Maria Michaels Designs

August Newsletter Page Two 

Other quilters have also won show awards by entering quilts made from Eldrid's patterns. She has given permission to some shops in Norway, the United States, and Canada to teach her patterns since she cannot be everywhere herself.

Eldrid took quilting classes, studied quilting books, and tried out different techniques for years. She began teaching quilting classes in 1992. In a typical class, she taught quilting basics three hours per week for 5 or 6 weeks, and went beyond the basics with her more adventurous students.

She enjoys meeting fellow quilters and likes the fact that they come to classes motivated to learn something which interests them. This is in opposition to her daily teaching job and as she says, "These are grown up people, so I do not have to take part in their upbringing. In fact, they are all very well brought up already, so I can concentrate solely on the subject."

"But don’t misunderstand - I would not give up teaching children. They have so much to give in their own way. It is just that it is different, and I find the variation refreshing. I like the fact that I have something to contribute, and that my knowledge is in demand. I also like to see how differently the same pattern/project can evolve because students choose different colours or settings. As a rule, I also come away from the class having learned something, as many students are accomplished sewers and have their own ways of doing things that may differ from mine, and even be better. It is rewarding in its own way when you see students walk away satisfied with their projects and having learned something new."

Above: Eldrid's husband opening the flaps of his Heart Quilt (Kameleon Quilt # 4) which she gave him for his 50th birthday.  Right: Eldrid in her garden buttoning Kameleon Quilt #2.

The photo on the left is the most special place Eldrid has exhibited her quilts. It is in a neighbouring village of only 200 inhabitants on the same island where she lives. It lies close to Hornelen mountain, an 800 metre (about a half mile) high cliff rising straight up from the fjord across from a site where thousands of ancient rock carvings have been found. The mountain is famous because of being mentioned in Norway's Viking sagas. "One legendary King is said to have climbed the mountain to save one of his men who was stuck there," Eldrid explains. "Also, from the Middle Ages on, it was rumoured, and generally believed - even by the authorities, which can be read about in old court documents -  that  witches gathered on top of this  mountain on midsummer eve to celebrate and dance with the devil."

"In 1990 someone came up with the idea of arranging a Witch Festival in this village, nothing to do with anything occult or witchcraft mind, but using the witch image as a frame, or backdrop, for concerts, art exhibitions, guided walking trips to the top of Hornelen (8 hours up and down), and generally having a good time."

"The inhabitants of the village did a tremendous job. In no time they built a new village hall which could be converted to an outdoor stage, hired a London musical called Which Witch, organized for artists to come and exhibit, and so on."

"The village hall was built close to an old German fort from WW2. There were lots of those along the coast to watch the sea traffic and they were usually bombproof tunnels blasted into the mountains. This one had been half-destroyed after the war and people had taken whatever materials there were to use for their own houses. For many years, only the sheep had been using the tunnels which were now cleaned out and fixed up a little. Tables and chair were brought in and temporary electric lights and heating was put in so that this could be used as a café for the occasion."

"The festival was a success and since then, concerts on a smaller scale have been arranged both in the hall and in the tunnels.  A few years ago I was asked to make some textiles for their church and to exhibit some of my quilts in the tunnels during their annual concerts. The quilts were to be on display for only one day, so I said yes. We have a very wet climate here, and the tunnels were by no means watertight. Water dripped from the ceiling and ran down the walls in many places. However, plastic canopies were put up and we placed the quilts under these and in between the drips. The air inside was very humid however, so when we took down the quilts at the end of the day, their weight had at least doubled and I had to spread them all over the house to dry when we got home."

In spite of all the difficulties, Eldrid says that it was a very special and positive experience. Her quilts looked gorgeous against the grey, rugged, stone walls and ceiling, in spite of the very sparse lighting. Their colours made them stand out and the contrast between the warm quilts and the cold, grey rock was striking. Eldrid feels that the photo she took (above) does not capture the very special atmosphere that was seen and felt in person.

Kameleon Quilt #2 photographed in Eldrid's garden

Be sure to visit Eldrid's site, Kameleon Quilts to see many more examples of her work. I have not seen anything else like her  creative idea of using triangles to systematically form new and different patterns!

Special Offer from Eldrid!

Eldrid is offering a 20% discount to all newsletter subscribers. This offer is good until October 1, 2004 and is valid for Visa and Mastercard orders. The offer does not apply to PayPal orders.

To receive the discount:
- go to her site to place your order.
- type Maria Michaels Designs in the Message Box. The shopping cart will not show the deduction, but Eldrid will discount the order.

Book Review

The Mossy Creek Series

- by a changing variety of authors: Deborah Smith, Virginia Ellis, Debra Dixon, Martha Shields, Sandra Chastain, and more

I have been wanting to share this series of novels with you ever since reading the first one earlier this year. However, they had nothing to do with quilting or needlework - until now that is.

The third book in the series actually mentions a quilt. That is all I needed to justify recommending this thoroughly enjoyable, heartwarming series about a fictitious, small Southern town in the United States and the interesting people who live there.

