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Spring Foraging

Mushroom season is just beginning in the higher elevations and I love to forage for the elusive Morel Mushroom. My husband Russ and I have learned to hunt above 3,000 feet as Russ has never met a poison oak plant that hasn’t found a way to his body.  I am transformed when I enter the […]

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3-Dimensional Wet Felting

  3-Dimensional felting, also called seamless felting is popular among felter’s making garments, vessels, hats, handbags and booties.  I personally find a multitude of fitting issues with seamless garments and choose to utilize overlapping and hand stitching to create decorative seams for my vests and dresses.  Having said that, I do enjoy making seamless sculptural […]

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It takes a village: How I made my coat

I attended Diane Ericson’s Design Outside the Lines Retreat in Ashland, Oregon.  The theme was “Coat as Shelter” and the guest instructor was Carol Lee Shanks.  This was my second year attending the coat retreat.  Last year I made a coat using Carol Lee’s method of pattern design.  Her process for approaching fabric is intuitive.    […]

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Summer Sewing

Summer Sewing I have taken a little break from felting to focus on some summer sewing.  Summer is a great time to work on lightweight frocks and improve my sewing skills.  In May, I attended Diane Ericson’s Design Outside the Lines Retreat.  Sandy Ericson, Center for Pattern Design was her guest artist.  Sandy has a wealth […]

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Rockin the Runway at Liberty Arts Gallery

On May 15th, I headed to Yreka, California to participate in Liberty Arts Gallery’s new exhibit, Filaments & Fashion.  Three of my pieces were juried into the exhibit.  Opening night  kicked off with a high energy fashion show.  I walked the runway in one of my pieces and had two lovely models wear my Peach […]

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Working Hands, A Journey of Creativity

  When I was a little girl, I would watch my mother and grandmother’s work with their hands.  On Sunday’s they would make “a pot of gravy,” our name for marinara sauce.  Meatballs and pasta would accompany the sauce.  Sometimes I helped make the meatballs, my hands squishing all the ingredients together .   I can […]

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Botanical Printing and Dyeing

  When I spent time with Polly Stirling in Ashland, Oregon last May, she strongly encouraged me to explore botanical printing and dyeing also known as eco-printing.  She has been botanically printing her felt for years and feels strongly about reducing the use of “toxic” dyes and paints in clothing.   I had the opportunity to […]

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Botanical Printing and Dyeing

  When I spent time with Polly Stirling in Ashland, Oregon last May, she strongly encouraged me to explore botanical printing and dyeing also known as eco-printing.  She has been botanically printing her felt for years and feels strongly about reducing the use of “toxic” dyes and paints in clothing.   I had the opportunity to […]

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Felting Workshop

I recently taught a 3 day workshop with Marilou Moschetti, in Aptos, California.  The workshop; Dye, Felt, Sew; focused on creating yardage that would be custom fit to each students individual silhouette for a vest or a jacket.  The patterns used were Diane Ericson’s Fault lines Vest and the Plaza Jacket. The first day students […]

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Exciting New “Nuno” Felt Workshop

This is an exciting opportunity to spend 3 days creating nuno felt and visiting beautiful Ashland, Oregon Design Custom Tailored “Nuno” Felt Yardage May 7, 8, 9th, 2014 Ashland, Oregon             Instructors: Jo Ann Manzone & Marilou Moschetti To Register:  contact Jo Ann Manzone at dreamweavingdesigns@hotmail or Call: 541. 951. […]

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