How to do fusible applique

I know how to do hand applique, needle turn, Hawaiian and spray starch method, but using fusible web to do applique by machine is my favorite method by far. It is fast, accurate and very sturdy. I use it often for kids projects, because it holds up well to lots of washings and if I’m going […]

Fuzzy cow

May is a big month for birthdays in my family. There are four kids who have birthdays all within a couple weeks of each other. Granted the fourth was just born last week, but it counts. All those birthdays mean May has unofficially been dubbed “Sewing for Kids Month” at my house. First up was […]

Dining room hutch to sewing room chic

A few months ago I picked up a dining room hutch on Craigslist. The piece had good bones. It was solid, made of real wood, no major flaws. But there were a few issues with the finish that came from use. It made it the perfect candidate for an Annie Sloan Chalk Paint transformation into […]

Quilt National continues to push boundaries

The first art quilt exhibit continues to push boundaries in its 19th installment, scheduled to open next week at The Dairy Barn Arts Center in Athens, Ohio. Beginning in 1979, Quilt National is the preeminent art quilt exhibition, a juried competition that features the work of nearly 90 quilters from around the world. The 86 quilts […]

‘Playing with Surface Design’ review and giveaway!

If you’ve ever thought about creating your own fabrics, then “Playing with Surface Design: Modern Techniques for Painting, Stamping, Printing and More” by Courtney Cerruti is a book you should add to your library. I’ve reviewed probably half-a-dozen books on printmaking and art quilting techniques, and “Playing with Surface Design” is exceptional in its clear, step-by-step […]

Building a soft book library

I don’t know how it happened, but my little quilter turned one last Friday. It is amazing to look back and see how much she has developed over the past year, finding her voice, learning to feed herself, crawling, standing and developing a clear list of likes and dislikes. One of her likes are books. She […]

700 inches of binding

I’ve been spending a lot of time on the longarm lately. Thanks to my newfound flexibility in scheduling, I’ve been able to spend one day a week at Quilting By-You in Bettendorf, Iowa, renting time on a longarm to finally finish up some quilt tops. Two weeks ago I finished quilting one of my two […]