Notebook Cover

Gill K. gave everyone a little kit to make a notebook cover at our CinC Christmas Party a few weeks ago. This one flips up. Thanks, Gill!

Duct Tape Dress Form Preview

Since we'll be doing duct-tape dress forms early next year, I thought you might appreciate this preview from Wild Onion Studio.

Here's another one from Threads Magazine.

Enjoy!

AN ADVENTURE IN MAKING STAMPS

These are notes from our October Stamp-Making evening...

Your kit contains…

2 DICK BLICK soap erasers
1 3 x 4 piece Soft Kut printing plate from Dick Blick
1 3 x 4 piece EZ Cut printing plate from Dick Blick
1 4 x 6 piece Richeson’s Easy-to-Cut linoleum
2 sheets Darice self-adhesive fun foam
Foam core board to support the foam

TIPS

• The first three items can be carved with an X-Acto knife. Linoleum, being thinner, requires linoleum cutting tools. Self-adhesive foam is fun and “instant gratification”—cut shapes with scissors and stick them to the foam core board. We learned that EZ Cut is fragile, and designs shouldn't be too complex. Soft Kut is delightfully easy to work with.
• Eraser Carving: Make the first cut up and down. Make the second cut at an angle to the first cut, touching the bottom of the first cut but not passing through, as if the first cut is a wall. Passing through the “wall” too much will weaken the stamp.
• E6000 adhesive can be used to mount stamps to Plexiglas or wood. But we learned that EZ Cut doens't glue well with this stuff.
• Really quick stamps: Glue string or found objects to a substrate (even cardboard works for short-life stamps). Let it dry and you’re ready to print.
• Apply paint or thickened dye to your stamps with a brayer, spread the dye onto a smooth surface and tap the stamp to it, or use a foam brush as a stamp pad (pat the surface of the stamp with the brush).
• You can cut simple shapes from compressed sponge and stamp with that. It will expand when it gets wet.
• An iron will often transfer photocopied images to a rubber block.
  

November 2007 Newsletter

There are a few schedule changes—in particular we are NOT meeting at the Menasha library in November or December. Please read carefully and save this newsletter. Have a happy, creative holiday season!
Katy

Recap of October Meeting (October 25, 2007)
We carved stamps! It was fun, sometimes messy, and we learned a lot. Check the blog for process and material notes.

Announcements and Reminders
It’s time for our December party meeting on Thursday December 13th at 6:30 p.m. in Gulliver’s restaurant in Neenah (just off the Breezewood exit from 41). We’ll also have a white elephant gift exchange. Julie will reserve a table for us—it’s time to RSVP! Call Julie by December 10th. Out of courtesy, please call her with a yes or a no, so she knows she’s heard from everyone. Don’t forget “A Finishing Odyssey,” our challenge for 2007. The goal is to show “substantial progress” at the party!

There was a request at the October meeting to move the party back to Katy’s house—it really was a ton of fun in 2005. Unfortunately, I’m scheduled for a business trip that week, and if I make it back for the party, it will be just by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin. So Gulliver’s it is!
It’s time for dues. Please bring your $10 to the holiday party. I’ll deputize someone to collect dues if I’m stuck in Oklahoma. Otherwise, please mail it to me or bring it in January. Our dues support mailing the newsletter and provides a small donation to the library in appreciation of the meeting space.

November Meeting (Thursday November 29, 2007)
CHANGE! We are NOT meeting at the Menasha library this month. Instead, we’ll take a “field trip” to the Oshkosh Public Library (106 Washington Avenue), where Jennifer Chiaverini will give a book talk at 7:00 pm in the Lower Level Meeting Room. Jennifer is a national quilt fiction author known for the Elm Creek Quilts series. She was recently featured in Quilters Newsletter. Tickets are required, but you can get them for free from the First Floor Information Desk at the library. Please contact Michele if this poses a problem for you; since she works at the library she may be able to help out. The Lakeside Quilters will also host a quilt show at the library all day on Thursday. See the library website for more information: www.oshkoshpubliclibrary.org.

Upcoming meetings
With the November schedule change, we’ve rearranged our plans. We’ll do foiling in January, and watch the make-your-own dressform video in February. In March, Katy’s mom, Marilyn, will visit the group and lead us in some right brain drawing activities to teach us to access the “automatic artist” in each of us. We’re still interested in an “art stuff” swap meet, but the date is in flux right now.

January Meeting (Thursday January 31, 2008)
If you have foiling supplies, please bring your own foil and adhesive. If not, you can share Katy’s stuff—please bring a dollar. Other supplies:

• Fabric. You can foil just about any smooth fabric that can stand the heat of an iron. Once foiled, the fabric is delicate, so it should be the last step in your embellishment repertoire.
• Stamps! Bring chunky foam stamps, and especially bring some of the stamps you made last month.
• A foam paint brush and a Styrofoam plate, yogurt lid, etc. to hold the liquid adhesive
• An old toothbrush to gently clean your stamps
• Bo-Nash powder—if you have it, bring it. Otherwise, we’ll share.
• Fusible web. Bring any type you have; they all give different results. Heat-n-Bond usually does NOT work, but we can still experiment.
• We will need a couple of irons and SMOOTH ironing surfaces.

Upcoming Events
November 29, 2007: November meeting, 7:00.
December, 13, 2007 (Thursday): Holiday party at Gulliver’s in Neenah.
January 31, 2008: January meeting, 6:30. Foiling
February 28, 2008: February meeting, 6:30. “Clone Yourself A Dressform Double”
March 27, 2008: March Meeting, 6:30. Drawing on the right side of the brain.

Conversations with Cloth meets the last Thursday of each month at 6:30 at the Menasha Public Library.

Katy's Pieces

Katy completed her sheer window inset demo piece (above). A few months ago, she showed us how to do this technique.

