...BERNINA and ME...

It's my turn today, as I join my fellow BERNINA Ambassador friends in a little blog tour, all about us.  Just "what" is a BERNINA Ambassador?  We are a diverse group of makers, quilters, sewers, and creatives sharing our love for the brand with our unique ideas in the sewing communities.  Each and every Ambassador is gifted with extraordinary talent and  exceptional skills and sharing their craft. It's an incredible honor to have been chosen to be in the company of these masters.

Although I've been an artist all my life and sewing since I was 11 years old, BERNINA was an epiphany for me.  I consider myself, "not a scattered doing everything kind of gal", but rather a Renaissance woman, with interests in so many artful things.  I paint, draw, hand letter, sew, hand stitch and teach.  The only thing I can't do, I wish i could dance, maybe someday!  I never make an excuse for my multiple interests, but rather embrace ALL THINGS CREATIVE with an energy and passion for as many of life's gifts that I can gather in a day, a week, a month or years.  My mantra in my artfully inspired life is "every moment matters".

"MY FAVORITE FABULOUS BERNINA BITS"

MY FIRST BERNINA:  My first BERNINA machine is a B350 that I purchased while teaching at an art retreat in California in 2011.   I live in upstate NY.  I wasn't leaving without my new treasure, my machine, so I took all my clothes from my suitcase and packed them in the BERNINA box and shipped them home.  My new BERNINA "baby" went with me on the plane instead, fitting perfectly inside my extended carry-on.  But the bad was just a tad too wide for the over head, so the flight attendant graciously placed it in the captain's closet for the trip home.  My machine was already a spoiled child, nice ride! 

  

 LETTERING ON FABRIC: My lettering art has gone into a new dimension in fabrics and fiber.  Did you know I have an AQS iquilt online workshop called "WHIMSICAL LETTERS IN FABRIC.  You can learn how to make a whimsical word quilt here.  Thank you BERNINA!

I WAS STITCHING TO WRITE MY STORY: The inspiration for my textile book "The Art of Whimsical Stitching" (2016) came directly from the new creative energy that came from making art on my new BERNINA.  I'm so proud of this playful sewing book.

 NEVER SAY NEVER TO EMBROIDERY:  I once said, "I'll never, ever do machine embroidery, I just don't have time for that.".  But the Renaissance woman in me said, "oh, go ahead and try it, you might love it!".  And yes, I did!  So much so, that I've designed a new  machine embroidery lettering collection for OESD called "Doodle Stitches.  It features my favorite hand lettering art and simple imagery.  Oh BERNINA, look what you've done to me...  

TEACHING WITH BERNINA MAKES ME "SEW HAPPY":  We had SEW MUCH fun in New Orleans with this group of BERNINA dealers who made these incredible fabulous, colorful free motion mini art quilts. It's so rewarding to share my art with threads and letters and fabric teaching with adventurous makers all over the country.  

MY SUZIE Q20:  I am so blessed to have a BERNINA Q20 long arm machine in my sewing room.  This machine is a beast and allows me to quilt large art quilt pieces with ease. Here's a table runner made with GelPress prints and fabric paint, embellished with free motion stitching.

YOU CAN STITCH YOUR ART OUT WITH ME:  Check out my online art sewing class "PAINT, STITCH, PLAY!"  You don't need a BERNINA but you can watch what I create on mine to make some pretty fun textile art.  We have an active sharing community in the classroom with oodles of gorgeous, playful colorful fabric and stitching artworks.

Here's the PAINT, STITCH, PLAY! Preview video.  

Register on the homepage of my website: joannesharpe.com

IN THE COMPANY OF FRIENDS, I "STITCH MY ART OUT"!  I'm so proud to be a BERNINA Ambassador along with this talented group.  Continue on this blog tour and check out all my talented friends: 

Lynn Carson Harris harrislc@gmail.com

Kelly Ashton kelly@kellyquilter.com

Diane Doran info@dianedoran.com
Melody Crust melody@melodycrust.com

Tuesday March 21
Kathy Delaney kathy@kathydelaney.com
Christa Watson christa@christaquilts.com
Mandy Leins mandalei@gmail.com

Wednesday March 22
Sandy Fitzpatrick hissyfitz@earthlink.net
Beth Ferrier beth@applewd.com
Cheryl Sleboda cherylsleboda@gmail.com

Thursday March 23
Annie Smith annie@anniesmith.net
Lori Kennedy lckennedy@hotmail.com
Kari Carr kari@newleafstitches.com

Catherine Redford catherine@catherineredford.com

Friday March 24
Joanne Sharpe jzsharpe@yahoo.com
Cherry Guidry cherry@cherryblossomsquilting.com
Jenelle Montilone jenelle@trashn2tees.com

Whimsical Wednesday: ... the "LETTERING UNICORN" has landed....

My "FABULOUS FEBRUARY FIVE" celebration 

continues in APRIL

 with the premier of this brand new mini class 

"Find YOUR Font" 

...a brand NEW adventure in lettering art...
it’s all about YOU!

...FIVE BIG LESSONS and TEN JAM PACKED  VIDEOS...

... it's all about YOU 
finding your own fabulous artful lettering font with your own handwriting...
...the "lettering unicorn" has landed!....

...SELF PACED...FOREVER ACCESS...SIMPLE SUPPLY LIST

...it's all about YOU
 discovering the "unicorn" of lettering techniques!

...WORD PLAY...ALPHABETS...DESIGN and LAYOUT...

...it's all about YOU
 confidently creating hand lettering art like you mean it!
JOIN US TO MAKE AN AWESOME LETTERING BOOK AND ORIGINAL ART

"FIND YOUR FONT!" online class 

 LINK:  CLASS REGISTRATION OPEN $29

Instant classroom access with PAYPAL payment
Class starts on April 5, 2017

I'm most excited, this one is a must! 

See you in the classroom

Whimsical Wednesday...SOMETHING

Create something.  

Paint or draw, or sew something. 

 Write something.

Cook or bake something new. 

 Make something outside your comfort zone this week.  

What do you long to create?

Whimsical Wednesday...JUST BEING...

...just a little art to share today....

Whimsical Wednesday: "LITTLE JACK TUFFET"

Have you heard about the "make your own tuffet" craze yet?  Sewing shops all over the country are hosting these workshops.  I'd like to share my "Whimsical Wednesday" logo today.  It's art from my coloring book placed in the middle of the tuffet I made in January.  In January, the teachers at my BERNINA store in Rochester, NY had a "tuffet class" in just  two Saturdays.  Since I wasn't traveling I treated myself to the time and the learning experience.  I made a tuffet!  It' looks ridiculously difficult but it was a very simple process, you just have to make sure you have the right materials.  There is an online tuffet class on iquilt.com  taught by the creator of this particular process, Sharon Cole from "The Tuffet Source".  You can find everything you need to make a tuffet on Sharon's website.

The "in person" class was perfect for me.  Show up for just two classes and project done!   

THE IDEA BEHIND THIS WHIMSICAL WEDNESDAY???  If your creative self is calling you, take the time to try something new, treat yourself to a project or class.  In my own life I personally make this a practice in growing and reinventing myself on my artful journey.  It's so good for your soul and spirit.  

I'm so proud of my tuffet and KNEW that it would be a "cat tuffet" as my bengal cat Jack demonstrates here.  At least I made some functional art!

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