The Chicago School of Fusing, Girls of May Birthday Bash

Earlier this week we met for the annual May birthday party for Laura, Frieda, Emily and Anne.

 Laura Wasilowski greeted us to her humble abode in Elgin.

Anne Fahl and Trish Williams listen attentively to Jane Sassaman while Frieda Anderson takes notes and Emily Parson knits. It looks like such serious business, but this is more like it

Frieda showed us that her newest book Fabric to Dye For was recently translated into Spanish.

We had a fabulous potluck lunch!
from left to right Emily Parson, Jane Sassaman, Ann Fahl, Laura Wasilowski, Trish Williams, Barb Vlack, Frieda Anderson and Anne Lullie.

It is always so nice to see sweet Emily, who dyes and sells the most gorgeous sock yarn. I gave her a big skein of yarn to dye that my friend Erylin from New Zealand spun for me last year.

Laura models some of Emilys knitted baby blankets as a sarape.

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Lunch with the CSOF and IL/WI SAQA reps

Yesterday my friend Trish Williams and I drove out to the burbs to have lunch with Laura Wasilowski, Frieda Anderson, Anne Lullie and Emily Parson. Laura, Frieda and Trish are the new Illinois/Wisconsin SAQA reps., so it was part meeting and part social time. Most of us haven't seen each other since spring, you would think we would all see each other a little more often but with everyone's busy schedules it's hard to find a time when everyone is in the same place at the same time.

Laura's birdhouse and hollyhocks taken with Toy Camera iphone app.

Chicago School of Fusing May birthday lunch

Many of the members of the Chicago School of Fusing have birthdays in May; Laura Wasilowski, Frieda Anderson, Emily Parson and Anne Lullie. Life's busy schedules prevented Emily and Anne from making it this year and unfortunately Melody is now too far away to come for lunch.

On Saturday Frieda and Laura picked up Nina and I and we drove to Quiltology, then the lovely yarn shop Nina.
Quiltology is a small and aesthetically beautiful store, that carries a limited selection of fabrics focusing on fabric lines by Amy Butler, Heather Bailey, Anna Maria Horner and a few others. Quiltology also offers classes making simple patch work quilts using fabrics from these designers lines. This store does not cater to the serious quilter but the hobbiest who wants to accessorize their home with beautiful home sewn projects.

After our field trip, Trish Williams came over and joined us for lunch. We had greek salad and spanokopita, followed by pound cake, strawberries and whip cream, yum.

Christmas lunch with the CSOF

Sunday was the annual Chicago School of Fusing Christmas lunch with Jane Sassaman, me, Frieda Anderson, Emily Parson, Laura Wasilowski and Anne Lullie.
Frieda brought Champagne and cranberry juice for Poinsettias, yumm!
Emily brought out her 25 little knit socks for an advent calendar she is making.

They were so cute, every one wanted to play with them and ooh and ahh over all the lovely yarn colors. Emily knit these with leftovers from her Sophies Toes hand dyed sock yarn.



There is always too much fun with these gals, lots of talk, laughs and wearing an occasional lampshade before the day is over.

Women Packing Irons Reception

Here's Anne, Frieda and I before the reception started. Ann and Laura were off teaching and Emily had not yet arrived. There was a very good turn out and I was too busy chatting to remember to take other photos. The Quilt National Exhibit is really good, one of the best collections of work I have seen in several years. If you are in Illinois, I would highly recommend getting over to Bloomingdale to see the show.

Hanging with the Chicago School of Fusing

Today the Chicago School of Fusing hung a show at the Bloomingdale Park District Museum that will coincide with an exhibit from Quilt National.

It was a fun morning with lots of laughter, gorgeous quilts and flying hammers. Followed by lunch chatting about blogging, teaching and traveling in this new economy where airlines are unstable and charging extra for baggage. Imagine how much harder it is for busy traveling teachers who fly with several bags that tip the scales getting to their venues when airlines are also canceling flights.

From left to right, next to me is Anne Lullie, Frieda Anderson, Laura Wasilowski, Emily Parson and Anne Fahl. The hammer came in handy, I only had to threaten them a little to let me hang my quilts with theirs.
It's a lovely exhibit. If you are in the area July 20th stop by the reception, it would be nice to say hi.

Chicago School of Fusing May birthday lunch.

This week I took a trip out to the suburbs to have lunch with Frieda, Laura and Emily who all have birthdays in May. My morning began by hailing a cab to get to the train station.
Chicago cabs are very motivated when they see potential fares.

It feels like life slows down outside the city, it's a nice change.


Emily and Laura coming up from Laura's redesigned studio featured in this months Quilting Arts.

Great company, a delicious lunch and sharing ideas, a wonderful way to spend the afternoon.

Christmas lunch with the Chicago School of Fusing

Yesterday Laura Wasilowski hosted a Christmas lunch at her home. Here you see her in the famous blue chair.








There were several sightings of famous people in the blue chair.

Jane Sassaman

Emily Parson with her daughters.


Here's Nina, Ann Fahl, Jane, and Frieda. We would have had lots of photos of food if Melody had been with us, but we all forgot to take any photos until lunch was over. You can see some cupcakes I brought made with my chocolate zucchini cake recipe and socks knit with Emily's beautiful hand dyed sock yarn that you can buy here.

We had a great time.

Pressing Matters Exhibit at the Greater Chicago Quilt Exposition

Earlier this year I was extremely honored to join the talented faculty of the prestigious Chicago School of Fusing as an adjunct professor of special studies. As a member of the faculty I will have the privilege of joining them in a special exhibit at the Greater Chicago Quilt Exposition Thursday November 8 - Sunday November 11.

Pressing Matters II - Chicago School of Fusing
The Faculty of the Chicago School of Fusing returns with new, exciting compositions featuring the work of Frieda Anderson, Anne Lullie, Emily Parson, Ann Fahl, Judy Coates Perez and Laura Wasilowski. Each artist dyes her own fabrics, and has created her original designs using fusing as the construction technique. In addition to creating beautiful quilts and teaching at the Chicago School of Fusing, the faculty has also participated in challenging sporting events as members of The Iron Maidens. Press On, Chicago Fuse!

Not generally known as a fuser, I do use fusible web in various ways. Sometimes my fusing may be hidden inside the quilt or used on the back during construction, other times it is used in the traditional Chicago School of fusing style as shown in the Agave above.