March Meeting 2016

Old business Bandon Art Retreat is June 20, 21, & 23, RSVP now, money is due at May meeting, see Amy for details. Set up for the quilt show is Thursday, June 21 at noon, volunteers are need for take down also, it is on Sunday at 4pm.New Business None. Show & Tell

Amy, Peggy and Sara, got together to do some dyeing. The Prepared for dyeing cotton yarn came from Joann's fabrics, they had several different weights and it took the dye beautifully. Amy always dyes her cheesecloth and when she needs white for a project, she never has any. The cheesecloth in red/oranges was very bright.

Tracy has finished her entry to "The Path Less Traveled" it is based on the boat basin beach at Charleston, it is embellished with beads and gems. Landreth went to Ryan and Tracy's and got to play with his plasma torch, and cut out metal stuff. Ryan showed us some glass that he cut with a wet tile saw.

Ryan's project "Learning Something New" is his contribution to "The Path Less Traveled" for a novice textile artist, he did an awesome job. It is an original design free hand sketch, and satin stitched with fusible.

Meredith was not happy with any of the Path sketches she showed us last meeting. Her project "Beware... Should a Black Cat Cross Your Path" is a colorful abstract with a black cat silhouette.

Sue M. made this modern wall hanging from a workshop with Gwen Marston. She titled it "Minnie Gwenie" and calls the technique "free range triangles." Sue M. has also made two flamingo wall hangings for an inside family joke and she is working on a larger Black Flamingo quilt for a 50th anniversary present.

Crystal went to "QuiltCon" in Pasadena and was joined by her college friend from New Zealand. She said there were a lot of manufacturers give aways. She also got a new Janome sewing machine with a wide throat.

Vi made the buttons for her knit vest, and the spiral knit scarf.

Vi beaded over wool stuffing to make these beautiful beaded beads.

Barb is making 3-D flowers for her moonlit flowers Mardi Gras quilt. A gift for her friend, she will bead the flower centers, and place them on a navy background that she wants to add a shimmery moon light effect to.

Cheryl's granddaughter gets this fleece wallet with "Quiet cards" for her to play with in church.

Wet felting was used to create this purse with alpaca fibers, Cheryl used rubber tubing to give the strap strength.

"Into the Deep" is Cheryl's entry in to "The Path Less Traveled" challenge. The needle felting is so detailed, with under water objects, a scuba diver, an old Greek temple, octopus, sea weed, and fish. Many of the items are 3-Demensional and you just want to reach out and touch them.

Sara had so much fun with her first fabric dyeing experience with Amy and Peggy. We made three layer parfaits in large yogurt tubs, each piece of fabric came out a blend of the three colors we used. She said of the finished fabric "I love all my children."

"Accessibility" is the theme for Sara's Path piece, it shows a subtle gray background with an easy curved path, with a wheelchair stitched on it. Three sweet birds, one in a nest, embellish the path. A skyline of sky scrappers, with shimmery sky stitching and beads embellish the top.

Her daughter in New Zealand picked out 2 packages of 6" squares and an 8 pack of fat 1/8ths, so Pat W. is making place mats, to remind her of her daughter everyday.

Pat W. likes to use natural materials in her art work, she has used a piece of birch bark and moss and dried leaves in her Path project. It is still in progress, as she chooses sky materials and decides how to attach the bark. She told us of her trip to Alaska, where they had sightings of 3 different types of whales in one day, and a wonderful display of the Northern lights.

Corienne finished her bath towel in a waffle weave, using the organic cotton yarn she showed us last meeting. She said it feels different on your skin and is not as absorbent as she had hoped, but it is so soft she can use it for a baby blanket.

The sweatshirt Lorraine decorated has only the sleeves done. She added fussy cut patches of "Shop Hop" fabric.

Lorraine's "Path Less Traveled" was inspired by a class she took with Laura Waliskowski. She used fused hand dyed fabrics, and lots of hand embroidered details on her original design.

