Easter in Germany is a very special time and celebrated in many different ways. I had the privilege of visiting a friends egg collection. I didn't know what to expect, but the eggs were a marvel. Here is a re-posting of my visit so please enjoy! Signs of spring are everywhere here in Germany! When I (Kara) came home from the Academy of Appliqué, blooms of all kinds were just starting to peek through. Now, after a few weeks back, spring is here in full force. Daffodils and tulips are everywhere, primroses are emerging from the leaves in the forest, and the fruit trees are ready to burst for ..read more

Instead of "No-shave November," over here it is "Gnome-shave November," as our gentleman gnome has a fun and curly beard! We have used curly wool to give some great texture to our gnome's beard, and the curly wool is available as part of the embellishments in our wool kit. While it might look complicated, we have broken the process down for you in a series of pictures.   Use just a small amount of curly wool—it doesn't take much. Roll it around in your hands until you have a small, slightly compacted ball of wool.  Pull apart the ball of wool to fit your beard shape. Stic ..read more

The pineapple has been a symbol of welcome for many generations, and our Pineapple Medallion will do just that as it hangs in your home. This dimensional block was inspired by a fabric we purchased last year. When we saw the design, we knew that we needed to translate it into a medallion and hopefully a future quilt. We also knew that it would be perfect block to teach at the Academy of Appliqué in Williamsburg, Virginia. This will be our second session class, March 2-4, 2023. This block is chock full of dimensional flowers and leaves that look difficult, but are certainly not! In class, w ..read more

It is that time of year again! The catalog of classes has now been published, and we can finally reveal what we will be teaching at the Academy of Appliqué in Williamsburg, Virginia in 2023. Check out that catalog of wonderful offerings, and you will have a difficult time deciding what classes to enjoy: there are so many amazing instructors with a wide variety of techniques and skills presented. We do hope you will keep scrolling all the way to the end (p. 58) to see our classes, but we will show you a bit of detail here, too.  In our first session (February 27–March 1), we are continu ..read more

Fern To round out the introduction to our new quilt, we are featuring two block, Fern and Brown Mushrooms. Both blocks are simple, but as elegant as their woodland counterparts. Basic embroidery stitches—the feather and fly—add the texture that bring these monochromatic blocks to life.  Brown Mushrooms And finally, the day is here! Our full quilt pattern for Flora and Fauna is now available in our web store. We offer both printed and digital formats from which to choose. The advantage to the digital format is that you can print as you stitch, and you will receive color ..read more

Almost 5 years ago, we started a project called Flora and Fauna of Germany. I (Kara) can't believe it has been that long! We began the project as a way to use up our scraps of wool and cotton with simple blocks inspired by the flora and fauna I would see on my walks in Germany with our two hounds. We released 16 blocks over the course of the next two years—one in cotton and one in wool—and loved being able to have the opportunity to bring nature to life with interesting threads, fabrics, and stitches. Once the project was finished, I put together the cotton blocks in a quilt with inked lab ..read more

Teri and I (Kara) are feverishly getting ready for the Academy of Appliqué in Williamsburg, Virginia, the first week in March—making kits, gathering threads, and writing patterns. Since many hands make light work, I asked a friend to come over and help me put together thread kits. I was explaining that there were a few different types of pearl cottons in the kit along with the floss. She mentioned that she hadn't even heard of pearl cotton only floss. That spawned an idea for a short post on pearl cotton and its variations, along with how it compares to floss and wool thread. Many of us who ha ..read more

We are beyond excited to announce that we have been invited to teach and lecture at the 2022 Minnesota Quilters Annual Quilt Show and Conference in St. Cloud, MN. Registration opens for the general public on February 1, so you have time to plan. We would love to see you at the show! Take a look at what we will be teaching. And then click the link above to see what this great show has in store for you! Floral Elegance Class: Wednesday, June 15, 2022; 8:30 AM–4:30 PM This elegant vase of flowers is a wonderful introduction to basic wool appliqué and ribbonwork. Your friends will be in ..read more

We are happy to announce the  Blue Jar Medley Mystery Stitch-A-Long.   Mark your calendars and tell your friends about this FREE event: you don’t want to miss it! Beginning January 31, 2022, and each Monday following, one participating designer will  feature their “Blue Jar” with a FREE downloadable pattern available during each designer's  spotlight week! After each spotlight week, digital patterns will be $5.00 for the remainder of the program. Complete the project with a Finishing Pattern available FREE, April 25th-May 2nd 2022. Fabric kits, threads, printed patterns, a ..read more

We are back after our holiday break and have started the new year off with a brand new pattern—Be Mine,  Valentine. This heart-shaped box of chocolates stitches up rather quickly and would be a great way to add a little Valentine's Day decor to your home, or maybe give it to someone you love. The stitching and embellishments really bring this project to life, so we thought we would show you a few tips and tricks that you can use as you create this box of confections. You can use your favorite method of cutting out your wool pieces, but the assembly is a little bit different because of th ..read more