It started with the Carnival Night Heart



which grew into the Carnival Night Series




then a little blacklight/flashlight from the "free table" in my building



shockingly revealed the neon night within!
Right then and there, I knew there just had to be:

Carnival Night - THE MOVIE!


Likely the first live action movie short starring a piece of jewelry!

AWESOME seeing you all in Texas! Thanks for your fabulous appreciation. Four shows and 5,000 miles of driving including a wind storm in Wyoming blew my brains out. I am finally home, had a great thanksgiving, and am catching up.

Peace and Happy Holidays,
Meg

TAFA Market- THIS weekend!

TAFA MARKET... April 27 - 30, 2011 .....THIS weekend!

and

Spring Quilt Market Salt Lake City... May 13 - 15, 2011

Greetings friends and fiber lovers all,

If you have not yet checked it out, it's time you did! "The TAFA List" is the Textile and Fiber Arts List. It is the brainchild of Rachel Biel, a woman immersed in textiles of all kinds who brings community together through them. She has an energetic, entrepreneurial spirit, and lives in Paducah, KY. At last count, she has gathered the profiles and links to well over 200 fiber related businesses from around the world. The list that she has created is quite amazing and she's done it all on Blogspot. Of course this format has its limitations and she and others in TAFA would like to see it moved into a website format where navigation is smoother and there would be more ways to grow.

To create this new website a fundraising effort has begun and the big event is coming right up! Rachel has located a cool building in Paducah to launch a TAFA Market. TAFA Market will host a Member Show, fiber vendors will bring their wares, and many of us have donated to the TAFA Silent Auction. Check it out! I'm a TAFA member and I sent a big box of my work down there. Anybody in Paducah this coming week for the other shows and festivities will want to come by and take part in this new eclectic fiber arena. Say hey to Rachel from me!

Here's my Meg Hannan TAFA listing

Spring Quilt Market Salt Lake City

In about 2 1/2 weeks, from May 13 - 15, you can find me and my work at the Spring Quilt Market . This is a trade show and is not open to the general public. But If you are going to be there- let me tell you this- since I decided to do this show just recently, I'm wayyyyyy in the back! It's the center of the universe, BOOTH 847. Meet you there!

Check out my NEW WORK on Etsy-

Carnival Night Beaded Triangle Earrings

Carnival Night Beaded Diamond Pin

Post Stiches to do List

Thanks to all you awesome folks at Stitches West 2011! Great to meet you- it was a fabulous show. Look- rainbow's end spotted on the way home!

Hard to believe I got back 5 weeks ago. It has been an absolute BLUR of activity in the studio since then. And quite a few good solid nights of sleep. Tonight I opened a document on my desktop titled Post-Stitches to do List and almost keeled over when I found that I had not done a single task on the list. Oops.

One thing listed was "update blog". So here we go, one down. A little thin but at least me no longer flat cat.

ME BEEN FLAT CAT

But I am finally rallying!
So please come by and find me and my FABRIC JEWELS at

Stitches West 2011

BOOTH 1333

February 17 Preview Night (for students only), 5-8pm

Open to the Public

February 18 - 19, 10 AM- 6PM

February 20, 10AM- 4PM

Santa Clara Convention Center

5001 Great American Parkway

Santa Clara, CA 95054

Sorry I didn't make it to Tucson this year!

For those of you who were hoping to see me there, my apologies, but I have been a flat cat! When I returned home in November I experienced profound exhaustion. In addition many critical technical problems arose in the studio. I am also still chipping away at monster paper work, my van needs repair and my cat has been ill and in need of my attention. Boo Hoo! get out your tiny violins!

With everything else, there was just not enough time before Tucson to create new work. So what can you do?

Below follows a condensed version of The Conversation before The Decision.

Cancel Tucson? Are you delusional?

You HAVE to go! You said you would! You paid your booth fees!

Your public awaits!

But I am drooping.

You're not listening! YOU HAVE TO GO!

I can't.... I feel faint

Now that you mention it, me feeling a little flat cat too.

I miss everyone and the experience of Tucson! Hope you all are having a great time!

And hope to see lots of you at Stitches West!

Meg

ps Houston Market and Fest were stupendous! Fabulous to see you all and thank you so much for the beautiful energy and support!

Workshop WOW

The first two "WHAT COLOR IS YOUR HEART?" workshop sessions were held in August at Rag Sky Art Studio. Both were fabulous! What a blast! I've often heard teachers say, "I don't know who learned more - the students or me!" and ain't that the truth. It was pleasure to meet everyone and truly exciting for me to share the studio with others engaged in the same slippery puzzle of designing Fabric Jewels that I have been for the past 25 years. Will it be a daring blend of hues, a deep broody stew or a cacophonous brew?!

