Unpacking......Continues

I am still unpacking from our trip...

Below is a demo piece I created in a rust dyeing class in Idaho

I demonstrated soaking the fabric in vinegar, how to wrap up the rusty object, then packed this up in a plastic bag...

It brewed in the heat in the back of the pick up for nearly a week while we traveled.

Absolutely perfect conditions for rust dyeing!

I unwrapped the bundle, removed the rusty metal, then soaked it in baking soda for a few hours...

It is now washed, dried and pressed...

I will add this to my rust dyed fabric collection!

CLICK HERE to view more Rust Dyeing

One of the pit falls of traveling with your teaching equipment:

Things can really take a beating, packing and unpacking.

I travel with 4 of these thread boxes that I use in my machine quilting demos.

This box just didn't quite do the job keeping the threads in order...

Lucky for me I had a birthday recently...

My Anny Donna surprised me with new thread boxes:

When I arrived in Idaho, she had these boxes waiting for me!

The dividers hold the spools in place beautifully.

She found these in the fishing department of her local hardware store.

CLICK HERE to view more on the Threads I use

I unpacked a few demo pieces I created in classes during our trip:

Gel Glue Resist

Class Sample from Idaho Class

The paint is now cured and I can throw this piece in the washing machine to remove the glue...

CLICK HERE to view more on Gel Glue Resist

Painted Cheesecloth

A by-product of sun dyeing...

Cheesecloth on Painted Fabric

Class Sample from Idaho class

Upper portion is the cheesecloth, lifted off the fabric, after drying in the sun

CLICK HERE to view more on Sun Dyeing

Sun Dyeing - Leaf

Class Sample Print

I created this as a demo in Idaho in a Sun Dyeing Class

I really like it, but I think I have made more work for myself...

I do believe I will have to finish this piece at some point.

Paint Testing Cloth

When painting fabric, I test the colors of paint on a cloth.

This is the result of testing setacolor paints.

I see Monet's Flower Garden in this cloth...

The Glads are in bloom by the Thread Shed

CLICK HERE:  to see My Quilts

CLICK HERE to view more FLOWER images

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,

LuAnn

Organizing.......A Fresh Start

It feels so good to get everything all cleaned up and in order after completing a big quilting project...

Click Images to Enlarge:

Textile Paints

I have been using textile paints the last couple of years.

It was about time they had their own storage area.

These blue bins from the Dollar Store work perfect.

I am able to sort the paints, brushes and mediums.

Fiber Storage Unit

I have also been using different fibers for couching on textiles.

This set of drawers from the thrift store was just right to sort out the fibers.

The top drawer holds the smaller finer fibers

The middle drawer holds the fuzzy fibers

The bottom drawer holds the big knotty fibers

Newly organized corner of the Thread Shed

Donation Fabrics

The best part of all this cleaning and organizing was culling out nearly 50 lbs of fabrics to donate to different groups I belong to.

Every few years go through your stash. Your skills and taste change over the years and you will find you have outgrown many of your earlier fabric choices.

Why not let someone else make good use of them.

I have now made room for newer fabrics, which were in piles here and there all over the room. They are all sorted and tucked away in the cupboards, and best of all so easy to find when I need them.

Tool Box

This came home with me from the thrift store last week.

I knew just exactly what it would be perfect for...

Hot Fix Crystals

It holds the hotfix crystal wands and all of the crystals.

Now you know why I haven't posted for 2 weeks.....all of this organizing takes time!

I hope I have inspired some of you to take a good long look around your creative area, and make some improvements to your working environment. When you work in an organized manner, you can find things quicker and keep those creative juices flowing. If I have to look around for something for an hour or two.....the moment of creation has passed and I am onto something else, and usually frustrated.

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,

LuAnn

To see my New Work CLICK HERE

To see the Thread Shed CLICK HERE

To see my Exhibit Quilts CLICK HERE

Big Board...

Click Images to Enlarge:

Big Board

30 x 65 inches

This is the best place to press.

Great for pressing quilt backings, blocking finished quilts, large fused applique work, a large design surface and work area.

Bottom side of Big Board

The big board sits directly on top of my regular ironing board.

I can take it on and off easily if I need to.

The wooden slats keep the big board from slipping off my regular ironing board.

The Big Board is not fastened in anyway, it just sits directly on top of the regular ironing board.

"After Midnight"

Quilting on Foiled Fabric is Complete

To see the previous posting on this foiled quilt CLICK HERE

Dancer & Freckles

I have been outdoors enjoying the last of our autumn weather.

As I walk through the fields capturing images with the camera, I am not alone.

