I'm Back Home

I'm back.  Boy I tell ya - two driving trips from Saskatoon to Winnipeg is a LOT of driving.  I am bagged. I had a terrific trip though.  I went with my 9 & 13 year old boys for a bit of a vacation.  Having a little girl means my boys get some serious mama-neglect.  We really needed this time alone to reconnect (and disconnect - ahem: gamers).  We stopped for lots of photos and unexpected adventures.  This detour behind Chamberlain, SK was worth the giggles.  You know the prairies are pretty flat so this was well worth the detour.

aaagh!  look out!  it's not flat here!  lol

Here we are - at a ridiculously LARGE tree near Portage la Prairie, Manitoba.

boys under the tree by the highway

Because we get real winters, the trees don't grow this big.  I'm not sure what happened to this one!?  What a monster.  Me & the boys went all the way to Gimli, a town on the fifth largest lake on the planet, Lake Winnipeg.  You couldn't see across it and that was the SHORT distance.

sailboats, ships, and fishing boats at Gimli's harbour on Lake Winnipeg

Here are my boys with Rick and Heather Lair.  He's a woodworker, and she's an established award winning quilt artist and teacher.  We stayed with them for the weekend!  She & I have had many conversations but this was the first meeting in person.  : )  (She's awesome!!  More on that later...)

Heather & Rick with my boys

On the way, we were blown away at how BIG these turbines are!  (No pun intended...)

waaaay bigger up close than what we expected!

We headed back to Winnipeg where I taught another 'Basic Embroidery' workshop.  THANK YOU LINDA for organizing this!  You Manitoba stitchers are so much fun!  I got to meet Beth Wolchock-Brown too!  She's the one whose fibre art I was raving about from the Manitoba Craft Museum's show.

After that we were off to wrap up the show at Prairie Ink.  The waitress came up to me so excited - she told me my art was super popular, attracting a steady flow of people.   She told me there has never been so much traffic in there with any other show before.  That was pretty cool to hear!  I wrapped up the sold pieces and took the rest home with me.

On our way though Brandon, Manitoba, there was the coolest sunset.  I drove and drove and finally decided I couldn't take it anymore.  I pulled over on Highway #1, backed up to get the silos into view, and headed for the ditch to snap this.  SPECTACULAR it was!  It was SO BIG that I couldn't fit it in my camera view.

Now - it's back to reuniting with my girl, and starting up some cool new projects.  I AM ITCHIN' TO GET STICHIN'!  I'll be posting the available art soon!  Thanks everyone for all your support.  : )

xo

Sunday Snapshots (on Monday...)

I'm a little late, but I have a great 'excuse'.  After the longest winter of our lives, it's practically summer all of a sudden!  I've been doing loads of yard work and spring cleaning.  The winter wear has been bagged!  As I type this post, we are preparing for our first thunderstorm of spring (and so I am back inside for now).  I am SO ready for a good rainstorm!  Around here, the first big thunder and lightning show happens regularly on my birthday (5/5).  That's when I was in Manitoba - so how awesome that it held off 'till I got back.

My physical surroundings are really in need of serious change.  I just can't stop spring cleaning - mostly because now I have the time to.  My sewing space is calling my name AGAIN.  It's time for some sorting and a brand new inspiration wall.  I've had old pictures and sketches up for so long.  I'm ready for something new.  I'm craving to stitch, but in the mean time I am holding myself back from fibre art in order to tweak my skills at 'domestic art'.  After 4 months of hardcore creating, I must say I have a LOT of catching up to do around the homefront.

Here's the photos as promised - some different views of the prairie.  Enjoy.

this side of Winnipeg - a flooded ditch full of willow

Can you believe these colors!??  

Willow west of Winnipeg

Arriving in Saskatchewan... nearing home, I stopped to photograph an abandoned building in Chamberlain overlooking a valley.

detail of the shingles - lichen and popped nails

how these remain standing as long as they do...

underfoot - the old and the new : )

I looked around some more - I heard the crocuses bloomed while I was away.  Sure enough!

one sweet little bundle just waiting for their photo

Across the highway - beautiful bison grazing.  HUGE creatures.  Silent.  Majestic to behold.

beautiful beasts

I hope you enjoy today's pictures.  This spring is the first real use my new camera has had.  I think I'm going to have a great year ; )

Things I Love Thursdays

 : )

Winnipeg, Manitoba.  5 am.  (click to view larger)

I'm a bit sad to go today.  I loved my time here.  To all the people I visited with, laughed with, shared meals with, and stitched with,  THANK YOU!!!

