Best Pick Me Up EVER

Visit your local Quilt Shop!

Running Stitch Fabrics
Hours: Sun & Mon 11 - 4
Tues, Wed, Thur 10 - 6
Friday 10 - 8
Saturday 10 - 5
213 First Avenue South, Kent, WA 98032 | 253-277-2248

Running Stitch Fabrics is owned and operated by Alice Marshall. An avid quilter, Alice is active in the local quilting community and is a long time member of Evergreen Piecemaker’s Quilt Guild. After working for 30 years for local utilities, Alice jumped at the opportunity to try her hand at running her own business and sharing her enthusiasm for quilts, quilters and sewing. Alice is dedicated to providing quality merchandise, excellent customer service, top notch teachers and services to support the home sewer.

Tucson Quilters Guild

The Tucson Quilters Guild is located in Tucson, Arizona. The meetings are held at St. Frances Cabrini Church, 3201 East Presidio, Tucson, Arizona. The church is located one block south of Ft. Lowell and one block east of Country Club.

They meet on the second Wednesday of the month at 9:30 a.m. They also meet the Tuesday night before the Wednesday meeting at the same place. This will make it easier for members to attend our meetings. They will have the same speaker and events. Start time for the evening meeting is 7:00 p.m. Workshops are from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Very friendly group of quilters! If you are in the area you should attend a meeting.

Good how and tell!

 We took sometime to visit one of Tucson's oldest neighborhoods, with colorful adobe buildings housing shops, galleries, and residences. 

 

Tucson Here I Come!

Tucson (/ˈtuːsɒn/ /tuːˈsɒn/) is a city with a population of 520,116. The Spanish name of the city, Tucsón [tukˈson], is derived from the O'odham Cuk Ṣon [tʃʊk ʂɔːn], meaning "(at the) base of the black [hill]", a reference to a basalt-covered hill now known as Sentinel Peak, also known as "A" Mountain.

Tucson has hot summers and temperate winters. Tucson is almost always cooler and wetter than Phoenix because of its higher elevation. Summer is characterized by daytime temperatures that exceed 100 °F (38 °C) and overnight temperatures between 66 and 85 °F. Early summer is characterized by low humidity and clear skies; mid-summer and late summer are characterized by higher humidity and cloudy skies.

Celebrity RARE Bear Auction Ends Today

Artsy Bear by Melody Crust

Celebrity RARE Bear Auction to help Kids with Disease -

Ends Today! November 6 (12PM CT)

RARE Science works directly with patient families and foundations to find more immediate therapeutic solutions for children with rare diseases.
This year RARE Science is partnering with TQS (and a number of other great organizations) to bring you... the FIRST Ever Celebrity RARE Bear Auction!  This is your opportunity to own a signed bear made by the quilt world's most talented artists while helping a great cause.

 

Vote for Your Favorite RARE Science Celebrity Bear

She went from this

This is the Final Round of voting for your favorite RARE Science Celebrity Bear. The "winning" bear's creator will have bragging rights and their TQS Show opened up to everyone on the site. You may only vote once.  Voting for this round will end on November 6, 2016.

I am thrilled to report that Artsy Bear is one of the finalists as the "favorite". Please Vote!

To THIS!

Celebrity RARE Bear Auction Starts Today!

Celebrity RARE Bear Auction to help Kids with Disease - Starts November 2 (12PM CT) and ends November 6 (12PM CT)

This year RARE Science is partnering with The Quilt Show (and a number of other great organizations) to bring you... the FIRST Ever Celebrity RARE Bear Auction! This is your opportunity to own a signed bear made by the quilt world's most talented artists while helping a great cause. All proceeds go to RARE Science programs to help support and advance therapies for over 200 Million children who suffer from rare diseases. Your generosity is deeply appreciated! AND a special, heartfelt "THANK YOU" to all of the celebrity quilters who made this all possible!

Check out Artsy Bear! 

About Crazy Quilting

New Years Eve

Did you know that Crazy Quilts and heavily embellished garments were once a mark of affluence?


When embellishing with thread, which includes everything from embroidering to quilting, use pretty much anything that appeals to you. Crazy Quilting is definitely the time to show off your thread collection! You can really add your own special touch to any project by putting a decorative stitch over the seams, couching over one or more cords or ribbons and adding beads or buttons for texture. Or make duplicate rows of stitching, highlight them with an entirely different stitch or use thread to work a specific design onto your fabric.

