There are few things better than warm cookies and milk. Very few.
You are invited! Please come!
Sew On Studio Warming and Open House
Saturday, January 29
2 to 4 PM
6635 North Baltimore
Suite 263
Portland, Oregon 97203
Parking is free in the covered garage or in the lot on the street. The 2 story building is a bit of orangey goodness redone in 1960's architecture. It is located under the St. John's Bridge at the edge of Cathedral Park, and right across the street from the Moonstruck Chocolate factory building.
Please come to try out the Handiquilter Fusion long arm machine, visit with your quilter friends, see the transformation of a former ugly office space into a creative studio space. Husbands, partners and kids welcome.
And warm cookies and milk will be served! I hope you will come....it won't be a party without you.
Please call me 503 720 1753 or leave a message at the end of this blog post if you want more information.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
The 2011 Paying It Forward Challenge and I Can't Believe It's the Same Space
I'm in!
I first saw this challenge on Facebook.It was posted by Jen Carlton-Bailly
"Pay it Forward in 2011: I promise to send something handmade to the first 5 people who leave a comment here. They must in turn post this and send something they make to the first 5 people who comment on their status." The rules are that it must be handmade by you and it must be sent to your 5 people sometime in 2011."
What a great idea! And what a fun sewing project for my new studio space. So in betwixt organizing fabric, learning about long arm quilting, and assembling the last of the IKEA furniture, I will sew for the first 5 people who are also willing to pay it forward. Just leave a comment at the end of this post. And then.....when you least expect it, something handmade will arrive in your mailbox! But the absolute best part is that you get the opportunity to PAY IT FORWARD too!
Here are a few more pics of the sew on studio.....we are hoping to have everything done by next week.
Here's the soon to be cozy seating area. The far end of the space will be used for the long arm machine which should be delivered next week. Hmmmm, looks like some patchwork pillows are needed!
A place for coats.
And messages and notes.
Storage
Design walls.
Display.
And of course sewing. Lots of sewing.
The next 5 pictures belong in the believe it or not category. This is how the studio space looked the first day we saw it. Complete with portable cubicle dividers, baby blue paint, computer parts and metal shelving. Looking back now, I can't believe all the changes!
Change is good. The only thing that would make it any better....is a comment or visit from you!
I first saw this challenge on Facebook.It was posted by Jen Carlton-Bailly
"Pay it Forward in 2011: I promise to send something handmade to the first 5 people who leave a comment here. They must in turn post this and send something they make to the first 5 people who comment on their status." The rules are that it must be handmade by you and it must be sent to your 5 people sometime in 2011."
What a great idea! And what a fun sewing project for my new studio space. So in betwixt organizing fabric, learning about long arm quilting, and assembling the last of the IKEA furniture, I will sew for the first 5 people who are also willing to pay it forward. Just leave a comment at the end of this post. And then.....when you least expect it, something handmade will arrive in your mailbox! But the absolute best part is that you get the opportunity to PAY IT FORWARD too!
Here are a few more pics of the sew on studio.....we are hoping to have everything done by next week.
Here's the soon to be cozy seating area. The far end of the space will be used for the long arm machine which should be delivered next week. Hmmmm, looks like some patchwork pillows are needed!
A place for coats.
And messages and notes.
Storage
Design walls.
Display.
And of course sewing. Lots of sewing.
The next 5 pictures belong in the believe it or not category. This is how the studio space looked the first day we saw it. Complete with portable cubicle dividers, baby blue paint, computer parts and metal shelving. Looking back now, I can't believe all the changes!
Change is good. The only thing that would make it any better....is a comment or visit from you!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Happy New Year, Happy Birthday, Happy Valentine's Day Happy Mother's Day, Happy Halloween and all the other Happy Days in the Whole Wide World
Whew!
What a title......but it is a well deserved one as we just signed the lease on a big, bright and new studio space and within a week or so the Handiquilter truck will be stopping by with something special for me! Yes people, you heard me right! Lookee, lookee......right here.....
Fantastic, is it not? So I have a big learning curve ahead! Exciting beyond belief! I have 6 quilt tops ready, at least 6 more almost ready, and 6 million in my head waiting for the long arm machine adventure!
The new studio space is in the former Columbia Woolen Mills under the St. John's Bridge. A few years ago, this whole mega structure was converted to artist and small business rental spaces. There are many different unit sizes available....clean, bright, safe, utilities included, free parking, cafe and "soon to open" brew pub onsite. Another plus factor is that it is within walking distance of our house. The new space is about 1000 square feet of delicious emptiness right now but it will soon be filled with thread, fabric, comfy chairs, music, stocked mini frig, cutting table, design walls, sewing machine and of course my new
Handiquilter Fusion long arm quilting machine.
I am so jazzed!
I am so excited!
And.....
I want to invite all my friends and the Portland Modern Quilt Guild members to come by for a visit! Bring your latest quilt in process and sew on my spare sewing machine which will be waiting just for you. Really!
Here's to a Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy New Year!
Time to get your sew on!
What a title......but it is a well deserved one as we just signed the lease on a big, bright and new studio space and within a week or so the Handiquilter truck will be stopping by with something special for me! Yes people, you heard me right! Lookee, lookee......right here.....
Fantastic, is it not? So I have a big learning curve ahead! Exciting beyond belief! I have 6 quilt tops ready, at least 6 more almost ready, and 6 million in my head waiting for the long arm machine adventure!
The new studio space is in the former Columbia Woolen Mills under the St. John's Bridge. A few years ago, this whole mega structure was converted to artist and small business rental spaces. There are many different unit sizes available....clean, bright, safe, utilities included, free parking, cafe and "soon to open" brew pub onsite. Another plus factor is that it is within walking distance of our house. The new space is about 1000 square feet of delicious emptiness right now but it will soon be filled with thread, fabric, comfy chairs, music, stocked mini frig, cutting table, design walls, sewing machine and of course my new
Handiquilter Fusion long arm quilting machine.
I am so jazzed!
I am so excited!
And.....
I want to invite all my friends and the Portland Modern Quilt Guild members to come by for a visit! Bring your latest quilt in process and sew on my spare sewing machine which will be waiting just for you. Really!
Here's to a Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy New Year!
Time to get your sew on!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Wonky Argyle
Sometimes you want to machine quilt a complicated, preplanned, precise, technically challenging, ever so accurate, intricate pattern.
This is not that time.
Welcome to the world of wonky argyle quilting!
Grab 3 or 4 colors of thread that contrast or match with your pieced fabric top. Leave you feed dogs up. Yes, up! Thread your machine with your featured color and go!
Place your quilt sandwich under the presser foot, insert the needle near the corner of your fabric. You will be sewing a gently wavy line diagonally across your top. If you have a dial on your machine to lessen the foot pressure, use it now. This will make it easier for you to "drive" your fabric from corner to corner.
Pretend you are driving an expensive sports car on a wavy, winding road. The fabric is your steering wheel. The foot pedal is your accelerator.
When you get to the opposite corner, move the needle over about 2 inches and "drive back on a wavy road that is somewhat parallel to your first road. Do not aim for precise parallel perfection.
Continue driving...err....I mean quilting until your top is covered with wavy lines of stitching. Now, go from the other corner with the same pattern to make a cross hatched, wonky, wavy line diagonal grid.
Change thread colors and echo stitch about 1/4 inch from the original wavy lines. generally I use one color from the left top corner to the bottom right corner and a second color going the other direction. These added lines and colors are what make wonky argyle quilting look so much more difficult than it is. Use your presser foot to help you sew this new stitching line so that it is parallel to the original line.
You are done! And doesn't it look great? Colorful, sturdy, artful.
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