclosure, I didn't get any stitching in today. I ran errands in the morning, went with Handsome for our hair appointments, and then went for a late lunch with my girlfriend, Wendi. We tried a new bar/restaurant that offered Caribbean fare, and it was delicious. We sat and visited with the owner until the after work crowd started arriving. His restaurant is in Kewaskum, WI and it's called Caribbean Joe's. (He's from Chicago, IL, and his mom grew up in Mississippi. He explained to us how he came to this specialty, let us taste his personal season blends, and then we placed our orders.

Everything he brought to us was fabulous. Some was spicy hot, and others were flavored with the perfect blend of seasonings to compliment the dish. I had what I think was the best mac and cheese I've ever had. I'll definitely order that again (when I take Handsome to check it out).

Wendi and I sat and visited for a couple of hours, so I got home in time to air the dogs before Handsome got home. I think I told you about him slipping on the ice a week ago. When he went to Urgent Care right after the event to say he was in pain, they sent him home with meds, but they never did x-rays.

Handsome got his hair cut before me, so after he "got his ears lowered" he went bakc to Urgent Care to find out why he still hurt. They did x-rays, which revealed that he actually has two broken ribs. I felt so bad for him. The doctor sent him home with a new pain killer prescription, and instructions for a bit of breathing therapy to help him. 

We also kept track of our two loved ones who were hospitalized yesterday. My niece is stabilized now, and will be hospitalized and monitored over the weekend. She'll possibly go home on Monday. They'll determine that after Sunday.

Our friend has been admitted to the hospital, too. She was diagnosed as having an "ischemic stroke" last night. I had to look it up, and my search revealed good explanations. She had speech therapy today and her husband said she did well. We're waiting to see if she will regain use of her left side, and what we can expect for that issue. She's in her early fifties, so we're praying that she heals completely from this scary diagnosis. 

Thank you to all who lifted prayers at my request. We all appreciate it, and know that every prayer is heard and answered. We know their families are grateful, too.

Oh!! before I go, remember the opossum photos I shared last week? Well, the little black one is sleeping in the Compass Barn during the day. It seems that my concerns about him (or her?) being bullied by the cats were unfounded. They're all in the barn together, and they're not bothering each other one bit. Cool, right? 

I'll get back to the teddy bear soon enough, and you know I'll share photographs as soon as she's finished. I'm going to have a little coffee and then go out and feed my girls and their house guest. See you tomorrow with my Sunday post.

Making Progress...

Lucky Clover Brooch Class Piece In Progress

I would have gotten further along had I not done the outline (the first time) in the wrong metal. sheesh I removed it, and then restitched in the correct purl, so I'll contact Clara today and purchase more of the fiber I ruined. I'll need it for next week's class. facepalm

Even so, I got back on track and now I'll progress to the next steps today. In spite of my error, I'm really enjoying this. More tomorrow.

Zoom!...

Zoom Goldwork Class Setup

 

Last night was the first session of the "Lucky Clover" Zoom class I took to learn goldwork techniques. It's taught by M. Clara Warschauer. She's @clarastitching on Instagram. 

Our class was 1-1/2 hours long, and I spent much of the class taking notes and watching her techniques. I'll be doing my homework between now and the last session next Wednesday. 

Clara is right in saying that goldwork is easier than it looks. An added plus is that the gorgeous metal components really elevate wherever they're used. 

I'll share updates as I continue to work on my piece, and of course, you'll see the finished brooch. If you listen carefully, you might even hear me giggle as I work on it.

Saturday Class Pics...

Saturday Class Breads

Saturday's class in Rustic Breads and Soups was wonderful and exhausting. The class was fast-paced, informative, and we stood the entire six hours.

We all came home with samples of everything the class made, so we all got to share our breads and soups. The breads in the photos are (clockwise from left: Crusty French Baguette, Hearth Bread, Rustic Fruit and Nut Sweet Bread, and two small loaves of Rye Bread with Dill.) Each one has its own delicious flavor and texture, and will be healthy additions to my bread making repertoire here at the farmhouse.

