Magic Threads

Lazy, crazy, hazy!

2011-07-26T18:36:00.006-05:00

The days of summer are zooming by and BOY have things been crazy! The month of June I had a show of my found object assemblages at The Burkholder Project in Lincoln, NE. Sales have been good and many of the pieces are still at the gallery. Stop by and see.

Also in June I made the cake topper for two frinds wedding, Lenny and Paul. The wedding was held at an amazing antique store so the cake topper was made from vintage objects.

More June adventures...my husband and I drove to Rochester NY for theatre meetings that he needed to attend. On the way there we stopped in Cleveland at The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Amazing place!! While in Rochester I explored all the area antique shops and flea markets, always on the look out for just the right "junk".One day I drove to Buffalo and taught my Muse pattern for a doll club there. Thanks Sylvia!!

From Rochester we headed to Lancaster PA to visit our bestest friends/neighbors there...always a special occasion with lots of great food and conversations.Spent one day exploring architectural, salvage, and flea markets. While in Lancaster I had coffee with two specail Facebook friends and extroadany artists, Carolee Clark and Jennifer MacNeill Traynor. So nice to put names and faces together.

From PA we went to NYC to visit our son and daughter in law, always the best place with the best people. Saw 3 Broadway shows, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert; Jerusalem and The Motherfucker in the Hat. Also saw a fantabulous performance/theatre piece called Sleep No More and Alexander McQueen's awesome show at The Met.Ate great food and loved every minute of the time.

When we got home I had less than a week to get everything ready for my annual kids class at the DM Art Center, Fairies and Fairy Houses. So much fun for me and the girls.The Saturdayafter the class I had to go to Lincoln to pick up the pieces from one show and set up a display of my dolls at another gallery

The following week my sister flew in from Phoenix and we drove together to Manhattan Kansas to visit our brother and for me to go to my 45th high school reunion. Got home two days ago and today I had eye surgery to hopfully correct double vision in one eye.

I wish I could say that I now have time to catch my breath but I have 2 more gallery shows this fall and 3 art fairs! Actually,

I'm happy to be this busy with the economy in the pits!! I did have time to do one new pattern in June, The 11" Little Critters. They'd make great stocking stuffers, but if your ife is like mine, you better get started.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Is it Spring yet???

2011-03-27T17:19:00.003-05:00

Not so you'd know it!! This week we have had 70 degree days, rain, hail, snow AND tornadoes. Ah, Springtime in Iowa! My calendar and to-do list is filling up with deadlines looming!

This morning I was on a local TV station. The interview was filmed a couple of weeks ago in my studio. Every week the CBS station visits a local atist in their studio. I think that's a great way to shine a spotlight on the artist/hermit part of the population!!I didn't get up at 7 to watch it but I did tape it. I don't know who that person wearing my clothes was but she doesn't look or sound anything like me!!I hate seing myself on TV!!!

But sometime this year you can all see me and my studio in print as my studio will be featured in Studios magazine. Probably the Fall issue but I'll keep you posted.

If you're anywhere near central Iowa and you want to see my studio in person, I have two classes scheduled here....an animal menagerie class is scheduled for April 16th. These are really fun little characters! You can make a lot of different animals with this technique; rabbits, bears, mice, cats, dogs, foxes etc.

A Make-a-Doll Day is planned for May 7. You pick any of my patterns and I'll help you with problems or questions.Classes are such ways to hang out with other creative people. More information is on my web site. http://www.magicthreads.com/

My husband has meeting in Rochester NY June 21-25th. I'll be going with him and am available for teaching while I'm in the area. E-mail me if you are interested in putting a class together .
I'm getting ready for THREE featured artist shows this summer. Two of these are with my Found Object pieces. I've got a lot to do before June, but that's the way I like it!!! Two months of taking it easy recovering from back surgery has had me climbing the walls!! Bring on the work!!

Happy Spring, I hope it's coming your way soon.

