Sensory Overload

Quilt Festival has come and gone for another year. I unpacked the car late this afternoon and just can't face trying to fit all that back into my sewing corner, let alone the new stuff that I've added. And, amazingly, I was pretty good at not adding too much this year. The vendors had interesting things, but nothing I couldn't live without. I did buy a little fabric and a couple of books at the flea market, but I only had to bring home a small box of things I'd taken in, so there was less coming than going. As I tidy and reorganize my sewing corner (what a never-ending process!) I will add to a tub throughout the year and have it ready to go next March. Someone else may as well finish a UFO or two that I am finally ready to declare DOA.

The quilts were so awesome! All that talent.... I am stunned by how the colors were used, the simplicity and complexity of the patterns, how each quilter interpreted an idea and put it together. Wow! I took pics of almost everything and will post--as soon as I figure out the darn camera! Isn't technology wonderful? (I get a new gadget and have to learn how to use it.)

It's today's class though that has me on sensory overload though. Fabric Embellishing, taught by Mark Lipinski! Truly amazing.... I know many of you have been playing with various media for ages already, and I've seen or heard of many techniques, but today we had hands-on practice. Hand embroidery using floss and perle cotton, sometimes at the same time, and maybe adding beads in there, too. Beading! Crystals! Foiling onto fabric done in a variety of techniques. Super-fine glitter onto fabric. Painting onto heat-n-bond and then putting it on fabric. Spraying paint designed for silk flowers onto fabric to change the shading, or make it look antique. Spray webbing. (really cool!) I brought home an awesome kit with all kinds of beads, crystals, floss, ETC.

After trying a bunch of techniques we started embellishing our panels--one of Mark's really gorgeous fabrics that are designed to be embellished. (or not....) Mine is green, luck of the draw, but perfect for the fabrics I'd picked out for the class. I'm determined to finish this incredibly embellished shop-hop bag. Think Pakistani designs....

Off to snooze: I'll dream in shades of green, pink, aqua, brown, and cream tonight, with just a touch of orange....

Nancy