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I planned on Blogging more, but I have been swamped in CSS writing trying to figure out how to customize Brownbuilt. I can never leave a style sheet alone. So, until I can find my way out of this quagmire-blogmire, I apologize for links that go nowhere and photos that don’t open. Luckily, only 4 people read this sight, and I know their love will outlast a few coding hurdles.
Last Sunday we took a road trip to the Driftless Area Art Festival. The winding roads prohibited me from knitting in the car, lest I barf on my handwork. The weather was fantastic, the food and beer was local, organic, and yummy as was the art and music. I visited with a favorite artist, Amy Arnold , and like a school girl crush, I blushed and giggled and choked out that I was a huge fan. Then I backed it up with buying two hats. Chris gave Coco and Ladybird their first “underdogs” on the swings, which made them squeal with delight. Swinging will never be the same again. We drove past Pleasant Ridge Waldorf School and dreamed of which farmette we would like to own. Tried to hit Sibby’s Organic Zone Ice Cream Parlor, but it was closed on Sunday. Another reason to come back to our little slice of homesteading heaven.
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- miles of fabric at this weekend’s quilt show
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- multi-purpose
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- roving for all
My week was bookend with the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival one weekend and the Quilt Expo at the other. What a perfect way to kick off fall.
Notes form the quilt expo: How do you know if the needle is the right size for your thread? Remember this; If it won’t slide it won’t sew. Thread the needle. Hold the tread taught between your hands. Tilt the thread 45 degrees. Think of the needle as a gondola going down the mountain. If it doesn’t slide, your needle is too thin or thick.
I am the on the outer fringe of a fringe hobby. Everyone asked which machine I had. I responded that I was a hand quilter. The unsaid comment, “Funny, you don’t look Amish.” I was in search of the booth that salvaged vintage tablecloths and sold them as quilt squares. It doesn’t exist. Baubles beads and mirrors. Since when do quilts need more flair? Lots of glued on rhinestones, sewn on beads and tiny mirrors, which when well done, reminded me of beautiful Indian Saris. When done poorly, looked like rhinestone sweatshirts. Watercolor wash. Lots of wash over white to give the quilts more interest. Not that they need it.
More is More. Some quilts made my head spin with the colors. My favorite comment I overheard from two women admiring one of the quilts on display: “What’s not to like? Its black with orange and, your favorite color, purple.” Interestingly enough, one of the crowd favorites was a handstitched trapunto. This was an extraordinary work of art and the direction I am going to take with my Anniversary Quilt.
The Sheep and Wool Festival was lovely. A beautiful day. The girls were terrified of the sheep. I guess they are city girls after all. Now when I say “Sheep,” Ladybird replies.”Wool.” I consider this a victory. Sheep and Wool folks seam to want to do it all. They may not own the sheep, but they are lovers of spinning, dying and enjoying the process of creating the yarn. non-mechanized. Even the sheep sheerer used a hand crank sheering blade. I think I only saw one booth that had a sweater-in-a-bag kit. Quilters, on the other had love kits. They love prepackaged fat quarters. The other feeling is that since the machines are so computerized, it’s not that you are making a quilt so much as engineering a quilt. The more complex and mind boggling the colors and layered techniques, the better. Quite a difference from the atmosphere of the Gees Bend quilt exhibit I saw in the spring. The Gees Bend women made beautiful works of art, modern paintings from nothing. I was standing next to a woman talking on the cell phone and she was saying ” I sat down and said I am not leaving without buying a machine. Yup. So He gave me a real good deal. $3156.” Wow.