This table runner is versatile in that the corners of the stars are held together with hooks and eyes. They can be re-assembled in other configurations (such as a triangle of stars).

Catch The Secret World of Haute Couture in November on WPT

The Secret World of Haute Couture (the program Julie described to our rapt audience a few weeks/months ago) will be re-aired on Wisconsin Public Television early next month :

November 6, 2007 at 9 pm
and
November 7, 2007 at 12 pm

Set your VCRs, or TiVo, Ladies!

Read more ...

October Newsletter

Recap of September Meeting (September 27, 2007)
We had tons of fun seeing everyone’s sewing space. Yes, we all DO have that much fabric and mess! It made us all feel so much better! A few highlights…design walls of all sorts, a home-made lightbox, and canning shelves from Fleet Farm. Julie’s pattern organization system included a three-ring binder containing all her pattern envelopes. The “guts” stay at home in a labeled 9×12 manila envelope, and she can take the binder fabric shopping.
Michele’s Northern Lights fabric postcard series was stunning. She’s using them to explore ideas and techniques for a future larger piece—what a great idea! Julie caught a fascinating PBS special “The Secret World of Haute Couture.” It’s not scheduled to re-run in the next two weeks, but keep an eye out.

Announcements and Reminders
Don’t forget “A Finishing Odyssey,” our challenge for 2007. The goal is to show “substantial progress” by our December party meeting, which will be Thursday December 13th at 6:30 p.m. in Gulliver’s restaurant in Neenah (just off the Breezewood exit). We’ll also plan on a white elephant gift exchange. Julie will reserve a table for us—mark your calendars now to save the date and be sure to RSVP come November when the reminder comes out.

October Meeting (Thursday October 25, 2007) at the Menasha Public Library
We’ll be making our own stamps. Because there’s so much to do and try, we’ll start early (at 6:00) for those who can make it. Remember we are in the Gegan room in October (the long conference table, next to the Activity Room we usually have). We’ll explore 5 different materials for stamp-making. Katy will provide kits for $5. Please bring:

• Ideas for patterns and shapes for your stamps.
• Pencils and pens to draw your pattern before you carve it. Optional: Bring a photocopy of a design you like in a 3” × 4” size. It must be a phototcopy, not an inkjet printout. We’ll try a simple iron-on transfer technique to transfer your pattern to the carving block.
• Scissors for cutting foam sheets to make “instant gratification” stamps.
• An X-acto knife (Basic ones are at Hobby Lobby for $1.99)
  A simple straight blade X-acto knife will work for three of the four carving surfaces.
  If you have U or V shaped blades for your X-acto knife or linoleum cutting tools, bring them. No need to purchase these specialty tools if you don’t have them. We’ll share and take turns to carve the fourth surface.
• If you have “Grip ‘n Grip” (or plumber’s gasket) non-skid surface, bring it. It will make carving easier.

Upcoming Events
October 25, 2007: October meeting, 6:00. Making stamps—early start for those who can make it
November 29, 2007: November meeting, 6:30. Foiling
December, 13, 2007 (Thursday): Holiday party at Gulliver’s in Neenah.
January 31, 2008: January meeting, 6:30. “Duct tape mummies” (we’ll watch the “Clone Yourself A Dressform Double” DVD, which Theresa owns)
February 28, 2008: February meeting, 6:30. Art stuff swap meet

Conversations with Cloth meets the last Thursday of each month at 6:30 at the Menasha Public Library.

New Shibori Book

The new book I brought to show and tell in September is called Shibori for Textile Artists by Janice Gunner. The book contains many beautiful color pictures and the directions seem clear. I haven't yet played with the techniques but will let everyone know when I do.

Here's a link to the book at Amazon.com.

Katy

Katy's Purse

Katy's couched purse is from the pattern “Sassy Sack” by Time to Shine.

September 2007 Newsletter

Recap of August Meeting (August 30, 2007)
Julie, personal shopper extraordinaire, delivered the Richeson stuff. She also brought an ooh-and-ah show and tell: a beaded purse from her mom’s snorkeling trip friend. Michelle is still working on her Quilt University dye class, and showed us a variety of ways to have fun with food. A favorite was her mashed potato resist, which was produced by letting a big plop of mashed potatoes dry on fabric and spraying dye over the top. Gill showed us her most recent “stash pot pie” quilt, a beautiful riot of batiks. Marilyn made a simple bracelet at Camp Onaway, and her niece made some postcards. Pat had a cute puppy block to show. Theresa attended Nancy Eha’s beading class through DNQG. She forgot her project, but brought the book for show and tell.

In our main program for the evening, Gill taught us how to make chenille pot holders (it was an easy, “instant gratification” way to learn the technique). Wash those babies up and bring them for show and tell in September!

Announcements and Reminders
Don’t forget “A Finishing Odyssey,” our challenge for 2007. The goal is to show “substantial progress” by our December party meeting, which will be Thursday December 13th at 6:30 p.m. in Gulliver’s restaurant in Neenah (just off the Breezewood exit). We’ll also plan on a white elephant gift exchange. Julie will reserve a table for us—mark your calendars now to save the date and be sure to RSVP come November when the reminder comes out.

Per Theresa, The Sewing Basket in Plymouth (www.sewingbasket.biz) is hosting a fashion show in December and will be soliciting entries. Wouldn’t it be neat to enter as a club? (As of now, I was unable to find any information on their web site pertaining to the show, but perhaps it will be posted as the time draws closer.) This shop also has monthly “Creative Art” classes on Tuesday afternoons. They also host an art quilting “sit and sew.” Check the site for more info.

