A History lesson

When to the program at my local guild, Evergreen Piecemakers, the other night. Was delighted by Gene Barker's program on corsets. Believe me when I say that we should be more than a little grateful the we are here now! Just looking at the size of them, much less the boning was an odd feeling.

But, the workmanship nothing short of inspiring!
There were lots of corsets (my photo's just did not do them justice), other inner garments, but the boxes, besides being beautiful, told a story all by themselves. Just look at the different body shapes shown on there boxes from the 1880's and 1924.

Vermont Quilt Festival

New England’s largest and oldest annual quilt event.
June 24 – June 27, 2010 Champlain Valley Exposition.
Workshops:
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. I will guide you through the learning process so your sewing will become fun and fancy.

Bead Candy Quilts Spend the day with me as you learn about Bead Candy quilts. These stunning mini-quilts are so much fun to make they should be illegal! They can be finished in practically no time and adding beads, buttons, ribbons, paint, feathers and a myriad of other commonly available materials is so fun and easy that ANY quilter will be dazzled.

Simple Surfaces Everyone is invited to spend the day with me while you 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.

Quilt Show - Road Trip

Went to the Quilters Anonymous Quilt Show in Monroe WA today. Show is over Sunday March, 21. It's worth the drive to see the great quilts of the featured artist Linda Tellesbo. Had a great time looking at all the quilts

A little shopping in booths like The Sewing Basket & Quilted Country Inn is always in order.

Quilt Show

Sometimes I just got to make quilts! This one is the largest I have ever made ... 107" square!

Heading for the North Carolina Quilt Symposium

Simple Surfaces is a one day workshop good for all skill levels. You will 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. Check out my book; Quilt Toppings; Fun and Fancy Embellishment Techniques.

Eye Candy Quilts is a half day workshop, all skill levels are welcome! Eye Candy quilts are stunning mini-quilts that are so much fun to make they should be illegal! They can be finished in practically no time and adding beads, buttons, ribbons, paint, feathers and a myriad of other commonly available materials is so fun and easy that ANY quilter will be dazzled. Straight from my new book; Eye Candy Quilts; Adding Sparkle and Fun, published by Breckling Press.


Paint Stick Magic is a half day workshop welcoming all skill levels. Make elegant fabric with the look of airbrushing! Paint sticks applied to silk or cotton are simple, fun and permanent. This revealing hands-on workshop is for both quilt and clothing makers. Quilt Toppings; Fun and Fancy Embellishment Techniques.


To register, click here.

Spring

I think spring has arrived in full force here in Seattle! (Sorry if you live in one of those snowy places). There are cherry blossoms, and the fields are full of my favorites - daffodils.

Road Trip

Today was the Crust's day for museums. A quick trip to the Asian Seattle Art Museum, and while we were there I just had to cruise through the Conservatory at Volunteer Park.

Joe the Quilter aka Joe Cunningham

Went to see a great program Joe the Quilter: A Musical Quilt Show presented by Joe Cunninghan last night at Block Party Quilt Guild. Had a great time! Unique, fun and full of quilts, this show is unlike anything you have ever seen.

Festival Winners!

The Journal of the International Quilt Association is now available on line. It lists the winning quilts at the 2009 Fall Festival. Mine is:
The Wait-a-Minute
Dimensions: 54”w X 70”hThis quilt is painted, hand beaded, machine pieced and quilted.

Houston's Samplers and such

Come and say hello at the Meet the Teachers stage where I'll be talking about:
A Few of My Favorite Things

Thursday, Mixed-Media Sampler
Painting Like A Pro!Friday Sampler
Eye Candy Quilts










Saturday Sampler
Paint Like Monet

Houston - All Painted up!

More Classes:

Paint Stick Magic

Make elegant fabric with the look of airbrushing! Paint sticks applied to cotton or silk are simple, fun and permanent. This revealing hands-on workshop is for quilt, doll and clothing makers.

(My all time favorite technique!!!)

Fantastic Fabric Foiling

Bring your projects to life with instant glitz and shine. Foiling on fabric is easy, fun and permanent. This informative hands-on workshop is for both traditional and non-traditional quilt and clothing makers.

(I do love all things shinny!!)

More next time!

Houston - I'll be there with some great workshops!

Super Fast Binding and Piping!

(Taught Monday night after Market, perfect class for finishing UFO's!)

Is binding the quilt your least favorite part? Bindings and piping are a snap with this no-fail completely machine-stitched method. Come and learn a piping and binding technique to make your quilts stand out in a crowd. In class you will be making a sample to take home and use on your own quilts. Binding will never be the same again!


For the Love of Color
What you always wanted to know about color but were afraid to ask! Using a wide range of fabrics, you will be introduced to a variety of color concepts. Learn all those scary terms: value, tint, and tone, with simple easy to understand exercises. (I'm all about color!)
A Fine Line: Creating the Quilting Design
The ‘what, why & how’ of quilting design. Traditional and non-traditional quilters will explore how to maximize any project’s ‘wow’ factor with the creative use of the quilted line. (The quilting! Need I say more!)





More next time!

Eye Candy Quilts

Introducing my newest book:

Eye Candy Quilts: Super-fast fun with beads, buttons, baubles and more

Go wild with beads, buttons, baubles and any other little fancies that can be sewn or glued onto fabric! Eye Candy Quilts is a fast, fun craft for anyone who loves to embellish—or to experiment with new techniques!

