The Creative World of the Crazy Haberdasher

While your first thought when you hear the word "retreat" might be to turn around and run, we would like to invite you to JOIN us for a great time at The Crazy Haberdasher studio for a instructive but relaxing and fun weekend of crazy-quilting and stitching.

We will be gathering on Friday, November 8th; Saturday, November 9th and Sunday, November 10th and making a one block crazy-quilt featuring silk ribbon embroidery. Don't worry if you're a stitching novice or seasoned with a needle--we'll show you all the steps to get your block pieced and embellished. And, since we strive to make sure that your work shows your personal artistic personality--you get to work at a pace that suits you and make the piece as simple or elaborate as you want.

On Friday night we'll get started at 6 o'clock and begin by machine piecing your block. Once the blocks are pieced, we will put the machines away and start stitching. Class will end at 9, but the studio will be open until about 10 and everyone is welcome to stay and work or just sit and visit.

Saturday morning we'll begin again at 9 and work until 5. You won't need your machines at all--it's a full day of learning stitches and stitch combinations. I will draw personalized motifs on each student's block. We will break for about an hour for lunch mid-day. On Saturday evening, the studio will be open until 10 o'clock. We will go to dinner as a group for anyone who is interested.

Then on Sunday we will start again at 9 and work until noon. I will demonstrate how to finish the piece. Some of you will be ready to finish in class and others will still be stitching--that's just fine--there's no pressure to be at any particular point by the time you leave--it's about learning and enjoying which happens at a different pace for everyone.

The cost of the class and the kit is $195. Your kit will include everything you need to finish the top: a personalized photo transfer, fabric, foundation fabric, silk ribbon, perle cotton, and embellishments. You'll need to bring a sewing machine, neutral thread for the sewing machine, #22 and #24 Chenille needles, scissors, a rotary cutter and mat and rulers for cutting--at least a 12" square and a 24".

If you're joining us from out of town, there are several hotels less than 5 minutes from the studio.

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• Killarney
• The Dingle Peninsula
• The International Quilt Festival of Ireland
• Blarney Woolen Mills and Castle
• Village of Avoca
• County Wicklow
• Galway
• Cliffs of Moher
• Kylemore Abbey & Gardens

• Town of Dingle tour
• IQFOI Opening Ceremony and Grand Reception including dinner and an Irish Music and Dance Show
• Panoramic tour of Dublin
• Tour of Connemara Marble Shop and Celtic Crystal Factory.

 Hello everyone! I just wanted to wish you all a happy 4th and may you all enjoy the day you have been given, make it count.
All the best from your friends at The Crazy Haberdasher.

Until we meet again,
Keep stitchin'
Brian

Before

Hello Good Friends!

I just wanted to share a little gift that I received for Christmas from Mr. Kevin.  As always, he is so good to listen when I say that something would be cool to have or that I would love to learn something.  Fast forward to last Christmas when I was given the gift of upholstery classes.  

I set out to find a chair and I looked all over the Southport Antique Mall where my studio is located.  My search was fruitless so let the power shopping event start! We looked the city over and I could not find the chair that I wanted to work on.

When we returned one afternoon I called one of the dealers at the mall and asked if, by chance, he had any chairs he didn't have on display.  He was sorry but everything he had was already out.  We decided to take one last stroll through the mall and when I got to my friend's booth (the guy I just called)--there was the chair of my dreams!  I called him to ask why he didn't mention it earlier  but he thought we'd already seen it.   Anyway, despite the confusion I found the chair I wanted. 



After


I enjoyed a great 6 week class at ModHomeEc.  Shelly Leer, the owner/instructor at ModHomeEc was amused by my custom gift certificate for the class and included it in one of her blog posts:  Shelly's Post.  Shelly has a fun studio and is a great instructor!  I learned lots.  I've dabbled in re-upholstery for many years but I have to say knowing the tips and tricks and having access to the RIGHT tools (evidently, a butter knife isn't the all-purpose device I thought it was) makes all the difference.  If you're looking to learn about upholstery, check out ModHomeEc--Shelly will lead you down the right path. 

You can see the end result here (I'm sure you're shocked by the color selections) which will take a place of honor in my new living room.

Hello good friends.  I am very happy to say that all is going well and I can't be happier.

I want to share a story about a good friend of mine. When I was in the early stages of deciding whether I should pursue being a quilter, and if I had what it takes, I made a pilgrimage to my good friend Janet Brandt. I was so nervous to show her my babies. As you know, no one wants to be told that his babies are ugly and put them out there in the world for total judgment.

