kro designs

Here's what I call a 15 min. brain break. I take a reproducible image print it out on fabric, usually faces...I do this by the sheet and then keep them in a folder till I need them. Set the timer...Ready, set, go...design in 15 minutes with no theme in mind when I start. I try to do these so I don't get bogged down with the details of a larger composition and to just let my brain just imagine with no preconceved direction. After stitching the pieces down with embroidery floss I go in and have fun with machine quilting. By the way it is only 8 x 11 inches. Give it a try...

We're in the final stretch now. Next week will be the last day of sewing. Some have even started the embellishment process. I'm always amazed the transformation process of not only the quilts but the students as well. The first days of stitching everyone is always quiet and reserved. But these ladies have really made it turn into an old fashioned bee. Talking about their likes and dislikes, laughing constantly, being genuine to themselves with their untamed imaginations .

Last summer I made a bunch of fabric beads to make earrings. After earring burn-out, I decided to try a fiber necklace with what I had left. I got my inspiration from "Fabulous Fabric Beads" wild fiber necklace. I didn't really follow the directions to well because I wanted way more beads than called for and also the dimensions for the fiber strands was incorrect. I looked for a correction on multiple sites and interestingly there was none. 17" for the fiber strands... It wouldn't even make it around my neck. So I went with 27". Much better. I won' t be able to wear it anytime soon....bummer. It's going into a display for my upcoming Distinctive Adornments class at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts .

I lost my mojo and I want it back! I think it fell out of the car on the way to the grocery store or maybe it was while I was in the laundry room. Hopefully I didn't lose it cleaning the bathroom and might have accidentally flushed it down the toilet. Well if you see it, send it my way. Maybe it got sick of me nagging it and ran away along with all those other rebel mojo's that are smoking by the railroad tracks. It must come back when it's ready to, but when... next week, next month. Dear God, don't make it next year! >> I know of someone who got theirs back. Try her or her . I don't think she ever lost hers. Be patient my mojo will be back... I have hope!

I was surprised to see a line outside (in 0 degree weather) this Sunday when a local fabric store, in the process of moving, slashed prices to 80%. Is fabric really worth a line? I guess it depends on how much it costs! People do some interesting things in times of crafting hardship. BTW, half of us were sitting in our cars until the doors open. I love fabric but I also like to be warm. Some Alexander Henry, Bernatex , Supplex (the red Hawaiian fabric -I've never worked with supplex or aloha girls before) plus some black and whites for my Art Quilt Composition class. Most were a dollar a yard. Happy Monday!

These wonderful students are becoming great stitchers! Today we continued our sewing and most will be stitching for next week as well. Although it doesn't take long to execute a design sometimes the process of completion takes a little bit longer. But don't worry, we'll have these done in no time!

My 64 year old parents are avid travelers. They have been to 6 of 7 Continents since their first expedition in 1994 to Israel. Usually they travel by themselves around 6 weeks by backpack , making their own itinerary by reading "The Rough Guides" and "Rick Steves Travels" as a starting point. They did use a travel company to guide them through parts of Africa and also on their current expedition to ANTARCTICA. I'm still having a tough time rapping my head around it! They are finally making their trip to the last Continent. They are on the National Geographic Endeavor which left the port of Ushuaia, Argentina on Sunday. We are lucky enough that there is a blog set up by National Geographic for various naturalists to explain what is going on and what they see on the expedition. You can follow along on their almost two week journey here . It looks as though they will update at least every other day. Here is an excerpt from the first blog entry posted yesterday: For...

Remember these when we were kids! I inherited this set from my aunt who's kids are just now having kids and I supplemented with some from my own childhood collection. My eldest, pictured above says "Mom , I'm not an artist. Can I just do the colored in one?" Jack, who is always drawing me wonderful pictures of scenes from his imagination, picked a blank canvas to color his thoughts on. Watching them shrink is always half the fun of making them! I had to join in too, of course!

Hope your weekend was full of fun and relaxation!

I've had a lot of requests on how to make a simple valentine hair clip so here you go! Supplies felt scissors button hair clip needle embroidery thread pin Make a heart template out of thick paper by folding it in half and drawing half a heart. Cut out template. Trace around heart onto felt. Cut out two hearts. Pin both hearts together. Using 3 strands of embroidery floss, sew a blanket stitch around the out side edge of both hearts. For the center of your hair clip, you can cut out smaller hearts out of felt or purchase pre-cut shapes. They sell these next to the felt sheets at Michael's. Some come with sticky backs, that's OK, we will glue them down so they will stay permanently. Sew the button on the outermost heart. Glue the smaller hearts together and then glue them down on the bigger heart About an inch away from the edge of the back of the heart, cut a half inch slit using pointed scissors in only the back heart . This will assure you of an invisible clip. Insert cli...

Today we finished up our detail fabric and learned how to sew. This definitely is my favorite day of all that I teach in this class because we're not only making progress on our quilts, we are learning a life skill. I wish I had more pictures to show but I was so busy helping them with knots, tangles and mishaps. Here are some of the visual aids I use. Next week we tackle the rest of our sewing and maybe start the sparkly stuff... Embellishments !

I first posted about my Ikea Project here , so I won't bore you with the details agian, but I'm having a blast putting this together! Because Ikea fabric is a heavier weight than traditional piecing cotton for quilting, I had a feeling that the seems would be very bulky if I had tried to piece a quilt together. I've had this design in the back of my mind for a while and wasn't sure how to execute it. So far I've ripped the strips of fabric and weaved a design. There is going to be (hopefully) some funky quilting and some fabric paint involved. It's coming together pretty well. Only 2 weeks until the due date... no problem. (AHHHHH!!!!)

I wonder who has gone through my studio and messed it all up? I hate to bust everyone's bubble that all of us artists work in this tidy space so there is no visual clutter, making sure our minds are clear for inspiration. Pshaw! You'll never guess what I'm going to do this morning. Stay tuned for the all famous after shoots if your heart can stand it. Just be thankful I took a picture of the "clean" side of the room. My "helpers" lazily under my sewing table. Maybe if I sing "The Work Song" from Cinderella they will jump up and get to work. "Hey, we can do it! We can do, we can do it, we can help our Cinderelly". UPDATE: Very ironic. Forgot to take a picture of the "after clean-up" and started on another 2 projects... Go figure.

Can't get enough of making these cute pails... Here is another version. Template is here and tutorial is here . Enjoy!

6 months ago our cloths washing machine broke. We had a friend who had an extra, oddly same make and model. Last week our dryer died... Knowing the cost savings from electricity and water we plunged into the land of high efficiency. The outright expense was painful but we did get a 15% rebate from the store and then our city also has a rebate program. There was a floor model electric dryer on supper-duper clearance and all we had to do is buy the washer and the stand as well. My wonderful husband installed a "220" electricity, whatever that is, because our old dryer was gas. I am so happy... It's quiet and fast!!! I, yes me , installed a water heater blanket and hot water pipe insulators that same day. Yeah Earth!!! I promise to post more projects this week before I head to the Road to California on Thursday. I can't wait to learn ( and be warm)!!!