MY EARLY BLACK FRIDAY SALE

 Black Friday ads are everywhere now, some starting before Halloween, merging with the ever earlier Christmas ads!

Okay, I'll jump in with mine.  My mini whimsy holiday art quilts were well received.  Of the 10 created, only 3 remain.

Each measures 12" square and are one-of-a-kind designs.  Made with cotton fabrics & speciality fabrics for smaller details, appliquéd fused motifs, quilted and mounted on a canvas covered frame.  Finished back with hanging device.  Note:  It can be displayed on a small table top easel as well.  If you are local I can provide one.

$55 each  - Interested?  Contact me.

 

MINI QUILT GROUP

 Mini quilt groups have been a very important part of my quilting experience dating back to when I first picked up a needle in the mid. 80's.

For nearly 18 years my group of 6 dedicated art quilters in Asheville, NC met once a month to explore a huge variety of techniques.  It was a magical group and we all benefited from each other's enthusiasm, knowledge, and friendship.

It's one of the things I missed the most after relocating to Northern CA.  Through word of mouth there are now 6 of us in Heritage Placer Vineyards who joined forces to meet monthly.

None are art quilters but all have skills we can share.  Two are excellent long arm quilters and one is an heirloom sewer.  Quilters always seem to bond no matter what their experience is.

These gals are all energetic and generous with their knowledge....here's just a sample of the pieces shown this week.  (First two are Nancy's, next piece is Teddy's, and the final piece is Judy's.  She is creating 3 identical quilts for family members made using blocks from a close relative who passed away.

TIP

 It's never too late to learn to free-motion quilt!  Yet I have pretty much decided........nah........I am happy figuring out ways to quilt with the skills I have..  Narrow minded.................maybe.......

Here's how I quilted stars on one of my mini whimsy holiday pieces using a straight stitch and open toe walking foot.  I traced the shape onto tissue paper, securing it in place with two pins.  Stitched following the marked lines then tore the paper away after it was completed.  

Sure it may not be the quickest method but it 'gotter' done!!

FALL ARTISAN FAIRE

WHEW.....A beautiful and successful day at Heritage Placer Vineyard's Fall Artisan Faire. This was my first outside Faire experience and I appreciated the organizers for assigning me to a covered section. Heck I'm too old to be setting up canopies and hauling tables!!

Four art quilts found new homes as well as lots of smaller items such as covered journals, notecards, felted baskets. It was great meeting new residents as well as catching up to those I've previously met.

Thanks to Teddy, a past student who lives here now too.....the set up and take down went so smoothly.....Couldn't have done it without her help!

I'm pooped......bubbly awaits.... 

WHY STOP WITH JUST GELLI PRINTED FABRIC

 AHH HA..........  If the pile of gelli printed fabrics weren't tempting me enough......what about the 3 large plastic bins lurking in our guest room closet full of felted wool?  This accumulation occurred as a result of my book "Embellishing With Felted Wool", published by C & T Publishing.

That book of course led to magazine articles, workshops and lectures....and we all know that can't happen without a STASH!!  

These small jewelry cases (2.5" x 2.5") are made using National NonWoven's bamboo felt.  I frequently tested some of their products.  Working with their scrumptious bamboo felt was inspiring.  However after making a yellow/pinkish jacket it was evident the material needed to be stronger, the colors weren't color fast, and it pilled terribly.  That's what testing is for....to learn.  They corrected those issues.  A second jacket was made using their 100% wool felt, though a bit stiff it was a better choice for garment making.  

You'll find a couple of projects from my book here too.....both designs lean toward Folk Art's Penny Rug style.

ANOTHER USE FOR GELLI PRINTED FABRIC

 A fair amount of small gelli printed fabric has accumulated and have had a couple of fun days playing with them.

Normally pieces are cut apart and used for landscape scenes.  What I love about working with these unique designs is their resistance to edge fraying.

Fusing two layers together provided the base for some small jewelry carriers for travel or as a means to separate rings/necklaces in your jewelry drawer. Perhaps you can come up with other ideas for these little cuties. They measure 2.5" x 2.5".

My initial thought was to add decorative stitching, however no matter what fusible I used (and I tried every brand I had) all caused gummy build up on my needle (no matter which type of needle used). Remember the fabric is painted with acrylic which is basically plastic, so that impacts the stitching too.   Satin stitching the edges was impossible.  Instead a straight stitched was sewn to provide additional strength with long time use.

GO PACK GO!!!!!!!!!!!

 I'm as excited as they are.....our son and grandson are at Lambeau!!!!! First stop upon arrival Saturday night - cheese curds. They have great seats for today's game we'll be watching the TV crowd shots without blinking as much as we will be watching the game. GO PACK GO!!!

AS PROMISED

As promised, here's a look at the nearly finished Japanese panel that I tweaked by adding tuck flanges. 

As you can see, the binding is just machine stitched in place.... hand sewing to the back side will come later.  I'm saving some of my hand work projects to work on when I'll have a down day on a short trip near the end of November.......

I trust you will get a good overview of how the piece will look finished.  Untitled so far it measures 26" x 24".

 

I CAN'T SEEM TO STOP

 Well, here I go again....ideas keep rattling around in my brain and before I know it...they've burst out.     SOLD

                                   FRIENSHIPS GLOW - 12.5" X 12.5"

Commercial and gelli printed cottons, raw edge fused appliqué, hand embroidered, and machine quilted.

COUNTDOWN

The countdown is on.....Heritage Placer Vineyards Fall Artisan Faire is two weeks from today.

I'll be under the overhang outside the West side of the Forum. My award winning original designed, one-of-a-kind, ready to hang, no two alike ever Wall Art Quilts will be on display for purchase. 

View both holiday and nature inspired work and browse a selection of smaller fiber art items as well.  You can preview available pieces here:  https://marystorishop.blogspot.com/.    See one you like?  Contact me to arrange a pre-Artisan Faire sale.