Next week I have a couple of classes scheduled at the Latimer Quilt & Textile Center in Tillamook Oregon. These are part of an annual event, an Adult Day Camp, Latimer started several years ago – a series of fiber art/stitchery classes during a week in October. Unfortunately, the week of classes this year falls right after the Tillamook County Quilt Show, another event that Latimer is involved in and in the flurry of activity preparing for the show, the Day Camp classes sort of got lost in the shuffle and have not been as well promoted as they should have been. I don’t know what the enrollment numbers are yet, the samples and printed flyers have been on display at the museum but only accessible to walk-in viewers so I’m taking the initiative to try and promote the classes on my website. I should have done this earlier but preparing for Northwest Quilting Expo absorbed my time and attention so I can well understand how Latimer managed to push the classes to the back of the ‘to do’ list, they never even got posted on their website.
The first class I have scheduled is one on creating Stumpwork Sea Anemones, this class is going to be next Wednesday October 12. Stumpwork is a form of three dimension embroidery that originated in Europe – most popular in England and France in the 17th Century. It is a sort of combination of needlework and sculpture. Traditionally, pastoral scenes with people, animals, and flora & fauna were the subject matter created with Stumpwork, I have chosen to explore the technique and apply it to a ‘Tide Pool’ theme of sea creatures and the Sea Anemones are a beautiful subject to render in Stumpwork. For those who feel they wouldn’t have time to prepare for the class, I will have kits available.
The second class on Thursday October 13, is on a method of Reversible Machine Applique. This is not Reverse Applique which is one-sided and consists of layering, cutting and stitching the designs to expose underlying fabrics, this is truly a double sided reversible quilt that can be hung from either side. The machine technique is surprisingly easy and it fun to end up with a quilt that can be reversed for variety in the time it takes to make one quilt. The photos I have posted show the front and ‘other’ front of one quilt. To make the quilt more easy to reverse, I suspend the quilt panel from a piece of weathered driftwood – eminently suitable to the beach theme. This class will also have a kit available.
Tillamook is an easy day trip from Portland and the drive down the Wilson River highway in Fall is spectacular, the Fall colors should be starting about now. If you have the time and inclination to come to Tillamook next week, please consider taking one of these classes. If you need more incentive, Latimer has an exhibit right now of woven tapestry work by Natalie Olsen, The Tillamook Cheese Factory is just down the road a bit and features not only cheese but every imaginable flavor of Tillamook ice cream and the Blue Heron French Cheese Company is just down the road the opposite direction and features locally made Artisan Brie (to die for) and then there is Jane’s Fabric Patch – a delightful quilt shop crammed full of gorgeous fabrics and more at the south end of town.
