A Fun Outing

I returned home from a great teaching weekend to St. Louis.  It was my first time to visit so my great hostess, Susan, took me for drives at the end of both workshop days.  It was so much fun to see so many things, particularly the Arch (I was absolutely amazed it is so big).  It is so true you really have to see things in person to really get the true picture!  

 

But, I did miss my daughter's 30th birthday so we had a fun outing this past Tuesday after I arrived back at home.  San Francisco's new California Academy of Sciences just re-opened in late September.  You may have heard about it and it's living room.  it's interesting that you can actually visit the roof for a close up view and also a great view of the surrounding hills.  I have included  photos of the enclosed four story "atrium" which is the home to all types of rainforest animals.  One enters at the "forest floor" and then begins walking around the perimeter and gradually reaches the "forest canopy".  Wonderful.  The second photo is of a beautiful orchid wall. 

  

 Of course there are many other interesting features including an absolutely huge living reef which is two or three levels high and of course, a penquin colony.

It is well worth the visit if you come to San Francisco. 

It usually takes me a few days to return to stitching when I have been away but I have been busy on my new Squares design and plan to post an update tomorrow.  There are two shows on tv tonight which I watch when in town....and that also means an evening of stitching. 

So, see you tomorrow, or if not, wishing everyone a great weekend....and weather.

Mediterranean Squares

This past week I've finally been able to get back to designing and stitching new designs for next year.  I know it times we all get bogged down with a design or project and just don't want to work on it for a while.  Well, that happened to me with the Bargello Pear design I was working on.   I have no doubt I will get back to it in the spring, but time was a-wasting and no stitching was getting done!  So, I took Funky Rose to the framers...and that perked me up!  Hope we chose the right mat colors, frame, etc.  December 1st is when it is promised and I'll post a photo of the framed project. 

Back on April 29th, in an entry titled Planning New Designs, I posted a sketch and an array of threads as Palette #1 for an upcoming design.  The photos that follow are the followup to that.   The design has been revised from the original sketch....with several sketches in between.  Also, while the palette is basically the same colors, the balance of colors has changed and there is some change in thread textures. See Palette #2 above.

I'm planning to finish up stitching the smaller blue/green square tonight and I have posted a photo to show, in general, how I pull a large group of threads out of the, even larger, palette, to select threads for the individual areas.  In this case.....all squares of varying sizes. 

The image I am trying to re-create in this design is really a collage of images from the countries surrounding the Mediterranean.  So many of the patterns we take for granted today are centuries old as seen in brickwork, tiles, on fountains, in museums and libraries, churches, minarets, etc., etc.  I have planned out what squares are in the foreground, middle ground, and background and have researched the stitches, but how it all comes together has not been planned out to a great degree.  Each square will be created based on its surroundings. 

Stay tuned.   It should be back to normal postings after this weekend....my last teaching trip away until early February. 

Stitchers Retreat Report

I am happy to report our first Stitchers Retreat was fun and relaxing...a great success.  Everyone appeared to enjoy the entire experience from the lovely hotel and great food to just chatting with old and new friends to working on new projects or getting help with current ones. (Those bright green bags are the Goody Bags full of cool stuff).  We are set to do it again February 27 - March 2.  I will post more detailed information by December 1st. 

But sorry to say I didn't take many pictures.  Good intentions though.  I've posted one of our stitching room for the day.  We were hoping to have our lunch out in the courtyard, but would you believe it, it rained.  We haven't had rain for months.  But no one was really complaining as we definitely needed it!  But here is a picture looking out into the courtyard.  Maybe next time.  After all, doesn't really get too cold here in February compared to most places. 

I got back to Pear stitching during the retreat and really hope to get a lot of stitching done this month.  But one of the retreat participants suggested I use scrap canvas to stitch up a finishing template.  Good idea.  So hopefully I can get that done this week....just to make sure the three sections of pear will fit together the way I envision.  It definitely be better to work out the bugs beforehand instead of on the stitched canvas. 

Now, for the next week, I will be busy finishing up kits for two upcoming teaching trips over the next 3 weeks.  It's really nice to be working away in my newly redone stitching room.  In the latest issue of Studios by Quilting Arts Magazine, the Expedit (Ikea)shelving I used is shown, but there are also many other great storage and organizational ideas. 

Will be back soon, hopefully with stitching photos updates.