Quilting Set-up

As I've written before, my Studio North at the cottage is hardly more than a big hallway. I'm grateful to have a designated space to work, but it takes creative thinking to get it to work. Here's my "Rube Goldberg- like"set-up for machine quilting a large project ...

I just keep stacking stuff ... storage containers, boxes, even mounted canvas frames ... to fill in the space making it fairly level with no sharp edges for a quilt to get hung up. I need a cushion on my chair to raise my elbows to that working level height.

The quilt for which all this was set up is one of my scrap block ones.

 All the elements had been cut and the quilt designed back in my Tennessee studio earlier in the year ... just waiting for an opportunity and the inclination to get it all together.

The best thing about this studio is the view of Lake Michigan out that wall of windows. However, there's no working in the late afternoon when the sun gets low over the lake. Not even a hat, nor sunglasses, makes the glare possible to work there.

More Silk Scarves

The third quilt made from silk scarves is quilted* ...

It's ready for Alicia to hide the thread ends and hand stitch the binding in place. I stood on a ladder to take the picture of the quilt on the floor ... it really is square.

Another use that I've found for beautiful silk scarves is to employ them as covers for my sewing machines between uses. Right now I'm using two floral ones. I may switch them out next fall.

Also, I've wrapped my plain metal lamps with scarves which were hand-dyed by friends. Personally I rarely wear scarves, so I'm glad to have found ways to enjoy having them.

For more ideas of ways to utilize scarves go to this post, "Scarves Aren't Made For Just "Around Your Neck" at this link.

 * To see the other cuddle quilts made with scarves go here.

Tips From My Studio

Finally, my table was cleared in preparation to make a backing for a quilt as well as to layer said quilt with batting and that new back. In the process, fabric needed to be pressed. I'd like to take this opportunity to share my solution to NOT having space in my studio for an ironing board.
I use one of those ironing pads that are made to fit a craft table. In the photo above it's folded in half at the end of my table. That's a pretty big pressing area ... much larger than any ironing board top. I could unfold it and use more of the table for pressing, but I've found that to be awkward since I can only walk around two sides of my craft table. When the pad is not in use it gets folded up and stored under the table next to the small rectangular ironing board that you see standing on edge.

That small board is used a lot for pressing seams and is usually out on the corner of the table next to the iron. As for the iron, it's lives on that trivet so it's at the ready when I need it.
I love that portable light fixture. It has a daylight florescent bulb that switches on when the lamp part is swung up from the base.

My other tip is for sewing consistent and straight seams.
I use the 1/4" sewing foot made for my Pfaff machine. I also have the foot that has a metal flange at the outside edge to guide the edge of the fabric against. However, I've found that taping a stack of post-it notes to the bed of my machine and the plain foot works best. Having that long straight edge to align the fabric so far in front of the needle helps to get a very straight and accurate seam. Also, any information that is particular to the project that's being sewn can be written on the top post-it note.

Soon I'll tell you about the quilt that got my table cleared and is being sewn in that last picture.

Storm!

That predicted storm arrived just at sunset last evening. The first raindrops are splashed on the window.
We awoke to winds gusting up to 60mph. It's impossible to walk on the lake side of the cottage. Those are 16 foot waves out there.
The view from behind my machine is still spectacular!

An Empty Pause!

LOOK! My studio is empty! Today the carpets and rugs in our cottage are being professionally cleaned.
This is what it looked like yesterday. Lots of stuff ... lots of work going on!
The room is not large, it has three doors and there are traffic paths through it ... one to a bedroom behind the design board, another from the lower level into the living room, and still another to the third floor bedrooms. It's necessary to block that last one off with my set-up of panels.
This is my arrangement so I can get the flowers and foliage to flow from one panel into the next to make one BIG picture.

I'm not waiting for the rug to dry before I roll my chair out of the bedroom behind the door to the machine and continue quilting on the current panel. I'm just waiting for the guy to leave.

Basil the Crow

... arrived in MacCowCowa today from Portland, Oregon. I cannot believe how quickly he got here. Terry must have a bit of magic she included in his creation.
He's already found his perch here in Studio North.

Playing with Ed

Judy and I were working in the studio and my husband, Lee, was engaged in a tennis match on this particular morning. Cousin, Ed, was at loose ends. He paints canvases with acrylics and had expressed interest in how my lake pieces are created. So, I prepared a foundation and gave him a bag of scraps to play with while he watched a golf tournament.

 Here's his charming creation after I had machine quilted it.

I was working on this piece that morning.Lake #40

Here it is under construction.

