From a distance and viewed through our social media lenses, it can appear that beautiful things simply slip into being, blooming as effortlessly as wildflowers. But in reality, there is Friction. With almost every quilt I’ve made, there are moments where I struggle to move forward, moments when I question my sense of design.
Read MoreIt’s a lot at the moment. Logically I can rationalize that things will be ok, that our family’s future can unfold in a number of acceptable ways, but emotionally I’m often feeling a sort of anxious haze. And do you know what breaks through the haze and sets my spirit light? This very quilt. The colors. The clarity. The contrast. It’s freeing me.
Read MoreToday is new issue day for Make Modern, a beautiful magazine written by quilters for quilters and delivered digitally to creatives across the world. Patterns, interviews + ideas for the modern quilter.
Read MoreOnce Hourglass was completed and photographed, I practically ran into my sewing room to join its floating rows to those from the Orange Peel group. Assembly is so satisfying! I actually have only two more groups to go and then I can complete the top. Can’t wait!
Read MoreI’m crafting a rainbow of diamonds with the Wedge Cross block, a bonus quilt-pattern-in-progress for Pas de Deux BOM club. Fabrics are Ruby and Bee Solids. These rich, saturated hues are captured in cloth by designers Heather Ross and Annabel Wrigley, working in tandem for Windham Fabrics.
Read MoreOh, checkerboard patchwork, how I do love thee! It’s charming every time. Now a whole checkerboard quilt in this small-size patchwork would be quite an endeavor, but this little taste is pure delight. I’m on my way to a finished quilt top this month!
Read MoreWhen your hobby is also your job (so lucky!) it does blur the lines between work and rest. It’s healthy to mark boundaries from time to time. That why I set the Ice Cream Soda quilt apart when I embarked on the project years ago. No goals, no pressure. Just slow, satisfying sewing.
Read MoreWeaving together my life as a maker and other spheres of life: Best of February, color inspiration from Vincent Van Gogh, my first Dutch book recommendation (hip hip hoorah!), and celebrating the first flowers of spring.
Read MoreThere are often lots of ways to sew most patchwork blocks, with advantages and disadvantages to different approaches. It’s easy to assume that the first method you learn is the easiest or best one. Until you try another method, you really don’t know! Patchwork can surprise you.
Read MorePatchwork curtains are a fantastic way to enjoy your favorite fabrics every day. They add so much personality to your space! This tutorial is designed to help you sew patchwork curtains in whatever size will suit your needs. Happy decorating!
Read MoreLast week’s splendid pile of Kismet fabrics has been transformed into boho style patchwork curtains. I couldn’t be happier with the way it pulls the two ends of our living room/dining room space together. The room feels at once more harmonious. It’s amazing how much curtains can really enrich a space!
Read MoreSo, my Lichen Duster looks just as I imagined - - - on my friend Hanneke. Haha. I am apparently not so good at imagining how a garment would look on my body. Too bad you can’t try something on before sewing it! Ah well, it’s still a learning experience.
Read MoreDo you know that Dutch people are the tallest in the world on average? According to scientists, it’s likely that food plays a roll. Interesting, right? Now do you want to eat like a Nederlander? Here are the basics.
Read MoreSometimes fabric is love at first sight. That’s how it was for me with Kismet. This collection was released in 2020, when I was totally engrossed in shopping for our new home. Even so, Kismet stood out to me, and I wished I had an excuse to buy the whole thing. But I didn’t, at the time, and I expected I would miss my chance with it.
Read MoreGuess what? Now that the pattern pieces are all cut, sewing this Lichen Duster project is going faster than I expected. It’s a lot of long seams, which are familiar territory. Come see how it’s progressing!
Read MoreWelcome back to my sewing room. Today is my last day of corona quarantine, and I’m feeling full of energy! I think it’s time for some progress on my rainbow Pas de Deux quilt. Let’s begin this time with grass green and silver gray fabric scraps.
Read MoreYour Pas de Deux beginnings are inspiring me today. I’m feeling the tug to finish the scrappy rainbow version I’ve already started, and begin a fresh Pas de Deux quilt with a limited palette. Why not? It’s not, after all, a particularly time-consuming quilt.
Read MoreIt’s finished quilt day! And look at these dapper men who kindly helped me hold the quilt. I don’t know what they’re doing outside without their clothes though, on such a very cold and windy day. At any rate, the quilt is looking very cheery despite the weather!
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