PACKERS WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Packers WIN!!! AND the Turkey wins (if you weren't the turkey!!).

AND our Japanese milk bread pull apart rolls (new to me) were delicious too. Family holidays are the best!!

Gobble, gobble to all....

TURKEY DAY & THE PACKERS

Growing up 45 mins. from Lambeau Field made me a life long Packer fan......Thanksgiving Day activities always revolved around the TV since the Packers generally played the Lions each year. 

 So with the 19# Spatchcock turkey brined and in the oven....we will be glued to the big screen and cheering on our team.   GO PACK GO!!

 

ETERNAL JAPAN - NEW ART QUILT

 I've been working on a number of pieces that are now finished all at once! I'd been saving the finishing details of hand sewing the binding and hanging sleeve to do during my recent trip.

Check out my gallery shop for all the current available art quilts.

ETERNAL JAPAN

26” x 24”

Japanese cotton, featuring manipulated twisted flange inserts, 

Machine quilted, double fold binding, hanging sleeve attached.

NEW WORK FOR GIFT GIVING

 

MODERN PARALLEL LINES - 22" X 21

$199 - free shipping US destinations

Felted wool motifs, batik cotton, densely stitched with variegated rayon thread.  Double fold binding, hanging sleeve attached.

NEW FOOD EXPERIENCE

 For some of you......I can already hear you laughing.......BUT what the heck do you expect from a Wisconsin Cheesehead?  Yes, I'm an accomplished cook but definitely not in this category.  I thought at first I'd starve because I decided I was going to use chop sticks no matter what....despite being given a sissy fork.  It was sloppy going but I did it!

We had dinner in an authentic Ramen Noodle restaurant......beyond delicious....everything was excellent and like every place I've been the last couple of days.....it was packed with customers.  https://www.taishancuisine2288.com/

I'VE GONE URBAN

 Never Ever did I expect to agree to this.....my first ride in a Waymo.  They are everywhere in SF......and I mean everywhere....  Of course I did a short video as a farewell in case I didn't survive.....I can't get it to load here but jump over to my Facebook page to view it.

Honestly, it was a weird experience but less scary being in a driverless car than to see one on the street.     https://www.facebook.com/mary.theobald.stori

FELT SCRAPS

With several bins of felted wool and bamboo/rayon felt my attention is now directed to utilizing some these pricey fabrics.  

I decided to concentrate on the smallest pieces to begin with by combining cohesive colors. After playing with placement for longer than it should have taken....it became apparent common sizing and shapes would work best.

#1. A simplistic Modern layout was the result.  

#2.  Next the pieces were accurately placed and held in position with 505 Glue Stick, rather than cutting a fusible product for each piece. Note the use of painter's tape to aid in measuring and help in guiding stitched lines.

#3. I had the perfect variegated thread but it was only a sample spool.....concerned about running out I chose to stitch over the felt pieces first....just in case.  (Sorry for the poor photo)

#4.  I continued filling in across all the empty spaces by stitching a center line.  Then I went back and did two lines on either side of that.  As feared it became clear there wasn't enough thread to finish. The hunt was on for another thread to complement the initial one.  To my surprise, I had an almost full spool of a Sulky Rayon variegated thread that was nearly identical.  This thread was thinner but because now it would be used to fill in the rest of the unstitched areas it blended perfectly.

FYI - By evenly spreading out the stitching of my #1 thread, my plan B (in case I ran too low to finish the entire piece) was to use either a transparent thread or another compatible lighter solid color.  I hadn't even looked at my stash of variegated threads for back up until it became necessary.  DAH....

Basically I was playing chicken with thread!!

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.

SOLD

 

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!!!