My Top 5 Specialty Presser Feet for Quilters
Do you ever wonder if there is an easier way to keep a consistent quarter inch seam allowance, appliqué by machine, or machine quilt without worrying about ripples or tucks in your finished quilt? Do you ever find yourself wandering in and out of the ditch when stitching in the ditch? If you answered “yes” […]
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The Heatwave Quilt & Bringing Back Continuous Curve Machine Quilting
I recently had the opportunity to test another fun pattern from Tied with a Ribbon – the Heatwave Quilt. I haven’t really played much with equilateral triangles in the past, so I was eager to try something new. And it did not disappoint! You can read about my adventures constructing this quilt with the aid […]
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A Few of My Favorite Things
I still have that catchy tune from the movie A Sound of Music stuck in my head, so I thought it might be fun to start a sewing & quilting themed list of A Few of My Favorite Things. These are in no particular order, and they are not paid endorsements from the companies involved […]
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Quilting Inspiration from Nature
What inspires you? What do you think about when you choose fabrics for a sewing or quilting project? Do you find yourself drawn to certain colors, shapes, or pattern styles? I get much of my creative inspiration from nature. Some of my earliest and most enduring memories are of specific landscapes and places and the […]
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Revisiting Continuous Curve Machine Quilting
Back in June, I shared a step-by-step tutorial for Continuous Curve Machine Quilting with a Walking Foot. This quilting pattern has been a favorite of mine since I first learned it almost 30 years ago. The version I shared was (and is) a fantastic beginner-friendly starting point, but I thought you might be ready for […]
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Choosing Thread for Machine Quilting – Let’s have some fun!
How do YOU decide what thread to use when you machine quilt? Do you have a go-to favorite? Have you ever played with any other options? My go-to thread is 50wt. Aurifil cotton – the same thread that I use for piecing my quilts. It’s strong, colorfast, easy to work with, reliable, and has just […]
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Continuous Curve Machine Quilting with a Walking Foot
Continuous Curve (also known as Orange Peel) quilting has been around a long, long time, but its gentle curves are still one of my favorite ways to add a lovely soft texture to a quilt. It can be done by hand, with a walking foot, or with a free-motion foot; but the stitching path may […]
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Endings and Beginnings – A Personal Note
“New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.” This quote, usually attributed to Lao Tzu, but perhaps written by someone else entirely, nonetheless speaks to me – especially given what is happening in my life right now. Journal Quilt – Tree of Life. Journal Quilting is one of the ways I process my life experiences […]
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Machine Quilting with a Serpentine Stitch
I’ll say one thing about the global pandemic: I think I’ve done more sewing and quilting in the past year and a half than in the previous 10 years! Seriously, my sewing machine has been a lifeline, and the connections I’ve made through sharing my work – and enjoying everyone else’s work – on Instagram […]
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Finishing Spree – Take Wing, Foundation Piecing, & Mixing Quilting Methods
Foundation piecing (also called foundation paper piecing) is a great technique for achieving precise piecing and sharp points even with tiny pieces and fabric edges that are not on-grain. For this method, the pattern is printed (or traced) onto foundation paper. This paper acts as both a stabilizer and a stitching guide while the block […]
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