Custom Color Velcro to the Rescue!

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In last week’s post, I told you about my adventure with an Urban Computer Satchel. One of the my “standard” detours on a project like this is to paint up some Custom Color Velcro. Before you shake your head at me and think “Seriously,” answer me this. Don’t you hate being limited to White, Beige…

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My Urban Computer Satchel is Finally Done!

At long last, my Urban Computer Satchel is complete! This is one project that turned into a marathon, and I’m thrilled to cross the finish line. [Tweet “An off-road adventure with an Urban Computer Satchel is finally over.”]   I used Brenda Miller’s Urban Computer Satchel pattern and her hardware kit. (I love, love, love…

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Are Artists Cheating With Technology?

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I had interesting conversations with two friends during the past week. In the first conversation, one friend said some of the art quilters she knew were dead set against using “techie” helpers (even things like Thermofax screens) for making art. Essentially, the argument was we (those of us embracing a new tool) were somehow cheating…

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Millennium Embroidery Frame Review

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I have posted a few photos showing my current embroidery project in a frame, and many of you have asked about it. Now that I’ve had a chance to take a series of pictures, I’ll tell you about my Millennium Embroidery Frame. [Tweet “Beautiful AND functional makes for a great embroidery frame.”] The frame is…

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Beaded Chain Stitch

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When it was time to dress up the orange chain stitch of my current project, I decided that a Beaded Chain Stitch would be just the ticket. [Tweet “Dress up a simple chain stitch with beautiful beads.”] But… which color of orange? Why is it so hard to choose when there are so many yummy…

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Silhouette Glossy Vinyl for Fabric Art

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] I’ve been getting a lot of questions about vinyl as the Silhouette for Fabric Art course gets underway. What works? What doesn’t? To answer these questions, let’s take a look at the new Silhouette Glossy Vinyl and answer the all important question, “Will it work for fabric art?” [Tweet “Do the Silhouette brand vinyls…

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Knotty Stop Beads

This Paint + Stitch + Bead thing is just too much fun! Even though I’m knee-deep in lessons for the next class, I try to sneak in a bit of stitching time every day. So… back at the embroidery frame… I debated several options for stitching the linear shapes in this section of the design,…

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Add Texture And Sparkle With Beaded Backstitch

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Paint plus stitch is an amazing combination. To add yet more texture, I decided to play with beads. Let’s take a look at what I call Beaded Backstitch. [Tweet “Got small beads and heavy thread? See how you can make it work.”]   I don’t try to add beads while I’m stitching. The needles…

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Renegade Stenciling At A Birthday Bash

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] As much as I love playing in my studio, I’m still a kid that likes to play with my friends. Last weekend, I headed down to the Twin Cities for a bit of Renegade Stenciling with my sister Sharon.     We’re celebrating Sharon’s 4th Bonus Year this week. Four years ago, she was…

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Add Zip To Your Zippers With Custom Vinyl Stencils

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Several weeks ago, I was working on my Urban Computer Satchel. After I added the facing strips to the zipper on the front of the bag, Art Brain called a time-out and tossed the whole thing squarely into Project Purgatory. She (Art Brain) was Not Happy with those little facing strips! To rescue a project…

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Silhouette Fabric Test – Part 2

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In Part 1 of my Silhouette Fabric Test, we talked about stabilizing fabric for cutting without adding stiffness to the fabric. Today, we’ll look at fusible stabilizers and then compare the options. [Tweet “Fusible web is a great stabilizer for cutting fabric with a Silhouette.”] The next step in my fabric cutting test was to…

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Silhouette Fabric Test – Part 1

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] One of the big things I wanted to understand about my Silhouette Cameo cutting machine was how to cut fabric. At the conference I attended, and in the instructions I have read, everyone called for stabilizing the dickens out of the fabric (making it more like paper) before cutting it with the machine. But…

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