Have you ever tried machine applique? Machine applique is a fun and easy technique to add to your quilt making. Many quilters stay away from applique altogether, thinking it looks difficult or time-consuming. However, this is not necessarily the case at all. On the contrary, applique can be a really fun, easy, and simple way to add pizzazz to your quilts. What is Machine Applique? Machine applique is simply the process of sewing down fabric shapes on top of a solid piece of fabric, like a quilt block, with a sewing machine. Machine applique is a great technique to add to your quiltmaking r ..read more

Collecting fabric is almost inevitably a side effect of being a quilter. As we make our beautiful quilts or dream about future quilts, we almost always acquire more fabric than we use up. If you have been quilting for a long time, you most likely own a solid pile of fabric.  Buying and collecting different fabric lines enable us to work on different styles and themes of quilts. However, as time passes by, the fabric will eventually pile up and take up too much space in your sewing room. The result is visual clutter, less space to work, and a need to spend gradually more resources on org ..read more

English Paper Piecing has endured for several hundred years and has in recent years had a huge resurgence. A wealth of new shapes, many of them looking deceptively complicated, have surfaced. Instagram is lush with gorgeous photographs of all manner and sizes of EPP projects. Read on and learn how you can get started with English Paper Piecing. Why English Paper Piece?  Here are some good reasons to add English Paper Piecing (EPP) to your quilting repertoire. 1. EPP does not require a sewing machine EPP is a very traditional way of doing patchwork by hand. It can be a great introducti ..read more

This summer, Janome asked me if I would be willing to try out the new Skyline S9. It has been up and running in my sewing room for a few weeks now and I am getting to know it better though I have not yet tried the embroidery module.  I would like to share with you some of the thoughts I have on this new addition to the Janome lineup. Here’s my quick review of the Janome Skyline S9. Easy Set-Up and Start-up Out of the box, it takes almost no time at all to set up the S9. The symbols and interface on the touch-screen are very intuitive. This user focus is very typical for Janome and I h ..read more

How is autumn where you live? What smells, sights and activities bring in this new season? With the approaching cool weather comes the season for curling up under a warm quilt. For me, it is also the season for starting new projects. I find myself messing around with the yellows, ambers, and reds in my fabric stash and itching for a new project – something cozy and traditional. If you need a little inspiration for a fall quilt project, we have collected some of our favorite projects from our favorite quilt designers. Check out our list of 7 fall quilt ideas that we love (and would start righ ..read more

English Paper Piecing (EPP) has had a huge renaissance over the last 10 to 15 years. Try searching on Instagram for #englishpaperpieceing and you will see a wealth of different styles and paper shapes being used to create a myriad of different patchwork layouts.  English Paper Piecing today is not at all limited to making hexagon quilts. (In fact, many hexagon quilts are no longer assembled with EPP.) Books of various quality and skill levels have been published around the topic and lots of kits and alternative techniques for EPP have been proposed. Some of these techniques include fusi ..read more

I don’t know what it is with this scrappy yellow log cabin quilt top that I just finished, but it has been a while since I completed a quilt top that I am this pleased. Something about collecting all these different shades of yellow fabric and then getting the overall voice of the quilt to read “Sunshine on an egg yolk!” Want to create a scrappy quilt too? Read on to learn more about how to make this scrappy yellow quilt pattern. Use a Paper Piecing Template I used our best-selling 7″ Log Cabin paper templates to complete the quilt. The finished quilt top measured 56 inches wide and 70 in ..read more

As the fall season is fast approaching, it’s the perfect time to check out some fabric collections to incorporate for your quilting projects.  From vintage bold hues, warm and vibrant color palette to the muted Earth fall colors, we rounded up some of the best fall fabric collections in 2021 that you can use for your next quilting projects.  Embrace the fall ambiance and get into the spirit of quilting with these gorgeous fall fabric collections in 2021! 1. Season and Spice by Art Gallery Fabrics As usual, Art Gallery fabrics have created a truly delicious color palette. This Sea ..read more

Have you ever been at a quilt show and stopped to look at a particularly luminous quilt only to realize it was made with silk? Many of us have admired a silk quilt, but the vast majority of quilters cringe at the imagined cost and difficulty associated with quilting with silk. Here, we are going to explore why you might want to give silk a try in your next project. We will give you some tips on how you quilt with silk fabric and make your quilt a success. Why should you make a silk quilt?  Silk lends a richness and depth of color that is very hard to create with cotton. The easiest silk ..read more

I don’t know about you but I tend to buy fabric seasonally. Not necessarily for the season (we are in spring right now), but I tend to buy large quantities of fabric a few times a year rather than a steady dribble. Often, I don’t buy fabric for months, sometimes it can be a year. Then, however, I can go on a bit of binge and stock up on basics. I am low on as well as buy collections that really speak to me. Often, I will not buy an entire line of fabric, but rather buy yardage of my favorite prints. However, when I find a collection that really speaks to me, I don’t hesitate to purchase a pre ..read more