WHAT: Living Embroidery: Handwork in wool, cotton, linen and silk

Marie Barton, who creates original, richly textured embroidery pieces from new and reuse materials, is presenting a show and sale this September. She depicts natural subjects using dimensional techniques and "my kind of crewel", her unique way of handling fibers.

They are deeply personal images and show her love of the Northwest area, especially trees. She lives and works in southeast Portland. She will also present some of her ongoing "Alphabet" project.

WHO: Marie has studied embroidery with Tom Lundberg at Oregon School of Art and Craft, is a member of Columbia FiberArts Guild, volunteers at SCRAP, and teaches at the Gossamer Fiber Arts and Crafts store here in Portland. She has been happily studying and practicing embroidery for over 8 years.

WHERE: Gossamer 2418 East Burnside Street, Portland 503-233-4807 www.gossamerfiberarts.com

WHEN: September 4th thru' 30th, 2009, store open 11am-5pm Opening Event Friday September 4th, 4:30-7pm


~ Every Tuesday night at Gossamer from 7:00pm - 9:00pm Bring a project to work on or start a new one on these fun evenings with a weekly changing theme atmosphere.

~ Needle Felt Art of Stacy Polson (www.stacypolson.com)

Traditional Japanese Painting meets needle-felting arts. See her amazing needle felted pictures on display this month at Gossamer!



About Stacy:

Stacy began sewing with felt in her early teens, stitching large, abstract wall hangings on her mother's old, but magically reliable Kenmore machine, and went on to design a line of felt appliqued clothing that was sold by I. Magnin in San Francisco. These designs eventually formed the core of her whimsical clothing boutique called Crazy Ladies in St. Augustine, Florida.

Today she lives in Oregon with her husband Steve and spends her time gardening, bicycling, and having fun discovering the art of needle-felting. About her needle-felting technique:

"My first works were intricately appliqued felt wall hangings that became so thick in places I literally had to lift my sewing machine foot up an inch and rev the motor, stitching along hairpin curves like a jeep taking turns on a rutted road.

"One day, I began to wonder how Japanese woodcuts would look in felt because I thought the colorful kimonos would be so much fun to redesign. However, as I got into it, I quickly began to realize that the usual felt color palette was going to limit me from achieving what I envisioned. I was just on the verge of exploring how to dye my own felt, when I discovered the art of needle felting.

"Needle-felting is the process of adhering fiber onto fabric using a barbed needle and practically anything that can be found in a yarn store, spun or raw, can be used. I rarely use my sewing machine anymore because most of my pieces are entirely needle-felted, with the exception of the more delicate facial features which are all hand embroidered."