Wow, it's been two months since my last post. I got in the Fiber Arts Magazine, which I'm really excited about. Here is the card that got it in...


I really love old romance comics and if you need any tips about these, just shoot me an email.

Love Me Do

Here is another heart for our heart trade on Surface Design. I really like this one. I got out the old needle punch machine and added stitches.

More Post Cards

I'm having some fun taking a break from the art quilt I'm making. Here's another PC I made. The background I already had ready. I made it quite awhile ago and now I added stitching and hearts. I used turned under applique for the hearts.

You Gotta Have Love

This PC is made from a lace heart I got in the garment district last year. I added some dyes, paints and then embossed it with Mistyfuse. The background is hand dyed silk and I added some french knots and beads to accent. You can click on to enlarge and see the embossed silver. Looks pretty cool.

Quilting in the Limelight

For those of you who love Philippa Naylor's work. She has a new book out. I've just ordered it. It is called "Quilting in the Limelight". You can't get it from amazon. But, you can get it here.

I took a class with Philippa last year and she has so many tips and tricks for you to make your quilt look great. I'm looking forward to her piping illustrations. Her quilts were so well made and beautiful. I learned a lot in one short class. I think even just for eye candy this book will be great.

My Tutorial is Out

I hope you all are subscribing to QA Embellishments. My article is now out. It is about using Mistyfuse for turned under applique. I hope you all can use it. I know it has been a big help to me in working on my large art quilt.

I don't have a link yet since it is not in the archives, if you'd like to see a copy and don't subscribe, just send me your email.

Here's a picture of a heart I did with this method and a sneak peak at some lettering..

Been awhile

I've been working on my really large art quilt. This is why I really don't post too much, since I don't have very many mini projects going. I've been working on it for about 8 months now. I don't get that much opportunity to work on.
I've been also working on a cool tutorial using Mistyfuse. I'll share more once everything is final.

I got these two great postcards from Debbi. I just love to receive things from Debbi. I'd say she is queen of stamped images:) You can't really tell from the photo's but the bird PC has some great glitter doodles all over it. Thanks Debbi!

Times Changed

I just had to share this. This is from the 1950's. Isn't it so interesting how the ideas of what a woman should do have changed? I guess it's more how it's presented. This almost seems like the Stepford Wives.

I must do "100 strokes MINIMUM" on my hair . Or check this one, "suprefluous hair on legs or under arms can ruin even the most exquisite daintiness". How funny!

Are you a "Budget Beauty"?

September Calendar Girls

For September for Calendar Girls, I wanted to move away from flowers and focus on a word. So, I chose the word time, which was in the quote. Then, I thought about what was one of the most famous symbols of time...Big Ben. So, I took the image and I manipulated it into photoshop and came up with the backdrop for my piece. I also used stamped text as well. I wanted to make a small clock out of it so I added a time piece. So, this is a clock postcard. Although, you'd have great pains mailing it as a post card...but what the heck it's my wild interpretation:)

Calendar Girls

I've finished my July Calendar Girls PC. I've been working a lot with painting lately. So, I decided to ink and paint an image. I wanted to create a little bit of a 3-D effect to the top flower so I put a little stabilizer behind it. I think though if I had to do it again I would just leave it without the stabilizer.


Also, I've started my August PC for Calendar Girls to get a jump start so I can fall back into the big project I'm working on. It's going to take me forever to complete. When I get to a good point, I'll post a sneak peak. I'm working on a large art quilt. I think the problem is going to be when I am ready to quilt keeping the puckering to a minimum. But, I've got a couple ideas. And, I think the biggest thing is quilting a big quilt and maneuvering it so you can get even stitches. But, once I've nailed this, it will be easier to do a second quilt.


The August PC was really cool to make, I stamped an image with shrink plastic and then melted it in the oven. I also used some "perfect circles". And, Debbi had this cool netting type paper that she gave me that was great for the backdrop. Send me more Debbi:)

In the mail

I received these lovely PC's in the mail

The first one is from Michelle. Such beautiful threadpainting!


















this next one is from Tracy... I really like how Tracy was able to use one of the photo's she took and enhance it.































