Ah summer…to me this season means lots of time dyeing and printing fabrics outdoors, and this summer I’m trying my hand (for the very first time) at indigo dyeing. As someone who loves surface design and fabric printing, I don’t know why I haven’t played with this process before as it is extremely gratifying, fun, and easy!

And you don’t need the summer heat to indigo dye, you can do it in winter, of course, too. The picture below was taken this past January at Craft Napa in the outdoor courtyard of the Embassy Suites/Napa. We quite literally took over the entire hotel, drying fabrics indoors and out. Below are some images of fabrics drying everywhere at the hotel from Sandra Johnson’s Craft Napa Indigo & Shibori workshop.

We draped the bushes too…

And all of the outdoor furniture. (All were unharmed afterwards, I promise.)

This kit (below) is what was used for indigo dyeing, which I recently bought too so I could give a go at this process. It is a dye kit by Jacquard that we got from Dharma Trading, and it’s so cheap (only $9)! This kit includes all of the ingredients, conveniently measured so all you have to do is pour everything provided in the kit (wearing your protective gloves and gear) into a five-gallon bucket of warm water. This mix can dye up to $15 yards of fabric, too! There is a lot of value packed into this tiny box, and when covered when not dyeing, can last for days:

This is what it looks like when all of the ingredients are poured into a five-gallon bucket of warm water. The top of the dye vat has a bit of a film on it–it looks a little strange but it’s normal. And when you fold the fabric and clamp it (as shown below), everything emerges as green; it’s the oxidation process that turns the fabric blue.

Below are some first samples of mine drying in the sun:

They get bluer as they dry:

Below was a very simple, accordion and triangular folding process I used, but it yields such amazing, graphic results! (And note to dyers: if you are going to indigo dye, set aside a special dye bucket for this. I had used this same bucket for Procion-dyeing and evidently had leftover pink dye in it…hence the pink spot on the lower right side.)

I also bought a blank cold-shoulder t-shirt from Dharma Trading and tried my hand at what is called kumo (basically wrapping an object with rubber bands to resist-dye). I just used rocks from my gravel driveway for this experiment:

And then I also tried some screen printing of imagery on top to get more layered effects:

This is just the beginning of indigo work for me, and I cannot wait to really explore this process, and also try traditional stitched, shibori techniques.

A couple of Youtube videos for this process that I found helpful:

Sandra Johnson will be teaching not one but two Shibori classes at Craft Napa this next January, and you can find more information here! She still has a few spots left in both workshops.

I am also really pleased that Dharma Trading (in neighboring San Rafael) is joining the sponsorship team at Craft Napa by providing product for teachers and doing live dyeing and fabric printing demonstrations during all of Craft Napa next January!

Indigo Kit Giveaway!

To celebrate the love of indigo dyeing, I am giving away an Indigo Dye Kit (as shown above). Here’s how to play: Answer the following question (in the comments section for this post), and I will randomly select a winner this next Tuesday (July 17th). This is a global opportunity; everyone (within the U.S. and beyond) is invited to participate. On Tuesday, I will update this entry with the winner’s name. Good luck!

Question:

What have you learned lately (or maybe revisiting) that is fueling your creativity at the moment?

Happy Creating!

~Pokey

UPDATE: Congratulations to Sherri Cox–you are the winner of the Indigo Dye kit! Please email me at info@craftingalifellc.com and I will ship it out to you directly! 

Craft Napa 2018 came and went, and frankly, it was such an amazing time–so much so–I needed a little rest afterwards, and hence the late recap. For this past third edition, we had 17 teachers, 41 workshops held over four days, with 230 students–more than double the amount the first year.

Whether it was politics or natural disasters, most everyone came off a hard 2017. To be able to kickstart 2018 in such a positive, color- and stitch-filled, creative way, definitely felt incredibly gratifying.

We built a wall—a community Graffiti wall–where over the course of the four days people freely added their creative hopes, dreams, drawings, and doodles. (Special thanks to Dharma Trading for providing materials and paint supplies.)

Before:

During:

After:

We also hosted the Stay Pawsitive art benefit for Friends for Life, Houston’s premiere no-kill animal rescue that provided safe haven, triage and vet care during Hurricane Harvey at one of the largest emergency shelters (and home to Quilt Festival)—the George R Brown Convention Center. Through artwork created and purchased, we raised $4000 for them!