Race for the Cure

2011-03-07T22:51:00.000-06:00

I have a customer in Pennyslvania who occasionally commissions me to make decorations or favors for parties or fundraisers she is involved with. It's always a surprise what she wants me to do. This year she asked me to make 36 pink horse sculptures to be used at a "Race for the Cure" fundraiser.The nice thing is that I charge her my wholesale price and she sells them or auctions them off at the fundraiser.So often artists are asked to donate their art for auctions. I'm happy to do that for organizations that I am involved with or support but I often have to turn people down as I just get asked so often. This is a wonderful way to support your "starving artist" and make money for your favorite cause.I love having to figure out how to come up with a dragon hobby horse or acrobat table centerpieces!! I've put a few of these pink horses in my Etsy store. http://etsy.com/shop/magicthreadsdolls

Clean Studio

2011-01-15T14:27:00.000-06:00

I've spent the last week cleaning and reorganizing my studio. If you are anything like me, you just keep buying, collecting and aquiring "stuff.." As dollmakers we need lots of stuff! Not just cotton fabrics but felt, wool, silk, lace, velvet and brocade. We need different colors and styles of yarns, trims, beads, fringe, fur, feathers, pipe cleaners, buttons, bells, well, you get the idea. I'm lucky enough to have a VERY large studio so I have plenty of room to store everything but sometimes it all gets away from you You know you have something but can't begin to find it.I pulled all the fabric off my shelves and sorted through the piles, throwing away the too small scraps and making give away piles. I organize by colors and patterns. Checks are together, polka dots together, batiks together. I have an old school room organizer with 36 cuby holes.Even after getting rid of two big boxes of fabric, they are still full! I think I may have overdone the cleaning...now I'm afraid to mess it up, but not for long!

Open Studio

2010-11-18T10:15:00.000-06:00

It seems like such a nice idea...have an open studio with a few other artists, invite your friends and customers to see your latest work, serve some cookies and punch; how hard can that be? Well, first you have to start with a clean house, because everyone will walk through the house to get to the studio. Never did like the color of that wall, this would be a good time to repaint. Living room needs tweaking, so it get's completely rearranged which means all the art has to be rearranged too. While moving fruniture discover at least a dozen doll heads, arms, tin foil balls, beads, pipe cleaners and assorted dust bunnies, all of which the cats are overjoyed to see again..

Did I mention that I'm doing all this with a ruptured disc in my back......what's a litle pain? Take a pain pill and prompt fall asleep for 8 hours. Should have started this project a couple of weeks sooner. Dive into the studio, where 90% of the Mess gets shoved into boxes and hidden in closets. Big problems will arise NEXT week when I actually have to work in the studio, Still have to send out pattern orders, ETSY purchases and start on commissions for Christmas.

I have to say that I did anticipate these conflicts and attemped to rent a empty store for the open house. It seemed like such a simply plan....but no one would rent out their already empty store. People just don't trust crazy artists.

So I am down to one more day.Invitations were sent and e-mailed. House is almost clean, studio is almost clean, cookies aren't baked, dolls aren't arranged but at least there is no snow in the forecast which means I better get out the shovel! If you're in the central part of Iowa, please stop by and join me, Becky Kemble, Cindee Moyer, Bonnie Samuel and Cyndi Mahlstadt. The art will be stunning!!!!

Lincoln Arts Festival

2010-09-21T11:41:00.000-05:00

I'm excited to be doing the arts festival in Lincoln Ne this weekend. This is our home town so it will be great to see old freinds and family. Haven't been doing outdoor shows for a loooong time. Right now the forecast is 75 and sunny . One less thing to worry about., I hope. I will be bringing both dolls and my newest found objects pieces. I did a FO show at the Burkholder Project in Lincoln in Feb. and did really well so I'm hoping for a good weekend. Lots of Halloween themed pieces too.

Hope you'll come if you're in the area!!

