No Place Like Home: Quilt Stores Make Our Community

September 5, 2021September 5, 2021 | ellenanneeddy

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of doing a live Facebook show with Beth Rylander in her delightful shop, Feed Mill Fabrics and Quilting in Oneida, IL. I talked about free motion stitchery, and brouht in a small trunk show of work.

I’d visited Beth’s lovely shop, looking for a new Bernina. I believe I’ve found my machine, a lovely 770 that is coming in as an experienced machine someone has pre loved for me.

Today was so much fun! She does this every Saturday. She reaches out to her group by doing a live show weekly, so people can know what is new, fun, exciting and there for them.

Beth’s shop is stuffed stem to stern, and top to bottom with beautiful fabrics. And she not only sells Berninas, she has two lady mechanics. I’m impressed.

But her store bears something much more precious even that fabric. She has made a store in a feed mill in Oneida, that is a community for a huge circle of other women, like you and like I who love fabric, sewing, and each other’s company. What a quilting store does best is it makes community. Which is why all quilt stores are precious, and need our support. Because they support us all.

Here is the video we ran this morning.

Farewell, My Lovely: What Can You Do When Your Sewing Machine Dies?

August 22, 2021September 20, 2021 | ellenanneeddy

It’s the words no one wants to hear. Yes, if it’s stopped changing stitches, the board is probably going out soon. Gasp. No. It’s my machine!

Lots of desperation here. I do have backups, but they are not meant as major machines and they won’t back me up long.

My dear friend Elaine always knew when I called her at 7am, that I’d trashed my machine again. I’d call to ask if I could borrow hers. She’d thank me for having waited until 7, That bad.

I may be retired, but I’ve sewn and quilted all my life and probably will until they dig the final hole. I need a new machine.

But the other difference when you’re retired is that the easy money is much harder to find. So I’ve put all my quilts on a 40 % sale. I have a number of great new works at every price range. And I’m willing to let them go to make sure I can get a new machine. The sale will be on until September 21.

If you’ve been wanting a quilt of mine, this is the best time! The prices won’t go lower, because they really can’t. And I have some fabulous new work.

IF you are new to my work, please take some time to see what I’ve made. I feel each quilt is a separate world of it’s own, there to warm you from your wall, visually.

Prices on the web page and on Etsy will show the full price and give you the discount in your cart.

I’m asking your help to replace my machine.

Thanks!

What Makes You Clean Your Studio?

June 20, 2021June 20, 2021 | ellenanneeddy

It’s not a natural thing for me. I clean. Once every twenty years, if necessary. There’s something to be said for that. You don’t want to rmess up a functioning system. Right.

I used to perform a service for people with unsupportive life mates who did not understand creative clutter. I would take them through my studio, through the thread wads, archeological book dig, archeological project dig, past the dye puddles do the archeological dirty dish dig. People would run out the back door of my one bedroom screaming that their mate could do anything, have anything, if they didn’t let it get that bad. I’m not quite there yet. I’ll offer the service again when everything silts up.

Forward to this morning. I couldn’t find my clip on magnifiers anywhere. Not anywhere. And there is no way for me to thread monofilament nylon without them. After two hours of breaking thread and taking twenty minutes to thread the machine each time I looked over the 9 pieces that needed monofilament nylon and decided I could either go home or sulk properly in a corner. I ended up emptying 9 drawers of polyester thread looking for Bottom Line. And sorting my whole polyester thread collection.

How do I sort thread? By content, by size, by purpose and by color. I’ve learned that if I pull out 10 spools of thread for a piece, unless I’m careful, they go into a basket that gets dumped into a drawer somewhere where none of it’s friends live. Finding them after that is an exercise in chance. All at cleaning up doesn’t sort anything.

All the #40 weight polys, the #30 weigh metallics, the #8 weight metallics, the #5 and #10 pearl cottons have a section of their own. And then I sort them by colors. So I can pick up a bag of thread and have all of that color at my fingertips. Until that messes up.

Bottom line, I don’t clean until I can’t find what I need. I’m also missing a bag of moths. I’ll either clean and sort until I find them or make more. Whichever comes first.

Nine drawers later, not yet, I will have sorted out all the poly embroidery thread. It wouldn’t have happened at all if my glasses hadn’t disappeared.

An End to Winter: Back to the Studio

February 28, 2021June 19, 2022 | ellenanneeddy

Winter is this huge interference of snow and ice on a perfectly nice season. Mostly it’s a waiting time. I hate waiting. Not a skill I have.

I’ve spent the last two months recovering from two knee surgeries to repair a previous surgery. If it sounds like it sucked rocks, you’re right. Everyone was kind, and I purposely spared everyone details and day-to-days of my recovery. I’m mostly through it. It’s all over but the rehab and the shouting.