September Meeting (Thursday September 27, 2007) at the Menasha Public Library
Sewing studios, led by…EVERYONE! Please take photos of your sewing space, whether it be a room of your own or a corner carved out of the dining room. Be sure to include anything that’s not working you’d like advice on and especially any unique features or tips you have to offer.
You may bring your photos in any of the following ways:

• Email digital pics to Katy. (DEADLINE Tuesday September 25th! I spend Wednesday evenings with Jon and the boys and will NOT be online.)
• Bring your photos on a USB memory stick (Katy will bring her computer and Julie will obtain the library’s projector.)
• Bring your photos on a CD or DVD.
• Bring slides. (I know, no one has slides any more, but we will be viewing a slide presentation borrowed from DNQG courtesy of Theresa, so we’ll have a projector.)
• Bring hard copies and we’ll all gather around you.
• Failing that, bring a gift of gab and we’ll bring vivid imaginations!

Upcoming Events
September 27, 2007: September meeting, 6:30. Sewing room organization roundtable
October 25, 2007: October meeting, 6:30. Making stamps
November 29, 2007: November meeting, 6:30. Foiling
December, 13, 2007 (Thursday): Holiday party at Gulliver’s in Neenah.

Conversations with Cloth meets the last Thursday of each month at 6:30 at the Menasha Public Library.

August 2007 Newsletter

Recap of July Meeting (July 25, 2007)
Exciting news! Both Karen and Michele have had pieces accepted into the Wisconsin Quilt Expo (Karen’s fish and Michele’s “Oliver”). The show is September 13-15 in Madison.
As for show and tell, Gill brought a Betty Boop quilt she’d made with fabric she found at Yds. Is there anything that can’t be find hiding in some corner there?! She was working on an intriguing form of Japanese braiding called “Kumihimo.” (Go ahead, Google it!) Karen finished her postcard from the May meeting…it’s now her name tag! Michele showed us some hand dyed skin tones she’d been working on…except they came out green! Check out the directions on www.fabricdyeing101.blogspot.com and see if you have any better luck. She also had some gorgeous pieces made by spraying dye, a technique she learned through Quilt University.
The rest of the meeting was spent couching our hearts out. Katy demo’d a few machine techniques, and Karen showed how easy it is to couch by hand, even those “troublesome” yarns.

Announcements and Reminders
Don’t forget “A Finishing Odyssey,” our challenge for 2007. Gill joined the festivities, bringing her unfinished tree skirt and wool folk art barn raising to show. Remember, the plan is to show “substantial progress” on the UFO by the December party. In July we forgot to settle on a December party date, so bring your calendars to the August meeting.

August Meeting (Thursday August 30, 2007) at the Menasha Public Library
Chenille, led by Gill. Gill will supply kits for $4. All you need to bring is your sewing machine, needles, thread, a few pins and a walking foot.

Upcoming Events
August 30, 2007: August meeting, 6:30. Chenilling. Gill will lead.
September 27, 2007: September meeting, 6:30. Sewing room organization roundtable
October 25, 2007: October meeting, 6:30. Making stamps
November 29, 2007: November meeting, 6:30. Foiling
December: Date TBD. Holiday party.

Conversations with Cloth meets the last Thursday of each month at 6:30 at the Menasha Public Library.

Pat's Scotty Dog

Gill's Scrappy Stash-Buster Quilt Top

Karen's Fabric Post Card / Nametag

Karen finished her fabric post card this month. She turned hers into her CinC nametag, a project 2 years in the making!

Artist Statement : "It's just bits and pieces of everything I had leftover and a few new things. The strap was from one of the yarn/bead necklaces that didn't work out. The ribbons were scraps and the glittery stuff was kids glue that I found at Joanne's for half off. I got to experiment with the postcard format and stuff in general. I like using bits of this and that."

Couching : Coffee Cuffs

The project comes from Quilting Arts Magazine April 2007 (?).

Katy's elegant machine-couched coffee cuffs (above).

This method uses Fast-2-Fuse as the base. Although perfect for couching by machine, F2F would be too hard to try to push a hand-sewing needle through.

Karen's hand-couched coffee cuffs (above).
This method uses an old ragged quilt as the base. This old quilt was literally falling apart, so she used a layer of light pink netting to hold some of it together. She also used permanent markers to "dress up" the fabric. The batting of this old quilt was much softer and more appropriate for hand couching.

Theresa's tropical coffee cuff (above), before the final trim. Machine Couched.
(Doesn't it make you want to dance-dance-dance!)

Michele's coffee cuff, machine couched. (Before the final seam.)
Most of the fibers are from our Fabulous Fiber Exchange last summer. The front and back fabrics were found on the free table at Darting Needles Quilt Guild a few months ago.

July 2007 Newsletter

Recap of June Meeting (June 28, 2007)
Show and tell! Wow, Julie had a ball at the “bargain room” at Richeson’s and agreed to do some personal shopping for us. Karen showed us the beginnings of a tunic coat she designed in a Rachel Clark class as well as her Marilyn Belford class piece (her three daughters), which will become her 2007 challenge piece. Karen also let us know that Corel Draw offers a free 30-day trial, including the “poster-ize” function that helped her with the fabric portraits. Michele showed her piece from a Lakeside Quilters’ Guild challenge; it won viewers choice! She also showed some fabric she’d dyed with her son using Procion and shaving cream. It gives a marbled effect; find directions at http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/1498922-AA.shtml. Katy and JoAnne showed their fabric from the DNQG Shelly Stokes class, and then it was time for the Paintstik Party! A nifty-thrifty note from Michele: plumber’s gasket seems to work just as well as Grip & Grip for holding the fabric and a rubbing surface underneath, but costs just $3.

Announcements and Reminders
We’ve established a challenge for 2007. We’re calling it “A Finishing Odyssey.” Several of us brought a UFO to show in June, and now the plan is to show “substantial progress” on the UFO by the December party. There’s still time to get in on the Odyssey; just bring a lonely old UFO to show and tell!

