10

Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers, Ayyoub Momen and Viral Patel, demonstrate a direct contact ultrasonic clothes dryer under development by ORNL in collaboration with General Electric (GE) Appliances. This novel approach uses high-frequency mechanical vibrations instead of heat to extract moisture as cold mist, dramatically reducing drying time and energy use. They say they can dry a piece of fabric in 14 seconds! How will this affect the pre-wash or don't pre-wash controversy?

Click here to learn more.

  5

 

Melody Crust loves to quilt! By that she means the stitching through all the layers. She is not afraid of free motion quilting and stitches those designs often. But lately she's been experimenting with straight line designs, walking foot only designs, and she's going to share how she does it over at WeAllSew.com.

Read more about quilting with straight lines by following Melody's blog!

Star Members can watch Melody in Show 1706: Textural Backgrounds, Applique on Silk & Straight-Line Quilting.

 

Learn more with Melody's latest book, "Stitching Through the Layers."


 

 

 

  4

 

Katie Fowler shares a list of six impossibly creative things from new music to new quilting books.

 Watch Katie in Show 1807: Fearless Quilting. Yes, this is the show where you can watch Katie cut up her completed quilt.

 

 

 

 

  7
Susan Carlson, the creator of fabulous collage quilts, walks you through a technique that allows you to create features, such as eyes, with minute detail, while sticking precisely to your design.  And she doesn't use templates, that would take too long.
 
 

Star Members can learn how Susan creates her quilts in Show 801: "Painting" with Fabric: Free-Style Quilts.

 
(photo: Susan Carlson)
 

  8

If you are like most quilters, you have a wide variety of items that stick such as stabilizers, freezer paper, interfacing, and the like. These items come in a wide range of sizes, types, weight and adhesion levels. Storing this group of necessary tools can be quite difficult. Aside from the fact that once out of the original packaging (if there was any to begin with), determining what type of "sticky stuff" it is can become a guessing game.

This week's workout is to go through your collection of assorted fusibles, stabilizers and other bulky items that stick. We offer a number of clever and easy ways to sort, label and store that we hope will make your guessing game a thing of the past.

 

Want to know more about stabilizers?  Check out some of these great articles and short videos: 

Alex teaches you about a variety of Quilters Select sticky options

See how Jamie Fingal uses MistyFuse in her work

Demystifying water soluble stabilizers

Interfacing for bags and purses

Stabilizing bags and totes

 

Now that you have learned more, than you probably ever thought you needed to know, about this sticky stuff - let's get to the organization ideas we found. 

 

Clean and Clutter Free Options:

1.    2.

3.  4.

5.  6.
7.  
8.

1. Shoe storage unit. All people quilt
2. A 16.5" x 22.5" bin filled with each fusible stuffed inside its own labeled wrapping paper tube. Supermomnocape
3. Pant holder hangers work for small rolls. FeltSoCute   
4. Peg style plate rack to store rolls upright. Pinterest
5. Re-purpose an old wine rack. thedomesticdiva
6. Re-purpose old clear shoe storage hangers. WeallSew
7. Back of the door storage hook and dowel system. SFgirlbythebay
8. Empty 24" mailing tubes hold assorted items. Skooksplayground

 

Visually Stimulating Options:

1.    2.

3.     4.


5.   6.

7.

1. Rack that leans against the wall. This one holds pantographs, but the same system could work for fusibles and stabilizers. Quiltville
2. Wall mounted storage rack over the cutting table. thegratefulstitcher
3. Free-standing spinning storage unit. Pinterest
4. Re-purposed kitchen cabinet drawers hold assorted items using tension rods (for curtains)Sewmanyways
5. Re-purpose large glass vases. Quixoticcrafter
6. Office trash basket. Each color ribbon denotes a type of fusible/stabilzer. "All the pink ribbons are tied around interfacing. The yellow ribbons are tied around stabilizers. The green ribbons are tied around fusible webs. I tied a tag to the ribbon and wrote what it was on the tag." Peasinapod

7. Conduit Tube and bracket system mounted along one end of work table. Sewmanyways

 

Click here for link list to all the organization articles.

  15

Photo by Gregory Case Photography

It's time to reserve your tickets for the next series of TQS tapings! 
Here's the scoop regarding location, dates, guidelines, and policies for requesting FREE tickets:

WHAT: 6 Days of Taping (12 shows)
Two shows are taped each day. Tickets are on a first come, first served basis for Basic (Free) and Star (Paid) members. 

Attendance required for the entire day. Join us for a day of fun, laughs and prizes.

WHERE:  WESTWORKS STUDIOS (inside the Comcast Building)
4100 E. Dry Creek Road
Centennial, CO 80122

WHEN:  Friday-Wednesday, August 19-24, 2016

Cutoff date for ticket request: August 1, 2016, or when sold out!

  17

We'd like everyone to send "Hugs and Kisses" and your prayers to our BOM designer, Sue Garman.

Sue is currently battling a condition, stemming from a genetic mutation, that has caused Stage 4 cancer in both lungs. While it has been a difficult struggle, Sue has been facing her illness with strength and dignity, and knows that your prayers will keep her strong. 

And Sue, being Sue, has been up and about quilting and designing. You can see her latest blogpost here.

Click here to visit Sue's website.

(Quilt: Hugs and Kisses by Sue Garman)

  4

The stunning, intricate creations of Gabriel Dawe are made from thousands of brightly colored threads. His exhibits can take over a year to install and the result is breathtaking.

From the article at AllThatisInteresting.com:

Gabriel Dawe is a Dallas-based mixed media and installation artist, whose work has been featured all over the world.

Dawe was born in Mexico City, Mexico, where much of his inspiration comes from, especially his interest in the construction of Mexican gender and identity. As a child, Dawe felt restricted by the harshly defined gender roles that shaped his life. In his Plexus series, Dawe uses the colorful threads to represent the body’s network of blood vessels and nerves. He hopes that the series will encourage viewers to reflect on Mexico’s machismo culture.

 
Click on the button to learn more about Gabriel and see photos of his stunning work.
 

 

 
 

  11

Jen from Shabby Fabrics shows you how to make a quick ruffled apron using only 3 fat quarters!

Click here for the County Kitchen Ruffled Apron pattern.

  4

Marci creates some beautiful tumbling blocks using Kaffe Fasset fabric.

Learn how to make tumbling blocks with Marci in Show 1810: Quilting Tools & Techniques.

PlayingwithBlocksKaffebyMarciBaker - 35 Pieces Non-Rotating

PlayingwithBlocksKaffebyMarciBaker - 99 Pieces Non-Rotating

PlayingwithBlocksKaffebyMarciBaker - 300 Pieces Non-Rotating

PlayingwithBlocksKaffebyMarciBaker - 35 Pieces Rotating

PlayingwithBlocksKaffebyMarciBaker - 99 Pieces Rotating

PlayingwithBlocksKaffebyMarciBaker - 300 Pieces Rotating

Original Photo: Gregory Case