Discourse

"We Believe the Children are are future..."
Or so says that one song and many other sentiments like it.
And yet in the three months since the Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting there were more than 2,000 gun related deaths in the United States. These deaths range in age from 6 months to elderly.
And yet the discussion has stalled on Capital Hill. Ok - good for them that they had a discussion and not a filibuster. Small consolation, but the threat of one was disgraceful and childish.

See names and statistics here

My manner of dealing with it is to become totally obsessed with Bullet Mandalas. I have created several dozen design outlines, illustrated a couple, made a book, and stitches a couple. More are on the way. I thought it was time to debut a few...

First Mandala, Doodled with names of Sandy Hook Victims
Ink on paper, 8 x 8

Second doodled mandala
Ink and pencil on paper
8 x 8

First Illustrated Mandala
ink on watercolour paper
13 x 13
Shown against black fabric. Will be mounted on matt board.

Second Illustrated Mandala
ink on watercolour paper
13 x 13
Shown against black fabric. Will be mounted on matt board.

 My objective to not to take a position on guns. My desire is that we have an actual dialogue on the issues. And they are plural. We can not just have more control or less. People are the ones who hate, but the guns and people pull the triggers propelling the bullets toward someone's end. There are so many issues that need addressing, responsibility, education, poverty, mental health and illness, second amendment, etc.
We can not solve all these issues at one time, and yet people are dying.
Dyeing in their schools and workplaces, in their homes, on the streets and on the battle field.
Can we at least talk about it?

Free Motion Quilting Info

Today was the first class I thought in my studio. Exciting. And on my favorite topic, Free Motion Quilting.
I have had a passion for the quilted surface since my first visit to the Nation Quilt Museum in Paducah in 2005. After quilting once with a walking foot and feeling completely restrained by the prospect I decided I had to conquer Free Motion Quilting. A few thousand hours of practice and I think I have some handle on the issues. Still have room for improvement, but I'm not dead yet!
For the class I prepared a list of resources that I think are useful for Free Motion Quilting with a machine. I though you might enjoy them as well.

Nysha’s Quilting Video

https://vimeo.com/studionysha 

Sharon Schamber videos on hand basting 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhwNylePFAA (part 1)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_EjBGz5vGQ (part 2)

*Portable sewing table

http://www.seweziusa.com/

Marguerita McManus - inexpensive “sewing table”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g14govA4pIM (part 1)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAS25v3ZTk0 (part 2)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0lk7UBQgZY (part 3)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwrA6m9tw-A (update, 2013)

Carol Bryer Fallert’s Studio (great ideas for setting up yours for maximum comfort)

http://www.bryerpatch.com/welcome/Studio2011/studio_tour_2011.htm#designwall 

Leah Day’s 365 day quilt designs ( 365 different quilt fill patterns)

http://www.freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/

Diane Gaudynski’s Blog (information on all things related to Free Motion Quilting)

http://dianegaudynski.blogspot.com/

Superior Thread Tension Diagram

http://www.superiorthreads.com/education/tension/thread-tug-of-war-how-tension-works

Superior’s Thread and Needle Guide

http://www.superiorthreads.com/media/docs/reference-guide-home.pdf

YLI’s Knowledge Center; “Thread and Needle” and “Thread of Truth”

http://www.ylicorp.com/KnowledgeCenter.aspx 

Mettler Thread, images of thread stitched out in a variety of colour schemes

http://www.amann-mettler.com/index.php?TPL=10164

Recommended Reading 

Quilting Makes The Quilt, Lee Cleland (1994, Martingale and Co.) [Out of Print?]

Gaudynski’s Machine Quilting Guidebook: Quilt Saavy, Diane Gaudynski (2006, AQS)

Heirloom Machine Quilting, Harriet Hargrave (2004, C&T Publishing)

The Grammar of Ornament, Owen Jones (2001, L’Aventurine)

Dover Pictura Design books, Dover Publications

(Islamic Design and Japanese Design)

V&A Pattern Books, V&A Publishing

ZenTangle Books, Various publishers

This list is by no means exhaustive or complete -- it was just what occurred to me and would fit on a single sheet of paper. If there is something you would like to share please feel free. I love to discover new people and places and explore new ideas and products.

As a foot note - the class was great. A good group who worked hard, were open to learning and we had a good time. Thanks.

Connecting Links

This weekend was a "Connect The Dot Design" class at Davies Manor Plantation in Bartlett, Tennessee.  The class was part of the annual 'All Guild Quilter's Pot Luck'.  We had a nice turn out and great time!

Here is a list of the links that might be of interest...

