DreamrunnerQuilts

Getting Restarted

2012-01-30T22:57:00.000-07:00

Goodness! Has it really been this long since I posted to my blog? Wow! Seduced by Facebook and the short status updates and ease of posting from my iPhone and iPad.

Now I'm brought back to blogging by the 2012 Free-Motion Quilting Challenge by SewCalGal. One I refigure out how to post links, correct photo sizes, etc. I'll be able to do things a lot better than this. So apologies in advance if you have come here from the challenge to view my January entry. I'm sliding in right before the January 31 deadline!

Free Motion Quilting Challenge

2012-01-30T22:33:00.002-07:00

Not only am I sliding in under the January deadline for SewCalGal's Free Motion Challenge I'm trying to learn Blogger for the iPad! So here goes.

Machine is the Juki I bought several years ago specifically for FMQ. I'm using a Supreme Slider. Top thread is one of my favorites, King Tut. Bottom is Aurifil.

The Quilter's Market

2010-06-11T20:40:00.000-07:00

Here's a Smilebox that offers a tour of The Quilter's Market in Tucson, Arizona, where I teach some of the quilting classes. This includes my Floral Fantasy quilt that I will be teaching in July.

Let me know if you're interested in taking the class!

Free photo slideshow customized with Smilebox

Christmas Quilt BOM Photos

2010-06-11T12:15:00.001-07:00

Jo Cady-Bull has asked if I will continue to post close-ups of the Christmas Quilt BOM blocks that she has done.

I've finished all to date (nothing like being sick enough not to go to work but feeling OK enough to do some photo editing!) and you can find them here and in the links:

http://picasaweb.google.com/shimmers411/ChristmasQuiltSamplesInstructor#

Blockbusters Month Four

2010-06-11T10:53:00.001-07:00

This was a good block to get me back into quilting after being on vacation and focusing on making Nik's baptism outfit.

For first time no consistency with the sun fabric. Instead continuity with the other gold, fuscia and purple. Since this is a scrappy block I feel that as long as I keep some fabrics consistent everything will work together.

When I get the block design and fabrics, I use Electric Quilt to reproduce the block and add fabrics. I'm hoping to get my Electric Quilt 7 Upgrade by the time I need to do the July block. Some folks have already gotten their full versions. Can't wait for the upgrades to be available! I began using EQ with version 4.

Time to work on editing more photos now. And maybe getting to my quilting projects this weekend.

Vacation Memories

2010-06-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a wonderful vacation! So many memories!

I spent about a week packing. A little every night as anticipation built. In previous trips I've done the fastest route from Tucson to Deming, New Mexico on I-10 then the Hatch shortcut to I-25 and straight to the Denver area.

This time I needed to stop in Mesa where my stepmother had some of my late father's family mementos for me. I left Tucson about 6:30 am and enjoyed a beautiful spring drive via the Pioneer Parkway. The beauty of the desert and saguaro cactus in bloom were in sharp contrast to the prison facilities in Florence.

Only a quick stop in Mesa then I headed up I-17 toward Flagstaff. I considered a detour to photograph the red rocks of Sedona but my goal was to try to reach Pagosa Springs for an overnight stop.

As usual when we travel Sargeant TopGun looks around for a time initially then he retreats to his dog bed "donut". We stopped at one of the few rest areas still open in Arizona (economic shutdown and one I disagree with) and then a few miles up the road came upon the remains of a brushfire. The median was charred and the south interstate was closed. Traffic on that side was backed up for at least five miles.

In contrast we had an easy trip to the Flagstaff area. I was on I-40 for just a few miles and saw a sin "road closed ahead". I wondered if that was because high wind was predicted for the weekend.

It didn't take long to realize the warnings were correct. From outside Flag until almost Durango I drove in the worst wind I have ever experienced. It should have been bright sun. Instead, no shadows whatsoever. The world was taupe. I could see nothing of this beautiful Four Corners area. Indeed, the Four Corners monument was closed!

There were times that visibility was less than 20 feet! Fortunately I know how to drive in wind, as did the few vehicles ahead and behind me. We kept about 150 yards separation and had no problems. On the interstates drivers aren't as aware. There have been mass pileups and people killed. I learned later that I-40 was closed for hours on both Saturday and Sunday.

When I reached Durango I said "enough!" Motels have discovered that it's good business to welcome travelers with pets...for an additional charge. I happily paid $10 for Sargeant. Dinner was take-out BBQ, some of the best I've ever had. They even put together a package of "ends" for Sargeant.

Early Sunday morning we headed out to Denver. I've ridden the route on my motorcycle and thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful scenery and mountain passes. Still beautiful but not nearly as fun in my little Hyundai with strong winds. My Accent is a wonderful car and it's gotten me back and forth between Arizona and Colorado several times but it is definitely NOT a mountain car!

When I arrived at my son's house early afternoon I said "no more mountain driving for a day or two!"

Then the fun really started ... family time! We had some dinners out and cook-outs in the back yard. Went shopping for clothes for Lukas. Tried on Nik's baptism outfit to make sure it fit ... it did!

Tina and I both came down with colds. I spent the better part of one day doing nothing but sleeping and swallowing cold medicines. Fortunately that was the worst day for me. For the first time I was able to celebrate Tina's birthday with her. My son and I went together and gifted her with a Canon SX210IS camera. I think she was most excited by the Eye-Fi card that will allow her to automatically upload photos to her Shutterfly account.

I took lots of photos as usual ... almost 600. They've been culled down into two Smileboxes. One is exclusively baptism photos and videos. The other, with this post, are from other activities.

Geoff, Lukas and I went to downtown Denver for the Memorial Day parade. We ate at a wonderful restaurant, Sam's 3, with some of the biggest food platters I've ever seen. There was an arts festival going on so we looked but didn't buy anything. Downtown Denver really is vibrant!

Several days later we all returned downtown for a visit to the Denver Aquarium. This is one of Lukas' favorite spots. Afterwards we took a ride on a trolley and enjoyed the sights of the Platte River.

The weather was beautful the entire time I was there!

Although this was my longest visit, it was time to leave all too soon. I'd allowed myself two days for the trip back to Tucson, if needed. As I usually do I made it in one day ... about 14 hours on the road. The drive was completely unremarkable and unmemorable.

Now enjoy the Smilebox I made:

Customize your own slideshow design

Nik's Baptism!

2010-06-05T07:08:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful vacation with my family! This is the longest time we've spent together for years and it was truly a marvelous experience. I'll post another message on some of the things we did. For this message, I'm posting the Smilebox I did on my grandson Nikolaus' baptism.

There are three videos at the end of this Smilebox. The last one is the complete baptism ceremony and it is about 7 minutes long. This one will likely be of interest only to family members or historians!

I have to wonder ... will this blog exist 100 years from today? Will my great...great grandchildren think "how primitive?" What would it be like if I had records like this from my "greats"?

Free digital slideshow created with Smilebox

Nik's Baptism Outfit

2010-05-16T12:03:00.001-07:00

Finished! Or almost. It depends if Tina and Geoff want to add a bow tie.

Since I haven't done much garment sewing recently this was a bit of a challenge. I did give my serger a bit of a workout and used two sewing machines ... my Juki and my BabyLock. The Juki is definitely my favorite now for any kind of straight stitch sewing!

In addition to finishing the outfit, most of this weekend has been spent cleaning and organizing. The hall bathroom got steam cleaned (love my little steamer!) and I'm slowly working through my bedroom (not with the steamer!) My desk is cleaned of the piles and there are a couple of bags going into the garbage. Time to declutter!

Sargeant and I did take a break last night to go to an outdoor concert at Udall Park. Tonight it's the Pops Concert at Reid Park. I've discovered that Jimmy John's lettuce wrapped "subs" are out of this world. Tonight I might even surprise Sargeant with his own roast beef sub. It's always fun to order one "Hold everything including the bun".

Now it's time to take my first load of laundry out and put another one in. Then watching the Amgen Tour of California bicycle race. What fun!

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T21:02:00.001-07:00

I spent a wonderful Mother's Day sewing the baptism outfit for my grandson, Nik. I made an outfit similar to this for Lukas almost five years ago. Lukas was younger at his baptism so his outfit is too small for Nik to wear. Just as well, now each of my grandson's will have his own baptism outfit!

This week I need to do the buttonholes for the back closure and the snap tape closure for the pants. Then all gets connected and packed for the baptism. What fun! What a great Mother's Day!

Unconventional Sewing

2010-05-09T20:49:00.001-07:00

Although I began as a garment sewer, I've evolved into a quilter. I'm far more familiar with rulers and rotary cutters than scissors. As a computer geek I'm always looking for ways to use my computer to make my processes easier. Maybe not always easier but certainly more fun for me!

When I started to lay out the pattern pieces for my grandson's baptism outfit I quickly remembered how much I dislike fluttery pattern pieces and cutting with scissors. I decided it would be easier to make copies of the pattern pieces onto freezer sheets, apply them to the fabric with a quick swipe with a hot iron, and then cut out the pieces. My tools are here: my freezer paper pattern, ruler, pattern weights (an essential tool for sewing!) and rotary cutter. I was able to cut out everything except the pants legs this way. I still used the rotary cutter and ruler with these, along with judicious placement of the pattern weights.

If you're making baby clothes, doll clothes, stuffed animals or other items with small pattern pieces, consider this method. You may find it a new useful technique!

Evening Walkabout

2010-05-08T19:58:00.001-07:00

The cactus are in bloom so when Sargeant gave me his "walk?" look I grabbed a camera and took phtoos while we enjoyed the day sliding into dusk.

Free digital slideshow made with Smilebox

BlockBusters Month Three

2010-05-04T21:08:00.001-07:00

This is the block done for my birthday. Quite a bithday it was! It started out early. Actually, it started like a normal work day ... alarm going off at 5:00 am. Time to relax them Sargeant and I left home about 6:15 am to go to the Cop Walk at Brandi Fenton Park. This is the second year we've attended. For $15 we get breakfast, a mile walk, police K-9 demonstrations and feeling good supporting this good cause.

Dropped Sargeant at home; one tuckered pup! Then headed to Quilters Market for BlockBusters. I'd been to Girls Night Out not many hours before and had put aside a number of items so I could claim my birthday surprise ... a discount equal to half my age. It's gettin up there!

Next I headed to the sewing supply store to get the notions needed to make my grandson Nik's baptism outfit. Then to Kampai, my favorite sushi restaurant for some favorite foods to go. Home in time for the Kentucky Derby...only I took a nap! DVR'd the race but haven't watched it yet for I received the kind of phone call no one wants: my grandson Nik had been rushed by paramedics to the children's hospital.