It’s like everyone else who goes through this. It’s a sparse time separated from your life. I crocheted edged handkerchiefs as a new thing I wanted to learn. It got as bad as that. But it fills time and doesn’t hurt, so that made it worth the candle

So when Don said I was going to the studio, I was worried. About the big step at the back door. About how long I could sit with my knee dangling. And always, did my creativity dry up during this sparse enforced winter of healing.

Silly me. Got the step in one bounce. Worked for about three hours and started a triptic I’ve been dreaming about for some while.

Here’s my bits about the new tryptic. I want to revisit Daylily Dance with more butterflies and caterpillars. Here’s the backgrounds I chose.

Here’s some flower bits.

Is my creativity on board? I don’t think I need to worry about that. More quilts in my head than I can count.

I still have some rehab I would like to avoid but can’t. But at bottom line, I’m back where I belong.

I hope all your winters are short and productive. I hope spring finds us all whole in ourselves and with each other in kindness. I hope spring brings us the new flowers of creativity to change the world with the things we make with our hands.

Left Overs Again: It’s Not a UFO. It’s a Quilt in Waiting

October 25, 2020June 19, 2022 | ellenanneeddy

When I finish a quilt, there’s this awkward sigh of relief, then this restlessness. And then I go scramble around in my unfinished quilt pile. I’m not really comfortable with finishing. I’d rather dink along at length until I’m really bored with it or until I have a deadline, whichever comes first.

So I pull out my pile of unfinished quilts

I’m not one of those people who feels they must finish every quilt. Not every quilt works the way you want it to. Sometimes you learn much more from a quilt you don’t want or need to finish. It’s all an experiment of a sort. I don’t believe there is shame in not finishing a quilt you don’t like.

But sometimes something that got backshelved really is worthy and I just need to get back to it.

I had an urge to play with sapsucker bugs.

I love these. They’re made with two tear drop shape.

And if you do it right the same shapes that make the bugs will also make the flowers.

I found two pieces I’d played with a bit in class. They both were perfect for the bugs and blooms so which should I choose?

I’m still not sure. But while I was at it, I cut pieces for a praying mantis to go with them. Here she is just as raw fabric.

And here she’s fleshed out with most of her stitching.

I’m not there yet with this. I’ll show you more about the decision on backgrounds in another post. My point is that the process of going through the left overs brings me to new and old ideas both. I may have to try it with the refrigerator next.

You’ll find more left over stories in my post Left Overs: The Art of Including Something Left from the Past.

The Thread Magic Studio Opening: I’m Ready!

October 7, 2020June 19, 2022 | ellenanneeddy

I finally feel I’m ready to open my studio to you. In a virtual world, that’s a bit, well, virtual. It’s been functional since May, but I finally have things in a state where I can show you.

I’m excited because the journey here has been so much more than just a new work space. it’s been a journey out of a wheel chair and onto my feet. It’s been a journey where I had no heart to make things to a place where fabric springs back into life under my fingers. It’s been a journey back to my heart.

I have a no whine on line rule. I’ve whined in the past, but I try very hard not to. Not that it isn’t ok to work through the hard places, and online is a place of support, but I find that it’s more public than I want and it tends to be boring for everyone else. And it can make you feel more stuck than you are. But I did hit a dark spot, several years back before I married Don, and I didn’t think I would quilt again.

But feelings are only feelings. And knees are fixable. Both can fix with rest and time.

Don stood by me through all the hard stuff. Then he gave me his house as a studio. And to my shock, and awe, I am able to create again.

So in celebration for that, in thanks for Don’s endless support, and in gratitude to God and the people who’ve held me up, I’m announcing the opening of the THREAD MAGIC STUDIO in Galesburg!

What does that mean for you?

New Quilts: Available on Etsy

First off, I’m offering new work on sale for a short period of time. I haven’t been able to produce steadily for five or six years. Come see what I’ve been working on!

New blog posts:

Full of information and inspiration to help you out of the box!

New Fabric:

I’ll be able to offer dyed products again for sale. I’ve always sold fabric and thread to students. Now you can schedule a video call, pick out the fabric and threads you want or have me dye exactly what you need. My fabric is needle ready hand dyed cotton full of light sources and excitement.

Independent Studies:

Although I won’t be teaching on the road, I will be able to offer independent study time on line or at the studio in Galesburg. Come to the studio when you want. Stay with me and learn what you want to learn. I’ve had people come for specific classes, come just to learn one skill or another or come to solve a problem in their own work. It’s your time your way.

I’m also exploring who might be interested in a video critique and support group? And willing to mentor. Basically, I’m back.

Please come see my brand new work.

And thanks for all of you, who have supported my art for all these years.

Oil Stick Rubbing: Instant Gratification Glam

September 13, 2020June 19, 2022 | ellenanneeddy

I know paint sticks are old news. But I really didn’t get it the first time around. Did I buy them? YES! did I know how to use them? Not so much. Was I disappointed? I was devastated.

The premise is that you take oil paint sticks and rub them on fabric with a design rubbing plate. Simple. Not so much. Everything slid all over the place and I made a special mess. Like many things, it went under the heading of “Well, I tried.”