The fabrics and fibers above were chosen by KC Lowe, who travelled from Anchorage for the workshop and took the pictures above. It will be interesting to see how the stunning grace of this textile display will translate when coated, rolled and sliced. She is a fiber artist too, working primarily in nunofelting, through which she creates lovely, delicate work. You can see it here on her website. Susan, Bridgett, and I are mugging mock-shock at the glory of her rolled creation.

Following an orientation to the studio, available materials and my Fabric Jewels process, the participants chose fabrics and cords for their designs. They cut and readied them, then drew and wrote instructions for the layout of their hearts. This is a more complex undertaking than you might think. Using these maps, I did my best to translate their ideas into form. Along the way I added my own experience to fill in the blanks. All of us will do best if we are "open to final outcome" as Julie noted below.

The participants from those two sessions who live in town (some were from out of state) will be returning September 25th, 2010 at 2:00PM to see all the finished creations and pick up their completed works. Following that meet-up, at 3:00PM will be a Workshop Open House and YOU are invited! My studio is located in Artwood Studios, a former elementary school now turned artist studio and studio dwellings.

From 3:00PM to 6:00PM you are welcome to come join us. If you are interested in taking the workshop - or just want to check it out - this is an excellent opportunity to get a sneak peak into how it works! You will have a chance to view the studio too and of course, my work will be available for purchase. CLICK HERE for directions to the studio, and for more about the workshops, check out the WORKSHOPS on my website.

Hope to see you here!

meghannan.com

etsy.meghannan.com

P.S.

Linda Humphrey sent me the photo above of the quilt that she based on my Island Turquoise FABRIC JEWELS Heart . I think she did an awesome job- it's a beauty! The quilt is made of fabric but the Turquoise Heart is created from yarns. In the upper left-hand corner, the actual FABRIC JEWELS Heart is incorporated into the piece.

If you're down Texas way, you can see her quilt on display from September 30th through October 17th, at the Kerr Arts & Cultural Center in Kerrville, TX. CLICK HERE to go to their website and then go to the Exhibits page for more information. The show features quilts inspired by the work of another artist. I am honored that she chose mine!

My First NW Show in 4 Years!

Chicago International Quilt Festival!

I only know one word in Swahili, but when I saw this color series emerging, that word popped into my head and I knew is was the right name - Jambo!

Chicago International Quilt Festival is around the corner. Come into my studio through my fledgling Rag Sky videos below and see glimpses of the past month’s show prep including little details of the birth of the Jambo! series. Please forgive the out of focus parts made before I located the Macro setting on my new camera and I promise to find my glasses before I shoot the close-ups from now on.

Then, after you check them out -

Come say JAMBO! in Chicago - just NEXT WEEK!

CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL QUILT FESTIVAL

BOOTH 1325

April 15 Preview Night, 5-9pm
April 16 and 17, 10 AM- 7PM
April 18, 10AM- 3PM

Donald E. Stephens Convention Center

5555 N. River Road

Rosemont, IL 60018

I truly hope to see you there!

meghannan.com
meghannan.blogspot.com
FabricJewels on YouTube!

PS: My Etsy site will be in “Vacation Mode” while I head to Chicago for the show. There you can sign up on my page to receive email notification when I again list my items there in early May.

"The Peacock's Eye"

Through the Windsheild

Aiming from the hip, not exactly through my eye, here are my Tucson road trip pics, all taken through the window of my van driving 70 or so. I haven't made pictures out in the world in a long long time. Truly entertaining!

I'm in Tucson!

I made it here and today will be the fifth day of the show. I'll be open in my booth through Monday. Great people- wonderful reception and appreciation! Except for the usual lack of sleep things are going fabulous. Pitiful that I never got an email out for the show... but the landslide of the holidays, taxes, and van shopping took most of my attention and the email got bumped in favor of the work!

But if you are in Tucson- you must come by!

To Bead True Blue

January 31st - February 5th, 2010

And...

The Tucson Bead Show
February 6th - 8th, 2010

Both shows 10AM- 6PM BOOTH #B30

shows are in the same location & same booth in the hotel foyer

The Doubletree Reid Park
445 S. Alvernon Way
Tucson, Arizona

Hope to see you!

IT'S SHOWTIME!

HOUSTON LOOMS LARGE and BECKONS

Holy moley, it's comin' up quicker than I can even wrap my mind around!