There was nothing I could do but pray and ask my friends to pray. "Thy will be done" was my silent prayer. I had to do something so I began to work on the block. After a while I stopped. I couldn't sew a straight line!

Tonight I finished the block. Nik is home from the hospital, safe and sound, with a good prognosis. I ripped out some seams and finished the block tonight. So many memories in this one block!

Spring at Old Tucson

2010-04-24T21:29:00.001-07:00

Today was a wonderful day for the company I work for to have our end of season company picnic. This year we took over Old Tucson, one of the top five "must see" Tucson tourist attractions. I've been going there since I was in high school. I have great memories of sharing the fun with my son. Sadly, the Old Tucson I knew burned in an arson fire (no one ever arrested). It's been reconstructed but so many of the old movie props are lost forever.

It was especially fun today as the park is large enough it wasn't crowded. A great opportunity to photograph the sights without having people blocking the views. There are a few people here and there, mostly the sights of Old Tucson.

Enjoy the Smilebox!

This free picture slideshow created with Smilebox

Velcro Puppy

2010-04-11T22:03:00.001-07:00

My sleep schedule has been all messed up this past week. Overtime and I've been coming home, falling asleep watching TV and then waling in the middle of the night. So I've been working on my quilt for a couple hours. That pattern continued Saturday only I didn't go back to sleep. I stayed awake until I finished the binding. All done!

After realizing I wasn't going to come back to bed, Sargeant came out and snuggled net to me. He doesn't mind being covered by whatever quilt I'm working on. Of course, as soon as I took this photo he went from deep sleep to looking at me. Food? Need me? Getting up? None of those? Then back to sleep.

As I type this he's snuggled next to me. A big sigh announced he was going to another level of sleep. In a few minutes I'll be ready to head to bed. He'll follow, of course. That's what a velcro dog does ... stick to you like velcro! I wouldn't have it any other way.

Blockbuster Month 2

2010-04-11T21:45:00.001-07:00

I took a break from sewing on the binding on my Floral Fantasy quilt. I was working last Saturday and unable to attend the presentation so paid to get the block. Picked it up Saturday and had the chance to get Jean Biddick's new book and get it autographed by all the Tucson folks who are represented.

With this second block I have more clues on how the blocks will be designed. The theme is movie stars so the blocks are stars. Fabrics are batik and colors look like jewel tones (blues, greens, purples).

I picked up a few more batiks Saturday. My design concept is to use my spinning sun fabric fussy cut in the center. For the star points I'll use another yellow (I have several). Blues, the fuschia and purple, and perhaps some green will be my other colors. As I continue designing I'll plan to use one to three similar fabrics in the blocks, though the similar fabrics may vary from one block to another. It will be consistently scrappy!

I'm enjoying this very much. It gives me a chance to work on techniques in fabrics and a color palatte I like. I'm also getting some Electric Quilt 6 practice as I recreate the blocks and play with various color combinations.

Cabbage Casserole

2010-04-04T20:01:00.001-07:00

Dinner tonight - very easy to make!

1 cup boiling water
1 cup quick-cooking brown rice, uncooked
1 14-oz bag of coleslaw mix with carrots
1 pound Jennie-O Italian seasoned ground turkey
1 tsp chopped garlic (I actually use about 2 Tbsp minced from a jar)
1 tep (or more to taste) Kirkland Organic No-Salt Seasoning
1 can heart healthy (low salt) condensed tomato soup
1/2 soup can water

Preheat oven to 340 degrees. Spray a 2-qt covered casserole with nonstick cooking spray. Add rice and the 1 cup boiling water. Cover.

Spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray and add the coleslaw mix. Stir-fry until limp then add to the casserole. Don't stir yet.

Brown the ground turkey in the same skillet with the garlic and seasoning. Spread over cabbage in casserole.

Mix soup with water then pour over the casserole. Mix gently. Cover casserole and bake for 55 minutes.

Makes four 2-cup servings, approximately 350 calories.

Adapted from a recipe published in Everyday Cheapskate.

Enjoy! Easy and healthy!

Cat Approved

2010-04-04T19:46:00.001-07:00

I've spent almost all of Easter Sunday, from about 5:30 am, working on my Floral Fantasy quilt. Finished quilting all the blocks (99) and a bit over one quarter of the border. Tucked a casserole in the oven (it will soon be too hot to use the oven!) and am now collapsed on the couch watching The Amazing Race. Hopefully I can stay awake for Undercover Boss. If not, the DVR is set.

I'm on track for getting the quilt completely finished by next Sunday. Mizzy Paws has definitely adopted it as hers. She can snooze on it until I call "Bed! Bed!" and she'll come running to collect her spot on the pillow next to mine.

Wishing everyone a blessed Easter!

-- Joanna

Adventures in Embroidery

2010-03-27T21:45:00.001-07:00

I can remember my grandmother teaching me to embroider but it has been a long, long time since I've done more than a quick stem stitch. So I really am having to shake off the rust!

I did manage to finish my first test block. Not perfect but not dreadful either. By the time I quilt it and add some bling it will definitely be passable!

Sneak Peek

2010-03-25T21:33:00.001-07:00

For the past three weeks I've been spending much of my non-work time designing and then cutting and piecing a quilt for a possible class this summer. I finished the top tonight and am relaxing (ie collapsing) and watching the end of the Xavier-Kansas State game (2nd overtime!) I'm pulling for Xavier since our new University of Arizona basketball coach, Sean Kelly, came from Xavier. How proud he must be of his former team!

Next task is to start thinking how I will quilt my quilt.

Sadly, Xavier lost. Terrific game though.

March Blockbusters

2010-03-21T21:55:00.001-07:00

I've been immersed in creating a quilt for a class I plan to teach this summer. Nothing to show right now (it will be revealed when the class schedule is published). I took a hour diversion to create this block, the first in the new series. Meets the first Saturday of the month and, as most monthly block programs go, bring the previous month's block in and et the next month at no cost.

I missed the first meeting so missed the demo. Rules say that at least some of the provided fabrics must be used in the block. I enjoy this more than the blocks where everyone is given all fabrics. This allows more creativity.

In this, my first block, I used the provided fabrics to surrond the sun in the center and the blue/green in the outer corners.

The Christmas Quilt - A Different Path

2010-02-28T22:22:00.001-07:00

I'm not much for doing block of the month (BOM) projects. I've tried a few but something always seems to interfere with makin all the blocks. One of these days I need to take those blocks and turn them into placemats as a charity project. But that's for another day.

When the Christmas Quilt BOM was announced by The Quilter's Market, where I teach, I decided I would do this and give it as a gift to my son and family. It is, by far, the most expensive quilt commitment I have made in my years of quilting. There's a monthly fee and, as I discovered at the first meeting on Saturday, embellishment kits and tools to make the project process smoother. I have no problems with either as I love embellishments and tools. I'm not only making an investment in the quilt; I'm making an investment in the fun I will have making it and the delight of giving it to my loved ones.

I have created two Picasa Web albums. The first -- Christmas Quilt Samples - Instructor shows block samples and close-ups. There will be two blocks a month for eight months (skipping July). The second album, Christmas Quilt Joanna Variations, has my samples.

After attending the first BOM meeting I decided I wanted to try something different than the techniques presented by the instructor. I usually tell my students to try the instructor's techniques first then adapt. In this instance I feel I have enough experience to head out on my own.

As detailed in previous messages, I recently finished a baby quilt that had about 100 appliques. I used the technique taught by Sharon Schamber. There were times I really struggled with the process but I mostly conquered it. Then I got Beth Ferrer's More Hand Applique by Hand book. While the techniques are similar, there are some significant differences.

I decided I would like to try my own variation of the wash-away applique fabric method.I didn't want to start out with the fabric pack provided in our first class, so I assembled fabrics from my stash. ood thing I experimented! My first attempt was a disaster! I didn't realize that I needed to scan the hand applique block pattern and then flip it horizontally to get the proper orientation after I fused the wash-away to my fabrics. I discovered the problem when I went to glue the red M to my fabric background.

Great learnings come from mistakes so I started over. The result is shown here and in the album. So far, I'm pleased.

My next challenge is reactivating my embroidery skills. I haven't done any serious embroidery for at least five years. If the muscle memory comes back I'll start work on the block using my fabric kit.

What fun!

Colorado Railroad Museum

2010-02-20T22:52:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox digital scrapbook

Creativity takes many forms. Tonight I did some free-motion quilting and then came in to play with my computer graphics programs and create a few Smilebox presentations.

Nothing like a doting Grandma, is there?

The Story of Oslene's Quilt

2010-02-19T07:18:00.002-07:00

I was horrifed when I saw the devastation that was caused by the earthquake in Haiti. It was a country I'd never really thought about. Vague neative mind ticklers but nothing specific. No desire to ever go there.

The initial pictures of the disaster evoked memories of other disasters in my lifetime. Hurricane Andrew. Oklahoma City. Katrina. The tsunami. Wildfires. Most of all 9/11 and my mother saying over and over again "The children, the poor children, so many orphaned."

Haiti became personal when my dear daughter-in-law Tina forwarded a message from her good friend Shushawn. Shushawn and her husband David were in the process of adopting an 11-month-old baby, Oslene, from a Haitian orphanage.

Never underestimate the power of prayer and determined people! Emails began to fly around. These orphans needed to get out of Haiti and into their loving forever homes! Fox News and CNN broadcast coverage of the orphanage around the world. Nothing happened immediately then American Senators and other government officials and aid groups began to respond.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Every baby needs a loving home and a quilt. I looked through my books and found the ideal one for Oslene in P.S. I Love You Two! by Nancy J. Smith and Lynda S. Milligan. I had made the Bye Baby Bunting quilt from that book for my grandsons Lukas and Nikolaus.

I went into my stash of fabrics and discovered I had good amounts left from those quilts. I began cutting and sewing, early work mornings and evenings and weekends.

The news from Haiti was not good. Many of the children had made it to Miami but not Oslene. Paperwork this and that. I didn't stop work on the quilt. I was learning much as I worked with it.

Then the joyful news from her parents. They were to fly to Miami immediately to get their daughter!

Shushawn asked those in her circle of friends and acquaintances to respect their need to introduce Oslene to her new world slowly. That was fine with me. I would bring her quilt, now almost finished, to Denver when I visited for Valentine's weekend. I could even sign it there. That was my only remaining task to finish the quilt.

That plan changed as soon as I arrived at my son's home. Tina needed to pick up Lukas from daycare "and Shushawn may be there picking up her son."

No signature on the quilt but that wasn't important. Important was heading out the door!

At the preschool there was Shushawn ... and Oslene! We chatted for a few moments then Shushawn tucked the quilt around Oslene and I snapped a few photos. "Send me one with Oslene and the quilt," I asked.

