الأحد، 31 أكتوبر 2010

Santa Ornie and Uncle Sam Free E-Patterns By Marie Altfather of Mamaw's Creations

If you LOVE primitive crafts and primitive decor like I do then you'll be happy to know that Marie Altfather of Mamaw's Creations has two wonderful primitive e-patterns on her Mamaw's Creations blog.  One is for a primitive Santa ornie and the other is for an adorable primitive Uncle Sam.  Enjoy!


Copyright © 2009 - All Rights Reserved - Written By Marie Altfather of Mamaw's Creations.

Here's what Marie had to say about her e-pattern:   Time is flying by so fast! Can you all believe it is the middle of July already, summer is almost over and I am still busy creating fall and Christmas items for my shows. As to date I have made 64 Santa Ornies that are fast and easy to create and are Great Sellers for me at craft shows! If you would like to make some of these Santa's ornies just click here and download it free!!



Copyright © 2009 - All Rights Reserved - Written By Marie Altfather of Mamaw's Creations.

Here's what Marie had to say about her e-pattern:   In honor of Memorial Day here is a FREE pattern ! Enjoy!

Please respect Marie's TERMS OF USE:  Patterns are © Copyrighted. No mass producing is allowed. Can be used for fun or profit for your personal use only. Selling finished product on the web is okay as long as you give MAMAWSCREATIONS (http://www.mamawscreations.com/) credit for the design.

Copyright © 2009-2010 - All Rights Reserved - Marie Altfather of Mamaw's Creations. Marie is a crafter, doll maker and doll pattern designer who specializes in primitive and country crafts.

Please visit her Mamaw's Creations website @ http://www.mamawscreations.com/, her Mamaw's Creations blog @ http://www.mamawscreations.blogspot.com/, her Mamaw's Creations Etsy Shoppe @ http://www.etsy.com/shop/MamawCreations and her Bear Mountain Primitives Etsy Shoppe @ http://www.etsy.com/shop/bearmountainprims.

Ribbon Doll Free Tutorial and E-Pattern by Maureen Greeson of Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions

If you don't know by now I just LOVE Victorian dolls and anything Victorian.  So, I was  thrilled to see that Maureen Greeson had a wonderful how-to on her Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions blog showing you how to make a beautiful ribbon doll. I am definitely going to make one. 


Copyright © 2009- All Rights Reserved - Written By Maureen Greeson of Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions.

Here's what Maureen had to say about her tutorial:  She's finished and I hope you will take advantage of the free instructions I am providing (see link below.) These include a full size pattern that you can print. For those of you who want the doll available to you in kit form, please visit my website (see link below.)

Please respect Maureen's TERMS OF USE:  I am more than happy to share my ideas, tutorials and e-patterns with you. You can use them to make projects for yourself, friends or family. Do not use my ideas, tutorials or e-patterns to mass-produce items for sale. If you post your work online, please credit me (Maureen Greeson) with the design and link to my Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions website @ http://www.maureensvintageacquisitions.com/.

Copyright © 2009-2010 - All Rights Reserved - Maureen Greeson of Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions. Maureen is a creative embroiderer, porcelain doll maker, and crazy quilter extraordinaire.

Please visit her Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions website @ http://www.maureensvintageacquisitions.com/ and her Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions blog @ http://www.maureensvintageacquisitions.blogspot.com//. Also, if you'd like to see some of Maureen's amazing creations please visit her Portfolio of Crazy Quilting Projects website.

Paper Pinwheel How-To Free Tutorial By Jessica Kesterson of Living The Swell Life

How can you resist bright, cheery pinwheels blowing in the breeze?  I can't and I suspect I'm not alone.  If you like pinwheels like I do then you'll be happy to know that Jessica Kesterson has a wonderful tutorial on her Living the Swell Life blog showing you how to make a paper pinwheel.  Enjoy!



Copyright © 2010 - Written By Jessica Kesterson of Living the Swell Life.

Here's what Jessica had to say about her tutorial:   Happy June! Can you believe it? It's truly summertime. Based on this post and this photo shoot, I suppose it's no secret that this girl has a pinwheel fetish. I had a few inquiries about exactly how I made these little paper+pencil pinwheels, so I thought I'd share this simple tutorial to kick off the season of sandals+ sunshine. They are quick to make and would make killer centerpieces and/or favors at that big summer bbq you're planning. Or what an amazing send-off at your summer wedding...Imagine all your guests lined up with hundreds of bright paper pinwheels in hand. Yum. Or you could just make one for you. For your little flower bed. No fancy occasion necessary.


Please respect Jessica's TERMS OF USE:  Living the Swell Life is a creative & lifestyle blog, sharing the photography, stories, inspiration, and crafts of Jessica Kesterson.  The photos and tutorials are her creative property, so please be nice and do not use or reproduce these images or words without express, written permission.  swell.life(at)gmail.com

Happy Crafting!

Copyright © 2010 - All Rights Reserved - Jessica Kesterson of Living the Swell Life.

Please visit her Living the Swell Life blog @ http://livingtheswelllife.blogspot.com/.

Strip Quilt Free Tutorial by Geta Grama of Romanian Quilt Studio

You can never have enough quilts. At least I can't - not when they're so quick and easy to make. I just LOVE making them for every room of my house. Well, if you're anything like me then you'll be happy to know that Geta Grama of Romanian Quilt Studio has another terrific tutorial on her Geta's Quilting Studio blog showing you how to make a strip quilt.



Copyright © 2009 -  Written By Geta Grama of Romanian Quilt Studio.

Here's what Geta had to say about her tutorial:   Make this quilt with me !  I pieced it in a day, I quilted it in the second day and I added the binding in the third day !

Please respect Geta's TERMS OF USE:  I am more than happy to share my tutorials with you. You can use them to make projects for yourself, friends or family. Do not use my tutorials to mass-produce items for sale. If you post your work online, please link to my tutorials on my Geta's Quilting Studio blog at http://cadouri-din-inima.blogspot.com/.

Copyright © 2008-2010 - All Rights Reserved - Geta Grama of  Romanian Quilt Studio. Geta is  a passionate quilter living in Romania.