I enjoy working along-side creative people. Recently, I was catching up with Robert Genn's Artist's Newsletters ... along with a lot of blogs. This one, "The Buddy System", struck home with me ... especially this bit of sage advice:

• Don't comment unless asked.
• Give the gift of joyous approval.
• Accept all comers for what they wish to become.
• Understand and grant other styles and approaches.
• Realize the sun doesn't rise and set on academics.
• Feature others rather than yourself.
• Bask in the sunshine of others' success.
• Treasure the miracle of friendship.

Playing with Judy

Lee's cousin, Ed, and his wife, Judy, visited the cottage this past week. She brought the sunflowers that had been constructed in a workshop with Phil Beaver * to make a wall hanging as her project in my studio. Usually we "play" one day a year at the cabin we rent in Colorado while our husbands go off into the mountains. What a treat to get to play together for days.
Judy had previously hand-painted the fabrics and glued the petals together to form the flower heads. Here they're pinned in place over the background fabric on the design wall.
The sunflowers were adhered to the fabric with a spray adhesive. Judy machine quilted the raw-edged appliques. Then decided where the stems should be placed between the flowers and the vase (fabric painted by Phil Beaver). You can see that vase in the next photo.
I happened to have the perfect hand-painted green fabric for her stems and she learned my technique for couching yarns on the them. (It, along with a number of other hand-painted pieces, had just been gifted to me by my friend and neighbor, Mary.) Note the sunflowers that we got at the farmer's market as a physical reference ... as well as a decorative bouquet. There are "pumpkin peppers" growing on one huge stem among them.

Judy got quite a bit done this week. I'm sure she would've finished if we hadn't had to leave the studio to play with our husbands now and then ... and to make meals or dine out.

50"x24"

Here both of us are quilting. I'm working on Lake #39
*Click to see Phil's homepage listing his workshops as well as pieces made by students.

More Good Vibes In My Studio

Since you've seen a bit of my studio in the previous posting, I thought I'd share some of the other items that bring good vibes and energy to my work space.
Hanging with the mobiles is an artist-made fairy that was a gift from my friend, Alicia. I'm fond of her red hair ... a color that I would've liked my hair to be when I was young.This naked little guy also came from Alicia (back in the 70's). He's keeping watch over all and he just makes me smile. Also, up there is the sewing machine drawn by my grandson, Jennings.A self-portrait of my granddaughter, Tessa, keeps an eye on my design board ... note the red hair ... and Toulouse Lautrec's red headed lady. Hanging under Tessa's drawing is my design board pin cushion. It's made with a favorite piece of fabric from my one and only dyeing session. It embodies the joy and excitement I experienced with friends who were new at the time. Now they're all dear "old friends".There are also photographs of the people who are meaningful in life. My grandchildren, mother, mother-in-law, best friend, and my nephew in his studio are in this grouping on top of a fabric cupboard. Other photos are scattered and tucked elsewhere. There's also a doll with a quilt doing cross-stitch up there. She was a gift from my brother.I have a fondness for dolls so there's a number of them scattered around the studio. The one holding the lamp was made by my mother. The bunny, color wheel, and smocked potpourri ball represent many years of my life. The monogrammed needlework basket was made by a sister-in-law. The embroidered water buffalo is a memento from a memorable trip to Thailand. The hanging featuring traditional quilts reminds me of the long chain of quilting tradition in which I'm only a link. Hanging off the lamp there are mementos from friends, a happy stick created by grandson Winston, plus a tassel I made of yarns inherited after the death of my artist friend Betsy.

Playing With Nellie Is Such Fun
21"x 26"

This wall hanging was a birthday present from Gayle. The green fabric was a clean-up rag of hers that I had coveted for a long time, never dreaming that she'd give it to me ... particularly in this wonderful creation. It's an especially important connection between us since that she's moved to Florida. I very much miss playing with her ... especially in the studio she left behind.

Wild By Design-18"x 18"

This piece represents the 2003 conference by that name which I attended in Lincoln, Nebraska. I came away from it with a reinforced philosophy of sharing my skills and knowledge ... of mentoring. It features the "buff" that everyone in our group from Knoxville wore and the piece of fabric we all autographed before flying home. What I call "wild women" pins that were gifts from friends are displayed on it.

I love being in this room. It is never lonely. I have all that PLUS even more ... including Michael Angelo's David, Toulouse Lautrec, and Elvis. And then there are the wanderings in and out of my husband and our two dogs throughout the day. My studio is full of more than just the supplies and tools to make quilts.

More Shared Art

Here are a few more treasures that have been presented to me.

Kay sent this postcard based on the trees in the woods she views from her windows. I love the winter feeling and shadows she's portrayed.