When I say Craft Napans took over the Embassy Suites, I mean, we took over the entire hotel, including outdoor spaces as well. Some shibori with the swans in the courtyard:

We offered 3-hour, 6-hour, 9-hour, and two-day workshops, both at the Embassy Suites and in my art barn. A copious amount of art was produced—from art quilts, mixed media, modern and improv quilts—to books, assemblages, dyed and painted fabrics, monoprints, and encaustic work.

On Friday night of the event we hosted an artist market with our teachers, non-profit organizations, local shops, and an extra bonus: a quilt guild raffle quilt. Our Artists’ View Luncheon went well, too, where teachers candidly shared ideas and inspired all to set the tone for a year filled with creating.

I see a lot of opportunity for growth for Craft Napa, and making this event even more meaningful, and so that is what I am working on right now for both next year and beyond for (gulp!) the 5^th anniversary edition.

I want to sincerely thank the sponsors, swag and door prize donators, because these companies proved themselves in gold for their generosity. I hope everyone who reads this blog will support them, check out their websites to see what they have to offer, buy from them, stop at their booths at quilt, trade, and craft shows, and follow them on social media:

Meissner’s Sewing (Northern CA’s premiere sewing and vacuum company that facilitated and provided the BERNINA sewing machines for classroom use)

BERNINA of America (My hands-down favorite machine!)

Dharma Trading

Pro-Chemical & Dye

QuiltFolk Magazine

Mistyfuse

Havel’s Sewing

Quilter’s Select

Craft Industry Alliance

Windham Fabrics

RJR Fabrics

Aurifil Threads

SOAK

Tacony Corporation

Lastly, thanks to all who made the trek to join us! It’s you who make this community come alive and make this event so special!

Next year’s dates for Craft Napa are January 9-13, 2019, and if you want to join us for our five-year anniversary, the dates for 2020 will be January 8-12, 2020.

I was really happy to go to Quilt Market and Festival this year, if anything, to get some respite from the aftermath of the fires in Northern California. I was not nearly as prepared as I would have liked to have been for Houston, given the disruption, but I was thrilled to go! I shared a lot of images on Facebook and Instagram, but for this blog entry I am culling the list down to just a few images that gave me great joy:

Leslie Tucker Jenison’s second fabric line “Urban Garden” with RJR Fabrics made its initial debut, and Leslie employed the talent of both Jamie Fingal and Deborah Boschert (to name just a couple) to make art with her line. This fabric line will be on sale at your local quilt shops in early spring, and I can’t wait to hoard some!

This booth below was a Market favorite, it popped up in a lot of social media feeds, and it is understandable why: “Foundation” by Shayla Wolf for Windham Fabrics.

Next up, Playful Fabric Printing co-author, Melanie Testa came out with her debut fabric line, “Floribunda!” with RJR Fabrics. If you like a jewel-toned palette coupled with unique prints with a personal touch, this line is for you!

Another quilt in detail:

I too had a formal presence and promoted “Playful Fabric Printing” in the Craftsman’s Touch booth at Festival. I was so happy to promote this book. It truly is a great resource if you are curious about creating your very own, unique fabric collection.

Below was a busy lady! Victoria Findlay Wolfe promoted her new Partial Herringbone Seam Quilt with tireless enthusiasm during the show. This class is sold out at CRAFT NAPA, and it is understandable why. The construction of this design is pretty brilliant. (Victoria still has a handful of seats for her two-day, four-ring double wedding class, though!)

On a quilting business note,  F&W and Quilts Inc. collaboratively came out with the latest Quilting in America 2017 survey. Survey says our industry is still doing gangbusters since the last survey was conducted in 2014, and the industry is seeing a strong buying power from people under 45. I mentioned to John when we discussed the study, though, that it would be nice if maybe next time, this study delved a bit more deeply into specific social media channels, time spent on each, etc. Anybody who is investing advertising dollars into paying ads on social media would find this breakdown helpful.

Back to quilts…this was my favorite one from the show. It is called “Home.”

