Something New from the Studio

For the past few weeks I've been doing something sinfully wonderful.....making new art work! Of course, Frieda and I will have our pattern quilts on display in our booth at the International Quilt Festival. But we will also show our newest pieces. This little number above is part of my Small World series. Please stop into the Artfabrik booth (#434) to see the final stitched quilt.

I made this quilt during a visit by a good friend. We stood side by side at the fusing table and both made small pieces of art work. My fusing table is just at the right height to stand at comfortably and is covered with a large teflon sheet that you can fuse onto. It was her second fused quilt and my 12th in the Small World series. I am slowly winning her to the dark side.

Thread-u-cation Thursdays: Snail Trail Stitch

The Snail Trail Stitch is a linear stitch that looks like a string of fish or little ribbons to me.  When you use it around a flower dot, the flower looks as if it's winding up for take off like these above. (Where the reference to snails came from is lost on me. Any ideas?)

Here's how I make my Snail Trail Stitches: bring the needle and thread up at point A. Insert the needle at point B which is about 1/8" to the right and 1/8" up from A. Bring the needle under the fabric and exit at a point about 1/4" up from A at point C. Slip the thread over the needle and then snugly under the needle. Now pull the needle and thread gently through point C. Don't pull too tightly or you loose your loop.

What was point C now becomes point A. Repeat the above directions to form a loopy line across the fabric. I noticed that this stitch requires a lot of the right hand working with the left hand. (You'll be happy to know that so far they are getting along.) This stitch also reminds me of a song from my youth by Dale Evans. Maybe you remember it. "Happy Snail Trails to you, until we meet again. Happy Snail Trails to you, keep smilin' until then!"

Stitching Backgrounds

Solid colored background fabrics can make for some interesting hand stitching. Here is a great example of stitching on a black background, it really makes the colors pop. This detail is from a piece by the group called Mapula which means Mother of Rain. It's called Mandela's Children's Foundation (the number 46664 was Nelson Mandela's prison number). 
Valerie Hearder sells these hand embroidered and appliqué wall hangings to help the women of Africa create a dignified living to support their families. Visit her new web site and blog: “Stories from the Women of Africa” for more information. Valerie is also leading a tour to South Africa with Odette Tolksdorf next April. For more information check out her web site. Better sign up soon! Registration closes Dec 7th.

Winging to a New Home

The best part of being home for a few days in a row is that I get to make my little quilts! Several new ones are now complete and ready to display at the Artfabrik booth (#434) at the Houston quilt show. But alas, Little Bird on the Prairie #8 (above) is on her way to a different destination.
This little bird is traveling to Alabama were she will live my friend, Michele. Thank you, Michele, for adding my art work to your collection. Safe flight little bird!

Thread-u-cation Thursday: Colorways

There's not a lot of stitching going on at my house this week. Instead, I'm preparing boxes of hand dyed fabric, threads, shirts, and patterns to ship to Houston for the International Quilt Festival. (Frieda and I are in booth #434. Come see us!) Here you see heaps of thread laid out and ready for packing.

For years I've made 58 colorways of thread for Artfabrik. But now I'm thinking, why only 58? Maybe I should add a few others to round out my palette of colorways. Any color suggestions?

Sing, Chicken, Sing!

This happy chicken was made by Kathleen, a woman of many talents and a love of singing chickens. Kathleen received my free chicken pattern after signing up for the Artfabrik Monthly Newsletter. (This month we're giving away a free DVD with orders over $50. Wow!)

Here is what Kathleen says about our operatic chicken, "I really liked your method, taken right from your website. Am already planning my next project.......thank you for all the cool suggestions and clear directions. Will embellish next piece more..... the project was such a great way to get started fusing...."
Thank you, Kathleen for sharing your poultry in motion!

Thread-u-cation Thursday: Coral Stitch

If you need a little bumpy line on your quilt top, try the Coral Stitch. The lines across the sky made with the Coral Stitch remind this curious bird of something out of geometry class. But, alas, that was 40 years ago and the little bird has discarded that info long ago along with the Pythagoras Theorem. (If you're out there Pythagoras, my apologies.)

