"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." -Arthur Ashe

Good morning!

I have noticed that the earth is a little happier this week and by association, so are the humans. The birds are at it with their cheerful disposition and the sun has turned much warmer than the last three months. It has been an interesting winter, difficult to navigate both on foot and/or by car. You can’t help but feel more powerful for having traversed it’s difficult mood. in that spirit, I have worked on dynamic workshops for the next 6 months or so; if you are curious and need a little break, please visit/join me at https://www.sustainabletextiledesign.com/workshops?view=calendar&month=03-2019

You can always tell when our spirits lift; everything feels more positive and enchanting. We start making plans and filling up that summer calendar with outings and gatherings. Don’t forget yourself in the planning, something I try to remind myself of, so I have planned to attend workshops myself, to meet other creatives and learn something new or refresh the gears.

While we wait for the alluring beauty and warmth of the summer season, take a little time for art and retreat, however you choose to retreat. As for me, I can’t wait to map out new plantings for the Downtown Baraboo gardens I maintain and feel the soil between my fingers again.

Thank you to my wonderful students/friends and patrons that kept me energized and focused this winter; I feel invigorated by your support, humor and guidance and don’t forget, if you need someone to help you in the garden, discard/donate items that you feel are cluttering up your house/mind, or someone to listen, please reach out.

love,

M.

The Winter Palette & other curiosities

Hello Friends,

January is on its way out pretty soon but not without leaving us with a little snow and plenty of inspiration.

The calendar is bursting with techniques you will want to try, that focus on the perfectly imperfect aspects of discovery, experimentation and most importantly, Living a satisfying life. No one can do things Like You and this should be celebrated!

This month has been an incubator for the ideas that have been swirling in my mind for the last two years; I’m so grateful for my time at home “resting” this brain and exercising other parts of it (while ignoring all thought of the upcoming tax work) if only briefly. I’m also super grateful for the chiropractor (Health Source of Baraboo) that has kept me going with all the sewing/hand-stitching work I have completed this month!

There are two upcoming classes that I’m very excited about. One is tomorrow at Blue Bar Quilts; we added a few more spots. It will be the perfect opportunity to be with others on this cold Saturday.

https://www.sustainabletextiledesign.com/workshops/2018/10/30/japanese-sashiko-table-runner-zjlat

The next workshop is January 31st - A die cutting class with a beautiful pattern that I have enlarged for maximum appeal. The original pattern is by Heather Jones Studio.

https://www.sustainabletextiledesign.com/workshops/2019/1/31/radiance-quilt-pattern-by-heather-jones-studio  This will take place at Ardyth’s Sew N Vac Shoppe in Baraboo - an evening class from 4 to 7pm.

I have so many fun things planned and in different stages of production. I love that small and big ideas evolve and that everything happens when it’s supposed to (I have a feeling that this is the case for many of us). I’m always searching for ways to ignite curiosity in others as much as in myself. That to me is what the essence of living is all about.

I hope you will join me in Downtown Baraboo or any of the other cities that I will be leading workshops in this year. Follow the link for calendar events https://www.sustainabletextiledesign.com/workshops/?view=calendar&month=01-2019

There is no canvas like fresh snow!

My new loom and fibers from @Funem Studio in Antwerp, Belgium. I LOVE trying something new. The macaroons were not made by me by any stretch of the imagination. They came straight from @thelittlefrenchbakery in North Freedom, WI.

South Central WI Shop Hop this February. I had just finished drinking my coffee and have no idea why I brought an empty mug outside, so I had to rest it somewhere ;-)

Original pattern and class taught in the summer of 2017 and finally finished.

Block-printing and mark-making sample for the summer classes coming!

Draw your own Sashiko Japanese Embroidery designs this Spring and Fall.

Draw your own Sashiko Japanese Embroidery on clothing or other items.

Experimenting with my love for nature by working with flower arrangement’s greens, dried leaves and wood blocks.

I hope you have a lovely rest to January. Don't forget to exercise the muscles of creativity because we all have them!

love + cheers,

Maday

Special Workshops & Midwest Fiber Arts Trails

Updated 3-14-19

Greetings!

Thank you to all future and past attendees of the Midwest Fiber Arts Trails weekend event, now on its 3rd year.

