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This super sweet Coffee and Pie free embroidery pattern is perfect for Fall. You can reduce or enlarge this to any size you want for any project- it would be great on any type of home decor or kitchen item, such as a wall hanging, pot holder, dish towel, etc. (Hand embroidery pattern only, this pattern not available for machine embroidery.) You could also use it for coloring and make note cards, etc.

Click here for the pattern PDF. 

Did you know that I have lots of embroidery videos to help you get started with hand embroidery? Yep, I do ...

Our latest Collection for The Art of Home Club is called Woodland Christmas, and it contains instructions to make a square quilt/wall hanging, table runner, AND a small table topper.  What a great assortment of projects to make to decorate your home this holiday season! Also included are 6 little woodland “critters” ready for the winter holidays (skunk, bunny, fox, deer, owl, and bear) plus “Merry Christmas” and “Warm Winter Wishes” sentiments.

That’s right- it’s an entire collection of designs and projects that you can mix and match and have a lot of fun with!

For extra ...

Yesterday, we released Collection #57, Farmers Market, to our Club members!

This pattern contains instructions to make a quilt, pillow, and a set of place mats! There are EIGHT applique choices and NINE hand embroidery designs, so there are LOTS of mix & match options! I had a lot of fun sketching out the applique and embroidery patterns- my personal favorites are the Farm Fresh sign and the radishes! Imagine how cute a set of place mats will be with these designs!

The quilt has a repetitive design which reminds me of plaid and a basketweave, which have that classic farm ...

Have you heard about our Snowmen & Silent Night Sew Along? Make a cute little 35″ snowman quilt with us during this FREE sew along!

Just CLICK HERE to sign up and get all of the free patterns delivered to your email!  You will get a new block pattern each Monday for 4 weeks, then in the fifth and final week you’ll get the border instructions.

Here’s the first block which we’ve just released:

There are  TWO different version of these designs, so you can choose your favorite! Choose from the “Snow Friends” version or the “Silent Night ...

Our latest Collection for The Art of Home Club is called Turkey Time, and it contains instructions to make a quilt, an “interactive” wall hanging, and bonus handprint turkey towels! What a great turkey quilt to make for Thanksgiving! Also included are 7 different applique and 7 hand embroidery patterns- That’s right- it’s an entire collection of designs and projects that you can mix and match and have a lot of fun with!

This is a very scrappy quilt- let’s talk about palette! I know that a lot of us equate an “autumn” quilt with dark browns ...

We’ve got BIG news here this week! We are kicking off our Snowman & Silent Night free sew along! We’ll be starting this on September 20, and it will run for just 5 weeks!

If you would like the free patterns for this sew along, please just sign up here! You will receive the patterns by email as they are released. Even if you are on my “main email list” you must sign up for the SNOWMAN list separately (we only send patterns to those who’ve told us that they are interested.)

For the snowman designs, you can ...

Here’s a helpful hint for flat seams while making quilt tops!

When making blocks that have a four-patch construction, use a “split seam” technique when pressing to help the seams of the quilt top lie flatter. Press the first seam allowances toward the darker fabric. After sewing the two units together, pull the center to pop the last couple of stitches from the original seams.

Press the “split” seam open in the opposite directions. You’ll see a tiny four-patch unit where the seams come together.

This technique works for all blocks with a center seam: pinwheels, double 4-patch ...

Redfin is a popular real estate website, and one of my tips was recently featured in their blog article, Showcase Embroidery in Your Home: 23 Unique Embroidery Ideas to Elevate Your Space! Click here to read the article! (My tip is #22 on the list.)

The appearance of needlework in home decor is a definite sign that embroidery is making a comeback. While it’s often thought of as a pastime reserved for your grandparents, we’re here to tell you that needlepoint is enjoying its resurgence as a newfound hobby and collector’s item. With a needle, thread, and ...

Our latest Collection for The Art of Home Club is called Angels Among Us, and it contains instructions to make a quilt, table runner, and pillow with these adorable Christmas angel quilt blocks. (That’s right- it’s an entire collection of designs and projects that you can mix and match and have a lot of fun with!) I really love the “picket” border on the quilt and table runner- it’s so fun!

There’s instructions to either applique OR hand embroider the angels. I think it would be fun to personalize the angels, using hair and fleshtones of ...

