A Cabaret of Folk Art Designs so easy anyone
Can~Can do them!
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| Mimi~La~Mutton
Bonjour, my name is Mimi~La~Mutton. I am the Grand Dame of Woolin Rouge Designs. Sylvia and Traci - the masterminds behind this outfit - have asked me to Host Woolin Rouge Wednesdays for them. Are you familiar with Woolin Rouge Designs?
Woolin Rouge Designs Studio
The designs above are a work in progress right now. Traci sketched me and the Woolin Rouge Studio and Sylvia is bringing these designs to life in wool as I type this. And you know, it is quite hard to typw when you have hooves for fingers. So please excuse any typo's.
Let's start Woolin Rouge Wednesdays by getting to know Sylvia and Traci a bit more.
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| Sylvia Gauthier Blog: Excessive Compulsive Sewing
Meet Sylvia Gauthier
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Getting To Know Sylvia Gauthier and Traci Suzanne Marvel
5 Questions At A Time:
1. How did you and Traci meet?
I had heard about some wonderful new quilt patterns that had been introduced at Quilt Market by a company called Bigfork Bay Cotton Co. After trying to find them on the internet, I finally made a phone call to the company. Guess who answered the phone....Traci! One conversation led to another and I ended up making Trunk Shows for Bigfork Bay Cotton Company. Traci and I never actually MET until a few years later when I went to Bigfork for an Art Auction that Traci had organized to raise money for a Cancer Walk she was going to do. We have really only been face to face two other times.
2. It’s a different work relationship for two design partners to live so far apart. How do you design this way?
Thank goodness for telephones, digital cameras, and the internet. We send a lot of pictures over the internet while talking on the phone. Fortunately, we can be very honest with each other and know we aren’t stepping on toes or hurting feelings. As a team, we each have different strengths that we bring to the table and it works so well.
3. What kind of thread do you prefer in your designs?
The Brand I love is Aurifil. I love using the Aurifil Lana Wool for wool applique, the 12 weight for embroidery and stitching, and the 50 weight for piecing my quilts and machine quilting.
4. Who came up with the name Woolin Rouge?
Traci! Remember what I said about different strengths? Well, one of Traci’s strengths is an amazing creative mind. She came up with the name in the Shower. And the saying that “We are a Cabaret of folk art designs so easy anyone Can Can do them.” Don’t you just LOVE it!!! She’s brilliant.
5. Is it true that your design, Holly Birdie, was on the cover of a French Magazine?
It sure is!!! But isn’t that where a French Can Can Design should be? Marianne Byrne-Goarin, owner of a French design company called Cinnamon Patch and I had been facebook friends so I promised to meet her when I was at Quilt Market. While talking, she asked if Woolin Rouge would be interested in doing a design for the magazine Quilt Country. We submitted Holly Birdie and the next thing we knew we received our copies with Holly Birdie right there on the COVER! It was an honor to work with such a great group of women.
Mimi: Thanks Sylvia! Next Wednesday, I will have you answer the questions that Traci is answering today. And Traci will answer the questions you answered today. That way it keeps everything entertaining. That is my responsibility as a can~can dancer, to keep things entertaining. Life is a cabaret you know.
MEET TRACI SUZANNE MARVEL
When did your love affair with quilting begin?
Truth be known, I don't actually quilt. Well I take that back, I don't machine quilt -yet. But I do hand sew. I enjoy English Paper Piecing. I also enjoy making art quilts using the fusible web technique and creating designs with wool using the freezer paper method. The first time I threaded a needle I was hooked! I think that was back in 3rd or 4th grade. And textiles ~ LOVE, LOVE, LOVE textiles! I love, love, love the colors, the textures, the designs, the smells, the everything!
What do you like to when you are not quilting?I am the Sales/Marketing Director for the Bigfork Bay Cotton Company. I travel extensively to shops all over the coutry lecturing on how to bring BBCC's beautiful patterns to life, as well as, exhibit at retail quilt shows and wholesale trade shows.photography and folk art painting are also passions of mine.
Name 3 Textile Artists that inspire you?
In the world of quilting there are inspirations around every corner!
Narrowing it down to 3 is difficult, but if I have to I would say Brenda Yirsa, Debi Hubbs and Pat Sloan.
What is your favorite experience with Woolin Rouge to date?
I think my favorite Woolin Rouge experience to date was when I opened up the package that Sylvia sent that contained the final installment of the Birdie For All Seasons Table Ensemble Series. We had Hippie Birdie, Holly Birdie and Acorn~O~Copia Birdie and now I had Humming Birdie in my hands. As soon as I opened the package and held it in my hands, all seemed well with the world. Oh and it just gorgeous. Sylvia out did herself on this one!
If you were a super hero what powers would you possess?
In context to this interview, I would have to say I would be a super hero at machine motion quilting like Sylvia is. And of course...world peace:) I would want to arrange that somehow.
MIMI: Merci' girls! Looking forward to meeting again with you next Wednesday. For those of you who are interested in purchasing Woolin Rouge's patterns and kits visit Bigfork Bay Cotton Company's website. Aurifil wool and cotton thread can be found there as well.
~ Au Revoir ~
