No, not that kind of camping. 😉 I’m just home from attending the new Celebrate! Quilt Camp in Flagstaff, AZ. Summers there are so pleasant, since it’s up in pine country. This camp is a new one, since the one I used to attend each year fizzled, and the lady who runs this one is very nice, very receptive to ideas and suggestions. Maybe you’d like to attend next summer!I was there with two friends who live in Phoenix, and we had a really great time. One of them and I took a two-day class from Tammy Kelly, getting a start on a quilt called Mesmerize. This is a few of the block “beginnings” for my version. It’s a variation on a Drunkard’s Path block, as you may be able to see. Mine will be in blues and purples with yellows and peaches for the inset circles. As you can undoubtedly see, nothing has yet been sewn together.
All three of us took two days of classes with Julie Hocker, learning a lot about thread painting and using various techniques to get some dimensional effects. This photo shows an ocotillo plant done with thread on water-soluble stabilizer that is then rinsed off, leaving a free-standing plant; please excuse the bad lighting in the photo. There is also a scrub pine tree, which I haven’t yet removed from the stabilizer; I’m debating adding more foliage. Both of these will be incorporated into a quilt with a desert theme. Of course, none of that is going to happen for a while yet — I have so much to catch up on first!
