This is a fun zipper pouch that you make in an hour. It finishes to 7″ high x 9″ wide at top; 6 1/5″ wide at bottom, and 3″ deep and makes a great cosmetics bag, pencil case, or cord holder. Note: This bag uses one fat quarter for the exterior and lining of the bag. If you want a different lining you will need (2) 10″ x 18″ pieces of fabric. Cut your fat quarter into two pieces that each measure 18″ x 10″. You may find it helpful to mark one of the pieces with an erasable pencil to denote that side as the lining. Make a quilt sandwich with the two 10″ x 18″ pieces of fabric and batting and ..read more

I love to make as many Christmas presents as I can, but between the quilt shop and the advertising agency, it can get challenging. Last year was especially difficult with my mom passing away, so I was committed to doing even a little better this year. So here is what I got done… top left is a cosmetics pouch for my stepdaughter. She mostly wanted cash this year to fund some travel, but we wanted her to have a few things to open. Fabric is an older Ruby Star Line and I love Moda’s zipper pulls for a little added flair. Top middle is another zipper pouch, this time for my mother in la ..read more

So, we did a thing – a Summer Quilt Challenge for our teachers and staff with a raffle to benefit The Center for Empowerment and Education, a local organization that works to end the cycle of interpersonal violence and provide services for survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault. A big topic for a quilting blog, I know, but quilting is love, and there is always room to spread some. All of our teachers and staff, and some friend of the shop got together and rolled two dice. The first die dictated what color they had to work in – Monochrome, Two Color, Low Volume, Rainbow, Warm ..read more

A couple of weeks ago I found this awesome old window frame in a corner at The Hunt, a fantabulous vintage shop on Bank Street in New Milford, CT. If you haven’t been, stop reading, and go. The window measures just shy of 20″ square with four panes. I’ve been doing upcycling or sewing-adjacent projects lately, and thought it would be fun to create a wall hanging from this. We carry a bunch of different That’s Sew Emma Foundation Paper Pads, but the Vintage Sunburst ones had just come in. Perfect for a window, am I right? I used the 8″ size which is just a little bit too big for the wind ..read more

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By now you have probably heard that Bernina is releasing two special edition Kaffe Fassett sewing machines this year. (More on that soon.) One of the benefits of this announcement and Kaffe being at BU2022 is that he brought lots of quilts too. Here are the ones that were on display in the Bernina store, obviously all made from Kaffe Fassett Fabrics by Free Spirit. There were no placards or pattern instructions, but honestly, most of these are super simple. Check his books for sure (and I will too), and if not, grab some of your fabric Kaffe fabric (side note: we have about 300+ op ..read more

Just before sunset in Rangeley, Maine. L-R: Me, Jane, Katy and Linda Cotton Candy Fabrics took the show on the road last week with Katy and I heading to my house in Maine for some rest, relaxation, and serious sample sewing. Katy’s daughter Jane and my friend Linda came along to keep us company and help us spot moose. Here is a quick run down on the projects we completed with links to the patterns (including some free ones) and fabrics used. Pumpkin Fiesta – Two Ways! We are definitely sewing “Mexican” themed items getting ready for the CT state shop hop, so I was delighted to come across thi ..read more

Last April we fulfilled a lifelong goal of buying a second home in Rangeley, Maine. I’ve been going there since I was a toddler, and Maddie, Rob, and a bunch of my friends have gotten on the Rangeley bandwagon. When our offer was accepted, the first thing we did was plan a renovation. That included turning the first floor of the chalet style home into a bunk room for when we rent it to vacationers. And obviously, that included quilts! We had about three weeks from the time we came to a deal with the former owners and closing. We planned the bunk room to keep the queen size murphy bed that was ..read more

The one thing I know about quilters is they are always creating something to make someone else happy, or feel loved, or celebrated. It is one of the reasons I love when our guests ask for help with their special projects, and the greater the challenge the happier I often am. Our good friend and customer, Sharon Leighton, came to me for help making special shower favors for her daughter’s bridal shower. The wedding is in Savannah (this weekend!) so Sharon had the idea to use peaches as a theme. And, she is a new Handi Quilter Amara with Pro-Stitcher owner and wanted to use her longarm to crea ..read more

L-R: Jen, me, Giuseppe, Steve, Peggy at Lakeside Contemporary Art Gallery in Rangeley, Maine My family has been visiting Rangeley, Maine since I was a little girl (as evidenced by the photo of my brother and I with my mom taken close to 50 years ago!) and I have always loved it so much that we bought a house there. We had planned to be in Maine for Memorial Day weekend, but that plan was solidified when Giucy Giuce signed on to exhibit some of his breathtaking quilts at the Lakeside Contemporary Art Gallery. For those of you that don’t know, Giuseppe has designed multiple (maybe ten-to-twelv ..read more