This piece is by Kate Themel and her narrative reads, “My studio is where I feel most at home. It’s a place where I I can dance around, sing, talk to myself, swear, or drop things on the floor. I can express myself without worrying about having nice manners. I never need to dress up to spend a day I’m in the studio. Blue jeans, or pajamas, it’s all good.”

I agree. I came home, and took a hike in my neighborhood. Vineyards in autumn, my patchwork view:

I am definitely looking forward to cooler weather and hibernating in my studio. I, too, am getting ready for Craft Napa, which is just a few short weeks away, and ordering all of the loot for attendees. If you are thinking of coming, there is still space! Please join us! We also plan for a fun and unique opening ceremony to ring in a creative 2018.

In the meantime, it is raining here…what is not to love about this picture?

With gratitude,

Pokey

The last eight days have felt like one, long extended night. It is hard to believe that more than a week ago, I was awakened by my dog Nellie a little after midnight, followed quickly by a text from my friend Patricia Trimble, and then a Nixle alert on my cell phone saying evacuate immediately. I did not have long and quickly grabbed my animals and threw some things in a bag and fled.

I went down the street and saw this fire behind my place:

I went to Patricia’s house for about an hour (3:00-4:00 AM), but then I drove around again, went to the shelter to see if I could get any information (and get some water), got back in my car to drive some more, and this was what I saw the next morning near my place. This was as close as I could get:

Another shot from my neighborhood–Browns Valley (this is a portion of southwest Napa where Carneros is, and just over the hill from Sonoma). My fire is the “Partrick” fire, which joined and became part of the Nunn’s fire. From this perspective, I am looking across the Napa Valley basin to the Atlas Fire, which devastated the Silverado area:

That day (Monday) I checked into the Embassy Suites where I stayed for several nights. I stayed with a number of families, many of whom had already lost their homes. There were a lot of tears and hugs all around. Tyrion tried to provide some comfort:

Next afternoon, my street was barricaded by CalFire, but they looked on the map and said I could “check” my place quickly. I put my iPhone on video in my lap. I was surprised, scared, yet relieved to see this…

I thought everything was ok by then. But it was not. It had also been two days and I still had no cell service–no one did in Napa. We were all trying to get reliable information, which proved difficult.

It is hard to tell from this photo but by Wednesday evening, things had flared up again. The valley was absolutely toxic, a ring of fire and smoke so thick you couldn’t see 10 feet in front of you. It was also hard to leave the valley–Sonoma was ablaze and roads closed.  I got a text that evening that said “Bulldozers at your place, fire coming south, looks bad.”

Next day:

There is a clear and visible burn behind my hill to the left.

On Friday I was able to go back again for a few minutes and see all still standing, but still a little bleak.

Finally, I was able to go home on Saturday. And while wearing my N95 mask, start cleaning.

It was therapy to clean and try and gain control what has felt like a totally out-of-control situation this past week. These fires were unprecedented and historic.

I have changed the air filters in my house, and for the most part wearing that N95 mask as I clean, wipe down, and pitch stuff, including pillows, dog beds, etc., and all food in my refrigerator and cabinets. I also have ordered two HEPA air filters from Amazon to help get rid of all of the residual smoke inside my home. I am GRATEFUL and LUCKY, my place is still standing, and I know it.

I am forever indebted to our first responders, for those firemen who kept watch on my porch that first night and next day.

I am thankful for Eli Ponce Construction who volunteered his time and energy and for almost 24 hours straight, bulldozed around my place and my neighbors’ homes in Browns Valley to create a fire break. I am thankful for SO MANY family members and friends from the Bay Area who called me and reached out (multiple times), offering me a place to stay, and kept checking back in with me. I am grateful for Napa…I have made some incredible friendships here, especially Patricia Trimble from The Roost Napa and those in my neighborhood; our bonds have only deepened.

I also want to thank everyone, too, on Facebook, who gave me so many cheers and just overall words of support and comfort when I was distraught, confused, incoherent and tired. I needed it, and I hope I can return the favor to you some day.

I learned a few things, that I hope are helpful, too. There have been so many devastating floods, fires, hurricanes this year…I think this is good generic  info. to prepare, no matter what the threat may be:

APPS to download on your cell phone:

-Next Door, a neighborhood APP to keep in touch with each other.

