Weaving together my life as a maker and other spheres of life: Best of March, experimenting with Luna Batting, celebrating @lopolokko’s brilliant Pas de Deux quilt, anticipating book club and finding the strength to listen to my heart.
Read More
These bright, happy fabrics are my next quilt. It’s going to be quick, easy and perfectly pointy. Can you already guess what I’ll be sewing? Teeter Totter is gearing up for an April 17 pattern release and May sew-along!
Read More
Yesterday, when it was quite overcast, little miss braved the cool weather for a lightning fast photo op. We dashed out our front door, across to the road to the daffodils and were back inside in less than five minutes! Aren’t you glad she was a good sport?
Read More
When mild weather and spring flowers first shyly showed their faces, Elora and I caught spring fever. One afternoon she nosed through my fabric stash for favorite fabrics that might become new dresses, shirts or skirts. I got right in the spirit, dreaming along with her. Today I started on that strawberry dress.
Read More
I relish my turn to lead the monthly charity quilt for Comfort Circle of do. Good Stitches! Of course I enjoy getting to choose the patchwork and the colors; but, I also love how in the weeks that follow I receive so much happy mail. Small, squishy packages of delightful quilt blocks drop through my mail slot and brighten my day.
Read More
This sweet crib quilt is finished at last, as a double-sided quilt. The elegant Nineteen Thirty Medallion is the star of one side and classic 2” finished patchwork offers a cozy alternative on the other.
For a Limited Time! The Nineteen Thirty Medallion is now available as a pattern excerpt thanks to the special request of one of my most faithful readers.
Read More
Come see what Elora made! It’s her first sewing project. Plus, my tips for how to ease a first machine sewing experience with a cautious child, like my sweet 6-year-old.
Read More
Next up: the Rectangular 18-Patch block. It’s a scrap-friendly quilt block that sews up fast via strip-piecing and sub-cutting. Here are my sewing tips and a batch of blocks for destined for charity as a do. Good Stitches collaborative quilt.
Read More
“Work-in-progress” sets such a forgiving and patient tone, don’t you think? That is definitely the attitude I’ve needed for this baby quilt, since I have constantly second-guessed myself in the making process. I have struggled in part because I really, really want it to be lovely for my friend and also because I don’t have much experience with soft color schemes.
Read More
Completing a quilt top is like reaching the top of a mountain. The outlook is exhilarating! But soon it is time to descend, only the work of basting and quilting aren’t quite as easy as walking downhill. I really love that my service as a longarm quilter puts me in the position of helping fellow quilt-makers. I have the equipment to make the descent a pleasure, and as a team we can accomplish something pretty amazing, like these finished quilts!
Read More
On Monday I got to hold baby Livia for the first time! Such sweetness. Her quilt is coming along. Would you like to see? Choosing fabrics for the center medallion flower was challenging. It’s a totally different look than my original Nineteen Thirty quilt.
Read More
Choosing a name is a unique cultural expression. The Netherlands has its own naming culture with traditions, trends and secrets that have been fun to discover. Here is what I’ve noticed about naming in The Netherlands.
Read More
Creativity often requires a question or limitation that sparks the problem-solving journey. I wanted to use up a roll of precut fabric strips, but ended up doing something even better - enjoying triangle scraps. Through this quilt those triangles have earned the perceived value of all my other scrap categories. And that is a big step up indeed!
Read More
As today is the first day of our Nineteen Thirty sew-along, I figured a how-to video would make for a strong start. Come watch as I piece the curves of the Orchid block - pinning, sewing, pressing and trimming.
Read More