Students Listening To Chef Sue

One especially delightful surprise was coming face-to-face with a high school classmate I hadn't seen in decades. The best part was that she recognized me as immediately as I recognized her! She attended the class with her husband (the tall man behind Chef in the next photo), and we had a little time to catch up, too.

Students And Chef Sue

We learned more about bread making techniques - like water/milk temps to add to the ingredients for dough making (115º), and optimum temp for a fully baked loaf (210º).  I also got more practice for shaping boules and long loaves (and the best way to get them from bench to oven). Those things alone were worth the class fee!

Four Rustic Soups Made In Class

We tended loaves of bread from mixing to proofing to baking, while we also created delicious soups. Top to bottom: French Onion Soup (not shown are the tasty slices of baguettes, topped with shredded Gruyere cheese for floating in the hot soup), a delicious Pork Stew, Autumn Squash Soup (with homemade faux creme fraiche and sunflower seeds), and finally the soup created by the team I was on...Chicken and Corn Chowder Stew. 

Everyone sat down for samples of each soup and bread, and we all declared the class a rousing success. This is the last of the classes I signed up for until Spring. I'm already looking forward to that, but will be making new breads and soups to keep us warm through the winter. I'm sure we'll be sharing with family and friends, too! These are all too good to keep to ourselves!

I'm in the studio today. I've got orders to ship and commissions to work on. We've got plenty of bread from Saturday, which means I won't be baking any this week. So, if you're looking for me, look upstairs at the farmhouse! Tag will be here to say "hi" tomorrow. 

Have a great Monday, friends.

I Have Made Bread!...

Artisan Bread Class Results

Saturday was a day of learning, and it was so much fun! I drove to Fond du Lac to take a class at the technical college. Our instructor was Tom Endejan who, I confirmed that day, is an older brother of a great guy I dated for a little while in high school. Small world. There were eight other ladies who were there, like me, to learn how to make artisan breads. We certainly weren't disappointed.

Teaching Us About Artisan Bread Consistency

Tom taught us about ingredients, measuring, bread types and consistency, and we immediately got our hands-on experience. The students mixed up doughs for multi-grain, sweet, oatmeal and French (my class partner and I did that one) breads. We learned about proofing the bread, and how to treat it after it went through each phase of the rising process. I learned you don't have to beat up the dough (or yourself) to turn out a delicious, crusty bread. Tom also had two foccacia doughs in progress that would become our lunch before we left for the day.

Artisan Bread Classmates and Instructor, Tom Endejan

Here are the students with Tom (I'm behind the lens), and they're all holding a piece of the fabulous, crusty foccacia that had just cooled from the oven - and was our lunch.

We all brought home a selections of the doughs that we'd created in class, so we could bake those at home. We also brought home loaves of multi-grain bread that had been baked while we were learning, along with samples of the baked sweet doughs that had been turned into rolls and coffee cakes.

When I walked in the back door of the farmhouse, Handsome was there to take my bags from me. He was surprised at how much came home from the class, and after tasting everything, he declared the class a huge success. No more grocery store Italian bread (in ten different shapes) in our house. From now on, there will be freshly baked goodness from recipes we received in class.

I'm already scheduled for a second class in late October (Rustic Breads and Soups), but Tom is teaching a second class that takes what I learned over the weekend, further steps in the process. I'm going to the school this morning to see about enrolling in that one, too. (Handsome is encouraging me to go!)

I hope you had a great weekend. Our football and baseball teams (Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee Brewers) both won their Sunday games, which is always fun for us. Can you even believe it's already October? Where is the time going? What's the hurry? I'm still wondering what happened to September!

Web image

Well, Happy October! I guess I'll just have to "roll" with it. (I really didn't mean to make that pun. lol) Gotta run. I'll see you Wednesday, after Tag checks in with you tomorrow.

My Final Class Day In Lexington...

