Melody Crust - Fiber Artist

Guest Artist - Kay Taylor

2012-01-27T05:10:00.000-08:00

Quilting this queen-sized beauty on a home sewing machine was a huge undertaking. The groups of lines stitched horizontally and vertically emphasize the beautiful piecing. Kay used a thin piecing thread, stitching a few lines every day until it was completed.

Crazy Weather

2012-01-24T08:48:00.000-08:00

We have power! WOO HOO! No power around here means no heat and no water! Snow then an ice storm and we were cold! No getting out of the drive way, fallen trees frozen to the ground. More than 1 million electric customers and 750,000 natural gas customers in 11 counties were with out power.

Start the New Year Off Right with a New Pair of Scissors

2012-01-20T04:46:00.000-08:00

Check out Karen Kay Buckley's 4" Perfect Scissors. Things you will like about these scissors...cushioned handle, easy for right or left hander to use, blades sharp to the very tip, serrated blade keeps fabric from fraying, light weight and comfortable. The 4" size are great for detail cutting on curves and points.

Karen Kay Buckley's 7 1/2" Perfect Scissors. The same wonderful charismatics as the 4" scissors, just a little larger. The 7 1/2" size are great for cutting single or multiple layers of fabric.

Straight Line Quilting

2012-01-18T05:12:00.000-08:00

I've been looking at pictures of my quilts for an up coming show. I realized that I have always loved straight line quilting. Here are a couple of quilts I made a few years ago and gave as Christmas presents.

Want to try it? Check out my book Stitching Through the Layers

Guest Artists from Santa Barbara

2012-01-16T10:30:00.000-08:00

Coastal Quilters Guild

2012-01-15T10:47:00.000-08:00

Coastal Quilters Guild Inc. is a non profit, educational & charitable organization. It is the purpose of the Guild to educate its members about the history and the preservation of the art form of quilt making and its related topics. Also to learn new techniques, improve skills and to inform the community at large about our quilt making heritage.
All the people standing are in line for show and tell. I loved it!

Art in un-expected places SFO

2012-01-12T22:14:00.000-08:00

Michael Ross Road to Timbuktu

Coastal Quilters Guild of Santa Barbara & Goleta

2012-01-10T04:17:00.000-08:00

I'll soon be on my way to visit the Coastal Quilters Guild Santa Barbara & Goleta to present my lecture: Quilt Toppings: Fun & Fanciful Embellishment
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.

The workshop on Friday will be 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 quilt and clothing makers.

The Guild meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month at St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, 4575 Auhay, in Goleta.
The meetings start at 7:00 p.m., although many people like to come early and socialize. We have a business meeting covering pertinent topics, show and tell, block of the month, door prize drawings, and a program or guest speaker.

New Classes at QuiltWorks Northwest

2012-01-06T06:32:00.000-08:00

I have scheduled four workshops at QuiltWorks Northwest in Bellevue.

Super-fast Binding and Piping - March 10 from 10:30-1:30 PM NEW!
Is binding the quilt your least favorite part? Tired of humdrum finishes? Come and learn piping and binding techniques to make your quilts stand out in a crowd. In class you will be making samples of finishing methods to take home and use on your own quilts. Bindings will never be boring again!

Presser Feet to the Rescue! - March 10 from 2-4 PM
Do you have a drawer full of feet and no idea what to do with them? Then this lecture/demo is for you! They come in all shapes and sizes. There is a special foot for just about anything you can imagine. Melody will show feet and their uses. We will look at some of the feet perfect for decorative machine stitching.

Borders: The Final Chapter - June 16 from 10:30-1:30 PM
Pieced borders add something special! They can change the look of a quilt and add a wonderful finishing touch. Learn to add grace, spontaneity or sophistication or any effect you desire to your quilt. Solve the mystery of designing and sewing borders to fit your own quilt. Remember that with good planning a pieced border can be less work!

A Fine Line: Creating the Quilting Design - June 16 from 2-5 PM
Do you have a project that could use help with the “what, why & how” of quilting? Discover the elements of winning quilting designs and how to apply them to your tops. We will explore whether to hand or machine quilt, selecting, fitting and marking quilting design, all about thread, and the basics of batting and basting. The emphasis of this workshop is the creative use of the quilted line. Learn to successfully finish all your projects. This informative workshop is for both traditional and non-traditional quilters.