The dates for 2019 are March 21-23, 2019

Here is an overview of workshops I’m offering during this 3 day creative weekend.

Art Quilts - I take great joy in teaching this and many other techniques to include whimsy and bring a story to life in cloth, using mixed media and textiles.

SOLD OUT - Next workshop for weaving is April 20th at Blue Bar Quilts in Middleton, WI

Weaving - We are using a new type of loom this year, again from Purl & Loop, yours to take home. We will experiment with yarns and textiles.

The Big Stitch workshop - 3 Spots available - I can’t say enough about how satisfying this workshop is not only for me, but my students/friends as well. We will create a panel using a sewing machine and work on the Sashiko/Boro style by hand. All supplies are provided. Please bring small scissors and thimble if you like. All sewing machines will be available if you prefer not to bring yours.

T-Shirt/Upcycled clothing Quilt - 4 Spots available - Learn techniques for stabilizing knit fabrics to include in quilts or other sewn items. T-shirt quilts aka memory quilts, are a wonderful way to clean out drawers/closets, to create a family heirloom to be cherished for many years.

These workshops take place between March 21-23, 2019 at Ardyth’s Sew n Vac Shoppe, in downtown Baraboo, WI 608-356-4461

Please click here for more info and cost REGISTER FOR WORKSHOPS 

Please feel free to send me a message with any questions you may have.

Hope to see you soon!

Maday

Let's Weave a Creative Future Together

To Weave: form (fabric or a fabric item) by interlacing long threads passing in one direction with others at a right angle to them.

synonyms:entwine, lace, twist, knit, intertwine, braid, plait, loop (google)

I have been weaving in one form or another for many years, whether it was with fabric or kraft-Tex (a leather substitute) to create placemats.

I find the practice of weaving intriguing and necessary; the interconnections of all the materials that come together to give us Art, Form & Utility. I found that even in 2015, there were not a lot of workshops in the area I reside, that “dealt” with the Art of Weaving and I was hard pressed to find books on the subject in either bookstore in my town.

In 2016, when we purchased a small parcel of land I began to look for worn and strong pieces of wood and one of those experiments came to life by using batik fabric strips; I still have this woven, natural treasure.

Below you will find samples from a few of my workshops, including many of the pieces that I have personally completed. I’m very grateful to those that have joined me in this weaving journey.

I’m super excited to be able to team up with Purl & Loop to bring good quality looms to my students and friends. Each workshop I teach includes a beautiful loom constructed by this excellent small business based in Texas. Angela and her dedicated team create incredible products that I’m proud to use and enjoy to weave personal projects and share.

If you can, join me for a workshop or two as we weave a creative future together!

Thank you!

Strong Bonds & Art

Greetings!

The Autumn chill and the rain have plunged me into a fiercely creative mode.

I have waited to construct a blog for nearly three months because frankly I had more photos and tears than words. I feel so lucky to have met hundreds of creatives in the last thirteen weeks, hundreds of miles apart, in the Midwest.

There have been so many memorable workshops, laughter and joy that brought my spirit and inspired a new wave of creativity, to keep and to share. While I await, somewhat impatiently for my little girl’s second surgery, I’m reminded of the power of togetherness and the artistic bond that emerges from every class/workshop I’m so blessed to be a part of. It is because of you, you make it all possible with your encouragement and support.

I think of Art every second I’m awake; how to make, mold, package concepts within my thoughts, re-create and imagine, employ simple tools with a back to basics approach, dream of new workshops, move my fingers to the beat of my creative drum, doing things that feel within my grasp but not quite, push myself to new creative spaces in a never ending tunnel. And this is just the beginning; I always say this. But every surge of creative pulse, feels like the beginning.

The last three months have been both the best and the most challenging of my life. I have been scared and encouraged all at the same time; I have crawled into my brain only to find that the best thing I could do for my family, was to keep going with my classes and be strong. I have prayed and cried more than ever have. And I have created art alongside other moms and daughters from many states around the country. This was the most heartwarming to me.

I now have a better understanding of what it is like to have someone you love so much get sick unexpected (I could have done without this). But here we are. We are better together and we are fighters, so that is what we do each day. I’m more grateful than I ever was and stronger than I ever thought.

I leave you with a visual guide of some of the moments I was a part of the last few months.

We are Stronger than we look and together we can do amazing things!

