David's Shots

David here... Susan's nephew.

Awesome! Lots of flowers, some good opportunties to take pictures, and it beats the cold (or Toronto area).
oh yes.. great smoothies at the Fudge Factory.

Re: shooting
I learned a lot by watching others and taking tips when given. I've grown to like manual focus a lot more. My aunt and I did fine. This is one of the hobbies we share.

Below are my photos..

In the High Desert... Photoshoot

Well, it has been a long time since an entry. College classes and teaching had taken over.

My nephew David is visiting now (from Canada). He is on spring break.

This weekend, he and I took a photo workshop out in the desert. The desert flowers are blooming in Borrego Springs. There were a dozen of us in the group, and we spent the last three days shooting images of nature, flowers and whatever else came our way.

I am going to post a few of my shots here, and then in the next entry will post David's.

I learned a lot about my camera, and was able to pick up numerous tips for the other photographers in the group.

Each spring, we hope for a great floral bloom in the desert. It depends on the rain we have. This year was apparently, a pretty good year.

Cochenille Turns 20!

Oh my gosh... how did it happen! Cochenille, my company turned twenty years old today. It seems that the time has just flown. I guess the saying is true.. when you are having fun, time just flies.

For the celebration dinner, Cochenille folk, from present and past joined together to share fond memories of the past 20 years.


Left to right... Tracy, our ever-bouncy golden girl; Joline, our friend, helper and great supporter; Sonia, the current right-hand of Cochenille, and great friend; and me... Susan.. the crazy one who started this all, twenty years ago.

Watch for specials soon to be posted to the site, in celebration of our twentieth year.


www.cochenille.com

What I'm Reading

I've just started a book called "A Perfect Red: Empire, Espionage, and the Quest for the Color of Desire" by Amy Butler Greenfield.

This is a history book of sorts, but it covers the history of the color red, and of Cochenille (my company namesake.... www.cochenille.com).

I find it fascinating to see how color played such an important role in life.

I'm pulling out all sorts of tidbits to share in my Textiles and Fashion History classes.

Family Traditions

I come by my love for handcrafts naturally. Many of my ancestors have stitched, knitted, crocheted, and lovingly turned cloth or yarn into beautiful finished goods.

My great grandmother, (on my mom’s side) was born Marguerite Della Dutault . She worked as a milliner, designing and stitching hats in the late 1800’s. This was a period in time when all women wore hats, and in the upper classes, hats could be changed two or three times daily, dependent upon the occasion and time of day,


My grandmother on my mother’s side was born Marie Le Doux. She was born in the United States, but moved to, and married in Canada. My memories of her include stitching together, knitting, embroidery and many hours of talking. In her later years, she worked often as a seamstress, and I can remember visiting her and watching the various others in her senior development come to her for hems and alterations. She continued this work well into her nineties. I used to sit and smile as I watched another satisfied customer leave, with a new hem in his or her pants, although not always straight. Even though her work at that age was not always perfect, the sight of the people she sewed for was about on the same par, so everyone was happy.

I remember going to Grandma’s once, when she was in her early nineties, and she taught me how to hand-quilt. We sat there for hours, each quilting on our own project, and Grandma relayed her entire life story as we sat and stitched for three days. How I wish I had the presence of mind to have had a tape recorder. Her life was so fascinating. Grandma died at the fine age of 99, and I plan to follow her lead, stitching, quilting, knitting, and keeping busy until my fingers can work no further.



My grandma on my father’s side was born Martha Eggert. She also stitched and sewed most of her life. With seven children to raise, she was kept busy and her sewing machine was constantly humming. On this side of the family, there are 25 grandchildren, and I am fortunate to have been the one who recieved Grandma’s treadle sewing machine. I also was given her box of sewing haberdashery. How fun it has been to look through the treasures, and soon, I will get a shadow box completed, with little parts of both grandmothers in it.

What I'm Working On..

There are various things that are in the works. I'll be announcing a few Cochenille things soon, but I thought I would share with you what I have been doing as a wrap-up of my sabbatical.

I have been working on the creation of patterns of ethnic of garments or accessory items from around the world. These will be presented in a Student Handbook which will be used in my Ethnic Costume class this coming semester.

Here you will see the pattern for a Child's Hat from the Mien Yao tribe in Asia. I purchased the original hat in Thailand. It has now been measured, sketched and a pattern pulled.

There will be 25 patterns in total by the time I am done. It's a lot of work, but I am enjoying it.

New Sewing Machine!!!

My new sewing machine has arrived! It is a Brother QC1000. As excited as I am, I have had to leave it in the box, as construction is happening in the room where it will live.

Here is a link to my new baby...
http://www.brother-usa.com/HomeSewing/ModelDetail.aspx?ProductID=QC1000

There will be more on this (and the new Studio) soon.