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May 7, 2020
Not So Scientific Experiments from The Snarky Quilter

As everyone knows, you need a good stockpile of cool bits to create collages. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it as I kluge fiber and paper together to build up my stockpile. First, I unearthed diluted Setacolor paint … Continue reading

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April 30, 2020
Soldiering On With Quilting from The Snarky Quilter

My quilt “Fortune and Fate” is now almost ready for a facing. I just need to decide if I want to rip out some stitching around fabric that’s ripply before I seal the deal. How did those ripples happen? User … Continue reading

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April 27, 2020
Busy during Lockdown! from Art and Quilting in Camden

I’ll be teaching at the Mancuso quilt shows later this year and next! They asked teachers to do a brief 1-minute video. To no one’s surprise, my first attempt ran long…at least it was only 3 minutes and not 10 LOL! But I decided to upload the longer version here. I hope you’ll enjoy this peek at what I’ve been doing and maybe take a workshop with me at one of the Mancuso shows–I’ll be in Massachusetts in August of 2020–or at International Quilt Festival Houston in Fall.

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April 23, 2020
My Paper Route from The Snarky Quilter

Quilting is inching along at a tortoise-like pace to spare the tendonitis in my arm. I allow myself about half an hour each day. To do something quickly I’ve made still more collages using fused fabric and paper and glue. … Continue reading

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April 17, 2020
Still Painting After All These Years from From Edge 2 Edge

I decided on a limited color palette for my first official pieces. I wanted something that would read 'Arizona' for a piece I have in mind. I mixed an orange, a deeper red orange and a turquoise blue. I started out lighter and added additional pigment to my mixing cups part way through. Since the paints are in a transparent base the lighter under colors will be overlapped in areas by the darker colors. Since orange and blue are compliments, I have a fourth, greyed color that works well in the piece.
I use several different tools to get my ...

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April 10, 2020
Back in the Painting Saddle Again from From Edge 2 Edge

I cannot tell you how happy I am to be told by my governor that I should shelter in place. That means that I can play and I don't have to listen to that inner nag that tells me 'You have to get all your work and errands done before you can have fun creating art'. Now I can tell her to shut up, I am not allowed outside where other people are.
I haven't worked with my ProChem PROfab paints in a LONG time so I thought that I would do a couple of practice pieces and ...

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April 9, 2020
Mastering Metallics from Art and Quilting in Camden

Mastering Metallics is a half day workshop which will teach students to use metallic in both the needle and the bobbin. The workshop will debut at International Quilt Festival in Fall 2020, and is the half-day version of my Tame Fussy Fiddly Threads class. The class is Wednesday afternoon. Fly in Tuesday, join me in the Machine Quilting Forum (there are TWO this year!) Wednesday morning, then come take this workshop with me on Wednesday afternoon. We will finish up just in time to get to Preview Night at 5!

Ta DAAAA! A month or so ago, I asked for ...

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March 28, 2020
From A Distance from The Snarky Quilter

My husband and I are well stuck into our current isolation, and we’re glad our house is large enough to allow us to have our own spaces. Otherwise, we’d be tripping over each other. Of course one of my main … Continue reading

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March 20, 2020
Dealing with the achy parts…a quick project from Art and Quilting in Camden

Sarah Ann Smith's easy peasy arm support

How to deal with aches, be thrifty and creative

So in January I was diagnosed with bursitis in my right elbow. Seemingly overnight a big bubble popped up on the outside of the elbow–like half a golf ball big. ( I hear my father saying Keep your elbows off the table! Remember that?) It didn’t really hurt, but if I leaned on the table it was annoying. For a long while I used an empty squeeze bottle (one I use for dyeing). I had first brought it up to support my wrists at the computer instead of buying an ...

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March 19, 2020
Back To Basics from Quiltwoman Blog

Many needlecrafts that were popular in years past have been having a surge of
renewed popularity. Just visit Pinterest and search for Needle Punch or Rug Punch
and you will be inspired to try a “new old craft”. I recently started doing hand
embroidery and needlepunch again after remembering how much I enjoyed doing them
as a teenager over 40 years ago.

