Portland was a wonderful weekend. Tons of people playing tons of tunes, a visit to David Kerr's violin shop in the rain (wonderful people there) and an over-the-top dinner on Saturday night/Sunday morning at the Gilt Club that changed my understanding of cuisine.

Ela (a Strad model) found a new home in Berkeley in the same house that Rosalie (a D'Egville model) lives in.

This is the new sticker. Tom designed it based on the original logo. The same image will be on t-shirts, too.

If you play one of the violins I've built, and if you send me a picture of you holding it or playing it, I'll put it in the gallery of fiddles and their owners.Or, if you prefer, stop by the shop and Tom, of Tom Collicott Photography, will take a picture of you with your fiddle suitable for use as a publicity image. Let us know that you're coming by so we can have some lights set up.

Starting plates on the second Filius Andreae. The first one is ready to set up.

Alafaire made it to Italy and was put into the hands of her new owner, Walter Alvarez, at his 70th birthday celebration in Coldigioco, a little contrada in the hills above Ancona, Italy.

First look!

Walter and Sandro after the first tune was played! Many tunes followed.

Alafaire is a Strad model. Completed on September 23, 2010, she is traveling east to her new home. These are the custom fittings of fruitwood and a chinrest of olive.

New fittings for Alafaire. The chinrest is olive.