Etsy Treasury

2010-09-18T10:13:00.005-05:00

One of my Witches is in a tresury on Etsy. Check it out!!http//www.etsy.com/treasury/4c9487012c528eefcd735250/halloween-witches-are-all-ready-for-some?index=0

September Sale

2010-08-27T22:06:00.002-05:00

I'm having a sale through the month of September. If you order 3 patterns you can choose a 4th one for free. That's a 25% savings on 4 patterns. Simply fill out the order form with 3 patterns and put the name of your 4th choice in the memo section on the order form. Sale runs through September 30.........my birthday! Happy September. Now is a great time to be making Halloween decorations. Today I cut out one of my Bird of Paradise dolls, but I'm making the bird a crow and the rider a witch. Give it a try!The Secret Keeper also makes outstanding Witches. Make them with green skin!!!
Enjoy the Bewitching Magic!

Mariah, Black Hawk

2010-08-20T15:20:00.004-05:00

I've been asked to send a doll for the "In Celebration of the Doll" doll exhibit held during the Quilt Festival in Houston. Generally it is a mad dash to finish my doll by the deadline but this year, I'm done with a month to spare. What a great feeling. The doll is named Mariah. Sometimes the dolls just makes themselves

Fall!

2010-08-20T13:12:00.002-05:00

The temperature in Iowa suddenly dropped from the 90s and humidity to a cool 65. Fall may be coming!!! So in honor of Halloween, I'm featurung my Halloween Witch patterns on my Etsy site http://magicthreadsdolls.etsy.com/ I have three pattern for Witches that are all fun and super easy to make.Don't you all love Halloween!

NYC shopping

2010-07-30T17:39:00.002-05:00

Okay, I know, I haven't been blogging, at all. Just not enough hours in the day but I am going to make a real effort to update more often.!! I promise.
Last week I was in NY. First to visit my son and DIL. Second to have a mini reunion with two friends from Manhattan (KS) High School, class of 66, and third, and possible most important, was to shop!! Living in Iowa does not offer unlimited sources for fabric, trims etc and unless you live in a big city, you probably don't have a lot of sources either. All we have here are a few independent quilt stores and chain stores that are more craft stores than fabric anymore. No one carries garment fabrics except the occasional prom dress fabric. This is one big reason to head to NY, Philadelphia, LA or Minneapolis. Fabrics Galore. The garment district in NY is a fabricholics dream. From 7th to 9th Ave between 36th and 4oth. the area is jam packed with tiny stores. Some of the best aren't on the street leval...like Mood and B&J Fabrics. Closer to 6th Ave are the trim stores with the best of the best, M&J Trims on 6th. This area also has ribbon stores, button stores and millinary supply stores. One of my favorites is Tinsel Trading Co that specializes in vintage gold bullion trims, silk flowers and paper goods. Most of these stores have web sites and many are on Facebook.
My son took me out to Williamsburg, Brooklyn on Sunday. Had an amazing day going to Artists and Fleas....mostly artist market. Wonderful assortment of young, talented designers. Bought a great asymmetrical, drapey top (a dress if you are younger than 50) by artist Nana Ko. Her website is http://nanakoclothes.com
Also went to Mast Brothers, fantastic chocolates with outrageous flavors, like coffee and salt and pepper. Blue Bottle Coffee and a great beer garden. Brooklyn is looking better and better but my kids like living in Manhattan where they can still walk to work. Tiny, tiny apartments cost as much as my house payment, but I'd trade places with them in a heartbeat.....just wouldn't have room for a studio!!
New things happening at Magic Threads. Check back soon to see what.......yes, I will post more soon.

So much going on!!!!!

2009-04-21T12:14:00.002-05:00

It's been crazy busy around here for months!! I've had several large commissions to finish, new patterns to design and print and assorted teaching gigs. Chicago Quilt Festival was this past weekend and is always stressful to get ready for! I finished my new patterns and mailed them to my printer 150 miles away and they didn't get there for 8 days. By then we were close to the day I had to leave for Chicago so I had to drive to Nebraska to pick them up and then fold all day when I was getting ready to leave. Not my favorite way to arrive at a show.
Nice surprise in Chicago, Barbara Willis and Betts Vidal were there too and we had SO much fun catching up. It's been years since I've seen them and we just picked up where we left off then. Such fun! Show was definitely down from previous years but it could have been much worse!!!!
I'm taking a break in May and going to NYC for a couple of weeks of play, theatre, shopping and a little teaching. I'll be teaching my new Bird of Paradise at the City Quilter on May 16 and 17th. In June I'm going to be in the Seattle area while my husband has a business trip there. Haven't put a class together so if you or any of your friends would like to organize something, just let me know.
Happy Dollmaking,
Julie mc

