No Front Door Entry? Try The Back

Every quilter has that one sewing technique that is avoided like the plague... for some it's paper piecing, for others it's applique, Y-seams and partial piecing always make a list, and I'm sure that curved piecing has to be on someones don't-go-near-it list. For me that one thing is EPP - English Paper Piecing! Aside from the fact that I can't do much hand sewing because of numbness in my fingers, somehow EPP just feels like mending sewing to me... it would be like asking a Picasso to paint your garage. Not that I'm comparing myself to Picasso, but I am a quilter who simply wants to sew and not mend things, despite how portable the technique is. Well, with all that being said, I suppose...

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Home Sweet Home Notions

I love sewing notions, don't you? I suppose most avid sewers and quilters do, and they seem to come up in my work over and over again. For my Home Sweet Home applique sampler, that is releasing in May, I wanted to include things that are near and dear in my home... what are the things that surround you that make you feel like home? My sewing room is a big part of my everyday space, so it's quite fitting that a few notions found their way into my sampler... Already at five and seven, both of my boys always ask ahead of time which are my paper scissors and which are my fabric scissors *smile* It's never too early to train them right. Ahhh, "basting"... that dirty word in the quilting...

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Christmas Snowbird Stocking

If you stopped by today because you know that Wednesdays are my regular posting days, then perhaps I should let you in on a little something you might have missed yesterday...  the release of my Christmas Snowbird applique template  - now available in my Payhip shop! My original plan was to release a stocking pattern including the applique templates, but since there are already so many great free tutorials out there (like this one), I decided to simply offer the applique templates, and let you come up with your own plan. Yesterday I shared a few inspiration ideas for possible projects, but today I get to share my own finished Christmas Snowbird project... I think that...

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Christmas Snowbird Applique Template

Last week I shared the introduction of my Home Sweet Home applique sampler, and it would appear that this sweet little bird is not only my favorite, but yours as well... so, why make you wait until May, right? You can now find the PDF applique template set in my Payhip shop for this sweet Christmas Snowbird, perched on wintery branches and berries (snowflakes not included).  The PDF includes both the bird and the branches & berries templates, and I wanted to play around with a few design possibilities using those shapes. The following designs, are ideas and inspiration for projects, but assembly instructions are not included in the template set: Firstly, I started off...

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Home Sweet Home Introduction

I generally like to get a little further with a quilt pattern that I have in the works before I start sharing about it. Somehow, I feel like if I introduce things too early, then by the time I get to the final reveal, it's already long forgotten. But there's nothing like a little pressure of a deadline to push you over the finish line faster. Since that deadline just around the corner in spring, I decided to start sharing a couple blocks from my Home Sweet Home applique sampler that I will be releasing in May - if you are in Germany, keep those ears perked for some exciting news coming soon! One of the biggest delights for me at our old house, was to sit quietly in the morning with a hot cup...

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Fall Retreat Happenings

Wheh - what a busy, exciting, and whirlwind of a week it's been - yesterday was the last day of our fall quilting retreat! If you've never been to a sewing retreat or quilting group then let me pass on to you two Murphy's Laws that always apply: #1. You always pack more projects than you can possibly accomplish in that amount of time, and #2. You never get as much done as you think you can. This year I hosted the retreat with me just South of Bremen... and one of the major advantages of living in the country is that there is space. Since we were a smaller group it allowed for a very personal and whole group interaction. It's amazing how quickly one seems to connect with like-minded people,...

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