Thread-u-cation Thursdays: ACES Unite!

 In my never ending quest to bring embroidery stitches to the masses, I present to you another episode of ACES. ACES, the Association for Combining Embroidery Stitches, uniting stitches and stitchers around the world. With ACES you never stitch alone.

In this week's episode, we combine the Scattered Seed Stitch and the Cross Stitch. Like little soldiers lined up on a  battle field of fabric, they form an alliance against the dreaded Herringbone Stitch.  Note the orderly combination that  builds pattern and unity across the fabric plain. The dreaded, fearsome Herringbone Stitch has not a chance!

Check out my tutorials for creating all these and other brave stitches on the Thread-u-cation Page. Join ACES and get your stitching act together!

Fist Full of Thread Winner!

Thank you everyone for entering the Fist Full of Thread! give away in celebration of my new book, Fanciful Stitches, Colorful Threads. Our lucky winner, drawn from a virtual hat, is Linda M. (I don't mean we drew her out of the hat, I mean her name was drawn from a virtual hat.) Congratulations Linda!

And for those of you who where not drawn out of a hat, please visit the Fairfield World site where you can get a PDF of my free Poppy Pattern. I am this months featured designer! Do you see the sun spinning in the corner of the Fairfield World site opening page? That's my quilt!
Next Tuesday another project from Fanciful Stitches, Colorful Quilts will be revealed. I know. I know. The anticipation is overwhelming.

Fanciful Stitches: The Quilt Shop

 The Quilt Shop, was designed for all you aspiring quilt shop owners out there. Now you can have your own shop! Imagine owning a whole building dedicated to quilting instead of just 95% of your home. Imagine walking down isles of choice fabric, passing racks of colorful thread and tripping over barrels of fat quarters.

Swoon!

In my new book, Fanciful Stitches, Colorful Quilts, there are patterns for all the elements that make up a good Quilt Shop. And by developing the Quilt Shop pattern, I like to think I am providing a service to all of you living in remote areas without access to a quilt shop. You're welcome.

 Like any good Quilt Shop owner, I focus on the important things like stacks of fabric and a fresh pot of flowers to greet you at the door. The French Knot and  Lazy Daisy stitches are perfect for the flowers. See the decorative Blanket Stitch on the pot and Fern Stitch vine crawling up the wall of the shop? Charming! The stitch diagrams in Fanciful Stitches are guarantee to charm as well. Or at least give you an idea of how to make the stitch.

And now for all you charming folks out there: I'm giving away a Fist Full of Threads! to a random reader who leaves a comment on this blog today.  (Please note: if you win, I have to get your shipping address somehow, so  you may have to leave your email address.)

Please stay tuned for next Tuesday's coverage of another Fanciful Stitches project: The Light House. The Light House, a project for those of us who need a little direction. And I'll give away another Fist Full of Threads!

Back in the Studio: The Business of Art

Many of you, like me, are working artists. (And as you can see here, I have my work cut out for me in the dye studio!) But part of being an working artist is showing and telling about your work.
So, if you are interested in marketing your art work, you may want to sign up for this workshop sponsored by PAQA, the Professional Art Quilters Alliance. Presented by Bruce Baker, it is open to everyone and is being held at the Siena Center in Racine, WI next March. You'll join other quilt artist, get lots of important marketing information, and get out of that wreck of a studio too!

Happy Holidays!

Hope your holidays are joyous and bright!

Thread-u-cation Thursdays: Stitchers Block

 Here is a view of a new quilt I'm stitching. Where are the stitches you ask? Beats me!
Like a kid with too much candy, I am overwhelmed by the stitchery options. Do I add French Knots, Running, Outline, or Seed Stitches? I can't decide! So in an effort to calm down, I remind myself that hand embroidery stitches on a quilt have a purpose.

Stitches define a fabric shape to tell the viewer what the shape is. They outline shapes to separate shapes from each other and to add contrast. Stitches decorate fabric shapes to create texture, pattern, and energy on the piece. By repeating thread colors and stitch shapes, I can carry the eye of the viewer across the art. Now, back to work. As they say, "sewing is believing".

Fist Full of Thread! Winner for Week 3

Tis the season to be stitching!  Thank you for visiting my blog yesterday and for all the fun comments about the Forest Home project from my new book, Fanciful Stitches, Colorful Quilts. Our week 3 winner of a Fist Full of Thread! (as predicted by a random number generator called Frieda) is: Sophie! You can see her blog here. Congratulations Sophie and congratulations on sensibly living in a warm place- Texas.

For the rest of you, thanks for joining me in celebrating my new book, Fanciful blah, blah, blah. In the spirit of the season, please visit my free pattern page for a new pattern addition, Three Sisters. Next Tuesday you'll see a new project and be able to enter another Fist Full of Thread! give-away. May all your fists be full of thread and may all your stitching be bright!

Fanciful Stitches Give Away Tomorrow!

