Preparations

Summer is nearly half over.   ~shudder~   Before you know it, September will be here.  I'm putting things together for the Showcase of the Arts which is the first week of August here in Saskatoon.  Creative House will be having a booth there and they've asked for their teachers to supply class samples.  I got a little bit done last night.  I think it will be a mug rug.  I really can't stand that name though.  lol  It's as ugly as the word "blog", don't you think?  BLOG.  ick.  Mug-rug on a blog.  ick ick.  So, I'll call it a Coffee Cup Coaster.

Rachel's scraps and some Tutti Wonderfil thread.

Here's a list of classes I'm offering with the corresponding dates.  I picked the Mondays that alternate with our Saskatoon Quilter's Guild meetings so that there's no overlap.  I'll also do some classes at the Studio on 9th in the evenings, and I'm getting booked for some private Sunday afternoon classes as well.  I'll post those once I know.

At Creative House, Fall 2012

Monday September 17 - Creative Quilted Postcards Workshop

Monday October 1 - Free Motion Quilting Skill Builder

Monday October 29 - Teens / Homeschoolers Doodle with you Sewing Machine

Monday Tuesday November 13 - Basic Threadwork / Threadpainting 101 (Rescheduled for stat holiday)

Monday November 19 - Dresdens Workshop

* * * You can read all the details of the classes HERE.  * * *

All of my classes are Monday mornings at 10 am and run for 2.5 to 3 hours, with the exception of November 12th.  Sign up is through Creative House by phoning 652-0455.  They have classes running all the time on so many topics, so check them all out! : )

Teaching, Learning, and Show & Tell

What a BUSY week.  Oh my.  I taught two classes, and I took two classes!  The 2 postcards workshops were great.  I always enjoy offering them.  I got a couple photos from Judy, the owner of the Studio on Ninth.  They are from the second class (the day I forgot my camera).

hey look, it's me!  Thanks Judy : )

aren't they pretty!!??  : )  Click to see them bigger...

Then, this afternoon, I attended the second of a four part Wonderfil thread course called "Luscious Threads".  There was a project today with really, REALLY thin thread that I quite enjoyed.  I did a lot of free motion work, raw edge applique, and even did my first-ever trapunto!  I thought that was pretty cool.  It was a non-traditional method where you don't have to slice the backing fabric.  I still can't get over how thin that thread was - Decobob & Invisifil.  It was like hair.  Seriously.

you can barely see the thread!

pretty, though I should not have outlined the Trapunto with beige thread.  Just a sampler...

Last, but not least, I attended the final night of my USCAD class.  This was made possible by a scholarship from the Saskatoon Quilters' Guild.  It was thirteen 3-hour evenings of "Experimental Fibre Art II".   The purpose of the class was collaboration.  I started two pieces and passed them on to other classmates to complete, and I finished one piece that someone else started.  There is also the wrapping piece, and one last one I collaborated on with Jill Cope (also a member of our quilt guild).  I will absolutely post photos, but not until after our class exhibit!  : )  I love love love what I made.

I had no idea, but our Instructor Anahit has booked a space at the University this Thursday night if you would like to come see!  6-8pm would be great, and it's free.  I'm pretty proud of my work!  It's very... experimental.  : )  We will be there earlier to set up and check out the space for the first time.  Here is the poster Anahit made to announce the event!

I won't be there until shortly after 5, but will stay until 8 when we take our art home.  Most of us feel that the one who finished the art will keep the piece... I think?  hmmm.  I hope to see some friendly faces there!

Creative Fabric Postcards Workshop

I love teaching postcards!  Last night I had a small workshop at Judy's Studio on 9th.  I run the same one again this afternoon.  I can't wait!

It will be so great to see the variety that comes out of one theme!  Check out the GIGANTIC MESS!  lol

The best part is when everyone is proud of what they made.  : )  I love this photo of Emma!

There's never two cards alike.  It will be great to see what the next bunch come up with.  The 'spring theme' produced a confused robin being snowed on (haha!), flowers/snow/geese all in one card, one big orange tulip, a spring mini-quilt with floral border, and a lovely spring landscape. 

Thanks everyone!

Sunday Snapshots

: )

A couple of days ago...

Here is our front yard today!

And here is our back yard.  : )

Believe it or not, everyone managed to drive through knee-deep snow to get to the postcards workshops today.  What fun - and what a wonderful bunch of creative women!  : )  I picked the theme of Valentine's Day, and look at all the lovelies they came up with!

Happy Sunday Snowday!  ; )

WIP Wednesday #5 and PRIZES everywhere!