-Nixle, which coordinates county and state emergency services, letting you know timely updates of threats or concerns in your area.

-MyTuner Radio (this allows your iPhone to access AM radio and local news–great if you don’t own a radio anymore)

If on Facebook, make sure to follow both the official page of your county/city and local police. I found this invaluable, especially when I had no cell service, but was able to go to a hotspot for WiFi to learn the latest from county officials.

What I wish I had done (and will now do):

-Get a fire proof safe/ container to put photos and important docs in.

-Have water and batteries and other emergency misc ready. I thought I did, but it wasn’t organized as well as it should have been.

-Have an extra bag of clothing and toiletries to grab and take.

-Make sure my pet carriers (leashes, medicines, etc.) are easily accessible. (I had to dig around to find my cat carrier.)

Here is a picture of Clarence tonight in his new, plush, smoke-free dog bed. His face says it all:

We are all looking forward to catching up on sleep, to finding our humor again.

And I don’t think I am alone in saying this, but after Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, and the Vegas shooting, can we all just scream UNCLE!?

With my deepest gratitude for all your support this past week, and my sincere well wishes that we all stay safe and find a sense of calm,

Pokey

A couple weekends ago I brought my pup Tyrion to Quilting in the Garden at Alden Lane, a dog-friendly annual quilt show in one of the finest nurseries in Northern California. Tyrion was a little nervous to get into the car, thinking that since this was a solo trip sans his canine siblings, I was taking him to the vet. He was pleasantly surprised (albeit a little spooked) to see quilts swaying from giant oak trees.

Jennifer Sampou, Tyrion and me. (Photo courtesy of Todd Hensley)

At the show, artist Jennifer Sampou and I met to scheme the final touches on her quilt retreat she’s teaching at my art barn next spring:

Jennifer just came out with a hot-off-the-press pattern with C&T Publishing called Polygon Play, a riff on hexie paper piecing. (Click here to read her really fun story of how she came up with this idea.) It is such a playful pattern with so many possibilities, we felt it was worthy of a two-day weekend workshop in wine country.

Every season in Napa is beautiful, but my favorite time of year is spring when the mustard flowers bloom riotously in the vineyards. There are also a lot of art, wine, and music festivals that take place all over the valley the month of March.

A picture from my art barn porch last March:

Polygon Play will take place March 24-25, 2018, and retreat particulars can be found here on the Crafting a Life website. Registration opens next Wednesday and is limited to 8 students. Hope you will consider joining us next spring!

Mother Nature sure hasn’t been happy lately. With all of the hurricanes, wildfires, and earthquakes, it is hard to know how to help and where to make a charitable contribution.

Last week I was in Houston and saw some of the devastation from Hurricane Harvey first hand. Driving down the Hardy Toll from the airport, it was surreal to see street upon street lined with heaping mounds of molding mattresses, couches, and indiscernible bits of wood furniture in front yards. It is unimaginable to think what these people and their pets have been through.

While in Houston, I visited my old stomping grounds—Friends for Life Animal Rescue where, overtime, I got all three of my pups:

I spoke to some of my friends at the shelter, and learned that during Harvey and its aftermath, Friends for Life was the leading, go-to, disaster-trained shelter that BARC (the city shelter) and the George R. Brown called upon to spearhead intake and help rescue displaced families with pets from rising waters and flooding homes. (No one wanted a repeat of Hurricane Katrina where people were evacuated but told they must leave their pets behind.)

While coordinating pet triage in the George R. Brown Convention Center and with the assistance of South by South Vets and trans4mative, Friends for Life was able to provide vet care and services to animals sheltered at the George R Brown, NRG stadium, and surrounding rescue locations, accounting for approximately 3,000 animals saved (and that number is still rising). Click this link on NPR to see pictures and read stories about the amazing rescue effort at the GRB.

And FFL’s outreach didn’t end there. When Hurricane Irma hit Florida, Friends for Life reached out to rescue organizations in Florida to give advice and share their website model to coordinate vet techs and volunteers to save animals across the state.

But with such impressive rescue comes a price: Hurricane Harvey has significantly depleted funds and they need monetary help to keep handling and rescuing animals devastated by Harvey and beyond.