Please visit her Romanian Quilt Studio at http://romanianquiltstudio.com/ , her Geta's Quilting Studio blog at http://cadouri-din-inima.blogspot.com/, and her Geta's Quilting Studio Etsy Shoppe at http://www.etsy.com/shop/getagrama .

السبت، 30 أكتوبر 2010

This has been on my bulletin board for years

Very timely now.

Electro-Shock Tensegrity

Polish massagists applied electric shock in an evidence-based study, and find the results prove the tensegrity model of the human body and its applicability to massage therapy models. They write in their abstract:

Based on a tensegrity principle, direct or indirect connections between fascia or muscles which stretch the aponeurosis or intermuscular septum may allow the transfer of tension over long distances, without loss of muscle force produced during rest and activity. The present study aimed to test an effect of massage on electrical (EMG) and mechanical (MMG) activities of a muscle lying distant, but indirectly connected to, the massaged muscle. Thirty-three healthy men participated in the study. To record the activity of the middle deltoid muscle the brachioradialis was massaged, and for the tensor fasciae latae-the peroneal muscles were massaged. An EMG/MMG hybrid probe was used to detect EMG and MMG signals from the middle deltoid and tensor fasciae latae muscles. The EMG amplitude increased during massage in the tensor fasciae lata only, while the MMG amplitude increased significantly in both muscles.

The study concludes that there was an electrical as well as a mechanical response of muscle connected indirectly by structural elements with the muscle being massaged indicating an application for the tensegrity principle in massage therapy. It also has a practical importance, because it provides a means for a physiotherapist to influence adverse muscle tension by massaging another distant muscle.

Links:

Reference:
Tensegrity principle in massage demonstrated by electro- and mechanomyography. By Kassolik K, Jaskólska A, Kisiel-Sajewicz K, Marusiak J, Kawczyński A, Jaskólski A. In Department of Physiotherapy, University School of Physical Education, Faculty of Physiotherapy, 51-612 Wrocław, al. Paderewskiego 35/p-4, Poland.

Photos courtesy of this terrific anatomy lesson site: http://home.comcast.net/~wnor/soleoffoot.htm, ©1999 by Wesley Norman, PhD, DSc

Portraying the American voter...

Took a peek at the 'net this afternoon, and couldn't resist posting this one.  (Not advocating the advice; just recognizing the sentiment).

Woven Rose Free Tutorial by Jo Newsham of "No Matter Where I Go... I Always Meet Myself There!"

I just love creative embroidery and all the beautiful things you can make and embellish.  And, when I want to learn how to do something in creative embroidery or crazy quilting I always turn to the pro's.  One of the pro's I love to learn from is Jo Newsham of Functional Fiber Etsy shoppe "No Matter Where I Go... I Always Meet Myself There!" blog who is an extraordinary crazy quilter and creative embroiderer.  So, I was happy to see that Jo Newsham had another wonderful tutorial on her "No Matter Where I Go... I Always Meet Myself There!" blog.showing you how to make a woven rose.



Copyright © 2009- Written By Jo Newsham of  "No Matter Where I Go... I Always Meet Myself There!" blog.

Here's what Jo had to say about her tutorial:   Miss RoseAnne asked how I did woven (spiderweb) roses. So here are lots of pics, and words that hopefully make sense, to show  the one little trick I do when creating these.

Copyright © 2009-2010 - All Rights Reserved - Jo Newsham of "No Matter Where I Go... I Always Meet Myself There!" blog.   Jo is an expert crazy quilter who specializes in crazy quilts, ribbon embroidery, and pocketbooks.

For more crafting tips and techniques visit Jo's "No Matter Where I Go... I Always Meet Myself There!" blog.

Please visit her Functional Fiber Etsy shoppe @ http://www.etsy.com/shop/nzjo, her Vintage Vices Etsy shoppe @ http://www.etsy.com/shop/vintagevices, and her "No Matter Where I Go... I Always Meet Myself There!" blog @http://nzjo.blogspot.com.

Button Bracelet Free Tutorial From Andrea Millington of Indigo Blue Designs

Looking for a great way to use a stash of buttons.  Something that would make a great gift - especially for a little girl?  Well, if you are then you'll be happy to know that Andrea Millington of Indigo Blue Designs has a wonderful tutorial on her Indigo Blue blog showing you how to make a button bracelet. Enjoy.


Copyright © 2009 - All Rights Reserved - Written By Andrea Millington of Indigo Blue blog.

Here's what Andrea had to say about her tutorial:  You can use any buttons that you have and they do not have to be all the same size. For this tutorial I am going to use a range of blue buttons.  All you really need is some 5mm ribbon and some buttons. You could have a bracelet clip as well to make putting on and taking off the bracelet a little easier, but use what you have.

Please respect Andrea's TERMS OF USE:  I am more than happy to share my tutorials with you. You can use them to make projects for yourself, friends or family. Please do not use my tutorials to mass-produce items for sale. If you post your work online, please credit me (Andrea Millington) with the design and link to my Indigo Blue blog.  :-)

Copyright © 2009-2010 - All Rights Reserved - Andrea Millington of Indigo Blue Designs. Andrea is a textiles teacher with a passion for making things.

Please visit her Indigo Blue Designs Etsy Shoppe @ http://www.etsy.com/shop/indigo1/, her Indigo Blue blog @ http://www.indigo-blue-designs.blogspot.com/, and her Indigo Blue Designs Folksy Shop at http://www.folksy.com/shops/indigobluedesigns.

36 Annie Faces and Two Of Hearts Free E-Patterns By Marie Altfather of Mamaw's Creations

I just LOVE all different kinds of Annie's.  The more the better.  Well, if you are anything like me then you'll be happy to know that Marie Altfather of Mamaw's Creations has two wonderful e-patterns on her Mamaw's Creations blog.  One is a .PDF file of 36 different Annie faces you can use and the other is two Annie's in a heart primitive e-pattern.  Have fun creating all your Annie's!


Copyright © 2010 - All Rights Reserved - Written By Marie Altfather of Mamaw's Creations.

Here's what Marie had to say about her e-pattern:  I have been playing around with some faces for Annies! I made them into a FREE pdf file for you to download. 36 differant faces in all. Sometimes when creating a Annie the face is the most important part of a doll and these will give you ideas! Mix them up if you want too even!