Hey!  Did you see I'm at 3CreativeStudios with a tutorial?  It's true!  There's also a contest that the hosts Vicki Welsh and Terri Stegmiller organize with their flickr group.  Basically, if you make anything using the techniques in my tutorial, you have until October 16th, 2011 to upload them (link at the bottom of this post).  All submissions will be eligible for draw prizes, including a great big how-to Fibre Art book, hand dyed fat quarter fabrics from Vicki, and some postcard art from me.  Sounds fun!  Unfortunately, I doubt I can join in.  haha.  I do want that fabric from Vicki though.  : )  So here's what I've done with leaves and a bit of thread sketching.

strawberry leaves from my garden

I took a bunch of leaves that had changed color, and some odds and ends of thread and yarn.  I placed them all under sheer fabric and started to free motion sew.  (Yes - I see my thread popped out from the hook there.)

my poor shamrock... being recycled into art.

All I did was outline the leaves and some main veins with different thread colors.  I ended up with three very colorful thread-sketched postcards.  It's so very fun to do.  These are for a swap I'm in , so I'm popping them into the mailbox today!

Ahh... I think the shamrocks look much better here.  Have fun with whatever you make!  ; )  You can read more about the prizes and get that flickr link for your work HERE.  Good Luck!!

Since I most likely cannot enter, I'm going to Rachel's at Stitched in Color with this last postcard.  She has a Celebrate Color event happening and I am so into FALL!  ; )

Linking this WIP Wednesday post to

The Needle & Thread Network!

~Monika

Postcards ROCK! yes they do do do...

They really do!  I think everyone had a great time yesterday.  Here's what we made!  Bernie made three!  ; )

In our jars: bugs, pumpkins, brownie mix and salsa...

Aren't they terrific!?  You can click on that pic to look close.  I LOVE them.  And yes - these are postcards!  They are all ready to be stamped and mailed, envelope-free.  Great job!  Thank you so much Bernie for hosting.  Here's what I was photographing when you passed me on the road : ).  LOVE>

I am stitching this up on BLACK fabric.  Oh it will POP with color and texture!  I can barely wait.
; )

~Monika
always smitten by the prairie...

Works in Progress Wednesday @ TN&TN

I'm working!  I'm working!  I have been doing so much 'paperwork' (ie: computer documents) it's incredible.  I finished my article for A Needle Pulling Thread Magazine.  That's one important deadline completed!  Break out the bubbly!  I filled out application forms and guild membership forms.  I wrote out the tutorial for my guest post at 3CS, which is coming up very soon.  I will blog when it happens so you can go see.  My thing will be threadsketching.  I have yet to add all the photos and maybe a video.  It's a lot of work!  : )

I have my project well under way for the big show!  Flo at Butterfly Quilting was sweet enough to bring me some patterns to pick from.  I found a great one!  Thank you Flo!

paperwork.

I copied out the pieces so I wouldn't wreck hers.  I used gift bag tissue paper.  Why not?  I also had to add over and inch and a half of waist length.  This is a big learning curve folks!  Remember, I can't follow a pattern!

using my window as a light box

That's all I can show you there!  I am documenting it so I can post it all later (when my hands are recovering).  Smart hey!?  I finished this and finally got a half decent photo of it.  That was no easy task.  With all the colors in there and even good day lighting, something kept registering funny and messing up the hues.  So I tried a technique I had heard of before.  I laid a greyscale paper on the side of the piece, lined up the camera, focused, and then removed the grey paper before snapping the shot.  It worked!  Brilliant.

Bloom, complete.  2011

I'm also preparing for the online course Embroidery, Embellish, Create by Karen Ruane in the UK.  I am so excited!  We just got our supply list from her and I'm getting it all together.  It's all white on white embroidery including cutwork and cross stitch...  (yessss).  Can you believe a guild friend of mine here in Saskatoon is signed up too?  We'll have to present our finished projects to the guild for show and tell I think!   Just look what this fabulous woman does!

Karen Ruane's photo of her work, blogged with permission

Her class begins Monday.  My postcards class at Bernie's is set for Sunday, Sept 18th. There are a few spots left if you would like to try your hand at quilted postcards.  Just email me.  mysweetprairie@gmail.com
Speaking of which, look what arrived in my mailbox from PostcardCottage!  Thank you so much Heather P. of Mississauga, Ontario. : )

"My Favorite Place" postcard from Heather P.

No Jesica's Quilt?  No Jesica's Quilt.  I dislike my quilting and am pulling out a lot of stitches.  I will post after I redo it!  :(  Linking to The Needle and Thread Network...  come join if it fits!

LINK HERE

See you tomorrow!
~Monika

Teaching in September

Bernie and I have set the date for the next Creative Quilted Postcard Workshop!!  She hosts, I teach.  It will be held on the afternoon of Sunday, September 18th.  It will be out at her farmhouse again, which is only a matter of minutes outside of the city.  If you are interested simply email me.  I personally can't wait to see her place again.  Rumor has it that it's all painted on the outside now.  !!

my first ever postcard.  Super easy to make, fun to give & receive!