Women used them to declare – ever so subtly – that they had time for elaborate hand sewing while their domestic staff toiled over the household chores. Few of us live the lifestyle of the ‘landed gentry’ these days, but what we do have is a wealth of time-saving products and techniques available to us. There are many clever ways to accomplish wonderful embellishments with the investment of very small amounts of time!Embellishment includes everything from complex beading to sewing with basic thread. In Crazy Quilting, the philosophy is this: if it shows, highlight it! In today’s busy world, we have to grab sewing time whenever it presents itself, so be prepared at a moment’s notice to have something to sew. Red work is usually my favorite, but I don’t limit myself to basic red work. I’ll embroider tea towels, pillow cases and make quilt blocks, stitching with floss, pearl cotton, and, my favorite, thick thread made for the sewing machine. Any time you manage to have fabric in your hand, relish the moment and let your creativity flow!

Tucson in the Sun

I an heading south for the sunshine! And am fortunate to be the November presenter for the Tuscon Quilters Guild!   
November 8 & 9 the lectures: "Fun and Fancy Embellishments"
 
November 10, Thursday Workshop: Thursday "Fast Finishes" 

• First we learn to join pre-quilted blocks using several innovative techniques. Go home ready to make larger machine quilted quilts without all the work of trying to get it into your machine. The Quilt-As-You-Go method allows for more detailed quilting using a standard sewing machine since you're only quilting a small section at a time. Fast finishing concludes with super-fast binding. Is binding the quilt your least favorite part?  Bindings and piping are a snap with this no-fail completely machine-stitched method.  In this class you will be making a sample to take home to keep as a ‘how to’ example for your own quilts. Binding will never be the same again!

 

Nov 11, Friday Workshop "The Decorative Thread Experience"

• 
  Thread may have once been considered just a basic necessity of sewing, but happily it’s now available in so many luscious colors and types that it has become sheer pleasure to use. Steering your way through the sea of threads available can be a time consuming and somewhat daunting task. Melody will guide you through the learning process so your sewing will become fun and fancy.

Exploring - Purple

Jacks

Purple is a color intermediate between red and blue. According to surveys In Europe and the U.S., purple is the color most often associated with royalty, magic, mystery and piety. When combined with pink, it is associated with eroticism, femininity and seduction.
Purple was the color worn by Roman magistrates; it became the imperial color worn by the rulers of the Byzantine Empire and the Holy Roman Empire, and later by Roman Catholic bishops. Similarly in Japan, the color is traditionally associated with the Emperor and aristocracy.

I wish I had more time to sew!

I hear that all the time—from my friends and other quilters. Although I'm sure we'd all like endless hours or even days to spend in the studio creating, few people have the lifestyle that affords them that

kind of time. From my own experience and that of other quilters I know, I've discovered the following tips for fitting more sewing into a busy lifestyle.

1. Take a good look at the things you do on a daily basis. What can you change or how can you be more productive with your time? My favorite; I make fewer trips to the store if I have a list. Saves time to sew. (And then make sure you do!)

2. Rethink you UFO's. I don't have any. I give them to community service, cut them up for the back of something else, and I've even been known to throw something out. I would rather sew on something I like than a project I have lost interest in!

3. Set yourself up for success. Keep your most-used tools and supplies set up in such a way that they are ready to create when you are.

4. Schedule sewing time. If you don't make your sewing a priority, no one else will. So time on your calendar, even if it's just an hour.

Looking Back at a Summer Highlight

Northwest Quilting Expo | The Pacific Northwest's annual quilting and creative festival at the Expo Center, Portland Oregon


A fabulous quilting and fiber event at the Portland Expo Center in Portland, Oregon! They assemble an outstanding group of talented instructors, gorgeous quilts and exhibits, great vendors and more for the show.

I love to look at the special exhibits. 2016 featured Laurie Shifrin, Helen Remick, Joyce Becker, Colleen Wise, Leotie Richard, The Portland Modern Quilt Guild, The Corvallis Modern Quilt Guild, WestSide Modern Quilt Club and a Men's Quilt Exhibit.


 
A fascinating addition this year was the Oregon Historical

Society's traveling exhibit, entitled Oregon Is Indian Country, provides text with historical and contemporary photographs about the nine Federally Recognized Tribes of Oregon. Themes include: The Land, Federal Indian Policies, and Traditions that Bind.

My favorite was the exhibit from the Latimer Quilt and Textile Center. Featuring vintage quilts ranging from the 1800's to the 1940's. It will be a wonderful display of the incredible skills our quilting ancestors developed.
The old quilts with their beautiful quilting!

I can't wait to see what they have next year!

Things you should know about thread

1. Cotton is the only 100% natural fiber thread made especially for sewing machines. It can be a bit linty, so clean your machine frequently when using it.
What to look for: extra long staple thread that is very smooth with-out bumps on the spool.