Quilt historians have postulated that the graphic modern shapes and rich woollen colours of antique Welsh quilts are the origin for the much vaunted modernist quilts that went on to be made by the American Amish. Certainly, non-conformist religious migrant communities are documented as having stopped off in South Wales to restock ships as they… Continue reading Deconstructed Welsh Quilt

Today, we released Fond Friends, which is Collection #54 in The Art of Home Club! In this collection, we are celebrating friendship! We’ve got applique AND hand embroidery designs with 2 cute friends, shoes, coffee, tea, some “vino,” and a shopping bag! There are 7 designs in all- and they all reflect things that friends might enjoy doing together. There are even some printable gift tags! (What about a teapot quilt? So cute!)

We’ve got quite a few tote bag patterns in the Club- but I really love this one!! I found it so easy and fun to ...

My friend Pat Sloan is releasing a brand new book, called Holiday Celebrations! And it is simply a-dorable! I know you will love all of the projects in it. When we got our “advance” copy here in the studio, we all oohhhed and ahhhed over it, trying to decide which project to make first! As the title says, these are projects meant for CELEBRATING, every holiday and season of the year!

**** Keep reading, because I’ve got

1) a FREE fabric panel for those who purchase Pat’s book from my online shop

2) a couple of giveaways,

3) AND ...

Today we released Collection #53, Penguin Party!! (I can’t believe we are on Collection #53 in our Club!!)

This month’s collection includes 5 adorable penguin designs- with patterns for BOTH applique and hand embroidery, so you can choose your favorite. Our projects are a table runner, set of place mats, and mug rug. They are the perfect addition to your winter table! I love designs that can go from the holidays all the way through the winter, so you don’t have to totally change out your decor at the end of the holiday season.

(I know that ...

Nothing says Spring like a song bird. You can reduce or enlarge this to any size you want for any project- it would be great on any type of home decor or kitchen item, such as a wall hanging, pot holder, dish towel, etc. (Hand embroidery pattern only, this pattern not available for machine embroidery.) You could also use it for coloring and make note cards, etc.

Click here for the pattern PDF. 

Did you know that I have lots of embroidery videos to help you get started with hand embroidery? Yep, I do! If you are a complete beginner ...

We’ve just released Collection #52, Hello, Summer!, for The Art of Home Club!! I just love these “juicy” colors and fabrics in this summer towel tote and quilt, they just say Summer to me!

This collection includes instructions for a throw size quilt, and a beach towel which turns into a tote. The handles make it easy to carry back and forth to the beach or pool, and there’s a large outside pocket for a book, sunglasses, sunscreen, etc. The towel tote also has a pillow pocket at the top- You can stuff it with a second towel ...

Inside: Make your quilt borders spectacular!

I’ve used heavy rulers, I’ve used cans of soup, I’ve even used a person on the other side of the machine, hands keeping the area flat. What am I doing? Trying to long-arm quilt a border that is far larger than the center of the quilt!

Borders! They’re that misunderstood step to finishing your quilt that will make or break it.

The most common problem I see as a long-arm quilter is borders that have stretched larger than the pieced quilt top. This happens when borders are added to a ...

What a happy little house, full of love! I hope this Happy Heart House Free Embroidery Pattern lifts your spirits like it does mine… Home should be a place of love, family, and friendship… a place to feel safe and welcomed. Sometimes our homes don’t feel that peaceful, but we can try to keep a peaceful heart. Stitching makes me feel relaxed, happy and at peace– what about you?? What will you use this little pattern for? Perhaps a wall hanging? Or try printing or tracing it onto cardstock, and coloring with colored pencils or markers, to make a ...

Scraps. Leftovers. Unused. Such sad words. One challenge of quilting is what to do with all of these!

I posted not too long ago about several Charities where you could donate quilts. Today I’d like to share one simple way I make those quilts, and use up extra fabric from completed projects at the same time!

Whenever I’m finished with a project, I cut the scraps into strips, starting with 1 1/2″ and up to 4″ widths in 1/2″ increments. It doesn’t matter what the length of the scraps are. I separate the scraps into ...

neighbour X work in progress X cross stitch X Aurifloss

My current cross stitch project for the year is coming along well, there's been a little bit of unpicking but that is most often the result of late night stitching. The pattern is Love Thy Neighbour by Modern Folk Embroidery and I started stitching it as part of Jacob's Summer Stitch A Long. Summer may be nearly over but I am in no rush to finish. The original pattern is stitched in one colour but like my last finished cross stitch I enjoy making it my own and ...

It’s no secret that this has been an extremely difficult year for all of us. The anxiety and uncertainty of it all has taken a toll on each and every one of us.

But beyond the uncertainty of what the next few months might hold, many many are facing food insecurity every single day. I think about those who have lost their jobs due to the shutdowns, and can’t provide for their families. I think about those who are in countries whose only industry is tourism… their economy has been decimated and their seems to be no hope ...