Appleton Dance

Posts

Reduced-size Sandhill Sling

by Linda Theil I made this "Sandhill Sling" by Noodlehead at ninety-percent of the original pattern size resulting in a bag that is seven inches wide, by ten inches tall, and 2.5-inches deep. I used Mora faux leather in grape from Emmaline Bags in Alberta, Canada for the front and back panels; and faux-waxed, duck canvas from Sally Tomato for the gusset, strap, and trim. I interfaced the faux leather with Pellon Fashion Fuse , and interfaced the canvas with a Pellon medium-weight, fusible, non-woven interfacing. The interior is lined with cotton from the "Filagree" collection by Brigitte Heitland of Zen Chic. I used the bound seams method of construction to add structure to the bag shape. A seven-circuit labyrinth charm form Lima Beads in Ann Arbor, Michigan, references the "Appleton dance" created by Jon Appleton in 1997.

Baby beltbag in faux

by Linda Theil This small " Ferris " classic belt-bag pattern designed by Sally Tomato measures only nine-inches wide by 4.5-inches high. The bag features a front zippered-pocket and top zipper closure with an adjustable, removable strap to wear as a sling, or waist bag. I used tan Mora faux leather from Emmaline Bags in Alberta, Canada for the exterior; and cottons from the Tilda "Hibernation" collection by Tone Finnanger for the strap, piping, and lining. I added rivited zipper pulls and a charm depicting a seven-cycle labyrinth upon which one performs the Appleton Dance .

Notes from March guild meeting

by Linda Theil The Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild meets every other month in Towsley Auditorium at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Ever since March 2020, the guild has made the meeting available virtually -- an option I find very useful and that I took advantange of for the March guild meeting. Anyone may join a meeting in real life, or in Zoom, by purchasing a $10 ticket on the guild's website , Here are some notes from Saturday's meeting: Deb Boschert was the March speaker who discussed her creative process. Last year Boschert's work, "Looking Up" , was printed on vinyl and installed in the Dallas Arts Center by the annual Plaza Arts competition . "Looking Up" by Deborah Boschert Photo courtesy Catholic Foundation You can make an outdoor mural of your own work by having a photograpic copy made on vinyl at sign shops or specialty providers online such as Printrunner.com. Boschert offers classes through her website , and is a support

Henya, I made a book!

by Linda Theil Henya is creator and show-runner of the Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild small group book club that I attend monthly on Zoom. The group is hosting a "Book Quilt Challenge" with a show of book-themed works on GAAQG Quilt Day from 9 a.m. to noon on March 16, 2024 at the Morris Lawrence Building of Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor. Henya encouraged her book-lovers to accept the challenge, but inspiration didn't hit me until last week when I ordered a "Travelers' Sewing Book" pattern from Arabesque Scissors, and made my little sewing case with scraps. The mouse in the cathedral window in the cover of my sewing case is from the "Hibernation" collection by Tone Finnanger for Tilda Fabrics. Inside, the five-by-five-inch case has room for a pair of scissors -- secured with a ribbon; a seam ripper; thread; needles; a leather thimble; and a built-in, felt pin-cushion. The book is secured with a riveted, magnetic fastener. The End Update

What the heck is an Appleton dance?

by Linda Theil A labyrinth is not a maze. There are many forms of labyrinth, but every one is a path with one-way in and out; there are no dead-ends. This concept is thousands of years old, and remains popular today as a form of meditation. For information about labyrinths, see The Labyrinth Society. In the early years of this century I studied labyrinths and took several workshops on the topic. In one workshop featuring a seven-cycle labyrinth, the instructor introduced us to a form of walking meditation called The Appleton Dance discovered and copywritten in 1997 by Jon Appleton. A seven-cycle labyrinth The Appleton Dance can only be done on a seven-cycle labyrinth; it is a mode in which two people can walk holding hands while one of them is walking toward the center of the labyrinth and one is walking away from the center. Barry Hoon posted a YouTube video animation of the dance with narration by Jon Appleton. The video is titled "The Appleton Dance" . In July of 2007, I c

Baseball bag

by Linda Theil I just finished my second "Starborn Crossbody" bag, a new design by Diane Spencer-Ogg. Since I previously had some difficulty stitching the final top seam, I used a lighter cotton fabric and cut the interfacing one-half inch from the edge of each pattern piece to cut down on bulk, I used a vinyl faux leather to make the D-ring attachment instead of the multi-layered fabric piece I used in the first bag, but I still had a hard time inserting it cleanly because of the bulk. In the future I would attach a wristlet, or carabiner to the zipper pull instead of adding D-rings for a strap; or I would try to find a 3/4-inch light but tough nylon webbing to hold the D-rings. The cotton I chose to use is from the "Gnome of the Brave" collection by Shelly Comiskey for Henry Glass & Co. as a tribute to baseball fans. The interior features a zip-pocket with credit-cards slots incorporated into the lining. The front of the bag has a zippered pocket with a cov