Sewing Machine Tension ~

 How to ease the pain by getting balanced!   Do headaches come from tension gone awry?  Rid yourself  of tension problems by getting adjusted to it.

This isn't  a fun read but,  nevertheless, helpful.  Persevere to the end to end all that tension dilemma.

No, this isn't a pretty picture, but neither is that finished project when the top thread is winning the tug-of-war with the bottom thread....or vice versa. 

Thank you, Superior Thread for helping us win the tug-of-tension-war.

Collage? What's that?

 Wikipedia defines "collage" as a french term meaning "to glue". It is an art production created by
assembling different forms. Although collage is hundreds of years old, it became a distinctive part of modern art in the beginning of the 20th century. Modern and art quilters are now using fabric to create this unique art form.

 
“Autumn Ends” by Deborah Boschert


This artist believes there is no scrap too small to use in a collage.
She shares creative techniques to consider on this site.
 Exploring Fabric Collage



 
Laura Heine Shows You How to Do Fabric Collage in this video. 

Working from a pattern, you can create Poki Mini Giraffe,one of Laura's well-known collages.

 Working from a photo you can create an interesting reproduction.

                                                   

Still in Progress: QuiltCon 2019

While QuiltCon Nashville is still in progress, here's  Best In Show quilt reveal  ~

"Smile" won  Leanne Chahley @she can quilt Best In Show.   Leanne,  with the help of members of her international quilting bee, "Bee Sewcial." made improvisational quilt magic that puts a smile on my face.  Check out the Bee Sewcial member photos while in the Flickr photo gallery.  They do not disappoint the modern aesthetic.

Quilt Show # 2403

A must see, fabulous to the max Quilt Show #2403 video  ~  Free for our viewing pleasure  by Spoonflower  until February 10.  When it's gone....it's gone unless, of course, you are a Quilt Show participate. 

Alex shares one of her quilts and how she used the math to make blocks come together....then how she took the outside border and binding to a new artistic level.

Then (applause please)  (standing ovation)  Suzy Williams.

Oh my....the video started mid-stream.  To get the entire episode, just back it up to the beginning. You don't want to miss a minute of it. 

In A Festival State of Mind?

If in Louisiana, you've not far to wander to be near a festival - all about food and music.  Premier is Mardi Gras and the well-known New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.....but we can't forget the Crawfish Festival, Strawberry Festival, Peach Festival, Catfish Festival, Little Italy Festival and the well loved Shrimp Festival.   The list goes on and on.  From North to South, Louisiana is an on-going event with magnitude.

But wait!  You say there's another festival just born?  Yes, one celebrating a quilters' world with scraps.  Love, love, love that Ann Wood Handmade has started the first annual Scrap Festival - 2019.

Ann shares that she loves to iron her fabric scraps before deciding which ones to discard.  The close-up and personal relationship with each fragment allows her an opportunity to envision its new life in a quilt top or jacket for a stuffed animal or perhaps a doll's bonnet.   Focusing on each little fragment gives it the importance it deserves.

What a delightful way to piece leftovers from each project as remembrances once the large quilt is out of the house:  fabric works and mobiles as found on Specks and Keepings.

For many, January is the month to focus on resolutions and expectations and well-being in general.  It's a month to reorganize a kitchen drawer, hall closet and YIKES, the fabric scrap bin!   But just as we clean the kitchen cupboard, giving each item its fair chance, so should we organize our scraps.

We check for expiration dates on the soup cans before discarding....don't we?  We re-shelf the soup with the soup and the vegetables with the vegetables....the bag of meal next to the bag of flour.  So should we organize our scraps.

Many scrap-a-holics such as Kristen @ A Little Crispy organizes by color:  greens and blues, reds and purples, whites and yellows.  She also keeps the bins conveniently located under her cutting table.

Many organize by size or shape, each scrap gently placed in its proper bin.    Some just save them willy nilly  to puzzle over later.  Then there are always those who resist the temptation to save and generously pass each scrap on to a best friend who is addicted to scraps....you know, the one who definitely needs to celebrate with a Scrap Festival.   Laughing out loud as I  ponder 'do we need scrap management workshops'?

Laissez les bons temps rouler