Shushawn did.

Oslene is beginning to adapt to her family and new life in America. The road ahead will likely contain bumps but one thing is assured: Oslene is surrounded by a loving circle of people who wish her only the best from life.

Valentine's Day Visit

2010-02-19T05:32:00.004-07:00

Make a Smilebox photobook

This is my first attempt at creating a Smilebox digital scrapbook. So far it looks like a fun way to capture photo memories. What do you think? I have all of the photos used here in my Picasa album .... http://picasaweb.google.com/shimmers411/ValentineSVisit2010#
Are these complementary presentations?

A Plea for Haiti Orphans!

2010-01-17T21:12:00.000-07:00

My dear daughter-in-law forwarded this plea from her good friend who was in the process of adopting a Haitian orphan when the earthquake struck. Please, take a few minutes to write or call your representatives!

-- Joanna

Letter from the mom who is adopting:

Email text you are welcome to use or copy:

The Haiti orphans don’t have a lot of time! Food and water is still not reaching them and the babies will start to die soon. Many have already begun the adoption process and their American parents want to rescue them now!

I implore you, PLEASE act quickly on authorizing these “humanitarian paroles” or visas to get these children here and safe before it’s too late! Every second counts for those precious babies.

UFO Finished!

2010-01-17T17:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I finished the free-motion quilting on this project and began hand sewing the binding. Finished the binding watching the morning shows and football (temporarily changed allegance and rooted for the Vikings!).

This is one of the reasons I made the commitment to learn free-motion quilting. I pieced this little quilt perhaps three years ago. So long ago I've forgotten where I got the pattern. The fabric was leftovers from my Christmas Cat quilt (still not finished ... waiting for the skill to improve more). It's been sitting in one of several UFO piles.

This combines straight line and free-motion quilting. I secured the gold border using stitch in the ditch. The red and floral blocks had straight line stitching. The free-motion stitching was leaves in the gold areas and then flowers in the brown blocks and around the quilt in the red border. I used gold-orange-red varigated thread.

I'm really pleased with the result!

I'm going to use this as a table topper and concert picnic quilt. I've named it "The Haiti Quilt" as the colors remind me of the Caribbean and much of the free-motion quilting was completed while watching the news coverage of the horrific earthquake destruction in Haiti.

If anyone recognizes the pattern/designer, please let me know so I can offer attribution adn thanks for a great pattern.

Not My Colors?

2010-01-11T07:08:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago, when I was at Girls Night Out, I was looking at the Hoffman Bali Pops and a friend commented that one I was holding didn't look like my colors. She was right. I rarely buy or work in pastels.

So I bought the pastel package.

Saturday morning I decided I needed a change of pace from free-motion quilting practice. I pulled out the Bali Pops and began sewing strips together. What a dream on the Juki! They went together quickly in a pattern from the Quilters Market Strippers Club. Just a few more seams and it will be ready to decide on borders.

With a few exceptions, I don't decide on borders until the piece is ready. I may have a concept in advance, but the final decision comes when I can step back and look at the project. Borders can change the entire look of a quilt. With this one, they will help pull out on or two specific colors. I'm thinking of a cream inner border and a blue or green outer border.

It's exciting seeing this come to fruition! And I really like the pastels.

What do you think? Is this my colors or not?

Enjoying the Process

2010-01-08T07:27:00.000-07:00

It's tax season! That means the start of 10+ hour work days. Ther's just a peek of daylight when I leave home and it's O'dark Late when I arrive back. Emotionally exhausting days yet satisfying in many ways.

After I arrive home I make a quick dinner, check e-mail, then relax in front of the living room TV for a time. Most often when the clock shows 9:00 am I say "Bed...Bed!" and Sargeant and Mizzy Paws head to the bedroom. Mizzy has to curl up on HER pillow next to me and Sargeant snuggles under the covers next to me. If I stay up any later they're likely to head to bed and give me "where were you?" looks.

My time for quilting is in the morning. This week I'm managed to spend anywhere from 15 minutes (today) to an hour in the studio. I'm finished with the straight stitching and ready for the free-motion quilting. I started with one concept (free-motion over the entire top) and it's evolved to straight stitching with limited free-motion. Maybe I will finish this weekend.

My time in the studio has been spent enjoying the process and learning the machine. I removed my speed control and have gotten pretty good at foot control. I take pleasure in committing the hiding of my threads to muscle memory. I enjoy the feel of the fabric, the sound of the machine, the visual patterns of the fabric.

It's a good preparation for the work day!

What If?

2010-01-03T20:07:00.001-07:00

In addition to not knowing how to free-motion quilt, there's another reason I've been a topper: I absolutely hate preparing a top for quilting!

My table space is limited, as is my floor space. I've tried using the kitchen for quilt preparation. It has lovely tile but getting ready is a pain. No matter how clean the floor, I have to clean it again. Then there's the agony of getting down on hands and knees to tape down the backing, betting and top. All the time fending off the quilt inspectors. I've had disasters too. I tried fusible spray and ended up trying to get it off the tile. Not fun.

Then there was the time I decided to try the fusible batting. Can you guess what happens when you use steam on a tile floor? Not good.

So tops have remained tops and I've learned the joy of working small. I've evolved a technique of using either Misty Fuse or Steam-A-Seam2 to fuse my layers together. Works great but it's not for a lap size quilt.

Over the holidays I've watched videos by Sharon Schamber and Carol Taylor. Sharon does hand basting using boards to keep the layers smooth. Carol uses photo fix spray for everything. Most other quilting gurus advocate pinning in one form or another.

I couldn't find photo fix spray so decided to take another chance on the adhesive quilt spray. I did decide to try starching my top and back, as Sharon Schamber recommends. I typically prefer Best Press but "what if....?" The worst that could happen is that I'd ruin this project quilt. That's unlikely to happen.

The spray worked well! Even so, once the layers were together I decided to go ahead and pin as well. The pins aren't as close together as recommended (hand width). The layers also weren't moving around.

I've started stitching in the ditch and, so far, I'm pleased with the results. I'm getting better at changing tension.

Another "what if?" is the thread I'm using for this project. Instead of my usual King Tut I'm using Signature Pixelles Size 30 Triobel Polyester on the top and Signature Size 40 Cotton in the bobbin. So much for not combining polyester and cotton. It's working well so far and I like the results.

Batting is Warm and Natural. I was going to try bamboo batting but the quilt spray recommends cotton only. I'll experiment with the bamboo at another time.

Veggie Quilt #1

2010-01-01T21:22:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year!

I hope your first day of the New Year 2010 has been as satisfying as mine. I managed to stay awake long enough to see the ball drop from Times Square and sip a glass of champagne. Then a solid seven hours sleep before waking. I watched the Rose Bowl parade and then went to prepare my potluck dish for an afternoon gathering with friends.

Lots of time to go into the studio and practice green thread free-motion quilting in my little quilt series.

That's when I had the "aha" moment. A little quilt would make a perfect hostess gift. I shuffled the pile and found the quilt pictured. All done except for quilting in the orange area. I added a quick fused binding. It's a bit larger than I would like so I will experiment with other bindings in the rest of this series.

The finishing touch was to put on a label. Some time ago I used one of my graphics programs to print a sheet of labels. I have had the sheet pinned to my design wall where I can quickly add this finishing touch that is so often forgotten. This was the last one on the sheet so I'll design a new one for 2010.

After photographing the front I also snapped shots of the back. I can view my work in my graphics program (I use the free program Picasa from Google most of the time as it is quick and does a good job on simple editing.) Using the zoom feature I can examine my stitches far more easily than just looking at the actual quilt. It's a good measure of the quality of my work, especially since I'm progressing through these little quilts one thread color at a time.

This little quilt now belongs to my good friend Kellie.

The Perfect Quarter-Inch Seam

2009-12-30T08:58:00.001-07:00

The perfect quarter-inch seam isn't always an exact quarter inch.

Depending on what is being made, the seam can be scant, exact or generous. The type of thread used also can influence the size. Aurifil 50 weight, my favorite piecing thread, is very thin whereas King Tut, my current favorite for free-motion quilting, is thicker as a 40 weight three-ply thread. The same quarter inch seam will vary slightly. It's a tad bit larger with the lighter weight thread when pressed either open or to one side.

To get the exact quarter inch seam I want on the Juki TL-98Q I use the trick of using sticky notes to form a lip against which I can guide my fabric edge. As I usually tell my students, sewing can be as much of a tactile experience as a visual experience. As I guide my fabric my finger tells me it is riding exactly on the sticky note edge.

To secure the sticky notes so they don't move, I use blue painters tape. This is far better than reqular masking tape as it does not leave any residue on paper or fabric, even if it is left on for a long time. Those long-time leaves are never supposed to happen but life does happen!

Give this a try and see how easy it is to get your perfect quarter-inch seam.

Taming the Tension Monster

2009-12-29T08:23:00.000-07:00

Rule #1 -- Read the manual.
Rule #2 -- Look at the illustrations.
Rule #3 -- Read the manual and look at the illustrations! Together!

This photo shows what happens when those rules are ignored. I was practicing away shortly after getting my Juki TL-98Q when the sound of the machine suddenly changed. When I removed the practice piece I saw all these loopies on the bottom.

I know loops on the bottom usually mean there is a problem with the top tension. I rethreaded the machine and tried again. Started fine then more loopies. I fiddled. Still loopies. Finally I took out the instruction manual and looked at it again ... for maybe the 10th time. This time I looked at the illustrations. Oops ... I'd been threading the machine incorrectly. Not a problem with straight stitching but definitely a mess with free-motion!

I began again with the basics:

- Changing the needle and making sure the new one wasn't bent before inserting it. I used the trick of putting a pin through the eye of the needle to make sure the top of the needle was thoroughly inserted.
- Reading the free motion instructions in the manual and setting the machine as described. The manual recommends 0 stitch length and 0 foot pressure.
- Removing the stitch plate and vacuuming and cleaning everything thoroughly
- Oiling. Lots of oil.
- Changing the bobbin to a newly wound one.
- Changing the bobbin tension until the case dropped slowly when dangled by the thread, per instructions from the manual.
- Testing and then making changes to the top tension.

Additionally, I had been using a Bobbin Genie washer. To me, the logical way to insert it was against the machine, not in the bobbin case. I noticed the top was bent so replaced it. When it bent again I went on an Internet search and discoverd a video by Sharon Schamber showing that the Bobbin Genie washer goes inside the bobbin case! Oops ... another newbie goof.

My stitch since I began setting my machine correctly has been spot on. I'm no longer hesitant to change the settings, especially bobbin tension. Even so, I'm keeping the manual close by for a refresher whenever I change thread.

On my little quilt project I've finished with the purple and am changing to green. I can tell the improvement in my technique already!