Nysha Oren’s sites;

http://studionysha.com/ 

http://studionysha.blogspot.com/ 

http://nyshaoren.tumblr.com/ 

http://pinterest.com/nysha_nelson/

Linda and Laura Kemshall, Design Matters TV (subscriptions from $50 - 110. Well worth it. Very educational. Always inspirational.)

http://www.lindakemshall.com/DesignMattersTV.html 

Pattern Print Journal

http://www.patternprintsjournal.com/

This Colossal

http://www.thisiscolossal.com/

Elena Nuez (not English and yet one of my favorite blogs I subscribe to!)

http://bicocacolors.blogspot.com/ 

Owen Jones, The Grammar of Ornament

http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/DLDecArts/DLDecArts-idx?id=DLDecArts.GramOrnJones 

Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) a terrific source for images and books

http://www.vam.ac.uk/

Textile Museum (DC) on line exhibitions and great books

http://www.textilemuseum.org/ 

Dover Books especially the ‘Clip Art and Design’ books

http://store.doverpublications.com/ 

Supply Sources

http://www.joggles.com/ on line art/craft supplies

http://www.artcentermemphis.com/ local art/craft supplies

Renae's Rays and Mini Rays - a fabric and design friendly large and larger compass
 http://quiltsonthecorner.3dcartstores.com/amazing-ray_p_533.html

Saturday February 16th I am teaching Connect the Dot Design for the Quilter's Pot Luck at Davies Manor Plantation in Bartlett, Tennessee. There will also be a demonstration of Visual Piecing.
Included is all class materials and handouts for creating your own unique designs as easily as you did those pictures in childhood by connecting the dots!
See you there.
Just a note - there is NO SOUND on the slides!

More information

Travel Sketch

While out of town this weekend I found myself sitting with the breakfast crowd in the hotel. I pulled out the iPad and opened the Paper app and sketched the salt and pepper shakers. What else was there to do?
Thank You Mary Pal for introducing me to this great app. Paper on iTunes

Doing the Doodle

Recently I gave a presentation to Picking Up the Pieces in Cordova, Tennessee. I created an outline, copied it so that everyone could have a one and do a doodle. These are the one's I have gotten back so far.

Ellie's Doodle

Nanette's Doodle

Christopher's Doodle

Bethany's Doodle

 Here is the original outline. Can you see the 'Q' for quilting?

Original Outline

I added repetitive lines to create pattern

Preliminary Patterns

and then filled in some of the resulting shapes with more lines or filled them in with solid black.

Second layer of pattern

Another

If you would like to do a doodle please click 'Q' Outline and print out your copy. (I think you have to right click and download then print. Not sure - let me know!) Then e-mail me and I will add it. Enjoy!

Doodle Quilting

I recently finished a new presentation "Pattern and Doodle" all about the exploration of pattern and creating pattern through 'Doodling'. Like the ZenTangle craze, doodling is all about simple lines and shapes repeated over and over to create a pattern. I doodle with my sewing machine on fabric as well as with ink on paper.
Here is a video talking about how...
Doodle Quilting with commentary from Nysha Oren on Vimeo.


Interested in a Free Motion Quilting class? One is scheduled for the beginning of March. Come and join us. Contact me for more information.

Link of Interest -- from "Pattern and Doodle"

Notes from my presentation "Pattern and Doodle" given at Picking Up the Pieces" last night in Cordova.
Enjoy!

Nysha Oren’s Pinterest boards

http://pinterest.com/nysha_nelson/

Sharon Schamber videos on hand basting 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhwNylePFAA (part 1)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_EjBGz5vGQ (part 2)

*Portable sewing table THIS is the most amazing, well designed thing you could get for your studio! Especially useful if you ever sew out of your studio; retreat, classes... 

http://www.seweziusa.com/

Marguerita McManus - inexpensive “sewing table”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g14govA4pIM (part 1)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAS25v3ZTk0 (part 2)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0lk7UBQgZY (part 3)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwrA6m9tw-A (update, 2013)

Leah Day’s 365 day quilt designs ( 365 different quilt fill patterns)

http://www.freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/

Lisa Calle - divide and conquer especially the entry titled “May 26 2012”

http://lisacalle.wordpress.com/

Linda and Laura Kemshall, Design Matters TV (subscriptions from $50 - 110. Well worth it. Very educational. Always inspirational.)

http://www.lindakemshall.com/DesignMattersTV.html 

Pattern Print Journal

http://www.patternprintsjournal.com/

The Zentangle sites

http://tanglepatterns.com/

http://www.zentangle.com/

Laura Harm’s blog - home of the weekly Zentangle challenge (loads of eye candy links!) 

Idea - start at Laura’s site, scroll down to a challenge post and at the end of the post click on the name of a participating person and look at their work. Run down the list!

http://www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/ 

Bits and Pieces Etc (Barbara and Nancy)

http://banardesigns.blogspot.com/ 

This Colossal

http://www.thisiscolossal.com/

Elena Nuez (not English and yet one of my favorite blogs I subscribe to!)

http://bicocacolors.blogspot.com/