Japanese New Year traditions

Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu! (Happy New Year!)

I'm very into Japanese traditions and culture, and New Year is a special time that the Japanese celebrate in a special way.  

These are my mini kadomatsu (the bamboo pieces that hold the ancestral spirits) and the New Year animal, which is the usagi (rabbit).   I also have my shimenawa, which is a twisted rope wreath. 

We have a great Japanese grocery store but it's not exactly nearby.  I wanted to get over there to buy some kagami mochi this year but didn't get a chance to.  Instead I made this little version and put it on a display stand.  It's made out of craft felt cut in decending circles and stuffed.  

Have a great new year!

I promise I will actually DO my hair next time!

Have a wonderful Holiday!

Just a quick note to say Merry Christmas and hope you all got the gifts you wanted this year!

I will be back shortly with lots of fun stuff!  An awesome giveaway is coming... some awesome news in 2011, new weekly projects, setting things on fire, and much more.  I hope you will enjoy the ride in the new year! 

This N That #21

I spent the last couple of weeks getting ready for 2011.  My studio makeover is still half finished and is a mess right now.  The nice messages from all the folks reading my article in the new QA issue are making me feel really warm and fuzzy.  There's so much planned for 2011, I am glad I can share it here with you as we go through the year.
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As if I didn't have enough to do this year, I made all of my Christmas cards.  I know.  I know!  Silly me!  I used the Quilting Arts Gifts issue from this year to make the cards, using an altered technique of Pokey Bolton's, and they turned out so nice!  I painted the fabric, fused it on with MistyFuse and then quilted it. It was fun, and surprisingly quick! This is my assembly line to add the red quilting to the cards.
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Still lots going on, but over on the Quilting Arts forum I'm hosting another challenge.  This one is called "It's My Nature".  Now it can be anything from a nature-scape, to an interpretation of your own personality.  I like open themes like this because what everyone does is so different.  I wasn't trained as an artist, so I like to see how other artists think.  Please join us over on the forum and submit a piece for the challenge!  It can be small!  And there's fabulous prizes!
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Don't forget that if you'd like an LED kit, you can get them from my Shop page.
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I'm planning my goals and projects for 2011 already.  Don't forget to vote on my weekly project!
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The "other" artwork for the article in QA

I did a total of 10 ATCs for the Quilting Arts article, and some (rightfully so) didn't make the cut.  I was very partial to the zombie and the robot, so those being in the article make me very happy.  The cupcake is a reworked design I did for someone online who didn't follow through on her trade and I got the card back.  
Sadly, green LEDs in this voltage do not light up too brightly.  That's why I think that though the holiday tree and the UFO are awesome, they don't work well for print.  
So, seeing all of these ideas... what design would you put lights into? 

Technique of the Week #32 - Electroluminescent Wire

Project Hours: 5 hours
Design and Materials: 1 hour
Execution: 4 hours 
To say that I love the electronic convergence of tech and textile is an understatement.  I don't just love it, I LURVE it.  Love love love it.
So when I saw fashion students using electroluminescent wire in garments, I just HAD to try it.  EL Wire is readily available on the internet, and if you saw my little video with Pokey Bolton, you know I found some by typing it into the almighty Google machine to locate some. 
That piece was in my gallery show and some other places, but it was really my trial piece.  I didn't know what to do with it, how to get it to stay in shape, etc.  i have perfected it now, and while I can't give away all my secrets (yet) on how to do it, I know you're all smart folks and can come up with some amazing designs of your own.
Sticking with my octo theme for the year, this little bugger is done with 3 feet of El Wire, and it's an 8 inch piece.  Almost all of the time was spent on shaping and sewing down the wire. It's a flexible tube, not unlike your iPod cord.  So take a look at that cord and imagine bending it into tight corners, etc and you will see the dilemma here. 

But, oh, when it's done, it sure looks pretty all lit up.  The swirled background gives him an eye in shadow when he's lit up.

Technique of the Week #31 - Decolorant

Project Hours: 3 hours
Design and Materials: 1 hour
Execution: 2 hours 
In a similar vein as TOW #30, this is a discharge/bleaching paste that deposits color as you bleach.  It has a citrus smell, so it was not as offensive as the regular Jaquard discharge paste. 

I screened this using the silk screen I made in this TOW project.  I was short on time and haven't quilted it yet.  I really liked how the color looked against this black cotton sateen, even if the sateen is a bit fuzz laden.  I'm also showing you the back so you can see how much it bleached out.  You need a good thick layer of this stuff to get this kind of result, there are 2 other "pulls" I did not get a good result on.  Try this stuff, it comes in lots of fun colors!

I'm in the latest QUILTING ARTS!!!!

This was the HARDEST secret (that really ended up not being that secret) I have ever had to keep!!  Especially since subscribers got their issues a few days ago and have been emailing me, and messaging me on Facebook, and even commenting here!
My article was picked up for the 10th anniversary issue of Quilting Arts!  
I'm so excited, I can barely stand it!
It's available from quilt shops, all the major bookstores, and Quilting Art's website.  Please go out and get a copy!  
There's a few cool giveaways I'm planning this month, so get ready, because it's gonna be an awesome time here!  There's not enough exclamation points for me to express how cool this is for me! !!!  
This is literally a dream come true.  It's also one of my major art goals achieved.  Remember way back when when I said I had a dream about this?  I didn't tell you that the dream resulted in me NOT getting into the magazine.  I was so upset about the dream, and I knew that I would never know how it would really turn out unless I actually submitted the article.  I know many of you replied to my "should I or shouldn't I" blog post, and I thank you for spurring me on!  
Please let me know what you think of the article, and I will be back with lots of giveaways and fun stuff!  No, really!  Check back often!!!

What should my weekly quilts be for 2011?

I have a little poll for your help in deciding what I should do for 2011!  Vote, vote, like a baby stoat!