How The Summer Garden Grows

I love a summer garden in bloom... don't you? Despite the fact that I don't exactly have the greenest of thumbs, I really appeciate a beautiufl garden full of flowers. Nothing gives me more delight than to study each one up close and be amazed with the detail and uniqueness of every little part  that most tend to miss because there is never enough time to just stop and "smell the roses". Just like a summer field, my Chuck Nohara blocks have been growing too! In preparing my applique templates my summer basket project, I have often found myself on the sunny terrace in the afternoons, or on the sofa in the evening busily snipping away. Sometimes I am too tired to sit at the machine at...

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In The Summer Time

Back in January, during the pattern testing phase of my Tiptoe Through The Tulips quilt pattern, one of my pattern testers shared with me about an applique project that she had just finished... essentially if one could take on Chuck Nohara blocks, then the "small amount" of applique in my pattern should be just fine too. I had never heard of the quilt designer before and was sent on a wild goose chase. When I checked out the #chucknohara hashtag on Instagram, I knew I needed to watch myself lest I be sucked into yet another bucket list project... but I kept my cool. After I had found the 2001 Nouveaux Blocs de Patchwork online, I decided to put it on the back burner instead of in my shopping...

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On Solid Ground

Let me reassure you... there is no need to wipe your computer screen... no need to grab an extra cup of coffee... no need to pinch yourself to see if your are dreaming. You are NOT seeing things... I suppose that might be just a wee bit over dramatic, but if you have been around for a while, then you might know that I DON'T work with solids... at all. However, on that same note, if you've been around long enough to know of my avoidance of solids at all cost, then you probably also know that I can only sing the highest praises of Basic Grey grunges... this not-quite-a-solid IS my solid.  The motivation to steer clear of my beloved prints is because these are a present for my parents...

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Applique Borders

Last week I sent out a "call for help", asking for your two cents on how much time pattern testers might need for an entire medallion quilt instead of a single block or small finished project. Firstly, thank you for all the ideas and suggestions... I've pulled from several of them, and think that this is the planned scenario that I've come up with: Firstly, share the flimsy and do a pre-call for testers, giving the fabric requirements to see if the pattern can be made from stash, or if extra fabrics would need to be purchased. Secondly release my third pattern while the testers are working on the pattern testing this one. Well... that's the plan, anyway. Currently I am working the last...

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In Need of Two Cents

I've been whittling away and trying to finish two secret sewing projects, both of them new quilt patterns, which leaves me just shy of two finished quilt tops... one more row on the first, and the last border on the second. There's way more done than what I can share right now, but teasers are always such fun, don't you think? I'm always so back and forth with myself about how much to share before official announcements... perhaps you can help me with that? This is planned to be my fourth quilt pattern, which will be a medallion quilt. My previous pattern testers have usually only done a one block, or smaller pillow/wall hanging project. This quilt will be larger, would need to be a full...

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