My Biggest Workshop Ever!

Postcards - Manitoba Style!

Today I ran my Creative Quilted Postcards Workshop for the Manitoba Prairie Quilters.  The difference was that it was in a huge hall with 20 registered and a FULL day at that.  It was a big job to prep for that one, and I was really worried about the noise level with that many machines chuggin' along at once.  It was awesome though!  I was pleasantly surprised.  In fact it was quieter an easier to manage than the small classes of a half dozen women that I was used to.  They were "Manitoba friendly" of course, but WOW did these ladies ever dive right in and get creative!  It was fabulous!  They truly blew me away.

yay!  she's not 'allergic' to handstitching! : )

The morning portion of the day was my original format for Creative Quilted Postcards that I developed and have taught at least fifteen times.  I love doing this class.  It never gets boring.  The only thing that changes is the theme.  Today we chose "the garden".  I supply everything so people need only bring their machine & threads.  There's no patterns and no expectation.  It's just play - play - play & experiment - experiment - experiment.

She clipped little flowers for hours and then stitched them all down by hand!  It was so worth it.

The results were gorgeous!  Everyone had such different styles considering they all had the same fabrics and theme.  When we put them out on the table for the class photo, they were all so proud of each other's work! ; )

results of the morning - part one

Seriously!?  There was free motion thread painting, applique (even out-of-the-box with those butterflies), couching, beadwork, hand embroidery, wonderful layering and even use of metallic thread.  They are ALL fabulous.  Each one had stunningly gorgeous aspects about them - from technique to use of colors.  I loved it.  I want to show you this next one in particular though.  She used a technique I have never seen anyone use in my classes before (reminds me of Jackie White's 3d art quilt techniques).

see the buds!?  see the beads!?

I totally reacted to those fabric-folded hand-dyed buds coming out from underneath the leaves.  It's so pretty!  I was also amazed at how she managed to use batik, an old fashioned floral print with gold, and a bold modern illustrative floral all together and make it work together like that.

I asked her if she's a 3d art quilter.  She told me she prefers to make modern quilts because they are simple and less nit-picky (or something along those lines...).  I shook my head and laughed and pointed out the intricacy in her postcard.  She was so detail oriented.  I hope she goes on to utilize some of these methods in her future creations.  She's good at this!

So that was part one.

We broke for lunch and came back for another 3 hour class.  This 'part two' is something I've only done once before.  A few people had been nudging me to offer an advanced postcard class and so I ended up putting together a workshop to challenge students to think further about creative choices.  The best format I could come up with was a texture challenge, and the best way I believe that you can get creative with texture is to use no color.  So - away went the pretty prints & bold hues.  Out came the boxes of (you guessed it) white!  Well - white, offwhite, almost white, and even white-on-white.  So we had light or white fabric, lace, ribbon, tulle, yarns, heavy weight threads, rayon cords (razzle/dazzle/sizzle Wonderfil), raffia, metallic fibres, and even paper doilies that I've been collecting from the hotel.  This TEXTURE challenge resulted in pieces that resembled antique linens, old fashioned wallpaper, or pretty bridal wear samples.  That was beautiful for mother's day and the wedding season coming up.  I did brief demos on cording, bobbin work, and decorative stitches with different thread weights to be used in crazy quilting the fabrics together or for use in border applications... and away they went!

afternoon class photo

This is harder to see and not all are finished at this point, but there was a great variety of creative stitching and couching / cording applications.  They also layered a lot with ribbons and sheers, as well as experimented with fabric folding & fllipping techniques.  (See the diagonal dips & waves in the card on the lower right of the photo?)

