Susan Brubaker Knapp in Houston for Fall Quilt Market 2011

Quilt Market Houston 2011

Susan Brubaker Knapp, Blue Moon River, gave an incredible School House presentation this year.  She shared her new book, Point Click Quilt! with us and talked about thread painting and using photos as her inspiration. 

I feel like a photographer when I'm at Market.  I do my best to get folks to look at the camera so I can bring back photos to share with IHAN blog readers.  So Susan's smile...is just for you (and I got to enjoy it too!)

Susan's School House Presentation was very well attended and you know I loved every minute of it...especially at the end when we got to look and touch her beautiful art work.

This is what you would not have been able to see in the photo above....Susan had painted and stitched on her shoes ...you can't enjoy them with her behind that table....see...I'm taking good care of you...you get all the skinny here...LOL.

 Susan's work was passed around and I took the opportunity to take photos and I also took some close-ups so you can see the thread painting in detail.

If you click on any of these photos they will enlarge....and the thread work is so beautiful you'll definitely be clicking away today.

As you can see above, Susan has taken a photo of a simple fence with a shadow in the back ground and transformed the ordinary into something extraordinary.   Many of these pieces are also included in her book, Point, Click, Quilt!

 I would have probably walked right past that fence and thought nothing of it....and then when I see how beautifully it has been translated....I just marvel.

The quilts were on tables or chairs when the photos were taken.....I hope I have captured the sense of awe I felt that day... in these photos...especially when you look up close and see how Susan has outlined with thread or sketched with thread over fabric to make the bird appear dimensional...really awesome.

 Check out the photo below....don't you feel like you are right there looking down at these pumpkins?

 Below in the close-up...you can see Susan has done some fabric painting as well as thread painting.

It just blows me away.  I so badly want to take a class with Susan but so far the closest I've come is to watching her DVD's.

These cars are very cool....look at the texture in the road...and the depth of the brown on the car...from here it looks to me like an oil painting doesn't it?   

Until....

When you look close-up, you see the thread has created what can't be captured with paint on canvas...for those of us who love textiles....this type of art just knocks your socks off.  

 In the first photo of the butterfly...you see a butterfly and it jumps with color...then in the close up...I see a character in the butterfly...a friendly intelligent look...do you see it too?  Or am I just projecting?

A few days later, Susan was autographing Point, Click, Quilt and the line was wrapped around the corner...

 All of the books were spoken for when I arrived....and I arrived early...so I wasn't going to walk away empty handed....I took this photo :)

I know by now it seems like I was stalking Susan....but honestly I wasn't.  There is a schedule of events and when I'm interested in learning more about a persons work...I circle it and try to make it to their events.  Between events I have a list of must see people to learn about new notions or to test new notions (I'm sort of known as the person who wants to see if she can actually get the notion to work or see if I can break it...before I buy it...lol)

Armed with at least 2 cameras at all times I take photos of everything and anything that interests me. 
This peacock grabbed my attention...so I took a photo and then I zoomed in on the name of the artist...surprise  surprise...it was Susan's.  I had seen "Psychedelic Peacock"kon the Blue Moon River blog, but for some reason I had not put 2 and 2 together.  So when I caught up with her again...I asked her to stand with it so I could take a photo.

Susan told me she used 30 spools of thread ...yes...30...that is THIRTY spools of thread to make this beauty. (I bet she is wishes she lived here now...with all this thread...she'd be in heaven :)

When you see these close-up photos....you can see how she used 30 spools of thread to turn a peacock into a symphony of color and texture.

I love the swirls and curves...they really move....this Peacock is Alive!

Do you know how very glad I am that Susan didn't ask my advise on thread colors...and which thread to put where? EXTREMELY GLAD :)

Do you want to learn more about Susan's process?  You can check out her schedule by clicking here and take a class with Susan, follow her blog here .  If you want to explore more while at home...you can find Point, Click, Quilt here...and if you like DVD's (my favorites) you can find them here!

I just clicked over to get the link and you know what I saw?  A Giveaway....SewCalGal has reviewed Susan's latest DVD, Dynamic Quilt Design: Paint Meets Stitch.  Talk about serendipity...the universe is aligning today...( this was not planned...honest truth...I don't decide until I sit down at the computer what I'm going to blog about)

Might I suggest you hop over to SewCalGal's Blog and leave a comment for your chance to win....you may notice I've only invited you after I've already visited and left my comment!!!  LOL...at least I told ya about it :)

Selfish Smiles,
Kelly
PS:
Good Luck in winning Dynamic Quilt Design....sort of!!

Quilt Market 2011 - 4 Famore Cutlery

I'm guessing no one has ever seen anyone use a hula hoop while at Quilt Market....until now :)

Oh yes, that would be me....using a hula hoop for the first time in my adult life.  I bet you are wondering why in the world I was hula hooping ...right?

It is all Mikki's fault!  Yes....completely true :)  Mikki has taken up belly dancing and hula hooping and when she was telling me about it I asked her to bring one to Houston with her.  I really wanted to see what she was talking about.

Mikki gave me a quick lesson and I was off and hooping.  It took me a minute or two to get the hang of it....but then....I was rocking that hoop.  Mikki was a little frustrated ...she said it took her two lessons to keep the hoop up for as long as I had kept it up.  All I can say is....I don't seem to be a natural with Free Motion Quilting so it's a darn good thing I am a natural at somethin'!!

