Creative weekend in VT

Finally, Michele and I made wonderful visiting Frances Holliday Alford who is an excellent fiber artist is living in VT.
How lucky am I?? I was invited!!!!

I was wondering we still can go to see Frances after Irene (Hurricane ) hit VT.
Her town had a lot of damages. However, Frances said, "Still our plan is ON." (9/ 9. 10 11)

I picked up Michele in CT where she lives. I drove two hours. We were heading to VT. Michele drove 2 hours. Good deal, Perfect!

We were late to start because of me. I was late to start!
I started packing for three days in the morning. It took a couple of hours to decide what I should bring.

When I picked up Michele at her house, she had so many things to bring.
She prepared for this weekend.
I didn't know what was Michele's plan or Frances's plan for that weekend at all.
We arrived at Frances's was around 5:00.
Because I wanted to spend time with Michele's mother for a while at Michele's house.
We wanted to be together with Michele's friend Jan for a while at her store.
It was all great meeting!!!

Guess, their plans were CREATIVE! What a great plan was!

Michele's idea was Felting!!! She brought a bunch of yarns in her red suitcase. Huge pink board.
We went to the restaurant, I think, the restaurant is part of the inn. (The Old Tavern at Grafton)
Her studio is located next to the inn.
We were in her studio after dinner and made ..... this artwork.
Frances's sister Sallie was there from Maine. So four of us's ARTWORK!

PUNCH IT!ROLL IT! WET IT! DRY IT!MOUNTED IT! Two days work!

We did other experiment art work at the same time. Ice Dye
Frances did snow dyeing last winter.Many fabrics (Cotton, Linen, Nylon, Chiffon, more) were under ice cubes (with Soda Ash water) . The Old Tavern gave us all ice cubes.

Best part! Frances has all colors. We could choose any colors.
Her studio was like a craft store.Wait next morning until ice melt!Wonderful surprised!
This is linen. I have it. Are you jealous??Second day 's ice dyeingFrances Dress, T-shirt material (knit) Black checker printed Cotton Korean linenThis room is my favorite!Frances' sewing room
Second day's night, Frances, Michele and I were working here until 2:00 am
Michele brought her quilt work. She learned new method of quilting from Frances.
She did excellent works in three days.

I was making sentimental memories of this weekend by our leftover materials!

• The fabrics from practiced felting machine
• The fabrics in the Box from Frances's leftover
• The fabric from practiced Sweet Sixteen machine
• Our Ice dyeing fabric
• Buttons from Frances's color button's drawers
• Felted ball from our experiment (I sliced it)
  

Click picture to enlarge.
Chicken is Frances (She was born in the year of Chicken).
Fish is her boyfriend who is Pisces.
Three girls are Sallie, Michele and Hoodie. A dog --- Zoe, Daisy and Daphne .
I'm going to prepare my sewing projects when I will come over Frances's!
So far the event scheduled beginning of DECEMBER and I'm invited!
Ha, I'm still lucky!

OOPs, one more great things of Frances. She is having the art show at her town's Art Gallery.
The Gallery is located in front of the inn.
She does Postcard Art. She has million of the art postcards that she made!
She is constantly making these amazing artwork.
One postcard should be mailed 5 to 6 times. She or friends add artwork on it each time.
Here, at the show, 15 x 15 = 225 postcards were displayed.
One more postcard was next to her profile.
My son's name was on it. The meaning of the character is "All" "Perfect"
Besides Ski and Skateboard were on it. Frances gave it to my son! Amazing!Her butler, Dante Falcone's photographs were beautifully displayed at the Gallery, too.

I have been in Quilt market (The trade show) since 2000 with Michael Miller's as a house designer. I do design for cotton fabrics since I moved to US, 1993.
I did the work Cotton print work in Japan, but it wasn't for the quilt market.
I have learned about Quilt World in US. I didn't know Quilt world as an artist. I'm in now. I'm very happy to know all creators and share creativity.

How wonderful and excellent!!!!!

Excited Events in NY City.

• Modern Stories: Documenting the Modern Quilt Movement:
  Friday, August 5, 2011, 7:00-10:00 p.m.

• Marianne & Jay on the Runway: A Quilter's Alliance of Fabric & Fashion
  Saturday, August 6, 2011, 1:00-6:00 pm

• NY’s Ultimate Block Party: Cocktails at The City Quilter
  Saturday, August 6, 2011, 7:30 - 9:00 pm

I attended all events! Lucky :)
All of them were very excited events.
Meet friends and make more friends, too.

The events were gathering talented artists.

I posted "Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts" on March 29th.
I was invited the tour for the Red and white Quilts show with Alliance for American Quilts members. 5 months after the last event, I met the members again.
It was nice to meet all talented artists again!
We had another excellent days!!!!

First event,
Vicoria Findlay Wolfe's interview was great.
Her Grandmother's Quilt was my favorite!
Definitely she got influence from her Grandmother.
(It inspired me. Wonderful!)