Little Practice Quilts

2009-12-28T07:29:00.000-07:00

From the beginning of my machine quilting journey I disliked the muslin practice pieces every book and instructor seems to recommend. Sure, I can see all of my stitches, often in all their awfulness, but that's not very inspiring. I also find practice on muslin boring.

The benefit is in testing tension and getting the mind wrapped around the process. I simply don't like working on muslin practice pieces more than a few minutes.

This past weekend, while scouring through my stash to find something a little less boring I came across a panel I had purchased several years ago. The vegetables were bright and offered many options for free-motion quilting. I pulled more fabrics from my stash and began to cut 2 1/2" strips. Adding them to the sides gave me practice quilting a quarter-inch seam at a comfortable speed.

The result is 11 little quiltlets. I've started working on them by workin with purple sections first. To gain speed and stitch control I'm focusing first on free-motion stitching in the ditch. Then I work on straight lines. I'll move to outlining. Finally I'll move to free-motion stippling and border designs.

There's enough variety to keep my interested and focused. Best of all, I can see and feel improvement in my control and stitching. Today I'll work on finishing the purple areas before moving on to another color.

If you find practice boring take a panel, cut it to pieces, and add border strips. Then add batting and a backing. Pin or baste the layers together. Have fun!

Taming the Wild Juki

2009-12-27T21:34:00.001-07:00

A selling feature of the Juki TL-98Q is that it can stitch 1500 stitches per minute. That's 25 stitches per second! Far too many for me to contemplate ever using.

I'm accustomed to my Baby Lock Quilter's Choice where I can regulate speed with a sliding switch or my Viking 1+ where I can set speed to fast, medium or slow. The thought of the Juki suddenly taking off at 25 stitches a second is scary!

One solution (other than hours of practice) is a speed control. They're available for about $50. Impatient as I am I didn't want to wait for an order to arrive so I decided to build my own. Plans for building a speed control are available on the Juki or Brother Yahoo groups. Parts are easily available at any RadioShack store. Cost for everything, including an inexpensive soldering iron, is about $25.

Many years ago I built my own Ham radio station. I've also done silversmithing so I'm familiar with using power tools, cable strippers and soldering irons. The speed control is simply a potentiometer connected between the machine and the foot pedal.

Putting the control together was a good evening's work and a terrific distraction -- I was waiting for calls from my son to tell me how my daughter-in-law was progressing in her labor.

My Juki can still stitch wildly but not as frighteningly. Learning to sew at a slow, controlled speed isn't easy but I feel I'm learning faster with my speed control than without it.

Finally Finished!

2009-12-26T21:02:00.001-07:00

My grandson Lukas is now four and two-thirds years old. His brother Nikolaus not quite a month. Both finally have the baby quilt I started five years ago. It's one that has hand applique and embroidery. The quilting is hearts and loops. It's the quilting that began the frustration.

And now, the joy.

I wanted to give the quilt for Lukas' birth. Instead, I realized there was no way I could machine quilt it. I simply did not have the skill.

The quilt was put away and I vowed to learn to quilt by machine. I took classes.I bought books and videos. I fumbled my way through a few small projects. I made lots of tops and that's how they've remained. Every New Year I make the resolution to finally learn to machine quilt. Every year I have failed. Miserably.

The baby's quilt was a glaring symbol of my failure. A growing collection of tops mocked me. I'd either have to learn to machine quilt or accept that I would spend my quilting career as a topper.

I focused on doing something I hadn't done before -- sitting down at my machine and practicing for an hour or more every day. I don't like muslin samples that all the books recommend so I started making placemats. The cat loves them. Leaves and loops. Easy to transition to hearts and loops. Finally I began on the baby's quilt.

In this photo it's finished except for the binding.

I discovered I really enjoy machine quilting! So much so that I gave myself an early Christmas present: a Juki TL-98Q. It's a straight stitch machine with a wide throat. Perfect for machine quilting.

Now the real learning begins!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T11:30:00.000-07:00

Did you realize it has been an entire year since I last wrote in this blog? I didn't. I thought about things to blog and wrote them out mentally. Just never put fingers to keyboard.

This year - 2009 -- has been an odd one. I was blessed to have a seasonal position while many friends were jobless. I discovered taxes are endlessly fascinating, so much so that I began studying to become an Enrolled Agent.

My seasonal position was to end April 20. Given the recession, I wasn't hopeful I could find another job quickly. I had battened down the financial hatches and was confident I could survive until the job market improved...or until tax season arrived again.

Much to my surprise and delight I was approached shortly before the seasonal position ended and offered a full-time position in another department. Wow! What a relief!

During this past year there were many weeks when my studio work was neglected. My focus was on survival during this recession.

I realized I'd better get busy quilting for the arrival of my second grandson. That's a separate story so I will end here with a smile and a wish that everyone has a Merry Christmas. As with last year, my Christmas Eve was spent enjoying my family via Skype. What a joy to see my older grandson dash around opening and enjoying presents while the newest edition, born December 5, was part of our circle of family.

Now it's time to head out for Christmas dinner with friends!

Virtual Christmas

2008-12-25T22:23:00.001-07:00

Christmas had a twist this year! I was able to share it with my son, daughter-in-law and grandson "virtually" via my laptop computer and Skype.

Skype is a program that has the capability of serving as a telephone (though the definition of phone has changed over the years) and as a video chat. I installed it on my DDIL's laptop and we've been using it since August to have family chats. It allows me to be a presence in my grandson's life between visits.

For Christmas Eve the laptops were at the ready. My DDIL set hers to give me a view of the tree and all the presents. I had the joy of watching them open their presents and they saw me open mine. From time to time their cat walked through the scene and I had to hold up "So-gent" for my grandson to see.

Other than not being able to actually reach out and touch, this was amazingly like sitting in a chair in their living room watching my grandson zoom around with delight as he opened his presents.

And I was thrilled when my son gave his wife a progressive gift. That was something I used to do ... have him follow clues or open items in sequence until the actual gift was received. For my DDIL the gift started with a babysitting certificate and ended with almost front row tickets for the Nutcracker! Seeing that was one of her family traditions and I'm delighted my son is continuing it for them.

Christmas is a blending of traditions that grow as the years pass. I know now that when I can't be with my loved ones "in person" I can be there virtually.

May you and yours have a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year. Whatever holidays you celebrate this season we share good will toward all.

-- Joanna

The Best Things....

2008-12-10T21:15:00.001-07:00

When sending a new acquaintance a link to my blog I realized it has been a very long time (too long!) since I have written. I really didn't intend to leave this as a downer with the thought of being unemployed.

The day after writing the previous post I received a call offering me a seasonal position at my employer. I turned in my badge August 1 and had three weeks of unpaid "vacation" before entering training for my new job. I used part of that time to go to Colorado and spend a week with my dear son, daughter-in-law and grandson. For the first time, I took Sargeant with me. He has turned out to be a terrific traveler!

My new job is a combination of what I did in the past as well as learning new things. There are things I miss, such as my former 4-10 schedule with Friday, Saturday and Sunday off. There are things I really, really like, such as interesting work and a paycheck. I'm also learning tax preparation. No matter how bad the economy, we're going to have to pay taxes!

I've taught a few classes and worked on a few projects. I've rekindled my interest in doing really good photography. My cashing out a a few shares of company stock (sell or lose them) at a market high gave me the funds to buy a Canon G10. Egotistic person that I am, I believe I purchased the first one sold in Tucson. I like firsts!

My delight this Thanksgiving was to drive to Colorado, again with Sargeant. That's my favorite holiday because it is the time to give thanks. I have so very much to be grateful for! Among my blessings is my grandson. You can see how we enjoyed sharing a laugh in the photo.

Driving home was quite an adventure and one I would have happily avoided. However, I know that it isn't the easy things that are remembered. So I shall always remember this as finding the "good weather" report turning into 8+ inches of white and fluffy. I thought I was being smart leaving at 5:30 am to drive home. It took 3 hours to get past Colorado Springs! And 18 hours total to get home. Despite that I was at work my regular time the next morning. It's been years since I've driven in snow. I'd just as soon avoid it, but I'm glad I haven't forgotten how to drive in it.

There's Nothing Like a Retreat!

2008-07-29T20:11:00.000-07:00

That's my friend and retreat roommate on the right. Lynda and I are taking a break from quilting to enjoy a prickly pear cactus margarita at the Tanque Verde Guest Ranch. If you click on the link you'll see photos of the ranch and, much to my surprise, the room we had! I also went on a Sunday morning breakfast ride into the beautiful Rincon Mountains. What a great time! I hadn't been on a horse for almost 15 years but quickly remembered how to ride.

Later this week I'll be posting photos from the retreat to a Webshots album. For the time being I'm focused on finishing my projects for the Fast Friday Challenge. The link has a photo and the story of the challenge.

At the retreat I regained the creative spark that has been missing for more than a month.

The company where I have worked for the past 5 1/2 years has experienced a reduction in force of 7%. I am one of the hundreds of employees impacted. I turn in my badge on Friday. So this week contains both sadness and joy.

-- Joanna

Preparing for the Retreat

2008-07-23T02:43:00.002-07:00

One more day of work and then a day of vacation to prepare for Camp Wanamakaquilta, the annual retreat held by The Quilters Market at the Tanque Verde Guest Ranch.

The Ranch is a true Tucson treasure. It is one of the few remaining dude ranches where one there were hundreds. It has had many accolades and is considered a top vacation destination.

One of the many blessings of living in Tucson is that we do have some wonderful resorts. During the summer, when temperatures remain firmly in the low 100s and the monsoon rains bring welcome respite, the resorts are a bargain. It's hard to understand why most people don't take advantage of the ridiculously low (comparatively speaking) rates. But "shhhhh!" that means we can enjoy the good life without being overrun by too many tourists.

The Ranch is known for fun and food. Last year I gained five pounds! This year, well, let's just say I'm prepared to start dieting on Monday!

For the retreat we have the huge ballroom all to ourselves to set up machines and all equipment needed to quilt, quilt, quilt! It's a grand time to share with old friends and to make new friends. This is the second year and almost everyone who was at the Retreat last year is here again this year. Indeed, the Retreat proved so popular a second section was added and held last year. At least one of my friends made plans to attend both sessions!

Last year I barely knew my roommate. We made a quick decision to room together while talking at a Girls Night Out. We discovered we have much in common and have become fast friends since then. I'm going to write a blog entry just about here as she's also become a teacher at Quilters Market.

I'll be taking many more photos this year. In the meantime, enjoy some of the Ranch photos I took last year.

Tanque Verde Resort

Teacher's Reward

2008-07-10T15:58:00.003-07:00

There's a reward in teaching that I didn't fully realize until my students started coming back to show me how they'd applied their learnings.