You all know the story of my meeting Brint, the Scissor Man.  I lusted after his apron...but not anymore.  I had hatched a plan to TOP the Scissor Man's Apron.  If I wasn't going to have his, I was going to have one of my own...and it was going to be even better.  (There Brint...take that...Bat Man Pow sound effect ..listen closely...you'll hear it.)

 I made my own and when Brint was not looking I stood at a distance with my finger pointed directly at him and waited until he looked my way.  When he looked my way, in a loud voice I said, "I soooo Own You!" 

That got his attention and fast. 

Here is proof Brint was de-throaned....and I have to say...he took it well.

Not only did I get to wear my apron on the front....I got to wear his on the back.  Now, I'm one bad mamma jamma!!!

Below is a better pix of the front of my apron....yes, I was in the bathroom ( if Superman has his telephone booth....IHAN has her bathroom...LOL).

"Kelly Scissor Fiend

Queen of the IHAN Nation

(self appointed of course!)"

I used Artist Transfer Paper to make the label.  I put the ATC through my printer then ironed it to a piece of white Kona cotton.  I made several button holes and tabs to hold my scissor extenders with scissors attached.  The biggest reason Brint was de-throaned was because "MY" apron has all the bells and whistles that his doesn't have.  If you look closely, the top right of my apron has a metal name tag I covered with my business card. Then I used earth magnets to hold my Stiletto and my Famore Seam Rip.  I bet you are wondering how I managed to not cut myself or poke myself with all those scissors, right?  I put clear tubing over the tips of all the sharps so I couldn't get poked.  (ohhhh eeee I'm a smarteeee pantssss...giggles).  Brints don't have a protector on his...nor does he have his fine tip tweezers on his apron.  I re purposed my Bernina Bobbin holder and attached that to a zip line do-hickey (it is the tube to the right of center...my tweezers are in there).  I had more scissors than are shown here....but you get the idea.

I found some new scissors made by Famore while I was there...I'll be adding them to my website later today.

I really liked these small scissors and they were darn sharp too.

Brint kept his sense of humor through out his de-throaning process....I just had to leave him with his "simple" Scissor Man apron.  I'm just so darn nice aren't I?   (evil grins)

Fiendly Smiles,

Kelly

PS.....IHAN has select Sizzix Applique Dies on sale 60% off...winter and holiday themes included...only while supplies last.

Quilt Market Fabric Booths, Houston 2011

More from Houston...enjoy!

If I could have all the fabric from one booth....I think it would have been the Island Batiks booth....well then there is the Kaffee, Brandon and Phillip fabrics....oh and Valorie Wells....just forget it......I don't even know where I'd put all that fabric :)

Marcia Derse Designs

*(see note further down the page)

You'll all probably remember my post about visiting Marcia Derse's studio recently.  I loved the simplicity of her booth....you could see all her fabrics without being distracted.  Well, that was until Marcia and Pokey sat down on this beautiful settee.  Then I got distracted...go figure.

Pillow and Maxfield for Michael Miller Fabrics

If I were on the judging commitee for best booths at Market...I'd give out two first place ribbons.  One to Pillow and Maxfield and one to Marcia Derse. 

I loved the circles, squares and then the oval above the booth.  I knew instantly what I was looking at....fabric...and not the clutter of all the props. 

Marcia's was the same...the fabric speaks...not the decorations...that's my kind of booth!

Michael Miller Fabrics is known for their fun scenes and settings during Quilt Market.   Remember, this is where shop owners sit with sales folks to place orders...not like the designers booths....so their props are fun.   

No, this is not a booty call....get your mind back to fabric please :)  You have to remember....what goes into the building...must come out!!

Mark Dunn from MODA - United Notions....I love the way he dresses.  I missed the fun shirts he has worn in the past....then he told me "the shirt" was under the coat.  So I snapped a pix of that for ya too.

Since it was Halloween....his shirt had skulls....see....I knew he wouldn't let me down (like the guy dresses for my entertainment....nope....it just happens to entertain me at market).  

This is Ricky Tims new fabric line....Oodles of Doodles II....more about that in future posts.

St. Ives by Sarah Fielke

I really like Sarah Fielke's style...I think of it as "Traditionally Cheerful"..her booth always lifts my spirit.

Elephants and frogs are my thing.....so you know Valori Wells booth stopped me dead in my tracks.  Ohhhh the elephants....

 Westminster Fabrics

Caroline Hulse and Susanna Sammons (Cabage Rose Quilting and Knitting-Fort Worth TX) were so darn pretty I just had to take their picture.  "Livin' the Westminster Lifestyle" is my title for this pix.

 Ok, Ok, Ok...yes I realize there was lots more fabric and designers there....and I've saved some for their own posts....so settle down....take a breath....and just sit back and smile :)

All IHAN blog followers still have a great opportunity to get a gift with purchase of all Aurifil Thread Collections at IHAN (check out the prices...they are only good until tomorrow night...purchase 12 spools for the price of 8...that 4 gratis!) .  Also...leave a comment  HERE to win three excellent books. 

Smiles,

Kelly