Let Your Creativity Bloom! Aren’t we lucky to have such an abundance of creative inspiration from nature? When the warmer weather rolls around, it’s such a joy to not only revel in the balmy breezes and sunshine, but to bring the beauty of the natural world into our quilting space, and to dream up new designs based on the loveliness all around us. McCall’s Quilting July/August + September/October 2024. With this supersized issue, we’re celebrating the never-ending flowering of ideas that nature’s bounty can inspire. Beautiful flowers, blooming with color and fragrance, attract our attention an ..read more

April is here, and it’s time to celebrate with diamonds! Why diamonds, you ask? Well, apart from being April’s birthstone and symbolizing all things classy and timeless, diamonds make for some seriously fun quilt patterns. This classic geometric shape—with its sharp points and angles—can be incorporated into quilts in several fabulous ways. Lone Star Take the traditional Lone Star quilt. This design typically features diamond-shaped patches radiating outward from the quilt center, creating a mesmerizing effect akin to a bursting star. While maintaining their traditional charm, modern interpret ..read more

Many fiber artists love dyeing fabric. Many want to be sure to use chemical dyes in a safe way to protect themselves and the planet. Today, fabric dyeing expert Candy Glendening of candiedfabrics.com shares information and tips on how to dye fabric safely. Candy uses low-water immersion fabric dyeing techniques to create a range of colors and depth in her fabrics. I love dyeing fabric with Procion-MX Fiber Reactive dyes, they allow me to create fabric that is just the color and visual texture that I need for each of my textile art projects. I’m inspired by all the flora and fauna that surround ..read more

Many fiber artists love dyeing fabric. Many want to be sure to use chemical dyes in a safe way to protect themselves and the planet. Today, fabric dyeing expert Candy Glendening of candiedfabrics.com shares information and tips on how to dye fabric safely. Candy uses low-water immersion fabric dyeing techniques to create a range of colors and depth in her fabrics. I love dyeing fabric with Procion-MX Fiber Reactive dyes, they allow me to create fabric that is just the color and visual texture that I need for each of my textile art projects. I’m inspired by all the flora and fauna that surround ..read more

Our foremothers knew how to make a quilt using only what they had, from scraps of fabric to natural dyes. But, quilt making the frugal and eco-friendly way was easier for them: they didn’t have much of a choice. Pioneer women didn’t have fabric stores, and even our own mothers didn’t have the internet offering fabrics, thread, and surface design supplies available at the click of a button. In this piece, Lisa Kerpoe shows how to make a quilt from dyed fabrics using a rice cereal resist. Lisa wrote a series of articles on kitchen resists for Quilting Arts in 2011 That’s ..read more

Since it was originally filmed in 2015 with Dawn Cavanaugh, the APQS Longarm Quilting Certification interactive workshop has been a perennial best-seller, which we offer twice per year. New and improved for 2024, the AQPS Longarm Quilting Certification for Quilting Daily workshop is taught by Eva Ellison, professional longarm quilter and business owner who received her own certification in 2017. On some levels, the fact that the workshop is so popular is surprising, because it is by no means an easy course. The workshop lasts 14+ weeks, and it involves quite a bit of piecing, as well as free-m ..read more

Since it was originally filmed in 2015 with Dawn Cavanaugh, the APQS Longarm Quilting Certification interactive workshop has been a perennial best-seller, which we offer twice per year. New and improved for 2024, the AQPS Longarm Quilting Certification for Quilting Daily workshop is taught by Eva Ellison, professional longarm quilter and business owner who received her own certification in 2017. On some levels, the fact that the workshop is so popular is surprising, because it is by no means an easy course. The workshop lasts 14+ weeks, and it involves quite a bit of piecing, as well as free-m ..read more

You’re done with the hard work of making a quilt top. It’s understandable if you just get a wide backing for the opposite side and finish it up quickly. But if you take a little extra time to piece the back—just a section or the entire thing—it can turn your quilt from a pretty cover into a dynamic, two-sided work of art with a life and personality of its own. Blueberry Banana Shake, 85˝ x 99˝, 2015, by Lori Baker, front (left) and back (right) Unless I’m in a huge rush to meet a deadline, I always do something for the backing of my quilts. This makes them double-sided and to give the back a l ..read more

Deck the Halls Are you thinking about your Christmas quilting projects yet? It’s time to start getting those décor and gift ideas planned out! This holiday season, we’re going to Deck the Halls—our primary theme for the McCall’s Quilting Winter issue is all about the ultimate seasonal decorating ideas, along with holiday and winter-themed quilts to snuggle under in your favorite chair! Let’s warm up our living spaces with colorful, comforting, and celebratory décor pieces that exude the energy of the season! Please send in your quilted project ideas for festive and seasonal table runners, plac ..read more

It’s that time of year again . . . time to replenish (or start!) making handmade gifts for friends and family. This year I thought ahead. I already knit a few baby hats and tucked away several gift card wallets in my gift stash. Those are great for my sisters in law and their children, but wanted to make something practical for my quilting friends that didn’t involve too much hand work or an extensive time commitment. The gift that immediately came to mind was a pincushion made by Quilting Arts TV host and art quilter extraordinaire, Susan Brubaker Knapp. Susan holds some of her succulent ..read more