I read the dates, I knew Houston was two weeks earlier than it used to be, but still, it seemed like an AMBUSH. I am swimming in a sea of new jewelry, paddling ferociously, assisted by my trusty interns, returning when I can to slow, calm breath. Not a sec for a pic, but lots of new surprises unfolding amidst the potent reminder of why I took time off from doing shows and why they are so highly implausible. And yet, here I go.

Mr. Mustafa is not amused. He says enough work Mama! STOP! NOW! I agree but...

But I look forward to the drive down and all the wonderful people I'll see. Can I just say it? I love Texas. The warmth and Texasness of the people. I've missed it since I haven't been at Quilt Fest and Market in SIX YEARS!

Meet you there! BOOTH 320

International Quilt Market - Houston

October 10th - 12th, 2009

Trade Show open only to Wholesale Customers

And...

International Quilt Festival - Houston

October 15th - 18th, 2009

Opening Night Preview October 14th

Both shows located in...

George R. Brown Convention Center

1001 Ave De Las Americas

Houston, Texas

2 CA Shows sooo VERY soon!

I’m California bound and my two shows are comin’ up fast!

International Quilt Festival - Long Beach

July 24 & 25, 2009, 10am – 7pm

July 26, 10am – 3pm

Opening Night Preview July 23, 5pm – 9pm

Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center

300 East Ocean Boulevard

Long Beach, California 90802

And...


Pasadena Bead and Design Show

July 30th - August 2nd, 2009

10am – 6pm

The Pasadena Hilton

168 South Los Robles Avenue

Pasadena, California 91101

Ordering While I’m On The Road...

I’m planning to keep purchasing available in the Etsy section of my website during this trip. However, since I will be very busy, and all of my stock will be in my booth, I may need to put the Etsy site on hold if it gets too confusing.

During the trip there will be up to a 10-day delay on shipments. I will hold your pieces and respond within two days that I’ve received your order and that your pieces are in stock. In rare instances, if what you have ordered is no longer available, I will notify you and refund your money in full.

Hope to see you in So-Cal!

Best Regards,

Meg

Mr.MU's face

Since Mr.MU's face was missing in the last post and since my friend and neighbor, Astrid, took this lovely picture of it in the light, I had to put it up. Here is my sweet boy.

Concrete Lovin' Cat

It isn't exactly a heat wave. But we have found ourselves in the 80's the past week and it is indeed a change from our long cool spring. The green is finally moving in at a fast pace and it's absolutely spectacular weather. But Mr. Mustafa is not so thrilled, living as he does in a thick fur coat. He looks for relief where ever he can. 

The plumbing in the school where I live runs under the floor and when there is a leak, the floor has to be jackhammered up. There are no replacement tiles for this particular section of the hall so there is a little patch of concrete that covered the repair. It's a MU magnet. It's maybe a little cooler, but more importantly, it's concrete. He's one concrete lovin' cat.

Don't be alarmed by his facelessness in the second pic. He hates the flash so I didn't use it. But I took it in low light and hand held the camera, so movement blurs. Guess who didn't sit still. I assure you, he has a gorgeous face. Mama knows.

Greetings Russia!

Today I found my work on a Russian blog and I just had to say- HEY THERE  you folks in the Russian Federation! It's fun to look at the WebStats and see where people who visit my website are from and of course it makes you realize what a web it is- all across the globe...

After I wrote the above, I checked my email and found this:

восторг 

Здравствуйте! Я из России,Башкирия,г.Уфа.Посмотрела ваши изделия,какая красота!красотища!Что за клей вы используете?Есть ли ваши магазины у нас?К сожалению,с английским у меня плохо..(..... Удачи и процветания Вам! Елена.

What can I say? Whoever it is- speaks my language. 4 exclamation points in 3 lines! Who can argue with BAM! Anybody who knows what it says feel like translating?

Nearly 2 months have passed since I wrote my last entry. Shows are no joke. The ramp up. The epic effort. The back home heap. The backed up correspondence and orders. The cat in dire need of attention.  Not complaining... Just saying... that's where I went!  Chicago Quilt Festival was really fun and I am grateful to all the wonderful customers and people that made the show so fabulous! Big BIG thanks to my brother, Michael for his help in setting up and breaking down! All of you who helped are so appreciated. It was awesome to see my brother and his beautiful wife Cindy and my amazing nieces- Rose and Celia. 

