Tag Archives: Arts

Apr3

Another landscape – retreat coming!

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Well, getting ready for a great guild retreat next Monday thru Thursday – can’t wait.  I will be teaching a quick free half-day class on this super easy way to do a landscape quilt.  Being so close to the Gulf of Mexico I thought it would be fun to do a beach scene, and, I had to add one of the Lorelei beach ladies to my scene.  My studio bathroom is decorated with them so guess where my little quilt will eventually end up.  The quilt needs to be quilted yet, and, of course bound, but it’s moving right along.

Sexy Lady at the beach!

Paula and her quiltWell, if the above picture is titled “Sexy Lady at the Beach”  it stands to reason that this one should be called “Sexy Paula With Her Quilt!  It is so much fun to deliver a quilt and see the big smile!!!  Good job Paula!

Off to the Coastal Prairie Guild meeting tonight to learn all about broderie Perse…should be interesting.  Always fun to see so many quilters in one space having a great time.

Until later..BE HAPPY

Karen

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Mar28

Landscape Quilt – what a blast!!!

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Landscape 1Well, I really had a great time yesterday playing with my first landscape quilt.  I’ve been wrestling with something to do for a fabric challenge and hated my first project, sew…here is the beginning of my second try.  I have been collecting landscape fabrics for quite some time so now have a big pile to fold and put away again.  The roof of the old house is the challenge fabric.  Lots to do yet, it is only glued together so far.  Trees need foliage (thinking Angelina or snippets), thread painting, quilting, and embellishment.  It has turned out to be a fun project!

I love red and white quilts.  This one belongs to Paula and I just quilted a lovely edge to edge design onto it.  It was a pleasure to quilt, nice and crisp and square!

Paula q paula qt

Hope to get more accomplished on my landscape later today, although I have “the worlds biggest quilt (at least that’s what it feels like) on my table and quilting it.  Sure glad it wasn’t an inch bigger.  Actually it is a bedspread with extra fabric and is about 120” across and five yards – yes 5 – long….sigh!  Pictures later.

BE HAPPY…..Karen

Feb28

Hints for a great binding and Sandy Quilt donation project

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Great little quilts from this weeks quilting schedule. The fourth picture is not QUITE a quilt yet but is on my list for the upcoming weekend. These are blocks from all over the place. There are 42 total blocks donated by Mary Kay from Arizona, Evelyn from Canada, Jaynie from Texas, Mary Pat from Wisconsin, Rebecca from Utah, and Lisa from New Zealand. I will build these into a wonky quilt pattern and they will be sent to E-Quilter to be distributed to the people who went thru Sandy, the horrible storm on the East coast. So many are still without homes! It really feels good to give back to people in trouble. I hope to piece, quilt and bind this quilt and get it into the mail next week. Watch for a finished picture.

I had a wonderful time at my David Taylor class last weekend. One of the tips I learned, which I think is fantastic, is how David keeps his quilts perfectly square. Get twill tape (1/4″) from your local fabric store. Measure your quilt carefully and pin a piece of twill tape from exact corner to other corner. Do opposing sides as step 1 and 2. Be sure to pin the twill take carefully, ends, then middle, then split the difference as many times as you need to. Sew with a straight line stitch making sure the tape is right along the edge and does not extend into your quilt where the binding will not cover it. Then, measure the other two sides, excluding the first tape, pin as you did the others and stitch. THOSE EDGES AREN’T GOING ANYWHERE ANYMORE AND WILL ALWAYS BE EXACTLY THE SAME! No more uneven edges to bug you or quilt judges!

BE HAPPY…..Karen

Jan16

An Iron – Finally!

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P1030675 (2)favorite ironP1030676 (2)iron box

I must have at least 10 irons sitting around my studio or parked on a shelf in the closet.  I HAVE to have a great iron.  All along I have been a fan of steam -lots of it!!!!  Yes, I know using steam is discouraged but it helps satisfy my need for speed.  But, eventually they cry and spit up all over the place (yes the iron, not the baby!)  Well, this new iron is the BEST!!!!  Cheap, under $30.  No auto shut down, just the right size, gets hot enough for freezer paper.  No holes in the plate to leave marks (yup, its a dry iron so never any dripping issues).  My spray bottle of water and my can of starch are always close by.  I’m in love!!!!  I bought mine from Amazon.

BE HAPPY…..Karen