Sewing Room Straightening!

It's a very cool and drizzly Memorial Day Weekend here in the upper central USA, so in lieu of camping today, I've gotten after my sewing room...

Here's today's results - let me know what you think or your suggestions, please :-)  I appreciate all suggestions!

Sewing room closet...hmmmm....what could be behind the curtain?

My light-weight Janome Jem Gold with extension table and lighting to the left sitting on a 

4" table from Sam's Club with a small white cabinet/extension table with four drawers to the right with a 

Quilter's Cut 'n Press on top.  

A close-up on the right

...and one to the left

I decided to go with a blue version to cover the newly built cabinet and forego the doors (which are put to good use somewhere else)

This new cabinet holds batting, UFOs, scrap bins and backings - that's a lotta bang for the buck!

I hung up my rulers with small hanging nails alongside the new cabinet.

Even behind the door, space has been utilized.

A girl's gotta have a radio and a TV, right?  Today I was watching the 2011 Paducah quilter's DVD.  I also have DVDs from Nancy Zieman, Eleanore Burns and several fmq'ers.  The dresser that the TV and radio are sitting on is filled with yardage, AccuQuilt dies, Nancy Zieman quilting and purse-making templates and drawing materials to practice for fmq.

Do you spot the two unused cabinet doors to the left?

Lots going on over here.  Scrapbooking, lightbox, patterns, sewing box and cutting mat rest atop a wheeled metal shelving unit from Target.  There are five containers of my favorite magazines including McCall's and Thread's, among others.  Underneath are more scrapbooking supplies and knitting supplies!

I converted a small, wooden TV table ($8 from WalMart) into a pressing board.  The sewing cabinet holds my Pfaff Quilt Expression 4.0 and also my Brother serger.  To the left is my 12x12 rotating cutting board which has come in so handy for piecing!  I don't know what I'd do without that handy board.

There's one more corner to share...

My favorite quilting books including the Freshman-Senior Year of the Harriet and Carriet Hargrave Quilter's Academy, and many more of my favorite FMQ books plus a baby quilt that needs binding resting atop several binders which need filling - I love to fill binders with free patterns I find and the largest binders will hold my FMQ examples.  These sit atop a folded down cutting table with two drawers.  The table is on wheels and can be moved to the center of the room when finishing a quilt or cutting large pieces.  The wall behind it is left bare to utilize as a design wall when needed.

After three years of quilting, this is where I am - finally!

My goal was to have a space to create, sew, draw, design, etc. and I've got it :-)

Of course, it'll never been completely finished!  Leaving a comment for me will make my day :-)

I've linked up this post to:

https://www.facebook.com/NancyZieman

and

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Machine-Quilting-by-Angela/118914029337

Happy Sewing and Creating,

@

Free Motion Quilting with Angela Walters - book review!

Having studied free motion quilting (fmq) for the past two and a half years, I am very impressed with the seemingly young-looking Angela Walters' work.  She began with traditional fmq using a long-arm, but these modern techniques apply also to home sewing machines.  This latest will release from C&T Publishing on July 16, 2012.


This book will get you ready to quilt the modern way!  To me, the Pfaff company's designs look so beautifully modern and they appeal to me greatly, but having had only the chance to study traditional machine quilting before, I felt overwhelmed.  

Impressions from International Quilt Festival 2011

CREATE YOUR STYLE ART QUILTING DESIGN CONTEST 2012

FROM 2012/01/01 UNTIL 2012/06/01

Zoom

“Be inspired by the Sound of SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS” and enter the first CREATE YOUR STYLE Art Quilting Design Contest!

We celebrated our return to the International Quilt Festival 2011 with the kick-off of the first ever CREATE YOUR STYLE Art Quilting Design Contest for 2012 – “Be inspired by the sound of SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS”. Taking inspiration from the world of music, contestants are required to design an original quilt using SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS to express their own personal design theme.

A jury of leading industry experts will judge the quilts on the creativity and uniqueness of the design, the successful incorporation of SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS into the quilt, the quality of the workmanship and overall presentation. All applications must be submitted by June 1, 2012, after which a short list of 30 semifinalists will be chosen and, in the end, only 10 finalists will be selected. The finalists will be invited to attend the 2012 Quilt Festival where the jury will announce the top three winners. A substantial cash award as well as an extensive selection of SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS await the winner and the first and second runners-up. In addition, Swarovski’s sewing machine sponsor for this contest, PFAFF, will award a state-of-the-art sewing machine to each of the three winning participants.

