Serenity Bag

This is my take on the Serenity bag pattern by byAnnie. (http://www.byannie.com/).  It was made as a class sample but no one signed up for the class.  Hopefully I will be able to offer the class again in the winter.  The quilting on the flap followed the fabric design.  I used Hobbs Tuscany Wool batting as well as Texture Magic to bring out the quilting. The quilting was done with Superior Thread's copper-colored metallic thread which behaved beautifully.  Instead of using headliner foam to shape the bag and give it structure, I used fusible fleece.  When i make the bag again I will enlarge the pattern slightly so I can use 1/2" seam allowance.  I found 1/4" too skinny.  The lining fabric which was in my "resource centre" frayed a lot, making construction a bit challenging with the skinny seam allowance.

Embroidered Jacket

This jacket was embroidered using my Bernina 830 and the jumbo hoop. The designs are by Embroidery Library http://www.emblibrary.com/.  Multiple designs were combined using the Bernina Artista v.5 software. There were many hours of stitching involved, especially as I changed some of the colors and the color order. This was a project which I had to "babysit" all the time. Many of the threads were from Ricky Tims' Art Studio line (Superior Threads.) The others were from Superior Threads' Nature Color line. The jacket is a slightly stretchy cotton. 

A Thank You from SAQA

These beautiful flowers arrived this afternoon. I was wondering who they were from. I opened the card, and they were a thank you from the SAQA board for my presentation on mailable art at the Chicago Quilt Festival

From Fiber to Fabric is available again

I have kicked myself for years for not buying from Fiber to Fabric when it was published in 1997. At that time quilting was fun, but I had not been seeking out lots of information. Now that I take my quilting more seriously and am a City and Guilds student, I was thrilled to find it in e-book format on C & T Publishing’s website. (It is also available in a print-on-demand format.) While I do not yet own an ebook reading device, I was readily able to read the book on my computer as it is a .pdf file. Unlike most quilting books, there are no projects…it is a reference book to be used as necessary.

One caveat---the book is about cotton quilting fabric, threads used in quiltmaking, and batting. It does not cover textiles made of other fibers such as wool and silk. Secondly the discussions on batting and threads are a little out of date, as these fields have burgeoned in the last two years since the electronic edition of the book was released. In the chapter on batting Ms Hargrave discusses some specific battings, while the thread chapter is much more generic, but does not talk about many of the specialized options available in the current marketplace.

For quiltmakers who want to understand the fabric and thread they are working with, this well-written book will tell you everything you want to know---and possibly more! The information on the processes used to create woven cotton fabric is extremely detailed and well illustrated. The information on how thread is produced is also well-illustrated and easy to understand. Ms Hargrave devotes a section to testing fabrics. While this may not be important for fast and easy quilts, it is important for heirloom quality quilts designed to last a long time. Although most quilters will not go to the lengths described to test their fabric for most projects, the information is there to use as needed.

For years I have suggested to interested students that they borrow the book from a library; now they can own a copy.

This is the link to the ebook (it is hard to find it directly with C & T's search function.)  http://www.ctpub.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=1659

Happy make-it-and take-it participants at the C&T Pulbishing booth

A few links to photographs of  my make-it-and-take it at the Anaheim CHA Trade Show
Fabric postcard on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
C & T's Publisher makes a postcard
A few of my postcards on loan to their booth

This was the first time I had done something of this nature.  It was a great learning experience for me.

New Year---New Words for the Year

Jenny Williams of Quiltart suggested selecting a word for the year. I chose two.

Explore try new techniques and methods of working

Challenge Challenge myself to work harder, smarter, and push through my fears and blocks.

Fast Friday Challenge

This is my first attempt at the Fast Friday Challenge and it certainly was not as fast and spontaneous as it should have been. I used a photo from the Herschel telescope as my inspiration. The photo has an "open copyright". It can be seen at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8284650.stm. I was attracted by the layering and luminoscity and wanted to try using Lutrador which is new-to-me.

I used black Kona cotton, which was painted with a mix of Stewart Gill, Jacquard and Setacolor paints (I rapidly learnt that Setacolor transparent does not show up at all on black without being mixed with white.) I had black heavier weight and white very light weight Lutrador to work with. I painted the Lutrador with Mettallic Jacquard and Steward Gill paints, and then used both a textile tool and an embossing heat gun to melt the Lutrador to make it look "airier." I quilted the background with monofilament and metallics, and tried facing it (the first time I have done a facing) before stitching on the Lutrador. The Lutrador became fragile as I heated it. I wanted a slightly 3D look. .

A few Updates

Firstly I am uploading some samples from my city and guild course. The water picture was the inspiration for the crazy patch sample, and the bars were inspired by a window at the Great Synagogue in Budapest. The churn dash was a mandatory block.

Long Overdue update

Time for a long overdue update. I am now Dr. Susan having finished my dissertation. Meantime this is a photo of one of my latest creations using Ricky Tims Rhapsody embroidery designs.

2007 Journal Quilt

FINALLY-----I can now unveil my 2007 journal quilt. The mandatory size was 17" X 22" and it had to include at least three techniques from the book Creative Quilting. Mine includes hand beading, hand and machine applique, machine embroidery, couching, needle felting, photo transfer onto sheer, fused sheer fabric, painted fabric, and a few other things.





This is my write-up on it:

The Three Mitzvot of Jewish Women

Creative Quilting techniques used: photo transfer on sheer fabric (p. 198); wool roving (p. 86); beading (p.216)

My participation in the journal quilt projects for the last four years has enabled me to grow as an artist. By working in a small format, I was less fearful about using “good” fabric and I became more willing to experiment with different techniques.

This year I chose to illustrate the three mitzvoth (commandments) which have been entrusted to Jewish women as a vehicle to create three vignettes using different techniques and to help teach others about a few Jewish customs. The three mitzvot entrusted to women are Challah (the making of bread and the separation and burning of a small piece of the dough to remind us of the offerings in the Temple), Nidah (the laws of family purity including the use of the Mikveh—a ritual bath whose design has not changed since Old Testament times), and Hadleek (the lighting and blessing of candles on Friday nights and Jewish festivals.) The acronym for these is Chanah----the name of a pious woman who prayed fervently until she bore Samuel.

Hadleek is illustrated with candles with beaded flames---as the lit candles become the centerpiece for Sabbath and holiday dinners, and a Kiddush cup to hold wine which is blessed before the meal. Mikveh’s are used after nightfall at a prescribed time during a woman’s menstrual cycle as part of the laws of family purity. They are also used by both men and women as part of conversion to Judaism, and at other times to indicate a change of state from “impure” to “pure.” A woman using it for family purity spends a long time preparing for the immersion, then emerges “like a bride” to re-unite with her husband during the rest of the month. The photograph taken by Lloyd Wolf, author of Jewish Mothers and Jewish Fathers is used with the author’s permission.
On Friday nights and Festivals Jewish dinner tables are adorned with two loaves of Challah, braided bread. Two loaves are used to represent the double portion of manna received on those days. Wool roving was braided and felted to represent the bread, and the portion burnt as “Challah” is represented by the ball and flames.