It was several years later when I walked into a booth full of oil paint sticks and I told the lady I had failed. She said the words I longed to hear. “You’re doing it wrong.”

There is nothing as lovely, if not also annoying as knowing there’s a better way to do something that will make it work for you.

I love oil paint sticks, particularly the metallic ones. Glowing lovely color on hand dyed fabric with texture, what’s not to like. These Shiva Oil Paint Sticks are from Amazon.

The rubbing plates come from a lot of sources. My favorites are from the Cedar Creek. They have numerous kinds and sizes. Again you can find them at Amazon.

Here’s the secret hand shake. You have to keep the plates from moving around on you. There are two tools to do that.

The Grip-n-Grip Mat: Use this 14 x 11 inch rubber mat to hold the rubbing plate on so it wont wander under your fabric while you are rubbing.

Use 505 Spray on the rubbing plate itself so the fabric doesn’t move on you.

Basic Tips:

Peel the oil paint stick to get to fresh wet paint with a potato peeler. The surface of the stick will dry after your’re done and protect the paint stick.

Secure the rubbing plate on the grip mat and spray the rubbing plate with the 505 spray. Place the fabric on top. The fabric can be removed but it won’t slide around.

Gently rub the oil stick over the surface of the fabric. Feel free to mix colors.

Let the fabric air dry for at least 24 hours. When it’s dry to the touch, you can iron it with a paper towel as a pressing cloth to set the color.

You can clean up with Goop, the cream you find in the car care section for cleaning oil off hands.

These are done on hand dyed fabrics. They create something like a batik look, but with ultimate control. The metallic colors absolutely gleam.

I’ve discovered I can stitch into the oil paint stick rubbing with metallic thread for extra shine.

Don’t be afraid to try something that didn’t work once for you! It may be there’s a secret handshake you just need to know.

The Dirty D Word: Dyslexia Rocks!

August 2, 2020June 19, 2022 | ellenanneeddy

Everything worth doing is worth doing badly. I wish I drew well. I don’t. But what I don’t lack in skill, I own in stubbornness. I am willing to keep doing something badly a very long time if I wish to do something well.

I’ve been revisiting my drawing skills as I’ve been starting new work. I’ve needed a fish in the next piece and spent some time this week. It sent me back to my books and my drawing board to struggle with the dirty d word again.

My drawing surface is an iron on pull off pellon product called Totally Stable. It shows up at sewing stores everywhere. The iron on part is like a freezer paper with a softer drawable, tear-away hand.

I wish it were possible to just draw free motion. I can sketch but it helps if there’s a drawing to start from. The hardest thing for me is that I can’t draw smooth lines. I rough things out, and then scratch all over them and then I trace and retrace over and over again. Is that wrong?

It may be but it doesn’t matter much. It’s just the best I can do. I’m deeply dyslexic. It’s not a problem, it’s just a condition. Really, it’s it’s own gift. A different way of looking at things.

When I moved my studio over, I found some french curves I’d bought a while back. I didn’t quite get the use of them. I kept trying to. I just couldn’t quite get it. I didn’t see how the shapes fit around the drawings. Dyslexic.

I have a light table. It helps to have illumination. Even from beneath.

So I got out my rulers and took my drawings and smoothed them. I turned the plastic templates over and over around the lines and found they did fit in if I was working just in small areas at a time. Using the curves, I outlined the drawing cleaning it, smoothing it out. At first I thought I was cheating. And then I realized I wouldn’t have blinked if I was using a ruler for straight lines instead of soft curves,

It fell apart when I went to do his scales. I didn’t have a template that fit that. So I have shaky scales.

Then I realized he was heading the wrong way. More dyslexia. But this is the good part. The directions just are different for me. I mix them up but I can get there in a heartbeat.

I pulled out my light table, flopped over my drawing and traced it the other direction.

I don’t do this for myself, but for the blog, I zoned the drawing in color, so you can see where I’m going. The fish up above is the same kind of bass, but in another quilt. Just so you can get the idea.

Of course the question is whether smoothed out drawings are better? Is there something stronger in a rough edge. Or have I just made my drawing more defined? I need to sew it out to know.

For you, I hope you grab any tool you need without embarrassment or shame and use it to do what you dream. It’s not cheating. It’s working with what we’ve got.

Owled: More Serieous Work

July 30, 2020June 19, 2022 | ellenanneeddy

I can’t explain my fascination with owls! I only know I want to fly with them. In general, I think it’s the silent, swift explosive movements they make. I only wish I could move that way.

Or it just could be a need to occasionally work with browns. Owls will do that for you.

Or the desire to live in the light of the moon. I don’t do them often, but I love it when I do.

Or their faces, wise and feral, and all seeing. I would very much like to be an owl.

Sometimes its a wonderful thing when a quilt doesn’t work. I did an attempt of a quilt with 3 owls in it that was awful. I never got the background to work. But the owls… Three owls. Just doing nothing.