Blackwork Extravaganza

February 15th, Intense Pattern. The Last Day. Things went wonderfully today too. It was a relaxed day and we did a little more talking, but a lot was accomplished. We spent the morning going over the last of the concepts for the class, including design considerations, how to design samplers, some extra questions about chiaroscuro, silk threads, and washing the stitched silk and linen samplers. To finish the morning we reviewed the Elements and Principles of Design.

After lunch (more of Bert's chicken salad that I always find absolutely delicious, and Jane's tuna salad that I find ditto), we concentrated on designing an actual piece. Everyone opted to design a sampler in the end. We had adventurous designs and more adventurous designs. For someone who has never designed a sampler, even the smallest and the simplest is an adventure. Some of the more experienced people went with big ideas. We had a Stonehenge, a lighthouse, an imari plate, and a cross all set up as samplers. Very interesting. We had square samplers, circular samplers and rectangular samplers. It was very exciting to see them all in the planning stages. I believe that some of them will eventually get stitched too.

I was very pleased with the class participants. They were all willing to do work that some of them were afraid of, work that was out of all their comfort zones, and work that was like stepping over an edge with no idea if there is a safety net below. And they did it. Every single one. I am very, very proud of them.

At the end of the afternoon we discussed the class for a bit. I asked what the highlight of the class was for people, what could be improved, what needs to be done a different way. All of the comments were positive. I do have corrections to make, but no major ones. I will have to reorder the some of the pages--a minor proposition. And I will have to emphasize certain things for a smoother learning experience.

I want to thank everyone for being such good sports about this class. A big thanks to Jane and Curt for hosting us. It was a big burden, I am sure, in some ways, while in others it was handy for Jane because she could stay home. Thanks to Bert for being such a good sport about my merciless and never ending teasing and for taking that step off the edge with me. Thanks to Mary for driving the first day, so Mike could have the car. Thanks to Anna for her wonderful cake and for stepping into a class as a newbie. Thanks to Patricia for her good ideas and practical suggestions. Thanks to Marie for walking into a world that was new to her and facing it with perfect courage. Thanks to Nancy for coming down from Los Alamos for the class and for having such intricate and creative ideas. Thanks to Peggy for working with such concentration and determination. It was a pleasure just watching her. Thanks to Jo for all her questions (I am sure other people wanted to know the answers to them too), for her Italian translation and pronunciation of chiaroscuro, and for being such a determined designer. Thanks to Neenah for being such a cool cucumber in the midst of many mad women--though I did notice that she almost fell out of her chair laughing once or twice. And thanks to Ellie, for her bright and happy personality, for her tiny, tiny fish, and for her big ideas that she is well on the way to making reality. You people are the best.