It is mounted on heavy Timtex to give stability for her stitching, and she even put a design on the reverse side.

Hands on Demo We did a lot of rubber stamping for the hands on portion of our meeting. everyone was asked to bring their 3 favorite stamps and tissue paper, tea bag fabric or sewing pattern tissue. We each stamped and then traded bits of tissue, so everyone has a big assortment of patterns to work with. Next month Amy will demonstrate how to do image transfers to fabric using different mediums and the stamped tissue.

February Meeting 2016

Old business In March we will do a hands on project with rubber stamps and tissue paper, in preparation for April's meeting, were we will do image transfer techniques with the tissue. Bring 3 of your favorite stamps, tissue, teabag papers, or sewing pattern paper. In March "The Path Less Traveled" challenge is due, for the April Umpqua Valley Quilt Show. We need volunteers for set up and take down at the show. The Art Retreat in Bandon is June 22, 23, and 24, sign up now, it is $120, due at the May meeting. New Business Tracy asked about displaying the "River Runs Through It" quilts at the Coos County Fair and at the ECEC, Elkton Butterfly Bardens. We encouraged her to check out the options. Show & Tell

Amy finished her ragged patchwork sweatshirt, from the workshop at Pat W.s house. She used variegated threads to sew the patches on in a grid pattern.

The beautiful fabric with birds and butterflies, inspired Amy to make these two tote bags. The green is a gift for her sister.

Vera's "Ode to Carmen" is a tribute to artist Carmen Hereara's paintings. She was discovered at 96 years old and is now a hundred. She said "I never met a straight line I did not like"

Corienne has discovered this soft organic cotton yarn. It is grown and processed in Georgia, it is not mercerized and also comes in a natural green and brown. She is weaving bath towels with it, in a waffle weave. She also got a new drum carder, and has a weaving completed, that just needs hemming and blocking.

Sue C. has finished her entry in "The Path Less Traveled" challenge. The trees were made with stitching over layers of Solvy, she has added brown trim and beaded embellishments.

Vi has beaded three small perfume bottles.

Her daughter says "if is stands still long enough, Mom will bead it."
Clare has gotten the tapestry weaving loom from the weaver's guild, and has gotten it working properly. She is working on a tapestry based on photos she took of the sunset view from her new home. Jana has been working in an art journal and viewing Pintrest. She said she'll never use up all her ideas.

Peggy finished her ragged patchwork vest from the play day. Washing it gave the raw edges lots of fluff and texture.

Dorie has been knitting fabric with huge needles, to make a dog bed.

Cheryl has some beautiful multi color sliver she has been spinning from the Knotty Lady yarn shop. It is a blend of silk and Merino wool. She has been using her new wheel, which she just loves. The shop has been hosting get togethers, to sit and knit, with a chocolate fountain thrown in for incentive.

The Umpqua Valley Arts Center has been holding Saturday kids classes. Cheryl taught her straw weaving technique to make yarn creatures. Her next class is "Jellyfish"







Hands on Demo

Sara has brought her hand made beads, and lots of materials to work with.

Sara's beads are made with various papers and Versa Mark clear embossing ink, and extra thick embossing powder. She also embellishes them with puff paints, rhinestones, rubber stamps, yarn, glitter and foils, and acrylic paints.

The embossing gave a glossy clear finish to her beads, but did not work as well on the fabric beads. Paper could be cut in long narrow strips to make different shapes, 10 to 14 inches long, barrel, cone, hourglass, and round.

Meredith enjoys her self, making beads. Add a touch of glue to the strip, roll it on an extra long toothpick, then roll the bead on the clear embossing pad, dip it in the embossing powder and melt with a heat gun. A second layer may be necessary, let hot bead cool.

Fabric beads did not take as good a coat of embossing powder as the paper ones did, maybe they just need extra coats to get a smooth finish. Thank you Sara for showing us how this was done.