 2. Rayon thread has a high sheen, and is both

soft and heat resistant. Unfortunately, it’s not colorfast and neither as strong nor as durable as polyester.
What it does: 30 wt. is intended to show and 40wt. has a subtle sheen.
  
3. Metallic: There is a huge range of quality of metallic threads.
Best when: used with a polyester bobbin thread, a Metallic needle and a lower than normal top tension.








  4. Polyester: is strong, durable and is available in a broad range of colors. Sizes range from very thin
Advantages: strong, durable and color fast, with either a matte or a sheen finish. Most are virtually lint free.
5. Silk: Great thread!
What to look for: 100% pure filament silk.

6. Monofilament: Use only polyester monofilament. It will not yellow over time or melt easily.
What to look for: comes in clear and smoke colored.
to very thick.

Introducing Artsy Bear

This year RARE Science is partnering with The Quilt Show (and a number of other great organizations) to bring you... the FIRST Ever Celebrity RARE Bear Auction!  This is your opportunity to own a signed bear made by the quilt world's most talented artists while helping a great cause.

RARE Science works directly with patient families and foundations to find more immediate therapeutic solutions for children with rare diseases.

Artsy Bear by Melody Crust

 

Remembering - Infinite Variety -- Three Centuries of Red & White Quilts

These quilts, collected by Joanna S. Rose, are spectacular! While the idea of hundreds of quilts is impressive, the actuality is overwhelming. This presentation of quilts is magical!

A digital guide to the exhibition, including images of all 650 quilts, is available as a free app for your iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, or Android smart phone. For more information and to download, visit folkartmuseum.org/infinitevariety.
(This link is still good, check it out)

Block Party Quilt Guild ... WOW!

By now you must know how much I support quilt guilds and quilt shops too. I had the opportunity recently to attend a meeting of Block Party Quilters. A fun group! The have great speakers, even though it is a bit of a trek for me to get there, I go often. This time it was Esterita Austin. She presented "Working in a Series" .Portraits have been a source of inspiration to artists for centuries.  Esterita took us on a photographic journey that begins with taking an expressive photograph then discussing: lighting, angles and settings through interpreting the image in fabric.  She will cover her technique step by step and show how, by adding textile paint, one can achieve greater depth.

 
Here are a couple of details of her work.






And did I mention, they do a great show and tell?

Quilted Straight here I come!

I will be teaching a couple of my favorite workshops at Quilted Straight in October! See you there!! 

32280 Puget Way NE

Port Gamble, WA 98364

Toll Free: 1-855-467-8458

Every Day 10 - 5, Tues. to 8: 30 

info@quiltedstrait.com

Fast Finishes

Sunday, October 23, 2016,  10:00 am  to 4:30 pm

First you will learn to join pre-quilted blocks using several innovative techniques. Go home ready to make larger machine quilted quilts without all the work of trying to get it into your machine. The Quilt-As-You-Go method allows for more detailed quilting using a standard sewing machine since you're only quilting a small section at a time. Fast finishing concludes with super-fast binding. Is binding the quilt your least favorite part? Bindings and piping are a snap with this no-fail completely machine-stitched method. In this class you will be making a sample to take home to keep as a ‘how to’ example for your own quilts. Binding will never be the same again!

 Fun and Fancy Purse Class
Monday, October 24, 2016,  10:00 am  to 4:30 pm

Create stunning purses with Melody Crust based on the Two Hour Tulip Purse pattern that can be finished in practically no time. Make your own in class, embellish it with trims, ribbons, buttons, bows, lace, fabric, found objects and then dive into the wonderful world of beads. We will learn what beads to buy, how to sew them and how to make your own lavish beaded dangles and fringes.  Basic sewing skills required.

Bears on the March

This year RARE Science is partnering with The Quilt Show (and a number of other great organizations) to bring you... the FIRST Ever Celebrity RARE Bear Auction!  This is your opportunity to own a signed bear made by the quilt world's most talented artists while helping a great cause.

RARE Science works directly with patient families and foundations to find more immediate therapeutic solutions for children with rare diseases. 

 

 

Meet Celebrity RARE Bear "Blossom" by Alex Anderson!
"Alex wants all her quilting "buds" to blossom with creativity and this adorable little bear is doing just that. A scrappy little hand-worker, Blossom always has a "to-go" project with her to keep those creative juices flowing (and to keep those UFOs away from her door). Tiny embroidered flowers and cute little buttons on her bow, make Blossom a visual treat and colorful companion that you'll want to light up your studio."

Blossom by Alex Anderson 

Here is a sneak peak of my Bear before embellishment! Artsy Bear all dressed up will be revealed Monday October 17!

Artsy Bear by Melody Crust