I had this thought a few weeks back… “I think I’d like to get back into teaching again.”

Then funnily enough the chance fell right into my lap at Mini Maker Faire! Amy, the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild’s Workshop Coordinator, popped by our booth and told me she had an idea. We chatted for a while and, by the time she left, I was scheduled to teach a Block Printing Workshop for them in October! The focus of the workshop is creating repeats and printing on fabric. I couldn’t be more tickled! Wait, that’s not true, I can! The workshop is almost sold out already and they haven’t even officially announced it on their website yet!

Here’s the write up: Love fabric? Have you ever thought of designing and printing your own? It can be tricky knowing where to start. Join Lysa Flower and create your very own fabric with these three easy steps.

Step one: Create a design – Design a repeat block and various other repeat patterns.

Step two: Carve a block – Use the proper technique to carve a lino block with your repeat pattern.

Step three: Printing! – Ink your palette, roll, press and print. Your life will never be the same!

WHEN: Sunday, October 2nd, 2016

WHERE: Room C, Croatian Cultural Centre Vancouver (3250 Commercial Drive)

COST: $50 (VMQG members) $55 (non-members) , plus a supply fee payable to Lysa $20

TO REGISTER: email Amy at workshops@vancouvermodernquiltguild.ca

SUPPLY LIST: (what to bring):

Apron

Fabric (anything goes, any amount goes!)

Exact-o knife

Palette knife (if you have one, no biggie if you don’t)

Paper and fabric scissors

Lino block cutters

• Opus has Speedball starter kits with a cutter set (only three blades though) and a brayer for $29.90. (Kit also includes a lino block , water soluble black printing ink, a foam tray and an instruction booklet). To order online click HERE. Larger sets are also available.
• Opus also has individual Speedball Lino cutter sets of 5 for $16.50. To order online click HERE
• Michael’s has a Speedball Speed Carve Kit. It only has a V and U shaped blades with a wood handle (all other Speedball carving handles I’ve seen have always been plastic). However this kit also comes with a 4″x 6″ block, tracing paper and an instruction booklet). Online, there was no price listed and I’m not confident each store carries them. Perhaps give them a call before going down.
• Amazon has a Speedball Lino Carving sets for $8.10. To order online click HERE.

4″ soft rubber brayer BUT if you have a hard rubber brayer we won’t turn you away. AND if you already have a smaller one, bring it too.

• Opus has individual brayers ranging from 2″-6″ and range in price from $16.80-$22.80. To order online click HERE.
• Michael’s. I did see some online but again I’m not confident each store carries them. I suggest calling before going down.
• Amazon has a variety of Brayers and prices. To check them out click HERE

PROVIDED SUPPLIES: Lino blocks (enough for three repeat patterns), a variety of coloured inks, palettes, sketch pencils, erasers, sketch paper, tracing paper, test paper and fabric. Plus a take home resource list of supplies, inspirational links and books.

The goal is to set you up so you can do this easily at home. WARNING: it’s a teeny tiny bit addictive!

Right! At the end of last year, artist/author/friend Lori Weidenhammer and I decided we were going to do a booth together in 2016. At the booth we we’d be promoting her book, Victory Gardens for Bees, and I would create a bee themed fabric collection and garden themed projects. We set off to decide which venue would suit us best. We both agreed Mini Maker Faire in Vancouver was the way to go!

While Lori was finalizing her book that gave me to time to figure out what I was going to make for my fabric collection. We talked about making bandana’s so I knew those would be a must! The five images above are my bandana designs.

Before I knew it, hey, look at that, its March (almost April) and Elizabeth Olwen is offering another Skillshare class. Bada bing, bada boom DONE! Honestly, I wish it was that easy. This collection and I started off rocky and we had ourselves an old fashioned rumble. For a time I was worried that this wouldn’t come together. Feel free to take a peek here HERE in my classroom to see how it all went down. Oh and you’ll see my googly eye magnets, I’m especially proud of them. I made them myself! (Big GRIN)

One thing I adore about Elizabeth’s classes are her use of mood boards. This is an image that no one else sees and I used to try and skip this step. Not anymore! Hand on heart I will never skip this step EVER again. Even though no one sees them it adds so much flavour to a collection. I also have started including a written intention behind each collection. I wrote this for my new collection, which I call, “Just Bee”:

It would take us an hour and a half to drive to my Grandparent’s farm. With the first steps out of the car, I’d feel the sun on my cheeks and a cool breeze in my hair. I’d hear song birds with the hum of bees hustling around every blossom. The sky was blue and the air smelled sweet. They’ve long since sold the farm but those quiet days exploring the farm will always be with me.

I’m so relived that in the end it all came together! Phew! Like I said, we had ourselves a rumble. There were times it felt like, okay, this is good… to, oh? Wha? YIKES! It’s falling apart… ACK! What’s happening?!!… Okay wait, wait. This could work… Not bad… okay, I can work with this to… I FREAKING LOVE THIS!!!!!!

Then the cherry on top was when Elizabeth left this comment for me:

“Love love love! Oh Lysa, this is fabulous! And clean and fresh and lively and fun. So much good energy. I love all the interpretations on bees — like the hexi hive pattern, so clever. You clearly think wry conceptually about your collections and it serves you well. So pro!!!!”

I’ll admit it, I LOVE teacher’s gold stars and that one, well that one was a pretty shiny big one. I can’t thank Elizabeth enough for her feedback, knowledge and her encouragement. Artist don’t always share their knowledge with one another, so when they do, it’s pretty incredible. I’m so very grateful. It’s not easy being a newbie.

Venue-check!

Fabric collection designed-check!

Next up: Printing the fabric!