PS. I want to thank the Sauk County ADRC for welcoming me to teach in Wisconsin Dells this summer.

Thank you!

Nature enhances Art

I have to be honest, I'm loving the warm weather. 

The last two weeks have been really exciting in more ways than I can explain. Before I left to teach at the Minnesota Quilters Show in St. Cloud, MN last week, my family and I took a short little trip to Devil's Lake at dusk to photograph my new favorite machine stitched quilt ever! It was inspired by the Tri-Tri Again pattern and made into a no-waste quilt by using the pieces cut to create other blocks.

I have shared photos of the quilt in sections but I wanted to share with you how stunning the lake made the quilt (just kidding, I made the quilt stunning). Our natural surroundings blessed the quilt with its glow and bestowed a sense of calmness both on the quilt and in me, allowing me to feel at ease for having completed such a big project when so many other deadlines loomed, as well as doctor appointments for which I could not prepare. 

As I have shared before, the quilt is very large and contains fabric from many different sources, some given to me and some purchased.

We had to stand on a table so that the quilt would not drag on the grass! My sweet child took the photographs and waited patiently while the soft breeze moved the quilt, to take the photos. 

The backing of the quilt comprises of an indigo dyed coverlet completed in India and purchased by me in Maiden Rock, WI last year at Cultural Cloth. I pieced the sides using what feels like a blend of cotton and linen and quilted it using a wavy line stitch on my Janome 9400 QCP. The quilt measures 96" squared. The binding fabric includes different colors of batiks. 

I just love it. It brings me great happiness and a great sense of accomplishment. 

I hope you have a blessed week.

Cheers!

M.

Art is a Concoction

Every summer morning feels like we possess new senses; the aroma of lilacs, the sound of small water fountains, the birds chirping by 4:30am and this overwhelming sense that the winter to get us here, was somehow worth it.

Whether you garden or not, the green, the birds and the flowers all seem like tiny little miracles after winter. I could not imagine my life without these seasons; definitely not something I grew up with but I have the Midwest to thank for. 

I see Art in all the simple and mundane things; a never ending train circling around this immense world we can't all see. 

It is easy to forget what and how we create Art and equally possible to get caught up in the "who unfollowed us in social media" and the "clicks" to bring us forth in this glorious art world. Don't get sucked in, don't worry about those little things.

We are not all destined to be "followed" and we are certainly not all destined to "lead." 

Reason and Art is deeply personal and glorious all the same. I have one million reasons to Create Art that fulfills a need like nothing else ever could. Art IS a concoction to mend bad memories and a rebirth of childhood dreams. We have to create Art in all the ways that count and have a responsibility to share it. 

Art is Home, Art is Life, Art is Optimistic, Art is Brave, Art is both Lonely & Social, Art is the other cell from which we can't ever be separated. 

I hope to see you around.

Art is Love, Love is Art

Art & Design - Creating to Energize

Happy April 20th !

The birds are back to singing instead of freezing and the critters are running around the yard, doing the happy spring dance that we, nature lovers, have come to cherish.

I wanted to leave the best images from the Chicago workshop I partook in on April 7 with designer Lotta Jansdotter, for a better time and today is it.

Besides being a delightful Saturday afternoon in the city, it was a "sense-sational"  and visually stimulating time. By now you all know how much I love plants and how I love to share them with the whole community (I maintain a little garden space close to coffee bean connection downtown Baraboo, now on its 4th year).

I came back from that weekend with a clearer sense of what I wanted to do with my studio and living space. A few years ago I started to remove unnecessary furniture from the living quarters and the result is a clearer, airier space that welcomes any crowd size within reason of course! There was some hesitation from my home dwellers but we worked through it and made small changes at a time.

It is not a secret that any space that includes plants in home or business decor, it's a more welcoming space because it breathes life and infuses your space with color and texture! 

I have been known a few times to "assist" in decluttering efforts for others, I would not say that it was a loving experience for the recipients but in time they came to appreciate a clean and open space. It takes time and intention not to simply throw away items but have a plan of action so we don't end up buying more because we have less. For me, less, is enough. I need enough space to think and create but I don't want to have more space to clean.

Home & Studio of designer Sage Reed.

