Category Archives: Design

Outer space, all for you!

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NASA has a massive library of amazing photos and they are right there for us to use! Read the fine print because there are some restrictions but for the most part we can use them for non-commercial purposes. I have always loved this sort of picture…

This image shows the galaxy Messier 94, which lies in the small northern constellation of the Hunting Dogs, about 16 million light-years away. Within the bright ring around Messier 94 new stars are forming at a high rate and many young, bright stars are present within it – thanks to this, this feature is called a starburst ring. The cause of this peculiarly shaped star-forming region is likely a pressure wave going outwards from the galactic centre, compressing the gas and dust in the outer region. The compression of material means the gas starts to collapse into denser clouds. Inside these dense clouds, gravity pulls the gas and dust together until temperature and pressure are high enough for stars to be born.

This image shows the galaxy Messier 94, which lies in the small northern constellation of the Hunting Dogs, about 16 million light-years away. Within the bright ring around Messier 94 new stars are forming at a high rate and many young, bright stars are present within it – thanks to this, this feature is called a starburst ring.

And the earth from space is also pretty darned interesting!

A hurricane, seen from space.

I was reminded about these free NASA images by John McWade. You should watch his free video about how he made calendars using these images. I read all of his issues of Before & After, published over the last many years. I learned so much about graphic design, text, and layout from him! He is now at Lynda.com and I wish him years of happiness there.

More about that bird…

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If you get my newsletter you will have seen the Hexy Bird block I’m working on now. I still have to add a pupil to the eye, stitch the blue hexies into flowers, and stitch the yellow and orange hexies together to make the larger hex that surrounds the bird—and then applique them to the block—but you can see where it’s going. I think this will be the center of a terrific baby quilt!

Below is Linda’s Hexy Bird, which is also very cute. Isn’t it surprising to see how different a block can look in a different colorway?!

Hexy Bird Block

It may be a while before I have borders around my block, but when I get it together, I’ll share the photo. Click to see the Hexy Bird ePattern if you missed it when I showed it before.

Show and tell…

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Judy Burrell attended my Pick-Up Sticks class in October 2015 in Monument Colorado. I love it in purple!

Pick Up Sticks by Judy Burrell

Pick Up Sticks by Judy Burrell

You can find this pattern in The Quilters Practical Guide to Color. It’s a lot of fun to make, and kind of addicting :-).

Rocky Mountain highhhhhhh….

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I had a completely wonderful time at the Colorado Quilting Council fall retreat. Many quilters (including me) enjoyed spectacular views of the Black Forest from the The Hideaway. The ladies were enthusiastic and excellent company, the place is great, the food is good. If you have an opportunity to go to this retreat, you should!

I taught Pickup Sticks, a pieced quilt from The Quilters Practical Guide To Color. It is both an easy and tricky quilt design. Once you get it, it’s really easy… but getting it takes concentration. Everyone in the room was up for the challenge and made progress. I didn’t take enough photos, but you can see that what was going on in the classroom.

Pickup Sticks at CQC Fall Retreat
Pickup Sticks at CQC Fall Retreat
Pickup Sticks at CQC Fall Retreat
Pickup Sticks at CQC Fall Retreat
Pickup Sticks at CQC Fall Retreat

I also taught an applique class. I don’t have time in an applique class to take pictures so you just have to imagine the fun :-).

We were above 7,000 feet. By the 3rd day I could really tell that I had to breath a whole lot more than I do at home. Morning walks were out of the question. I like air in my air! I got home this morning and I can say the Sherman, TX, may not have scenic mountains and dry, crisp air, but it has a lot more oxygen. Yay, oxygen!

 

Show and tell…

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Jackie Liles and Diana Dodds just finished this fantastic quilt made from our Whimsical Quilt Garden pattern. They named their quilt My Nocturnal Garden. Don’t the colors shine!

JackieLilesDianaDodds

My Nocturnal Garden by Jackie Liles and Diana Dodds

Thank you both for sharing your quilt with us!

I gotta get me one of these!

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I have managed to ignore 3D printing so far but over the weekend my friend, Ted, sent me a link to this video about the Glowforge 3D laser printer. Deep sigh. I have lust in my heart for one of these. If only I had a spare $2000 hanging around!

I am going to hope that, as demand grows, the price will come down.