My RSN Tote Entry

 

It's 2:30 am on Friday as I write this. I just finished stitching out my design for my RSN tote entry. It's not my best work, but I'm happy with how it turned out. I see a few wonky US flag stripes, but I'm calling this done. I can amend it at home, but I'm not going to while I'm here.

We're still stitching on our butterfly parts, and will see how the assembly is done in class. I'll likely finish my mockup at home, and then do the assembly on my practice pieces. Then, I'll stitch out my "real" one in silks...in my comfy chair at home.

I know you'll understand my keeping this post short. I have to be up again at 7:30 so I can get ready to be at the school by 9. I'll be back with tomorrow's post before I pack up to drive back to Wisconsin. Happy Weekend!!

Fabric Fun...

It's always fun to choose fabrics and fibers for the next project! 

(The fabric on top is the one I'll be using.)

Brynwood Needleworks - Classmate Class

I'm also preparing for another class for our guild (in March).

I wrote up the supply list, kit prices and cutting information for my students.

Brynwood Needleworks - Classmate Supplies

These are the fabrics I'll turn into new Classmate Organizers to show my students.

I like to show them more than one option when I have time...and I have time.

Brynwood Needleworks - Cutting Templates

I also traced and cut out plastic templates for some of the patterns I'll

be using more than once. They're more durable than the paper versions.

Just a little secret to share with you: 

I don't purchase quilter's template plastic anymore. I heard about something 

more frugal from a Facebook sewing group...Get Dollar Tree two-packs of 

11" x 14" flexible, plastic Chopping Mats (HERE).

2/$1.00 is a lot less expensive than purchasing a 12" x 18" sheet for $2.50.

They're translucent, so it's easy to trace onto them, and they cut easily with scissors.

   I'll be doing more of the same today. Happy Weekend!!

Class Wrap-Up...

Brynwood Needleworks - Dressed In Joy - Our Latest Dress

I arrived early on Saturday to set up for our Pineapple block class and was met by Jamie. She handed a gorgeous dress for our "Dressed In Joy" campaign to me, and she even created a little doll for the pocket!

We now have 176 dresses, and I know there are still more coming before I deliver the entire batch on September 17th. Thanks to Jamie for our latest dress. I just had to give her a big hug!

I got all my class models and my machine set up and was finishing up as my students began to come in for class.

Brynwood Needleworks - Pineapple Quilt Block Class

Being the good blogger that I am, I remembered to take photographs to share with you. I enjoyed showing my students each step they would need to accomplish to make their blocks, and waited (or helped) as they did that step.

Once everyone had a finished row, I'd share the next step and then go to each student to be sure they understood how to use the trim tool correctly for that portion of their block.

Brynwood Needleworks - Pineapple Quilt Block Class

I had a total of sixteen students, and our class ran from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm. Because I wanted them to get into the habit of using spray starch (Faultless Professional Spray Starch is my favorite), they needed to get up and head to the iron a lot. They were joking that it felt like church with all the "sitting and standing".

I should have worn tennis shoes, with all the walking I was doing. It's so gratifying to be next to my students when you see that they understand what I've been teaching and are ready to fly solo. It didn't take these ladies long at all!

Brynwood Needleworks - Pineapple Quilt Block Class - Finished Blocks!

We decided that we'd stop for lunch as soon as the ladies had their first block finished. We ate lunch around 12:30. Not bad, right?

After we ate, the ladies went back to their machines to begin work on their second block. I let them do the second block on their own, only helping by double-checking their tool placement prior to cutting. They were pros by the time we all headed home.

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed teaching the class. I'm already looking forward to my next class in the spring. It was wonderful spending the day with my quilting friends, but even more so because I was able to share a new technique with each of them. 

This week, I have more commissions to complete. Tropical Storm Erika will drop more rain on us, but nothing like originally expected. Perfect weather for staying inside and sewing.

I hope you have something creative planned for this week. I'm praying for rain for my friends in California; good health for a few of my friends who have been ill; and great days for those who are experiencing a rough patch. One of my girlfriends' basements flooded over the weekend...and it's where she has all of her sewing projects, machines and furniture. I saw photos and it's not at all pretty. I'll be praying that her space dries up and she can get back to normal, too. For everyone else, I send out wishes for a happy and creative week.