Sage Reed created a space in Chicago that is calming, artistic and her own. It is an amazing studio space filled with light that she rents out for special events. I enjoyed my time in her studio and if you are curious, please look up her installations. 

This April has been filled with such great company, new experiences and wonderment.

You don't need to climb a mountain to feel accomplished or travel to exotic places. Make a space of your own where you are, that embodies your views and aesthetics and you will feel always "at home."

Celebrate all of your accomplishments, no matter how large they are. 

I leave you with a few photos of April!

P.S There is still time to join me for the April 26 & 28 Sewing classes in Baraboo and Middleton respectively.

Cheers & xoxo,

M.

Workshop in Chicago with Lotta Jansdotter

Welcome!

This year I set a few creative goals for myself and once I made up my mind, I knew what workshop would take the lead. I have had a workshop with Lotta, fabric designer and artist, in my bucket list since 2012 but the timing was never right, until now! I knew that I would be able to attend after the Midwest Fiber Arts Trail weekend and a few days' gap was just what the creative doctor ordered. 

It was wonderful to be on the "student" side, eager and happy to be there surrounded by professional and inspiring women and one gentleman, ranging from stay at home artists to writers and restaurant owners. It was a delightfully sunny afternoon of art, camaraderie and relaxation for me in this beautiful loft, the home of Chicago based artist, Sage Reed. 

If you follow me, you know that I love photographs so I have included a few of my favorites here to give you a taste of what a great day this was. I came back recharged and even though it was a fast trip to the city, I'm energized and in love with a new paint (but more of that later). 

I went looking for a creative spark to compliment my Sashiko retreats and I was not disappointed. 

There is always something to glean creatively that opens up our senses and gives us a sense of perspective and hope when we engage with others; it's something that we don't usually get when we work alone. The city is part of my DNA and always invigorates me; the noise, the dust, the smells, all things I yearn for on a daily basis. 

I hope you take a class or two this year, be with others that love art or your hobby as much as you do. Search for a spark every day and minute you can and Don't Give Up, ever!

xoxo,

M.

1 year, 4 Midwest Fiber Arts Trails' Weekend Events

The Midwest Fiber Arts Trails' events keep getting better and better and this past weekend was incredibly inspiring and productive.

My home trail is the Threaded Streams Fiber Arts Trail; since March 23, 2017, I have had the honor to participate in 2 events in Baraboo and 2 others as a guest artist for the Weaving Waters Fiber Arts Trail Tour in MN and the Cedarburg Spur Fiber Arts Trail in WI.

One thing I know for sure is that Fiber Art is as alive and crucial to our communities as is our need to breathe. Fiber is at the heart of what we do and believe in, both an engine for change and future opportunities to carry forward traditions and human connections. And we will receive our place in history as an Art form that speaks of our heritage in and outside the USA. 

It is imperative that we continue our participation and collaborative efforts to ensure that Fiber/Textile Art continues to preserve and expand our momentum as a collective group, filled with talent and plenty of heart. 

I hope you catch a trail event in the next couple of months; they are everywhere and filled with the heart and talent of each community. 

If you are curious, please visit Midwest Fiber Arts Trails website and you will see listings for artists, shops, museums and galleries; you will also learn about the origins of this Movement.

Thank you to all my students and friends for your continued support and our hosts, Ardyth's Sew n Vac Shoppe in Baraboo and River Arts Inc. Gallery in Prairie Du Sac. 

My events are already posted for 2019 if you are curious!

Click on the gallery below to see photos from the weekends' events.

xoxo,

M.

Adventures in Textile Arts - Seeking Traditions

Happy New Week!

Another exciting week is ahead for this girl as we enter the Fiber Arts Trail weekend in the Baraboo area this Thursday through Saturday 3/22-24. Check out the Midwest Fiber Arts Trails website for more info.

The number one thing I love about the Midwest in the world of Art, is the richness of its textile history, shared in part by the immigrants that made their homes here and by the traditions that have been passed down from all parts of the US and the world; it is the reason why I keep moving to learn about the small and big towns where these traditions are shared and lived. I know that in order to understand and share in those traditions, my teaching has to continue its mobile destiny. I love the people I get to know and the towns in which we find ourselves. We try to find the best of these towns and it usually involves learning about their heritage from foods to textiles (at least, for me).

