Alex and Ricky welcome back longarm expert and international award-winning quilt artist Cathy Franks. This powerhouse of exuberant energy shares a dizzying number of creative techniques on the longarm. You’ll never look at a cone of variegated thread again, once you see her embroidered and tulle-like flowers using a razor blade and tulle. Flower stems and painterly leaves appear, as if by magic, as Cathy manipulates bits of fabric and knitting yarn. And, did you know that by manipulating just one stencil, you can create dozens of interesting and unique quilting designs with just a twist and turn of the wrist? The creative ideas just keep coming as Cathy is guaranteed to keep you enthralled.
Alex and Ricky welcome Cathy back to see what she has been doing since her last visit (Show 503). Cathy is a fearless longarm quilter who loves using a huge range of techniques and loves proving others wrong when they say ‘it can’t be done.’
We look at her quilts and longarm created jewelry works.
Cathy shares a variety of unusual techniques for adding unusual and stunning embellishments to your work using the longarm. Many of her ‘what if’ renegade ideas come to her late at night, including the idea that variegated thread on a spool could recreate the look of machine embroidery.
Circular designs can be daunting for many quilters. Cathy shares her method for pre-drawing out a design, which she calls a roadmap for inspiration and uses to help test the stitch path. She shares examples.
Along with enjoying renovating and decorating her 4th house, Cathy has decorated two garage sale doll houses with a Christmas theme. In fact Christmas is a huge deal for Cathy. She spends six 12-hour days decorating the entire house for the holiday. A want-to-be decorator at heart, she also worked in stained glass for many years.
I do hope Justin sees this, because I LOVED the opener. In the ‘71, a jr. in HS, I was recruited to join a professional softball team that toured the US. I politely declined because I was dating my future husband &, well, I wanted to keep dating ;) Anyway, Justin, when I saw you swing the bat in the opener, I said out loud, OMG, Justin! You really know your way around a bat! And then the confirmation came from Ricky that you play on a team. I was a shortstop too.
I love all your openings, Justin, but this is my all-time favorite. ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
Wish I could be an enthusiastic and giving teacher as Cathy. Seems like a fun class to be in.
Thank you for sharing fabulous ideas.
Great show! I really enjoyed this one.
Catherine
Becky
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