Copyright © 2009 - All Rights Reserved - Written By Marie Altfather of Mamaw's Creations.

Please respect Marie's TERMS OF USE:  Patterns are © Copyrighted. No mass producing is allowed. Can be used for fun or profit for your personal use only. Selling finished product on the web is okay as long as you give MAMAWSCREATIONS (http://www.mamawscreations.com/) credit for the design.

Copyright © 2009-2010 - All Rights Reserved - Marie Altfather of Mamaw's Creations. Marie is a crafter, doll maker and doll pattern designer who specializes in primitive and country crafts.

Please visit her Mamaw's Creations website @ http://www.mamawscreations.com/, her Mamaw's Creations blog @ http://www.mamawscreations.blogspot.com/, her Mamaw's Creations Etsy Shoppe @ http://www.etsy.com/shop/MamawCreations and her Bear Mountain Primitives Etsy Shoppe @ http://www.etsy.com/shop/bearmountainprims.

Feather Fan and Victorian Fan Free E-Patterns by Maureen Greeson of Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions

Have you ever wondered how to make the beautiful creative embroidery fans that you see on many crazy quilters creations?  If you have then you'll be happy to know that Maureen Greeson has a wonderful how-to on her Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions blog showing you how to make a feather fan and a Victorian fan. 


Copyright © 2010- All Rights Reserved - Written By Maureen Greeson of Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions.



Copyright © 2010- All Rights Reserved - Written By Maureen Greeson of Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions.

Please respect Maureen's TERMS OF USE:  I am more than happy to share my ideas, tutorials and e-patterns with you. You can use them to make projects for yourself, friends or family. Do not use my ideas, tutorials or e-patterns to mass-produce items for sale. If you post your work online, please credit me (Maureen Greeson) with the design and link to my Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions website @ http://www.maureensvintageacquisitions.com/.

Copyright © 2009-2010 - All Rights Reserved - Maureen Greeson of Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions. Maureen is a creative embroiderer, porcelain doll maker, and crazy quilter extraordinaire.

Please visit her Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions website @ http://www.maureensvintageacquisitions.com/ and her Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions blog @ http://www.maureensvintageacquisitions.blogspot.com//. Also, if you'd like to see some of Maureen's amazing creations please visit her Portfolio of Crazy Quilting Projects website.

Quilted Basket Free Tutorial by Geta Grama of Romanian Quilt Studio

Have you ever wanted to make a colorful quilted basket?  If you have,  then you'll be happy to know that Geta Grama of Romanian Quilt Studio has a wonderful tutorial on her Geta's Quilting Studio blog showing you how to make a delightful quilted basket.  I'm definitely going to make one.


Copyright © 2009 -  Written By Geta Grama of Romanian Quilt Studio.

Here's what Geta had to say about her tutorial:   I am in love with quilts and little baskets. So in the last months I made a few quilted baskets !  Here it is a tutorial for you, I hope the instructions and pictures are clear and my English is not too bad !  Happy sewing !

Please respect Geta's TERMS OF USE:  I am more than happy to share my tutorials with you. You can use them to make projects for yourself, friends or family. Do not use my tutorials to mass-produce items for sale. If you post your work online, please link to my tutorials on my Geta's Quilting Studio blog at http://cadouri-din-inima.blogspot.com/.

Copyright © 2008-2010 - All Rights Reserved - Geta Grama of  Romanian Quilt Studio. Geta is  a passionate quilter living in Romania.

Please visit her Romanian Quilt Studio at http://romanianquiltstudio.com/ , her Geta's Quilting Studio blog at http://cadouri-din-inima.blogspot.com/, and her Geta's Quilting Studio Etsy Shoppe at http://www.etsy.com/shop/getagrama .

Spring Is In My heart and Home Tweet Home Free E-Patterns From Renee Mullins of Plum Purdy Designs

I just LOVE artists and painters as I'm so envious of their enormous talent.  I  wish I could paint like they do, but I wasn't blessed with such talent.

However, I can try my hand at painting some of the wonderful creations by some of the very gifted artists and painters on the web.  One such artist is Renee Mullins of Plum Purdy Designs and she has created some wonderful free painting e-patterns on her Plum Purdy Designs website.

Here's her free spring e-patterns. Enjoy!

Home Tweet Home

I found this little scalloped box at “Michael’s”, ALTHOUGH, you can paint this on a square box or other surface.

Suggestions… Photo albums, enlarge for a welcome sign, tote bags… be creative! 


Copyright © 2010 - All Rights Reserved - Renee Mullins
Spring is in My Heart

This design can be used in so many different ways.
*Drill a small hole in the center and use as a tag for a gift basket or clasp onto a tote or purse.
*Attach a magnet to the back.
*Glue a long thin stake to the back and use as a plant poke.
*Drill a tiny hole on each side of the heart and attach to a basket with wire.

I hope you will enjoy my “Springtime” design! Happy Painting!
Renee’ 

Copyright © 2009 - All Rights Reserved - Renee Mullins 



Please respect Renee's TERMS OF USE:  From time to time I get inquiries about my copyright information. Thank you for being so courteous and contacting me!

There are some that disregard copyrights, or copyright information, maybe because they don’t understand that the work from those who design are owned exclusively by the artist and are not intended to be used in just any way that some may want to use them without permission. I hope that I can clearly explain how, and for what reasons, that my designs can be used, and in what ways they cannot.

I hope you will continue to have fun with my designs and that this will clarify some issues that may have confused many of you. 

It would be VERY MUCH appreciated if you would report to me any infringements of my designs that you may find. 

I can only continue with my designing career if I can be supported in an honest way…. :0)
My designs are intended, and permitted, for Personal use only….. 

All of my designs can be used for personal use in anyway that you would like to use them, such as for painting, stitchery, or appliqué. They can be used to produce a painting or other craft to sell for “pin” money for craft shows, eBay, personal web-sites, craft malls, etc.

They cannot , however, be mass produced, used to produce products for wholesale purposes, catalog sales, or used in any type of business or commercial use. This includes using any part of my design to reproduce an item for commercial re-sale, such as “wood kits”, “graphics”, “scrapbook kits” , or any other reproduced item from the use of my designs. 

