Holland, Here We Come!

Holland, Here We Come!

Annie Hooten with me.  We can't wait for this adventure!

Coevorden Castle 
 The Netherlands 

July 13-17, 2020

Held in the Ridder Zal (Knights Hall)

Join the “Double Dutch” team of Libby Williamson & Annie Hooten for this unique and exciting workshop - five days of art experimentation with fresh and exciting mixed-media techniques - culminating in the construction of a beautiful, ribbon-bound journal. Your book will be perfect for documenting a multitude of learned techniques and for recording your adventures in The Netherlands.  We will also construct a fabric bag, using a variety of machine and hand-stitching techniques, in which to carry your journal.

Libby and Annie will guide you through the use of many different mediums using acrylic paints, inks, stamps and stencils, and a variety of papers and fabrics.  Techniques will include collage, silk screening, gelatin printing, stamp carving, free-motion machine sewing and hand-stitching, image transfer, cyanotype printing, and much more. We’ll experiment by stitching and printing on dried and recycled tea bags and other unusual materials, and we will incorporate unique papers, maps, ephemera, and treasures that we gather during our adventure in Holland. The workshop is geared for all creators, those with minimal art experience as well as those who are already comfortable with some of the mediums.

The workshop will be held at the Coevorden Castle (Yes – we’ll be creating in a castle!) and accommodations are adjacent to the classroom. Why don’t you fly into Amsterdam a few days prior to the workshop and, after spending a few days on your own exploring the beautiful city, meet up with Libby and Annie on Sunday afternoon, July 12th for a two hour train ride into Coevorden.

The workshop fee is US $1200 (see payment details on the registration form) which includes most supplies for the class and a goodie bag filled with treasures. There is a short list of supplies which you will need to bring and we are happy to email the list to you.

Our workshop is limited to 20 students and a waitlist will be created for those who are interested once the workshop has filled.

Accommodation at the Coevorden Castle is at your expense and the cost is €635 for five nights which includes daily breakfast and lunch (soup, salad, and sandwiches) for attendees. There is no extra charge for a second person in your room but if they are not attending the workshop they will need to pay €150 for breakfast and lunch. Dinners will be on our own, with a selection of restaurants in town or you may dine with a limited menu at the Castle.

Come play with us! Many adventures await! 

Project samples coming soon!

Questions? Email us at creative_explorations@aol.com. 

A Better World - A quilt in honor of Mary Oliver

A Better World

Listen to the Leaves
30" X 50"

In the fall of 2018, I was invited to submit a piece of artwork to be considered for a very special art quilt exhibit called, A Better World. Susan Brubaker Knapp and Lyric Kinard, both highly regarded art quilters, developed the concept for this collection and curated this show. My art quilt, Listen to the Leaves, was accepted and included in this prestigious exhibit.

The premise for the exhibit was to create artwork which celebrates the life of an individual who has made a positive impact in our world.  A Hero. This might be a family member, a local community advocate, or a widely know person who has contributed to making our world a better place. 

Listen to the Leaves -detail

It was difficult for me to select someone; there have been so many wonderful people in my life who have influenced me in positive ways. I pondered and contemplated my choice. It wasn't until January of 2019 when the revered poet Mary Oliver died and my internet feed blew up with tributes and celebrations for her work. So many people were grieving her death and sharing her poems online. I'm not very well-schooled in poetry and I was unfamiliar with her work but I immediately began reading her poems and became enchanted. Her body of work is tremendous and beautiful and staggering.

The exhibit debuted at the International Quilt Festival in Houston in October.

 Here I stand with Susan Brubaker Knapp (left) and Lyric Kinard at the exhibit.

This art quilt was made in tribute to Mary Oliver.  

Mary Oliver’s words spill over me and catch me unaware. 

It is her insistence on observation, on patience,

 and on empathy that we shall practice every single day.

Mary Oliver,  Poet Laureate

“You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees

For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body

love what it loves.”

The Summer Day

Who made the world?

Who made the swan, and the black bear?

Who made the grasshopper?

This grasshopper, I mean-

the one who has flung herself out of the grass,

the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,

who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-

who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.

Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.

Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.

I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.

I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down

into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,

how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,

which is what I have been doing all day.

Tell me, what else should I have done?

Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?

Tell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious life?

- Mary Oliver

…..and so, it is my hope for you, to listen to the leaves,

 “Pay Attention”, “Be Astonished” 

and know that “You are Enough”.

I'm Back...Jenny Lyon's Blog Hop!

(I'm back...)

Hoooooray, It's Jenny Lyon's Blog Hop Day!

I got my hot little hands on my copy of Jenny's new book,

Free-motion Quilting from Ordinary to Extraordinary, 

when I was in Houston at Quilt Market and Festival

 But...

