Indiana State Day Success!

Last Saturday's Indiana State Day, hosted by our chapter, Needle Artisans of Northwest Indiana was a big success. Sue and Mel Rock! I got the pleasure of basking in reflected glory--I had very little part in all of it. I did have great fun on the day. I got reacquainted with loads of friends!

As part of the process, our chapter produced a really nice cookbook. I didn't think it was a great idea at first, but it seems to be turning out to be very good. Chapter members baked goodies from the book for breakfast and dessert and a lot of cookbooks sold based on the taste-testing done at the event. (Above, selling cookbooks.) The displays were amazing. I took this shot of our display table before we had to condense it way down so that all of the things our visitors brought could be displayed, too. We began with, I think, four eight-foot tables and ended up with at least six plus a huge round. It was awesome! The variety was really great to see and everyone spent a lot of time browsing. It also instigated conversations as people discussed how this or that might have been done, what this or that was meant to be, and who did that? I want to do it, too.
Here's our designer/teacher taking a bit of a break (I think it was just after lunch). She designed the amulet bag, the box top and wrote the instructions. She also provided a lot of advice as we tested the project and instructions.
My gift was this cool spookly scissors fob (that's a cats head at the bottom)--everyone got one! (sorry, I don't remember who made them to thank them here.) The organizers thought of everything--from amazing, huge door-prize baskets for everyone (yep, each person who took the class got a lovely door prize!), a wonderful boutique by House of Stitches, lovely centerpieces (if you had a spider at the end of your scissors fob, you got to take one home--they were flowers and variety threads).

Each stitcher got a large decorated bag with the supplies to make both the box top (what we worked on Saturday) and the amulet bag. The perle cotton balls were held in a charming card and ribbon holder so they wouldn't roll away and escape. There were M&Ms for energy, a cool round folded orts "box," and booklets, threads and loads of other fun goodies. I'm on the left with the other class angels who went around to try and help stitchers who got stuck with some aspect of the project. All of us had stitched the amulet bag and box top (I think we're all wearing our amulets--each one is different). It also meant we got to go around and visit all our friends. I was very happy to see a good friend that I'd been missing lately.

If you had the chance and missed it, you missed a really good one. (Only about half of our chapter members participated--just think what we could have done if everyone had joined in!)

Okay, then, to top it all off, instead of going home I drove a bit and had dinner with more stitching friends! I met a group from Wisconsin, let by Terry, for a nice dinner and a bit of show-n-tell. They'd come down to Geneva/St.Charles shop and had visited needlework, knitting, bead and gift shops during the day on Saturday. It was nice to meet everyone, some I'd met before and some new friends. (my jaw ached on the way home--I talked waaayyyy too much and smiled an awful lot, too!)

Sunday we drove back up that way, this time with hubby, to do some shopping of our own and to visit my sister. It was a really fun weekend and I feel full up with happiness.

It's finished!

This past weekend I finished my Hardanger piece. Designed by Jamee Jecmen, this piece is the project, Web in an Autumn Garden, to be taught this fall when Needle Artisans of Northwest Indiana hosts Indiana State Day on Saturday, October 17, 2009.

It took me longer than it should have. Partly because I hated the Watercolors thread I picked once I got well underway. I liked it in the skein but once I got going on the sides (which meant the front was mostly done), I decided I hated it. Now that it's all done, I'm happier with it. But I also have decided that I need to be more careful and maybe do a test line of satin or buttonhole stitch before diving into future projects.

The top photo is the completed piece before cutting it out to finish. The next photo is the front of the completed amulet bag and the last photo is the back.

It was really interesting to stitch--Jamee is really inventive and creative and there are lots of fun stitches and details.

back to the real world---thud

On the last day of our trip (almost a week ago, already!), we stopped by Kent State University Museum. I'd heard about this textile treasure trove--the museum is based on costume and clothing collections--but never had a chance to get there before. It was well worth the trip and if you have a chance, stop for a visit. The museum is small--we were quite happy with the two hours we spent there and saw every exhibit (but not all in depth).

We went to see The Art of the Embroiderer. It was a stunning exhibit of embroidered clothing, that was rounded out with a video by the EGA. The clothing was from the 17th century to the 21st century and covered, Europe, the Middle East, India, Africa, South America, and Asia. I think there was one Native North American piece. The range of techniques was amazing but also I found the similarities of embroideries from disparate regions intriguing.

Our viewing of the video, which is in an adjacent room, was interrupted by a tour going through the exhibit. They had apparently never had it drummed into them that one must only whisper in a museum.

The tour also had some benefits for us, though, because we learned from the docent's comments.

They have a lovely gift shop where I got the book Court and Conquest,about the development of the costumes for an opera. I haven't taken much time with it yet. I got a tiny book, too, The Little Bodice Book. I forgot to get a photo of mine, the link is to Amazon. It's a lovely little book and even if I never make myself a fitted bodice (the book is aimed at theater costumers), I learned quite a bit from reading it.

I also found some lacy notecards. I'm a sucker for stationery and I don't often write letters now that I rely on e-mail. But I do keep buying stationery. My mother did, too (she used hers).

Finding new books is one of vacationing's pleasures. I found two treasures, Making Things and Kaaterskill Falls, at a bookshop in the Catskills. I didn't note the town or shop, sadly. We had stopped for a bathroom and break from driving--those mountain roads are tiring to drive.

Making Things is an illustrated diary and I thought it might be a nice place to note what I'm working on each day. The images are mostly of felt embroideries--right up my alley.

Kaaterskill Falls is a novel about the community near the falls--both the year-round folks and those that come down from New York City for the summers. I've just begun reading it.

After I got home, I finished up my car knitting--I added crochet borders to the mitered washcloths. The edgings are done in naturally colored cottons.

I needed to make a pit stop on the very last leg home so decided the nearest restroom was in Jo-Ann's Fabrics (fancy that). And since I had a couple of about-to-expire coupons, I used them to get Pretty Little Felts. The designs are sweet and aren't all entirely felt--they're felt with fabric and paper and other fibers. So they're all quite different and not too alike.

The little book on the cover has a metal-mesh cover with buttons sewn on and felt pages. I've enjoyed browsing it's pages.

I spent most of Sunday sleeping. I was exhausted. Monday was a holiday so I could catch up a bit. I worked on my Indiana State Day Hardanger project for my EGA chapter. All that's left to do is the back, and I've begun that, and the cutting and needleweaving on the front flap.

My first day back at work was a breeze, because I'd kept caught up while gone. And then we were slammed with some really tight fiscal-year-end deadlines that have had me scrambling and rather panicked. I have the stuff that must be done, done. But, PHEW! I'm glad it's Friday!

And that's why I haven't blogged this week or stitched much or written anyone. When I haven't been sorting faculty receipts, trying to make sense of travel receipts, nagging faculty for receipts, making sure all the "i"s are dotted and "t"s crossed, and inputting it all into a rather horrendous form (that kept bouncing me off in the middle of typing), I've been kind of just staring numbly into space, not good for much of anything.

Next week will be daunting--with all of the things I've been putting off this week. But anything will be better than the last few days!

I'm going to eat dinner now and crash.