Reproduction of any part of my designs  - YES… please feel free to be creative with my designs and reduce or enlarge any of the line drawings to fit your personal use, such as to fit on different sized surfaces.
They however, cannot be reproduced or copied to pass along to friends, groups, paint classes etc….
By no means, can they be reproduced or republished to be sold as pattern packets on eBay, internet sites, Stores/Shops, or conventions.  

Scanning of line drawings, instructions, photographs - Any of my line drawings, patterns, or photographs cannot be scanned or photographed and used for PSP Tutorials, graphic use, advertising, logos, business cards, web-sites, etc. 

TEACHING MY DESIGNS - I am so grateful for all the wonderful teachers that teach my designs! Thank you so much!  For those of you considering teaching my designs that do not know what my requirements are…. They are listed below.
  • I would prefer that classes purchase the pattern packet or book (I do give a wholesale discounts for the class purchase), but if that is not possible, (1) line drawing per student is permitted to be copied and distributed. Please make sure that I am given credit as the designer on the line drawing by printing my name with the line drawing.
  • Other than the line drawing, no other part of my design can be reproduced, such as the photograph and instructions. If the photograph, instructions, and line drawing are all reproduced, this is actually “reproducing” my pattern packet or book design, and this is not permitted.
  • Pattern Packets and designs from any of my books are not to be reproduced to sell for wholesale or retail.
Please feel free to contact me If you have any other questions…..  Thanks so much for your understanding and respecting my copyrighted work!


Copyright © 2005-2010 - All Rights Reserved - Renee Mullins of Plum Purdy Designs. Renee is an artist, painter, decorator, and pattern designer.

Please visit her Plum Purdy Designs. website @ http://plumpurdy.com/ and her Plum Purdy Blog @ http://plumpurdy.com/myblog/

الجمعة، 29 أكتوبر 2010

Ingber, Biotensegrity Pioneer, Builds NanoHeart

A heart-lung micromachine will be built by Inbger, the father of cellular biotensegrity and the tensegrity model of cellular mechanics, has been awarded more than $3 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to develop a "Heart-Lung Micromachine" that will accelerate drug safety and efficacy testing. From the press release:

The Heart-Lung Micromachine will be based on novel Wyss Institute technology that combines microfabrication techniques from the computer industry with modern tissue engineering techniques, human cells, and a vacuum pump to replicate the complex physiological functions and mechanical microenvironment of a breathing lung and beating heart... The micromachine will build on recent groundbreaking work by Ingber and Parker in developing the technology for building tiny, complex, three-dimensional models of human organs. These "organs on chips" mimic the complicated mechanical, cellular, and biochemical functions of specific organs, such as the lung. The proposed heart-lung device will mark a new milestone by combining two different organ systems within a single microsystem for the first time.

Ingber is working on other organ models as well, such as a kidney-on-a-chip that produces urine and an intestine-on-a-chip that exhibits peristalsis. An artificial spleen-on-a-chip is also being developed, as well as a sepsis therapeutic device, a blood infection diagnostic, and even bone marrow and cancer models. Shown here is the "lung on a chip," photo by Felice Frankel.

Okay, no tensegrity is in the announcement, but I mention it because nanotech and tensegrity are hooking up more and more often, and anyway, Ingber is a tensegrity hero! We salute him in all his efforts.

Video:



Links



Arm Chair Sewing Caddy Free Tutorial and E-Pattern by Maureen Greeson of Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions

Sometimes you see such beautiful creations that they just take your breath away. You catch yourself wishing that you had such talent and creativity.  I, especially, find this to be true when I view the extraordinary creations of phenomenal crazy quilters and creative embroiderers like Maureen Greeson of Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions.

If you LOVE crazy quilting and creative embroidery like I do then you'll be happy to know that Maureen Greeson has a wonderful tutorial on her Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions blog showing you how to make an arm chair sewing caddy.


Copyright © 2009- All Rights Reserved - Written By Maureen Greeson of Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions.

Here's what Maureen had to say about her tutorial:   Over the two years my website was closed, I received several requests asking for me to sell the pattern for my Arm Chair Sewing Caddy.  I had no idea where it was.  Well, I finally found it and, rather than sell it, I have published it for anyone who wants to download a free copy.  I hope you enjoy the project and if you have any questions please contact me.

Please respect Maureen's TERMS OF USE:  I am more than happy to share my ideas, tutorials and e-patterns with you. You can use them to make projects for yourself, friends or family. Do not use my ideas, tutorials or e-patterns to mass-produce items for sale. If you post your work online, please credit me (Maureen Greeson) with the design and link to my Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions website @ http://www.maureensvintageacquisitions.com/.


Copyright © 2009-2010 - All Rights Reserved - Maureen Greeson of Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions. Maureen is a creative embroiderer, porcelain doll maker, and crazy quilter extraordinaire.

Please visit her Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions website @ http://www.maureensvintageacquisitions.com/ and her Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions blog @ http://www.maureensvintageacquisitions.blogspot.com//. Also, if you'd like to see some of Maureen's amazing creations please visit her Portfolio of Crazy Quilting Projects website.

Quick and Easy Quilt Free Tutorial by Geta Grama of Romanian Quilt Studio

If you love quilts and quilting and LOVE to learn from a master quilter then you'll be happy to know that Geta Grama of Romanian Quilt Studio has another wonderful tutorial on her Geta's Quilting Studio blog showing you how to make a quick and easy quilt. 


Copyright © 2009 -  Written By Geta Grama of Romanian Quilt Studio.

Here's what Geta had to say about her tutorial:  I made this quilt for my mother's birthday. It took me just 4 days to piece it and quilt it.  This is an easy project for a beginner quilter and a very quick quilt for a skilled one.

Please respect Geta's TERMS OF USE:  I am more than happy to share my tutorials with you. You can use them to make projects for yourself, friends or family. Do not use my tutorials to mass-produce items for sale. If you post your work online, please link to my tutorials on my Geta's Quilting Studio blog at http://cadouri-din-inima.blogspot.com/.

Copyright © 2008-2010 - All Rights Reserved - Geta Grama of  Romanian Quilt Studio. Geta is  a passionate quilter living in Romania.