Cirque dolls

2009-01-28T11:31:00.002-06:00

This has been such a fun project! I made 2 dolls for a performer in Cirque du Soleil. Her name is Krin and she is stunning. She is performing in Spain this year. What a life she is living! See her web site at http://www.krinhaglund.com/ The doll in the cyr wheel is made from hand painted silk fabric from the Cirque's costume shop. I added some painted details to better match her costume. They also gave me some lycra for the other doll but I choose to paint the fabric on the doll. I've had so much fun researching the shapes of the contortionists that I've made a variety of acrobat dolls. They will be on display at the Burkholder Project in Lincoln, NE the month of Feb. I have some of them on my Etsy site as well. www.magicthreadsdolls.etsy.com My next big custom project is to make 6 large adult sized hobby horses for a fundraiser in Pennsylvania. They will all be magical, mythical, outrageous animals. More fun. I feel very lucky to have so much work right now!! I even had to turn down making props for a children's theatre production. I'm sooo much happier when I am busy!

New Dolls, new style

2009-01-06T09:51:00.002-06:00

I've been playing around a lot with this new "mosaic" style. I create the basic shape, stuff it and then attach other fabrics to it with Mod Podge.The piece is then stiffened and protected from dirt and dust. They were inspired by the tattoo I designed last year.Always looking for new ideas, aren't we??

Etsy

2008-12-15T15:44:00.001-06:00

I just discovered Etsy....I know, I'm probably waaaay behindthe times but I'd rather be sewing!! Anyway it is a terrific site with a lot of very cool things that are way cheap. I actually set up my own site and have even sold something...but I've bought more than I've sold. They have tons of arts, crafts, vintage stuff, fabrics and trims and I think it will be a great site to get rid of some of theose ribbon, trims, fabric impulse buys that you've never used! I'm selling some of my doll models and new designs at very good prices. Check it out. My addy is; www.magicthreadsdolls.etsy.com

I'm also set up on Facebook looking for freinds! Now I just need a few thousand extra hours a week to waste in front of the computer.

Finally!!

2008-10-23T11:55:00.003-05:00

Finally finding time to get this site up and running. This is such a busy time of the year for self employed artists!!! Always feast or famine! Last week I had a booth at the new AQS show here in Des Moines, Iowa. It was so great to run a booth all day (always exhausting) and be able to go home and sleep in my own bed at night. Everyone was concerned about how the financial mess would effect attendance and sales but it wasn't too bad for a first time show. I will definitely do it again next year. This weekend I have a dollmaking class here in my studio. Always fun but it does mean CLEANING the studio. What a drag. Next week I'm doing a table decoration and costumes for a Halloween party. It is for the Community Playhouse fundraiser. The theme is always Broadway plays or movies. My table is "The Birds" and will have lots of Crows sitting around . I'm also coming as a Crow.The staff at the Plyhouse is all coming as Beatle songs so I'm "Blackbird." I still need to make a Walrus costume for my husband!! The following week is an Art Fair here in town. I have a new line of non-dolls.....cloth birds that are mosaiced with appliqued fabrics and mounted on wooden bases. I may do a pattern of them someday. I'm on a bird kick right now as I got a crow tattoo this summer. I drew the design and really love it. The wings look like an upside down Chrysler building and include a spiral, moon and a fox head. Someone asked me why I was suddenly fascinated with tattoos and I said that I had decorated my house and yard and was running out of surfaces. Makes sense to me.

Hello from Magic Threads

2008-08-17T19:11:00.003-05:00

My new BLOG site will be up and running soon. I will keep you posted on my travels, classes, new patterns and kits, creative endeavors and things of interest related to doll and fiber arts. Check back soon!