I wish I had a better photo or angle.  You should have seen me take this photo!  lol  Picture this:  I was up on a chair hanging over the centre of the cards on the table as best I could to get a good straight-on photo from above.  I nearly tipped forward, so one women behind me reached up and held on to my hips while a woman in front of me reached up and held onto the top of my head.  They held me still there until I snapped the photo.  I'm still laughing about it.  hahah  Talk about team work!

Here's a closer look at some fabulous experimenting with texture.  I love all the antique colors.

i love the grey-blue border color too!

You know it was the heaps of French Knots on floral lace in this postcard that made is over-the-top gorgeous! : )

soooooooooo pretty!  ; )  goodness gracious!

Awesome.  They were awesome (the women and the postcards)!  Thank you so much for having me come in to run this workshop for you.  It was wonderful to hang out with you all and even more fantastic to enjoy your positive and fearless creativity.   : )

See you soon!

Embroidery Slideshow and the Effects of Champagne

May 6th!  Tonight was the reception.  I did it.  I never fail to get totally nervous about speaking to strangers with a microphone.  OH I was nervous.  It was the longest day ever preparing and waiting for the evening.  It went really well though!  Everyone was so full of smiles and congratulations.

me- before all the champagne

They fed me champagne & chocolate torte.  I got to visit with so many happy people.  I made a new friend:  Mabel - age 94.  She held on to me as we walked around for a tour.  She loved the prairies and thought I was pretty crazy to stitch all those french knots.  She asked me where I find the time, and I answered, "I quit doing housework!".  She totally broke out laughing.  : )  How can it get any better right?

I handed out a few magnifying glasses to some women who were climbing behind the tables and up onto the seats to get a closer look.  ; )  It was awesome.

me - after the champagne

Yeah - I debated posting that photo.  Oh well.  It's worth the giggle : ).  It was a pretty happy night.

It's late now and I'm off to bed soon.  Here is a new slideshow I put together of my current art displayed in Winnipeg.  Enjoy!  ; )  If you want to see each piece separately with the titles, you can click HERE.

My Roadtrip to Friendly Manitoba

I hit the road with a packed vehicle first thing Thursday morning.  Basically, to get from Saskatoon to Winnipeg on the twinned highway, you only turn once.  HAHA!  No kidding.  I have a gps, and I headed south to Regina.  In the middle of Regina the gps announced, "turn left and drive for 578 kilometres"!  Sure enough, that brought me right into Winnipeg.  It was a long drive.  Before I headed out of Saskatchewan, I saw a sign on the side of the road that read, 'QUILT SHOP'.  So of course I turned in.

Wolseley, SK

It was so pretty!  They were so welcoming. : )  There was some art on the walls by a local tapestry artist that entirely blew me away.  I might just buy one on the way back - so I hope I sell some pieces while I'm here in Winnipeg so I can go spend my art money on art.  Isn't that the way?  It was there in Woseley that I crawled into the back of my van and shut my eyes for a bit.  Yes - I slept in the vehicle on a street outside of a quilt shop.  Seems like a great spot, right?  Eventually, I woke up and drove the rest of the way.  Alllllll the way to my hotel bed.  YAWN.

The next morning, I woke up in Manitoba to a sunny day.  I had a few things on my agenda and a found a few surprises along the way!  First stop - CRAFT STASH SALE!  How nice to see garage sale signs out again.  That's a sure sign of winter being gone.

Manitoba Craft Museum & Library 'stash sale'

I found out about this event on their facebook page.  There were boxes and boxes of rug hooking wool all sorted by color for sale CHEAP.

fibre art supplies for sale!  : )

WOW.  I filled a huge bagful, and it only came to $8!  Fun fun.  It was nice to meet the organizers.  The Craft Museum & Library are closed today, but I definitely want to go see it next week.  (See yesterdays' post for their Just a Needle & Thread exhibit.  It's an exhibit of contemporary and historic embroidery from Manitoba (LOVE!!).  O-M-G I can't wait.

Lunch time rolled around and I headed to the mall where the big McNally Robinson's bookstore is.  (IT IS BIG>  wow).  In the hallway I met this fabulous silk artist!

Rebecca Cramer : )

So - I told her I have a blog and asked if I could show her off to me readers.  She said yes.  Her work is jsut gorgeous.  I see a lot of silk painting that is abstract-y.  Rebecca makes the most incredible designs of detailed animals... and this!

