Straight Stitching vs. Free Motion Quilting

If you are intimidated by free-motion quilting, this is an easy way to straight stitch your quilt with a cross-hatch pattern. All you need is some blue painters' tape in the width of the cross hatch you want. Lay the tape out and stitch along the side of the tape. I laid mine out diagonally, but you could lay it out to achieve a square pattern instead of a diamond. Then, keep moving the tape until you have quilted up one side and down the other.

I wanted to cross-hatch this table runner. I thought the appliqued flowers needed a trellis to ground them. I decided that the wide painters' tape was best. However, I have used a smaller width on smaller projects.

Easy Peazy. Hope this helps.

Tiny Tidbit for Today - Righty Tighty, Lefty Loosey

Esmee Lynne here bringing you 
Today's Tiny Tidbit by video.*

This is the easiest way to remember how to tighten or loosen anything...not only bottle tops, as shown in the video.

I think I was 50+ years old when a friend gave me this tip.  Sometimes I am the last to know.  Maybe you are too!  



Screws, nuts, bolts, faucets, shower heads, 
hose nozzles, jar lids...anything!  It is a universal truth.

Get it! Got it? Good

*This is my first video.  Not quite ready for the big time:)

  Thanks for being my guinea pig!  

Tiny Tidbit for Today! - Drying Bottles

How Dry I Am!

It's easy to dry out a bottle---

Twist a paper towel insert in the bottle---

in no time 

the paper towel will soak up 

all of the moisture 

in the bottle.  

Tiny Tidbit for Today - Brass or Metal Allow?

A magnet will not adhere to brass.  If it does, it is probably brass plate with a metal alloy base.

Have a great day! Esmee

GRIDLOCK

The best information I have ever gotten from a Photography Class:

"Put your focal point in one of the thirds or the junctions of a third in a grid."

Your camera has a grid. Turn it on and keep it on.  When you line up your shot, put your focal point as close as you can to one of the four intersections of the lines. Never put it in the middle.  Your mind does not find that as pleasing...so "they" say...who is "they"?

Even artists who work in another medium such as watercolors, oil, pastels, or acrylics know this to be true.  Look at some pictures and see what you think. Check out these roses:

See where your eye travels...

What do you think?
Did your eye travel to
the upper left-hand intersection?

Mine did!  ...End of Tip!

Of course, keep in mind that

'every rule is meant to be broken'.

Keep this tip in mind

but go with what is most

pleasant to your mind's eye~

No More Toggle Bolts! Yea!

This is our find of the year. We just moved and started hanging pictures on our drywall.  Alas, we haven't found a stud yet.  (Yes, we have a stud finder.  It is obviously not a 'good' stud finder.)  Then, I found these at Big Lots.  Since then, I have found them at Walmart. 'Picture hanging' at our house is now a snap. These couldn't be easier on your marriage and your walls:)

Voila!  How easy was that?

Making Paper-Cloth

While trading one of my Artist Trading Cards from my Gallery on ATCs For All, I found this wonderful and fun technique. The card I received was made from paper-cloth.My trading friend was kind enough to give m a short lesson in making paper out of cloth.

The rest is history: I was intrigued, bought a book, got out the glue and stuff. As a result I now have some paper-cloth to use in my collages...or one may evolve into a piece of art all by itself!

I love making paper cloth!!! The book I bought was  Stitch Alchemy by Kelli Perkins. You can read all about it on her blog: Kelli Nina Perkins by clicking on this link.  She told me everything I needed to know...plus some inspiration.



Basically, it is the layering of a base fabric like muslin and any papers that you have (scrapbook paper, stamps, ephemera) and covering it with a glue and water mixture. 



 You have to have some room to spread out your wet paper-cloth and leave it out until it is dry.  Then you can paint it, stamp it, draw on it , whatever you want to do to it! 

Next step: Paint