For details please refer to the Design Contest leaflet (download here).

REGISTER HERE

--I can't wait to see what this year's original designs look like!  Can you imagine winning a contest like this?  I really believe that I would need to study Angela Walter's designs very seriously to be considered a contestant.

Ms. Walter's book; however, divided into three sections, will motivate, instruct and inspire you to branch out into the new world of modern quilting.  Through the use of many color photos, you will see how her designs can work for wonky, strip, square and quilts with negative space.  Her blog is http://quiltingismytherapy.com/  Her new book is a very interesting and worth-while addition to the quilting world!  

Are you ready to "branch out" into modern quilts?  What is your opinion?  Please leave your comments here. I truly appreciate the time you take to do this.

SewCalGal is hosting Angela Walters in July!  I can't wait!!  If you haven't joined the 2012 FMQ Challenge yet, you can still do so...just check it out HERE.

Happy Memorial Day 

and Best Wishes,

@

Magazine Reviews galore! Two magazines you NEED

For me, interactive magazines are what makes a magazine worth purchasing, reading and utilizing.  Here are two excellent examples for us quilters:

1.  Sew News June/July 2012

This is great!  If you use a machine to do your quilting, "Sew News" can be a great way to expand your sewing machine techniques and there are some articles directly pertaining to quilting, too.

Interactive is what this magazine is all about!

Join the sewing district forum for free....there's so much variety, great tips, free patterns and you can see  the work of others for inspiration and share your hard work!


sewingdistrict.com/free-sewing-patterns
facebook.com/sewnews
twitter.com/sewnews
pinterest.com/sewnews

You can win prizes for your project(s):
sewingdistrict.com/project-gallery

You can 'meet' interesting people:
lucyblairehandmade.com
oliverands.com/blog
stepalica.blogspot.com
laboursoflove.com
sharonsews.blogspot.com
gruenetree.com
silhouettepatterns.com (specializing in clothing for B, C and D cups)
stacysews.com (from Kansas)
seecherylsew.blogspot.com

(There's an app for that!)  Block Tool App for Android
C&T's Quick and Easy Quilt Block Tool App available at www.ctpub.com

"Tablet Sleeve" project:  On pg. 24 of the June/July 2012 Sew News issue, you will find a great project made with two 8 1/2 x 11" pieces of wool felt, one fat quarter and one piece of cotton quilting fabric, a button and a hairband for your new tablet, plus instructions for tablets of different sizes!  What a great present for a graduate!!

You can download the pattern from sewnews.com/web_extras

Great tips from editors - the best one from this issue is the advice to forego fusible web for applique and to use glue stick instead!  Grab the issue to read why...two of the editors have 'nightmare' stories to share with you so you can avoid those pitfalls!!

2.  "McCall's Quilting" July/August 2012

This magazine ROCKS.  Here at RocknQuilts, we like things that rock :-)

Did you know that McCall's Quilting is going on the road??  They're bringing sixteen reader-favorite scrap quilts to locations across the US for us to see first-hand.  For more info, visit SewingExpo.com

"Ask...we'll answer"
This is a great way for new quilters to learn from the pros and get a set of pretty charm squares if your question appears in print!  E-mail them at mcq@creativecraftsgroup.com
I was impressed with Debbie Law's question via fb:
She asked, "What was the biggest boo-boo or blunder you've ever committed when making a quilt?"  There were a dozen answers dealing from cutting errors to fusible web messes, etc.  All valuable to learn from!

You can visit McCallsQuilting.com
They offer contests, online groups, and bonus patterns; you can vote for the Quilt Design Star of 2012, download free instructions for the Ireland BOM quilt blocks to commemorate the McCall's Quilting Tour of Ireland in June 2012 and lots more!

Do you enjoy quilt-alongs?  A division of McCall's Quilting is hosting a quilt-along.  Download the FREE preview pattern for 'Westward Journey' at McCallsQuilting.com, then click on bonuses, then click on McCall's bonuses.

There's a new, four-part series quilt-along for 2012 called Sugar Roses, too.  If you purchase this issue now, then you'll have the first of that four-part series!

McCall's has kits for almost every quilt, but you always have the option of utilizing your own fabric stash!