Pictured above is Michelle, one of the students in my fabric bowl class two weeks ago. Michelle expresses her creativity in a number of ways. I've admired her crocheting. She is not a quilter. She's not even much of a sewer. Her machine is an older Pfaff that her mother gave her. For making fabric bowls it is more than sufficient.

This week, Michelle walked into my office holding the bowl you see above. The blue isn't the traditional quilter's cotton fabric most students use. Instead it is a scrub suit top given to her by my boss. It looks great and is a superb way to "repurpose" fabric.

Michelle asked for a critical review of the project. I went ahead and nitpicked it. All in all, she did a fabulous job with this, her second bowl.

I am thrilled with her. I love it when my students take what I've taught them and then go out and experiment and grow on their own. It's a wonderful reward for me. Thanks to Michelle for giving me permission to include this photo on my blog.

-- Joanna

The Eye of the Beholder

2008-06-30T21:22:00.001-07:00

I belong to a wonderful group of quilt artists who participate in the Fast Friday Fabric Challenge. The last Friday of the month we are presented a challenge. Similar to many challenges with a twist: we have just one week to finish the challenge! We have to think out of the box and we have to work fast.

It was the working fast that tripped me up last month. I lacked inspiration for most of the week then got into a creative frenzy. The challenge was to take or a quilt and then deconstruct it. I had a small project that I had done for another group and disliked it so much it almost went in the trash. Instead, I took my cutter and had great fun cutting it apart. The reconstruction was a series of "what if?" What if I did a loose weave? What if I experimented with different threads? What if I added an inside border?

Lots of fun and I rushed to get it finished. Problem is, I rushed too much and made a horrible mistake. One that couldn't be corrected. No way. No how. What to do? I decided to go ahead and finish the quilt. Could someone see the mistake? Doubtful. Could someone feel the mistake? Possibly. Do tell ...when was the last time you saw someone go into a home and take art off the wall?

As I usually do, I took the quilt into my office to be admired. All artists like to get ego-stroking and I can rely on my co-workers to give me appropriate stroking. No one said "hey, I see a mistake!"

Now that you have admired, it's time for me to confess what I will use forever as a "teaching moment" with my students. I had dutifully spent a few minutes practicing my free mothing quilting. Being rushed I wasn't quite as careful as usual. I didn't realize I had very neatly quilted a section of my practice piece to my top! Ouch!

I cut as much away as I could then fused on a back and applied a binding.

Now you know the secret. Can you see it?

-- Joanna

Do Not Disturb!

2008-06-21T12:23:00.001-07:00

It's Saturday and I'm having a lazy day. With the temperature outside at 103 degrees at noon the energy level is pretty low. Here in Tucson we claim it's a dry heat but when the temperature gets over 105 the inclination is to simply relax. There's something magical about 105 degrees. Below that, we cope. Above that we are sluggards.

Our daily blessing is the morning. As hot as it was yesterday and as hot as it will be today, the early morning is cool, often 30-40 degrees cooler than midday temperatures. That's when we are active. Thus it was that I woke my usual time (5:00 am), relaxed a bit, then put on Sargeant's harness and headed to Udall Park for a walk. We usually go there for concerts and the dog park. This morning the objective was a bit of dog park for Sargeant and a mile plus walk for both of us. I've decided to rededicate myself to losing more weight (a visit to the doctor and getting some elevated lab results is an incentive!) so weekend mornings are being dedicated to walks.

We did a tour of the walking path then headed to the dog park. Sargeant ran around for a few minutes then we headed out to explore the park. I've decided I really don't enjoy walking along a formal walking path. I'd much prefer to wander. So this likely won't be a regular destination, especially with gas prices as high as they are today. This morning it was $35 to fill my little Hyundai's tank!

Once home I watered the garden and caught up with email and the Saturday morning quilting programs. Inspiration to get my muse going! First, however, I have to unpack my machine. Yesterday I taught a photo postcard class and, naturally, forgot to take photos of how I was geared up with my Tutto machine case, Laurel Burch bag with all the supplies and, for this class only, laptop computer and printer.

Clicked on the studio light and there was Sargeant, sound asleep, at least until the light came on, in one of his favorite sleeping spots. He looked up as I quietly retreated and I hoped he wouldn't move until I grabbed the camera. For those not familiar with Miniature Pinscher dogs, they are often called "alarm" or "security" dogs. Small they may be (but not Sargeant, he's a trim 18 pounds for his over-sized 14" height) but loud, alert and territorial. Let someone try to come to the back gate or front door and he'll make you think he's a 200 pound terrior!

After our morning walk all Sargeant wants to do is nap. The studio is dark and cool and the best sleeping spot is on top of my cutting/ironing center. That's the surface I forgot to cover yesterday when I dashed out for class. Before I can wake my muse I need to remove the dog and cat hair!

That's a small inconvenience for the companionship provided by Sargeant TopGun and Miz Paws.

When I finish this blog entry I can go to the studio and not feel guilty shooing him away. He's sound asleep on the bed now, head resting on my pillow. It's definitely a good day to be a dog!

-- Joanna

Lessons from the Death of Tim Russert

2008-06-17T09:41:00.001-07:00

Some people simply aren't meant to die. They're icons, with us for decades. We expect them to keep on keeping on. When a icon dies, there's always shock. Especially when the icon is someone younger.Boomers are the generation that's going to live to 90.

Tim Russert died at age 58 of heart disease. Like many of us he was overweight and under exercised. He loved life and when life offered up good food he ate it. When life didn't offer good food he did like most of us and went to junk food tables and snack machines. Stress eating, many of us call it, though we deny we are stressed.

Politics makes strange bedfellows and so does journalism. I've been involved with both. Both are incestuous. On one hand there is the competition to be first, to be the best. On the other is the understanding that the only people who truly understand your work and life are those who experience the same frustrations and triumphs. Your best friends can be your most intense competitors.

On his death Tim Russert wasn't lauded only by his compatriots at NBC. Every news network, broadcast and cable, devoted huge chunks of time to reporting his life, his passions and his accomplishments, the greatest of which was his love for his family. There was even mention of him during Sunday's NASCAR race. He'd never gotten to the Saturday night races at Richmond "because he had to work on Sundays".

I remember the whiteboard with "Florida! Florida! Florida!" written on it. More than that I remember his exuberance. He had a fire in his belly for the things he loved and politics was dearly loved.

Most of all his love was for his family. His son Luke said on the Today Show, "There was always a lot of love from him. We would always hug. There’s not a day that goes by that I have not known my father loves me. For that, I’m eternally grateful.”

Lessons Tim Russert left for us:

-- Love your family, show them you love them and tell them you love them.

-- Be passionate about your life. Have a fire in your belly to do the best and be the best.

-- Resoect your health and care for it. Don't fail your body for it will give you the life you want.

Godspeed, Tim Russert. Thank you for your passion and your lessons in life.

-- Joanna

8210 Photos

2008-06-14T14:46:00.000-07:00

This is the last photo taken with my Nikon 7900. I bought this almost three years ago as my "Grandma" gift to myself. My grandson was my excuse to upgrade to a top of the line compact digital camera. At the time, and perhaps even today, the Nikon 7900 was an exceptional camera. I carried it with me everywhere.

See the rock in front of the fountain? I was in the Mill Avenue area of Tempe, Arizona, with my son, doing touristy things. We came across this beautiful fountain in the middle of an office complex. Unseen in this photo are the very large jackrabbit sculptures that surround the fountain.

Here in the desert any water is welcome and a fountain is especially welcome. I took this photo then my son told me to stand in front of the foundtain so he could take a photo with his camera phone.

I had my Nikon in my right hand, lens extended, while he photographed me. I told him to change positions so I could take his photo. Not realizing I had moved behind the rock, the one in the front right of the photo, I stepped forward and fell flat. Quick as a wink I was on the ground and trying to telll my son I was OK while trying to decide how un-OK I really was.

My Nikon, extended before me, broke my fall. Fortunately the Tempe Fire Department was next to this complex and my son insisted on taking me there. The EMTs checked me out and bandaged the large patch of "rock rash" on my leg. I wasn't as worried about myself as my camera. It is destroyed. My son says if the camera hadn't slid, and the lens hadn't been forced back into the camera, I might have broken my arm.

We had a great time in Tempe. I'l try to embed the slideshow of my photos.

Visit to Tempe

Ruled by a Cat!

2008-05-31T20:42:00.000-07:00

If I spent as much time in my studio as Miz Paws and Sargeant TopGun did I'd be the ruler of my studio! Instead they have it almost all to themselves. It's their portal to the outside world and, for Miz Paws, her favorite sleeping spot.

When I enter the studio Sargeant knows to curl up on a bed on the floor. Miz Paws, however, claims my ironing/cutting table as her own. Before I can do anything I have to take a scrubber and clean off the top. Fine kitty fur gets mixed with occasional dog hairs. Not what I want decorating my quilts!

I have a constant game that I have to play with Miz Paws. If she is on the table I do a "scat, cat!" She quickly, sometimes, obliges and goes straight to my chair. If I'm piecing then cutting it's a constant move from one area to another. Much of the time I give up and simply iron or cut around her. She doesn't seem to mind if rulers, fusible and fabric gets toss (or sometimes placed gently) on top of her.

I fondly refer to her as my Quilt Cat and primary assistant. I like knowing I'm in good compay. It seems most quilters have at least one Quilt Cat!

Does your Quilt Cat take over your studio?

-- Joanna

A Different Birthday Quilt

2008-04-19T14:03:00.000-07:00

My grandson celebrated his third birthday this week. What memories! Babies need quilts, right? So I spent time during my daughter-in-law's pregnancy making baby gifts. One of them was a quilt made of Laurel Burch fabrics. (Little did I know that nowadays babies don't sleep under quilts or with any bedding. Too dangerous. Who would have known?)

This year I decided it was time to make use of some of the scraps. The featured speaker at the Tucson Quilters Guild was Bethany Reynolds. While she is best known as the originator of the Stack-n-Whack® method, my eye was caught by her pattern for a rucksack pattern. The smallest was preschool; ideal for Lukas.

The pattern is well-done, with a pocket on the inside (adult size) and three pockets on the outside. I made several modifications. Rather than cutting the lining in one piece, I cut it from two and then joined the two sections. Rather than making the flap close with a button and buttonhole, I used Velcro. Easier for little fingers.

I'm now thinking about making the adult size for me. Just have to decide on the fabric to use!

Bethany Reynolds website is http://www.bethanyreynolds.com/ She teaches at QuiltUniversity.com. While I have taken many courses there, I've missed taking one from her. After hearing her speak at the Guild I'm sure she's a great teacher.

