Tuesdays with Linda

I am so excited!  We are dedicating every Tuesday night after club to some form of quilting lesson!  This coming Tuesday will kick off our Fiber Fun series.  In Fiber Fun we will explore some contemporary and mixed media techinques to enhance and embellish your quilts.  We will start out by using Karen Linduska’s book, Your Machine’s Decorative Stitches, and our first project will be Marshland #1

 

Marshland #1

  

It will be fun to learn new ways to use those built-in stitches in our machines to create botanical images.  The best part is that you don’t have to be a quilter to enjoy this class.  In fact, you can be newbie to your machine, and still experience success with Karen’s methods!  It is a super way to become familiar with your machine’s different functions and opportunities for creativity!

Fiber Fun will continue every other month, always on the Tuesday after club!

I can’t wait to share with you what I have learned,  Linda B.

Proud as a Peacock!

I just had to share with you photos from our Nature Inspired Quilting Motifs class.   This class was designed to build on the skills that they learned in the Meandering Methods machine quilting class. 

 

 

                                                                                 I think they did a fabulous job, and of course I am as proud as a peacock about the results! 

 What is it you want to learn in 2012? 

                                                        Waiting to hear from you, Linda B.

Wings and Feathers is Bold and Beautiful!

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It is funny how a quilt can catch your attention.  I was priveledged to see this quilt at the AQS Show in Paducah, and then again in Houston.  However, it was at Houston that I was able to meet and interview the creator of this fabulous piece! 

His name is Mark Sherman, and he is a quilt artist, teacher, lecturer, and award winning quilter.  This quilt, Wings and Feathers, was completed in 2009.  It features turned edge machine applique, it is machine pieced, and uses all hand dyed, and marbled  fabric that Mark did in his own home.  Even though he has only been long arm quilting for just over a year, this piece is remarkable and includes all his original designs.  Something that got my attention was his use of crystals that added a new dimension to the richly colored fabrics.  

He has put over 3,000 hours into this quilt.  That effort was recognized in Paducah, where he received first place in the AQS Bed Quilts, Long Arm Quilted, and the Viewer’s Choice Award at the same show.  This quilt will also be featured in the AQS Wall Calendar for 2011.

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Isn’t it amazing how we get into quilting? Rumor has it that he owns several Bernina sewing machines, however if his wife is reading this, it is just one!

 By the way, this quilt was the cover quilt on the July 2010 issue of American Quilter magazine!  See more of Mark’s amazing quilts at www.remarkablequilts.com!

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Considering the possibilities of hand dyed fabric,  Linda B.

What Motivates You?

For those of you who are not aware of it, I am not a morning person, not at all!   However, there was a time when I could be pursuaded to jump out of bed before 7:00 a.m., grab a cup of coffee, and be emersed in quilting.  It was HGTV’s, Simply Quilts hosted by Alex Anderson that motivated me in the mornings.  So imagine my excitement to be able to meet her in Houston, at the International Quilt Festival!

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If you are too young to remember, Simply Quilts, perhaps you will recognize her from one of her many books that she has written.  There are 30 of them, selling near 1 million copies world wide.  She is a national spokesperson for Bernina of America, a promotional partner with AccuQuilt’s GO!, a fabric designer with P&B Textiles, and threads with Superior Threads.  She is a founding partner of The QuiltShow.com, and is a co-host of “The Quilt Show with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims”.

This lady knows quilting.  So I asked what her advice would be to someone new to quilting.

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You can find out more about Alex on her website, www.alexandersonquilts.com or check out TheQuiltShow.com.

Incidentally, Alex was the person that got my friend, Sheri, interested in quilting.  Thank you!  Now I have someone to share this passion with.

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Perhaps I should have asked how do I get into the business of interviewing wonderful quilters full-time,  Linda B.

Expert Advice For Those Interested in Machine Embroidery

I admit that the reason I even purchased the machine embroidery unit to my sewing machine was because my husband urged me to do so.  I was truly just interested in the Bernina Sitch Regulator(BSR).  However, I was so busy learning how to use the embroidery unit, and having so much fun, I didn’t even open the BSR for about a year and a half after the purchase! 

So imagine my delight when I met up with Jenny Haskins at the International Quilt Festival!  She is the Editor of the magazine, Creative Expressions, which features machine embroidery and quilting ideas and techniques.  Jenny has also edited and authored several books, created award winning quilts, taught her techniques to others in her-Jenny Haskin’s Accreditation Academy, recently released her own Premier fabric range-When Dreams Flower,and so much more!

Watch as she gives her advice to someone who is new to machine embroidery.

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The book that contains the technique that she describes is called, Jenny’s Heritage , by Jenny Haskins.  If you need a copy, contact Zede’s Sewing Studio and they will get you one!

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Jenny has a website at www.jennyhaskins.com  where you can get a glimpse into all the remarkable things she has done!

Exploring machine embroidery,  Linda B.

Here We Go Again!