Tomorrow is September 1st. 

Aaaaargh! Where is the time going?

Class Prep...

Brynwood Needleworks - Prepping For Pineapples

I'm teaching a class on Saturday to members of our guild, and I'm really looking forward to it. There are sixteen or seventeen ladies signed up, so I want to make sure that they have a fun experience as they learn to make Pineapple blocks with the Creative Grids™ Pineapple Trim Tool.

Brynwood Needleworks - Class Preparation

I'm a great believer in the power of visual learning, so I've been busy preparing the different stages involved in creating a single block. That way, I can show them how the tool is used as they build their individual blocks.

Brynwood Needleworks-"Birds In The Pineapples" blocks (Not sewn together yet)

I still have a few to go to finish up the class models, but I'll get them done today. The great thing is that, after the class, I'll be able to complete all the steps on each one to make more blocks for the "Birds In The Pineapples" quilt I'm making! 

My students will learn to make their Pineapple blocks, and I'll be that much closer to finishing my quilt. Win, Win, right?

Made My Deadline...

I had my table runner done, with the exception of squaring it up and attaching the binding, by Board meeting last night. I handed my class list to Joan at the beginning of the meeting, and showed the Board members what I had finished.

I'll add the binding this morning, and I have plenty of time to write my pattern, considering the class is the end of August. Handsome is going to band camp next week, so I have more "pressing" things to do to help him get ready to travel. Yup. I have a full day planned!

I'll check in on FaceBook on and off during the day (when I take tea breaks). If you're on FaceBook, you can join my Brynwood Needleworks group by asking to be accepted into the group. Happy Thursday!

Preparing For A Pineapple Class...

I've been asked by Joan, who chairs our guild education committee, to teach a class to offer to our guild members in August. Last meeting night, I took the pineapple blocks I've been working on (HERE) and made a proposal to teach a class using the Creative Grids™ Pineapple Trim Tool.

Not only was she enthused about it, six guild members signed up on the spot! I'll find out tonight at our Board Meeting what my class size will be, but I'm thinking it will be fifteen or so.

I've decided to make this same Bali™ batik fabric and colorway for the class project that I used in my niece's Birthday gift (HERE). The only thing I'm still trying to decide is which border fabric to use. I've got the dark fabric on the left and the lighter blue on the right. 

 

I'm making the entire table runner again so that I can fine tune my class plan and calculate fabric requirements for the project. I'll be handing over the supply list to Joan tonight and then completing the quilting for the runner. Once I finish that, I'll write my teaching outline and pattern for the class.

I'll also probably make one more runner in the bright colors like the queen size quilt I've been working on so my students can get an idea of it in another colorway. If I do, I'll have it finished in time for our guild meeting so my students will see the class models. It can give them an idea of what they might like to choose to make their own. 

 

I'm honored that I was asked to teach a class...but I'm really excited to share this class and technique with my guild girlfriends.

Cutting Kaffe...

I've been preparing more wallets, so now I'm cutting some bright and beautiful Kaffe Fassett fabrics. This is the blue colorway I've chosen...

and this is the bright fabric that I've chosen to line in purple for the first one, and the dots for the second one. I know just the person who will be over the moon when she sees the finished wallets. She'll think they were custom-made, just for her!

In addition to the Kaffe fabrics, I also pulled this bicycle print that I've had set aside for a while. I'm pairing it with a black linen fabric. Mmmmm mmm. I'm looking forward to seeing that one come together!

The last one in this stack is a honey bee for a sweet lady. This one will be a surprise, and I'll tell you more about it after it's finished and in the hands of the recipient. Don't you just love how the golden fabric called "dimples" looks like tiny honeycombs?

We'll see how far I get today. My students will be here this evening for their next class. They're really coming along! I'll show you tomorrow what they make in tonight's session.