We agreed on programs for the balance of the year. In October we will work on making stamps, and in November we’ll do foiling. Bring calendars in July so we can pick a December party date.

July Meeting (Thursday July 26, 2007) at the Menasha Public Library
Couching by hand or machine. Here’s what to bring:

1. We will supply a pattern for a coffee cuff, a small project you can finish in the evening, or you can bring something of your own. Katy will have kits for $1, or bring:

• Two fabric scraps, minimum 4” × 11”
• One piece Timtex and two pieces fusible, 4” × 11” (or a piece of double-sided stiff fusible like Fast-2-Fuse)
• Stuff to couch down (trims, yarns, ribbons, perle cotton, floss, etc.)

2. Helpful notions (bring if you have; we’ll share)

• Chenille needle & Lo-Ran needle threader
• Roxanne’s Glue-Baste-It

3. To finish the project, regardless of whether you couch by hand or machine, you need your sewing machine and decorative thread to zig-zag the edges

4. For couching by machine:

• Sewing machine
• Any of the following feet you have: open toe foot, free motion foot, braid foot, 3, 5, or 7-hole cord foot, braid guide
• Monofilament thread and/or decorative thread to match the trims
• Plain cotton thread or bobbin thread

5. OR, for couching by hand:

• Hand needle
• Thread (neutral or to match stuff you’ll be couching)
• Remember you can couch wonderful things by hand, like old necklaces

Upcoming Events
July 26, 2007: July meeting, 6:30. Couching. Katy and Karen will lead.
August 30, 2007: August meeting, 6:30. Chenilling. Gill will lead.
September 27, 2007: September meeting, 6:30. Sewing room organization roundtable
October 25, 2007: October meeting, 6:30. Making stamps
November 29, 2007: November meeting, 6:30. Foiling

Conversations with Cloth meets the last Thursday of each month at 6:30 at the Menasha Public Library.

PaintStik Experiments

By JoAnne's Daughter














Two pieces by JoAnne :































Experiments by Marilyn :






















By Marie.
Gold PaintStik on leather (below) :






















Two by Julie (below) :

































Two by Katy (below) :

































Michele's "Forest for the Trees" :

Sizzling Summer Fabric Postcards

Michele finished her post cards from last month.
The Turtle pattern above appeared in a recent issue of Quilter's Newsletter Magazine.
To see the rest of Michele's Turtles, visit her blog at Sweet Leaf Notebook.


Not wanting to waste anything, I took the curls cut out of the turtle's shells and turned them into this bouquet.

Meet Helga (or Hilda)

Helga (or Hilda) Whoever by Marilyn.

Newsletter June 2007

Several of us were fortunate to take a class with Shelly Stokes, the godmother of Paintstiks on cloth in the U.S., and all I have to say is, “Ooh, we are going to have so much fun this month!” And the time is nearly upon us…gather some nifty textures and meet us at the library on Thursday!
Katy

Recap of May Meeting (May 31, 2007)
Show and tell! Marilyn brought her prizewinning scarf for a visit, along with a delightful purple doll. Karen brought greeting cards she’d made, plus her art journal. She uses it so organize samples and experiments. Michele brought her journal too, and it was great to see all the ideas bursting out. She also had a dazzling book, The Art of Landscape Quilting by Nancy Zieman and Natalie Sewell, to show.

Several reconnaissance scouts noted that the exhibit “Fashion in Film” at the Paine Museum in Oshkosh is excellent. The exhibit runs until September 30. If you’re looking for some artistically minded fellow quilters, Teresa informed us that the Plymouth shop (The Sewing Basket) has regular art sew times. Also, Susan Stein (her work is likely familiar to anyone who’s visited Colorful Quilts in Minneapolis) will be coming to Women Who Run with Scissors.

Mary presented the evening’s program: making fabric postcards. A few notes: The Post Office defines a postcard as being no smaller than 3” by 5”, and no larger than 4” by 6”. They must be less than a quarter inch thick, and nothing can protrude from the surface or off the edge. Make sure your address is legible (a light colored, non-busy postcard back is essential). Another option is self-stick postcard labels sold in photo departments. These are perfectly sized at 4” by 6”. Mary notes that Peltex, which is double sided fusible, makes a nice firm card and machines nicely. And yes, stamps do stick to fabric just fine!

Announcements and reminders
We’ve established a challenge for 2007. We’re calling it “A Finishing Odyssey.” Whether you have one UFO, or 2001, sort through your piles and choose one to bring to the June meeting, in whatever stage of disarray it’s in! (While the challenge is to finish a UFO, we’re starting small…just pick one out for starters! We can share ideas with each other, as desired, at the meeting.
September’s meeting will be a sewing room organization roundtable, by member request. How do you keep track of your stuff? How do you make the most of your sewing time? We’ll talk and share in September.

Marilyn has a copy of Shelly Stokes’s Paintstiks book for sale. Also, if you’re looking to buy your own Paintstiks, Jerry’s Artarama is the place to go online. The cost is close to half that anywhere else. http://www.jerrysartarama.com/. Another excellent option is the company that makes Paintstiks, right here in Kimberly! Jack Richeson & Co. is located at 557 Marcella St in Kimberly, and they have a bargain room!

June Meeting (Thursday June 28, 2007) at the Menasha Public Library
Paintstiks! Here’s what to bring:

• If you have Shiva Paintstiks, bring them; otherwise we’ll share.
• A small paring knife can be helpful to get the skin off the paintstiks.
• A little trash bag and a roll of paper towels
• Stencil brushes and a cup for water
• Fabric! Dark and light are both fun. Marilyn will have FQ of black and white available for $1.50. Pieces as small as 10” square will work just fine.
• Textured surfaces such as stamps (not too complicated), rubbing tiles, paper with a variety of densities (cardstock, construction paper, box, scrapbooking, etc.)
• Stencils (anything you have on hand, or make one out of freezer paper)
• A palette: a piece of freezer or parchment paper paper taped to cardboard or plastic (shiny side up), or a piece of specialty “palette paper” if you have it
• Wear old clothes or an apron…just in case!

