Open House this weekend—December 3-4, Saturday and Sunday 11-6.

It's wonderful to be hosting an all new show and sale this year with the enticing work of Vivienne Jones, Brad Copping, Sue Rankin (and myself) on Saturday and Sunday, Dec 3 - 4.  I hope we'll see you! 

I've made new zipper bags, cozy up-cycled wool throws for the long winter ahead, fun tea cozies, new linen scarves, handy hand towels, sewing kits, aprons, lavender filled pieces and more cool stuff, just in time for gift giving or to treat yourself!  There's always a range of mixed media pieces on show as well. 

If you haven't been in the neighbourhood recently, Roncesvalles Renewed is complete—new restaurants, shops and cafes have opened.

Opening on Thursday in Ottawa — Angels & Argonauts: Small-scale and Functional Art Exhibition

 See Angelic Trio in Angels & Argonauts: Small-scale & Functional Art Exhibit. 

 Opening Thurs. Nov. 24, continuing until Dec. 31, 2011.  

 L.A. Pai Gallery,  Ottawa  www.lapaigallery.com

 I've also sent Lisa a selection of my functional textiles including lovely linen towels, sewing kits, zipper 

 bags and cards.                                                        

Angelic Trio — con amore,  ben misurato,  trés rythme.  Embroidery, relief print, DMC thread, linen, vintage sheet music, various papers, acrylic, pins, wood boxes.  Dimensions: 3"w. x 4"h. x 1.4"d. each.  Valerie Knapp©

Upcoming show

I've been so busy in the studio! My friend Gordana has invited me to join her as a guest in her home on the Open Rhodes Studio Tour (Art Show & Sale) on Rhodes Avenue in the east end of Toronto this weekend.

I will be at 704 Rhodes Avenue with artists Gordana Olujic (mixed media) and Bobin Dosic (painting).

I'm donating to the raffle in support of the Red Door and tickets will be available at the tour. More info appears on the invite...

Preparing for the Queen West Art Crawl Art Show & Sale

I'm busy in the studio, aflutter about this show in Trinity Bellwoods Park.  The time and date is Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th, 11-6. (I've posted the QWAC in my links.) I've been making new prints and products gearing up for the first outdoor sale I've ever done! I'll be in tent #C78, yes a tent (!)  I will also be showing a range of my textile mixed media work.   Come by!

Printed zippered bags in a range of prints. Lined.

In the making. Small linen drawstring storage bags, 5" x 6". Shirtwaist and Memory Dress prints.

Shot linen scarf with lavender filled sachets in linen.  Frond and Chandelier prints.

Handprinted linens.  Zippered bag, hand towel, lavender sachet and small drawstring bag. Frond, Memory Dress and Silhouette prints.

Recent project installed!

Ode to Archimedes (detail)

Ode to Archimedes. I was ecstatic to install this silk organza embroidered window panel earlier this month, one of two pieces commissioned for a beautiful home in downtown Toronto.

 Ode to Archimedes (detail)

Views in my sunny border, yesterday...

I love the blousy and abundant feeling of the sunny border in the height of summer. The herbs and veggies share the rose circle (climbing rose 'Angela' about to re-bloom)  on the left.  The border is populated with many of the usual suspects, Phlox paniculata, Shasta daisies, Veronicastrum virginicum, Perovskia atriplicifolia, Monarda didyma, Achillea millefolium ' Paprika',  Agastache urticifolia 'Golden Jubilee', Coreopsis verticillata ' Moonbeam', Echinacea  purpurea, Eupatorium purpureum, Verbena hastata and others, many of which are native plants and survive drought and attract bees and butterflies. I do battle with the riot of yellow beyond my fence or it will march on into my garden.

Veronicastrum virginicum visited by a remarkable bee. 

He was very large with distinctive markings and long legs.

Small birds in the sunshine, perhaps sparrows, eating the mustard seed just before I cut it back.

Mustard seed pods.

Stitched paper piece in process

I'm embroidering a vermicular line in miniscule backstitch, inspired by the ground patterning of 18th century French block prints, the indiennes, produced in Jouy, France by Oberkampf. The scenic toile de Jouy style is the more memorable work of the renowned Jouy factory. Designers at this time were influenced by the Indian fabrics that had arrived in Europe, controversially banned for a time to protect local textile producers, and they were also inspired by the surge in botanical illustration and the fashionable craze for botany much attributed to the work of Linnaeus and since the publishing of his Systema naturae in1735.

A perforated drawing of a tree peony pod taken from my garden appears in the work and the word time. The paper is handmade paper from Papeterie Saint-Gilles in Quebec.