Please visit her Romanian Quilt Studio at http://romanianquiltstudio.com/ , her Geta's Quilting Studio blog at http://cadouri-din-inima.blogspot.com/, and her Geta's Quilting Studio Etsy Shoppe at http://www.etsy.com/shop/getagrama .

Hand-Sewn Ribbon-Top Curtain Free Tutorial by Ashley Hacksaw of Lil Blue Boo

Looking for a quick and easy way to make curtains? Well, if you are then you'll be happy to know that Ashley Hacksaw of  Lil Blue Boo has a wonderful tutorial on her Lil Blue Boo blog showing you how to make  hand-sewn ribbon-top curtains.


Copyright © 2009 - All Rights Reserved - Written By Ashley Hacksaw of Lil Blue Boo.

Here's what Ashley had to say about her tutorial:  These are as easy as curtains get. I used ribbon to hang simple square curtains and then used the same ribbon throughout my daughter's room to tie everything together (no, Sienna does not have a mural yet). I've also used this ribbon technique for shower curtains. Sienna doesn't have an overhead light in her room, so I made her curtains so light would show through. In this tutorial I also include an option for adding a liner or blackout fabric.

Please respect Ashley's TERMS OF USE: My tutorials and patterns are for personal use only.  Commercial use of any kind is prohibited without the written authorization of Ashley Hacksaw.

Copyright © 2009-2010 - All Rights Reserved - Ashley Hacksaw of Lil Blue Boo.   Ashley is a children's clothing designer, pattern designer, portrait & murals artist, and crafter.

Please visit  her Lil Blue Boo blog @ http://www.lilblueboo.blogspot.com/, her Clothing By Lil Blue Boo Etsy Shoppe at http://www.etsy.com/shop/lilblueboo, and her Lil Blue Boo Big Cartel shop at http://www.lilblueboo.bigcartel.com/.

Antique Bonnet Pin Cushion Free Tutorial by Maureen Greeson of Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions

If you LOVE creative embroidery, Victorian styles, and pin cushions like I do then you'll be happy to know that Maureen Greeson has a wonderful tutorial on her Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions blog showing you how to make an antique bonnet pin cushion.  Enjoy!


Copyright © 20010- All Rights Reserved - Written By Maureen Greeson of Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions.

Please respect Maureen's TERMS OF USE:  I am more than happy to share my ideas, tutorials and e-patterns with you. You can use them to make projects for yourself, friends or family. Do not use my ideas, tutorials or e-patterns to mass-produce items for sale. If you post your work online, please credit me (Maureen Greeson) with the design and link to my Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions website @ http://www.maureensvintageacquisitions.com/.


Copyright © 2009-2010 - All Rights Reserved - Maureen Greeson of Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions. Maureen is a creative embroiderer, porcelain doll maker, and crazy quilter extraordinaire.

Please visit her Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions website @ http://www.maureensvintageacquisitions.com/ and her Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions blog @ http://www.maureensvintageacquisitions.blogspot.com//. Also, if you'd like to see some of Maureen's amazing creations please visit her Portfolio of Crazy Quilting Projects website.

Designing With Electric Quilt Free Tutorial and Free Quilting Designs E-Patterns From Geta Grama of Romanian Quilt Studio

I just LOVE the different quilting designs you can create using a computerized sewing machine and would LOVE to try one someday. So, I was happy to see that Geta Grama of Romanian Quilt Studio had a wonderful tutorial on her Geta's Quilting Studio blog showing you how to design with Electric Quilt software and had some free e-pattern quilting designs for you as well. Now I just need to get a computerized sewing machine.


Copyright © 2009-  Written By Geta Grama of Romanian Quilt Studio.

Here's what Geta had to say about her tutorial:   After the tutorial I wrote a few months ago about how to design wreaths using Electric Quilt software, here are a few other ideas to help you draw more complex designs.

Even if you don't have EQ, you can still use some of the principles shown here for drawing your own design on paper.

Let's start drawing this design ( this is one of my shadow trapunto quilts - you can see other designs here).



Copyright © 2009 -  Written By Geta Grama of Romanian Quilt Studio.

Here's what Geta had to say about her tutorial:  Here is the promised gift for all the readers of my blog. A few quilting designs you can use for making wholecloth quilts, trapunto or shadow trapunto, even appliques or stenciling.

These are "pdf" patterns and come on several pages, you have to print them and tape the pages together.  If you want the patterns in the size mentioned below, print them in the original size (set Scale Preferences to "NONE").

Please respect Geta's TERMS OF USE:  I am more than happy to share my tutorials with you. You can use them to make projects for yourself, friends or family. Do not use my tutorials to mass-produce items for sale. If you post your work online, please link to my tutorials on my Geta's Quilting Studio blog at http://cadouri-din-inima.blogspot.com/.

Copyright © 2008-2010 - All Rights Reserved - Geta Grama of  Romanian Quilt Studio. Geta is  a passionate quilter living in Romania.

Please visit her Romanian Quilt Studio at http://romanianquiltstudio.com/ , her Geta's Quilting Studio blog at http://cadouri-din-inima.blogspot.com/, and her Geta's Quilting Studio Etsy Shoppe at http://www.etsy.com/shop/getagrama .

A Very First Birthday Outfit Free Tutorial by Ashley Hacksaw of Lil Blue Boo

Do you love to children's birthday parties - especially those with themes?  Well, if you do then you'll be happy to know that Ashley Hacksaw of  Lil Blue Boo has the most adorable tutorial on her Lil Blue Boo blog showing you how to make a very first birthday candle outfit.  How cute is that!


Copyright © 2009 - All Rights Reserved - Written By Ashley Hacksaw of Lil Blue Boo.

Here's what Ashley had to say about her tutorial:  My friend Jenn asked me to make her daughter Callie's outfit for her big first birthday bash in a few days.....complete with cupcakes, ruffles, sprinkle fabric and a single birthday candle!

Please respect Ashley's TERMS OF USE: My tutorials and patterns are for personal use only.  Commercial use of any kind is prohibited without the written authorization of Ashley Hacksaw.