There are now four in the series with more to come. They can, of course, be read in any order, but to experience their full flavour, I highly recommending starting with the first one and working your way through them all. They make delightful end-of-summer reading. Actually, any season is a good time to read them.

*Remember to support your local libraries, quilt, and needlework shops.

Quilt Tools

 Although this "plastic parts cabinet" won't help us with our quilting and needlework, it and others like it are very handy for storing many of our supplies. Buttons, needles, flosses, pins, bobbins, tape measures, rotary cutters, and scissors are just a few of the items they will hold.

This one pictured here is mine. It has two drawer sizes and includes dividers for each of them. The drawers are clear plastic so it is easy to see what is stored in them, though you can make labels, if you wish. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes.

They are available in hardware stores, where quilters and needleworkers can find all manner of things to use in our sewing rooms.

Questions and Answers

Q: "Do you have any patterns with cross stitched log cabins on them?  We are in the process of planning our log cabin and I thought I would like to get started making samplers, hand towels, etc., with log cabins on them. Thank you for any assistance you can offer."  - M.B.

A: We were only able to come up with two patterns for you:

Napa Needlepoint has a design with a log cabin on it, called Cozy Cottage. 

Dragon Dreams - designs by Jennifer Aikman-Smith - has a pattern called, Of Woods & Wilderness which you will find listed on their design page as DD-77.

Would our readers who know of other available cross stitch log cabin patterns please email me with the information and I will pass the information on to M.B.?  Replies will be included in the next newsletter.

Q: I am trying to sew with metallic thread, but it keeps breaking on me. Do you have any suggestions?
         - Annie H.

A:  Metallic threads are fun to use, but they can cause problems. They are made in three different ways, so it is helpful to experiment with each of the types to find out which work best for you.

Some use a polyester, nylon, rayon, or mylar center/core with metallic strands wrapped around it. Some use an adhesive to adhere the strands to the core. Some coat the strands with an alloy or polyester for strength. The ones which are not bonded can shred and break so adjustments must be made when using them. Different brands can also vary in thickness.

There are two ways that threads are wound onto spools which also makes a difference. The cross-wound threads are  often easier to use than the parallel-wound and should be placed in a horizontal position on your sewing machine.

Experiment by using a thread stand or placing your bobbins in different positions (vertical, horizontal). Check to see if your spool has a nick on one end where thread can be caught and position your spool to avoid that problem.

Sew slowly when using metallic threads. Use your machine's slowest speed, if you have that option.

If you plan to quilt with it, try stitching from the back of your quilt with the metallic thread in your bobbin and your spool thread matching your quilt back.

Experiment with first loosening and then tightening your top tension.

Use a metallic needle. This type of needle is made specifically for these threads. You can also try a topstitching needle with a larger eye such as a 14/90. Jeans needles can work quite well, too.

Always use a new needle when working with metallic threads. Any burrs or dullness can cause problems and cause the thread to shred.

Each time you change projects - for example, from quilting to garment sewing - remember to experiment and test again with the fabrics you are using.

Hancey has been successful with not passing the thread through the thread guides close to the needle. She finds they tend to shred it. If you do not have a thread stand, she recommends placing the thread in a bowl or large coffee cup so that the thread spool can "flop around" in it and unwind easily but not jump out. Then tape some safety pins to your machine so that the thread will be guided to the machine's guides without catching on things along the way. The thread is meant to go through the circle at the end of the safety pin.  She suggests you use a thread stand which you can either buy or make. Hancey suggests taking an unbent coat hanger and sticking it into a small block of wood or modelling clay for a handy, homemade, thread stand.

Edna also recommends keeping the thread away from the plastic parts on the machine as the thread can cut into them. She likes to get the sparkle they create when they are added to fabric ribbon for tying bows and when used to couch ribbons, yarn, cording, and so on. She emphasizes sewing slowly because the friction of greater speeds builds up heat and contributes to thread breakage.

Do you have a question? Email it to us. Answers will appear in the next issue.

-- Answers are provided by our Answer Team which is made up of quilters Maria - of Maria Michaels Designs, Hancey Hansen,  Frances Moore, Elaine Phillips, and Edna Summers.

Hints and Tips

When you are viewing a quilt pattern on your monitor, enlarge it, stand up, and move away from it. View it from a distance of half way across the room or further. You will be surprised at the difference it makes. Secondary patterns that are not noticeable up close will emerge and colours will stand out differently.

Do you have hints and tips you would like to share with our readers? Send them to us, please. Senders of each tip used in a newsletter will receive a 15% off coupon to use with their next pattern order.

Quilting Sites 

National Online Quilters - A site for all quilting lovers with a variety of offerings: discussions, challenges, quilts (naturally) and mysteries. You are sure to want to spend some time here.

Do you have a good quilt site you would like to see featured here? Send me the URL and a few sentences telling me why you like and recommend it.

Other Sites 

Random Act of Kindness Week takes place every February. However, it does not hurt to be reminded of it at any time of the year. You will find some inspiring stories and inspiration at this site. If you are a teacher, you will also find good ideas for your classroom.

http://www.actsofkindness.org/index.asp

Click here for page 3. See a new pattern and discover the pattern winners for July and August.

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