EGA seminar report

too <g> For those of you who like to add dimensional elements to your projects,

don't do them justice... oh yeah, the class was good too <g> Patty is a good

>For the most part, it was absolutely fabulous!!!!!!!!!!!!! Louisville was
>hosting an ironman triathlon last Sunday and had very poor traffic control in
>the downtown area. It took us almost 2 hours to go 5 blocks. I hopped out of
>the car thinking I could get us registered at the hotel while my friend was
>stuck in traffic ... not so good idea -- there was no record of me sharing a
>room with my friend so they wouldn't give me a key ... plus they were totally
>overbooked and we were going to get a smoking room with a king size bed instead
>of non-smoking with 2 doubles ... D. finally made it in and we had to wait
>online for another 30 minutes for her to get the keys. Then we went to get our
>stuff from her car and had to 'fight' for a luggage cart. After finally getting
>one, the valet tried to move the van and it wouldn't start ... I'm thinking
>really bad thoughts but D. was so rational and calm... The elevators were
>mobbed but we finally got to the room where we tossed around ideas about
>getting the car fixed. D. gave permission for the valet parker to jump start
>the car but unfortunately that didn't work. D. decided to call AAA in the
>morning after they gave us permission to leave the van to the side of the entry
>way. Triple A came during a lunch break, installed a new battery, and we
>crossed everything that could be crossed to ensure that the car was cured. We
>also got moved into a non-smoking room.
>Monday morning, we began our classes -- D. took a 4 day (Wednesday off) what
>sounded like a personalized stitch guide for painted canvases. I had signed up
>for 2 2-day classes (nothing on Wednesday). My first class was Knots, Fur, and
>Turkeywork taught by Meredith Willett. It was a 'notebook' class -- instead of
>a project, you learn techniques-- and was fantastic!!!!!!!!!!! Meredith is a
>hoot and kept us in stitches (pun intended) as we experimented with different
>threads. The cost of the week was worth it when she taught us the pinhead
>stitch which is a way to anchor starts and ends on the top of canvas or fabric,
>minimizing the need to turn and faux bullions. The other techniques were good
>too <g> For those of you who like to add dimensional elements to your projects,
>I highly recommend taking one of her classes or buying her book "Knots, Fur,
>and Turkeywork"
>Each day after class, my roomie and I shopped in the boutique operated by
>stitchersworld.com or a reasonable facsimile and the bookstore(Ruth Kern
>Books). We barely glanced at next year's seminar offerings or the Fiber Forum
>exhibit, until Wednesday which was a free day for both of us. Although the
>pieces for next year are good using a wide variety of techniques, I didn't feel
>like making a committment.
>Wednesday was market day -- the hotel ballroom was filled with people selling
>stuff. Several EGA chapters had donated items that were very very cheap.
>Several of the vendors were also clearing out their stashes and I got some real
>bargains. I 'splurged' and bought a Tanja Berlin dragonfly kit which is
>described as 'modern Jacobean crewel' and 2 stumpwork things by Marsha Papay
>Gomola. Her work is phenonmenal!!!!!!!!!!!
>I picked up some kind of bug as was feeling really crabby and crappy but went
>to my Thursday class, Gorgeous Gardinias, a punchneedle class taught by Patty
>Smith Gardner. The class was conducted in EGA HQs, rather than in the hotel and
>convention center ... the works on display are phenomenal!!!!!!!!!!! Pictures
>don't do them justice... oh yeah, the class was good too <g> Patty is a good
>teacher and her design taught us all things we didn't know before. I thought
>punching with ribbons would be easy -- boy was I wrong!!! One has to be very
>careful not to pull tight previous loops of ribbon while making new ones.
>The seminar committee did a great job, assisted by hundreads of volunteers. The
>hotel staff were very helpful but the long waits for elevators and seating in
>the restaurants were annoying. Given the problems checking in, we were a little
>apprehensive about the check out process which went super smooth!! A bellman
>came within 10 minutes of our call and we were on the road by 8:30 a.m.
>On the way home, we stopped at the Kentucky Art Center associated with Berea
>College. Several other groups of stitchers had the same idea. It's a good thing
>I was feeling bad or my wallet would have been even thinner than it already
>was. When I got back yesterday afternoon, I crashed big time!!!