A sweet customer came to the show from Omaha, Nebraska with her friend. They had bought some pieces from me 10 years ago in Omaha and they have been looking for me ever since. They found the website and decided to come to the show. She told me a little story about a lost earring. She found she was missing one after the fact and figured it must have come out of her ear when she unloaded her car. She searched the street and when she couldn't find it she asked all the businesses on the block to keep an eye out for it. About a week later someone found it by the curb, in the street, sunk in mud where many cars had run over it while parallel parking.

She took it home and washed it and her husband scraped it a bit and she has been wearing the pair ever since. She brought them with her to show me and the errant earring was a shade darker but I have to say it still looked good. Thanks for the great testimonial!

By the by, I did finish 7 small wall pieces that I wrote about in my last post. I was going to try to post them before I left- Ha ha ha ha ha. I finished them the night before I left for the show and was happy to see how they came out amidst the last minute chaos.  Still haven't had time to photograph them but I really will soon! The picture above is of a large pin in the Peapod Violet series also finished minutes before I got on the plane. I'll post it on Etsy later this week. 

I promise to someday put something up on the blog that isn't lime green. When, I couldn't say. Best to all of you out there- thanks for stopping by!  Good night Russia, or I guess it is morning or afternoon where you are....

Quilt Fest Chicago comin up!

Here's my new postcard I just sent off to the printer. The inside of Sunlime. I wanted to make a card that was more about process and the internal landscape of my work rather than a layout of new jewelry. And I am happy with how it came out. It was fun and a little nerve racking to work on as I have so much else to attend to. That's one of the push pulls before a show. All the details that have to be handled and then "go be creative!" 

But it's happening and it's exciting to see new things popping up. I am working on some miniature wall pieces I hope to finish and have in my booth. They are a thrill and a half to work on! I hope to get some pics of them up here when they come to fruition. 

It all takes time and I can't go all night like I used to. Must lay on bed. 

Thank you to Joline for your help with the card- you saved me as I slid into techno oblivion. And Adrian helped so much, thank you thank you as always. 16 years old and smart as a whip. Great ideas and quite hilarious. 

Sunlime

I've been working on some new lime jewelry and I noticed the table as the Seattle sun graced it. I hardly pull the curtains open in the dead of winter in the studio as it makes it a lot colder. Since I start work about 1pm it's only a moment til the sun goes down. But here we are, now in March, and I am so grateful to let the light in!



Here are the rollies drying in the vent box. They don't look like much.... but the story is on the inside! I've made some pieces in this color combination before. The lime seems great for spring so I am expanding the series.

It's called Peapod Violet. I rolled some new shapes and I plan to make some of them beaded pieces for Quiltfest in Chicago. I'm on the cusp of when all things seem possible to do before the show and when the days have numbers and the hustle is on.  It's time to make lists.

GreenMuze

A couple pieces of my heart jewelry found their way onto GreenMuze.com in a spot about recycled hearts for Valentines Day. Check it out!

meghannan.com finally launched!

It has been a 4 year journey getting this little piece of myself and my Fabric Jewels onto the web. I walked away from it many times. It may look like a little thing but for me it was epic. I don't take to all this stuff quite so easily as some but I can now almost type. And I have a genuine website up!

There were so many people that helped me orient myself to this world. I just feel like listing them here in gratitude! So here are my many many web thanks.

THANK YOU to

my fabulous customers who pushed and cajoled me into doing this

Jennifer sitting with her laptop in the sun with me, writing down things I wasn't ready to type myself

Eric for his energy and ideas at the top

Lance for all the great early photos and for helping me learn to do it myself

Andrea, Georgia, Lindsey, and Emilia for chasing down jewelry details again and again on an excel list from here to eternity

Etsy for giving me a way to get my work up for sale and letting me kick the excel list to kingdom come, before my certain death

 

Linda for the the great start that went on to become the site

Marc, David P and Lance W for responding so generously to my computer SOS's time and time again

Carolyn for encouragement and code in the eleventh hour

Adrian for FINALLY getting the site up with me, whilst I tried not to hover over her. You are a Star!

Veronica and Kate and the many who came before the site- Tallulah, Jenny and many more for all their help in the studio over the years

Liz, Robin L and Robin A for all their good counsel site wise and book wise and all

all the people at Artwood for keeping me company day to day and listening to my incremental progress reports

my wonderful brother, Peter, for encouragement and advice

my equally wonderful brother, Michael for being who he is 

my dear sister, Kathleen who always listens and is so wise

and to Mister Mustafa for being a deeply charming and loving companion by the computer late into the night.

To all of you and those I'll remember tomorrow- MY THANKS!