Meetings...

This Fall I had the good fortune to participate as a vendor at the 2013 ATHA Biennial in Long Beach, California. It was an inspiring gathering and a wonderful time to connect with old friends. Many were good customers that I've known for years through email or the telephone, but had never talked to in person...what an opportunity! It's always a joy to add a face to the voice.
While most of my time was spent working, I did manage to grab an hour to attend a short presentation by Maggie Bonanomi. She is just as down-to-earth and warm as one would expect given the gentle and primitive nature of her work and her writings. She and her husband came by my booth during a quiet time so we could chat (perhaps we'll be able to collaborate someday). As it was, she left my booth with a nice stack of beautiful hand dyed textured woolens and I brought home an autographed copy of her latest book...I think we were both happy.
Meeting Maggie and actually getting to view & touch her work (do I sound like a Maggie groupie?) has  inspired me to finally try my hand at wool applique. Here's where I'm starting...

 



Two Birds in the Garden

This is one of Maggie's designs, Two Birds in the Garden, that's been around for awhile and is an easy starting point for a novice at applique.



Working Out Motif Placements with the Paper Patterns

One of the things I like most about her designs is that they are so relaxed and one doesn't need to feel intimidated at the thought of making changes (or, so to speak, not coloring within the lines). In fact, Maggie clearly invites making a project your own and not being afraid of "mistakes". I like this attitude so much that I think I'm going to stain this whole piece with a walnut crystal & tea solution when I'm done.



Ready to Stitch...