Uncategorized478 Videos

Cloth diaper sweat shop … I mean retreat

They’re done! All 36 cloth diapers are assembled, the PUL has been resealed and they are neatly arranged in the changing table dresser. I finished this monumental task over the weekend at quilt retreat, where I didn’t actually do any quilting, but did enjoy the company of plenty of women who did. They all had […]

Don’t use those scissors!

Tomorrow my husband and I will celebrate our sixth wedding anniversary. We’ve been together for nearly eight years when you include our dating and engagement, and I’ve been a quilter for the majority of that time. Which means for the better part of a decade, he has been receiving proper scissor usage education. I really […]

When it’s OK to use fusble web for applique

I’m kind of an applique snob. I’ve tried just about every method known to man and have come to the conclusion that, in my humble opinion, to create heirloom applique you should use the spray starch method and stitch the edges under with teeny tiny stitches in a neutral colored silk thread so they will […]

Making quilting a family affair

I’ve been working on a super-secret quilt. Correction, my mom, cousin and I have been working on a super-secret quilt. My mom and cousin are learning to sew, so we got together for a family sewing day over the winter. My mom wanted to work on her first quilted table runner and my cousin wanted […]

Feeling the Christmas crunch

I started my career as a journalist, which means I like a good deadline. It also means I’m a procrastinator, a bad habit that bites me in the rear every holiday season. The gifts are bought, most of them are even wrapped, my cards have been mailed, but I haven’t even begun the handmade presents. […]

Dare to DIY: Deck the halls

I had a sewing marathon last weekend. I spent most of the time working on Christmas presents and my Christmas fabric exchange quilt. I still haven’t started the Christmas stockings for my family. So I’ll share photos of the paper-pieced tree skirt I made for the Mississippi Valley Quilters Guild tree at the Festival of […]

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 […]

Block a Day Challenge round up – Week 3

Major progress was made by the Block a Day Challenge participants this week. Together we completed one quilt… Three tops… And 69 blocks, many of which were submitted in pairs or sets of four. One over-achiever posted a photo of 28 blocks! And since we all don’t have to be over-achievers, here’s photos of some […]

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 […]