I probably shouldn’t start with my favorite of the new pieces, but I will —ggggrin!

Tea began in a class with Teri (Esterita) Austin in the summer of 2006. As usual, I wanted to do my own composition rather than a set-piece by the teacher (Teri is used to me, and actually likes it when students do this sort of thing! plus, I made sure it was OK first). This is the picture which I set up for the still life:

Unlike Teri’s technique, which perhaps uses more segmented color work, using multi-colored pieces of cloth for each piece, I wanted to keep the elements more disparate by having a single “color” for each piece. But, I used her painting and shading techniques (in other words, I listened to her teach, absorbed what she said, and did my own thing) on the pieces. I had hoped to have the quiltlet done for our Frayed Edges show at the Library in August (see the August archives for pictures) but with Joshua’s accident and all it didn’t get done (or even started on the quilting). I used the Hobbs black 80/20 mostly cotton fusible batting, and REALLY liked it. I would use it again in another dark piece for sure.

I wasn’t sure what to leave unquilted, and wanted to get it done in time for the show at Zoot (see the post for October 3rd for directions and hours) coffee house here in Camden, so I just went at it with gusto….and a LOT of thread, all Superior 40-wt. trilobal (which in effect means it shines!) polyester. No snarls, no fuss, no muss, just glorious color! Here’s a detail of the quilting… I used four colors of blue on the bowl, and at least 3 or 4 on each individual piece, plus a dark brown to do the wood grain on the table and a stormy sky blue for the texturing on the wall. In the end, I left NONE of it unquilted.

This piece is available for sale for $295. It measures 16×19. I hope you like it!

Just a quick “business-y” note:

I’ll be…yippeeee!!!!!….. heading off to a workshop at ProChem in Fall River, Mass., next week. I’m taking the second week of Color Mixing for Dyers with Carol Soderlund. I head down on Monday (and hope to stop at the new Ikea near Boston en route), about a 6 hour drive if I were to go non-stop (not!). I have blogposts set to publish while I’m gone….

The next set of posts will be closeups of the pieces at Zoot Coffee House (see earlier post dated October 3rd). If anyone is interested in purchasing one, just drop me an e-mail either through a comment here or via the contact me link on my website (look up at the top menu bar for the hotlink). I’m not sure if I’ll have internet while in Fall River, so if you don’t hear from me until I get home next weekend, it means no Wi-Fi!

Finally, Dianne in Annapolis had a great question: how exactly do I mount those pieces on the canvas? Perfect for a tutorial. PLUS, I had mounted the pieces I made for the two “On the Edge” articles in Quilting Arts Magazine (about finishing the edges of quilts) and wanted to blog about display alternatives. So, when I get back, I promise to show a couple of ways to do this. I really gotta convince a publisher to let me do edge finishes and display alternatives as a book, or else self-publish! Too many ideas, never enough time. Anyway, keep popping back in for more good stuff –with pictures– starting tomorrow!

My blog (a WordPress sort) has a “moderation” feature that is pretty cool: first time posts (as in from someone not previously approved) come to me for moderation, plus it also has a pretty good spam catcher. This time, a bit of spam got through to me for approval (not!). It’s a riot… especially if you have worked in a stressful office situation. Now, mind you, I am NOT advocating this for real… but how about Silly string instead of the real thing:

Here is most of the message (minus the URL), with a return e-mail address in Russia:

Want to start your private office arms race right now?

I just got my own USB rocket launcher 🙂 Awsome thing.

Plug into your computer and you got a remote controlled office missile launcher with 360 degrees horizontal and 45 degree vertival rotation with a range of more than 6 meters – which gives you a coverage of 113 square meters round your workplace.
You can get the gadget here:

End message.

I’m willing to bet the url was for some porn site, so didn’t click on it, but I still thought this was pretty hilarious…plug into your USB port on the computer and bombs away… maybe the USB rocket launcher could send Howlers, those screaming letters from Harry Potter…..

Hmmm…. think I’m punchy and maybe need some more sleep?

It would seem there are a lot of conversations being repeated in families across America. I found the link to this HILARIOUS You Tube video on my friend Deborah’s blog, and if you are a mom and go to watch this, I warn you now: DO NOT have a sip of anything in your mouth or you’ll short out the keyboard!

Now, back to our regularly scheduled blogging.

Zoot you say?  That’s the wonderful coffee house here in downtown Camden (hours and directions at the end of the post) where my friend Jan P. and I just hung a show of textile art / art quilts for the month of October.  Here’s a picture of the little thing I made for Zondra (actually, I think it is Sondra?), the owner, and the customer side of the latte bar:

Zoot definitely has the best coffee on the mid-Coast of Maine, even better than Starbucks! Every month Zondra has a new exhibit, and Jan and I are thrilled to be this month’s show!  I made a number of new, smaller (and therefore affordable for Christmas gift giving, including to yourself!) pieces which I’ll be sharing here and on my website over the next few days. I’m happy to ship, too (hint hint!).

Jan and her photographer-husband have a newly launched website, From Photos to Fiber.  They sell his photographs and Jan is working on commissioned pieces of people’s family members, pets and buildings.  Check out the quilt of Ollie, their rapscallion dog…far left in the next photo.

Here’s a view of the left side of the main space, a sunny area with big picture windows facing Elm Street:

Here’s Jan in front of three of my pieces, which are on the short wall facing the front door:

Here’s the back area, with two of my pieces on the left, Jan’s three on the right, and our hanging stuff and jackets on the chairs and tables!

Here’s a closeup with one of Jan’s “house portraits” on the left, and a Trio of small tea pieces and my “Tea” on the center and right. 

I’ll be posting my new pieces, including prices, both on my website and here over the next week or ten days.  Hope you like!

Directions and hours:

Open  6:30-5, M-Sat,  and 7-5 on Sunday

On Elm Street in downtown Camden, between the Rite Aid and Town Offices, opposite the village green.  If you are driving north on Route 1, the old Atlantic Coast Highway, it runs right through town (Elm Street turns into Main Street turns into High Street, all within 4 blocks!); Zoot would be on your left a block or so past the flashing stoplight at the First Congregational Church (intersection  of Union and Elm).

My favorite is a double latte, and love the croissants, lunchtime savories and pie!