Sewing & Crafting Tales

That Thrifted Quilt Just Kinda Jumped In My Basket

Somehow I managed to buy a quilt the other day. I wasn't shopping for a quilt. I hadn't been planning to shop for a quilt. But somehow I ended up with a quilt! I guess that's what happens when... Read more »

Cutest Pins Ever (Posie Pin Swap)

I am a person with great plans. There are so many sewalongs, swaps, themed linky parties... I mean, there's just SO MUCH going on out there! And I want to join in with it all, you know? I really... Read more »

It's Possible I've Misplaced My Better Judgement

Last time we talked about my leaders and enders quilt, "Hello, Yellow," I said I was going to do a Half-Square Triangle (HST) quilt to join in on the Triangle Madness project over at Goddess in Progress Quilts. Of... Read more »

Stash Storage

Given that it's the start of a new year, many people are talking about stashes. Stash reports and so on. Some people are even photographing their entire stash and putting it on their blogs. Which seems kind of risky.... Read more »

New Scrap Bins!

This year is the year I'm going to make my studio both functional and beautiful. I don't know why it's been such a struggle for me thus far. Well, I do know a little. I have too much stuff... Read more »

Hello, Yellow! (and Triangle Madness)

So you know I've hopped on the UFO Challenge going on at Patchwork Times. I'm excited about it. But I wasn't going to do the other challenge Judy has running, the monochromatic challenge. I mean, how many quilts do... Read more »

UFO Challenge 2011

I can't believe I haven't put up a quilting post in so long. That's just scary! Well, no more. I love quilting and I love talking about quilting, and I'm ready to get back in business! Ha! And just... Read more »

Oooh, Those Old Magazine's'll Get You Every Time

It's not like a need a new project. I mean, really, my list is getting longer than I have available life! Buuuuuuut... I was going through some of my old quilting magazines (yes, I, keep *cough*cough* hoard *cough*cough* them,... Read more »

New Studio Inspiration Shelves

Does this look a little familiar? You've seen some similar things before, both with my first wall full of shelves, and then the smaller, but cuter, shelves I made when Gootz moved in to share my office/studio. Well, with... Read more »

Office Inspiration Shelves

So I've been rearranging things in the house again. Since we've only been here for a few months, we're still working out how we want to use the space. When we moved in, Gootz and I each took separate... Read more »

Craft Room: Cottage Style Ideas From IKEA

This weekend, at IKEA I was struck by this craft room display. It's highly efficient, yet very charming. I also noticed that three primary elements match what I tend to like in my own studios. Do all successful creative... Read more »

New Shelves for My Quilting Stash

Welcome to the new iteration of my studio! Now that the living room is painted, the temporary shelves I was using are moving out. They'll be painted and put into the living room. But that left me without anywhere... Read more »

I Wouldn't Say 'Excuse' Per Se

Get ready for the biggest revelation of my quilting career. Drum roll, please.... I have I have invented a new and thrilling way of building your stash, particularly when said stash is supposedly not being built due to non-fabric-appreciating... Read more »

If Only It Came Naturally

So we all have to store stuff. And I've been making an effort lately to try and store things in creative, aesthetic, cottage-style containers instead of just plastic bins. I admit that when I first started trying to do... Read more »

Lake House Dry Goods

I can't tell you the excruciating temptation I am feeling right now. As most of you know, I'm moving. Somehow this is taking a very long time, but it is happening. And just last week I finally gave up... Read more »

Thimbleberries Challenge Quilt 2007: Reprieve

So, a few weeks ago I had a pscyhobilly freakout about this Thimbleberries Challenge Quilt I was working on. You may remember the drama. You may also recognize the above pile of fabric as being from the current line... Read more »

Angela Might Have A Problem

I just finished this pillow and I love how it turned out. Since I'm working on the pattern and just know you'll all want to make this lovely pillow, I thought I'd take a moment to share with you... Read more »

Why, Tell Me, Why, Why, Why?

Why, dear readers, I ask you, is it absolutely necessary that I do things the hard way? I mean, its like I have a sickness. An addiction. I wouldn't go so far as to say a problem, no. But... Read more »

Fifty Simple Steps To An Awesome Quilt

We've talking so much about Rocket Boy and his quilt, that you may have forgotten about another UFO I've written about here, commonly known as the Rail Fence Quilt. Well, I've been working on it. I've made some changes... Read more »

Leaders and Enders Madness

I think the incredible presence of Bessie is shining down on me. Because as I have been working on Rocket Boy's quilt, I have also been amassing quite a collection of leaders and enders. Remember those? Well, I've been... Read more »

Hope On A Board

So it's like this. I'm making a quilt for Rocket Boy. You heard about the trip to the fabric store. Despite the permanent scarring of public humiliation, we were joyful! New fabric! We bring it home, wash it, stack... Read more »

Rocket Boy

Okay, so I have this little boy. He's had many nicknames in his short 3.5-year-old life so far. Cutie patootie. Peanut. Calvin. He Who Shall Be The Death of Me. You know, the usual. But he is now, and... Read more »

When Cows Fly

I think we've established several things about me here: That I can't could stop buying fabric anytime. ANY time. That I have a lot of ideas for projects that I may or may not ever finish. That I really... Read more »

