Partridge In A Pear Tree - Today's Quilter Magazine

Are you looking for an applique project to warm up those cold winter months? Then my "Partridge In A Pear Tree" applique found in the latest issue of Today's Quilter magazine might be just what you're looking for - such a soft and subtle palette is perfect for almost any season!Combining applique and reverse applique can be a satisfying way to highlight focal point design elements. Showcase them for holiday artwork or make a pillow ready to adorn any sofa.Soft orange and salmon colored berries add just a hint of warmth to any wintery project.Simple leaf details add interest to this soft-winged snow bird.The "Perfect Pears & Branches" blocks can be used either by themselves, or in a larger...

Read More

HOW-TO: Stitching Applique BEFORE or AFTER Quilting?

At various times, people have been taken aback that I don’t applique per hand… ever. If we are laying it all out on the table, then you should know that I don’t even hand bind any of my quilts. In spite of my lack of affection for hand sewing, I am glad to have seen a revival of the slow stitching movement. I will never cease to be awed with the amazing work needle turn appliquers and English paper-piecing enthusiasts create… but when it’s all said and done, it’s simply not for me.No matter what applique technique you prefer, let me tell you why the starch applique technique (turned edge) has become my method of choice, and one that I am obviously super excited about: because it allows me to...

Read More

Cool or Warm color palette?

My grandmother loved blue. She had piercing blue eyes and found beauty in surrounding herself with that cool and calm shade... every room, and even a large percentage of her wardrobe. Because my mother grew up with so much blue around her, she attributes that as one of the reasons why there was an extreme absence of blue in the house. Like my mother, blue is also noticeably missing in my home, but in spite of all of that... somehow blue seems to follows me.If you were to look at my most recent projects, you might get the impression that an ocean-inspired palette is what make my heart sing. Hmmm... there's Purdy Bird, then my second Fly High Dragonfly, my reverse applique quilt, and now my most...

Read More

NEW YouTube Video - Sewing Drunkard's Path Blocks

I find that there a few quilting techniques that newbie, and sometimes even experienced quilters shy away from... and one of those is sewing curves. Sure it's a little nerve wracking to cut into your much beloved fabric and try a technique that looks really hard... but what is the point of doing something unless you are always pushing yourself towards the next thing?There are a couple different approaches to sewing curves. One way is to pin them, and then sew, but I much prefer the no-pin, or ease method and trim later. In my latest YouTube videos, I demonstrate both of these techniques, so if you've never sewn curves before, what are you waiting for?I recently shared a few Purdy Bird color...

Read More

Purdy Bird QAL Prep Week: Color Inspiration!

It's the first day of the Purdy Bird QAL, and I'm thrilled to finally get started quilting with you! This week is prep week, and it's simply about getting started, gathering needed supplies, and fabric selection planning. So, perhaps the best place for us to start out is talking about one of my favorite topics - COLOR! Since choosing fabrics might be an area where some quilters struggle, I thought that it might be useful to have a little inspiration to help you with fabric selection for the QAL. First, let's look at a couple options with the original Basic Grey grunge color as listed in the pattern, but with changes to the background color. When I am making quilts, I often tend towards...

Read More

Quilt-A-Long Forum!

The beauty of the online world today is that easier than ever to get in touch with like-minded people who share the same interests as you do, and let's be honest, we are all here with one thing in mind, right? – quilting! So, I decided that a Purdy Bird Quilt-A-Long Forum on my website might be helpful as a way for quilters to support each other and to have a productive place to learn through positive discussions, exchange of ideas, sharing of techniques & relevant quilting knowledge, in a way that is also respectful to other members. By the way, the QAL starts August 31st - have you signed up for the newsletter yet?Currently, there are two QAL categories – one in ENGLISH and one in GERMAN,...

Read More