• Make mini or postcard-size quilts—perfect for quick, inexpensive gifts that showcase your artistic side.
• Indulge your love of beads and baubles of every kind—you’ll find techniques for shi-sha mirrors, dangles, ribbons, lace, rickrack, and, of course, beads.
• Learn to work with “found” objects, such as antique jewelry or sea shells—no matter how glittery, shiny or awkward to sew.
• Have a party! Invite your friends to join the fun by making Eye Candy Quilts for every occasion.

With chapters on planning, design, embellishment, and so much more, Eye Candy Quilts will busy your fingers and fire your imagination!

Autographed copies will soon be available on my web site!

Quilt Show

China Rose 45"w X 55"h

I express my love of nature and color through the medium of quilting. Inspirations frequently come from gardens. Formal Chinese gardens offer peace and tranquillity through the use of artistic screens and harmonious botanical forms.

The flowers are hand dyed fabric, hand appliquéd to commercial cotton fabrics from my collection. The piecing was done by machine. The machine quilting adds the final texture.

Improvements?

GENERAL APPEARANCE
Color impact could be improved
Loose threads should be cut (threads shadow)
Remove basting threads and/or pencil marks
Edges wobble or ripple

PIECING
Piecing needs improvement
Corners and points should meet precisely
Block size should be uniform
Straight lines should be straight
Shadowing-through detracts
Stitches should be secure
Piecing thread should not show

APPLIQUÉ
Appliqué needs improvement
Design should be centered on block
Curves should be smooth
Points should be sharp
Stitches should be even
Stitches should be unobtrusive
Background shadows through

BORDER
Border techniques need improvement
Border should compliment central design
Corner miters should be done carefully
Borders should be straight
Sashing inconsistent (not aligned)

BINDING
Binding techniques need improvement
Batting should fill binding completely
Corners should be stitched closed
Width of binding should be consistent

QUILTING
Quilting techniques need improvement
Density of quilting should be consistent over surface
Stitches should be of even length
Stitches should go all the way through
Beginning and ending of quilting threads should be invisible
Quilting design should enhance design
In the ditch quilting should stay in the ditch
Tension on quilting stitch should be even

Positive Comments

GENERAL APPEARANCE
Excellent visual impact
Stood up well against stiff competition
Colors and fabrics well chosen for quilts style
Innovative use of color
Innovative use of pattern
Well balanced design

PIECING
Piecing well done
Block size is uniform
Straight lines are straight
Curved seams are smooth

APPLIQUÉ
Appliqué well done
Design well centered on block
Curves are smooth
Points are sharp
Stitches are even
Stitches are unobtrusive

BORDER
Border well done
Border compliment’s central design
Corner miters well done

BINDING
Binding well done

QUILTING
Quilting well done
Stitches on back are even
Straight quilting lines are straight
Curves quilting lines are smooth
Quilting pattern appropriate

Quilt Judging: From the Organizers Point of View

The purpose of judging a quilt show is twofold: one is to award excellence, and the other is to give critique. ‘Critique’ is not criticism. A critique is defined as ‘a critical analysis or review’. A good critique should point out the areas in which the quilter has demonstrated success, as well as suggest areas which need improvement.

Questions to be answered:

1. Consider a philosophy. This needs to be something simple like: “To promote the art of quiltmaking and encourage excellence.”

2. Which are more important?
Originality vs. technique
Quantity vs. quality

3. Categories should be well defined.
Lots of categories = Lots of winners. Usually fewer quilts per category.
Fewer categories = Ribbons will have more meaning. Usually more quilts per category.

4. How many ribbons will be awarded? Must all ribbons be awarded? Will Honorable Mentions be awarded? How many?

5. Does the committee want to reserve the right to move quilts to more appropriate categories, if necessary? If yes, must be stated on the entry form.

6. Will scribes be provided? Confidentiality by the scribes is a must!!

7. Entrants for the category being judged should NOT be in the room while that category is being judged.

8. How many quilts are expected? How much time will be available?
1 quilt = 5 minutes = 12 quilts per hour
8 hours = 84 quilts (This includes a 30 min. lunch and two 15 min. breaks.) This is a very fast pace. This also requires scribes that can hear, spell, write legibly, and keep up. This will also require the quilts to be laid flat on tables, in categories, ready to be judged. (Quilts can be judged hanging, but this will take a bit longer) Someone other than the judges to keep track of the time is helpful.

It saves time for judges to judge categories separately then work together to give special awards.

Borders: The Final Chapter Workshop

I'll be leading a borders workshop at
QuiltWorks Northwest in Bellevue WA, Saturday, February 20.

Road Trip

If you live in Seattle or are visiting, consider a short excursion to the ferry town of Kingston. Take the ferry from Edmonds across Puget Sound to Kingston. It is a short 20 minute ride that's easily done as a walk-on passenger, or in the car.

Check out The Kingston Quilt Shop. Finish off your trip with the crab cakes across the street at The Main Street Ale House.

Inspirations

I can tell what interests me at any given time, by what I am doing. Right now it is quilting a quilt. I'm always on the search for interesting quilting ideas. These are a few photo's from my collection of ideas.

A Walk in the Woods

From thought to reality.

Quilt Show

I like pink!

Easy Blocks for Sharing

Sew a nine patch cutting the pieces 4 1/2". I used different bright colors and black, but it would be just as effective using one bright fabric.


Cut it in half both horizontally and vertically.


Turn the diagonally opposite pieces 180 degrees, and re-sew the block.


Looks great and easy to sew!