Blisstree » Meandering Threads

Quilting at Mary Emma’s Quilting Blogs

Mary Emma Allen — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:00:57 +0000

With the October round-up of my articles at Blisstree’s Arts and Crafts section, I shall be saying good-by.

Some reorganizing is occurring at Blisstree, and the Arts and Crafts section will be discontinued, as far as new posts are concerned. You should be able to find my previous posts if you’re interested in them.

It has been a great deal of fun sharing with you at b5, first in a Quilting and Patchwork blog, then through the Arts and Crafts section when Blisstree was formed. I won’t be leaving Blisstree because I shall still be blogging at the Parenting section. I also write the Home Biz Notes blog, My Organized Biz blog and Small Business Boomers.

Since I won’t be writing about quilting at Blisstree, I’ll refer you to my personal quilting blogs, Qulters’ Potpourri and Tales of the Trails End Quilers for further information.

Image: sxc.hu

I haven’t posted much there while I was writing about quilting for b5media and Blisstree. So to keep my readers updated on my quilting interests, discoveries and heritage, I’ll begin again.

Also, you might want to check out my daughter, Beth Mastin’s quilting blog, Meandering Threads, for her input on quilting and a quilter’s life.

(Incidentally, you’ll still be able to find my previous quilting and arts posts at b5. I simply won’t be writing new ones here.)

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Quilting at Mary Emma’s Quilting Blogs

Quilts for a Gallery Showing

Mary Emma Allen — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 03:22:44 +0000

My daughter’s fiber arts group, the Fiber Divas, participate in numerous shows and sometimes hold private gallery showings. At least annually, they’re involved in something new.

Image: sxc.hu

This year, their quilts and fiber art will spend some time at a library with a large display area. So, Beth has been getting ready for several weeks. Their highlight projects center around six challenge quilts, each designed by each member, then each contributing.

I’m sure Beth will post her finished project soon on her Meandering Threads blog. However, here are some posts that describe a few of the quilts she made for the challenge.

Some New Pieces for the Fiber Divas Challenge

Anita’s Quilt

Carmen’s Challenge Quilt (This is my favorite of all the quilts Beth made for her quilting divas’ challenges. It’s awesome!)

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Quilts for a Gallery Showing

Online Quilting Class with Jane LaFazio

Mary Emma Allen — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 05:00:15 +0000

My daughter Beth has taken online quilting classes for a number of years and finds them ideal to fit into her busy schedule. She can work on her lessons at home, when she can find time. Online classes are generally within one’s budget when you consider the cost of classes away from home, travel and often lodging and meals.

Image by Beth A. Mastin

Currently Beth is taking Jane LaFazio’s class, “Mixed Media with Paper & Cloth,” from Joggles.

Here is one of her pieces with the leaves stamped onto the background. She experimented with freezer paper stencils.

You’ll find more of Beth’s class work at her Meandering Threads blog.

What interesting and intriguing online quilting or craft classes have you taken?

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Online Quilting Class with Jane LaFazio

Trying the Art of Felting via Beryl Taylor

Mary Emma Allen — Mon, 11 May 2009 05:00:34 +0000

Recently my daughter Beth tried her hand at felting, an interesting fiber art. She had watched the latest season of Quilting Arts TV and became fascinated by Beryl Taylor’s machine felting.

Photo & Felted Fiber Art by Beth A. Mastin

Beth doesn’t have a felting machine, so she did hers by using hand felters. Then she added beading and decorative stitching.

For more details about her felting ventures and more photos, including close-ups, visit her Meandering Threads blog.

What have been your experiences with felting?

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Trying the Art of Felting via Beryl Taylor

Civil War Era Quilt by My Granddaughter

Mary Emma Allen — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:23:00 +0000

For an American history project at school, my granddaughter Kara decided upon a Civil War era quilt. She researched the quilts made at that time and the quilters. Browsing through her mom’s and my quilt books, she discovered fabrics those quilters used.

Image: Kara Mastin

When a quilting friend heard about Kara’s project, she went through her stash and came up with reproduction fabrics and patterns used at that time. The resulting quilt was large, but worth the effort Kara put into it.

She uses it for her bed and plans to take it to college with her. Yes, she got an A+ on the project!

(At Meandering Threads, see more information about Kara’s Civil War quilt and one she made as a gift for her music teacher , who retired.)

Photo by Kara Mastin

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Civil War Era Quilt by My Granddaughter

Quilting from Scraps

Mary Emma Allen — Sun, 03 May 2009 09:00:02 +0000

My daughter, fiber artist Beth A. Mastin, is forever using up her scraps for her quilting and fabric art projects. For this quilt, she started with a blue background piece she had put together previously from strips of various shades of blue.

As she dug through one of her bags of scraps, she found other snips and pieces of fabric to create the rest. The blue portion is postcard size, with a border around to enlarge it.

: Beth Mastin Image

What have you created from scraps? Large quilts or wall hanging size fabric art? Or even postcards and inchies?

(See more of Beth’s work at Meandering Threads.)

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Quilting from Scraps

Fiber Divas’ Round Robin Quilting Project – New View

Mary Emma Allen — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:48:06 +0000

I previously mentioned the Round Robin quilting project my daughter’s Fiber Divas group has decided upon for this year. They’ve all been working on it, and Beth has posted her first quilt in response to quilter Marilyn’s theme.

Check out Beth’s Meandering Threads New Quilt post to get a look at this very interesting piece of fiber art. In Circle Doodads, she answers a viewer’s question concerning some of the embellishments. This may give you an idea of a simple, ordinary object you can use to enhance your projects.

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Fiber Divas’ Round Robin Quilting Project – New View

Round Robin Time Again for the Fiber Divas

Mary Emma Allen — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 07:00:49 +0000

It’s Round Robin time again for my daughter’s quilting/fiber art group, the Fiber Divas. Each year they try something new as they each contribute to one another’s work in Round Robin format.

Beth has described the Round Robin project at her Meandering Threads blog. Each member chooses a shape and theme. She cuts the shape into six portions, one for each member. Eventually, when the quilters gets all her pieces back, including the one she’s doing, she puts them together.

On this same post, Beth also shows a picture of an ATC she recently exchanged in an online project. Are any of you still making ATCs?

(Amazon image)

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Round Robin Time Again for the Fiber Divas

One World One Heart Giveaway

Mary Emma Allen — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 08:00:35 +0000

I just learned about the One World One Heart giveaway when I visited the Meandering Threads blog. This is a world wide gathering of crafters and those interested in the arts from around the world.

There are many fascinating blogs to visit and many really nice giveaways. Stop by Meandering Threads and you’ll find out more about this event.

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One World One Heart Giveaway

Fabric Postcards Up at Cyber Fyber Online, My Daughter’s Included

Mary Emma Allen — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 07:00:30 +0000

Fabric Postcards

My daughter just learned that the Fabric Postcards and ATC’s (Artists Trading Cards) have been posted at Cyber Fyber Online and the postcard she submitted is included. Check out her Meandering Threads blog for more details.

Incidentally Beth’s postcard is Number 96.

Do any of you have a postcard or ATC at Cyber Fyber? If so, which one?

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Fabric Postcards Up at Cyber Fyber Online, My Daughter’s Included