This next one is from Carol Straus. What can I say about Carol's threadpainting just amazing. I like how she was able to achieve a 3D composition:































And this last one is from Fannie.. I am amazed how Fanny was able to achieve this hair with variegated thread.

In The Mail

I forgot to post this lovely journal page that I got from Ann Sands. I don't think she has a blog. We did a perfect circles journal trade. Check out that little tiny green circle...isn't it amazing that the edges are turned over? This was a really beautiful journal page to receive. The colors are so fun and cheerful! And, the stitchwork is just beautiful.

Also, I received this spectacular PC from Sharon. Sharon is a wiz at photoshop. I wish I knew even a freckle of what Sharon knows. Aren't those two little girls so sweet?

Love em!!

Glamour Girls

Here is a thread painted lady from my "Glamour Girls" series I am working on. Where ever you see black is thread painted. The image also includes acrylics and inks.

Postcard Holder

I made this PC holder awhile ago. It's a great way to use up some fabric in your stash.

Mail Call!

I received a beautiful PC from Sandy. Isn't it just lovely? It's from the Calendar Girls swap for March.













Also, here is another great package from Debbi. We exchanged fairy shoes. These fairy shoes are so beautiful and very special. I also love the package of papers Debbi sent. So many ideas! Thanks so much Debbi!

Wool Vs. Cotton Batting

I'd appreciate any feedback on what you all think about wool vs. cotton batting. I'm thinking of buying some wool Hobbs batting because I've heard you can manipulate it more and it is easier to get out puckering. Anyways, I'd appreciate any thoughts if any of you have used wool vs cotton?

Advice

I am planning out doing a really large art quilt. I would appreciate any tips or ideas any of you might have to prevent puckering while stitching. I've heard of fusing the backing and the front and of course the traditional pin and baste technique. I haven't done a large quilt in years and was never really good at keeping it without puckers. Anyone done the fusing technique with success?

Please help! Vicki if you are reading this, I know you are a pro at this kind of stuff maybe you might have some suggestions?

Lasting Impressions From A 3 Year Old

I just have to share this cute little picture my son did. I thought it would be interesting for him to interpret a Calendar Girls calendar image. I had him look at April's picture and draw what he liked. He wanted me to draw a flower and hearts to show him how. So on the outside border I drew the hearts and flower. Then, he drew his FIRST flower on the inside with little hearts. Don't you also like how me signed his name up the side?

Are you ready for the cutest thing? Check out the little black boxes on each of the corners. I asked him..."So, what are these?"

His response..."This is so you can increase and decrease the size." Is my son into the computer age or what? I thought this was so cute to say for a little 3 year old.

Art That Makes An Impact

What's the first piece of art that comes to your mind right now? Do you have special pieces of art in your mind that just never go away...they might not be the Da Vinci's or van Gogh's but they just stay with you. I was thinking about this. I'm sure there are many you know but there are few that stay with you. There are a few that kind of just stay with me. This is one. David Hockney's "A Bigger Splash". I think this is such an interesting painting because you have all the symmetry of the building and pool ...and then there is the "splash". There are so many deep meanings you can attach to this painting. I've always liked the "order and disorder" of this piece.

I'd also be interested to hear about any fiber creations that "just stay with you".

Staedtler Proportional Scale

I'm not sure how familiar any of you are with the proportional scale. It is a really cool object to have. It's great if you want to enlarge something and want a proportion ratio. Basically, you say how many inches you want your finished product to be and it tells you what ratio to enlarge. Makes copying that much easier. Pretty neat eh? Also, can use it for reducing ratios.

Well, I bought a few of these and if anyone wants one for $4.50 (includes shipping in US, overseas will be a $1.00 more) and you have a paypal account email me and I'll send you one.

It really is a neat little device.


I found out about this device while watching the Katie PM DVD. It really is a great DVD with lot's of information to make an artquilt