In my haste to prepare for Tuesday's Fist Full of Thread! give away, I have leapt off my chair and dashed to the thread depository to gather another selection of threads for you. (It's sort of like being the Batman of the Embroidery Thread World.)
So please return bright and early Tuesday morning as I reveal another project from my new book, Fanciful Stitches, Colorful Quilts. Leave a comment tomorrow and you too could be the lucky winner of a Fist Full of Threads!

 I shall now calm down and set my chair upright and act like a lady. Ha!

Nice Neighborhood in Springfield, MA

If you are in the Springfield, MA area, please stop in to see one of SAQA's traveling exhibits called SAQA @20: Art and Excellence. The exhibit is on now through January 16, 2011 at the Michele & Donald D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts. Thanks Mike and Don!
You can see my quilt, Nice Neighborhood, along with  34 other quilts by artists from around the world. SAQA, Studio Art Quilts Associates, is a great organization for artists, collectors, and gallery owners. It constantly has exhibits touring the world. If you're not a member, consider joining!

Ricky Tims Jingles His Bells

Thought you might like to see my friend, Ricky Tims' new video. In the spirit of the holiday season, you will see him jingling his bells and running through the woods in boxers.
So glad I am avoiding the temptation to sing on U-Tube videos.

Thread-u-cation Thursdays: Stitch Marks

One of my favorite stitches to make is the Stem or Outline Stitch. When placing this stitch on a solid background fabric, it's like drawing a line with a colored pencil. It is a linear stitch and if you line up a bunch of Stem Stitches you can make shapes like a basket, clouds, sky, and grass.

My little apple basket embroidery measures about 3" x 3". It is stitched on black cotton fabric in a free-form style. By free-form I mean that I didn't mark the fabric. I began by stitching the rim of the basket and designed the embroidery as I stitched. It's sort of like drawing with colored pencils only your needle and thread are your mark making tools.  And that's what embroidery is all about. Making marks on fabric!

Fist Full of Thread Winner- Week 2!

And our lucky winner this week for a Fist Full of Thread! (chosen by my random number generator named Steve) and hand-dyed by my little fists (see above) is........Liesbeth.
Good heavens, she lives in the Netherlands!

Now it's true as you read this, I'm in Menomenee Falls, WI giving my Art Quilts: The Musical lecture at the Common Threads Quilt Guild. But upon my joyous return, I shall send out the thread to Liesbeth. She'll receive one each in various colors of a Size 12, Size 8, Size 5, and Size 3 pearl cotton thread plus a 6 stranded floss. Congratulations Liesbeth!

And for the rest of my stalwart readers, thank you so much for participating and please accept this gift from me, a pattern called Heart and Flowers. Please stay tuned next Tuesday when I'll show you another project from my book Fanciful Stitches etc. etc. and be giving away another Fist Full of Thread!

Fanciful Stitches: Houseboat

This quilt, Houseboat, is inspired by an urge to get away from it all and to air my laundry at the same time. In my new book, Fanciful Stitches, Colorful Quilts, there are patterns for the boat, clouds, and that little pair of drawers hanging from the clothes line. The water is a set of wavy fabric strips overlapped and fused as a collage onto release paper. I love my little boat but I have this uneasy feeling that it is about to capsize.

In keeping with my commitment to an accurate depiction of nature, the little fish following the boat are made with my version of Satin Stitches. For me, Satin Stitches are really Straight Stitches lined up in an artful manner. It may be best to refer to the Satin Stitch diagram included in Fanciful Stitches to get directions for this stitch because, as I said, I am committed.

And now for all you other committed people out there: I'm giving away a Fist Full of Threads! to a random reader who leaves a comment on this blog today.  (Please note: if you win, I have to get your shipping address somehow, so  you may have to leave your email address.)

Please stay tuned for next Tuesday's coverage of another Fanciful Stitches project: Forest Home. Is it a forest or is it a home? I don't know but I'll be giving away another Fist Full of Threads! then and every following Tuesday until I cover all 11 book projects. So tell all your friends and come party with me!

Fanciful Stitches Give Away Coming Up!

Stay tuned tomorrow for another preview of a project from my new book, Fanciful Stitches: Colorful Quilts. As you may know, I have Sweeping Powers at Artfabrik. So I will again give away a Fist Full of Thread! to some lucky reader leaving a comment on this blog tomorrow.

Meanwhile, let us all gather together and join in singing that holiday stitch song, Joy to the Stitcher (sung to the tune of  Joy to the World).

Joy to the Stitcher,

Your thread is here,

And needle with long eye!

Embellish all your quiiiilts,

With glee up to the hiiiiilt,

Embroidery is fun!

Embroidery is fun!

Embrooooooooidery is fuuuuuuun!

See you tomorrow!

Terrific Stamps

Check out theses terrific stamps for hand stamping. Don't they look like chocolate cupcakes with a dusting of powdered sugar? They are absolutely beautiful designs!