Manitoba's 'Golden Boy' silk scarf painting in progress (WOW)

Her scarves are for sale in an art/craft boutique there in the mall (Glitz Gallery).  She also had a silk piece prepped for passers by to try their hand at painting.  One lucky winner will be drawn to win it!

hands-on silk painting

But wait!  There's more.  I also got word about the Etsy Handmade West sale form some bloggers I know but have never met.  (Thanks ladies!)

ETSY Winnipeg

ALL of the sellers here are Etsy sellers that got together as a 'team' in Winnipeg.  I've purchased things from some of them before.  LOOK!  It's Prairie Threads!

Prairie Threads (blog & Etsy store)

I finally get to meet her!  : )  Her blog is here.  I met Cloverleaf Art & Fibre too though I have no photos.  (see www.cloverleaffibre.com)  I also met these two women - I really liked their craft items.

Kara Wiebe, vintage banners.  www.hemdesign.ca

Andrea Davis, book artist.  www.weareboundtogether.com

Oh what I great day!  I'm so happy I got out to meet all these people and check out all these places.  If you can believe this - I saw an icecream vendor as I headed back to my vehicle from the West sale!  Its' only plus 10.  That's hardcore.  : )

ding ding ding - Ice cream! - ding ding ding

More fun tomorrow!
(p.s.  I hear the crocuses are blooming near Saskatoon!?)  Woohoo!

Gearing Up for Winnipeg!

I'm excited and exhausted.  I leave soon so I've been getting everything ready.  While in Winnipeg for my big solo show, I'll be doing some trunks shows and workshops as well.  I really look forward to meeting the Manitoba Prairie Quilters! 

a quilt I made last summer...

We'll have a day long Postcards workshop and I'm their guest speaker the next night.  I'm nervous about trying to teach a packed house of 20 people, but I do look forward to the creativity that will come out as a result.  OH!  I'm dusting off my Prairie Dress and bringing her along too for show & tell!  : )

prairie dress in progress photo

*** On Sunday May 5th, I'm running a class on introductory embroidery at the Community Classrooms in the Grant Park / McNally Robinson's there.  I have kits and handouts...

There is space left in this class...  register here

Then from 4-6pm on May 5th, I'm having my birthday supper in the Prairie Ink Restaurant with a few friends & bloggers I've never met.  (Can you believe I won't even see my husband or kids on my birthday!?  :(((  My art won't be up that day yet, but if you are nearby and hungry, feel free to say hello or join us!

WOAH!  WHAT'S WITH WINNIPEG & EMBROIDERY THIS MONTH!?  I am so excited that I chose May for my show.  Talk about super-serendipitous timing!! While I'm there, the following events are happening around the city (I copied this all from the Manitoba Craft Council's newsletter FYI).

First Friday Opening :: Featuring MCML Embroidery
May 3, 5-9
Manitoba Craft Council
553-70 Arthur st
(Works will be shown on the Gallery Wall until May 31)

This exhibition, which is an extension of the “Just a Needle and Thread” exhibition currently on display at the Manitoba Crafts Museum and Library, features a broad range of embroidery pieces from the Museum collection. These works, made with tools as simple as a needle and thread, showcase the diversity of Manitoba embroidery and the tapestry of cultures in the province. With so much to inspire you we are sure you will be creating your own treasures with Just a Needle and Thread.


Just a Needle and Thread: Embroidering in Manitoba
Exhibit open through May 2013
Manitoba Crafts Museum and Library, 1B-183 Kennedy st

Just a Needle and Thread features work by Manitoba craftspeople and pieces from the museum collection which represent a broad range of embroidery in Manitoba. These works, made with tools as simple as a needle and thread, showcase the diversity of Manitoba embroidery and the tapestry of cultures in the province. With so much to inspire you we are sure you will be creating your own treasures with Just a Needle and Thread.  Works by Francesca Carella Arfinengo, Dot From, Maria van der Klok-Sieveking,Heather Komus, Selina Lawrence, Betty Mayes, Willow Rector, Susanne Sulkers, Susanne Sulkers-Leurs, Sandra Toyne, and Beth Wolchock-Brown will be exhibited.  Many embroidery programs and events will be running parallel to the exhibition. Check our website or call 487-6117 for more information.
 
