Every day the trees are increasingly “showing their stuff” and both we (and the wildlife) are enjoying the changing views! The fall color report indicates Door County currently at 5% with the third week of October expected to be the peak of color. We recently had a small group of quilters rent the Walter Studio for a week. As always, they brought several projects to start, to complete or to bring closer to completion. It always feels best when there is activity in the studio! With several October classes cancelled, we are still offering studio rentals with availability in the Walter […]
August classes and beyond
For the month of August, two classes were able to be held and like last time, one was quilting (Open Quilt Studio) and the other was knitting with Mary Germain, Baltic Knitting Extravaganza. With good weather, the knitters were able to spend most of the time in the lawn outside of the Sophie Studio. With a limited number of quilters, tables and machines were spaced at more than the recommended distance. As always, each quilter brought several projects to start, finish and/or show. Some quilts in progress represented more of a traditional look and some had a modern approach. The quilt on the right is a “deconstructed” Washington Island. Note the white dots along the north shore representing Schoolhouse Beach […]
A tale of two classes
Back in February, we had no idea that it would be July before the first Sievers class of 2020 would take place. In May, we weren’t sure when and if we could hold a class. Then guidelines were issued and we hoped some of our classes would work with precautions in place. Many factors are being taken into consideration for each class. Can an instructor teach from a six-foot distance? Depending on the subject, how many students can be accommodated in the studio? Are students using any shared equipment? What level of comfort is there from all involved in travelling and gathering with others? All that being said, we have so far been able to hold two classes, Quilt Design […]
June news and views
Each day feels more and more like summer with all the leaves and flowers out, stirring in the warm sunshine. Early this spring, a maple tree was transplanted just outside the Walter Studio. It seems to have taken to its new home quite well. We’ve had plenty of water to keep the new tree growing, but not as much as this tree has! Our new neighbors have opened as the Inn at Frog Hollow and are taking reservations. Welcome, Dan and Dawn Nelson! They join our next closest lodging neighbor, Jackson Harbor Inn, in our favorite part of the Island. The Washington Island Ferry Line will be expanding their schedule to eleven trips at day, starting June 11. In Sievers […]
Give them a hand…
…for all the knitting and quilting and learning that took place in both Sandy De Master and Mary Germain’s Baltic Knitting Extravaganza and Ellen Graf’s Balance in Quilt Design classes! From the smallest Latvian mini-mittens to a full-size quilt, there were new and renewed projects in both studios. Following traditional designs or adapting and creating new ones were options in both classes. Both were equally wonderful! Studio visit times allow everyone to share and show the work of their hands, demonstrating a quote often associated with Walter Schutz, “Happiness is in your hands…and it keeps you young!” From the Reader’s Digest article Walter found that quote in, the last sentence reads, “We need the sense of self-confidence, self-respect, that comes […]
Quilting time
So many quilts, so little time… Even five days (and nights) of uninterrupted sewing in the Sievers Open Quilt Studio never seems like enough time, especially for us. What a treat to see the variety of works in progress. Fourteen quilters can certainly put on quite a display! A neighborhood family of Sandhill cranes and a sunset created their own displays during the week. Time to quilt and time to enjoy Washington Island makes for a wonderful start to our season of classes!
Technique & Design
Although those words were incorporated into only one of the class titles this past week, they certainly apply to all three that were in session! In the first class, Landscape ‘Painting’ with Fabric with Susan Hoffmann, students worked with fabrics to create a woodland scene. Basic art techniques were covered as they apply to these textile landscapes. Although the designs of the finished products are similar, each person interprets their view differently, some incorporating birds or other background elements. As an added bonus, students had time to work on four-season fabric postcards. At the same time, in the second session, Open Quilt Studio, there were so many techniques and designs between the quilters, many of whom were working on more than one project, that I’ll […]
Covers
You can’t judge a book by its cover, so they say. But have they seen the books and covers made in the Miniature Wooden Books class with Daniel Essig? Using mica for a cover, or wood that has been sanded, carved and painted with milk paint, these 2″ – 3″ tiny treasurers were then showcased by creating small special displays, some of them including 100 year-old cedar shingles from an Island house. A visit from the quilt class gave a chance for the book-making students to share their pieces, cover-to-cover. If you’re under the covers, you might be under a quilt, and who wouldn’t want to be under one of these special and vibrant ones? In Ellen Graf’s Drafting in Quilt Design class, excellent technique is taught along with skills of […]
