Valerie Goodwin Class Work...Awesome

For the last 2 days, I have been taking a class from Valerie Goodwin, through one of my quilt guilds, GVQC, in Rochester. What a great class this was! I loved what Valerie Goodwin did from the first time I saw her work in Quilting Arts magazine. We worked on the seven principles of design in art...any art. Of course we used fabric as our medium. On the first day we made paper studies of each principle. Movement, unity, rhythm, pattern, emphasis, balance and contrast. The piece above is my piece on contrast.
I have been "accused" of not having enough contrast in my work before. I can appreciate contrast in the work of others, but for me, contrast is not necessarily my objective. I love this little 4" x 6" piece! What contrast there is, is me.

After making the complex foundation, hand stitching, painting and sheer fibers are added. Hand work is my first love, so I add as much as I feel is warranted. I could have used some more time on the painting part. Next time.

Barb was kind enough to bring in extra fabrics today for me to work with. the shiny rusty bit worked great. Karen, my new Canadian friend contributed the black thread. Part of making this class so wonderful, was these two quilters that made up our little corner of the room. Very similar aesthetics. Connecting to others that share the passion of fabric and fiber...priceless.

Some student work. Karen's work is the in the upper left and center. The yellow, red, green pieces.

Barb's work is the soft, serene purple and pink work...3 along the bottom.

Caris Burton's pieces are really good. Caris took Valerie's week long class at QBL last summer, so she had a bit of prior knowledge! Caris work is always calm, soft and mellow. I especially love the lower left one.
I learned much in the last 2 days. I plan to use her techniques in future pieces. I like the layers, the interest and the purpose of the process. Valerie Goodwin will be teaching at QBL again in July of 2014. I will be saving and vacation day planning to be able to take her intensive class.
If you are intrigued by what she does, her book comes out at end of summer. You can pre-order ( as I have done!) the book from Amazon.

I surely have much on my plate right now! I have 2 CQ Boho bags to sew up for the GVQC show in a few weeks, as well as thread paint my lab and put him on the quilted background piece. Oh boy. I do work best under pressure, but that is not all I have to do.
Two RRRR rows are on the agenda. I do believe they are both 8" blocks. What to do? I don't know yet. Idea's are ruminating.
Melissa's baby shower is June 22nd.
I have a room to paint and a house to clean and organize (somewhat) for Michael and Jenn's visit the beginning of July.
Mowing takes up 2 hours of my time every 5 days now. Ugh. I hate outdoor work. I want to be sewing, not mowing.
Work and union business takes much of the hours in a week as we all know. Retirement can't come soon enough. I have so much to create and so little time.

I just mailed off the HGTV RRRR Monday. I made the 12 4" improvisational star blocks on the bottom. With 21 pieces in each block, it was quite a marathon for me! Naturally, the blocks were 1/2" off, so I had to add the red strips between blocks to get the 48 1/2" length. More work, but it added a needed separation between the blocks.

I have learned:

1. Michael should be off his COP in AFG by this time today, on his week long journey home. Anxious for his arrival on U.S. soil. 
2. Etsy shop was busy last week! Postage to Germany, Australia and China....mucho $$.
3. Case Histories, a BBC crime show on Netflix...very good. Jason Isaacs, the actor playing the main character...very mmmm.
4. Realist. Idealist. I am a realist. I was an idealist in my 20's. Jon, a youngun' at work, and I had a little debate about this recently. What are you?
5. Batavia will be welcoming TJ Maxx, Kohl's and Dicks to the Lowes store vacated space. 
6. Tennessee is the number one retirement destination. Affordable cost of living, coupled with a pleasant climate make it ideal. From the bits of TN I have seen, I feel it. 
7. Seneca Village, unearthed in Central Park, NYC, was an African- American/Irish populated settlement. Valerie Goodwin mentioned this today after I was studying her African Burial Ground II. Interesting.
8. I am an artist.