Spring Cleaning

2008-04-17T21:53:00.004-07:00

After several years of heavy use (and of Sargeant and Miz Paws using it as their favorite snoozing spot) it was time to replace the canvas top of my cutting and pressing center.

Rather than the heavy canvas I had used on my original cover, I chose to use a heavier cotton that has a sewing theme. I removed the staples and tossed the canvas. The Insul-Brite padding looked like new. No need to replace.

A few minutes with the staple gun and I had my new cover! I'm not sure it will hold up as well as the canvas but it's a nice change.

I've also learned that when I am fusing to put a piece of muslin on the surface. "Oops!" happen no matter how careful one is with fusing and the muslin saves the cover and saves time.

Now it's time to start on spring cleaning the stash that overfloweth!

A Knock on the Nose

2008-01-28T07:49:00.000-07:00

Sargeant is about to be ousted from his comfy spot on my bed. Pretty normal situation to rearrange my companimals. Right now, Miz Paws is curled up next to me and Sargeant is on the other side of the wooden table in this photo. It's a move of about three feet for him. The wooden implement is a bed table I brilliantly bought myself this Christmas as a gift for my new laptop. (Sargent just moved. He's now behind me, on top of the pillow, where he can look out the window. Of course, it's impossible to take a photo! If I did it would show bi-level companimals!)

Back to my story ... although it's large and bulky, the thought of having a bed table seemed brilliant at the time. It's a wonderful table. I'm using it right now. It's sturdily made with magazine holders on each side. As a special feature, the top of the table can be tilted for book reading.

That tilt is the problem ... it's now securely (I hope!) taped shut.

The table usually resides on the hope chest at the end of my bed. On Saturday when I went to pick it up I didn't realize the top could swing free. It not only swung free, it hit me with quite a blow on my glasses. Neither my glasses nor my nose broke but the result was instant pain, abrasion, and glasses knocked out of kilter. I've been on pain pills ever since but my face is still inflamed and my eyes are dreadfully puffy.

I'm home from work today and heading to my eye doctor's office in a few hours to see if I can get my glasses put back into shape. I'm grateful they did their job -- my eyes were protected from what could have been a worse injury.

Vanishing Tucson

2008-01-27T14:53:00.000-07:00

I belong to the Yahoo Group "Vanishing Tucson". It's an interesting mix of people who have lived here a long time, newcomers, old-timers, and travelers. There are memories shared of places long gone and alerts about places about to be lost. Various members of the group are photographers and enjoy preserving Tucson photographically.

Yesterday we were able to go to Magic Carpet Golf to photo-document what may become a parking lot instead of an enchanting, crumbling place of memories to be made.

As a quilt artist I was interested in the textures and colors. My contribution to the photographic history is in this Webshots album:

http://travel.webshots.com/album/562280166NkBhXA

I would very much like to see some of the structures moved to a park where children and adults alike can continue to enjoy them.

Choices

2008-01-26T12:08:00.000-07:00

I'm revisiting a creativity course I first took a year ago. At that time I was wondering what direction my life might take in retirement.

While I could take Social Security now, I have no desire to do so. I want to continue working at my good job for another two to five years, maybe even longer. I'm not one to sit in a rocking chair and watch my remaining decades pass. What would keep me active, involved, and continuing to love life?

The answer, prompted by the course, was to become a teacher. Today, the teaching is quilting and mentoring Junior Achievement students. I've discovered I love teaching. It energizes me and I learn so very much from my students.

I express my creativity in fabric, beads and fiber. I'm a writer. I'm a photographer. Combining these talents is something I love to do!

The gate is in a garbage alley near my home. It represents choices ... life is a series of gates that we can choose to open or not. Outside the gate is the now of today. Beyond the gate is the now of tomorrow. The choice is mine. I can stay as I am, or I can add new adventures.

I hope you enjoy my gate photo as much as I do!

-- Joanna

I Can See Clearly Now - Almost

2007-07-17T07:04:00.000-07:00

I'm now almost one week past my long-anticipated cataract surgery in my right eye.

I was born with bad eyes. My left eye turned out and was only partially corrected by doing much-hated eye exercises as a child. I was so near-sighted my good vision was about 2" from my face in my left eye and about 4" in my right eye. Way past legally blind. My world was blobs. I learned to read holding my books very close to my face.

This was normal for me. As with anyone who has a different normal, I learned compensations. I hated the thick glasses I had to wear and was very grateful when soft contact lenses were introduced and I could afford their very pricey cost. Even with contacts, my left eye was pretty much useless. I was in the "oh, you poor dear!" category.

That changed about a decade ago when a cataract was discovered in my left eye. Yes! I was young to have a cataract! Following surgery I suddenly had good vision. I could actually watch TV. I finally had depth perception! Although I had contacts for both eyes, I discovered that I could do quite well with only a contact in my right eye and bifocals tuned for my computer distance. Because of the power difference between left and right eye, glasses only were impractical. Think of wearing a lightweight glass for one eye and a very heavy lens on the other! No way! And no need because the contacts did a great job of correcting the vision to about 20/30.

At the time my first cataract was discovered I was told there was a slow-growing cataract in my right eye. My OD watched it and finally told me I was at the point where I needed to consider surgery. Night driving was becoming especially difficult. Streetlights were fuzzy globes. After wending my way through the conflicting medical/vision providers, my opthamologist and I made the decision it was time for cataract surgery.

Most people want to have near perfect distance vision for driving. That wasn't my choice. My right eye was like having an 8x magnifying glass. When I did my handwork or beading all I had to do was bring the work close to my eye and I could see perfectly. I didn't want to lose that! I took in my "Begin" project and told my doctor that I needed to be able to see well enough without any correction to continue that kind of work. We made the decision my correction would be to remain nearsighted.

So the surgery and eye measurements were scheduled. What I hadn't realized was that for a week before the measurements and surgery I would not be able to wear my right eye contact! Oops! I've moaned about the result -- I couldn't see at close distances! The left eye was great for driving in daylight. At night or in rain, the right eye created globes -- no way to drive! No glasses and readers didn't work either. My eyes were constantly at war for near vision. About all I could do was beadwork ... lifting the project to within 4" of my face. Good thing I could spend time learning the peyote stitch!

Surgery was interesting. It's done awake with some kind of anesthesia. I wanted to join the operating room conversation but was told not to talk so there was no chance of my eye moving. Shucks! All I could see was interesting blobs -- and no way to photograph or draw them! Suddenly, a clear view of the operating light. Goodness! I could see!!!!

I have to wait about 3-6 weeks for my final results and new glasses/contacts, however the initial result is just perfect for me (though it freaked out my doctor's assistant when I could barely read the top line of the eye chart). I have perfect 20/20 vision about 12" from my face ... ideal for handwork! My left eye takes over for distance. The blobs are gone and the world is so much brighter! From about 14" to 5' I have some fuzzing ... that's what will be corrected by the computer glasses. Overall, I am thrilled.

For the first time in my life I have something approaching normal vision .... what a joy!

-- Joanna

A Sunday Artist Date

2007-07-09T05:53:00.000-07:00

Sunday I had the pleasure of going out with a new frined explore some of southeastern Arizona. My friend is a professional photographer and I've dabbled in photography throughout my life. First we went to the ghost town of Pearce. It's along a major highway and not totally abandoned, but it still meets the definition of a ghost town.

Then we headed to the Chiracahua Mountains and the famed Chochise Stronghold. While I've been by the mountains on a number of occasions, this was the first time I had gone into this section of the Coronado National Forest. It's definitely an area that is off the beaten patch and there were few people around. Perhaps becuase we were flirting with the triple digit temperatures common to our Arizona summer!

There's a wonderful ranch that is now an historic site. This photo captures some of the beauty of this wonderful area.

I was thrilled to get some wonderful photos of texture ... perhaps they will become photo fabric in future projects. What fun!

-- Joanna

The Agony of Learning

2007-07-04T08:38:00.000-07:00

If you are accustomed to reading the newest blog posting first, that isn't going to work with this posting sequence. As you'll discover, there is a very specific sequence to these three posts. I'm posting the last first and the first last. So please continue reading!

After starting improvisional bead embroidery and joining the Bead Journal Project I decided it might be a good idea to really learn beading. You know, the kind where the beads are attached to each other without any fabric. That is a skill, incidentally, I've had absolutely no desire to learn my entire life.

I bought a couple books (I'm not going to mention names because I will not recommend them ... at least not for learning!) and pulled out two colors of beads. Then I spent about three hours of total agony to create the top item in the photo. I want to stress that this was total agony! Trying to do this brought me close to tears. If I didn't have a persistence gene that refuses to accept defeat you would have heard my screaming from here to whereever you live!

Despite the agony, I tried again. A couple of hours produced the next sample. Better. Then I tried smaller beads (not pictured). I don't like doing samples so I decided I would try a project.

And that is the next posting.

-- Joanna

My First Peyote Stitch Project

2007-07-04T08:35:00.000-07:00

Where to start? What to do? I decided on a necklace purse or amulet. No pattern. No instructions. Just a folded up dollar for sizing. I looked through my slowly increasing bead stash and selected five tubes. I love texture created by color and I liked the 'bead soup' I made when I poured out the beads. I don't remember if I started with odd- or even-count peyote. I simply started and kept on beading. And beading. It was wonderful! I learned a lot about tension, burying threads, decreasing and making fringe.

I made many mistakes and here are some of them:

- I didn't make the flap long enough. It should have had about three more rows before I started the decreasing.
- I didn't know how to make fringe. I initially did a six bead drop fringe on the flap. My tension was all wrong so they didn't hang right. After creating the bottom fringe (and getting a clue about how to make the beads hang right!) I went back and ripped out (well, cut out would be more appropriate) the fringe. I added a focus bead drop.
- As a result of tearing out the flap fringe and reworking the edge, I bowed out the flap with my buried threads. No one will notice unless an experienced beader looks at it closely.
- My peyote base row for the chain was far too long. All things considered I'd rather have too long than too short!

Despite the flaws this meets the quilters' galloping horse test ... if you can't see any mistakes riding by on a galloping horse it looks fine! Being a perfectionist I generally go by the inspect under a magnifying glass for problems rule. With this first peyote project, I'm giving myself a break. I do like it and I will be making more of these in different colors. What fun!

Except ... I'll try different stitches. RAW ... isn't that supposed to be meat or a camera setting? Hm, I must be a glutton for the agony of learning.

-- Joanna

How (Not?) to Take Jewelry Photos

2007-07-04T08:30:00.000-07:00

I like to take photos of my projects in natural light whenever possible. I have a wonderful chiminea in my garden where I can place projects. The result is nicely organic and different. Sometimes I photgraph on one of my cactus as well. And there are times I put down some gray felt and stand above it to take the photograph. That does, however, have hazards as this photograph shows. Miz Paws likes to get her paws into everything, including anything I try to photograph.

