A day with Laura Cater-Woods

Artistic Annex is hosting workshops with Laura Cater Woods this weekend. I participated in Laura's "Off the Wall and Onto the Page," a mixed media (me? mixed media? go figure) class. Laura showed us the effects of so many nifty, gotta-have items like Drainage Screen (cheap-o garden supply) and Lutradur (not cheap, not garden, but very cool stuff). Then there was all the nifty, gotta-have stuff at Judy Gula's shop in Alexandria. If you have never met Judy or taken a class with her or shopped with her at many quilt or surface design shows, you are missing something special. Check her out on line. She doesn't sell yard goods, but if you're serious about surface design, you canNOT live without what she does sell.

The project: A two-sided, three-panel standing "book"

I used one of my Immaculate Conception's images (Ateroa in New Zealand) as the basis for my "book" still in need of "binding." I made several prints on computer fabric and one on Extravorganza. One of the prints came out in gray tones for some reason (user error, no doubt), but it was a wonderful mistake that became a Unifying Element for my piece. I added some silk paper--needs trimming--I made two summers ago at John Campbell (I can't remember whose class it was, and I remember everybody memorable. Shame!) and some of the canvas I painted with Elizabeth Busch this past summer at QBL. I used lame' and trapped some charms in tulle as touted by Bernie Rowell, but with limited success (read: looks like yetch and needs a bit of re-thinking). Embellishments to date are gold thread and some of those Middle Eastern evil eye charms that have a name but I can't remember that either.

Not Un-Busy

Between sessions of wrestling with two uncooperative art quilts in progress, I've been honing my biking skills. Yesterday morning found me at the motorcycle cop rodeo near Pentagon City. The police competition featured teams from the mid-Atlantic states, including one awesome team from a Florida (mid-Atlantic if you include South America) sheriff's office. Whoo-Hoo #18! You are my HERO! Their riding was inspiring and now my goals are set much higher than just managing Snickersville Pike.

Several of the group drifted over to the Pentagon Memorial. I must say that if I ever feel the need for a good cry, here's the place. Benches pointing towards the Pentagon acknowledge those who died on the plane; benches pointing away, those who died in the building. Kudos to the designer.

I hope to get The Gate "published" soon. I spent some quality time picking out a section of less-than-acceptable thread painting and now must deal with some less-than-acceptable residual holes. One of the women in CQU answered the summer challenge with a tree done in couched threads on tulle. There's a question of balance with my adding too much texture to one section of The Gate, but a bit of light couching for the trees on the bottom edge might be the answer and might not overpower the threaded grain of the gate's wooden elements. To be continued...

Where I've been for two weeks

Ok, so this isn't a sewing machine I'm riding, and I admit, I should have been home finishing The Gate (still not completely thread-painted and bound) or at least making a feeble attempt at dealing with this month's art quilt homework (mia culpa, Cyndi). But what a glorious day it was! And I can announce that for probably the first time I actually had FUN riding!