Don’t forget your “Finishing Odyssey” piece!

Upcoming Events
June 28, 2007: June meeting, 6:30. Paintstiks with Marilyn.
July 26, 2007: July meeting, 6:30. Couching. Katy and Karen will lead.
August 30, 2007: August meeting, 6:30. Chenilling. Gill will lead.
September 27, 2007: September meeting, 6:30. Sewing room organization roundtable

Conversations with Cloth meets the last Thursday of each month at 6:30 at the Menasha Public Library.

Member Showcase : Marylin

Marylin was the only one to actually finished a fabric post card at the May meeting (We hope to have more to display next month!). She used a silk cocoon, and Anglina, among other things.:


Marylin also shared the doll she made recently.
She calls it "Beehives are Back" :


Marylin also brought back the Thread Scarf she finished last summer :

Fashion in Film on display in Oshkosh

The Paine Art Center in Oshkosh, WI, has a wonderful new exhibit now.
On Saturday, I spent 2 hours just ooh-ing and ahh-ing at all the gorgeous costumes on display. It was $7 well spent!

Although there are many lovely pieces on display, of special interest to me were the following :

• The green dancing dress from Elizabeth (before she became Queen)
• Karen Blixen's wedding dress from Out of Africa
• The gorgeous gown from the Drew Barrymore Cinderella Story, EverAfter (I was so enanmored of this dress when that film came out, that I actually purchased the video so I could more closely study this lovely dress based on a 1500s style. It's much better in person than I ever imagined--with silk imported from India and lots of beads and pearls ... Too bad we couldn't touch them!

The company who owns the costumes, and gets commissioned to make period pieces for film is CosProp, Ltd. from London.

Now I have a new list of movies I want to see, too!

Newsletter May 2007

Thanks to Michele for writing the April notes. After reviewing the show and tell recap, I’m sorry I missed it!
Katy
Recap of April Meeting (April 26, 2007)
Mary W. went to the quilt show in Chicago, and attended a class with Esterita Austin, art quilter and maker of Misty Fuse. Mary brought in samples of a misty-fused applique which really doesn't seem to change the hand of the fabric. She also had samples of Lutrador a new fabric that is stitchable and accepts paint exceptionally well.

Joanne, Teresa and Pat enjoyed the Women Who Run with Scissors exhibit. Teresa will bring pictures to a future meeting once they are developed.

Teresa also wanted to share that The Sewing Basket in Plymouth offers Creative Art Days and Open Sew sessions on Fridays. She is also looking to purchase an industrial sewing machine--if anyone knows where to get one, please tell her!

Julie was working on a very orange beaded piece for commission. We almost needed sunglasses look at it!

After catching up with each other, we watched the Ricky Tims' Grande Finale DVD. This is an excellent program, and well worth further study/viewings! [Note from Katy: I’m happy to lend out my DVD. Marilyn is first in line.]

May Meeting (Thursday May 31, 2007) at the Menasha Public Library
Remember to please call Mary or Katy if you know you won’t make it in May. Don’t forget the new start time—6:30. Mary will lead us in making fabric postcards that you really can mail! Supplies:

• Variety of fabric scraps; two at least 4” × 6” with one plain enough for address to be written legibly
• Variety of decorative threads for hand or machine
• Any embellishment which will lay flat
• Your favorite lightweight fusible (Like Wonder Under)
• Sewing machine if you choose
• Fabric pens/markers
• Rotary cutter/fabric scissors
• Mary will supply Peltex as the base for 25¢ per card

Upcoming Events
May 31, 2007: May meeting, 6:30. Fabric Postcards; Mary will lead.
June 28, 2007: June meeting, 6:30. Paintsticks.
July 26, 2007: July meeting, 6:30. Couching. Katy and Karen will lead.
August 30, 2007: August meeting, 6:30. Chenilling. Gill will lead.

Conversations with Cloth meets the last Thursday of each month at 6:30 at the Menasha Public Library.

Newsletter April 2007

I recently had a chance to take three days of classes with Yvonne Porcella through Darting Needles. It was a bit of a change to work quickly, spontaneously, and intuitively, and I wound up with a few little pieces I just love. Sometimes something just a little out of control is a great way to spark creativity and bring some balance back into life for me. Find some time for yourself to let a bit of creativity loose!
Katy

Recap of March Meeting (March 29, 2007)
Show and tell…Karen, the “queen of dimension,” brought back her fish quilt with a few enhancements as well as another piece she’d done years earlier. It’s amazing what you can do with an otherwise ghastly necklace! Check out the photos on the blog. Karen’s preferred batting is simply tablecloth padding, found on a bolt at Joann’s.

JoAnne brought her “Bohemian Rhapsody” which was a way to burn off some creativity that was just smoldering in her pocket! It’s packed with fun cheery fabrics, plus it has sequins! A photo is on the blog. Also, she showed us some gorgeous dyed silk, which had been done by her husband’s cousin’s late wife. She had used beeswax resists and Procion dyes. Look closely at the blog photo to see a piece of the silk in JoAnne’s hair!

Katy taught her sheer window appliqué technique. The handout is posted on the blog.

Reminders and Announcements
We’ll be in the Gegan Room (long conference table) in April. Note two schedule changes: We will move back our starting time to 6:30 each month. Folks are finding it harder and harder to arrive at 6:00. Second, in April we will view the Ricky Tims DVD “Grand Finale.” This video covers tons of machine techniques for quilting, binding, and finishing. Couching, originally scheduled for April, will be in July instead. Katy will share what she knows about machine couching and Karen will offer tips on hand couching, but mostly it will be a party for everyone to share ideas and projects.