Dancer just can't help wandering closer and closer to check out the camera.

Before I know it...he has the camera strap in his lips.

I think this was a hint to stop taking pictures and give him a good scratching.

CLICK HERE to view Big Board Tutorial

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,

LuAnn

To see my New Work CLICK HERE

To see the Thread Shed CLICK HERE

To see my Exhibit Quilts CLICK HERE

To see Tutorials CLICK HERE

Bubbles & Blooms.....Design Work Done

Click Images to Enlarge:

I decided on the lime green fabric for borders.

It is cut and pinned and ready to sew onto the quilt top.

This is the summer-time view out the Thread Shed Window

Dinner Plate Dahlias

Bubbles & Blooms Quilt Top

I decided to go with the lime green instead of the dark pink variegated.

The green fabric reads as a solid from a distance, and will give me lots of quiet space for some fun free-motion quilting!

This is a birthday quilt for my sister, Sherry.

She doesn't read my blog, so she will be surprised!

Tomorrow......spray basting and machine quilting....the perfect day.

Last week I attended a workshop....we tried rust dyeing.

This piece was perfect for the buffalo applique.

This rust dye piece is wonderful with the horse applique on it.

These are both works-in-progress

Each year I find something new to ornament the flower gardens.

This year, it is these vintage metal chairs.

The chairs found a home sitting in front of the hen house.

And yes.......I am eyeing them up for rust dyeing!

Each year swallows make our patio out back their own.

The baby birdlings are becoming very active!

5pm.......I called it a day and closed up the Thread shed.

I wandered around outside in the yard with the camera.

This gorgeous butterfly was flitting around the flowerbeds.

The pink spider dahlia is the perfect contrast for the yellow butterfly!

Yesterday I took this photo of the lavender dahlia bud.

They are huge buds!

This is what the dahlia bud looked like today!

It didn't waste anytime blooming.

Dancer & Freckles saw me walking around the yard, and just had to come over to the fence for a good scratching.

I love the STAR in the center of the Hollyhock blooms.

They just illuminate and glow in the sun.

When the sun went down, I turned the water on in the flowerbeds.

The droplets on the flowers made a perfect picture.

Pink Star Lily

Water droplets on the yellow & pink spider dahlia

p.s. to see more Bubbles & Blooms Click HERE

At the end of a Perfect Day,

LuAnn

To see my New Work CLICK HERE

To see the Thread Shed CLICK HERE

To see my Exhibit Quilts CLICK HERE

To see Tutorials CLICK HERE

Chickens & Bedframes

Tuesday I spent 7 hours stitching down the chickens and blades of grass on the Sunflower Quilt. I do love applique work. I tend to rely on my 15 year old New Home sewing machine when I have applique stitching to do.

Click Images to Enlarge:

Thursday I spent 8 hours on the applique work. That's 15 hours of stitching so far and I am 3/4 of the way across the bottom of the quilt. One more day and the chickens and grass will be all stitched down.

Next week I will begin more design work. The quilt needs a few more sunflowers, and the stems need a lot more leaves. It may take 2 days of designing, cutting and fusing to get it just the way I picture it in my head.

Last month I shared a few images with you of painted bed frames. I told you I would post photos of the bed frames after they were set up by the Thread Shed.

This bed frame fence should work nicely to support all of the 8 foot hollyhocks that will be growing along the side of the Thread Shed this summer.

The hollyhocks grow taller than the roof top. They tend to fall over later in the summer and make it difficult to get any mowing done over in this area.

I am really happy with the way the bed frame fence looks on the side of the Thread Shed.
This is the backside of the Thread Shed. This is a daybed frame we put up a few years ago to support the glads that grow back there. It worked so good, I just had to find more old bed frames to support the hollyhocks on the side of the building.

The big picture window on the end of the building is where my sewing machine is set up. From this window I have a great view of Mary's Peak.

Today was so sunny and nice out......I just couldn't bare to work indoors. This bed of iris is full of buds ready to bloom any day now!

I planted a few petunias and zinnias in this front flower bed. Felt good to get my hands in dirt.

Brad trimmed the vine that grows on an arbor in front of the Thread Shed. It was getting to the point where I could barely make my way in the door to sew.

It was a great day........and now I am ready to get into more stitching again!

CLICK HERE to view My Quilts

To see more about the Thread Shed CLICK HERE

To see more Chickens CLICK HERE

To see more Flowers CLICK HERE

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,

LuAnn

To see my New Work CLICK HERE

To see my Exhibit Quilts CLICK HERE

To see Tutorials CLICK HERE