Over the next few months at QuiltWoman.com we will be introducing “Make it Your Way” patterns that will help and encourage you to explore Needle Punch Embroidery, Hand Embroidery, Rug Punching or Hooking, and Easy Applique. Watch ...

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March 12, 2020
Everyone’s a Kid Floor Cushions and Toss Pillows (part 2 of 2) from Art and Quilting in Camden

Today it’s time for part 2 of 2 in the “how to make cushions” tutorial! In this image, I’ve sewn the boxing strip–the bit on the edges/sides (black Galaxy fabric from Michael Miller Fabrics, Spring 2020) to one of the squares (top and bottom) to make sure I’ve got the fit right. Looks pretty good! The top on this one is the SuperFred fabric in gray (with this fun fox named Fred and a robot named Mike). Those glorious solids (SWOON) are part of the Cotton Couture collection. Colors are Acid (left), Yellow (top), Apricot ...

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February 23, 2020
Rockin’ Retro Apron, Part 3 from Art and Quilting in Camden

Today we’ll wrap up the last steps in this fun apron. Get ready to make a Kitschy Cocktail wearing the cutest apron ever to cover a frock. Enjoy a nice sip, preferably with a little paper umbrella! Make mine a pina colada, please!
For the blogpost for Part 1 of this pattern, click here.
For the blogpost for Part 2 of this pattern, click here.
To download a Free-in-2020 PDF pattern with ALL the instructions and images, click here.

The Rockin’ Retro Apron in Kitschy Couture by #MichaelMiller Fabrics. The fabric was provided as part of the Michael Miller ...

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February 21, 2020
Rockin’ Retro Apron in Kitschy Cocktails, Part 2 from Art and Quilting in Camden

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 ...

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February 20, 2020
In Black and White from The Snarky Quilter

Lately I’ve been working through an online course from Susan Purney Mark that uses just black and white paint and ink. It’s called Squiggle, Line and Dot; and focuses on mark making with markers and paint. Mark marking seems an … Continue reading

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February 13, 2020
The Inspiration of Limitations from The Snarky Quilter

Too often I trip myself up with a lack of focus in my work. I start with an idea that cascades into yet other ideas and, in the end, I realize none of them well because I try to do … Continue reading

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February 11, 2020
In The Loop from From the Strawberry Patch...

Now you can be IN THE LOOP! I've learned a new trick for burying threads while quilting that is so slick, it needs to be shared. Remember in my last post that I commented about quilting without stopping unless my bobbin ran out? Ah,yes; well, it happens! This photo, left, shows where the bobbin thread ran out and the teeny, tiny needle tracks where yours truly kept stitching before I realized

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In The Loop from From the Strawberry Patch...

Now you can be IN THE LOOP! I've learned a new trick for burying threads while quilting that is so slick, it needs to be shared. Remember in my last post that I commented about quilting without stopping unless my bobbin ran out? Ah,yes; well, it happens! This photo, left, shows where the bobbin thread ran out and the teeny, tiny needle tracks where yours truly kept stitching before I realized

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January 23, 2020
When to pre-shrink! from Art and Quilting in Camden

Over the past week to two weeks, I have been working on ….sit down and prepare yourselves for this… a **pieced** quilt. Yes, me. A very simple pieced quilt, but nonetheless.

Eye-candy…my 214 colors, test-driving super wide borders with possible squares or rectangles. I’m going with nothing to distract from that glorious grid of color. Hopefully the quilting will make the wide borders look good. Want them that big so they will fit on a king size bed–we’ve got a queen but the pug takes up a ridiculous amount of room for such a small dog ...

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January 16, 2020
Results May Vary from The Snarky Quilter

I had planned to type Results May Will Vary, but the latest version of WordPress editing tools don’t seem to make that possible. I wanted that caution because of my recent experiences with gel plate printing. Now I find I … Continue reading

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January 14, 2020
A donut shirt for Joshua, the M7 Continental dream from Art and Quilting in Camden

As soon as it came out of the box it went on…fit perfectly (thanks to borrowing one of his existing shirts!)

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 ...

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