This has been quite the marathon, and I’m only at the midpoint of the fall extravaganza of crammed together venues. I so want to fire my booking agent, sadly there is only me to blame for the tight schedule, but so far I’m handling it. She says with perfect confidence. Hahahahahah!
All kidding aside, I adore teaching at Sievers, like I do at my regular gigs like Harrisville. After a week at John C Campbell where I didn’t know the ropes, the campus, the studio, the meal routine, anything about the place, at Sievers, like Harrisville, I know the routine and know what to expect and I know most of my students. In fact at Sievers this year, only four of the twelve in the class were new to me. And the new women were really strong sewers. They worked independently, and were great to work with.
This year we were back in the Walter studio, an octagonal building with lots of light and air. Tables are paired for many of the students, and this year in particular there was a lot of humor and joking and pranks, especially when I fell asleep in the middle of class. I don’t think I’ve ever done that, or if I did it wasn’t captured on film. They were planning all sorts of mischievous deeds. But they settled on just posting the photo on social media. The comments were hilarious. And touching. Especially this one from Rebecca Mezoff, and extraordinary teacher herself.
“Just remember, that is what your teacher feels like at a workshop! It is such hard work! (fun, but exhausting)”
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Sievers always starts with the ferry ride.
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The studio was all set up and ready to go when I arrived the day before. They all know what I need and everything is in its place.
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In a five day class, my students can explore whatever they want, some make my patterns, I have lots of silhouettes now to choose from. Others bring their own.
Cindy, Ellen, and Gerri made variations on my collared jacket. Cindy and Gerri’s jackets are handwoven. Remember everything is still full of pins, tailors tacks and none of the handwork has even been started. They save that part for home.
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And Terry and Ginnie made swing coats. We all got lots of laughs when we carefully planned out the back of her digitally printed silk lining, which looked great as the back, but when she held it up to her front, well, it was pretty entertaining. Ginnie’s is handwoven.
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Terry worked harder than I’ve ever seen her work. She has taken more than 14 classes with me, and I can’t imagine a Siever’s class without her. Even she fell asleep!
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Karen and Janene made my new vest pattern with the collar, and Terry started one the last day after finishing up all but the handwork on her swing coat. Both Janene’s and Terry’s are handwoven.
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Linda brought her own patterns, and worked on a plaid shirt, and then a Today’s Fit Vogue, which Joy played around with as well.
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Janene started cutting out a tunic from the most gorgeous chenille, once she finished the vest, and I had to smile when I looked over at one of the cutting tables and saw Terry and Karen hard at work, both wearing their tunics they made last year. Terry’s is handwoven.
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Jill made a straightforward Daryl Jacket from Ultrasuede and then started on my vest with armhole bands, piecing the bands with a stack of beautiful quilt fabrics.
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Cristel made the same vest in a longer version from handwoven fabric, and then went on to play around with another piece of fabric and made up her own vest pattern based on one I had from an article I wrote for Handwoven Magazine many years ago. Cristel is pretty skilled.
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And one of my new students Wendy has a special place in my heart. Wendy is very skilled, but came from a professional alterations background, she spent a lifetime working for others, figuring out what the client needs, and is now looking to start listening to what she wants to make for herself. I so got where Wendy was coming from, I felt like that when I gave up alterations and then again when I gave up craft fairs. Wendy had no other agenda but consulting with what she brought, and tracing all my patterns. She is a bit of a weaver, and had a couple of nice pieces of yardage which she can’t wait to work on. Meanwhile, she did play around with my bias top, test garments are hard here since all fabrics fall differently on the bias. She whipped up a sample which gave us clear direction on how much to increase the bust cup. I know she will be fine, her smile says it all.
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Ginnie presented me with a copy of my side pocket pattern where she wrote what she thought was my ultimate job was, and I can’t help but smile. I did feel like a forensics expert, trying to figure out where a pattern or construction detail went wrong and then making it work.
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And so, another Sievers group graduates, this is my 13th year teaching at Sievers. They made me all promise I would go back to the 7 day format next year, which I couldn’t do this year for obvious reasons. 48 hours to turn around between venues is not enough!
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There were lots of group hugs as we all started packing up the last day, and five of us managed to be together on the ferry going home.
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Joy was my driver to the airport and we stopped for lunch at a place I’ve never been, Al Johnson’s in Sister Bay, famous for having goats on the roof. Really. While waiting for a table, I wandered around the gift shop and managed to come home with an Icelandic knit dress in Merino wool. That was an expensive lunch.
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And so I have caught up on bookkeeping for the quarter, balanced the accounts and paid the bills. And now I prep for Arkansas, I leave next weekend. No rest for the weary…
Stay tuned…