Last week took me to the Portage Public library in the evening for the 2nd session of a two part sewing class. Next was the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts in Cedarburg, WI and on the way home, a fundraising class in Madison at Blue Bar Quilts for Days for Girls, where moms and middle-school aged daughters shared an afternoon. We were a group of 8 and thoroughly enjoyed our time there. Thank you ladies!

Today finds me home "resting," which involves cooking (which I love, not baking), catching up on paperwork, unpacking and creating kits for the 32 students/friends that I get to spend time with this week during the workshops. I'm my best self teaching and nothing outside of my home life, makes me feel more alive.

A big shout out goes to my 2 troopers aka my family for their support and also discovering what Cedarburg had to offer and reporting back. I spent most of my time at the museum but they sure enjoyed the beautifully warm day we had this past Saturday. 

I hope you have a wonderful week and find time to enjoy the traditions that you grew up with, whether they involve textiles or not.

Our past is so rich with anecdotes and history that in order to move forward, we must find the time to rediscover the roots.

Xoxo,

M.

Slow Stitching Workshops

Find a list of slow stitching workshops here. 

The Creative Pursuit of "Place"

I have always loved books and learning English really provided me with an expansive opportunity to research and learn with tenacity and out of necessity. One of my favorite words in English is "place." Look it up here https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/place

I found that "place" has a long list of meanings and we are bound to find one that aligns to our specific circumstances. I have often wanted to write a book and then I think, nah, we have enough writers and certainly someone is bound to have had experiences similar to ours in our lives. I have concluded that there are things no one really needs to know or care to read about but Art, well, that is a topic of much interest to me and one I have found as a tool to remedy doubts. 

I feel proud of my current creative place in the world (however small) and I feel that I have so much to offer to my students/friends, not because I create better and bigger things but because I have absolute hope that in Art we can live in a place of Love, acceptance and stronger relationships. 

Resilience is another word I love for it directly speaks about my journey as an immigrant and my steadfast conviction in making a positive "go" in the small town that I live in. Sometimes I encounter people that tell me "I did not know you could do that" or "I did not know you were involved in this." Frankly, I answer, neither did I. But I'm determined to work on that "place" where who I'm is fully invested in my current place.

I have my heart in the right "place;" I want to teach, share and create. Everything else, I'm not very interested in. I have decided after looking at all the other "places" I could live in for the last three years, that to find and cement my place, not being from here or there, I just need to create; create for myself. I'm hoping there are a few of you out there, that feel that in creating with our hands, we will find and rejoice in the "place" we are in.

As always, I'm so happy and inspired by the people I meet; your smiles, your encouragement and love, is "place-warming."

Warmest regards,

M.

Organic & Creative

Greetings and Good Wishes to all!

I love this time of year, cold temperatures and all. There is so much cheer and bright hopes for the new year in the air that I can't help but feel optimistic. 

This year has been incredibly inspiring and filled with great moments because of the people in them. There is no question that I worked hard, as many of you have as well, but there is a general sense of fulfillment and blessings as we say Adios to 2017. 

I got to be a part of many people's lives through mindful workshops hundreds of miles apart and basked in the "aha" moments we all enjoy in the company of creative energy as our talents flourish and we share with one another. 

My hope for all of you and those I have yet to meet face to face, is that you enjoy the moments that you create and learn from the wisdom of encounters; there is something to be learned in everything we do. More importantly, don't forget to be yourself and wear your individuality proudly; I can't stress this last sentence enough. 

TIR is my new motto - Teach, Inspire and Rest in the New Year; I have committed myself to handwriting a note every day even if it's only two sentences, learn something new and continue helping non-profits that are interested in expanding textile arts in their communities, by donating new Janome sewing machines. Hand-stitching my way through 2018 is also a primordial goal. 

Thank you for being a part of my artistic family and welcoming me as a source of inspiration into yours. I have unique workshops in store for the new year and hope you can join me. Many thanks to all the quilt guilds from Madison to Hudson, WI for inviting me to present this year. It sure was a most delightful highlight. 

I share a few photos from a die cutting mystery block of the month club I led in 2017; it really was a complete mystery as participants joined and received fabrics from my stash as well as a "ready to sew" block every month. Many thanks to those ladies that took a chance!

Cheers & Happy, Healthy, Creative, Restful 2018 to you and your loved ones!