The Hockey Applique Begins part 5

Well, I'm not sure if the thread work will be fun or not; it was really fun to design.  I think I may have created a monster with never ending applique and embroidery, in just about every color thread in the rainbow.  So where does one begin, when there are thousands of little pieces to be stitched?

Pick something easy to begin, it is important to get started. In the early stages of a project, sometimes the job appears to be overwhelming--like this one. After I have dealt with the initial hesitation, then I basically work from what appears to be on the bottom layer and work up to the top. This is because the ends of my starts and stops will be covered by another line of stitching on a segment that appears to be on top of it, and this secures any loose threads that need to be controlled. This bottom to top guideline, is the general rule, but of course I break it all the time! If I have blue thread in the machine, I'm not going to hop over and applique a red flower; I'm going to find something else blue to sew before I change my thread color again.

This is the back corner of the hockey bag. I've chosen to use a decorative stitch in variegated blue thread.

So I'm going to applique the hockey bag first with a beautiful blue variegated thread using some of the programmed stitches that my machine offers. The hockey bag is my starting point because it is underneath all the other objects in the picture.  I have chosen my favorite programmed stitch, and I use shiny thread with crisp tear-away stabilizer underneath. [This process will be covered in depth in my new booklet, Applique Ann's Way.]

Here is a sneak peek at the cover of my new booklet! Available in April.

Next I'll embroider the hockey sticks, covering them with thread.  This will be faster than appliqueing them and it will give them a wood grain look. Embroidery is done with a hoop, no stabilizer, and I move the hoop from side to side to completely cover the object. For detailed info see my book Coloring with Thread. 

A closeup of the embroidery with variegated beige thread, that gives a wood grain effect on the hockey stick.

 Now I realize the finely cut dandelions are curling up and starting to fray, so I'll embroider them next or they may just disappear. 

Dandelion detail in the lower left corner.  These too are embroidered.

So the applique and embroidery has just begun.  This is going to take me some time at the machine. Eventually this blog thread will be continued.  I have hours of decorative stitching ahead of me.

Ann Fahl

When Your Sewing Machine goes on Vacation!

Last week my sewing machine started making little birds nests on the top side of my embroidery.  For days I tried to figure out why this was happening.  What was I doing wrong? What could I change so this would stop?

Nothing seemed to work.  So my machine went in for repair. This is the machine that I use for all of my free-motion work. What was I going to do while it was gone?  

I decided to clean out the closet where I store all my extra office supplies, photography, and stuff. It's probably been 25 years since I've done anything with the closet! You can imagine the state of confusion it is in. So what am I waiting for?  I unloaded the whole closet then the sorting began.  I'd been stuffing things in this closet and closing the door really fast.

Only a portion of the dusty slide boxes and notebooks

All those slides, they'll have to be sorted and mostly thrown out.. Because I am spending lots of time on my family history I need a place to store all my large notebooks and files. Today was recycling day, and you should see the huge load of old papers, magazines and junk we set on the curb!


After replacing two of the sagging shelves I began putting all my notebooks and supplies back in. This little task seemed to take forever, but it is great that it's done.

Look not at the beauty and organization, be impressed with the remaining space!

It's not my idea of a vacation, but it really feels good have space again and all my genealogy notebooks will occupy my top two new shelves. The extra surprise was I found all kinds of little surprises. A brand new pair of little Gingher scissors, a photo of my son with his first remote control airplane and a half yard of beautiful tapestry. 

Included in the treasures found were: my childhood animal collection,
new pair of Gingher's and a large hunk of a beautiful tapestry

Enough cleaning and organization.  I'm going to pick up my machine and finish up a really beautiful quilt for Houston.  Bye.

Ann Fahl

This Really is the Good Life!

I have just finished the last of the studio polishing.  The white flannel is pinned on my design wall and I am vacuuming one last time.  At 4:00 today, I sat down, with a chocolate chip cookie, tea and watched Dr. Oz. And I thought, "Life is really good today, my studio is ready for me!"  It has never been so clean.

