This publish continues a brand new collection: This Week in My Studio. Because the title implies, in these posts I’ll be displaying what I’ve been as much as just lately in my work house. This may imply a detailed take a look at a quilt I’m engaged on—resembling my Blue Goldie (above), or it might imply following alongside as I reorganize my materials, and even that includes all of the completely different locations my cat Djinni has claimed as her sleeping spots—resembling areas the place I must work or sit (under).
I hope in any case, that what I share will help you in a method or one other—by providing you with some new concepts or a recent means of issues, or simply to entertain you for a small a part of your week. You could even discover the theme of a publish acquainted or comforting as you say to your self, “See, even Susan has an excessive amount of cat hair in her studio!” Let me know what you assume and share your individual experiences within the feedback under. Have any subject requests? Embody them within the feedback part as effectively.
Making ready for February Fish Class Remaining Presentation
An amazing inventive second is once I get into “the Zone.” For me, when that occurs, I not solely lose observe of time, however time is irrelevant. My instinct clicks on as my eyes seek for what I want—reaching for a bit of cloth, with out actually understanding if that’s what I’m in search of. Coloration, worth, sample—all of them transfer out and in of one another as I rummage by way of a pile of cloth. And that occurred twice this week—entering into the Zone, or the Circulate—as I used to be getting ready for Thursday’s fourth and last presentation of my February fish instance, Blue Goldie.
I had two main targets for what to point out and exhibit for this last session—first was to determine the what and why of a background selection. I went by way of fairly a number of cloth concepts, arranging and photographing many legitimate choices to then flip although and determine upon. That was the primary enterprise into the Zone, making me late to the Zoom assembly we had arrange for pre-class teaching, in preparation for an internet class starting in a couple of week.
Within the pictures above, I chosen a 4 cloth background and commenced trimming sections to measurement (to later glue)—with Djinni’s assist to carry the reducing mat in place.
My second fish class purpose was to exhibit using sheer materials for including the type of particulars that may assist give extra roundness and quantity on this topic. Above, is the spillage from my bag of blue sheers. These kinds of materials are fairly enjoyable to gather however to not fold and retailer—there’s a lot slipping concerned should you attempt. So I not attempt. As a substitute, giant zippered baggage that I’ve collected, principally from quilt exhibits or shops, are the proper resolution—they maintain a tremendous quantity of the supple materials, and the zipper retains out a curious cat. (Extra storage options will be explored on this publish.)
After dinner one night this week, I went to my studio “for an hour or so” to begin pulling out blue sheer prospects for Goldie. Though Djinni was able to settle in for the night time, I chosen and lower a sheer-oriented cloth palette and began arranging and enjoying with these items on high of my fish—working across the sleepy cat as wanted.
Finally I felt just a little drained myself, I checked the time and it was 1:30am! Oh effectively, rather less sleep in change for a second pretty immersion into the inventive stream was value it.
Missed February’s Fantastical Cloth Collage Fish Observe-Alongside?
Prolonged By This First Weekend of March
You may nonetheless comply with alongside and create your individual fish by way of hyperlinks to the recordings of the 4 Zoom classes. Every recording consists of an introductory slideshow and dwell demonstration with closeups and questions and solutions. To buy, e-mail Tom under.
Value: $78
E-mail: [email protected]
You’ll obtain a request for cost after which an e-mail with hyperlinks to the 4 classes. Additionally included might be hyperlinks to different data increasing on matters mentioned or related to finishing your Fantastical Fish.
Educating Preparations
March Stay On-line 5-day Class
Two afternoons this week in my studio, got over to pre-class teaching on Zoom for college students attending our on-line class, starting in a couple of week. It’s one thing we’ve at all times provided to on-line college students because it’s basically a preview of how the category itself will work. It’s proved to be so efficient in getting ready people for the primary day of sophistication in so some ways, that Tom now helps me present the net pre-class conferences for my in-person college students as effectively.
One factor that we’ve saved for on-line college students solely is just a little welcome packet despatched to their residence. The picture under exhibits 8 of the ten materials I’ll choose with the chosen topics in thoughts (I nonetheless haven’t selected the final two materials). This explicit assortment will hopefully have one thing in it so as to add to every particular person’s cloth palette—topics embody a black canine, an orange canine, a camel, an iguana, a managed fireplace burn, and three pairs of legs. Gonna be an fascinating week of collage.
In-Particular person Courses
I’m happy to notice that my Two-Week Intensive class (ten work days) with MISA in Bar Harbor, Maine (close to Acadia Nationwide Park) this September 2025, has stuffed and now could be accepting people to the wait checklist. The recognition of this format has impressed me to schedule one other Intensive on the finish of April 2026, at Woodland Ridge Retreat in Downsville, WI. This class opened for registration this previous week.
Each of those Two-Week Intensive lessons will comply with a format of 5 work days, two days off, then one other 5 work days. Out-of-class actions might be deliberate in keeping with the places, however will seemingly embody subject journeys to native sights—and cloth oriented places. In Bar Harbor that can embody the material division on the legendary Maine Marden’s low cost retailer (click on right here for a traditional Marden’s advert).
In Wisconsin, Chris (the proprietor of Woodland Ridge Retreat and Dye Sweet Materials) and I’ve already mentioned places to go to over the open weekend together with: Cultural Fabric: https://www.culturalcloth.com/, SR Harris: https://srharrisfabric.com/, and for a particular dinner out, Owamni: https://owamni.com/.
Making ready for Spring
Winter’s grip loosening? I dare not make the query into an announcement, but it surely seems, provisionally, topic to the whims of goddess Mom Nature, the climate could also be warming up a bit, right here and there. One signal of that is the breaking apart of ice within the head of Center Bay right here in Harpswell—Lookout Level is the vacation spot of our morning dog-walks.
Quickly after we moved to Harpswell nearly 25 years in the past, I grew to become associates with a fellow artist, Sandi Ste George. She and her husband are snowbirds who now migrate to New Orleans this time of yr—they select Mardi Gras over ice floes—go determine. However I did get to see her over the vacations and once I informed her about my upcoming February Fish Class, it impressed her to create her personal February fish, painted on plywood cutouts she designs herself. She despatched me pictures this week, and once I requested, stated I may share her unbelievable creations with you—fairly cool, huh?
Making ready for the Weekend!
Beginning and ending the week in my studio, was and might be to proceed making it a extra creatively inspiring workspace. The previous few years particularly it’s gotten uncontrolled, even for more-is-better me. As I discussed final week “In My Studio,” I’ve been doing a Do-Si-Do, shifting issues right here and there to entry, maintain, or full different issues. I share these pictures to assist lots of you’re feeling higher about your individual areas. 😉
It solely took a pair hours to excavate to my cloth cabinets. Not dangerous. Then I had the good thought to maneuver a desk I’ve in storage into the now open house (the place my crocodile quilt mailing tube is presently occupying), picture under. The desk will get accessed and moved into place this weekend—we’ll see if my thought works. Do-Si-Do. After spending a good bit of time on the pc this week, I’m trying ahead to diving again into the bodily side of shifting furnishings round and freshening up—at the least part of—my studio. Want me luck and enjoyable!
