What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

Last week I shared the flannel rag quilt kit I prepared for a week long retreat I’ll be attending. Of course one isn’t enough, so I now have two more ready to go!

First up is a string block kit. I pulled from some beloved batik greens and blues and one almost white and cut into varying strip widths. The plan is to sew them onto paper piecing paper doing a diamond design. I love to do string quilts! For me its both fun and therapeutic sewing. Sewing this quilt will also be perfect for a retreat as ...

Today I’m sharing some thoughts and ideas a little bit different than my usual mix of quilting tips and techniques. I’m often asked about my specific Planning Systems and Routines especially as they relate to getting sewing accomplished. Read on for the planning techniques I’ve learned over the years along with the systems I use […]

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Hello, friends! I’m stopping by today to share a fun new printable in my shop: Introducing the Quilting Life Quarterly Winter 2021. I’ve designed this printable to use with or without my Quilting Life Planner. It will be a terrific tool to help guide your organizing throughout the year; however, it also gives tips and […]

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More sewing? Organization? Purging? Yes on all three! In this new year, I will definitely be sewing, because that’s what I do! Organization is a continuing process with me. Some things in the studio are somewhat difficult to keep tidy and organized, especially when I’m in “creative mode.” Purging? Oh yes. My goal is to reduce my fabric inventory significantly. There are several places on Facebook marketplace where I can sell fabric. I’ve done a fair amount of that this year and plan to continue. And some fabrics will be donated.

Sewing: As of this writing, I ...

Hello friends, and happy Monday! I have good news to share today–the A Quilting Life Planner has arrived just a bit early at the Publisher and will be shipping this week! I’m super excited to share a bit more about the planner with you today and have also put the details in a short video. […]

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 ...to unpack the Bottoms Up! Studio!!

Oh, so much to share and tell. I have a lengthy post coming soon, but today, TODAY! Starting today, I have 5 consecutive days to make my beloved sewing space to where I can use it! Of course, other unpacking will happen, too, but the Studio—I’m giddy!

So just to give you a sneak peek as to what our surroundings have been for the past 5 weeks, here you go, take a look at my Instagram account, @aprimandnotsoproperquilter.

For many years I hosted an annual End of Summer/Back to School party for my nieces complete with a selection of back-to-school supplies.

Do you remember how much you loved the smell of the new box of crayons?

When I would search for supplies for my nieces, I’d look for a new treasure for myself.

Of course, I’m convinced that I will find the perfect tool that will solve my organizational problems and instantly improve my time management issues.

It never happens for me. How about you?

Before you head to the office supply shop, try the ...

Scraps, scraps, scraps. A container full of one and one half inch scrap strips! There is also a bin of polka dots that has been waiting to be used. The blocks are quarter log cabins with the centers made up of four patches of polka dots.

This option for arranging the blocks just didn’t work for me.

I’ve arranged the quarter log cabins several ways and putting four together for one full log cabin block was most pleasing to me.

For now, this is my layout choice.

There’s a long way to go. I’m now piecing ...

I am really a very organized person. I know where to find what I need. I could say, “A place for everything, and everything in its place,” only that is not quite exactly true.

While I am organized and I know where everything is, I can become someone who is consumed by stacks of this and that. Yes, I know what is in the stacks, but all those stacks are robbing energy from me.

When the space is clearer, so is my mind. When my mind is clear, I will work better.

I know this to be true. I also ...

Hello, and happy Friday, friends! Today I’m talking about Sewing Room Organization and am sharing 5 Quilt Ruler Storage and Organization Ideas. I have a video to go along with today’s post and hope you’ll get some great ideas in order to store and organize your rulers to optimize your sewing time and cut down […]

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Welcome to my sewing & quilting room!!!!

I am really happy with the current setup so much and recently when I was cleaning the area, I thought I would just record a video and bring you along for a quick tour around my quilting room. 

So here it is, I would love for you to join me over on YouTube as well, I do have a dream of posting a lot more video on there and hopefully, that dream will become a reality very soon.

Let me know what you love the most about the space, some of your tips to ...

Hello, and happy Friday! Today I’m sharing more on sewing room organization with practical thread storage ideas. I also have a video to share near the end of this post where I walk you through my storage methods and ideas. I hope you’ll enjoy this post and find some inspiration and helps for keeping your […]

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One of my favorite practices as a creative arts entrepreneur is to keep a business journal. As the leader of your business, you have so many hats to juggle that it helps to have a place to track those ideas. It also helps you make decisions about where to grow your business and yourself.

I know that my clients who keep a business journal, find it extremely valuable, a real difference-maker in their businesses. This is true regardless if journaling is done in a pretty book, on an iPad, or with our weekly Success and Strategy Summit tool.

Have you ...

One of my clients recently commented that with all her responsibilities she felt like she was juggling a lot of balls in the air — managing the shop, its employees and its inventory, her charitable obligations, and her responsibilities with two young kids at home plus her husband.

And this was before the challenge of COVID that we are living in today. Now she added home-schooling for her kids.

Can you picture yourself there?

I certainly can. At any given time I have content to write or deliver related to ICAP and our Members’ Studio, lectures and workshops to prepare for ...

Even before we moved to social isolation and stay-at-home orders, I had a crazy thought. What if we swapped my sewing studio with the master bedroom? And when my friend Cheryl asked if I’d like to join in her annual Spring Clean your Studio Blog Hop, the idea really started to take hold – ne […]

Launching a new pattern is one of my favorite things. While it has been tough to manage all the deadlines during this global upheaval, making progress, if even on the little things, feels like a big thing. The Nesting Basket pattern has been in the works since 2016. I’ve made them for friends, for fabric […]

Like everyone else, I have extra time at home because we are truly isolating.  This has led to accomplishments! First, I cut ALL my scraps.  Yowza! It was a lot!! Below are just the 1 1/2″ strips.

Then, I completed ten face masks. There’s a thread out there that we may be required to wear them out soon, so I made one for each of my family.  I plan to make more for family, friends and neighbors. Honestly, I found these somewhat tedious to make, but also important to do. I did have a couple of 1,000 ...