Sewing Retreat Venture Valley

This year's sew group retreat was at Venture Valley Conference Center near Corralitos, California in the redwoods. Three nights spending time with friends, sharing ideas, techniques, fitting, laughing, and sharing meals together was a welcome break. Here are a few images I captured from the weekend. This group of friends has been getting together for over twenty years. I have learned so much from these talented woman. Smocking and handwork was my focus. 

Lattice smocking

Ironed and interfaced test piece

Sitting by the pool doing handwork is so relaxing

Wonderful natural light

Sharing at the end of the weekend

Eco Printed Silk Wool Panel

I used pecan leaf from my sister's house in Katy, Texas and eucalyptus leaf from San Jose, California to create this panel. The fiber content is a silk wool blend. I have a similar piece for sale on my Etsy shop.

Wool Gauze Scarfs Dyed in Indigo

Lightweight wool gauze is comfortable and popular, I have noticed it worn in the streets of San Francisco. Check out my indigo dyed wool gauze scarfs at my Etsy shop, kimmeulibrown. I found some nice quality wool blank scarfs at Dharma Trading here in California and ordered some from Beautiful Silks in Australia. One has fringe, with a weave more open, the other is dense and softer. Below is a three step showing of one of the designs. Enjoy and please come visit again.

Step One

Step Two

Step Three

Finished Scarf

Six finished pieces ready for my shop.

Constellation of Mold

Opened a dye pot that I had left in the studio. And wow . . . look at the gorgeous burst of colors and the amber beads that appear radiating like jewels in a circle above another. I find this very intriguing, and would enjoy recreating this in some way. Most definitely art that is one of a kind. Don't think I could make this happen again. This mold alive and growing, came after the crazy rain storms we had. The studio was very wet and cold. This is what I love about the process of creating, the surprises that come of their own fruition. Mold can be beautiful. Why not ?

Art Ark Gallery

It was a pleasure to be selected as one of fifty local artist to show work at the Art Ark Gallery this holiday season. It was the fifth annual salon style exhibition and sale. The Art Ark Gallery is located in San Jose, they have a mission to encourage artists and engage the community. Thanks to dear friends and family that came out to enjoy the music, food, art, and meet new friends. It was inspiring.

Wet felted pods with lights.

It was fun to design the installation using a
branch from our Persimmon tree.

Eco Printing on Fabric at The Tin Thimble

The Tin Thimble in Loomis California is a textile lovers dream. Located northeast of Sacramento, I highly recommend a visit. Yesterday I took a one day class, Botanical Imprinting on Fabric taught by Sharon Mansfield at the Tin Thimble. Sharon has done so much research with local plants and is happy to share her expertise, with step by step instructions and a positive encouraging teaching style her classes will not disappoint. She has another eco printing class coming up in the spring. The Tin Thimble has a great studio space for classes and a store front in a wonderful old packing shed. The store has all the supplies you need. Its like a museum, store, and school all in one. I am always inspired by the work they show, and they keep the merchandise fresh and interesting. We dyed silk, silk wool blends, and silk linen blends. All the bundles were gorgeous and we only used local eucalyptus.

I should also mention, the High Hand Nursery and Cafe next door where you will want to have lunch, and don't miss the potato chips they make fresh. Great coffee and cookies too.

Can't wait to get back to my studio and incorporate some of Sharon's techniques. The results were so beautiful, I can't stop looking at them. So many beautiful details. Thanks to mother nature and teachers/artists like Sharon.

A peak into the classroom space.

My bundles before opening.

Maiwa Textile Symposium : Tilleke Schwartz

Maiwa Textile Symposium runs for three months on Granville Island in Vancouver British Columbia. I had the pleasure of attending last week. Vancouver is a wonderful city so easy to get around walking, riding bikes, or using public transportation. The place I found to stay through airbnb was a condo that overlooked the boats, fisherman's wharf and Granville island. 

The workshop I participated in was taught by Tilleke Schwartz an artist from the Netherlands and master at embroidery. It was a three day workshop. And the topic was "Telling Your Own Story". Tilleke's sense of humor was a kick, and she shared what inspires her and showed images of other fiber artist that she admires. A highlight was viewing her work in person which I have to say is far superior to photos. The texture and tiny scale of her stitches are truly incredible. 

We did some drawing exercises to get us thinking about what we might design. Tilleke encouraged us to either go into the project with a plan or work as you go. I am excited to incorporate embroidery in my own work. 

I hope to make this an annual trip, the Textile Symposium runs September, October, and November. Registrations for the courses begin in June and they fill up within days.

My sampler, Tilleke suggests adding her trademark cross-stitched cat.

We flew in a small prop plane from Seattle to Vancouver.

View from the airbnb condo.

Each day the view changed, even in grey skies its pretty.

This is the walk I did each day to class.

Classroom above the Maiwa store.

Textile and book collection is incredible.

The first exercise was to create a collage to tell our story.

Details from my collage.

Couching with silk threads.

Another drawing exercise where you pass along a piece to another student.

Inspiration that Tilleke would use.

Walking to class on the last day.

Fourth floor is where I stayed. 

The Maiwa store filled with treasures for the lover of textiles.

An evening ride on a small ferry to watch the sunset.

Granville Island was at one time an industrial area,
now it is a place for artists and a public market that rivals any I have seen.
There is still a working factory shown above.

Looks like Wizard of Oz and the Emerald City.

So fun to ride on this small ferry.

Condos on the water.