What is the difference between foundation piecing, paper piecing (machine paper piecing?) and English paper piecing? I had to sort it out for myself this week when I shared a sketch of my 2020 Pattern Club!
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When you’re inspired to start a new project, what comes first? Is it the fabric that catches your imagination or the project that simply must be made? It can go either way for me, but this time the fabric definitely came first. Enter the Darlings!
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Hip, hip hooray! What an amazing quilt-along this has been. Today we’ll celebrate your beautiful finished quilts and quilt tops, I’ll share my finished holiday Dear Dottie and award the grand prize. Cheers!
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When the weather turned quite chilly, I noticed our back door has a bit of a draft. What a good excuse for some patchwork! Nothing makes a living room more cozy, right? This simple tutorial creates a long, cylindrical draft stopper pillow.
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Weaving together my life as a maker and what’s happening in other spheres of life: Best of November, holiday gifting and sewing, Blue Elephant Stitches and some news - we’re planting ourselves in The Netherlands!.
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Almost finished! Let’s get these quilt tops ready for the Dear Dottie Showcase next Monday. I’m looking forward to celebrating yours! All assembled quilt tops will be eligible for the grand prize from Fenceline Fabrics.
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I’ve been watching these leaves from my sewing room window as they’ve transformed from green to a splendid golden yellow. Luckily my quilt is finished in time for an autumnal photo shoot!
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Uh oh, I got behind last week! Between Elora’s birthday and our busy weekend, I’m still sewing my colorful dots. How about you? Don’t let the schedule make you sweat. Keep enjoying the process!
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Three years ago baby Elora brought so much light and healing to our family. What a happy time it has been and so quickly has it passed! Today as she leaves toddlerhood behind, I’ll share one last milestone post, for all of Elora’s virtual grandmamas and aunties and uncles.
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Do curves intimidate you? Stop in for some tips and visit me on Instagram for a short video. Watch me sew a few of these Dear Dottie curves, without pins! It doesn’t have to be perfect - Dear Dottie has trimming steps built-in.
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Over the six months that we’ve lived in The Netherlands, we’ve used a fair amount of health services, even one visit to the emergency room. Here’s the low down on our experiences accessing and paying for healthcare in The Netherlands.
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Will you weigh in on my choice background fabric? At first I thought I’d use a low volume background - classic and effective. But, I think I’ll enjoy the joining process more if it feels unique. Here are a few possiblities.
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Ok, confession: I’ve already sewn a few blocks. I couldn’t resist! But, officially, we’re still just cutting this week. I see lots of you are also working ahead. Hee hee. Clearly, we love patchwork!
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I love selecting fabrics based on an image or concept like autumnal skies. It gives me such a sense of direction, yet feels open to discovery. Lately I’ve been working on a quilt inspired by fall colors and my favorite autumnal delights.
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Would you like to stop by for a peak in my quilting studio? I never get tired of opening shipping boxes to find freshly pieced quilt tops and backings ready to become cozy quilts. It would be a waste not to share this beauty with the world.
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Our task this week is super-simple. The goal is to cut out the dot shapes for your entire quilt. My quilt will be a combination of scraps and yardage. Of course, I want to use as many scraps as possible, so I started by cutting dots from my scrap fabrics.
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Weaving together my life as a maker and what’s happening in other spheres of life: Best of October, a Video Review of my book and the best picture book for children and grandchildren of Big-hearted Quilters.
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Each carefully labeled plastic baggie contains a color story, fabric lesson or quilt block. Project seeds all of them, waiting in the dark for just the right moment to sprout and grow. The time has come!
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