So I decided to show this photo of my "studio" ... feet, Miz Paws, rocks and all!

I hope you are enjoying this Independence Day as much as I am. I remember something my son's second grade teacher, an immigrant from a repressive society, told her students: "How wonderful your pencils have erasers. When you make a mistake you can erase and do it over correctly." That's what she had her students do: erase any mistake and do it over correctly.

How wonderful we can make mistakes and learn from them. Always keep those "corrected mistakes" ... they will remind you how far you have come.

-- Joanna

June Journal as a Necklace

2007-06-17T12:32:00.000-07:00

The headline just about says everything!

This photo shows my June Bead Journal Project medallion detached from the page and added to one of my beaded cord necklaces.

I'm going to wear it to tonight's concert in the park (the last one for the Spring season ... sadness) and see if anyone comments!

And I may just wear it to work tomorrow as well.

-- Joanna

Bead Journal Project - June 2007

2007-06-17T12:21:00.000-07:00

I had barely begun on my adventures in beading when I learned about Robin Atkin's Bead Journal Project. I signed up (along with almost 250 other people!) and made a commitment to do one beaded journal project a month. I decided that I would work small. My concept was to do a miniature (about 3") totally beaded piece that I could put in a small frame.

Good concepts can turn into disaster and that is what happened! I beaded on a batik fabric fusted to Timtex. When I tried to cut the Timtex to frame size I cut into fabric edge as well. Plus, it was too small to fit into the frame! So I let it sit while I went on with other learning experiences, including necklaces and pins. (See my Picasa album: http://picasaweb.google.com/shimmers411/BeadingAdventures).

Yesterday morning I awakened and the vision of the project was so real I had to start on it immediately. The result is an 8" x 10" page done on batik fabric backed by stiff felt. "Begin" is in bead embroidery. The medallion is turned into a pin. I solved the problem of the cut fabric by adding Ultrasuede to the back and then doing picot edging around the medallion. I created a way to attach the pin to the fabric using beads. Then I did a beaded cord so that I can turn it into a necklace.

"Begin" represents both my beginning in beading and my beginning into a new era of eyesight. As I worked yesterday I was able to examine my feelings - and mourn in som ways - about my upcoming eye surgery. My right eye will no longer be an 8x magnifying lens when I hold items 4" from my face!

-- Joanna

On the Fringe

2007-06-17T11:45:00.000-07:00

This past week has been dreadful in many ways. In preparation for the measurements needed for my upcoming cataract surgery I had to go without my right contact lens for the week. Without going through the entire agonizing story, my eyes sans contact lens are severaly unbalanced. After my left eye had a cataract removed about a decade ago I have perfect focus at about 12". My right eye, however, focuses at about 4". Most of the time I wear a contact in my right eye and computer glasses. Without the right contact ... disaster!

I managed three days of work with my eyes constantly at war then took a vacation day. Four days without work. Great, eh? Just the opposite. Can't do anything on the computer for very long. Can't read for very long. Can't see well enough to do housework. The only thing I could do was bead. I'd simply bring the beading to about 4" in front of my face. That's where I have about an 8x magnifying lens with my nearsighted right eye.

So bead I did. Here's the the first result of doing almost nothing else but bead and create beaded fabric necklaces.

The blessing, in addition to learning more about beading, is that when I whined to some of my online friends I was reminded that, while this is at the top of my life's current disaster scale, so many others are dealing with, or have dealt with so much more.

I saw a t-shirt at the concert last week: Life is Good. Despite occasional bumps on the road, I am very blessed that my life IS good!

-- Joanna

Concerts in the Park

2007-06-11T13:37:00.000-07:00

Last night I remembered to take some photos when Sargeant and I went to the concert. Since I can't get Blogger to post the photo for some reason here is the link to the photos:

http://picasaweb.google.com/shimmers411/ConcertsInThePark

Pictured is our usual gear: mat that folds up nicely so I can strap it over my shoulder; folding chair that also goes in a bag over my shoulder; and the newest addition, the umbrella. It's hot and sunny here until the sun goes below the trees!

I pack necessities in my backpack. Book or magazine or beading or quilting. Necessary bags for Sargeant. Dinner and treats. Towel/napkin. Camera. Cellphone. Wallet. Thermos for me. Water bottle and water tray for Sargeant. After a couple weeks of going to the concert everything is organized and can be put together in less than 5 minutes.

Sargeant now knows that when I pull out the backpack it's time for a concert. Oh, does he dance!

-- Joanna

Learning Frustrations

2007-06-10T16:49:00.000-07:00

The one thing I wished I could have done for the author's party was to have a pair of earrings that match the medallion/necklace. Alas, no time. Besides, it's been a long time since I've made jewelry. What to do?

I solved part of the problem by buying a book (of course!) This morning I took a look, got a few hints, then made these earrings. Other than the frustration of wishing I had four hands, I managed OK.

Then I got the bright idea of learning the peyote stitch. Good idea except for my eyes being at war with each other. Ever tried to do anything when the focal point of one eye is 4" and the other is about 14"? It was a complete and total fiasco. I dropped beads. I dropped my needle from the Nymo thread. I couldn't find the needle. (My feet will probably find it one of these days.) I couldn't see the book at the same time as I was trying to figure out what to do. Why is everything always so nicely lined up in drawings?

I will learn the peyote stitch. But not today. Not as long as my eyes are having this war!

-- Joanna

Book Signing

2007-06-10T16:38:00.000-07:00

What a great afternoon it was at Quilters Market! First we had Market Madness where we were treated to a presentation about the Spring Quilt Market in Salt Lake City. Always fun to see what's coming (and what has already arrived) to the quilt shop.

Then it was time for the book signing. There was a table arranged for us and Jean Biddick's cover quilt was our backdrop. I don't know how many books we signed but it was a lot. I know that one person bought a dozen copies to give as gifts.

This was quite a thrill for me. I've been published before before but never been to a book signing. It's enough to make me want to write a book!

-- Joanna

Author! Author!

2007-06-09T08:18:00.000-07:00

Today is a special day!

There's going to be a book signing party at Quilters Market celebrating Jean Biddick and the Tucson contributors to her new book, Blended Quilt Backgrounds. My quilt, Stretching Tradition, is one of the quilts featured in the book.

Two years ago I took a class from Jean on doing blended quilt backgrounds. I brought my laptop to the first class and used Electric Quilt to design the quilt. The reason this is named Stretching Tradition is that the quilt design comes from a single traditional block. To date, no one has been able to guess what block was used! It is, of course, named in the book.

This quilt was completely different from any I had designed previously. I'm not sure if it was the beginning of my path change toward doing art quilts but it does highlight what has become my style: doing things differently with color.

The book contains complete instructions and templates, written by Jean, for recreating the quilt. (So go buy the book!)

I wanted to do something special for the party so decided to create a fiber and bead necklace to wear with one of my pins. It's been many years since I did any jewelry so I had to do some improvisation. I do like the result. It allows me to easily change the focal point medallion.

I love the jewel tone colors and will be making more pins. This is a good way to develop my beading skills. Another advantage is that the projects are small. I can tuck them into a small case and take it with me.

-- Joanna

The Buttons That Became Pins

2007-06-08T18:35:00.000-07:00

I've continued to work with my beading, following the receipt of the second of Robin Atkin's books, One Bead at a Time. I believe that may have been the first book that she wrote. It's given a name to what I do: improvisational bead embroidery.

I'm trying to make more buttons, larger this time. I didn't do a good job of sizing to the button form. Simply didn't look right so I turned these two "buttons" into pins. The larger one, on top, is 2" in diameter. The smaller one is 1 7/8". I chose to cover the back with Ultrasuede and held the pin back on using Robin's technique.

Tonight I'm going out for dinner with friends so I'll choose one to wear and see if anyone comments!

This has been an odd day as my eyes are at war with each other. I'm going to be having cataract surgery in my right eye in July. I've always considered that my good eye even though my left eye really went from best to worst after cataract surgery a decade ago. Being extremely nearsighted does have advantages. It's like having an 8x magnifying glass when I hold items about 4" from my face. I'll lose that and I'm already mourning the loss.

I've worn contacts for decades to bring me to about 20/30 vision. So that the measurements can be done properly, my contact has to be off the eye for a week. I did negotiate with my doctor to be able to wear the contact for driving. Other than that ... well, let's just say my eyes are very unbalanced without a contact in my right eye. Fortunately I can still bead but trying to use my machines for quilting may not be a good idea. And I think I'd better stay away from the rotary cutter!

Short term pain = long term gain. When I saw my surgeon I showed him a beading project and said, "I'm an artist. I need to be able to do this after surgery."

"You need to see," he replied.

"Yes. I need to see."

-- Joanna

My First Buttons

2007-06-04T20:06:00.000-07:00

My adventures with beading continue!

Friday I received Amy C. Clarke and Robin Atkins book Beaded Embellishment. This joins Larkin Van Horn's book Beading on Fabric as my beading library. I had followed links on Larkin's site and found Robin just as she was announcing the 2007 Bead Journal Project. So I joined and made a commitment to one journal page a month for a year ... and it must include beading!

Then, I volunteered to start a Yahoo group for the project. (Don't bother looking for it if you're not in the project. It's a private group for the participants only.)

Being inspired by these wonderful books, I'm venturing into the world of buttons. They are a great way to try stitches and color combinations. Great "carry along" projects too!

What do you think of this first effort?

The background is a barrel cactus in my garden. I thought it would be interesting, a bit different and allow me to shoot in the sunlight.

-- Joanna

Never Say Never!

2007-05-31T11:23:00.000-07:00

For the past nine months I have been participating in a closed Yahoo group "Fast Friday Fabric Challenge". This is a group of fiber artists and art quilters who are issued a challenge once a month to create a quilt in a little over a week. Different techniques/themes are chosen to allow members to stretch their artistic talents. Although the group is currently closed to new members, you can see some of the projects in the public blog:

http://fastfridayquilts.blogspot.com/

This little quiltlet (9" x 12") was for the May 2007 challenge. We were tasked to use only one fabric!

Before this challenge was issued I was reading Lesley Riley's book Quilted Memories. She covers a number of techniques including subtracting color with bleach. I read and mentally thought "Nah, not for me."

Then came the challenge. I read about black being a mixture of colors. The result can be "surprising" according to Leslie. So when I was at Quilters Market and saw a black batik that looked solid except for some barely discernable brown I decided to buy some yardage. Still hadn't decided what to to but when I saw "Bab-O Gel with Bleach" at the dollar store I figured, "why not?"

