Updates!

I have been so busy recently that my musings on this blog have been non-existent.  Since the end of the Fiona Duthie online felting workshop, life has had a life of its own that didn't seem to include writing.  It was all about felting!  Then there was some travel, first to Charleston and Spoleto Festival and then to Asheville for the NC State Tennis Championships.  Now it's catch-up time.

Fiona Duthie's Six-Week Online Felting Workshop

This was well worth every minute and every penny.  I learned so many new techniques for felting - mostly from Fiona herself, but also from others in the class, most notably Beth Marx.   I made about 40 samples throughout the class; several have ended up on the flaps of my knitted and felted Sassy Sacs and Clutches.  (I love to repurpose things, and what a shame it would be to not utilize these samples in some way!)

And then…..I've decided to commit myself to making more nuno felting: larger, reversible pieces (scarves, caplets, wraps) that include a number of my favorite techniques (craters, bumps, color carvings, inclusions, lace).  One scarf I'm keeping; one wrap (which was my final course project) has already sold, and another will be available at Port City Pottery & Fine Crafts on Saturday.  I'm ecstatic but also hurting!  A visit to the orthopedic surgeon next week will tell me if my should will allow me to push this further.   And if all goes well, I will travel to WI in October to take an in-person workshop with Beth Marx.  So exciting!

  

Charleston and Spoleto

I LOVE Charleston!  I think it's my favorite Southern city!  For a few years I've been wanting to go there for their well-known Spoleto Festival of the Arts.  And we wanted to meet our friends there on their way back to RI from FL.  So we decided to rent place to stay, away from the madding crowds.  My friend (also Louise!) handled tickets to two venues, and I found the rental and made restaurant reservations.  This is a HUGE event held every year that lasts for 17 days and brings HUGE crowds from all over.  We saw A Simple Space, a small group of acrobats who accomplish breath-taking feats in an unbelievably small space.  Fabulous!  And then we went to a Charenee Wade open-air jazz concert.  In between we quite literally walked Charleston when we weren't enjoying the peace and quiet in our PERFECT rental at 4 Beaufain St, right off King St in the middle of the shopping district.

We had reservations at Magnolia and Blossom, both of which we'd been to before.  Magnolia was a huge disappointment this time, so we cancelled Blossom and instead went to a small Italian restaurant, Il Cortile del Re right on King Street not far from our "flat."  It was great!

Asheville and the NC State Tennis Championships

My tennis team made it to the Championships (by default), but who cares.  Nine of us traveled to Asheville for the time of our lives.  We stayed at the Crowne Plaza Resort in rooms that were clustered, had beautiful weather, and matches that were spread out over three days, so there was plenty of time for shopping, gallery-hopping, yarn and roving sourcing, eating, and more fun!  The matches, well….we weren't stellar, but we came in 4th and that was very acceptable to us.  Oh, and Mary Ann and I won our last match, as did the team!

We had dinners together (Tupelo Honey Cafe and Zambra's) and lunch at The Grove Park Inn where we also visited their amazing gallery, Grovewood Gallery.  My friend/roommate and I (same friend who went to France with me a few years ago!) shopped (she for clothes; I for fiber/yarn). Most notable: Bellagio Everyday and Bellagio Art to Wear,  and my new favorite yarn/fiber shop, Friends and Fiberworks.  I found hand-dyed merino in beautiful shades and even met the dyer!  It is those fibers that are currently enticing me strongly!