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My friend, Sheri, and I traveled South, to Houston, TX, to the International Quilt Festival.  It was the first time that either of us had attended, and we set out to make the most of our experience!

We did enjoy the vendors, and have brought back some products and techniques to share with you.  So be on the watch for new activity at the shop. 

It goes without saying that the quilts were absolutely fabulous!

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I did manage to gather a few interviews with show participants and vendors.  You know how we love to keep you in touch with the Superstars of Sewing and Quilting.   So keep an eye on the blog–we hope to get them up real soon.

Your weary traveler, Linda B.

On The Road Again!

This is the time of the year when many of us find ourselves traveling to visit family and friends.  If you are like me, you can easily be sidetracked to see a few local attractions along the way!  As often as I can–which translates into when I can get the guys to stop, I visit sewing and quilting stores along the way to our destination.

This year I was able to repeat some of my favorite places, and explore some new ones!

Early in July we found ourselves heading towards Atlanta, Georgia. Fortunately for me we went through Paducah, Kentucky.  Of course we had to stop at Hancock’s of Paducah–I was looking for a particular green fabric that I needed to teach my photo transfer workshop.   (Or so my husband believes.)

In August , Zede, Joanne, and myself found ourselves heading to the Chicago area for Bernina’s Version 6 training.  When they suggested checking out Vogue Fabrics, how could I refuse?  I was very motivated to purchase a variety of knits, since I had just taken Zede’s T-shirt workshop.

Then in September, we found ourselves heading North to visit relatives.  Imagine how surprised I was to find out how close Beaver Dam was to Madison, Wisconsin! What was really advantageous was that the van needed an oil change, and so I had an hour to spend shopping and dreaming in Nancy’s Notions Retail store.  By the way, if you are ever in the area say hello to Judy Inman, she took excellent care of me!

Then on our way home, I was surprised at how close New London, Wisconsin was to the Chicago area–so we made a slight detour to Vogue Fabrics again!

Last weekend I was back in Nebraska to help relatives celebrate their anniversary.  So I called up a friend, in Grand Island, Nebraska, who is learning to quilt.  She went with me to a local grocery/variety store, called Skagway, that happens to carry fabric, and to the quilt shop, Material Girl.   We were able to share ideas and techniques as we shopped together.  Some how, I did most of the buying!

While it is always nice to stop when it is just the guys and I, shopping with a friend is always more fun! It is good to be home, but now I have stacks of projects waiting for me to find some time to work on them.   It is a good thing that there are tons of creative ideas at Zede’s Sewing Studio.  It will definately help me work through my piles until my next trip!

Let us know if you have a favorite place to stop on your travels–you might help me plan our next family vacation!

Safe Traveling,

Linda B.

Threads of a Different Color

I don’t know about you, but I could stare at a thread display for hours!  I love the arrangement, the blends, even the sparkles of the different threads.  Ever wonder how they come up with the multitude of thread colors available to us?  Check out my interview with Heather Purcell, also known as ”Mother Superior”, the creative force in charge of coming up with the thread colors for Superior Threads.

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Still on the Road!  Linda B.

Be Fearless As a Fiber Artist

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When we were in Paducah at the American Quilter’s Society Quilt Show and Contest, we took a moment to speak with Karen Linduska.  Karen is a fiber artist that was recently a guest on the Sewing With Nancy series.  Nancy Zieman and Karen co-authored a book, Decorative Stitch Thread Painting and produce a companion dvd to go along with it.  Her quilts have also been on the cover of Quilting Arts magazine!

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I personally was in a class that Karen offered at last years Baby Lock Tech and had a blast discovering new uses for the most standard of stitch patterns.  My project is pictured next to her book.  If you are wondering, yes, she does use a Baby Lock sewing machine to do her decorative stitch thread painting on her quilts and wall hangings.

Gone South, Linda B.

You Can Quilt a Large Quilt With Your Home Machine!

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I was really excited to meet Susan Brubaker Knapp at the AQS show in Paducah.  First off she is a fiber artist, quilt pattern designer,  and teacher.  She is also a columnist for the Quilting Arts Magazine.  Her peacock feather quilt is on the cover of the current Quilting Arts magazine, along with a great article, “Focus On Line”.  Those of you who know me well, understand my instant desire to meet her–I’m kind of into peacocks myself!

What I was really excited to learn was that she had a quilt, “Pink Petal Party“, that was a semi-finalist in the AQS show.  Best of all, she did all her machine quilting on her Bernina sewing machine.  She is eager to point out that you don’t have to send your quilts out to a long-arm quilter.  Many of us have a machine that can do the same quality of quilting, as long as we are willing to learn the techniques for quilting with your home machine.  Check out the interview in front of her quilt.

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Susan also has a book, Applique Petal Party,  that features this quilt.  If you are interested in developing those machine quilting skills, be sure to check out my class on Meandering Methods!

Still Passionate about Peacocks!  Linda B.