I rarely take one day workshops, but now I have had two in one month! In October with Gloria Loughman (Australia) and yesterday with Patricia Beaver (Chula Vista, CA.). Both days were sponsored by Surfside Quilters Guild so the ladies I met were all members of that guild. Since I live almost an hour away I don't get to know many members - those I see twice a month at the general meeting and at the board meeting and those I just see at the general meeting. Nancy Ota, our president suggested that taking workshops would give me more contacts within the guild. I think this is a good idea and I will try to take more workshops.
Patricia Beaver became enchanted with the linens from the 20s and 30s that have color applied by hand using crayons and then outline embroidered along most of the lines. She has an extensive collection of the early patterns and some quilts, plus those that she has made. I am familiar with the one above from my childhood - I believe it was my dear Aunt Effie who owned a pillow with this design on it.
This is the sample she sent for the workshop. We could decide on either the marble playing boy or the girl with the broom. But first she had us do a sample piece, for which we chose a design from the many small images she brought with her. Patricia gave us instructions as we moved ahead with our work. I did crayon on fabric in the late 60s and early 70s, but never had any classes, I just figured it out on my own. But I moved on to other techniques. I know I have a sample from that period of my life, but haven't a clue where it might be.
Patricia Beaver is an adventurous lady! She decided not long ago that she needed to learn a foreign language, so she studied Italian and now spends part of the year in Italy. Her lecture on Tuesday morning included hilarious tales about her past - she is working on a book about her adventures that should come out sometime next spring. She showed a number of quilts, not necessarily crayon on fabric, that demonstrate her ability to tackle many different styles and techniques in her quilt making.
This is the little sample piece that I did. I changed the design a little - this was a shaggy dog, but I knew that with my tremor I couldn't do all those little points with a crayon. Therefore I just simplified the design and he now looks a little like a Scottie, but he is really just a mutt. Patricia demonstrated and taught us about all the different 'tools' one can put under the fabric and do a rubbing - from simple household items to rubbing "plates" purchased at a craft shop. I used her strip of very stiff rubber with a pattern like a coarse screen to make the frame, which I hope looks somewhat like a basket. No embroidery on this yet and I plan to widen the circle with more black fabric marker. What I ultimately will do with it I have no idea. But I enjoyed the workshop and the socialization - we laughed a lot as we were learning. Laughter is good for everyone and I don't get much laughing in my life, so it was especially good for me.
Note: The Wordless Wednesday image was a winter view of Cathedral Falls in West Virginia.