At the March meeting, we talked about attendance. It’s very helpful for the leader each month to know how many she’s expecting, especially if there are handouts. If you know you won’t be able to make it, please make a courtesy call to either Katy or the leader for that month.

April Meeting (Thursday April 26, 2007) at the Menasha Public Library
Note the new start time—6:30. Remember the library does not mind if we bring our dinners down into the meeting room. We will view the DVD “Grand Finale” by Ricky Tims. Julie will be the hostess for the night (RSVP regrets to Julie or Katy). Michele will take notes, as Katy cannot make it this month. DVD topics include:

• innovative marking techniques
• creating your own quilting designs
• managing the quilt
• machine trapunto
• bobbin quilting
• bobbin trapunto
• bindings made completely by machine

Upcoming Events
April 26, 2007: April meeting, 6:30. Movie night.
May 31, 2007: May meeting, 6:30. Fabric Postcards; Mary will lead.
June 28, 2007: June meeting, 6:30. Paintsticks.
July 26, 2007: July meeting, 6:30. Couching. Katy and Karen will lead.
August 30, 2007: August meeting, 6:30. Chenilling. Gill will lead.

Conversations with Cloth meets the last Thursday of each month at 6:30 at the Menasha Public Library.

Sheer Inset Window Applique

This information was given as a handout at the March meeting. This is my preferred method, although it requires a bit of precision.

1. You can adapt all sorts of patterns to this technique, or draw your own. Shape rules:
   Your sheer fabric must be completely encircled by appliqué fabric
   Your appliqué fabric “window frame” should be at least ½” wide.


2. Trace all pieces onto fusible. Rough cut out. Fuse to wrong side of appliqué fabric. Cut out on lines, but remember to leave “underneath” seam allowance for any pieces that overlap.


3. Cut out window carefully on the lines. You can remove the backing paper from the fusible.


4. Trace the reversed window inset onto freezer paper. Cut out slightly inside the lines.


5. Iron the reversed freezer paper template to the right side of the sheer. Use the Bohin iron shoe or a teflon press cloth to prevent melting synthetic sheers. Turn the temperature down a bit, too. Cut out leaving about ¼” seam allowance all around the template. (A little more is easier, but leave more only if you have a wider “window frame.”)


6. Layer, starting from the bottom: Parchment paper or appliqué sheet, sheer right side up (freezer paper up), appliqué window (fusible side down). Snug the freezer paper template inside the appliqué window hole. Be careful not to fuse the edges of the freezer paper into the sandwich. Fuse gently. Let cool before you peel off the parchment. You should have at least ¼” of fusible at the edges.


7. Fuse in place on your background. Finish the raw edges with stitching of your choice (inside and outside edge of window frame).

Variations
You can capture “stuff” like beads or fiber soup under the sheer.
You can make your own sheer from Angelina and capture “stuff” between layers.

If you want to construct your window from more than one piece of fabric, note the following:

• Your sheer fabric must be completely encircled by appliqué fabric, but the surrounding fabric may come from more than one piece. In this case the sheer will extend into “underneath” the seam allowance.


• One appliqué piece is chosen to be the “main” window frame. You can cut this frame “open” (like a horseshoe) UNLESS the sheer fabric is quite unstable. In this case, leave a thin rim of appliqué fabric to stabilize all around. Remember to leave an “underneath” seam allowance in any case.

JoAnne's Bohemian Rhapsody

JoAnne made this fun fast quilt to satisfy her need to be creative and to finish a project.

I love the glitz in the borders. I think it would be a great picnic blanket!

In her hair, Jo Anne is wearing a hand-dyed silk scarf. She inherited several of these scarves.

Karen's Sea-Scape 1

This is Karen's gorgeous sea-scape.



Detail of Karen's Sea Scape.

Karen says she likes to do putsy work. So many of the seaweed leaves are 3D. She also included green netting for some of the lacier seaweed. She also likes to fussy-cut the fish from a focus fabric. It is heavily quilted.

Gee's Bend Quilts at the Paine Museum

As mentioned in the newsletter, there is an exhibit of Gee's Bend quilts at the Paine Art Center in Oshkosh through April 15th. Maggi Gordon, whose husband David was responsible for bringing the large Gee's Bend quilt exhibit to Milwaukee in 2003, will speak at the Paine on Saturday March 31. Gallery talks are at Noon, 1, 2, and 3:00. Maggi will also show a selection of African-American quilts from her private collection.

Videocasts by Bonnie McCaffery

I've really been enjoying Bonnie McCaffery's blog. She offers podcast and videocast tutorials in Angelina, binding, interviews with people like Alex Anderson, reviews of Quilt Shows and exhibits ... She offers a lot of variety. Enjoy!

Bonnie McCaffery's Blog

March 2007 Newsletter

I’ve had a little time to sew this month, and it’s a more than welcome break from the otherwise hectic pace of life. Still, my best project this month I didn’t do all that much sewing on—I sat down with a ten year old friend and we made a delightfully hideous sock monster! I was so proud of Alek learning to sew.
Katy

Recap of February Meeting (February 22, 2007)
Michele introduced us to our blog. We learned to post text and photos, and how to comment on the posts of others. Michele provided a detailed handout that illustrates and explains every step. Access our blog at conversations-in-cloth.blogspot.com. The free photo management software that Michele mentioned is called Picasa from Google (picasa.google.com).

Show and tell was fruitful this month. Julie brought fused glass samples from a class she and Katy took with Mary Jo Weidert of Wild Apple Studios, Menasha. Karen brought her elegant fish wallhanging. It features three-dimensional surface design made from fused fabric layers. Julie brought handmade paper from her visit to the Paper Discovery Center in Appleton. Sneak a peek at all of these on our blog. (Julie’s paper appears as a background in one of the fused glass photos.)

