What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

the mess created by creative zoom sessions

On a completely unrelated note it was both a good hair day and wow do I have humidity hair. Humidity hair in Texas, it’s a thing. Bob Ruggiero asked me about it in this interview: I’m teaching at Quilt Festival in Salt Lake City. Follow this link to all classes, search for my name, and… Continue reading Quilt Festival Salt Lake City Here I Come

Last month, I gave my first in-person lecture in over two years. This month, I traveled for my first in-person workshop since March 14, 2020. I was delighted to be invited to Lompoc, California to visit Quilters Etc. for a lecture and workshop. As much as I love giving lectures on Zoom, it was delightful to hold a mic and speak to 3-dimensional quilters! I shared my Rules and Options of Planned Improv Piecing lecture with the group on Thursday evening.

Saturday I had a group of 16 quilters in class for Improv Log Cabins. I have a new document ...

Things are settling back to normal! As we get back to normal, I think we all need to take stock of our lives and see what changes need to be made. We CANNOT just go back to normal. We need to evaluate what we what in life (we only have one, and the clock is ticking!), how and who we want to spend our time with. What projects will we work on, what groups will we join, what classes we'll take, etc.? 

Helen recently listened to a decluttering your life lecture from TWO different organizations, so we know it ...

We've all been waiting for this moment -- getting back to in-person events. Well, we must be careful what we wish for! 

In-person events require getting in the car and traveling! It's a challenge to go from ZERO traveling by car to spending THREE hours commuting -- that's 1 1/2 hours each way, and I have one more day to do that. It's not that it's a big deal, but I paid almost $80 to fill the car the other day -- I wouldn't have had to do that if I were doing an in-person event ...

 Elle is BRILLIANT!!!! She suggested using the new doggie bench (when it arrives) as a grooming station. That is brilliant! It'll be sturdy; the bed just sits in the frame around the top and can easily be removed. And hopefully, Murphy will be occupied by the great outdoors. Gosh -- I want Elle to be -- well, I want her to be my consultant -- she is very clever. Thanks so much for that brilliant idea. 

Yesterday was all about free-motion quilting and the second part of the free-motion class at Thimbles and Things. Well, technically, NOT at, but hosted by them ...

When I first started machine quilting back in 2004, I looked all over for a mathematical way to figure out borders. Something that would work all the time on every border. Unfortunately, I could not find one. I thought I would share with you how I figure out an undulating spine that goes around the entire quilt. I have found that it is best to mark these before you load the machine on the frame.

Click here for the video of how I figure out this spine!

You can use this spine for ferns, flowers, feathers… really any ...

I missed my FB live last week as I was on a much needed vacation to South Carolina! For the most part, I completely unplugged from work is a first in a while. It felt great to sit in the sun, play some golf and get to know my significant others family! Took a beautiful walk along the inter-coastal waterway.

Back at work this week…. who doesn’t love feathers??? I know, it isn’t me but there are some who don’t. I have had many requests for another video on how to do the Jelly Feather Fill, I ...

I’ve been in this business for a long time… I started piecing in 1997 and started longarming in 2004 as a business. It quickly became a love… I couldn’t wait to get my piece on the longarm so I never really stretched my piecing skills. Now my longarming skills… that’s a different story. It didn’t take me long to start teaching…. 2006 and I love every minute that I spend with my students. With that being said… I do suffer from Imposter Syndrome at times. More so when I first started teaching but there are still ...

It seems a bit incredible, but I am going to Madeline Island, Wisconsin to teach Making Prints from September 27-October 1, 2021. Yes. That is right. In one week, I will be here at the Madeline Island School for the Arts.

Making Prints is my foundation course–all other courses I teach grow from this one. If you have enjoyed studying with me virtually and have been waiting for the right moment to take an in person class. This is that moment.

It is the only week long workshop in person workshop that I will be teaching in 2021. The ...

It seems a bit incredible, but I am going to Madeline Island, Wisconsin to teach Making Prints from September 27-October 1, 2021. Yes. That is right. In one week, I will be here at the Madeline Island School for the Arts.

Making Prints is my foundation course–all other courses I teach grow from this one. If you have enjoyed studying with me virtually and have been waiting for the right moment to take an in person class. This is that moment.

It is the only week long workshop in person workshop that I will be teaching in 2021. The ...

Threads of Success When the email arrived letting those of us who are scheduled to teach know that for 2021 Threads of Success is postponed to Quilt Market 2022 I was surprised but not surprised. Twenty twenty was a lot, while things are shifting and changing some of twenty twenty has carried over into twenty… Continue reading Threads of Success, Quilting, Accountability Post

I hope everyone is having a great summer. I have been enjoying getting outside as much as I can. Alaskan summers are always short and often cool and rainy. Every day of sunshine is a gift.

But I doubt that is why you are reading this. I think, I hope, you might just want to sign up for one of my Virtual Indie Quilt Workshops.

While you check your calendars, know that every session is recorded and available for you to view for approximately 30 days after the last session.

I also hope you will drool ...

On Thursday, July 15, 2021, I will be starting a new virtual workshop called Complex Pattern in Contemporary Patchwork. I am super excited about this. You can sign up here. 

When it comes down to it, pattern is the one of the fundamental aspects of what I do as a quilt maker. There is always color and there is always patterning. Sometimes there are structures related to quilt making, such as traditional blocks, and sometimes I use other sources for the foundational lines of my compositions. Whatever the structure or the inspiration it is always expressed through patterning ...

Hey folks, I am teaching a three day version (nine hours of instruction) of Kitchen Sink Quilting—The Art of Making Do starting tomorrow Wednesday, June 23, 2021.

Here are the details

KITCHEN SINK QUILTING—The ART of Making Do
All leftover fabric, UFO’S, orphan blocks, and random strips of fabric are welcome in this class. We’ll take those pieces of quilt debris and make them into fun improvisational masterpieces. The focus of this workshop is on using up left-overs, bit making (creating small improvisation-ally cut and pieced traditional quilt blocks), and composition.
Wednesday, June 23 ...

Guess what I’m teaching online again! in August at the Mancuso World Quilt Fest!  Enjoy the video below– and then go sign up for my workshops here:  https://www.quiltfest.com/register/world-quilt-show-online/workshops-by-instructor/sarah-ann-smith-bindings-facings/    For more info, you can also visit my workshop page here. 

These are three of my favorite workshops, and in consideration of SUMMER and being able to get back out into the world (WOOOOOT!), I chose half-day workshops so you can learn then go play and actually smile ...

A couple of months ago Michele Muska of Oliso Fame introduced me to the effervescent Brandy Maslowski the Quilter on Fire. This name is representative of her work as a quilter and as a firefighter. And her work, WOW. Our conversation was thoughtful and fun. I am looking forward to sharing the interview with you… Continue reading Did you know

I am offering a new independent workshop called Three Points. I offered a version of this class at QuiltCon Together called Improv Triangles—Perfectly Pointless.

Some of the material does overlap, but the approach for this new workshop is different and the exploration more comprehensive—we will spend time with some rulers. That said, my approach to the math will continue to be improvisational.

I am not sure why it has taken me so long to offer this workshop. I suppose I was afraid no one would be interested. I used to think that the ...

I feel like I have been starting all my blog posts with…. it’s been a while. I promise I will try harder to not let that happen!

Here’s what I’ve been up to!

The past 6 months I have been feverishly working on a comprehensive online course! And guess what??? It is finally done.

I had 32 fabulous students help me create this class and their input was invaluable! To all of you…. my biggest thank you!

The nerve wracking thing about creating the class is that as the students were hard at work on one week ...