Zen And The Art of Quilting

So, most of you know that I've decided to make a challenge quilt for a contest at a nearby qult shop. So, I bought the charm pack on February 12th. And I've been working on it off and on... Read more »

Vintage Ocean Waves Quilt Block Pieces

I believe I've mentioned before that I find old fabrics and old, unfinished quilt blocks to be incredibly inspiring. I just love the colors, the patterns, the textures, the... dare I say it, possibilities. So I couldn't pass up... Read more »

Designing With Toddler

I have been hanging onto these adorable retro Western prints for a couple of years now. Aren't they cute? My son's room has a vintage Western kind of thing going on (I refuse to say "theme") and I wanted... Read more »

FreshCut and Chez Moi

Whenever I got to the fabric store, I am so inspired. I just love all the colors and textures and combinations of patterns. It makes decorating ideas pop up in my brain like popcorn. Take this pile, for example,... Read more »

Vintage Double Wedding Ring

I absolutely adore vintage quilt blocks. And for some reason, I tend to gravitate towards buying unfinished quilts, like these never assembled 30's-era feedsack pieces. These are the curved bits that make a Double Wedding Ring quilt. The fabric... Read more »

Iris the Womberscootch

I promised you a mysterious artist, and I'm going to deliver. By way of introduction, let me tell you about Iris. She's not really a pet. More of a companion. Iris is a Womberscootch. When Iris woke up this... Read more »

Liquid Sky Arts

Ooooooh! Look what came in the mail today! I bought this from Liquid Sky Arts, whom I discovered blog surfing, and I am SO excited! Isn't she just beautiful? I can't wait to wear her. The site promises free... Read more »

What Happens When You're a Sucky Cutter

Okay, so remember how I said I'd be talking more about my failed project? Well, here it is. Last summer I went a little nutso on eBay and bought a couple thousand (yes, thousand) 2" fabric squares. There just... Read more »

Leaders and Enders Project

I am so excited. I have had this big (slightly misshapen) bowl/vase/whatever thing on my sewing table for over a year now, full of 2" squares. Some of them are scraps from previous projects, but most of them are... Read more »

Green, Red, Pink and Cream

Man, I love fabric. And over the last couple of weekends I've managed to acquire a bit more. If you look closely you'll fine a jewel box of treasures, including a couple of cuts from Heather Bailey's line FreshCut*,... Read more »

Vintage Dresden Plate Quilt Blocks

I went on a binge recently and started buying up unfinished vintage quilts. By unfinished I don't mean, like, almost done. I mean a pile of fabric that was intended to be a quilt in some fantasy universe that... Read more »

Thimbleberries Challenge Quilt 2007

Here's the latest addition to my ever-growing pile of projects-in-waiting. Yesterday I said that I'm working on the 2007 Thimbleberries Club Quilt, but that I'm going to use my retro 1930's-style fabrics. And I also mentioned that I'm going... Read more »

Thimbleberries Club Block of the Month 2007

Okay, so you know how I mentioned I was working on a new quilt? Well, this is it! A friend of mine is taking the Thimbleberries Block of the Month Club at Quilting Delights, and I decided to join... Read more »

1930's Feedsack Reproduction Fabrics

I just had to show you my new 30's reproduction fabrics, and wow, what a difference daylight makes, huh? My work schedule changed recently, so I can take pictures during the daytime. Hopefully that will provide some better shots.... Read more »

Retro Modern Clearance Fabrics

Because I have so many incomplete projects right now, I've been making an effort to avoid buying fabric. It's not that I don't want more fabric. Truly. It's just that I am trying to be frugal and only buy... Read more »

The Rail Fence Quilt is Pinned

So my first "real" quilt, the rail fence quilt I'm calling Some Things Are Meant To Be is pinned. Completely. Whew! I can hardly believe it! I'm just so glad. It took a lot, lot, lot longer than I... Read more »

Bright, Modern, Bold & Tropical

I tried, I really did. I tried to stick to the blue-and-white scheme for my rail fence quilt (aka Some Things Are Meant To Be). It was supposed to be a cottagey, old-timey quilt with faded blues and whites.... Read more »

Liquid Starch: The Miracle Tool

Liquid Starch is my new best friend. After a 20 year hiatus, I am quilting again, and right out of the gate I thought I could handle an intermediate quilt. I chose a square-in-a-square quilt with myriad greens and... Read more »

My First Quilt: Trip Around the World

This is my first quilt. I didn't make it, I bought it at the mall. There's millions of them around. I had started a rail fence quilt back in college, but bogged down with work, school, life and otherwise,... Read more »

Introducing Recycled Shirtings

I think I mentioned that I had started a new quilt. I think I also mentioned that it was a rail fence quilt that I had re-acquired units started in 1986. As you might imagine, the units had a... Read more »

The Non-Design Wall

So, here's my problem. I don't have a design wall. It's not for lack of desire, just lack of space. My studio isn't that big, and I have a lot of stuff in here. So I don't have the... Read more »

Some Things Are Meant To Be

So I'm starting a new quilt. I am going to be completing a quilt that I started working on in 1986. Not only are the pieces for this quilt 20 years old, I haven't even had them in my... Read more »

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