Holiday Party

We weren't able to be together last year, but this year we joyfully gathered at Marilyn's, with her beautiful Christmas decorations.   Renee is our loose thread in Santa Fe and is always missed.  Mary Ann Michelson passed away this year and she is missed.

Leila took this photo and did some excellent photoshop work to get rid of some of the glare.  Thanks, Leila.

Holiday Party

We always have a holiday party at Marilyn's.  She really decorates the house beautifully.  It is a pot luck, of course, and always delicious.  This year was no exception.  After dinner, we adjourn upstairs to Marilyn's music studio and share gifts.  This year the group decided that each of us would bring 6 6" squares of our hand-dyed fabric.  It should be noted that almost no one followed these directions.   Instead, there was dupioni silk and lengths of other fabric and larger pieces of dyed fabric, special ribbons and thread.  Everyone was pleased with their gift.

Adrienne Simpson, Marilyn's daughter arrived with professional photo equipment, lights, umbrellas for the lights, etc. and shot this great photo of all of us.  OK, really Renee wasn't there - sunning herself in Costa Rica, but we missed her, and she was there in spirit, so I did a little photoshop work.

Laura Fogg wins at Houston

Laura received a third place ribbon in the Pictorial Category for her quilt called Girona Portal.  Way to go Laura.

Art from the Heart

Redwood Valley was hit particularly hard by the firestorm that raged through our area last month.  Laura Fogg has contributed art as have many other artists.  Here's the information from Laura:

Tickets and all of the artwork will be at the Corner Gallery after Nov 5. Please buy early and buy often. It's a drawing, not an auction, so one ticket will win each separate piece. You get to put your tickets into whichever envelopes you choose.

Love and thanks,  Laura

Laura Fogg is in a show in Willits - Seven Kinds of Wonderful

Creative Strength Training

Everyone in our group has decided to take Jane Dunnewald's online class Creative Strength Training.  Luckily for us, Jane was teaching a Complex cloth class (which Laura took) and was available for dinner.  So thanks that Holly has a house on the coast and made arrangements with Jane for dinner and we all contributed to a delicious potluck and a lively discussion and sharing with Jane.  It was a beautiful evening.

Quilt Retreat

Last weekend was our annual retreat and something we all look forward to.  This year was no exception.  We set our retreat date early and 95% of the time all of us are there.  But this year was a little different.  Renee was in Hawaii, on her own retreat with her husband, and I was wearing my hat as the silent auction manager for the Anderson Valley Housing Assn.  Annually, the housing association is the recipient of the funds raised by the silent auction at the International Alsace Varietals Festival in Boonville.  Luckily, I was able to get to the fabulous house we rent north of Ft. Bragg on the Mendocino Coast, just in time for wine, conversation and a delicious dinner, followed by music making by our talented group of musicians, Marilyn Simpson, Leila Kazimi, Betty Lacy, and Joyce Paterson.  It was a great way for me too unwind after the frantic effort to get ready for the silent auction.  Leila has made up a songbook and we each selected a song to singalong with.  Great fun with some amazing musicians.

Everyone felt this was the best retreat in all our retreat years.  The difference this year was that we decided not to do any sort of group directed project.  Instead, everyone worked on their own individual projects, from baby quilts to scrap, abstract, nature or geometic quilts.  They are all very different, but reflect the individuality of our artistic group.

I'll be sure to find out when the Alsace Festival is before we sent a date for next year.  I really missed the camaraderie, laughter and high jinks of my quilt sisters.  Next year......