Here's how I make my Coral Stitches: Bring the needle and thread up at point A and stretch the thread out on the fabric in a line to the left. At a distance of about 1/4" from A, take a small stitch from point B to C under the thread.

Snug the thread under the needle and then slowly draw the needle through point C to create a knot. Repeat these steps across the fabric. Somehow making this knotty little line feels so good!

Housing Developments

If I ever move houses again, I shall move into this House on the Hill! Note the great view, a winding road, trees for shade and what appears to be a roof top garden.

Or maybe I should live here. This House in the Valley offers a cozy atmosphere with winding road, shade trees, and what appears to be a roof top garden. In fact, the House on the Beach and House by the Road both have what appear to be roof top gardens. Please check them out. House hunting is fun!

Good News / Bad News

 

Alas, I have some bad news. For those of you attending the quilt show in Houston this November, I'm sorry to say that my Tiny Homes class at the show is full up. Thank you to all who had wanted to sign up. Perhaps we shall meet in that great quilt class in the hereafter!

But there is some good news! There are still a few openings in my Folk Art Fusing Class on Saturday, November 6, running from 9 - 12 AM (class #737). Class members get a kit of fused hand-dyed fabrics and a pattern for a folk art horse, rabbit, or pineapple. We'll cover collage building and pattern transfer and the fine art of free cutting. 

 Or if you can't make it to class, please hop in to the Artfabrik Booth  #434 and visit with Frieda and me. We'd love to see you!

Thread-u-cation Thursday: New from Old

There is a stack of old quilts in my cupboards. You can call them "studies" if you like but I call them dull! So to spice up a few pieces, I have given them a make-over with hand embroidery stitches.

Here's a detail of our optimistic bird with the addition of the Outline Stitch, Running Stitch, and a few Straight Stitches to lift him off the fabric plane. Add a few Straight Stitches across the vine and Running Stitches to the watermelon and suddenly the quilt pops to life!

 

This detail of another quilt shows how I follow the paths formed by the free-motion machine stitches on an old quilt. Filling those paths with your basic embroidery stitches transforms and revives the surface. There is something about hand embroidery that adds an extra level of texture, color, and pattern to the surface of fabric art. Try a stitch today!

Cabin Fever Quilters Graduate

Congratulations to the recent graduates of the Chicago School of Fusing from the Cabin Fever Quilt Guild in Orlando, FL!  Here we have one of our graduates hard at work on  her Garden of Eden quilt.

Another day, another group of graduates (some actually pursuing their Master's degree in Fusology). The Tiny Homes class, one of my favorites, yielded collages that are turned into houses, trees, hills, and other elements like fences, gardens, and large cats in the back yard.

Graduates of the Stitch after Fusing class made a quick flower quilt in the AM and added embroidery stitches in the PM. Many received their Phd in Fusology and hope to get a job in the food service industry with their degree. Thanks for being in the classes. I had a great time!

Florida Quilters Redux

For some reason they have let me return to Florida (see above for image of Florida shoreline). This time I'm visiting with the Cabin Fever (not Log Cabin) Quilters and the Lake County Quilters teaching several classes and getting my last dose of sunshine before returning north for some chilly weather. I'll show you what these Florida quilters are up too in a few days.

But for now please take a look at this lovely little quilt made by Luanne who took my  Garden of Eden class at the Martin County Quilters' First Annual Retreat in Jensen Beach, FL earlier this year. The flowers are so sweet and I love how she's framed it. Thanks for sharing your work Luanne!

Name that Bird Class Winners!

Thank you to everyone who helped me name my new bird class. There were actually 3 winners in the contest and all received a set of my bird patterns, the lucky ducks.
You really came up with some imaginative titles but I had to go with Fowl Play: Birds with No Egrets. You have to admit not only is it descriptive but drums up images of birds who are unapologetic and very confident no matter how goofy they look. I can hardly wait to teach this class. It's going to be very entertaining for me!