MCML Craft Stash Sale
May 4, 2013, 10-2
Mark your calendar for a great sale of craft tools and supplies.  We are also accepting donations of items from your stash that you won't ever use.  Donations can be dropped off at MCML during our regular hours: Tues & Wed 10-4 and Saturday 12-4.

Monika Kinner-Whalen - Small Works Gallery Opening  (hey - that's me!)
May 6, 2013, 7:30 pm (Opening)  Exhibit & Sale is up until June 2, 2013
McNally Robinson, Grant Park, Winnipeg
Showing My Sweet Prairie: A collection of embroidered fibre art.
Monika Kinner-Whalen was born and raised on the Canadian prairie. She states, "I am a full time fibre artist, specializing in freestyle machine sewing and hand embroidery. My creations are expressions of my love for the prairies and are inspired by my own personal photographs. This technique is commonly referred to as ‘thread paintings’. I am constantly amazed by the texture and intricate beauty that can be achieved by working with threads, and am excited to continue my work as I see my skills and art improve with each new piece."  For more about this event, click here.

Articulated Materials - Bridging Waters
May 10-18
Opening Reception May 10, 7-10
Cre8ery Gallery, 2nd floor 125 Adelaide
Articulation, a Canadian exhibiting art group working with textiles and fibre as a fine art medium, takes traditional fiber art techniques in new and contemporary directions. Since 2004 they have organised annual study sessions to unique places in Canada, which serve to unify the resulting individual bodies of work when shown in their group exhibitions across Canada.  See the full details here.

The Embroiderers Association of Canada Seminar 2013
May 14-19, 2013
Winnipeg will host the Embroiderer's Association of Canada (EAC) Seminar in 2013.  The 40th anniversary of the founding of the EAC is a big milestone.  Seminar is a 5-day event filled with classes, tours, social events, and fun.  It's a chance for stitchers to gather, learn, and enjoy stitching.
Full details can be found here.
The Winnipeg Embroider's Guild meets on the first Thursday of the month, Sept-June, 7-9:15 pm at St Mary's Road United Church, 613 St Mary's Road.


Impressive.  I'll be busy!  I'm going to have so much fun.

supplies & samples packed

Check out this find: caffeinated chocolate bars.  SERIOUSLY!?  I bet if I eat this, I can drive all the way from Saskatoon to Winnipeg without having to stop for any bathroom breaks.  lol  How far is it?  Like, TEN hours!?

heck - who needs cups of coffee!?  I won't!  lol

WOOHOO!  ; )

Have a great 1st-day-of-May.  All the best,

Come for Tea & Stitch with Me (Winnipeg!)

Winnipeg is coming soon.  There's good news, and there's bad news.  The bad news first?  I'm not there for long, and I am completely booked with public speaking events and running workshops for various groups.  There are still several people I would love to get together with!  So here's my plan.  I'm going to have a little party.  You are invited.

On Sunday May 5th, it's my birthday.  I'll be away from home and family at that time, and that sucks.  So I have decided to make the best of it.  From 11:30 to 1 pm, 4 pm to 6 pm feel free to join me for lunch at the Grant Park Prairie Ink Restaurant in Winnipeg.  (Please note this change of time.) They have a good SUPER looking menu with a host of gluten free options (yes - including sandwiches, pastas, and cake too!)  So - Ellen, Kate, Tara & daughters, Prairie Peasant, and friends, please come by if you are in town and we an visit over a meal.  Doesn't that sound fun?  Unfortunately, my artwork won't be on display until the next day, May 6 to June 2.  You'll have to come back Monday night for the reception if you can.

That's the 'bad news'... not really bad is it!?  The good news is that I am going offer a beginner hand stitching class in the Community Classrooms that same day.  Here's the ad... COME FOR TEA AND STITCH WITH ME

You can also learn more about how to register for any of their classes here at their website.

I look forward to this so much!  It will be like "Saturday Stitches", but in person.  See you then!

p.s. Don't forget your teacup! ; )