Much to my dismay, Janet said what are you waiting for?  I said I didn't know if I have enough material to write a whole book? She very kindly said that I had enough content to write twelve books and to travel and teach.  As artists I do think we always  have a way of  thinking maybe we aren't good enough. She gave me the confidence to make that dream for me come true and for that I want to say to all of you--follow your dreams!  As for my dear friend, thank you for lifting me up in life.  You mean the world to me and I value your thoughts and opinions.

I am now going to return the favor with this link to my friend's world.  I call it a world because it is not just a blog. It is Janet through and through. Janet has created a wonderful world for all of us to live in and I want you all to go to her site and share one of the world's gifts that I have received. You can take the journey by going through the archives on her blog at http://www.janetbrandt.com/.

Thanks for tuning in and seeing a little insight on how I am who I am.

Hi All,

Who would have thought that we'd be looking at serious winter weather this late in the season?  We ARE going to go ahead and be here to greet you.  Certainly, consider your safety and don't travel if you don't feel comfortable.  If you are able to make it we look forward to seeing you here.  If you miss, don't worry, we will publish the class schedule next week or you can schedule a time to come and see us.

 

Hello Friends! Here's the piece I mentioned a few posts back. My friends, Tim and Sally, have a competition every year as to who can find the best gift for the other. Earlier in the year Sally asked if I would make her husband, Tim, a wall hanging that looked like a wanted poster. I got busy pulling fabrics and, of course, the background fabric is my very own. The poster outline is stitched barbed wire. I had a lot of fun coming up the design and really enjoyed making it. Here is it with the loves of their lives Molly (left) and Harry Rex (right.)

Psssst. . .a little birdie told me that she thinks she even saw a tear when Tim opened it. I'm just saying. We all love you too TIM. Kiss on the cheek from the dogs and us. Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did giving it to you.

Until next time, dear friends, keep stitching. Brian

I can't wait to share with you the very strange happenings  at the studio the week before Christmas. Let's start at the beginning. I had just finished my gift wrapping and placed my packages under the tree. I received a call from my Mom saying she and Dad had just finished wrapping and asked if they could drop them at the studio so they'll be there for Christmas.  I said sure and pulled up the leaf on the drop-leaf table and got ready to place the gifts from Mom and Dad under and around the red tree.  They arrived and unbeknownst to me the gifts were all in red and looked so pretty and looked so planned but it was not the case. Neither of us knew what the other was doing.

To make this even more crazy my sister-in-law and nephew called to see if they could bring their family gifts to the studio ahead of the snow that was about to hit.  I said sure bring them on down. Knowing they were on their way,  I went to make room under the other tree next to the fireplace and when they arrived I said to place the small ones under the tree in the big basket and then place the other ones around the tree base.  Can you believe that in all the madness I looked around and lo and behold, we had all made packages to match three different trees in the room by chance and by chance each of them got matched up with the right tree.  This was too crazy for me to try to explain!


Just thought I would share this very strange qawinkedink.

This blouse was made for my dear friend, Jane,  and the lighter one was made for her daughter, Alissa. I have wanted to make these for them for two years now and had the blouses for over a year.  Is this sounding like something you might have done before?  We all get behind but I though if I don't get them done soon the blouses may dry rot!   LOL  (And forgive the delayed post--we just had Christmas with Jane and Alissa this week!)

The pincushions you see have been made from velvet my new muse. I hope you like them. They are little labors of love but it has been lots of fun!

Check back soon.  One (including me)  never knows what I'm getting into next!

I hope this makes you want to get some of your UFO's ( UnFnished Objects) done after the holidays and create a memory for someone in your life.

Chat soon, Brian

I was asked by a dear friend to make her husband a gift for Christmas and she wanted it to feature their two babies--Molly and Harry Rex. Her husband has a Man Cave and a wanted poster was just the ticket!

So Tim, MERRY CHRISTMAS Good Buddy. I hope you have a place of honor for this.. your friend, Brian

Well I am going to save you the trouble.  It won't take a thousand words. Kevin baked and  I and many others ate. Need I say more?  LOLOLOLOL This smell-a-vision brought to you by Crazy Haberdasher Studio.  Brian and Kevin hope you get to enjoy your own smell-a-vision this holiday. Chat soon Brian

Merry Christmas everyone and all our best for the coming year, Brian