Copyright © 2009-2010 - All Rights Reserved - Ashley Hacksaw of Lil Blue Boo.   Ashley is a children's clothing designer, pattern designer, portrait & murals artist, and crafter.

Please visit  her Lil Blue Boo blog @ http://www.lilblueboo.blogspot.com/, her Clothing By Lil Blue Boo Etsy Shoppe at http://www.etsy.com/shop/lilblueboo, and her Lil Blue Boo Big Cartel shop at http://www.lilblueboo.bigcartel.com/.

الخميس، 28 أكتوبر 2010

Tensegrity from DNA Origami

Fold your own DNA in a DNA Origami online simulator made available by Wyss Institute researchers. They released the recent tiny DNA tensegrity that we reported on here. They named this construction work "DNA Origami," a technique for folding pieces of DNA into shapes.

With DNA origami, researchers take a long, single strand of DNA (called a scaffold) and fold it into a structure of their own design. These designs are held together with short "staple" strands, which are also made of DNA. Quote:

Each staple is coded with two specific sequences: one is the complement to a specific site on the scaffold; the other is the complement to a second location on the same scaffold. When the scaffold and staples are allowed to "self-assemble," the attachment of the staple strands causes the scaffold to bend and fold into the desired structure. In principle, the same approach could be used with RNA or any other informational molecule where complementary sequences can be engineered. The Wyss scientists can form three-dimensional shapes, such as a 3 strut t-prism, icosahedron, and other twisted and curved shapes. Their long-term goal is to produce cages, such as viruses do, in order to deliver desired pharmaceutical cargo to cells.

These scientists have now made available online a simulator of their work. The interactive feature that illustrates the basic idea of DNA origami by letting you manipulate a biomolecule, such as DNA or RNA. The general idea is the same as DNA origami, but instead of adding staple strands to the scaffold, you define the binding sequences on scaffold, keeping in mind how you'd like the strand to fold. They write,
When you're satisfied with your coding, click on the "Self-Assemble" button and watch the strand fold up on itself, connecting at points you've selected. The molecule should take shape as planned -- or not! Either way, you might discover something interesting as you build.


Links:

Teeny Tiny Shrinky Dink "Leaves" Necklace Free Tutorial by Ashley Hacksaw of Lil Blue Boo

I just LOVE the Fall season and everything an anything that showcases the beautiful colors - including jewelry.    If you LOVE the Fall colors like I do then you'll be happy to know that Ashley Hacksaw of  Lil Blue Boo has a wonderful tutorial on her Lil Blue Boo blog showing you how to make a teeny tiny shrinky dink "leaves" necklace.  Have fun!



Copyright © 2009 - All Rights Reserved - Written By Ashley Hacksaw of Lil Blue Boo.

Here's what Ashley had to say about her tutorial:  This was my submission to the SYTYC contest for the theme "leaves." Here is the tutorial in case you are interested! Thanks all of you who voted!

Everything is cuter when it is miniature. This “leaves” necklace is made from a bracelet “end clasp” and teeny tiny shrinky dink shapes. Each tiny leaf has been carefully cut out, hand painted, and then shrunken to its small size.  Here they are on my little child manny:


Please respect Ashley's TERMS OF USE: My tutorials and patterns are for personal use only.  Commercial use of any kind is prohibited without the written authorization of Ashley Hacksaw.

Copyright © 2009-2010 - All Rights Reserved - Ashley Hacksaw of Lil Blue Boo.   Ashley is a children's clothing designer, pattern designer, portrait & murals artist, and crafter.

Please visit  her Lil Blue Boo blog @ http://www.lilblueboo.blogspot.com/, her Clothing By Lil Blue Boo Etsy Shoppe at http://www.etsy.com/shop/lilblueboo, and her Lil Blue Boo Big Cartel shop at http://www.lilblueboo.bigcartel.com/.

Free Motion Quilting Tutorial by Geta Grama of Romanian Quilt Studio

There is no better way to learn how to quilt then from a master quilter and Greta Grama is a master at quilting. She's also a fabulous teacher and if you ever wanted to learn about free motion quilting now's your chance. You see, Geta Grama of Romanian Quilt Studio has a terrific tutorial on her Geta's Quilting Studio blog showing you what free motion quilting is.


Copyright © 2009-  Written By Geta Grama of Romanian Quilt Studio.

Here's what Geta had to say about her tutorial:  Here is the promised tutorial on free motion quilting. This does not cover all the aspects of free motion, I just wanted to describe a few things that work wonderfully for me and make my quilting easier and faster. You can experiment with the things you consider are interesting and see if they work for you, too.

I wrote this tutorial with the beginner quilters in mind, too, so sorry if you already know and use these things. I will be glad if all of you find here something useful!


In my country quilting is unknown for most people that is why I had to learn all by myself. Can you believe that the hardest thing I had to understand was stitching in the ditch? I had no one to tell me “Don’t do this, it is wrong” so I do some things in my own manner. They make my quilting easier and I use them all the time.

Please respect Geta's TERMS OF USE:  I am more than happy to share my tutorials with you. You can use them to make projects for yourself, friends or family. Do not use my tutorials to mass-produce items for sale. If you post your work online, please link to my tutorials on my Geta's Quilting Studio blog at http://cadouri-din-inima.blogspot.com/.

Copyright © 2008-2010 - All Rights Reserved - Geta Grama of  Romanian Quilt Studio. Geta is  a passionate quilter living in Romania.

Please visit her Romanian Quilt Studio at http://romanianquiltstudio.com/ , her Geta's Quilting Studio blog at http://cadouri-din-inima.blogspot.com/, and her Geta's Quilting Studio Etsy Shoppe at http://www.etsy.com/shop/getagrama .

Fun With Stripes Free Tutorial by Geta Grama of Romanian Quilt Studio

If you want to have a little fun with stripes and quilting then check out the tutorial that Geta Grama of Romanian Quilt Studio has on her Geta's Quilting Studio blog.  It shows you how to make an adorable striped quilted bag.

Copyright © 2009 -  Written By Geta Grama of Romanian Quilt Studio.

Here's what Geta had to say about her tutorial:  Probably many of us like using strip piecing in our quilts. But how about using striped fabrics ? Instead of piecing strips use some striped fabrics..  Lately I have played a little more with such fabrics and I love them. And I love even more what I can make with them.