Second event,
My favorites were

Luke Hayners's performance when I took the pictures. He wore Jay McCarroll's Costume that he made for school (FIT) project. Mark Lipinski was interviewed Jay. They were a perfect match.

These are my favorite artist Frances Holliday Alford's work.

I just love them.

Third event @ the city Quilter!!!!
My favorite were these quilts by board members. I just love all.

All quilts are by board members.Top Left (Allison Aller), Top middle (Luke Hayners), Top Right (Victoria Findlay Wolfe)
Bottom left (Leslie Tucker Jenison) Bottom middle (Michele Muska) Bottom right (Frances Holliday Alford)
Congrats, Michele Muska, for the prize.

Loving cats!

Don't take pictures!
They shouted at me, but I can't stop loving this cat!

Chef cat, Witch and Kaminari (Thunder)-kozo (A boy)Great Black cat.

Great white cat.

I love my friend cat "Taikan" He is getting friendly to me.This is Taeko's new year's card in 2009.

Wool matirials are Cool and Hot!

Wool materials were so Cool and Hot at the market.I bought a kit for this bag.
I'm going to make it!
I like stitches accents that makes cuter.

This store had very cute bags and nice wool fabrics. (Kit)
I wanted to get all but I couldn't buy because I already got one fro others. (First picture)
There were so many attractive materials, styles and accessories at all over the festival.
It was so many choices. It was dangerous for my purse.

This bag was at Nakajima Inc.'s booth, it was used my cotton fabric for inner.
It is interesting combination of different type materials together.
"Candy Dots" Col/Brown from Cutie Pie and Rumba Group.
This Dots design is in Joy Basket -Hoodie's standard Collection
that will be released with more colorways on May, 2010.
It wasn't clear picture, sorry!

It was special compliments.

Bag Quilt Category at the Festival

I stopped in front of this bag and said,
"She used my fabric."
This is called "Play-loop Dots" Col/ Midnight from Morning Call Group.
This is in "Rumba" Group as well.

Then I made one step to the left. Another artist used my fabric, too.
This is called "Spot Dots" Col/ Chestnut.
This colorway is Discontinued right now.
from Morning Call Group.

Then I made an another step to the left.
There was very cute and interesting looking bag.

Look at inside of the bag!!!
Another artist used my fabric, too.

This is called "Egg Dots" Col/ Black.
This colorway is discontinued right now.

"Play-loop Dots" "Spot Dots" "Egg Dots"are going to in "Hoodie's Joy Basket"
and adding new colorways. All discontinued colorways will be back!
Joy Basket is Hoodie's Standard Collection.
All designs and colorways are matched with any of my groups well.
Joy Basket is coming on May 2010.

It was special compliments my fabrics in these gorgeous artwork!

Laminated Morning Call Fabrics at Tokyo Dome.

Laminated fabrics are Hot at Japanese market!

It is pretty thick and soft.

Here is my Kettle Rattle / Aqua laminated fabric. (First ppicture)
I hesitated to buy it because it was mine first day at the festival.
Do I have to pay for my fabric???
I changed my mind because it is going to discontinued fabric and it is laminated fabric, I don't have it. When I went back to the booth, ididn't find mine any more. No more Aqua!! Zeeee
A lady was holding yellow colorway of it.
She put it down, then I grabbed it because it was last sheet at there.
I don't know this is a good story or not! haha.
This is thick and soft. It seems good to be a summer bag, a dipper bag, a tablecloth and more.

I haven't decided what I'm going to make yet.

The company, Kumagaya Shouji is selling three coloways of my Kettle Rattle and some of Blank Quilting fabrics.

Country Quilt Market was hanging two my fabrics.

It was my artwok from 10 years ago. It was still at the market.
Each Artwork is bringing me back to the memories of my passed life.

Great meeting at the Tokyo Dome.

I found the store "Early's Print" on the magazine ten years ago because my designs (fabrics) were on her AD.

It was my first time I sew my designs on the Japanese magazine after I moved to US.

I was designing for Michael Miller Fabrics. It was very early time when Michael Miller Fabrics was established (1999).

I met the owner, Ms. Tsuchiya at the Houston show once.

Three years later (2003), I went back to my country finally since 1994.
I visited some major cotton stores in Tokyo getting to know Japanese quilt market.

I met her again.

2009.
She bought my designs (fabrics) again after I moved to Blank Quilting (2008) without knowing they were my designs. Great discovering by her taste again!
These my fabrics became Ms. Tsuchiya's bags and hanging at the show.

I've never seen my "Casting Cats" group in Japan.
Look! Great bag! I love it.
She has great bag patterns, check them out!

Everybody loves Morning Call designs!

She sells Kit of it. Click the picture below.

Even she cut motifs from Morning Call Fabric and put on the flag!It was great meeting with her again.