Class

Registration NOW OPEN for Earth and Sky From Sketch to Stitch

Earth and Sky: From Sketch to Stitch

A Mini Master Class click here to learn more!

Earth and Sky is an Eight Week Mini Master Class divided into 2 Four Week modules with a One Week break in between the two modules.

Module 1: Sketch, Draw, Paint, Surface Design

Break Week

Module 2: Sketch, Surface Design, Stitch, Embellish

Class begins April 15th! 

Lifetime Access to the Clas

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NOTE: Because of the intensity of this class I am limiting the number of spaces available to 20!!!

Autumn is Finally Here!


I love Autumn, I truly do. The lack of humidity, the cool crisp air, fresh apples, and pumpkins everywhere, and most importantly my allergies are starting to calm down.

The part I love the most,  however, is the colors of the leaves. Reds, golds, oranges, and brilliant yellows, and everywhere!

So it's no surprise that I created art cloth show casing these colors in my Colors of the Earth and Pretty Pigments online classes.

If you'd like to capture the beauty of nature's natural palette using natural earth pigments then join me in my newest class Colors of the Earth.  Class starts on October 17th!


Progress and Fear


Fleur de Lis constructed book 2005-ish

2016 is a little more than just half over, and looking back my decision to work on self improvement this year, instead of obsessing about my artwork, has paid off and in strides.

By self improvement I mean investing not only in my health, but also my art business. I've been busy taking business, art, and other types of classes.  I also spent a good chunk of coin on books (all bought used thanks to Amazon) and art supplies.

I've also have been upgrading my studio equipment I'm now an iPhone/Mac user, and had equipment serviced: my Janome 6500 no longer clunks when using the zig zag stitch, and my studio lamp now turns on every time, and actually stays on.

To be honest June into July has felt a whole lot like christmas!  But I won't lie, while I made this decision back in December of 2015, it was hard at first, I felt guilty. I justified taking classes that meant growth. I had to overcome fear.

The fear of "what if"?

It's doesn't happen all of the time.  But it does happen.  It happened today, about an hour ago actually.

What if the sewing machine doesn't work when I plug it in, and turn it on.  My 60 day service warranty expired yesterday and I hadn't started up the machine since I picked it up from servicing.

Yup, you're not the only one, there's a huge tribe of us out here in the land of the internet that all suffer from fear induced procrastination.

I'm finishing up some handmade book signatures this afternoon, I will film the process, for my Pretty Pigments class that starts September 6th.  I'll be posting about the upcoming class and soon, yes I have tons of fear, and procrastination, about teaching online again.  And I have every intentions of putting that fear to rest.


Rust Dyeing eClass

 
Growth.
Rust Dyed Cotton Fabric
Machine Stitched.

I'm working on the content for the Rust Dyeing eClass!!!  Learn how to rust dye fabric, paper, and how to overdye with tannins, etc., for a gorgeous one of a kind surface!


Bjorkboda detail.
Rust, tannin, and indigo dyed cotton fabric.
Machine and Hand stitched.

I'm teaching an online basic introduction to indigo starting February 14th at the Natural Surface (which is now $29.95 a year to be a member)  http://naturaldyeing.ning.com I will be teaching both the instant indigo vat, and the standard chemical reduction indigo vats.  Cost for the class is $75 USD.

She was Third Class Solo Show

She was Third Class Solo Exhibition
Fisher Art Center, Marshalltown, IA
September 1st - September 30th.

Explore Class and Social Status in Fly Over Country with artist Kimberly Baxter Packwood. 

Kimberly's latest body of work encompasses the topic of social strata in rural America using the medium of Encaustic and 3D Mixed Media.

Extreme Embroidery 2

Tonights class went really well, it was the last night for this particular class and the students were either finished with their pieces or were nearing being finished.

They are continuing on to Extreme Embroidery 3, which I'm doing completely differently. Every 15 minutes we will do a different technique, for two hours - three Tuesdays. During the first class we will do silk fusion so we can make them into bags or wall hangings in class two. I'll try to remember to post photos tomorrow of the piece I made for EE2.

Now I"m on to making constructed cloth bags, for an upcoming class, and wine bottle gift bags, again for another upcoming class. Oh and then there's the constructed cloth scarves, and the painted scarf class.

I'm going to be busy making holiday samples for the shop windows as well so if you don't hear from me I'm probably asleep in front of my sewing machine, or my Janome Expression.