> For the most part, it was absolutely fabulous!!!!!!!!!!!!! Louisville was
> hosting an ironman triathlon last Sunday and had very poor traffic control
> in
> the downtown area. It took us almost 2 hours to go 5 blocks. I hopped out
> of
> the car thinking I could get us registered at the hotel while my friend
> was
> stuck in traffic ... not so good idea -- there was no record of me sharing
> a
> room with my friend so they wouldn't give me a key ... plus they were
> totally
> overbooked and we were going to get a smoking room with a king size bed
> instead
> of non-smoking with 2 doubles ... D. finally made it in and we had to wait
> online for another 30 minutes for her to get the keys. Then we went to get
> our
> stuff from her car and had to 'fight' for a luggage cart. After finally
> getting
> one, the valet tried to move the van and it wouldn't start ... I'm
> thinking
> really bad thoughts but D. was so rational and calm... The elevators were
> mobbed but we finally got to the room where we tossed around ideas about
> getting the car fixed. D. gave permission for the valet parker to jump
> start
> the car but unfortunately that didn't work. D. decided to call AAA in the
> morning after they gave us permission to leave the van to the side of the
> entry
> way. Triple A came during a lunch break, installed a new battery, and we
> crossed everything that could be crossed to ensure that the car was cured.
> We
> also got moved into a non-smoking room.
> Monday morning, we began our classes -- D. took a 4 day (Wednesday off)
> what
> sounded like a personalized stitch guide for painted canvases. I had
> signed up
> for 2 2-day classes (nothing on Wednesday). My first class was Knots, Fur,
> and
> Turkeywork taught by Meredith Willett. It was a 'notebook' class --
> instead of
> a project, you learn techniques-- and was fantastic!!!!!!!!!!! Meredith is
> a
> hoot and kept us in stitches (pun intended) as we experimented with
> different
> threads. The cost of the week was worth it when she taught us the pinhead
> stitch which is a way to anchor starts and ends on the top of canvas or
> fabric,
> minimizing the need to turn and faux bullions. The other techniques were
> good
> too <g> For those of you who like to add dimensional elements to your
> projects,
> I highly recommend taking one of her classes or buying her book "Knots,
> Fur,
> and Turkeywork"
> Each day after class, my roomie and I shopped in the boutique operated by
> stitchersworld.com or a reasonable facsimile and the bookstore(Ruth Kern
> Books). We barely glanced at next year's seminar offerings or the Fiber
> Forum
> exhibit, until Wednesday which was a free day for both of us. Although the
> pieces for next year are good using a wide variety of techniques, I didn't
> feel
> like making a committment.
> Wednesday was market day -- the hotel ballroom was filled with people
> selling
> stuff. Several EGA chapters had donated items that were very very cheap.
> Several of the vendors were also clearing out their stashes and I got some
> real
> bargains. I 'splurged' and bought a Tanja Berlin dragonfly kit which is
> described as 'modern Jacobean crewel' and 2 stumpwork things by Marsha
> Papay
> Gomola. Her work is phenonmenal!!!!!!!!!!!
> I picked up some kind of bug as was feeling really crabby and crappy but
> went
> to my Thursday class, Gorgeous Gardinias, a punchneedle class taught by
> Patty
> Smith Gardner. The class was conducted in EGA HQs, rather than in the
> hotel and
> convention center ... the works on display are phenomenal!!!!!!!!!!!
> Pictures
> don't do them justice... oh yeah, the class was good too <g> Patty is a
> good
> teacher and her design taught us all things we didn't know before. I
> thought
> punching with ribbons would be easy -- boy was I wrong!!! One has to be
> very
> careful not to pull tight previous loops of ribbon while making new ones.
> The seminar committee did a great job, assisted by hundreads of
> volunteers. The
> hotel staff were very helpful but the long waits for elevators and seating
> in
> the restaurants were annoying. Given the problems checking in, we were a
> little
> apprehensive about the check out process which went super smooth!! A
> bellman
> came within 10 minutes of our call and we were on the road by 8:30 a.m.
> On the way home, we stopped at the Kentucky Art Center associated with
> Berea
> College. Several other groups of stitchers had the same idea. It's a good
> thing
> I was feeling bad or my wallet would have been even thinner than it
> already
> was. When I got back yesterday afternoon, I crashed big time!!!
> --
> another anne, add ingers to reply

> For the most part, it was absolutely fabulous!!!!!!!!!!!!! Louisville was
> hosting an ironman triathlon