Marilyn was clearly up to no good during her time in Florida. She showed us all sorts of exotic goodies, including soy silk, a fusible iridescent film (it’s the raw material for Angelina fiber) and samples and ideas from several Florida artists. Check out Diane Smith at www.fibersmith.com, and Jennie Zipperer at embellishedcloth.com.

Reminders and Announcements
We’ll be in the Gegan Room (long conference table) in April and October. All other meetings, including the upcoming March meeting, are in the Activity Room as usual. Notice a correction to the schedule: the May meeting is the last Thursday in May (the 31st), not the 24th as erroneously printed last month.

A selection of quilts from Gee’s Bend is on exhibit at the Paine Art Center in Oshkosh through April 15th. The Paine is open from 11 to 4 Tuesday through Sunday; admission is $7. Don’t forget about the Women Who Run with Scissors Fiber Art Exhibit through April 22 at Gallery 110 North in Plymouth. Hours are 12-4 Tuesday through Saturday, and 1-4 on Sundays. Admission is free!

March Meeting (Thursday March 29, 2007) at the Menasha Public Library
Katy will teach her sheer window appliqué technique. She developed this technique while working on her Rhapsody quilt at Ricky Tims’ retreat last fall. Supply list

• Background fabric of your choice (cotton)
• Appliqué fabric—we will fuse this, so strange, weird, and wonderful fabrics are just fine.
• Sheer fabric—we will cut a hole in the appliqué fabric and insert the sheer. The background fabric will show through the sheer. You will not see any fusible, so very open fabrics like netting are acceptable, as are more traditional sheers like chiffon or organza. You can even make your own with Angelina.
• Fusible webbing—any type, bring your preferred brand
• Freezer paper (I’ll share)
• Teflon iron sheet or parchment paper (I’ll share)
• Scissors, pencil
• If you have a “Bohin Anti-Glossing Teflon Iron Shoe,” bring it (and your iron). This is the flexible type of Teflon iron cover, not the metal type. I’ll bring mine to share but a second never hurts.
• Optional: “fiber soup”, glitter, tiny beads, etc. to trap behind your sheer.
• Optional: Sewing machine and thread to match your appliqué fabric. Bring these if you wish to stitch down your appliqué at the meeting. Your learning of the technique will not be hindered if you choose not to sew.

Upcoming Events
March 29, 2007: March Meeting, 6:00. Sheer window appliqué with Katy.
April 26, 2007: April meeting, 6:00. Couching.
May 31, 2007: May meeting, 6:00. Fabric Postcards.
June 28, 2007: June meeting, 6:00. Paintsticks.

Conversations with Cloth meets the last Thursday of each month at 6:00 at the Menasha Public Library.

Karen's Fish

Karen brought her elegant fish wallhanging for show and tell. The border stripes are made with decorative stitching. The fish are dimensional



This is the revised version of Karen's Fish which she brought back to the March Meeting. Karen said she likes to stand back and ask, "What does it need? What's missing?" In this case, the scene was crying out for the red necklace on the left to balance the red flowers on the right. It works! (Yes, that's Karen peaking over the top!)

Glass Fusing

Julie and Katy (along with Julie's mom Sandy, sister-in-law Annette, and friend Lynnae) took a glass fusing class from Mary Jo Weidert of Wild Apple Studios. Julie's pieces are immediately below, and Katy's follow.

Join the March Classes!!

Hello from Theresa (and her son, Matthew)!!

This is a reminder that Darting Needles Quilt Guild is hosting Joen Wolfrom and the March 17, 18 and 19 classes still have open seats available. Joen Wolfrom is a well known national teacher and author. It would be wonderful to have both classes fill up completely. Be sure to keep Monday the 19 in mind as it still has 12 open seats. Monday's topic will be A Marriage of Blocks.

Women Who Run with Scissors Fiber Art Exhibit

March 2- - April 22, 2007

Gallery 110 North, Plymouth Center
Plymouth, WI 53073-0253
920-892-8409
http://www.plymoutharts.org/schedule/index.htm

Opening Reception Friday March 2
5- 8 pm
Admission is FREE!
Musical Entertainment Drea Wagner 5:30-6:30 pm

Located in the Plymouth Center, corner of Mill & North Streets.
Park at north end of adjacent lot, or accross Mill St. in the Plymouth Medical Center Lot.

February Newsletter

Conversations with Cloth February 2007

Some things just never seem to get done. Laundry, dishes, and this newsletter are tops on my list! Think of it as a “just in time” reminder of our meeting Thursday!
Katy
Recap of January Meeting (January 25, 2007)
Katy had show and tell from an uncharacteristic “finishing jag” at the DNQG retreat earlier in the month. Julie brought Grandma’s photo and her crocheted hearts to watch over us as Karen showed us how easy it is to make her crocheted bead necklaces. Check out the photos on our blog: conversations-in-cloth.blogspot.com.

Reminders and Announcements
Karen is planning to attend the Minnesota Quilt Show June 14-16 and is willing to carpool. Check out http://www.mnquilt.org/mq2007/index.htm for more on the show.

Thank you to everyone who renewed their membership. The 2007 member list is included in this newsletter. Please verify your information and bring corrections to the February meeting. If you’re not on the list, this will be your last newsletter unless you renew. You can bring your dues ($10) to the February meeting or just mail them to Katy.

FYI, the library has lots of “stuff” available for us to use during meetings, including a VCR and TV, an opaque projector, an overhead projector, a DVD/VHS projector, an LCD projector, a slide projector, a projection screen, easels, a piano, coffee urns, a lectern, a portable sound system, and a telephone.