I want to support this organization that is a model for the nation in terms of successfully running a citywide, no-kill shelter, and how to handle relief efforts during a catastrophic natural disaster.

So here is what I am proposing:

The Stay Pawsitive! Art Fundraiser 

How to participate:

1. Make 1 or 2 (or 3, 4 or more) 6″x 6″ pieces of artwork to be offered online starting later this fall and at Craft Napa 2018 where all proceeds will go to Friends for Life Animal Rescue. These pieces of art can be made of fabric or paper, watercolor, acrylic, mixed media, quilts and stitch, metal, recycled bits, or even a combination of all the above.
2. Think theme! We are open to any theme for the artwork: they could be animals or fantasy creatures (unicorns anyone?), abstract works, depictions of dreamy landscapes and escapes, floral-themed pieces, mini modern quilts, graffiti-inspired work, or whatever your imagination dreams up! (Please, however, be mindful of copyright laws and create original art.)
3. These works do not need to be bound or mounted. Ideally we want to fit these works of art into 6″ x 6″ slim plastic casings for display, but if your work is thicker and won’t fit, we still welcome it!
4. On the back side of your artwork, please sign your name, title, and leave your social media info (i.e. website, blog, Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest handle). Contact information is optional.
5. We will sell the 6″ x 6″ pieces for $30 each at Craft Napa 2018 and online, and all of the proceeds will go to Friends for Life Animal Rescue.
6. The art should be received no later than Friday, January 5^th, 2018. Please note: this is a receive-by date! We will of course accept artwork during Craft Napa but want to have a large starting bank of artwork so would love it if you mailed them far in advance!
7. You can mail as many pieces of art as you would like, but please place them in a padded envelope. This way they will stay in pristine condition to be displayed at Craft Napa and online.

Please mail them to:

Crafting a Life

Attn: Stay Pawsitive!

PO BOX 10368

Napa, CA

94581

8. Come to Craft Napa or check later in the fall on the craftingalifellc.com site to buy as many pieces as you are able! Just think: if you bought four (or more) and had them framed, it would make for a very nice collection!

As soon as we start receiving artwork, we will post examples online and in social media channels.

Details for the online sale and also for a silent auction are forthcoming.

We hope you will get creating!

~ Pokey

P.S. While in Houston last week, I received another intake picture of my rescue pup Nellie. This was her when Friends for Life found her in the streets in 2012–malnourished and full of mange. Happy to say she is a stout little couch potato nowadays!

For the lucky ones who are not current residents or homeowners in Houston, yet feeling absolutely helpless and sick with worry, here are three Houston-based charities (that I trust) that I have donated to in the past/ am donating to now. (We all know of the national, well-known charities, so I wanted to share some local ones.)

Quilters are such a giving bunch and I know a number of quilt fundraisers will be launching in the future to collectively give more cash, but right now–whatever we can immediately give out of our own checking accounts is what we need to do. So here goes with a very shortlist of local charities I like to give to and trust:

1). Houston Food Bank -They know how to spread the dollar to give as much food and water to distribute to people in need.

2). Friends for Life (the no-kill shelter for the Pet Postcard Project). FFL is working with the city of Houston’s- BARC program to rescue animals and keep them safe. There are also FFL reps on hand at the GRB to keep pets cared for.

3). Houston SPCA

If you are in Houston, and can safely drop off goods, KPRC has a comprehensive list of what to give and where to go.

I just left Houston prior to this storm. Even though I am not a homeowner anymore, I spend minimally one week out of every month in Houston, and I store all of my books there. I cannot get back to Houston soon enough; like everyone else, I am absolutely heartbroken and sick about what people are enduring. Until I can get back and volunteer somehow, I am sending what cash I can.

Update: Please also check out Leslie Jenison’s blog post about other charities to donate to.

Last year  The Modern Quilt Guild approached me and asked me what I thought about partnering and launching the first Modern Quilt Masters retreat at my place in Napa.

