Welcome to Sew Day

Linda J. welcomed us to Sew Day yesterday with these colorful floor mats that she made of fabric, paint, rick rack and layers of sealer. They were so pretty I hated to step on them.

Then we commenced to breakfast: French toast, sausage, fruit and yogurt at a festive table.

Linda also sewed this nifty little bowl holder that can go into the microwave and allow you to remove the bowl without getting burned.

Once our tummies were full,

we moved on to show and tell.

Carolynn started this abstract piece, above, last month in a Sue Benner workshop in New York. It's all fused and made in sections. I love the rich colors and texture. She's debating adding some stamped figures.

Nancy completed two cute embroidered pillows and added striped piping that really popped. Linda J. showed us another tote bag in a series that she's been making for Christmas gifts.

 
We also share new books, and Carolynn brought this interesting one that I haven't seen before: "Threadwork -- Silks, Stitches, Beads and Cords" by Effie Mitrofanis.

Then we got to work.

 Yes, we do sew at Sew Day, even though some of my friends say it sounds like all we do is eat. Here is some of what we worked on:

And then it was time for lunch

Lasagna (it was a drizzly, gray day that was perfect for a hearty meal), rolls, spinach salad, brownies and chocolate chip cookies. We don't starve!

The fabric bowl is my Sew Day project. I'm making it from strips left over from all of this year's projects. Here, I set up my sewing machine in my dining room to work on it today while I watch the clouds float by on this lazy Labor Day. The rain departed this morning and now we have a soft blue sky filled with streaky white and gray-blue clouds floating over the water.

Have a colorful day