Happy Birthday to Me!

Happy Birthday to Me!  Happy Birthday to Me!  Imagine this being sung...

Several years ago member Linda Zimmerman suggested that, instead of all of us bringing our usual fat quarters for our birthday remembrances, we celebrate the way they do in Spain (I think it was Spain).  We each bring the others gifts for our own birthdays.

The winning point about this scheme is that one only has to remember one birthday, your own.  Should be pretty simple, right...then we never forget ;^).

The end of this month is my birthday, and, as the meeting was at my house today, I gave everyone my birthday gift to them today.  What fun!

Picture here are Janine Anderson-Bays, Robin Wolek, Gail Kotowski, Yvette Howard, Ruth Anne Olson and Carol Ludington in their vintage kimonos.  They each got to choose one from the stack.  I fell heir to them this past year and saved them for this occasion.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Using Press-Away Topping - Unorthodox Instructions

Quite some time ago, I had prepared a bottom layer of cheese cloth on which I had placed ribbons, threads, roving and small pieces of fabric.  To protect this delicate item until I could quilt it,  I placed it between two styrofoam boards.  I did not want to heavily quilt such a small piece, as I wished to preserve its delicate, lacy and airy look.  Further, the piece needed to retain its vibrant colors which a tulle cover might ruin.  So I had purchased some Press-Away Topping to achieve all these goals.  I felt this product would prevent the whole project from finding its way into the bobbin case when I would start quilting it and keep it bright and light.

With the new year came the desire to finish this quilt.  So I carefully flipped my little project onto a piece of Press-Away Topping to be used on the bottom of the piece. Then I added another piece on top and started to quilt my piece.  

The instructions for the Press-Away Topping suggest using only one layer on top of a project.  I was a little bit concerned about how I would get rid of my two layers of topping.  And it was a challenge to remove all the gunk ... but in the end, I used boiling water over the whole thing. This helped remove a lot of the topping and then I used the iron to get rid of the rest (No such thing as a dry iron as the instructions recommend, as everything was wet through.)  

In the process I gained a special effect on one side (melted ribbon,) which I tried to duplicate in a controlled manner on the other side, without success.  

Now you can't tell what all this little quilt had to go through to survive, and I just love it.  Hope you will too!

How to Unthread a Bernina 550

One of my most beloved presents ever is my new Bernina 550 which I received this last Christmas.  I don't spend as much time as I'd like using my machine.  To refresh my memory, I end up having to consult my user guide.  I particularly find that threading the B550 is less than intuitive.  Now, when my Maine Coon, Felix, wants to help, it's nearly impossible to make any progress.  While I was pulling the thread down, he would bite it from the back and watch the bobbin roll and try to dislodge it. See him here preparing his next move!  

A Different Easter Bunny - Inspired by Quiltings Arts TV Series 900

My husband, Steve, is so very fond of bunnies that I had to put a stop to their fast reproduction in our house.  He expects a bunny card for any and all occasions, and this Easter, I discovered that I had used up all my stock of bunny cards.  

It was too late to go out and buy one, so I decided I would create my own.  Then, I changed my mind and made a pillow, inspired by Quilting Arts TV's latest 900 Series.  And here it is!  

In retrospect, I would modify the bunny image to make it look more like the Japanese bunnies on the background fabric, but it was a lot of fun to make. 

Little dog - Big Helper

Who knew that my little rescue dog would be such a big helper in the studio? Although I gave Hugo his own little quilt to curl up on while I work in the studio, he figures it's best to be in the thick of things as I go through my scraps left over from frantic holiday sewing. Spring is here and it's time for a new beginning and a little spring cleaning so move over Hugo and let's get back to work!

Ties collected by Aunt Dorothy

Gail's aunt Dorothy is well known to the group, as she has taught us several origami projects. Her daughter was cleaning out closets and shipped silk ties that Dorothy had purchased in her travels. The sisters have taken ties to use, so that the tie to Aunt Dorothy will continue.

Extravaganza Part II

As Diane Wright wrote in her post on the 18th, Extravaganza was as much fun as ever. Here are more photos:

Karen Loprete was all smiles as she showed a quilt that was featured in an article she wrote for the current (April/May 2012) Quilting Arts Magazine. The smile on Mary Lyn Page's face is typical of the expressions on everyone all day.

Our speaker, Jane Davila, showing some of the quilts she had spoken about during her slide presentation on using found objects in our quilts. We were enthralled. Among other things, Jane talked about various methods she uses for binding her quilts--and not the standard folded and wrapped fabric, although sometimes quilts might need that traditional method.

Gail Kotowski and Debbie Bento checking out the items that Jane brought to sell so that we might try some of her techniques.

Lunch was yummy, with the veggie sandwich from La Cuisine the favorite again this year. Here, Robin Wolek is about to make her selection.

Sisters in Cloth member Vivika DeNegre, who is now the editor of Quilting Arts Magazine, is showing one of her bird pieces. It is part of a postage stamp challenge she presented to the rest of the "Sisters."

Guest Cate Prato, of Cloth Paper Scissors, shows us the shirt she stamped and painted with a variety of objects. Unfortunately, the shirt she wore, embellished beautifully with buttons, is hidden behind her art.

Rosalind Spann with her  piece that needs no binding. It includes some needle felting and lots of wispy fabrics over a variety of leftover stage costume fabrics.

Mary Lachman is holding three pieces of different sizes that she made as a series.

And hostess extraordinaire, Yvette Howard, explains a dying method she tried  using shaving cream.