Wednesday, January 28, 2009



Hi All,

I’ll be in California at the Santa Clara Valley Quilt Association meeting giving my lecture Quilt Toppings, Tuesday, February 24. The workshop is Simple Surfaces the next day. I hear it is almost full, but for more information contact Stacy at sniblett@pacbell.net

About Quilt Toppings; Fun & Fancy Embellishments
Quilters are a notoriously restless group, always seeking new ways to express their creativity. This lecture taps into the strong emerging trend toward embellishment of quilt surfaces.
Paint, foil, paint sticks, thread, crayons, buttons, ribbons and beads are all readily available, fun, easy and non-messy ways to add that final design element to traditional and non-traditional quilts. (from Quilt Toppings; Fun and Fancy Embellishment Techniques)

About Simple Surfaces
Learn all about paint sticks and foiling on fabric. Applying foil or paint sticks to silk or cotton is easy, fun and permanent. This informative hands-on workshop is for both traditional and non-traditional quilters and clothing makers.

PS Tuesday is my BIRTHDAY, I like presents, so the first person at the meeting to wish me ‘happy birthday’ will receive a gift from me!

Melody

Monday, January 26, 2009

The Quilt Show


The Quilt Show
If you haven’t checked out The Quilt Show you should. It is a subscription quilt show on the internet hosted by Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims.
I flew to Denver on a cold in windy day last March to film for The Quilt Show. The trip to La Veta, and the studio, is beautiful one across the high plains in Colorado.
I talked about what else but embellishments!

Let's Talk Bling!
Beads and baubles, paint and much, much more. Wait till you see what Melody Crust, the self-admitted queen of bling, (Episode 312) has in store to make your quilts stand out in a crowd. Here is peak into a show filled with lots of ‘sparkle! "Tune in" for the show when it airs Monday, December 8, 2008.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009



I love of all things shiny. Combine this with my favorite co-conspirator in fashion, my Bernina 730, and the result is High Society. This charming 1950’s ensemble is reminiscent of a simpler time when afternoon cocktail parties were in vogue and even the most sophisticated ladies longed to be Grace Kelly and secretly swooned over Gable and Bogart.

Fashioned of luscious green-gold silk shot with turquoise, discovered in the Fashion District of Los Angeles, the dress features a tight-fitted bodice and a sweetheart neckline. The very full skirt swings easily with the satisfying swish of real silk that makes every woman feel beautiful. The long petticoat you see playing peak-a-boo at the hem is 80 yards of ruffled turquoise nylon net sewn to the bottom of a petticoat.

The most remarkable piece of the ensemble is the over-the-top really-fake faux fur stole. Over 3000 thousand yards of net strips were sewn in a virtually countless number of rows to capture the look of the fur stole every stylish woman in the 50s either owned or coveted. I credit my Bernina machine and its ruffler attachment for making what would have been an overwhelming construction project into one that was actually quite simple. My love for shine shows through in every one of the thousands of sequins hand-applied to every available turquoise net surface.

No glamorous lady of the era would be caught at a party without sporting a chic hat. Constructed of the dress silk and the sparkly polyester fabric used to line the stole, this oh-so-French confection serves beautifully as the perfect finish for this woman of style.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009


Pamper yourself!

Start the New Year off right, spend some time with friends and go on a sewing retreat! One of my favorite places to visit is Mrs. Anderson’s Lodging House and Dee’s Country Accents in Leavenworth, Washington. http://www.Quiltersheaven.com

Mrs. Anderson’s has 10 guest rooms that are decorated with turn-of-the-century antiques, quilts and vintage clothing. Enjoy the cozy atmosphere in the heart of downtown Leavenworth that offers space for sewing. It is an easy walk to many shops and restaurants.

Dee’s Country Accents is a quilt shop with a large selection of books and patterns for quilts, dolls and stitchery including red work, silk ribbon, and yarn.

If you happen to be there on the first Tuesday of the month check out the ladies attending the Quilt Soiree. Pick a hat and join in the fun.