Due to an unforeseen delay in my studio yesterday 

...torrential rain outside..

and a lovely light shower INSIDE ...coming through my skylight..

I had to abandon ship,

pack up the ark 

and head home...

And in my haste to evacuate I forgot to bring home my 

"PLACTICE" (Jenny's term) pieces!

So I'm back...

Jenny's Book is a treasure!

I've been free-motion quilting for years but I've never attempted to use these skills 

to fill in spaces on a quilt. I use my sewing machine as a drawing tool.

I 'draw' my images from my imagination and I rarely plan a specific design. 

I doodle and I meander and I very spontaneously and intuitively stitch. 

If I do have a plan, I go off script and simply go rogue.

So, for this Blog Hop my idea was to practice a bit of self-discipline (not my super power).

Jenny's book is loaded with ideas about how to approach connecting motifs,

and where to find inspiration for designs all around us.

Since I don't make quilts from soft cottons,

 I pulled out some of my canvas scraps to "PLACTICE" on.

Jenny's idea is to Play and Practice..."PLACTICE"!

 As a warm-up, I doodled a floral design. (Just having fun)

And then, I played with making one continuous motif using a plant as an inspiration.

So much fun! And a bit addicting!

Next was to play with grids...a motif I love to use.

Again I loved the free-play. My spontaneous side took over for a minute 

and I added some little loop-de-doops. Sometimes I just can't help myself.

On to Spirals...

My first attempt is missing from my pile of samples. (sorry... no photo.)

But I needed a lot more practice.

 I knew I should back up and, as Jenny suggests, revert to drawing on paper.

I did that with some spirals and then sewed some more. Better, but again, I went rogue 

and added some loops and swirls. 

And I love it!

That's the Whole Point!

Next up are some fun star burst shapes...

And then I channeled my 12 year old self and reverted to my blob-shaped doodles.

(Hundreds and hundreds of these were made during boring lectures at school.)

I had SO MUCH FUN playing and "PLACTICING" my free-motion stitching

(and I clearly need to work on my self-discipline).

This is SO MUCH FUN!

Here's how you can have a chance to win Jenny's book.

Leave a comment here on my blog saying what your favorite thread is. 

If your ID doesn't link back to you, please leave a valid email address or way to contact you. 

I will (randomly) choose a winner on December 15, 2018.

a great place to try new free-motion quilting ideas. With minimal

investment in time and materials

A few notes about the hop:
– You can enter each day but can only win once.
– Each blogger will leave the comments open for 8 days and then will choose a winner using a random method.
– Jenny will send winners a signed copy of her book.
– If you find a blog along the way that you find interesting, sign up to receive notices of each future posting. This is a talented group!
– International winners will receive a digital copy.

The more the merrier-feel free to pass my post on to others so that we can all play along.

Here’s the schedule:

Dec 1     Jenny K. Lyon                             https://quiltskipper.com/
Dec 2     Lisa Chin                                       http://www.lisachinartist.com/
Dec 3     Catherine Redford                 https://catherineredford.com/
Dec 4     Lyric Kinard                                http://lyrickinard.com/
Dec 5     Heidi Proffetty                          https://www.heidiproffetty.com/
Dec 6     Debby Ritenbaugh Brown   https://www.debbybrownquilts.com/
Dec 7     Libby Williamson                       https://libbywilliamsondesigns.blogspot.com/
Dec 8     Barbara Black                              http://bbquiltmaker.blogspot.com/
Dec 9     Cindy Grisdela                            https://www.cindygrisdela.com/
Dec 10   Teri Lucas                                      https://terificreations.com/

 Click on the appropriate link for the day, make a comment, and you’ll be in the running to win a free, signed copy. Come Play!

I'm Late, I'm Late...For a very important date!

I'm late

I'm Late

For a very important DATE!

It's Jenny Lyon's blog hop

and today is my day!

But I've had a delay...

I'll be back Soon!

Please check back!

Santa Fe...Hoooooray!

Santa Fe....Part two 

After the mind blowing Meow Wolf experience

 (see previous post)

Annie Hooten and I visited the State Capital Rotunda

which was displaying a most incredible fiber art exhibit, 

Off The Wall: Mixed Media Works

 Incredible Art Quilts by Betty Busby 

 Incredible Vessels by Betty Busby

 Mixed Media Fiber Art by additional artists. 

(I'm so sorry that I don't have their names!)

A most inspiring show!

What a treat.

Meow Wolf...Out of this World!

Day three in  Albuequerque

My most wonderful hostess, Annie Hooten, 

and I spent the day in Santa Fe! 

First stop... Meow Wolf

an incredible interactive museum experience 

that is impossible to describe.

A museum like no other! 

When in Santa Fe..Don't miss it!