Lattes at Starbucks and Jane LaFazio

Small Art Quilt

Several years ago I took an art quilt class from Jane LaFazio and this is one of the projects I completed. I loved the class and getting to know Jane. She's the artist who painted the original "Tree of Life Oaxaca" that I adapted into needlepoint. It's my current stitching project and what inspired me to start this blog. Jane is one of the most talented persons I know. She creates, teaches, volunteers to teach children, travels and teaches in Italy, San Miguel, Mexico and in the USA. She's a successful business woman, full of energy and loads of fun-a true inspiration!

Yesterday, we met at Starbucks so I could show her my stitched piece and here's what she wrote today on her blog http://www.janeville.blogspot.com/

You can also read more about Jane on her website http://www.plainjanestudio.com/

Thanks, Jane.

Grasshopper

Did you know that some people actually eat grasshoppers? Not this one--he's climbing up the border of my Oaxaca Tree of Life design. Besides, he's too pretty to eat! Looks like he's about ready to hop over one of the branches!

Grasshopper

His legs are a combination of Floss Overdye, Trebizon, and Kreinik Metallic; the body is Couched Long Stitches with Neon Rays and Kreinik Metallic; a single Sundance Bead is used for the eye! I love him. His name is Diego.

Hummingbird in Oaxaca Tree of Life

While in Tucson last week for Thanksgiving, we visited the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum's hummingbird enclosure. The beautiful hummingbirds I saw reminded me of the one that resides on my current stitching project, Oaxaca-Tree of Life. I had such fun creating the tail feathers with Rainbow Flair and one ply of matching Splendor Silk. Then I added a few stitches of Fuzzy Stuff which I also used for the head. Kreinik Braid was used for the beak; Sparkle Rays for the breast; Floss and Splendor complete the wings and neck and the final touch was a bead for the eye. 

Hummingbird

"Do What You Love" class at TNNA

The National NeedleArts Association (TNNA) will be gathering in January in Long Beach, CA for the largest needlework and yarn trade show in the country. Sundance will be there with Alice Borge, former shop owner and teacher, to teach a class titled "Do What You Love!" We'll instruct shop owners, or their teaching staff, about the latest and greatest threads, stitch techniques, and bead tips. More information may be obtained at the TNNA website www.TNNA.org and click on TNNA's Winter Show then view class schedule and list of classes.

Medaris Heart

Here's Nandra, Alice, and Cassie working on our class project