OMG, ICE!

Friday, December 14, 2007





When I went out to get the morning paper, OMG, ice on my car! Yep, it was 30 degrees this morning and the condensate on my car was frozen. I love these mountains, but NO ice! I am including a picture of the same spot on the driveway about five years ago during an ice storm much like poor Oklahoma is dealing with. Definitely, don't want that! Thank goodness the temperature is about 40 now and a bit of sun is peeking out as I must start out the many errands of the day.

This is a picture of Mary Jo Hiney (pronounced hinn ee) below on the left. She is a well-known silk ribbon artist and teacher and was at the recent Houston International Quilt Market and Show. I took a short class from her one day and although it was a class for beginners and I have been doing silk ribbon embroidery for a short while, I enjoyed learning her techniques and she reminded me of some important silk ribbon embroidery principles. One of those is always using the appropriate size needle for the job. I have to admit, I am guilty of just grabbin' a needle and trying to make it work with the ribbon, but when I take the time to get the appropriate needle (with the right size eye) for the size ribbon I am using- it always makes quite a difference in the look of my work. Using the correct needle really helps your work to come together easier and with a much smoother, more professional look. She also reminded me that broadening your ribbon each time you pull your ribbon through your fabric is very important to have that smooth, professional look to your SRE stitches and design. Broadening the ribbon is where you take the needle, once you have pulled the ribbon through the fabric, underneath and perpendicular to the ribbon and smooth the ribbon down to the fabric.











The picture on the right is a simple rose design we did in Mary Jo's class. It began with a bullion lazy daisy stitch in the center, Japanese ribbon stitches and twisted stab stitches on the sides and then loop stitches below. The colors here are quite random. I was using some of Mary Jo's variegated silk ribbon which she and Helen Gibb are now offering. I also purchased some of Mary Jo's beautiful Silk Adaptation packs. She has these packages of beautiful silks in wonderful color ways. And, don't those crinkle silk/metallic fabrics look fun! Those are also in Mary Jo's line.










I got the cutest purse pattern in Mary Jo's booth and plan to use some of her Silk Adaptation fabrics to make it. I will be sure to post the purse when I get that far on my "to do" list of ufos :-)
That is one bad thing, if you even want to call it a bad thing -it's not really bad, but when you go to any Quilt Show or similar event, you come home with so many projects swimming around in your head.... you just want to do everything at once; not even sleep. It is such a banquet for the senses. Well, soon reality checks in and you MUST prioritize all those projects and be somewhat sensible about things. I mean you still have to eat, sleep, do laundry. But, oh how very fortunate we are, those who love to create; it is such a rich blessing indeed!

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