Hi, friends! It is going to be a busy end of month, and I’d like to tell you about it. This will matter more to local folks, so I apologize to those of you out of town and out of country.

This week on Thursday night, Brian and I are performing at a garden party at Alterra’s, a retirement center on Marsh Road in Haslett (there are two Alterra’s, this one is more north, near the Haslett High School, and it’s 2 stories rather than one). The public is welcome, but they do want a RSVP. This is Thursday, July 21 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. Call Nicole Bunch for a reservation, by July 19 at 517/381-8700.

Saturday night, July 23, the Abbott Brothers will be playing at Altu’s Ethiopian Cuisine, also from 6:30-8:30pm. By the way, Anne Erickson of the State Journal’s What’s On section will be mentioning this concert in her Thursday column. Take a look!

This weekend I have two classes at Threadbear Fiberarts. Saturday, July 23 from noon to 5pm is Polymer Clay buttons and beads. This is such a fun class, there is no way to have anything but the best of times! Write me or Rob at Threadbear for more information.

Sunday, July 24, I teach my ColorJoy Stole. I almost need to name this “Combining Color and Texture” because that is equally as important as the object we create. The first half of the class, we make a mess of the store.

Bring any random orphan yarns you have in your stash that might like buddies (particularly novelty yarns). Then learn about color, yarn structure, and how to intentionally mix five or more yarns that are nothing at all like one another. The last half of the class is how to knit the project, and how to fix dropped stitches in garter stitch/novelty yarn. It’s a wonderful class, you’ll learn a lot. Again, write Rob at Rob AT Threadbearfiberarts DOT com for more information or a reservation.

On Friday, July 9, at 6pm, I’m teaching Watercolor Bag at Little Red Schoolhouse. This is a fun and fast project, a felted bag in Noro Kureyon yarn with one solid color for contrast. It requires 3 skeins of Kureyon and one solid, within reasonable cost for gifts, fast enough to make without getting bored, and large enough to actually hold something. I made one for my dance bag. It holds a coin-laden hip wrap, finger cymbals, head wrap/scarf and a shrug for when the dance room gets too cold. All that with a bit of room to spare.

July 30, I’m teaching Feltmaking without Knitting at Threadbear, from noon to 3pm. This is how I got back into knitting! I fell in love with wool and wanted more, and the next thing I knew I was knitting socks. We will first make flat pieces (think mug rug, pillow cover, pincushion) then we will cover a 3-D object with felt.

It’s great fun, I hope you come on down. Think about it, you could sew a really warm jacket/cardigan for winter with felted yardage on the body portion, and a knitted or crocheted set of sleeves and collar! It would be very unique and beautiful. We won’t have the space to make a piece that large in class, but you will learn the techniques you would need. I like the mug rugs a lot, actually!

The evening of July 30, Brian and I return (as The Fabulous Heftones) to Altu’s, from 6:30-8:30pm. Amazing great food, friendly crowd, pleasant music. What else could you want?

Photos: Fabulous Heftones at Altu’s, Abbott Brothers Band, Luann’s buttons and beads she made in Polymer class, Esther in her ColorJoy Stole, Irene with Watercolor Bag she made in class, felted fabric I made with my friend Marcia.