FREE! FREE! Skillbuilder!

If you want to accomplish more with your sewing abilities

or need some maintenance with your skills, then this is the

monthly FREE Quilt Along for you!

I mentioned in an earlier blog that Sherri had free

blocks for us each month--well, Sherri has designed this

quilt as a Skillbuilder and the first block is up and ready

for you to download--and yes, there is a video tutorial!

Grab the pattern and sew sew sew to build your sewing skills and

have a finished (we hope) quilt in the process!

It's Never Too Early!

Houston Fiber Fest

Is coming up this summer--JUNE 23-25, 2017 AT THE BERRY CENTER IN CYPRESS, TX

This is Lester, the mascot for Fiber Fest.  The Fiber Fest will feature two outstanding

knitters in 

Lucy Neatby is an internationally recognized teacher, designer, and writer who thrills knitters around the world with her inimitable charm, knowledge, and uniquely colourful designs. Her passion for nurturing and empowering knitters, and putting them in control of their art, is legendary! She is the author of three books: Cool Socks Warm Feet, Cool Knitters Finish in Style, A Little Book of BIG Holes for Hand-knitters! and the Learn With Lucy DVD series.

JC Briar is a self-professed knitter, puzzle solver, and chart fanatic. She likes to ask questions, probe beyond the surface, and figure things out for herself. Which cast on method really is the most stretchy? How do you knit sock heels and toes that really fit? JC has honed her teaching skills to recognize that different students have different learning styles, and she tries to adapt to match each student’s needs. JC is author of the book Charts Made Simple and creator of the revolutionary Stitch Maps charting software.

You have plenty of time to knit up Lester!  A Free pattern from Gritty Knits

Mystery Block #2

You can always count on me being late to the party!  I've

missed Mystery block #1-- but luckily, 

Sherri, A Quilting Life has left the tutorial up for us late comers.

I like the way she is designing these blocks--as she is playing

around with colors and design elements--we can also play with

our stash 

She even gives an outline if you wish to make the blocks smaller

February: Scrappy Star	6” Block	12” Block
Fabric 1 (green in block)	(2) 2” x 2” Squares	(2) 4” x 4” Squares
Fabric 2 – 7 (shades of pink)	(1) 2” x 2” Squares (6 total)	(1) 4” x 4” Square (6 total)
Background	(8) 2” x 2” Squares	(8) 4” x 4” Squares

Now, if only I can keep up each month, I'll have a completed quilt by

year's end!  

Happy stitching!

Houston Art Exhibits

Every few months, I take time to visit the wonderful museums and art galleries

around Houston area.  It's a time to take stock of what is going on in the

art world.

Contemporary Art Museum:  ANGEL OTERO: EVERYTHING AND NOTHING

On View: December 10, 2016 – March 19, 2017

Angel Otero: Everything and Nothing is Otero’s first survey exhibition and encompasses nearly a decade of his painting and sculpture.

Two Centuries of American Still-Life Painting: The Frank and Michelle Hevrdejs Collection 
Through April 9, 2017:  The Museum of Fine Arts

Holy Barbarians: Beat Culture on the West Coast:  This exhibition brings together a selection of California artists who emerged following the Second World War and took advantage of the region’s permissive atmosphere to help create a thriving new art scene. Artists like John Altoon, Wallace Berman, Bruce Conner, Jay DeFeo, George Herms, and Edward Kienholz were part of a “Beat” generation, whose social critiques would eventually be incorporated into the counterculture and social protest movements that shaped the second half of the 20th century.

Nov 18, 2016 – Mar 12, 2017

Main Building  Menil

UNITED BY HAND: WORK AND SERVICE BY DREW CAMERON, ALICIA DIETZ, AND EHREN TOOL 

FEBRUARY 3, 2017 — MAY 28, 2017
IN THE MAIN GALLERY At Houston Center For Contemporary Crafts

Contemporary Handweavers of Texas Conference

Here it is!  The bi-annual state conference for weavers, spinners, dyers!

Registration opened February for members of CHT

Registration for non-members will begin March 1:

There will be pre-conference workshops and during conference

weekend there will be seminars, 1/2 day workshops, fashion show

and members exhibits.

Keynote Speaker – Deborah Chandler

Closing Speaker:  Michael Rohde

Special Event Speaker:  Mary Zicafoose

Preconference Workshops

• It’s in the Warp – Rosalie Neilson
  
  

  Connie Elliot – Indigo Dye Day
• Four Selvedge Wedge Weave – Michael Rohde
• It’s All  Very Basic – Michele Belson
• Weaving with Unusual Materials – Anastasia Azure
• Indigo Dye Day – Connie Elliot

Conference teachers

• Deborah Chandler
• Michael Rohde
• Mary Zicafoose
• Rosalie Neilson
• Michele Belson
• Eileen Hallman
• Anastasia Azure
• Karen Hobbs
• Deb Luce McClintock
• Plus, many local Texas talents

It's Not Your Granny Square Anymore!

Labyrinth Mandala was inspired by black and white vector graphics. The Designer's idea was to imitate brioche knitting stitch and create a very clear and graphical pattern which can be worked with only two (or more) colors. Using this pattern you can make a reversible pillow throw with different palette for each side. You can also use this mandala as an appliqué or wall hanging decoration.

Read more about this design on the blog HERE.

Labyrinth Mandala is made in Overlay Crochet technique. This easy to follow pattern (15 pages) is written for one size. It contains step by step full written instructions in English using standard crochet abbreviations and US terms (stitch guide is given in the pattern). It also contains lots of pictures explaining all the tricky and difficult places.

Crochet level: Intermediate (front post stitches and crochet in 3rd loop - everything is explained in the pattern).

I'm so pleased with crocheting techniques now!  

Not your typical Granny Square, for sure!

Science In Paper!

I am blown away!  Paper! Science turns into art with 

paper cuts! 

Artist Rogan Brown just completed work on his latest paper artwork titled Outbreak, a piece he describes as an exploration “of the microbiological sublime.” Over four months in the making, the work depicts an array of interconnected sculptures—entirely hand cut from paper—based on the smallest structures found within the human body: cells, microbes, pathogens, and neurons. Outbreak represents nearly four months of tedious planning, cutting and assembly. ew installation of 8 hand cut paper sculptures!

Read more at: 123 Inspirations