Recap of March Meeting (March 27, 2008)Thanks to Theresa for taking the March notes…
We were a small group last month but we had a wonderful evening. Thanks to Karen for repeating the technique of Cord Wrapping. We (all 4 of us) had a productive time. Karen started and finished a "mug rug", Pat and I worked at learning the cording technique, and Marie got into some funky cording! (She had had some experience!) We shared show & tell. Karen had some real fun projects to show and some extremely neat experimental techniques to share with us.
Pat had some very pretty quilt blocks with great appliqué. She had made a very creative bookcover.
Recap of April Meeting (April 24, 2008)Show and tell was inspiring and mind-blowing! Betty brought tons of beading—she showed us the little bauble we’ll most likely work on when she teaches in September. Katy and Julie brought the beaded jewelry that Julie made for Katy’s wedding. New member Sandy brought a jacket she’d made on a sweatshirt base—you’d truly never recognize it. The sleeves had striking double needle work and showed Rami Kim’s influence with a decorative cuff. Coincidentally, Betty was also wearing a sweatshirt jacket that she showed us.
Karen has been sticking to her “technique a week” discipline, and she had tons to show for it. Her journal cover was a big hit—that was Lumiere paint on the distressed Tyvek. She also had a mixed media dragonfly piece—it incorporated last year’s sheer inset appliqué with a Beryl Taylor technique for a mixed paper background including tea bags on a muslin base. As if that wasn’t enough, she had the latest in her Fish series, including wrapped pipe cleaners from March. She also had two books to share: Beading on Fabric by Larkin Jean Van Horn is a great book for embellishers who aren’t necessarily beaders. How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci by Michael J. Gelb incorporates some of the “right brain” elements we discussed in our program for the evening.
The evening’s program on right brain drawing was presented by guest Marilyn. The exercises were based on the 1979 book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards. An updated version was published in 1999—but you can get the oldie for a penny (plus shipping!) on Amazon. We had some laughs, and some surprises at our hidden abilities as we worked through the exercises: vases/faces, upside down drawing, blind contour, and negative spaces.
Announcements and Reminders
Sad news! Fabric Fusion in Brown Deer is closing; the last day will be May 17. The address is 8669 N. Deerwood Drive in Brown Deer. Exit US 41 at Brown Deer Road and go “a long way.”
Edgewood Arts in Waupaca is recommended by members as a great place to haunt for “weird, wacky, and cool stuff.” It’s more of an embellishment shop; they don’t carry fabric.
New Member!Sandy (See paper copy for address, phone, and email)
May Meeting (Thursday May 29, 2008)We reshuffled our schedule a bit—our Play Night is now scheduled for May. If you’re feeling motivated to clean out your sewing room, we can have a bit of a swap meet as well. Paper Clay with Karen is rescheduled to July.
Upcoming EventsMay 29, 2008: May meeting, 6:30. Play night & swap meet.
June 26, 2008: June meeting, 6:30. Journal making with Michele
July 31, 2008: July meeting, 6:30. Paper Clay with Karen
August 28, 2008: August meeting, potluck picnic at Karen’s
September 25, 2008: September meeting, 6:30. Betty’s beading bonanza
Conversations in Cloth meets the last Thursday of each month at 6:30 at the Menasha Public Library.