The stamps are sold by Jamie Malden from Colouricious. I met Jamie at her booth at the Festival of Quilts in the UK in August. And due to her friendly nature, I fell in love with these wooden block stamps. Check them out!

Thread-u-cation Thursdays: ACES Again!

As we continue our soap opera, As the Stitch Turns, we find a member of ACES (the Association for Combining Embroidery Stitches) searching for a stitch combination that is easy to stitch and non-brain taxing. She is a dedicated stitcher but currently over-taxed by too much celebrating of the season.

While dozing in her comfy stitching chair, our stitcher dreams of this simple stitch combination X-X-X, Cross Stitch, Straight Stitch, Cross Stitch, Straight Stitch. At last, a stitch combination for the overwhelmed stitcher who fears ridicule by the ACES community. Another disaster averted!
The End.

Fist Full of Thread Winner!

I want to thank all of you for visiting my blog yesterday and for all the kind comments about the Hill Village quilt, a project from my new book, Fanciful Stitches. Using a random number generator (my husband's brain) our first winner of the Fist Full of Thread is Karen. You can see her blog at Thread Story (how appropriate!). Congratulations Karen!

 Please stay tuned for next Tuesday's blog where you'll have another chance to win a Fist Full of Thread and to see another project from the book. And as a thank you for entering, I'd like to give you all free chicken patterns. Yes! Free Chicken Patterns! Think of the possibilities.

Fanciful Stitches: Hill Village

This quilt, Hill Village, is inspired by an imaginary town inhabited by intrepid quilt artists. In my new book, Fanciful Stitches: Colorful Quilts, there are patterns for 18 Hill Village houses (all designed by architects from the Chicago School of Fusing). Each little fused house is made as a unit on release paper. Directions in the book show you how to position the houses on background fabrics in an artful manner. Add a few trees and it's like you've lived there forever.

When it comes to hand embroidery for Hill Village, there is nothing like Needle Weaving to make your cobblestone walkway. Luckily, a Needle Weaving diagram is included in Fanciful Stitches so you don't have to have dirt paths connecting the village structures.Thus keeping your Hill Village neat and tidy.

Now here's something for all you Needle Weavers out there: I'm giving away a Fist Full of Thread! to a random reader who leaves a comment on this blog today.  (Please note: if you win, I have to get your shipping address somehow, so  you may have to leave your email address.)

Please stay tuned for next Tuesday's coverage of another Fanciful Stitches project: the famous House Boat. Is it a house or is it a boat? I don't know but I'll be giving away another Fist Full of Thread! then and every following Tuesday until I cover all 11 book projects. So tell all your friends and come party with me!

Just for You!

Tomorrow I have a special gift for you. On Tuesday, I'll be showing the first of a weekly preview of the 11 projects in my new book, Fanciful Stitches: Colorful Quilts. And as a reward for being a loyal blog reader, I'll be giving a prize to a loyal blog reader.
What is the prize for leaving a comment on my blog on Tuesday? Sorry, I can't tell you yet. (I am such a tease!)  But I'll give you a hint, it has something to do with stitching. So please come back tomorrow and see what you can win. Tell all your friends too!

Thread for Hand Stitching

Check out this beautiful hand stitching with size 8 Artfabrik thread by my friend, Maud.  Maud says this about the threads: "I love using your threads, the colors and quality are spectacular! They are true, and I never feel like I am being extravagant when I buy your stuff.  The products are worth it and elevate my quilts to higher levels." 

Thanks Maud! You just elevated my vain little head to a higher level!

 Here's a full view of Maud's lovely quilt she made as a fundraiser for her local library. And guess what! You'll soon see Maud's quilt on the cover of the 2011 Paducah Registration Flyer. Now that's an honor. Congratulations and thank you, Maud, for sharing your wonderful quilt with us!

Thread-u-cation Thursday: Scene Stitching

Living in the Land of Lincoln (and very grateful that the political season is over), I am celebrating my favorite president of the US, Abe Lincoln, on this Thread-u-cation Thursday. There he is as we all remember him, a shinny penny on the wall.

The challenge I set for making this piece was to create a scene or setting for an object with hand embroidery stitches alone. Blue Chair and Abe began with a stamp I carved from Safety-Kut. This stamp, inked up with blue textile paint, was stamped onto a plain background fabric.

My first stitching step was to secure Abe to the wall so he could gaze lovingly at the blue chair. My clumsy version of the shisha mirror stitch keeps him in place while I design the room with stitches of size 8 thread.

Being a "fun up front" kinda gal, I go to town on the oval rug first. Stem Stitches and Cross Stitches define the rug shape and then I add more Stem Stitches to the chair to outline it. Chain Stitches form the floor boards and the tasteful wallpaper is orderly Straight Stitches. Why he's surrounded by that goofy frame, I'll never know. But I'd still vote for him today.