Leslie said the bleaching process would take 2-8 minutes. Per her instructions, I clipped about an inch square to test. No results. Hm. I experimented further and put a length in a cookie pan. Covered with gel. It took about two hours, but the result was a lovely tan batik.

I decided my piece would be a process piece. One of my goals for this year is to really learn to do machine quilting. Earlier this month I took a class from Robbi Joy Elkow where she recommended practicing on two pieces of felt. I grabbed a couple pieces of felt, tore off a section of fabric, used small squares of fusible to secure the fabric to the felt, threaded some varigated thread, and started quilting.

The result is a process piece that was a great learning experience.

-- Joanna

Concerts and Beading in the Park

2007-05-27T13:59:00.000-07:00

Each Spring and Fall I enjoy going to the concerts in the park. In high school I played French Horn and have been involved with musical activities from time to time throughout my career.

My concert companion is Sargeant TopGun, my Miniature Pinscher (trivia: NOT a miniature Doberman ... Dr. Doberman developed that breed after deciding he wanted a big dog with MinPin personality). This photo, my favorite, shows him sunning on my patio table with that "I am the king of the house" look. No, he's not spoiled! I'm sure everyone makes homemade treats every week!

Before each concert I take Sargeant to the dog park so he can run around. At the concert he has to be well-behaved so it's great he can expend some energy. We get seated early and have our dinner. I bring him treats (and water) and if I eat anything with meat in it he's sure to get his share. Then there's time to spare. Thanks to an article by Chris Lynn Kirsch "Well-Behaved Beads" inn the Spring 2007 issue of American Quilter, I now take my beading with me ... and the beads don't spill!

Chris' tip is to put beads on the sticky side of packaging tape. The beads are held securely but can be easily removed with the needle tip. I don't get much beading done, but even an inch is an inch completed! Plus it's fun and between the beading and Sargeant it's easy for folks to start conversations with me.

At last night's Memorial Day concert, I especially appreciated conductor Laszlo Veres comment that "America the Beautifiul", a traditional end to the concert, is not "walking music". It is a prayer. He said he'd play a march first so people could pack up and leave early. Some did. None did during the beautiful tribute to our country. I wrote and said I hoped he'd continue this reminder every concert!

Now to get my concert kit prepared for tonight's concert...have a wonderful Memorial Day!

Beading to the Edge of the Mat

2007-05-19T10:30:00.000-07:00

When I completed my first beading on fabric art, I simply cut my Timtex-backed fabric about a half inch larger than the anticipated 5" x 7" size. Of course, when I started this first project I had no idea what it would look like or what I would do with it!

After it was completed, Larkin Van Horn, the artist whose book Beading on Fabric inspired me to start the project, commented that the beading ending abruptly looked like a mistake. I took the project, by then named Beginnings, marked the edge of the mat, and spent a couple hours carefully adding more beading so that it would reach the edge. By then I had decided that I would mat it and put it into a picture frame.

I had more of the focus bead and batik background fabric so created Beginnings #2. The photo on the right shows how I mark the mat frame and then remove all trace of the markings.

I use a Clover White Marking Pen (Fine). I was introduced to this several years ago when I began working with applique. This is an unusual pen in that it does not make an immediate mark. It takes about a minute for the white line to appear. Unlike chalk or other pens, the line remains until removed with water or heat.

I didn't want to use my steam iron on the beads so used my Clover mini-iron. I snug the edge or point against the beads. In an instant the marking is gone!

You can see both Beginnings and Begainning #2 here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/shimmers411/BeadingAdventures

Please see Larkin Van Horn's gorgeous artwork here:

http://www.larkinart.com/

As always, comments most welcome!

-- Joanna Strohn

And Your Cat May Hallucinate

2007-05-12T19:30:00.000-07:00

Gracious, you'd think a computer expert (me) would be able to figure out this Blogger! But I didn't get to the new Blogger conversion in time. I won't go into what it took to get my account active again but I finally managed.

Mary Stori gave a workshop at the Tucson Quilters Guild on beading. While I've done a bit of jewelry creating, I've never really used beads on my quilts or done beading. I decided I would practice on this piece. Of course, I'd already put the backing on!

I decided to put a beaded border on using one of the border technique taught in the workshop. A little more beading here and there to accent foiled areas. Then I found a couple fish charms and added them.

This is a fun quilt that I really enjoyed creating. It used fusing, zig zag quilting, quilted words, BoNash, foiling, glitter and beading.

You can see more photos of this quilt on my Picasa Web Album:

http://picasaweb.google.com/shimmers411/ChallengeQuilts

2007-01-05T19:11:00.000-07:00

2007-01-05T19:10:00.000-07:00

Everybody Has Blue Days

There I was, early afternoon today, printing off the first book lines I had researched when the challenge was issued. I'd been wondering what to do and didn't have a clue. I got to the last book on my list:

The Blue Day Book
by Bradley Trevor Greive
"Everybody has blue days."

This is a small book that was given to me by my daughter-in-law after my mother died. It has a lot of good thoughts in it! I started pulling blue fabrics and wondered how I could express the value/contrast theme and blue days in a quilt.

Then life interrupted. I had to pick up Miz Paws, my kitten who is usually in the middle of my quilting. Instead she was getting "the big snip" to celebrate her coming of age. As I read the post-operative instructions one line sparked the quilt:

"Your cat may hallucinate..."

Everything came together then. I found a perfect cat silhouette in my PrintMaster 16 clip art. My stash yielded a great batik that could represent hallucinations. Although they don't show well in the photo, the words "blue" and "day" are quilted throughout the sky. "Everybody has blue days" is quilted on the bottom. Size is 14" x 22".

I'm considering adding some puff paint, beads, glitter, and other embellishments ... what do you think?

2006-12-12T07:39:00.000-07:00

My Ironing Board Solution

Several of the email groups I enjoy are having the at-least-once-a-year discussion on ironing boards and ironing surfaces. My solution came about after taking the QuiltUniversity.com Studio Makeover course with Myrna Giesbrecht. I made a storage island with four Closet Maid cabinets (bought on sale at Target). Then I went to a local woodworking company and had them cut a sheet of 3/4" thick MDF (medium density fiberboard, highly recommended in the Trading Spaces books). I wanted an overhang of about 2"-4".

The top of the surface is covered with cotton batting and canvas. I purchased both at Jo-Ann's with one of the great coupons they offer on a bi-weekly basis. The cover is stapled to the MDF.

When I first put the top on the cabinets it slid around a bit because of the smooth cabinet tops. I fixed that with several pieces of gridded shelf liner. No more slippage!

I have forgotten the exact cost of my island but by purchasing items on sale it was close to the cost of the popular commercial "big ironing boards". I use this as my cutting surface as well as for ironing. The height is perfect for me. I can press and cut without fatigue.

This lovely large surface is an attraction for all things quilting - scraps, fibers, cutting tools, marking tools, and, on a frequent basis, Miz Paws and Sargeant Top Gun. Yep, puppy paws as well as kitty paws! The only time it is as pristine as this photo is when I took the photo several years ago!

To see more photos of my studio makeover, please click here.

2006-12-07T05:48:00.000-07:00

Cards for "A Recovering American Soldier"

I received the following message from my Miniature Pinscher list this morning. I had made an extra holiday postcard for a swap I am in ... this seems like a good place to send it!

Please join me in honoring these brave men and women:

'm sure many of you are currently writing cards to friends and family. If you can, please send an extra one (or 10, or 20) to our American military heroes who are recuperating from wounds this Christmas Season. Please enclose a short note thanking them for their service and personal sacrifice. They are the protectors of our freedom, we must let them know. Your small act of kindness will be greatly appreciated.

Here's the address...

A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20307-5001

2006-12-03T11:07:00.000-07:00

This tutorial covers how to back a fabric postcard with heavy weight (140 lb) artist's paper, such as Strathmore Watercolor Cold Press. I do not cover how to design or create postcards as there are a number of excellent tutorials and books available on those subjects.

I began creating my textile postcards with a fabric back. They felt too floppy so I tried using Timtex . This made the cards too thick for my taste. I finally experimented with watercolor paper and have settled on that as my preferred photo backing method.

Materials Needed
Fabric postcard, quilted and embellished, with batting as desired
140 lb artist's watercolor paper such as Strathmore
Fusible web, such as Steam-A-Seam2
Applique pressing sheet, parchment paper or fusible release paper
Rotary cutter with paper blade (no longer used to cut fabric)
Steam Iron
Pressing cloth
Cutting mat, quilter's rule and rotary cutter
Sewing machine and thread.

When you create your fabric postcard make the design size at least 1/4" larger than the finished 4" x 6" standard postcard size. This allows space for the trimming you will do when adding the fusible.

I prefer to use Steam-A-Seam2 fusible for my postcards. I have used WonderUnder, MistyFuse, and liquid fusibles as well. While they are all excellent products, I find Steam-A-Seam2 best for applying the paper postcard back.

Cut the Steam-A-Seam about 1/4" larger than the postcard on all sides. Cover your ironing surface with a no-stick applique pressing sheet, parchment paper, or fusible release paper left over from another project. Place the Steam-A-Seam2 fusible side down on your postcard back and press for a few seconds with your iron. Let the postcard and backing cool completely before removing the backing. If the fusible separates from the postcard, press again for a few moments and make sure it is completely cooled before separating the release paper.

When the backing has been separated from the postcard, place the postcard fusible side down on a the artist's paper. Cut the watercolor paper about 1/2" larger than the postcard on all sizes. If using a small pad of watercolor paper, use the full sheet of paper.

Use a pressing cloth over the postcard when embellishments have been added. I press both sides of the card, fabric side first. Take care to press the card side for only a few seconds. If pressed with steam too long the paper can become warped. If this happens, place the postcard under a heavy book and let the card cool completely. Do not handle the card until it has cooled.

Using a rotary cutter with a paper blade (an old rotary cutter with a used or nicked fabric blade is great to keep on hand for this purpose) trim the postcard to 4" x 6" in size.

Depending on the design, I use either a sewn or fused binding. For this demonstration card, I used a sewn binding. Do not use a satin stitch for binding when you use a card backing. If you do the close stitching will cut the card and may cause it to fall out! For fused bindings, you can sew around the edge of the binding to secure it to the card if desired. I don't bother with the sewing ... I simply fuse.

When the card is completed, turn it over and add your name and date. Now it's ready to address and mail. I always use a regular letter rate stamp just in case the post office gets fussy.

I hope you have enjoyed this short tutorial on using heavy artist's watercolor paper to back your fabric and textile postcards. I welcome your comments!

Welcome!

2006-12-02T08:20:00.000-07:00

Thanks for coming along with me on my adventures in quilting and textile art!