I was more than game! I have found the board of the National Modern Quilt Guild extremely forward thinking and easy to work with, and when they pitched Denyse Schmidt as the teacher for the four-day retreat at my place, I was in! The 12-student, immersive four-day retreat sold out very quickly. BERNINA of America and Meissner’s were generous to provide sewing machines for student use, and I was able to secure an amazing chef in Napa to cook us lunch every day. We ate great food, drank some local/boutique wine, some hiked in the neighboring mountainside, others dabbled in a Sunday Fun Day with a Bloody Mary bar here in my barn, we enjoyed a pool-side BBQ with partners/spouses/friends, but most importantly, we created quilts…

Everyone was so prolific:

Another case in point:

We had plenty of critique time with Denyse who was so giving of herself.

And a special guest showed up…Jennifer Sampou.

More work in progress…

I am so grateful to have hosted this retreat. I did not get very far in my top, but I will. Craft Napa 2018 registration launches in a few days and I have been a bit busy getting it ready. This next Craft Napa event has grown a lot…17 teachers with …drumroll…41 workshops over the four days!

I want to thank the Modern Quilt Guild, Meissner’s, BERNINA USA, and Denyse Schmidt for such generosity and collaboration this past week.

Cheers to all,

Pokey

Thank you Pantone for choosing such a gorgeous Color of the Year for 2017:

Pantone deems “Greenery” a color that is “life-affirming, emblematic of the pursuits of personal passions and vitality.”

I agree. Green has always been my very favorite color that I have found both calming yet invigorating. And in dealing with the stress of today’s heated political climate, I find myself more than ever going to my studio at night and immersing myself in this leafy color that celebrates the promises of flourishing, hope, and growth.

Thanks to one of the most precipitous winters ever on record in California, we are reaping the rewards of green in Napa. Below is a view from the top of my street in Napa. In the distance you can see where the San Pablo Bay (which is a part of the San Francisco Bay) meets the shoreline at its most northern tip.

The Pantone websites offers “pairings” for their featured color of the year– fitting language for wine country! I like the Transitions pairing the most:

The county of Napa concurs; I snapped the following recently here at my place:

Here is to warm, springtime, verdant days ahead for all.

Happy Spring,

QuiltCon East just transpired and for those of us who didn’t go, maybe you were like me: sitting in your kitchen compulsively eating microwave popcorn, refreshing your Instagram feed, eagerly awaiting to see friends and colleagues at the meet-ups, read about their observations of the show, and of course, to see the winning quilts! I also wanted to see how teaching was going for my friends, especially those new to teaching.

Just last week, working out at my local gym here in Napa, a quilting friend of mine waved at a distance and shouted, “I did two classes today in readying for a shrimp and grits feast in Savannah!”

She was QuiltCon bound, and I was so jealous!

I was jealous because of the camaraderie, the networking, the inspiration I have found at QuiltCon. I have been to every edition, and this past one in 2016 in Pasadena, frankly, bowled me over. I am very impressed with the production of this show and how quickly they have been able to develop it in a very sophisticated, forward-thinking manner, not to mention the excitement that manufacturers and movers and shakers in this industry have for it.

The reason I didn’t go to QuiltCon this year was because I got another upcoming invitation that was a conflict: an invitation to…well…Disneyworld.

When you can only be away so much, and only take so many transcontinental treks…it’s family first. So instead of seeing the best in show quilt in person at QuiltCon, in a couple of days, my niece and/or nephew will be my seat mate on the Crush ‘n Gusher…or The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Underground Adventure–whatever they choose.

In the meantime, today I was interviewed by Abby Glassenburg, co-founder of Craft Industry Alliance and founder/host of the While She Naps podcast. We have a shared history; we both were public school teachers and taught in the same school district nearly at the same time in Massachusetts. She is a true journalist, she asks questions and seeks answers in order to gain an understanding to issues that have not been previously addressed in this industry, with the designer, the crafter, the author, the teacher, the talent in mind. I wish we had a couple more hours to talk. Her podcast with me as a guest will go live this Monday, March 6th.

So tomorrow I head east–not to view amazing quilts–but to raise my arms high above my head, screaming at the top of my lungs at the peak of Expedition Everest, smiling, with a niece or nephew by my side. Because in five or so years, they will be moving on,  and I won’t be asked to sit next to them on a roller coaster probably ever again.

QuiltCon will still be there, but for this year, I am trading the viewing of quilts and quilter camaraderie for a pair of Mickey Mouse ears.

And I am totally good with that.