Uncategorized478 Videos

Spring Flowers table runner pattern

I’ve designed a spring flowers table runner that I’m teaching as part of a beginner quilting class. It’s a quick and easy project for quilters of all skill levels. You can use hand applique for the flowers or fusible web. I used the latter for this table runner. I’m offering the pattern as a free […]

Starburst Galaxy Block 1 video tutorial

O.M.G. this video took FOREVER to upload! There are two reason for that. One … my Internet provider has a monopoly in the area, which means they don’t actually have to be any good. Two … this video is almost 30 minutes long! Yes, 29:54 with no commercials. That’s longer than watching an episode of […]

Stash too big? Donate to Quilts of Valor

About a month ago I watched a program on Iowa Public Television about the Quilts of Valor Under Our Wings program. The program connects experienced quilters with men and women who have never sewed before to make a quilt for a veteran. I don’t come from a military family, but I just cried throughout the […]

Step one: Admit you have a problem …

Last weekend I packed up just about every quilting and sewing-related object in my house and loaded it up into a U-haul and the back of my mini van to get ready for the move to my new studio/quilt shop. If you missed that fun announcement, make sure to check out Episode 24 of Sit […]

Storing quilt blocks in scrapbook cases

When I converted my sewing room into a nursery, quilt supply storage became even more important than ever before. One space-saving solution I’ve found that I absolutely love is using scrapbook cases as a storage solution for quilt blocks that are not ready to be pieced into a quilt top yet. I’ve got several to […]

Stunning Christmas tree skirt in batiks

I LOVE batiks. I can’t get enough of them. So I was in heaven when the benefactor for the Mississippi Valley Quilt Guild suggested buying fabric from SewBatik.com to make Judy Niemeyer’s Christmas Celebration Tree Skirt. The benefactor business, Quilting By-You in Bettendorf, Iowa, is purchasing the fabric and donating the quilting for the tree […]

Success: Signature quilt top is pieced

I’ll admit that there were times when I thought I’d never get around to sewing together the top to my signature quilt, but it is officially pieced together. I still have to add two borders, but that’s a piece of cake at this point. I’ve even gotten a little ahead of myself and started marking […]

Super cute watermelon placemats

My mother-in-law’s birthday was Wednesday. She said she didn’t want us to buy her anything, so I decided to make something. My boss saw watermelon placemats at a quilt shop on vacation and, thinking of me, got a copy of the pattern. The placemats are actually quite easy to make. I fused fleece to the […]

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 […]