Looking at my communications center and newly covered design wall.

The pink Styrofoam design wall is covered and usable, a beautiful quilt is hanging on it, and my walls have  quilts and other special items that surround me that I love.  My printer which conked out this week, is now working, thanks to HP tech support.  The baseboard heaters are painted a beautiful white and trim is too. The dark 70's paneling is gone. It is time to work on my newest Egyptian quilt again, it needs lots of embroidery before it can be quilted.  There is my collage which you've seen, which is ready for basting and quilting.  Lots to do.

Before I begin my embroidery and quilting, I will give you a quick tour of my studio.  This wall is my communications center and design wall which is 8 x 8 feet. It is shoved into the corner, but if I need the full width, I can scoot is to the left, covering up the clock.  Egyptian Water Garden II is hanging on it right now.  I love this quilt, when I look at it, it makes me feel good. 

Check out the fresh white walls! My cutting table is half a ping pong table, & rulers hanging on the wall.  Notice the outlet on the wall where the pencil sharpener is plugged in.

Around the corner is the long wall with my TV, cutting table and windows.  I have hung up Line Dancing Under the Stars, Tragedy on Esplanade, Black Eyed Susans on Purple and A July to Remember.  It is good to live with your quilts surrounding you. My studio gets lots of light in the morning, so I rotate the quilts to reduce fading.

This is a very long wall, so I'm showing it to you in 2 parts.

Around the next corner is my short wall with all my products that I sell online: books, patterns, booklets etc. My stereo keeps my quilting smooth and there is an assortment of Winona Lake items on the wall. My postage stamp piece honoring Winona, a historic painting on grass cloth, a water color by local artist Jean Thielen, a Japanese figure I've had since the age of 12, a poster of Winona, and two black eyed susan pieces. The little one was a gift from Emily Parson, and the Purple Eyed Susans was a demo in my book Dancing with Thread.  It really sings on the bright white wall.

This is the part of the room where the embroidery and quilting happen!

 Last of all Oreo is thrilled with the new look.  She can walk along the ledge that is 4 feet up from the floor and watch over all my creative activities and the critters outside. Another bonus, I found an electric outlet, that I didn't know was there, on the long wall. It had been piled up with assorted treasures and junk for years.

The drawers facing out, under the machine cabinets are where I store my thread--by color.  They are on wheels and can be moved around.

Well, I'm ready to sew now.  This major cleaning will never happen again. Once every 35 years is enough. I'm good to go sew.

Have a good weekend.

Ann Fahl

The Glamorous Life Continues!

On the 10th day of patching and painting my studio, I finished the job at 7:30 pm! Wow, it's finally done.

Day 11, is "put it back together" day.  Well, I was so tired after all the painting I decided I needed a break--so I took a nap instead. Eventually I did work at getting parts of the room back in place. The work is slow as I cleaned everything, tossed out stuff and tried to find all my rulers!  I reorganized all my patterns and book stock, so it is easier to fill orders, hooked up the TV and DVD player. My great grandmother's tea cart holds my phone, phone books, paper and pencils.  It took a long time to gently dust all the surfaces, clean the glass tray on the top and hook up the phone and answering machine. This is stuff I'm not good at: cleaning and organizing stuff. "Where did I put those rulers?"

Great grandma's tea cart, is now my communications center! This cart was formerly painted white and sat on the porch at Winona Lake--almost as long as I have been alive.  I am now its caretaker, a job I take seriously!

It was time to start dinner, so I went to the basement and got one more load of stuff to put away, and there they were. All the rulers were sitting under a huge stack of old drawings and notebooks!  I was afraid something had happened to the rulers.  Now the rulers are back in their corner stored above my cutting table.

My rulers have always been on the ledge near my cutting table.  Nothing felt "right" in my new studio until they were back in their place.

Now I can relax, I've found the rulers.  Tomorrow I will begin to hang my quilts and other artwork on my freshly painted walls. On Day 12 I'll give you a quilters tour of my studio next time.  Soon I will be back at my quilting.

Ann Fahl