Please respect Geta's TERMS OF USE:  I am more than happy to share my tutorials with you. You can use them to make projects for yourself, friends or family. Do not use my tutorials to mass-produce items for sale. If you post your work online, please link to my tutorials on my Geta's Quilting Studio blog at http://cadouri-din-inima.blogspot.com/.

Copyright © 2008-2010 - All Rights Reserved - Geta Grama of  Romanian Quilt Studio. Geta is  a passionate quilter living in Romania.

Please visit her Romanian Quilt Studio at http://romanianquiltstudio.com/ , her Geta's Quilting Studio blog at http://cadouri-din-inima.blogspot.com/, and her Geta's Quilting Studio Etsy Shoppe at http://www.etsy.com/shop/getagrama .

Reverse Freezer Paper Stenciling by Ashley Hacksaw of Lil Blue Boo

You probably already know how to do freezer paper stenciling.  Well, have you ever wondered how to do reverse freezer paper stenciling?  If you have then you'll be pleased to know that Ashley Hacksaw of  Lil Blue Boo as a wonderful tutorial on her Lil Blue Boo blog showing you how.  Enjoy!


Copyright © 2009 - All Rights Reserved - Written By Ashley Hacksaw of Lil Blue Boo.

Here's what Ashley had to say about her tutorial:   I'm finishing up the new fall patterns and my t-shirt and knit fabric stash was running critically low....so I resorted to "reverse" freezer paper stenciling this weekend to spruce up some boring ones.

Please respect Ashley's TERMS OF USE: My tutorials and patterns are for personal use only.  Commercial use of any kind is prohibited without the written authorization of Ashley Hacksaw.

Copyright © 2009-2010 - All Rights Reserved - Ashley Hacksaw of Lil Blue Boo.   Ashley is a children's clothing designer, pattern designer, portrait & murals artist, and crafter.

Please visit  her Lil Blue Boo blog @ http://www.lilblueboo.blogspot.com/, her Clothing By Lil Blue Boo Etsy Shoppe at http://www.etsy.com/shop/lilblueboo, and her Lil Blue Boo Big Cartel shop at http://www.lilblueboo.bigcartel.com/.

Valentine Flag/Banner Free Pattern From Nanette Merrill of Freda's Hive

I just love hearts and all the different things you can make using hearts.  Well, if you love quilts and quilting then you'll be happy to know that Nanette Merrill has a wonderful tutorial on her Freda's Hive blog showing you how to make a quilted heart Valentine flag or banner.


Copyright © 2008 - Written By Nanette Merrill of Freda's Hive.

Here's what Nanette had to say about her pattern:   This is a small and easy project to try machine quilting. You could stitch in the ditch with a walking foot for hearts and stipple (with darning foot and feed dogs down) the light area and borders. Trim, add fabric sleeve and bind.

Please respect Nanette's TERMS OF USE: All contents of my Freda's Hive blog, including my tutorials, are the property of Nanette Merrill and my daughters and cannot be reproduced in any way without prior written approval.

Copyright © 2008 - 2010 - All Rights Reserved - Nanette Merrill of Freda's Hive. Nanette is a mother of 8 and avid quilter.

Please visit her Freda's Hive at http://www.fredashive.blogspot.com/.

Tie Dyeing a Peace Sign Free Tutorial by Ashley Hacksaw of Lil Blue Boo

I know that I've mentioned many times that I grew up as a baby boomer - "hippie" movement and all.  Well, I had a very pleasant surprise the other day that brought me back to the 60's and 70's.  It was a tutorial showing you how to tye dye a peace sign on a tee shirt and it was on Ashley Hacksaw's  Lil Blue Boo blog.  I was instantly transported back to my own "flower child" tye dyeing and "peace sign" days.  Thanks for the walk down memory lane, Ashley.

If you'd like to know how to tie dye your own "peace sign" Ashley's Tie Dyeing a Peace Sign (A Tutorial) will certainly show you how.  Peace!

Copyright © 2010 - All Rights Reserved - Written By Ashley Hacksaw of Lil Blue Boo.

Here's what Ashley had to say about her tutorial:   Since peace signs are back I wanted to come up with an easy way to tie dye one. I like how the result was a starburst effect.

Please respect Ashley's TERMS OF USE: My tutorials and patterns are for personal use only.  Commercial use of any kind is prohibited without the written authorization of Ashley Hacksaw.

Copyright © 2010 - All Rights Reserved - Ashley Hacksaw of Lil Blue Boo.   Ashley is a children's clothing designer, pattern designer, portrait & murals artist, and crafter.

Please visit  her Lil Blue Boo blog @ http://www.lilblueboo.blogspot.com/, her Clothing By Lil Blue Boo Etsy Shoppe at http://www.etsy.com/shop/lilblueboo, and her Lil Blue Boo Big Cartel shop at http://www.lilblueboo.bigcartel.com/.

الأربعاء، 27 أكتوبر 2010

Time out

It's been a long time since I've had a proper vacation from blogging.  I'm going to use this next week to carve pumpkins, watch football, eat leftover Halloween treats, and reconnect with family.  I'll see you-all in early November.

Nikon Small World photomicrographs

There are so many fantastic photos that I would like to embed the entire lot.  I've selected just a few; the others can be viewed at Nikon's homepage, a gallery at The Guardian, or at Boston.com's The Big Picture.

Pictured above -
The eyes of a mayfly (Laurie Knight, Tonbridge, Kent, UK)
A butterfly egg on mimosa buds (David Millard, Austin, Texas)
Light refracted in a soap film (Gerd Guenther, Dusseldorf, Germany)
Crystals of cacoxenite (a phosphate mineral) (Honorio Cocera-La Parra, Valencia, Spain)

Video of anthropogenic ocean noise



From an article at Scientific American about the effects of manmade noise on the whale's environment -
Of greatest concern are low-frequency sounds that travel long distances in the ocean. Ship propellers and motors, for instance, produce sound at low frequencies, as does seismic activity. These profound, loud noises reverberate in the deep ocean and can effectively mask or block vital whale communication. In Cape Cod Bay, man-made noise has reduced right whales' acoustic habitat by as much as 80 percent, says Chris Clark, director of Cornell University's Bioacoustics Research Program.

