I will be speaking to The Calico Cut-ups quilt guild in Bella Vista, AR on June 25,2012 at 1:00 pm. The lecture will called Stash Busters. I will also be speaking to the Pryor Patchers quilt guild in Pryor, OK on July 24,2012 at 6:30pm. The lecture topic for the Pryor Patchers has not yet been determined. I am looking forward to meeting these ladies (and gentlemen). I would love to come speak to your guild as well. Please contact me to set something up.
02/07/2012
12/24/2011
Merry Christmas
A rare glimpse of Abby posing for the camera. Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday.
12/04/2011
Tis the Season
Can you believe the holidays are already here?!?! Parker can't either.
11/24/2011
Butterfly Effect
This was a really fun booth at quilt market. They used their new line of fabric to create flowers, butterflies, and all sorts of wonderful things. I enjoyed visiting with the designers. I love seeing everyone's creative ideas!
11/20/2011
To Market, To Market
This is the view from the balcony overlooking market hall. From this angle, you are only able to see half of a few aisles. If you want from start to finish down every aisle, the pedometer reads 4 miles! We had such a great time meeting new people and catching up with old friends.
07/24/2011
Heat Wave
It seems like we have gone from one weather extreme (16 inches of snow!) in winter to another (105 degrees!) in summer. There are only two ways to beat the heat around here. One way is to quilt indoors in the cool air conditioning and the other is to go outside and have fun in the water. On this particular morning, my granddaughter's and I chose the water. Oh, the joys of being a kid...
07/14/2011
Sew Retro
Like many of you, I really enjoy vintage things - quilts, glassware, linens, etc. After giving my "Mother's Memories" program recently, I received numerous questions about how to use old handkerchiefs in quilts. Here's a great way to incorporate them into a quilt.
Step one: Wash each handkerchiefs by hand in a mild soap. Next, lay them out flat to dry. Gently press them with low heat/steam.
Step two: Hand appliqué each handkerchief to a plain background square.
Step three: Set the squares together with sashing strips (shown here in blue).
Step four: Add border and quilt.
What a beautiful way to show off your collection!
07/05/2011
Independence Day
Found this great fabric in my stash. It pays to clean out your closet every now and then. What a perfect center for a patriotic wall hanging. Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!
06/19/2011
Dust Bunnies
From fabric to thread to batting, as quilters we are always in contact with fibers. Whether it is piecing a quilt or machine quilting a quilt, the fibers we work with create particles of dust. Over time those small particles become larger bundles of dust. These bundles can cause all kinds of problems for both you and your machine. From skipped stitches to machine malfunctions, it is not a pretty picture.
Here are a few suggestions to prevent these problems:
1. Start with a clean surface. Wipe the outside of your machine and working area off with a lint free cloth.
2. Check your bobbin hook, bobbin case, and bobbin to make certain they are free of dust and lint.
3. Oil your machine according to the manufacturer's recommendations.
4. Start each new project with a new needle. A dull needle can cause dragging and puling in the fabric.
5. After each project is finished ( or in the middle of a big project), blow the dust that has collected in the machine out using compressed air, the same kind you would use on your computer.
Happy Sewing!
