Sail Over to My New Site

Check out my new art quilt in the works as I begin the hand stitching.

And now that I've moved to my new blog you can sign up for an RSS feed or notices of new posts with an easy sign up form. Look for the sign up on right sidebar of the site. See you there!

Moving Time

Look for this new banner on the new Artfabrik site.

I'm moving!

Or at least my blog is moving. 
Beginning February 1, 2013, you'll find my Artfabrik blog right on the Artfabrik website. 
(You may need to fresh your page to see the new site.)
Your comments are welcome!

It's a new look and a new way to keep everything up to date. 
Come join me!

Save the Thimble!

Finger Saver 9000 by Laura Wasilowski

I am a big fan of the tools of our trade. Give me a pair of scissors, a needle, thread, fabric, and a comfy thimble and I'm happy for hours. And now I have discovered that one of my favorite tools, the thimble, is an endangered species! We must save the thimble!

Turns out that Monopoly is going to retire the thimble as a token for their game. Now, I have never won a Monopoly game in my life but I do enjoy racing around the board game with a thimble and losing gracefully. 

Fortunately, Susan Brubaker Knapp and the International Quilt Association  are trying to save the thimble. If you are on Facebook, you can vote (before Feb. 6) to save the Monopoly game thimble. Vote here: https://apps.facebook.com/saveyourtoken/.  And you can also support the IQA. 

Susan has created the Save the Thimble logo (above) for the International Quilt Association. If you purchase items with the logo from Cafe Press, a portion of the proceeds go to the IQA. So to save the thimble and support the International Quilt Association! Visit here:http://www.cafepress.com/dd/75759578

And if Monopoly does not reinstate the thimble I shall try to lose gracefully.

Guest Artists: Two Talented Decaturites

Maggie the Magnificent!

Meet Maggie, one of my students at the Decatur Guild where I visited last week. The class was Colorful Leaves and I love the original design she made. Of course, I would expect nothing less from Maggie as she is working on her graduate degree from the Chicago School of Fusing.

Erica the Superb!

Meet Erica, also from the Decatur guild and an embroiderer extraordinaire. This piece she is holding is beautifully hand embroidered on white fabric. She's traced the basic design on the fabric and improvised the stitching as she goes. Thank you Erica and Maggie for sharing your work with us!

What's with all this fuss about removing the paper from fused fabrics before using them? Can't you just cut out fabric shapes with the paper still on it? Well, my little pumpkin there are several reasons to remove the silicone release paper from a fused fabric before using the fabric. Here they are:

Building units.

• You want to save the paper whole in big sheets because it has so many uses like collage building, building elements as a unit, and  fused fabric storage.
• If you cut out a shape leaving the paper on, the pull on the fabric edges as you remove the paper may fray the edges of the fabric. You want nice clean edges.
• If you want to transfer a pattern shape to fused fabric you need the paper. Here's the directions for Pattern Transfer to a Fused Fabrics. It's worth saving the paper for this.
• Most importantly, silicone release paper is used as protection. Place it on top of your quilt to protect it from that filthy iron that you refuse to clean.

Ah! The miracle of pattern transfer with silicone release paper.

Now get out there and save some paper!

Well this is a thrill! For those of you in the Lowell MA area, the Masters II is exhibit is on display until April 13 at the New England Quilt Museum. It was so nice of them to use the image of my quilt, Artfabrik, on the postcard. Masters II is sponsored by SAQA and curated by Martha Sielman. Check it out!

Where the Flat Lander Meets the Mountain

My recent trip to Colorado has inspired me to return. And so I shall!  April 13 and 14 you'll find me teaching at the Alegre Retreat in Gateway, CO. This is a gorgeous area of Colorado with magnificent scenery. It's an awesome landscape for a flat lander like me.

Pretty Planet #4 by laura Wasilowski

Come join me for Couching Thread, Hidden Needle. We'll make a set of small fused art quilts from square to round and then stitch them into submission. The scenery is free!