What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

UPDATE! My PERFECT PINES pattern is now available as a download on my website! My Precision Flying Geese Ruler is required to make this pattern (you’ll need it to squeeze out cutting the little triangles from the leftover bits to make the pieced border trees!)

I’m excited to share a brand new quilt with you! I was inspired to make this quilt by this woodsy, mountain lodge themed fabric and my original Perfect Pines pattern. The blocks are pieced from 10″ x  10″ squares (these fabrics are from a Layer Cake by Deb Strain called Holiday Lodge and ...

Today’s projects are floor cushions and toss pillows from Michael Miller’s adorable new fabric line, SuperFred and Space Pals. As soon as I saw them I knew I’d love to make some floor cushions for my daughter-in-law’s Kindergarten classroom! You can find part 2 here as of March 12, 2020.

Bonjour à toutes, je me suis rendue compte que je ne vous avais pas présenté mon étui pour ranger mes règles à quilter! Pourtant j’en avais montré un petit bout sur Instagram. Erreur réparée aujourd’hui… La société Janome s’est associée à la créatrice des règles Westalee pour créer un ensemble de 6 règles. Cet ensemble … Continuer de lire Quilting à la règle

For Part 1, go here.

Today we’ll continue constructing your fun and funky Rockin’ Retro Apron. Fabric requirements, layout/cutting instructions and making the apron skirt are all in Part 1, here. You can download a formatted and numbered pattern–free in 2020!–with ALL the instructions and requirements at Rockin’ Retro Apron in Kitschy Couture. The fabric was provided as part of the Michael Miller Brand Ambassador 2020 program, and my brilliant Janome M7 Continental is provided to me as a Janome Artisan. Thank you!

Make the Apron Ties and Neck Strap

• Spray starch the bias-cut plaid for ...

Hey there; calling all you Janome lovers! I’m here to tell you about an important and very exciting opportunity! 

Have you ever wanted to take new owner-style classes in the comfort of your own home? Would you like to know more about your Janome sewing and/or embroidery machine(s)? My talented friend, Amy Johnson, is getting ready to start two new, special Janome “video tutorial clubs!” Starting on March 1st, she’ll be offering monthly instructional videos jam-packed with all sorts of interesting, super-helpful, and usable information you can apply right away. 

These videos are a combination of ...

The way things were……

Some changes have been happening in my sewing room lately and it’s finally time for me to share what we’ve been up to! You might remember when we moved into our home almost two years ago and I took over the living room of the house and turned it into my new studio. I blogged about it HERE (Part 1), HERE (Part 2), and HERE.

Late last fall, the impressive, fabulous new Janome Continental M7 came to live in my studio and I have loved using it and really putting her through her paces ...

I visited extended family in Ohio recently and while I was there, I thought it would be fun to visit the local Janome dealer in the area. So on a rather cold, blustery, Ohio morning, I stopped by Pins and Needles in Middleburg.

When I pulled into the spacious parking lot, I was immediately struck by the sheer size of the building. It is huge! I couldn’t wait to walk in the door and discover all the magic waiting inside.

The store is light, bright, and filled with so many beautiful things to see! The super-nice folks at Pins ...

Je ne suis pas du genre à aimer me faire remarquer mais quand on se lance en tant que micro-entrepreneuse, il convient de faire des efforts et montrer l’étendue de ses talents… Je me suis dit qu’une bannière en tissu qui reprend mon logo serait une bonne idée. Du tissu blanc, du tissu Ombré de … Continuer de lire Se faire remarquer…

The first thing I made on the splendid new M7 Continental from Janome was something I haven’t made in decades: a button down tailored shirt! Anyone who knows Joshua knows that he is all about good food, perhaps starting with donuts. In fact, Joshua and Ashley’s wedding cake was a tower Joshua made of donut holes from Willow Bakery in Rockport! He also loves shirts with a sense of humor: sushi rolls, watermelon, lobsters. So I ...

…for Christmas!

I can’t believe I started this festive and fun quilt just a couple of weeks ago. I never dreamed it would be completely finished (with three days left to spare) before Christmas! The design is a variation of my Arrowheads quilt pattern that I debuted in my classes this year. When I taught the class at the Vermont Quilt Festival this past summer, one of my clever students had the idea to turn the arrowheads upside down to make Christmas trees. It was a brilliant idea!

I took the idea one step further and modified the pattern ...

Sewing machine companies are always coming out with new models, most of which are incrementally different from before. But every 10-15 years, Janome re-thinks the machine from all angles and comes up with something that is a major leap–and worth considering adding to your studio. The Janome 6600 was such a machine (circa 2004/5), and the new M7 Continental may well go down as one of The Best Sewing Machines Ever (in any brand!), and given the quality of Janome’s machines that is a high standard.

What a BEAST! I think this machine may be able to do everything but cook and do the dishes (Janome: hint hint LOL!). While visiting with Janome America staff (Regena, that’d be you) at International Quilt Market in Houston, I was thrilled to learn that Janome wanted me to take this beauty for a test drive, blog and share and sew on it for the next year! THANK YOU JANOME, and yes indeed-y I am shouting! I’ve been beyond lucky to be a Janome Artisan since 2003–don’t ask me how I’ve lasted this long, I ...

Made this little one completely out of my leftovers from another baby quilt.  It will be a donation quilt for the neonatal unit in one of our hospitals...not sure which one to send it to yet.  Hoping to get another couple done before I send it off,  It's good to be able to finish something quickly.

Managed to get some practice with my ruler foot on my domestic machine.  Quite different action compared to my long arm machine I had to let go.  Enjoying learning though, and the Janome 9450QCP is such a lovely machine to quilt with ...

I'm trying to keep this roll going after the Sunflower quilt.  I managed to put two baby quilts together for Shala's newest grandchildren and enjoyed making something that was small and simple. The little pink quilt has an embroidered centre that I did while re-familiarising myself with the Janome MC500e Embroidery machine.  It was totally from my stash.  The boy's quilt is a little range of fabric I fell in love with in a quilt shop after Lucas was born.  Couldn't resist of course.

Now I have Kea's Star Wars quilt up on my design ...

I’ve been on the road teaching for guilds and at industry events a lot lately. One of the benefits of my busy travel schedule is it affords me the unique opportunity to visit Janome dealers around the country, sometimes unexpectedly! Just last week we flew into Dulles airport outside of Washington, DC on our way to visit our sons at their university. I had heard about this incredibly stylish store and that it’s located not far from the airport. so Mr. Kim and I dropped in to visit Precious Lopez at Sew Magarbo in Ashburn, Virginia.

To say ...

Bucket list item: appear on The Quilt Show with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims: CHECK! Here’s the link to watch if you are a member. If you couldn’t tell, I’m giddy!

To watch the show, you usually need to be a member of The Quilt Show community, which is an online “TV” show and so much more. Next Sunday, for one week from October 13-20, 2019, or thereabouts, the episode will be FREE ...

My new to me (used) Janome 15000 sewing / embroidery machine has arrived!  I waited for a long time for the prices to drop and I finally found a good bargain.  I'm so excited to learn more about it!  Unfortunately, the sewing foot needed to sew out the decorative stitches was missing so I'll have to wait to test that out  until my new one arrives.  For now, I just do some straight stitching and turn it back off.