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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Pattern Testing the Log Cabin Toss Quilt
Why would a quilt designer like myself pattern-test another’s designer’s quilt? Because it’s FUN! AND I’m also firm believer in artists and designers supporting each other. 🙂 Jemima Flendt of Tied with a Ribbon is one of my all-time favorite Australian quilt designers. I love her fresh, modern take on traditional – and sometimes non-traditional […]
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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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Quilters Supporting the People of Ukraine
Quilters have a long history of showing love and support for the people and causes they care about. As I understand it, the people of Ukraine don’t need our quilts right now, but they do need humanitarian aid. I was moved and inspired by a post from Aurifil Thread this week, showcasing free or low-cost […]
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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 & My Top 4 Favorite Patterns of Summer 2021
Since I like to work on multiple projects at a time, I occasionally experience a bottleneck of quilts that are all at the same stage. Such has been the case this month, when I ended up sewing bindings on 8 different quilts in a little over a week. Wow! My arms are ready for a […]
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Finishing Spree! Quick Bindings That Mimic the Look of Hand-Sewn
I like to have lots of different projects going at different stages at the same time, so I always have something interesting to work on. But sometimes there’s a bottleneck, and I have a bunch of projects that are all at the same step. That’s what has been happening to me lately – a pile-up […]
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