February Meeting (Thursday February 22, 2007) at the Menasha Public Library
Michele will teach us the basics of blogging, and even if you don’t want to blog yourself, she’ll show us how to visit our blog and post to it.

Don’t forget show and tell! We still need programs for the back half of 2007, but check out the lineup we have for the first half of the year below!

Upcoming Events
February 22, 2007: February meeting, 6:00. Computer literacy with Michele.
March 29, 2007: March Meeting, 6:00. Sheer window appliqué with Katy.
April 26, 2007: April meeting, 6:00. Couching.
May 24, 2007: May meeting, 6:00. Fabric Postcards.
June 28, 2007: June meeting, 6:00. Paintsticks.

Conversations with Cloth meets the last Thursday of each month at 6:00 at the Menasha Public Library

Crocheted Yarn & Bead Necklace

At the January 2007 meeting, Karen M. showed us how to make these necklaces.




All evening, Karen kept saying that anyone can make these necklaces. You don't need to be an expert at crochet.

Ingredients :

• Crochet thread, monofilament line, 28 gauge wire, yarn or other stringing medium on which your beads, buttons and charms can be strung.
• Assorted beads, buttons and charms (pre-stringing is recommended)
• At least two different, three (3) yard pieces of “fancy” yarn. Eyelash works well for one of them.
• Crochet hook (s) appropriate to work with your stinging medium. (Karen will bring extras for those who do not have one)

In brief, here are the instructions (from Michele's notes):
1) String your beads. Take more thread or yarn than you think you'll need as the crocheting takes up more yarn than you'd think ...
2) Make a slip knot in your stringing medium and begin crocheting 4-5 inches of single crochet stitches.
3) Pull up a bead (already on the line) and crochet around it to hold it in place. Single crochet another few stitches and pull up another bead. Crochet around it to hold it in place. Repeat until you get to the end of your beads.
4) Cut the line and tie off the last crochet. Set aside.
5) Stretch out 2-3 yarns that are 2x as long as your crocheted bead string.
6) Fold the yarns in 1/2 and loop them together. At the center point, atttch to one end of your crocheted bead string. Use a safety pin to anchor your line and braid the yarns with the bead string, showcasing the beads and charms. (Remembering how to braid was the hardest part!)
7) Tie off at the end.
8) Attach a button for a clasp at one end. Create a loop at the other end, big enough for the button to pass through.
9) Fluff the yarns if using eyelash yarn.
VIOLA!

Tips from Karen :
* Use a button (shank type works well) as a clasp. This allows the wearer to double the necklace up as a choker.
* This is also a great way to recycle old jewelery.

Beyond neckwear, this has great potential for seaweed, garland, or any other number of embellishments.
--Posted by Michele

Conversations with Cloth January 2007

Happy New Year! We’re having our “White Elephant” Party on January 14th at 6:00 at Good Company (it’s a Sunday). Be sure to call Julie to RSVP if she hasn’t already talked with you!
Katy

Recap of November Meeting (November 30, 2006)
We met exuberantly with lots and lots of show and tell stored up from the last few months. Karen showed us her crocheted wire and bead necklace as well as a crocheted funky yarn and bead necklace that will be our January project! Marilyn showed us what “Paintstiks” can do, and we think this will make a good program this summer. Marilyn also had her jangly bead “hunting” bracelet to show, and Michele showed us her awesome completed thread scarf. She also showed us some jack o’ lantern wall quilts she’d whipped up with reverse appliqué and Soft Scrub discharge. Her “bubble boy” pictorial quilt of her son came for a visit…it’s quilted! Katy brought her work in progress from the Ellen Anne Eddy workshop she attended in October, as well as some pictures from her Ricky Tims quilt retreat in Colorado at the end of September. The silk waste “bits” she showed are called Bella Nonna petals, available at www.bellanonnaquilt.com.

Marilyn showed us how to make beautiful and EASY flower pins from silk cocoons. Michele offered some reminders on our blog—you can post to it by “invitation only,” so if you’ve lost Michele’s initial invitation email, contact her for another invite. To just read the blog, go to conversations-in-cloth.blogspot.com (yes, there’s no “www”). I post the newsletters there every month, sanitized to remove last names and contact information since it is publicly viewable.

Reminders and Announcements
We’re having our holiday party a bit late…join us Sunday January 14th at 6:00 at Good Company for dinner, laughs, and of course, our white elephant gift exchange. Bring a small wrapped gift (the funnier the better!). Preferably, this is something you find in your basement, but if you must shop, the limit is $5. The focus is more on GIVING a laugh than GETTING a gift! Please RSVP to Julie by Friday January 12th so she can reserve us a table.

Please remember to renew your membership for 2007 if you haven’t already ($10 covers newsletter mailing and a donation to the library in appreciation of providing meeting space). Katy can accept your dues at the party or the January meeting.

January Meeting (Thursday January 25, 2007) at the Menasha Public Library
Karen will teach us how to make her crocheted yarn and bead necklace. She assures me that this is “the easiest crochet stitch there is” and it’s appropriate for even a total novice. Supply list:

• Crochet thread, monofilament line, 28 gauge wire, yarn or other stringing medium on which your beads, buttons and charms can be strung.
• Assorted beads, buttons and charms (prestringing is recommended)
• At least two different, three (3) yard pieces of “fancy” yarn. Eyelash works well for one of them.
• Crochet hook (s) appropriate to work with your stinging medium. (Karen will bring extras for those who do not have one)

Please also bring your show and tell and your ideas for programs for 2007.

Upcoming Events
January 14, 2007: Dinner and White Elephant at Good Company, 6:00
January 25, 2007: January meeting, 6:00. Necklaces with Karen.
February 22, 2007: February meeting, 6:00. TBD.

Conversations with Cloth meets the last Thursday of each month at 6:00 at the Menasha Public Library.