Uncategorized478 Videos

Turning orphan blocks into doll quilts

Each year my quilt guild makes about 1,200 doll quilts for the kids in our local Head Start program. If everyone in the guild makes four of them, then we meet our goal. Some make a whole lot more, some make none. Right now I’m feeling a little guilty because I’m in the none category. […]

Stephanie Soebbing

19 October, 2012

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Friday progress report: Practicing new free motion quilting patterns

Every time I rent time on the longarm machine at Quilting by You in Bettendorf, the shop owners ask what crazy plans I have. Occasionally I use one overall pattern, with one thread. But most of the time I’m trying out new stitches, techniques and changing thread half-a-dozen times. That was the case this week […]

Stephanie Soebbing

23 August, 2013

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Behind the scenes: Unpacking a quilt exhibit

The 34 quilts that are part of the National Quilt Museum’s next exhibit, Food for Thought from SAQA, have finished their week of rest and rods are being inserted in preparation for their big debut on Friday, April 10. It seems like a strange concept, allowing an inanimate object to rest. But laying the quilts […]

Stephanie Soebbing

8 April, 2015

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Kaffe, Christa and cupcakes

So I’ve had a crazy two weeks. In the last two weeks we’ve had five large events at the brick and mortar Quilt Addicts Anonymous, for which I made 78 cupcakes and one quilt for. And the cat used up one of its nine lives. Here are all the fun details, with pictures. First up […]

Stephanie Soebbing

11 December, 2017

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Have a question for Elm Creek Quilts author Jennifer Chiaverini?

New York Times best selling author Jennifer Chiaverini will release her 19th Elm Creek Quilts novel, “Sonoma Rose” on Feb. 21. This novel will continue the story line that was introduced in “Quilter’s Homecoming,” and will answer the question of what happened to Lars and Rosa after they fled the  Arboles Valley and Rosa’s abusive husband. […]

Stephanie Soebbing

3 February, 2012

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‘Dressmaker of Khair Khana’ a tale of strength, perseverance and courage

One day Kamila Sidiqi proudly received her teaching degree during the Afghanistan civil war. The next she was confined to her home when the Taliban seized control of Kabul, ordering women from the workplace and forcing them to wear a full chadri, covering their bodies from head to foot, when they absolutely had to leave […]

Stephanie Soebbing

18 June, 2015

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I’m spoiled by the long arm

Occasionally quilting really frustrates me, and now is one of those times. When I first started quilting I finished everything myself on my home sewing machine. But then I discovered Quilting By You in Bettendorf, Iowa, where you can rent time on a long arm machine and I’ve been spoiled ever since. On a long […]

Stephanie Soebbing

2 January, 2013

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‘Food for Thought’ opens at The National Quilt Museum

Cherry pie so realistic you could just stick a fork in it, heirloom tomatoes that look like the juices would flow right out if you bit into them and reminders that in a country of abundance, there are still many who go hungry. That’s just a few scenes depicted “Food for Thought” an exhibit that […]

Stephanie Soebbing

11 April, 2015

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National Quilt Museum curator gets her wish with new exhibit

Ever since Judy Schwender joined the National Quilt Museum as its curator, she has wanted to group the critter quilts together. She is finally getting her with with “Into the Wild: Quilted Creatures,” which opened yesterday. The new exhibit features some of the best and most memorable animal quilts in the museum’s collection. One of Schwinder’s favorites […]

Stephanie Soebbing

27 February, 2015

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Swollen feet and improvising

I’ve had one heck of a case of swollen feet and ankles for the past two weeks. My normal habit of coming home from work and sewing has been replaced by coming home and elevating my feet on the couch. That means I’ve been getting a lot of knitting done, but my sewing projects have […]

Stephanie Soebbing

14 April, 2014

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