I'm Not Bossy......

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I'm Not Bossy.....I Just have Better Ideas

What sits next to your sewing machine?

This is what I keep close by my applique machine.

I couldn't do without any of it...

especially the big white CUP

CLICK HERE to see what else is in the THREAD SHED

Pink Orange Gold Fabric Paper

CLICK HERE to see more Fabric Paper & Tutorial

Sneak Peek

I wish I could show you more of my newest project...

but it is a secret until Monday.

I will post more images and tell you about it then!

Overnight Guests at Kessi Farms

These are my little party animals!

They came to spend the night with Annylu (short for Auntie LuLu)

Tea Party

Who is watching Who?

Not sure if the kids are watching the animals...

or it is the other way around?

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

What a Bunch of Flakes.......Snowflake Class

Every Monday I meet with my local quilting group,

The Harlan Valley Quilters

Today I lead a class in raw edge machine applique:

"What a Bunch of Flakes"

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Snowflake Applique Block

My Class Sample

I couldn't resist playing around with contrast and saturation in the photo program to change the look of the snowflake block from above.

This is a great way to audition fabrics for future blocks!

Another manipulated image from the photo program.

This snowflake appears to be icy cold.

Not a lot of contrast between the snowflake and the background...but it works!

Paper Snowflakes

Snowflakes created by students: Linda & Dana

Paper Snowflakes created by student, Kathi

Paper snowflakes created by student, Barbara

The paper snowflakes were later used as a pattern to create the fabric applique snowflake blocks.

Dana stitching down her fused fabric snowflake.

Completed Snowflake Applique Quilt Blocks

Original Designs

The students all completed a snowflake quilt block today and seemed to enjoy creating their own individual applique' pattern.

Paper Snowflake Directions can be found HERE

We ironed fusible web onto the back of our snowflake fabric.

Then folded the fabric just like we folded the paper.

Then we took the folded paper snowflake, placed it on the fabric folded snowflake (as a pattern) then cut out the fabric snowflake.

Fun Snowflake Links:

Make-A-Flake Website:

This animated site is so much fun!

I followed along with the diagrams and taught myself to make gorgeous paper snowflakes.

These paper snowflakes can be used to create fabric applique snowflake blocks.

Kids will love this site too!

http://snowflakes.barkleyus.com/index.html

Make simple snowflakes from paper - Tutorial

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/christmas/snowflake/

6 Sided Paper Snowflake Instructions

http://www.papersnowflakes.com/reg6sided_instructions.htm

9 different patterns for paper snowflakes

Print out the pattern you like, then cut it out.

You can use this pattern to create fabric fused snowflake blocks:

http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/dstredulinsky/lsamples.pdf

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

Fabric Paper and Freezing Weather...

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Fabric Paper

This piece is made with a muslin base, stained tea bag papers, newspaper print, white tissue paper on top.....and very watered down elmer's glue.

Not sure where I plan to go next with this piece.

Perhaps some walnut ink washed over the top?

Maybe some stamped images?

I am not ready to quilt it yet......it wants something more.

I am listening to it....

Fabric Paper

Muslin base, magazine papers, cheesecloth on top......held together with watery elmer's glue.

Textile Fabric paint.....Tulip spray paint green on edges to create a border and gold orange in the middle section.

I think I will stamp a big image of a bird next??

To see more posts on Fabric Paper CLICK HERE

Leaves in the flowerbeds at 23 degrees this morning

Frozen Leaves

As always, I have uploaded these images at high resolution.

Please feel free to use them in your artwork.

I would love to see what you do with them!

Frozen Cattle at 23 Degrees this morning

The calves saw Brad pull down the driveway with a load of hay.

They came to the fence here in front of the house to let us know they wanted some of that hay!

Frosty & Bright in Western Oregon

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

I Smell Something Burning...

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Clean-Up Cloth Drying

There is always lots of leftover watered down paint from creating Fabric Paper

CLICK HERE to see Fabric Paper Posts

Clean Up Cloth Rinsed, Dried & Ironed

I love the unpredictability of clean up cloths.

Just like a box of chocolates.....you never know what you're gonna get!

Clean Up Cloth Pink & Gold made Orange

Be sure to crunch the fabric up good, that creates the crevices where paint can settle into during the drying process....creating the batik marbled appearance.

Clean Up Cloth Blue Red Gold

This is my favorite one so far...

I could never duplicate this again, it was just luck to get this!

Clean Up Cloth Pink & Gold

I had way too much fabric paint on a piece I was painting, so I took a hunk of muslin and laid it on top to absorb some of the excess paint.....it made a cool piece of fabric.

I wish you could see how this shimmers...I had a shimmery glittery paint mixed in with the fabric paint and it is so sparkly.....doesn't show in the photos.

Clean Up Cloth Orange & Gold

Clean Up Cloth Red & Gold

Clean Up Cloth Green & Brown

I wasn't paying attention when I was painting fabric...I grabbed acrylic paint instead of the textile fabric paints I was using........I guess the color looked good.

When it dried, it was rather stiff....not soft and nice like the textile paint cloths.

This green cloth would work for a journal cover project.

Clean Up Cloth Purple & Gold

Again, I grabbed acrylic paint instead of the textile paint.

I was happy with the colors.

I was also in a hurry and decided to dry this piece in the microwave...

I read somewhere that you could dry it for 1 minute in the microwave...

So I did...

It wasn't long before I smelled something BURNING!

Clean Up Cloth.....Burned

Like I have told you before.....everything around here is one BIG experiment.

To See how I make Clean-Up Cloths CLICK HERE

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

Fabric Paper and Feeding Cattle...

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Spray Painted Fabric Paper

The fabric paper I made yesterday was dry enough to play with this morning.

I tried out Tulip Spray paints and was very happy with the results.

This will be a fun one to stitch!

Fabric Paper Cheesecloth

Spray Painted

Instead of white tissue paper over the top, I substituted cheesecloth.

I love the texture created by the cheesecloth.

This also took the Tulip Spray paint nicely.

The cheesecloth does not like to be rubber stamped.

Fabric Fibers & Cheesecloth

No paper in this piece...

Not sure how I will paint this one???

Fabric Paper Map & Cheesecloth

I plan to put a translucent wash of paint over this piece.

CLOSE UP view of Cheesecloth texture

Flowering Cherry Tree Leaves

Made time to rake up the very last of the leaves this afternoon.

They are wonderful mulch on all of the flowerbeds!

Feeding Cattle

Late in the day I jumped in the feed wagon with Brad to run down the road and feed the cattle. I made the best of the available light for these photos.

Round Bales

We make our own hay into 6 foot round bales.

No more handling small bales by hand....this is all tractor work.

Once the bale is pushed off the pick up, the metal bale feeder is rolled over and on top of the bale for feeding.

Loading more hay to take up river.

The tractor has bale spears on both ends.

Less trips from the barn to get hay.

The cattle have been fed.....time to get home and make dinner.

To see more Fabric Paper CLICK HERE

May Your Barn Always Be Full of Hay,

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