Christine Barnes offers valuable information about color Value on pgs. 33-35.  Her website is christinebarnes.com or you can order a copy of her newest book called "The Quilter's Color Club" by C&T Publishing 2011.  See how you can let Value do the hard work and make your quilts look fabulous!

Sometimes we need quilts in a hurry - illness, Project Linus, etc., so McCall's has a special issue called "America Makes FAST Quilts" 2012.

Hexagons can scare new quilters, but once you see the videos available at McCallsQuilting.com, you'll never be petrified again!  Make hexagons EASILY - no kidding!  McCallsQuilting.com, click on videos, click on Partner Product Features, click on Hexi-Flower Foursome from pgs. 44-47 June/July 2012.

I've been cutting scraps into 2", 3.5" and 5" squares and was thrilled to see the PERFECT Scrap Quilt on pgs. 84-86.  It is called "Nine-Patches in Paradise", uses 2" and 5" scrappy squares in darks and lights and is wonderfully colorful and cozy!


Of course, they can't leave you without something of historical value and this is a wowza moment...Blazing Star from the 1920s-30s is featured on the inside back cover...it's just beautiful AND there's a FREE pattern for that, too!  Just visit McCallsQuilting.com 

....and for my readers who enjoy free motion quilting....

FREE 81 Tips on Free-Motion-Quilting PDF file:
http://www.quiltingdaily.com/blogs/quilting-daily/archive/2012/05/24/81-tips-on-free-motion-quilting-and-thread-sketching-techniques-free-ebook.aspx

Hope you found something useful today!

Please leave a comment to let me know if you subscribe to Sew News or to McCall's Quilting....
thank you!

All the Best,

@

20 fantastic, fun tips for things to do while re-cooperating from surgery!

Here's twenty suggestions for what to do from your recovery bed from my sister-in-law Lynn - these are from the fun Hallmark card she sent me - Yes, she cared enough to send the very best!!!  :-)  I'm getting a little silly now that I've been home bound for six days...please forgive me!

The card reads:

Rx  Doctor's Orders:  20 Fun Things to do while you're Recovering from your Operation
Signed:  Dr. Rusty Scalpel (Oh, my!)

1.  Pick a foreign accent and talk in it all day.  (My sis-in-law suggests Chinese to me - I speak English and German!)
2.  Make a Halloween costume out of your bedsheets.  (Hey, you got a sewing machine!, she says)
3.  Answer an ad on how to make BIG money at home.  (Perfect!)
4.  Learn the Morse code.  (My DH was in the military, so I guess he could teach me!)
5. Build a fort out of tissues and toilet paper rolls.  (My 10-year-old DS would love this!)
6.  Practice to become the World's Fastest Remote Control User.  (I can learn this from my DH, too!)
7.  Name the 50 states; now try their capitals.  (My sis-in-law writes:  No problem - you're a teacher!  My DH and I tried it and I couldn't remember the capital of Rhode Island - embarassing!)
8.  Become a ventriloquist.  (Now there's a challenge - can you imagine what the students in my classroom would do if I could throw my voice and pretend to the principal in the hallway?!?  It could make it worth all the work!  LOL)
9.  Make a macaroni sculpture.
10.  Sell your macaroni sculpture on eBay.  (This would be more impressive if it were cooked first!  Do you remember that someone sold a really long McDonald's frozen french fry on eBay for quite a sum?)
11.  Teach yourself to levitate.  (I really hope I'm not in bed THAT long!)
12.  Say the alphabet backward.  (I got four letters and then had to give up - can YOU do this?!?)
13.  Practice exotic bird calls.  (Now that would take some time...)
14.  See how long you can go without blinking.  (I could challenge my friends and family, too!)
15.  Gargle "The Star-Spangled Banner" (then my sis-in-law suggests going on America's Got Talent!)
16.  Plan how you'd spend the money if you won the lottery.  (My sis-in-law wants to let me know when I win!)
17.  Make puppets out of empty pill bottles.  (This could work for me, I'm crafty!)
18.  Call a talk show and say you're a space alien.  See if anyone notices.  (My sis-in-law writes "Don't mention you're related to us! - which is exactly the first thing I'd do!)
19.  Draw happy faces on your toes.  (Now there's a happy thought, but I'd have to get someone to do it for me 'cause I can't bend over!!)
20.  Concentrate on feeling better soon - now there's one I'm working on!  :-)  Thanks, Lynn!