I am still sorting through pictures and memories of my trip to Maine in April.
Another one of the highlights, which I did not mention last month, was a visit with very dear friends – 2 sisters whose parents were neighbors of mine long ago when I lived in Franklin, NC. The parents were both artists in their own right; Bill was a woodworker and Meta was a fiber artist and excellent cook and baker. We bonded over our German heritage. They had moved from their large home in NC to a lovely place close to their daughters in Maine.
Both passed away last year, but it was so good to see their daughters again after such a long time. It was a very emotional visit because their parents weren’t with us to enjoy the Kaffeklatch (coffee hour, festive, like high tea).
The older daughter, Susan Carlson, is a well-known quilter. She teaches fabric collage all over the world. While we were visiting, she showed us her latest work, Winfrieda the Bear. It is part of a larger exhibit called Specimens, which honors endangered species. Winfrieda was the name of Susan’s maternal grandmother.
Winfrieda is constructed of lace materials collected over many decades, from parts of her mother’s wedding dress to some small doilies and flowers I made for her mother long ago. There are so many great memories in that beautiful collage, which also honors her grandmother.
For more information on Susan’s work, please go her website: https://susancarlson.com
Winfrieda also brought back memories of a very similar project I created a couple of years ago, which is a part of a collection called Quarter Turns. If you get tired of one view, give the canvas a quarter turn and you have a different look. My collection is a homage to Broomstick lace, Hairpin lace, Tunisian lace, Irish lace and several kinds of Thread lace.
This is like a close-up of Winfrieda! They couldn’t believe the similarity of the work. I am glad I had the images on my phone. This is proof that great minds work in the same direction.
The Saturday before Mother’s Day was our annual Fiber Day celebration at the Folk Art Center. We had perfect weather and enjoyed our four-legged friends, who entertained our visitors. I always make time to pet and photograph the sheep, goats, llamas and rabbits on the hill outside the auditorium.
Inside, the spinners and the Great Wheel (also Walking Wheel) always draw a crowd. We all have fun catching up with each other and our regulars. It’s a lovely party and a good way to honor all fiber techniques, from broom and basket making to the weavers and dye pot friends. All this makes us look forward to our next big event in the auditorium. On September 21 and 22 we are going to celebrate Heritage Weekend, which has been extended to a 2-day affair, like it used to be before Covid. So, mark your September calendars for this fun weekend with Appalachian music and dancing under the big tent behind the auditorium. Of course, there will be a reminder and a link in the August Musings!
Last week was the kickoff for our annual Brevard Music Summer Festival; most of you know that I was raised with classical music and sang with the Asheville Symphony Chorus for many years, so this is always the highlight of summer. My musical friends and I usually ride to the performances together and this year I am looking forward to The Three Penny Opera, Tchaikovsky and Copeland – but also Wynton Marsalis and Bella Fleck.
Keith Lockhart, conductor of the Boston Pops, has been the artistic director of The Brevard Music Center Summer Institute since 2007. He attended 2 summers as a teenager and has been with us ever since. Our kick-off featured a lovely catered buffet and musical entertainment by some of the opera students, performing scenes from La Boheme and a Gershwin medley. We are ready for a musical summer!
To check the festival information, go to: www.brevardmusic.org
I just completed a very interesting restoration on an oblong needle lace tablecloth. Needle lace, as the name implies, is worked by twisting and weaving a strong and sometimes waxed thin thread around a needle to create intricate designs. It originated in Central and Eastern Europe and immigrated to some parts of the US. I don’t see it done very often, but I have restored several pieces after studying as much information as I could find. YouTube has some videos on Armenian and Romanian needle lace if you want to learn more.
Here you can see some of the damage and the restored piece. There were more broken designs towards the center.
The waxed thread that was used gives the piece a very solid texture. Some of the lose threads were still attached and I was able to use them, but I also used double #80 tatting thread (for strength) in some places.
I have to mark the restored area with a pin to remember where it was! This piece was a nice change from working with hooks!
Next is a banquet size Martha Washington linen cloth with filet lace inserts and borders, pictures coming next month!
I manage to stay busy with what I love to do, and I wish you a happy start to summer, doing what you love. Enjoy all the fun and activities that come along with it. Happy Summer!
“I do what I love and I love what I do”