Did you know that Crazy Quilts and heavily embellished garments were once a mark of affluence? 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!
g 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.
my studio thinking about color for my next project. The ideas are in there somewhere. Color inspired by the outdoors is fresh, easy to wear and flattering to everyone. Fresh greens that have favored yellow have matured into the deeper blue greens in shades of emerald. Purple’s royal tones are flushed with pink to form rich shades of maroon that lighten to soft lavender. Passionate reds and pretty pinks are seasoned with warmer golden undertones to form the delicious colors of pomegranate, salmon and peach. 
Modern pastels reflect the delicate colors of sunrise. Clear sky blues and deeper ocean blues offer tranquility and promote peaceful meditation. Healing turquoise tones are modern accents that continue to be a favorite eye catching color. Warm brown colors and soft dove grays are used to balance and ground more brilliant color choices. Graphic black and white add a playful mod note to a generally neutral palette. Crystal clear pieces reflect light beautifully and give a modern look of beauty showing purity, innocence and refinement.
The best reason to join a guild? The programs at Evergreen Piecemakers, in Kent WA of course! Last night Pam Clarke presented a great program. Designs With Lines is a machine quilting technique developed by Pam to speed up marking quilt tops, using simple lines as a guide to create individual designs.
I live in Washington state, and with 23 million riders and 10 million cars per year, we have the largest ferry system in the U.S. and third largest in the world. A ride on the ferry offers an interesting way to get away for the day. So yesterday we took a trip to see the Lopez Island Studio Tour.
i - Textiles & felting
Posts
