Eight....Can You Wait????

Yesterday morning I set off bright and early for my class with Susan Sorrell in Greenville, SC. She is about a two hour drive north of my home, and it's almost all interstate, which can be ok on a quiet, winter Saturday morning. I plugged in my iPod and caught up on some great podcasts, including Danny Gregory's interview with Christine Castro Hughes and several by my darling (ahem!) Josh Clark on How Stuff Works. (Let me explain: Josh and his adorable wife are good friends of our daughter and son-in-law, and he is so much fun!!!!) I arrived at Susan's adorable little cottage-studio about fifteen minutes prior to class: just enough time to unpack, meet Susan and Whoopi Doodle the Studio Poodle, and check out Susan's amazing artwork, which you can see on her website (but the pictures don't do them justice!).

Here is Whoopi, keeping watch in Susan's studio:

I had to tell Whoopi about Barker Baby, who looks almost exactly like her, but weighs in about 75 pounds heavier!

I was sorry that Whoopi had to leave and go stay with her grandma, but then once class got started, there really wasn't time for any doggie lovin'!

We cut, we edge stitched, and then we turned and did some stitching to keep the little binding in place. And then we chose our quotes and began picking out fabrics for our images. At about 1:30 I realized that I hadn't even paused for lunch! The day was flying by! I did a little bit of handstitching on the background, and then it was time to go home: another 2 hours in the car, but this time in the rain! Here's what I accomplished in class yesterday:



The colors in the pic are very washed out....the background is actually quite peachy/orangey and the chick and her eggs are a brilliant chartreuse.

I arrived home with just enough time to throw my things into C's car and then we took off for Atlanta! After a yummy breakfast this morning at the Highland Bakery and some shopping at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, I took my class piece out of my work bag and immediately ripped out all of the handwork that I had done yesterday afternoon (upper right hand corner). What was I thinking with those little rows???? It looks like a stitch sampler!!! I picked up some new embroidery floss colors on our way back home this evening, so I am hoping to get started with the restitching tomorrow.

Susan's work is really incredible, but very difficult to fully appreciate in photographs. I don't believe I have ever seen so much handstitching or beading before! And she is prolific!!!!! Her studio is chock full of eye candy, large and small, that is almost impossible for the brain to process! My fingers were sore after stitching just that little bit yesterday, so I don't know how she has managed to stitch ALL of those pieces! My hat is off to her!!!

It is winter here in northeast Georgia: very cold and damp.....but then it is January.....and just eight days to go!!!!!!

PEACE!!!!