To better understand these underwater acoustics, Clark and his colleagues have developed graphic animations that show the acoustic habitat as experienced by whales. Using data collected by seafloor sound monitors, the scientists can map the locations of whales and measure their sounds, along with anthropogenic sounds. The resulting animations vividly depict how the noise from human activities physically obstructs and reduces whales' habitat, interfering with what Clark calls the animals' "communication space."

Within the lifetime of the whales that Clark has been observing (some of the right whales he studies can live for 70 years), anthropogenic noise has increased dramatically. "When these long-lived species were kids and teens, the world was normal," says Clark. "Now their background noise has gone up by three orders of magnitude."
More at the link.

Bicyclist killed in a collision

But there's a twist to the story...
The bicyclist who was killed in a collision with a truck in downtown Minneapolis this week had stolen the bike a couple of hours earlier, police said Wednesday...

At the time he was hit, Berry had with him a backpack that contained bolt cutters, Garcia said.

Berry and a Quicksilver Express Courier delivery truck were southbound on 1st Avenue when the truck turned right, striking the cyclist while he was in a designated bike lane on the right side of the road, police said.

Berry's criminal history in Minnesota includes convictions stretching back to 1996 for burglary, domestic abuse, drunken driving, disorderly conduct and assault.
I was going to add a wry comment re karma, but have read that the term should not be used too lightly.

How windy was it?

Everyone in the Upper Midwest has been talking about the "land hurricane" that has swept the area for the past several days.  I won't repeat any of the stories, which you have either heard or don't care about.  But I thought the graphic of wave height on Lake Superior, from NOAA, is interesting.  The winds today are coming from the south and west, so with that long fetch over the lake, the red and purple colors near the Canadian side indicate waves 20-25' high!  (I presume these data reflect computer modelling rather than actual measurements since the timestamp is later today).

I read in one comment thread that every ore boat has been pulled off the lake into harbor to prevent another incident like the Edmund Fitzgerald (Gordon Lightfoot song in an excellent video at the link).

Top baby names for 2009

It looks like Stanley is moving up in England and Wales, now in 98th place:

95 EWAN 636
96 FREDERICK    635 new entry +6
97 MORGAN 634
98 JUDE 627 new entry +5
98 STANLEY 627    new entry +14
100 AUSTIN 626 new entry +60

You can check your name (and the top 100 girls' names) at The Office for National Statistics, or (while it's up) at The Guardian.

Epigraphy on the Taikhar Chuluu in central Mongolia

The large rock pictured above (the Taikhar Chuluu) is covered with a variety of scripts which have been added by visitors over a series of millennia.  Here is an English translation from the Hungarian blog mongγol bičig & manju bithe:
Mongolia is full of interesting and beautiful places. In the central region, along the Tamir river stands the Taikhar chuluu.

This is a huge rock, there is nothing similar in the neighborhood. The stone itself is not as interesting as the inscriptions on it and the legends connected with it. Long time ago the rock was called dai gürü. Dai is a Chinese loan-word (大) meaning big, while gürü means rock in Mongolian. The modern name Taikhar is a compound of these two words (the changes d>t and g>k are absolutely normal in Mongolian, and a similar change of vowels is also acceptable). Therefore it is unnecessary to add to the name chuluu which means ‘stone’, because this would mean something like “Big rock rock” (as if one said “CD disk”). The rock has a large number of inscriptions. Unfortunately, our contemporaries also leave their scraps on it, and as a consequence several old inscriptions are disappearing. Among the graffitis there are many very old ones, some written in the Turkic age [A.D. 6th century].

The Turkic inscriptions are not just epigraphic relics, their importance goes far beyond this. In fact, they attest that the rock was revered already in the Turkic period, and this tradition was uninterruptedly transferred to the Mongols. Thus the Turkic, Mongolian and other inscriptions prove the cultural relations and continuity between the various people following each other.

There are several Mongolian inscriptions on the rock, unfortunately the majority are near to illegibility. I can not present you a large inscription, simply because I could not decypher any longer one. However, I can show two shorter one. They are not very exciting, but are worth a look.

Beginning of the inscription: oṃ sayin amuγulang boltuγai, that is: “Om, let there be peace!” I cannot completely understand the continuation of the text.

Another inscription: qamuγ amitan burqan-u qutuγ olqu boltuγai, that is: “May every living being reach the holiness of the Buddha!” These two short examples attst that the cult of the place continued after the arrival of Buddhism. This is also documented by a large number of Tibetan graffitis on the rock.

Of course, the rock itself did not come here by itself, the legend says. Long time ago there lived a hero here called Bökebilig (“Strong and wise”). Suddenly a large snake started to come out from under the earth. Bökebilig did not like this, and he pushed back the snake from where it came, and then he closed the mouth of its cave with this rock which has been standing here ever since. Not far from the rock there is a small mountain called Altan sandali (“Golden throne”), of which tradition says that Bökebilig took a rest on it, while washing his hands in the nearby Tamir river. 
Once you’re here, check the nearby graves with a number of so-called “deer stones”. They indicate that there was no cultural continuity between the original people erecting the “deer stones” and the later one digging the graves, because the “deer stones” were simply used for building material.

As their name shows, “deer stones” were mostly decorated with deers, but on a grave near Altan sandali we could also find a very special stone with horses instead of deers. Fortunately, it has survived the centuries in an excellent condition. Here you are.

There are only a handful of “horse stones” around, while you can still see hundreds of “deer stones”. It is still a question why these stones were carved and erected. Perhaps we will resolve this mystery on a day, but one thing is sure: it is worth looking around in Mongolia!
 I find this whole subject fascinating.  The rock itself doesn't look to me like a glacial erratic; perhaps some reader here can provide an opinion re its formation.  Regarding the history that it was used by a giant to crush a snake when the ground began to move in waves, I wonder if this part of the world is seismically active.

The petroglyphs are elaborate and beautiful; there are additional photos of them and of the ancient epigraphs at mongγol bičig & manju bithe.

A hat tip to "Studiolum" at  Poemas del rio Wang for locating this interesting item and providing the translation.