Sew & Home called me to inquire about teaching there again, but I sadly said no.  I'll finish up with the list of people Bernie has, and then I need to wait for spring.  I have to book myself in to get the carpal tunnel surgery done, and that will eat 6 weeks of my autumn apparently.  I'm getting it done before winter sets in.  For some reason, it's always worse through the winter.  Anyone have anything to say on the topic?  I'm nervous, but thrilled that maybe I will crochet lace again some day!!  Crocheting is how this carpel tunnel all started.

the last thing I crocheted... trim for a pillow that never got completed

There's also a whole host of classes at Judy M's Studio on Ninth in Saskatoon!  Wow.  It is a huge list, and very affordable.  I would love to do more workshops (anywhere), but definitely not until the spring.  You can find me doing tutorials on thread sketching at 3CS online very soon!  Locally, Sew & Home and the Sewing Machine store also run plenty of classes. 

With September about to begin, sign up everywhere is NOW.  ; )

threads for Grandma's Cabin, 2010

: )
see you tomorrow.
~Monika

Pretty as a Postcard

The PostcardCottage swaps have all poured in now since the mail strike.  Take a look at what I got!

from Danita in Campbell River, BC, Canada for the 'One Woman's Trash is Another Woman's Treasure' swap

from Elaine in London, Ontario, Canada for the 'Lake Life' swap

from Heather in Canada for the 'Berry Picking' swap

from Karen in Idaho, USA for the 'Berry Picking' swap

from Cheryl in Ontario, Canada for the 'Lake Life' swap (the sucky face is an inside joke)

from Linda in Dublin, Ireland for the 'Lake Life' swap

Aren't they all fabulous!?  I just got this next one yesterday, and I must say there's something about this one that I just really love.

from Jaynie in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Canada for the 'One Woman's Trash is Another Woman's Treasure' swap

To all the participants at PostcardCottage, a big THANK YOU!  These are terrific, well loved, and truly treasured.  I keep them all and show them off regularly : ).   With September coming up, there will be another workshop at Bernie's outside of Saskatoon.  Drop me a line if you are interested.  There are about 4 spots left I believe.

~Monika

I Love the Attic !

Oh what beautiful day it was on Sunday!  Several of us headed out to Bernie's sewing attic.  My friend Kerrie picked me up so I could snap photos from the car window.  Here's what we saw as we approached the house!  You can see nothing but the sewing room / third floor.

Kerrie driving, me hanging out the passenger window.

Here is the lovely Kerrie and Bernie, working away on their postcards.

WOW, what a lovely space.  It's all painted this pretty yellow and there's windows facing every direction.  Bernie could give Anna Maria Horner's new attic a run for her money!  hehe 

lovely, sunlit, hardwood, incredible view, filled with heirloom quilt tops.

I gave everyone two themes for their postcards.  The first was "Something with Yellow".  Two hours later, I added a second theme of a mini quilt or quilt block.  Here they are!!

my favorite part might just be all those toenails! ; )

We did some satin stitching, decorative stitching, couching, raw edge applique, fusing & gluing, piecing, and Kerrie even did some hand stitching and french knots.  (Yay for you!)  Those women who were up for a card swap threw their addresses into a draw-box, and picked a recipient to mail their card to.  It was lots of fun, but GOSH the time sure flew by!  Some of us didn't leave until after 5 (sorry Bernie!). 

Thank you to all the great women who came out to sew today, and a BIG THANK YOU to Bernie for creating such a great space and having us over to stitch in.  : )

Bernie's Attic, 3 stories up in the sky.

See you all tomorrow for Tips on Tuesdays!
~Monika

Today I Pack, Tomorrow I Teach

I'm pretty excited about going to Bernie's Attic sewing studio tomorrow!  Everyone seems so enthusiastic to go as well.  My only fear is that I take a wrong road when I head out of the city to find her place for the first time.

I'll be bringing LOTS of gorgeous samples from around the world.

For this class, I have Fiona all ready to go (my Kenmore).  Since the class is three flights up, I should take the sewing machine that weighs the least.  I have all these supplies ready:  colorful threads, presser feet, sharpies, cutters, bobbins, postcard stamps, and I can't forget my Lapel Stick!  Yeah: shameless advertising.  They've been saying some really terrific things about me on Facebook since I use their glue when I make my art, so I don't mind one bit.  Lapel Stick, Lapel Stick, Lapel Stick.  : )

I have a bucket full of assorted embellishment options, plus a few issues of Quilting Arts that showcase postcards and ATCs specifically.  There's so much eye candy in those pages!

I also have a bag stuffed full of little scraps with every color under the rainbow, from novelty to batik and everything in between.  Yummy!

Stay tuned!  There's some BIG SURPRISES coming up this next week.  BIG.  See you later!
~Monika