What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

My son turns 17 tomorrow.

SEVENTEEN, y’all. 

I remember when I was 17 like it was a few years ago. HA! But now I feel like I blinked and somehow the little guy who used to show up in my videos is now almost 6’3″ tall. read more

This week, my 16-year-old son drove himself and his younger sister to high school.

Alone.

It’s his senior year and I can hardly believe it. But the even bigger shock is that the “baby” of the house is in high school now, too.

I was not ready for this. 

There’s something strange about watching your kids grow up because you can feel two things at once. I’m excited to see who they’re becoming. But there’s also a part of me that’s grieving.

I miss the little boy who loved to sew with me and ...

Another Festival of Quilts is already over! I first attended as a visitor with 3 small children in tow in 2006, represented APQS for a few years and Bernina UK Q-Series long-arm machines for the past 10 years. I think I missed 3 shows in all those years, possibly 2007, 2009 and 2020 (like everyone else). I do not have a complete set of pin badges for every year and this year they were sold out by Day 2. I took quite a few photos of competition quilts and their labels and decided to put them in a Flickr album ...

The table.....now.

The wrapping cloth on the left will be backed with the yellow fabric.

I have been measuring marking and pinning. 

More patchwork pieces are being cut from gingham offcuts too so that I can progress my drawstring bag.

If you are in my class...hello! You may notice something annoyingly wrong with the fabric on the right.

Safe to say it's giving me a headache with my plans.

I'm not crying....yet.

I will make a video to speak about this on Monday. 

       

Comments

• I'm sure whatever is wrong with that fabric wi... by ...

The last post on our Christmas in July event brings a few more ideas for crafting and sewing fun. Read on for holiday inspiration you can start now.

Make adorable sewing ornaments by wrapping empty thread spools with glittery trim, and adding some cute embellishments to the top and bottom.

See the tutorial on the ornaments above along with the cookie cutter button ornaments below on my post Handmade Christmas Ornaments.

Use your embroidery machine to stitch out small motifs or holiday words. Then use a large covered button kit to mount the stitchery, adding trims and a ribbon hanger ...

Something a little bit different from me today.

I figured since I have spent all weekend making two baby blankets you needed to see them to prove I haven't been idle. 

No they aren't for me!! and no, there are no new grandchildren on the horizon.

But.....I can't say who they are for either.....sorry about that. 

Really this kind of thing isn't my forte.

These pieces are completely devoid of embroidery, that way they can be thrown in the washing machine. 

I did buy a lightweight wadding to put in the sandwich but chickened ...

What’s the Project? Looking for an easy way to decorate for summer? These summer pillow sewing patterns are a quick way to add fresh colors, fun prints, and a seasonal touch to your living room, porch, bedroom, or patio. They’re beginner-friendly projects that are perfect for using fabric from your stash.

One of the fastest ways to give your home a fresh look is by changing out your throw pillows. You don’t have to redecorate an entire room—a few handmade pillows in cheerful summer fabrics can completely change the feel of ...

So, I hope we all went crazy embellishing the stockings from yesterday. How many did you end up with? I have nine.

Now, pull out your larger beads in all kinds of sizes and materials. I have glass ones, plastic ones in all kinds of colors and sizes, bits from broken jewelry, wood and metal beads. Decide the order in which you want to string your stockings. Note that the openings have not been stitched closed. Leave them open for now.

Begin the string at the bottom of the stocking you want on the bottom end. You can use two ...

I was looking at the Prosperity Sewing Hens I made a few weeks ago, and mulling over the Christmas in July event I wanted to do. I briefly considered making hens out of Christmas fabrics, when another idea hit me. What about Stockings instead? A wish for abundance at the holiday time with family and friends, an abundance of food and maybe even a few gifts. Maybe you can see me rubbing my hands together with glee, what an opportunity to embellish!!

Start by downloading the pattern – Abundance Stockings

For each print, cut one piece of fabric 4-inches x 9-inches ...

One of the bittersweet milestones of grandparenting is realizing that little ones eventually outgrow the baby quilts that once seemed so enormous. When our youngest granddaughters reached that stage, I knew it was time to create something new—quilts they could … Continue reading →

What’s the Project? Keep your notebook protected and easy to spot with this vinyl notebook cover sewing tutorial. This simple project combines fabric and clear vinyl to create a durable cover that’s perfect for school, journaling, meeting notes, quilt planning, or everyday use. It’s an easy sewing project that’s suitable for confident beginners and can be customized with your favorite fabrics.

Learn how to sew a vinyl notebook cover that’s both practical and fun to personalize. Whether you’re carrying a notebook in your purse, keeping track of quilt projects, writing in a journal, or ...

Our oldest granddaughter and her husband are expecting their second child, and the nursery theme is an old-fashioned blue-and-white gingham with teddy bears and warm wood tones. When I think of classic baby quilts, the Double Irish Chain is always … Continue reading →

I recently finished two patriotic quilts that I’m excited to share as I say, “Happy Birthday, America!”

This first one is called Positive Vibes and is a remake of a pattern I first had published in a magazine nearly 10 years ago. That was before I became a fabric designer and I always knew I wanted to remake using red, white and blue scraps of my own fabrics.

I quilted it with Red, Aqua, Navy and Gold Metallic threads. In each of the aqua, red and navy rows of plus blocks, I quilted straight lines to represent stars. In ...

In the stash was a gorgeous piece of rayon challis that I wanted to turn into a lounge wear set. I love the Asian style print of the flowers on a dark background. I wanted something cool for summer, and in a fabric that was not knit. It is irritating that everything these days is knit fabrics in leisure wear. I don’t care for knits as they are too hot. I much prefer woven cotton or very light weight synthetics. Anyway, this fabric was perfect. It is lightweight, drapes beautifully, cool and comfortable. I got out my patterns and ...

 The sneaky artist strikes again.

I first heard of prosperity hens almost 2 years ago, when reader Becky mentioned them in a comment, then sent me a photo of hers. Prosperity Hens originated in India where having a flock of chickens could make a difference for a poverty stricken family. They are meant to bring prosperity to a home and are generally hung near a doorway or window. I kept her photo, and the project stayed in the back of my mind. When the longarm went down again, and I found I had time on my hands, it seemed a perfect time to finally make ...

First I tried straw, then I teased out wire scourers to apply as mulch, splitting open the end of my thumb but NOTHING seems to stop the pesky slugs that are trashing my strawberries. I have been out at dusk with a trowel, waging war against the slimy pests. My next strategy is to put out beer traps, otherwise I will not be able to eat a single homegrown strawberry without biting into something vile and squelchy. 

It was all-systems-go at work with customer quilts. I think 4 different ones were on the frames this week ranging from brightly coloured ...