"Winter Light in the Woods"

My friend, Linda in Milwaukee, made two artist's trading cards. They each have designs on both sides.This side alludes to Linda's quilt, "Mrs. Robinson" that features the Dustin Hoffman movie on an outdoor movie screen viewed through a front windshield ... complete with various items on the dashboard (Coke in a paper cup, popcorn, and black lacy bra).This one was an exchange through her shop, Fabric Fusion, in Brown Deer Wisconsin. She made all the ATC's for her shop to exchange with customers ... and friends.

An artist friend, Karen, here in Knoxville made this card using scraps left from the silk kimonos and yarns that I had shared with her to complete a spectacular quilt.

All these shared art pieces have been made into two, double-sided mobiles that hang over my cutting table.
The larger mobile features the postcards from my Bee exchange. Plus there's a thread wrapped egg made by my friend, Melanie, hanging in the center.
That's a lot of concentrated creative energy keeping me company in my studio. Thank you everyone.

Studio South

I'm back in Knoxville in the studio that's purely a working room. This 16'x12' space doesn't have to double for any other purpose. It's all mine! There are 8' patio doors on each end of the room. One looks into the courtyard with a 5' fountain and metal sculptures under a Maple tree. The other overlooks a landscaped grassy yard.



Just before we left for Michigan I finally got an additional sewing table so that both machines could be set up ... the Brother 1500s for free-motion quilting and my Pfaff Creative 7530 ... ohh, I'm glad to be back to my favorite machine. The chair swivels from one to the other. Previously it seemed that the machine I needed at the moment was NOT the one that was set up on the sewing desk. Whew! Glad that problem is solved. Every inch is planned for storage and particular tasks.



When I reorganized a year ago, I took the doors off the storage cabinets and way too many books out of the bookcases. My friends and the local library benefited from that task. Now most of my fabric stash is visible. My philosophy is, " If I can't see it, I don't have it". The silks, wools, etc. are in clear storage boxes stacked under the cutting table and sewing desk. I don't use those often, but I can still see and get at them.

The futon is my major "designing tool". I lay there studying whatever piece is on the design board. It's amazing what can be seen or realized in those moments of waking up or falling to sleep. Although, I'm thinking of replacing the futon with a stratalounger chair so there will be space to set up a table area just for fabric painting.



And yes, that's a lot of ribbons. Most all of them were awarded to entries in Knoxville's Dogwood Arts Quilt Show. That's the one competition I've entered yearly since I began quilting in 1994 as a measuring stick of my work. It's a judged show and doesn't require slides ... a big plus in my book. There are many entries from around the USA and a few from foreign countries as well. I figure if I can compete well in this show, I've "still got it".



The design wall is 1/2" fiber board from building supplies at Home Depot. It's covered with felt-like material especially designed for this purpose ... fabric clings to it. If I ever recover it, a medium value gray felt will be my choice. The long cabinet/counter beneath it is a bookcase laid on its side. It had been upright across the room and full of books. The dividers are closet organizers I bought from Target. Don't know where I'd put that printer if the narrow counter top weren't there.

This set-up cut down on the area of the design wall, but the counter sure is handy. I use the step-ladder often to work at the wall. There's another tower of shelves that stores threads of all kinds on the right side of the design wall to complete the room.

Now, to get back to work.

Studio North

Summer is definitely over. It's time to close up my studio here at the cottage in Michigan and move to Studio South in Tennessee. This summer studio is small (11'x10'). When I'm not here it needs to look like a general project/office/reading room.


I had spent quite a bit of time reorganizing it at the beginning of the summer. In August my friend, Alicia, helped me paint the desk and storage cabinet.




I love the big pink formica top on top of the desk. It accomodates both of my sewing machines very nicely. I use my old Pfaff 360 for piecing, sewing on bindings and any zig-zag stitching (usually couching yarns). The Brother 1500s is mainly used for free-motion quilting.

I share this studio with anyone who comes to the cottage. In the above photo Diane Durand is applying a binding to one of her creations. Even my grandsons get to sew. Winston is waiting his turn while Jackson is making a "super cape" for his stuffed dolphin. Jennings was waiting out of the picture.


The view out the huge picture window can't be beat. Plus there's the wall of windows to the left of the supply cabinet.


The rolling storage table serves as an extra surface. There is another one under the cutting table. Both contain most of the fabrics I keep at the cottage. The turquoise rolling cabinet stored under the sewing table contains my daughter-in-law Jeanette's sewing supplies.

Well, it's time to dismantle my design wall. The covered fiber board panels hang on hooks over the photos on the wall and on the back of the door. I have a large piece of suede upholstery fabric that can be pinned across both boards when a large piece is being worked on.


My next posting will come from Studio South.