In 2023, I did a lot of experimenting with quilty concepts, and not a lot of finishing of quilts. Those experiments were all warm-ups for when the “stripey hexagon quilt” AKA Interplay came charging into my brain, demanding to be explored. I’d love to share my design process for this quilt, in case it helps you approach your designs in a new way. The Inspiration If you’re not already following woodworker Adrian Martinus on Instagram, you should be! They make stunning pieces by upcycling skateboard decks. A few months back, they posted a reel with a bunch of their wall art pieces, and I grabbed ..read more

Isn’t it great when likeminded quilty friends find eachother? Recently, I chatted all things fussy cutting with Ange Wilson of Gnome Angel, author of Fussy Cutters Club and host of the brand new Fussy Cutters Club Podcast! While Angie and I have “known” each other on Instagram for years, this was the first time we actually spoke. You’d never know it, though! We had such a great time talking about fabric and fussy cutting, and there were many MANY laughs! Give the podcast episode a listen while you’re sewing, then come back to see some of the quilts and blocks that I mentioned in our conversati ..read more

Guest Post! Hi, I’m Alisa! By day I run Jellyfish & Stone, and by night (ok, afternoon, let’s be honest) I’m Bobbie’s trusty assistant. I’m an artist and have mainly worked in watercolors and acrylics, and I recently started teaching myself to paint digitally. Bobbie asked me to write this guest post on transparency because she suspects I know a thing or two about colors. She’s right, as usual! If you’ve ever tried painting, you may know it’s quite difficult to get your paint to actually be opaque, aka a solid color with nothing showing through. Most (watercolor and acrylic) paints are inh ..read more

Who doesn’t love a heart quilt? I made my I Wove U quilt in the queen size using solids in a color scheme inspired by my logo. Measuring 94″ x 94″, it is an oversized delight ideal for a wedding quilt. In the queen sized version of the I Wove U pattern has four heart blocks set on point, blooming outwards from the center of the quilt. They are nestled in interwoven strips of sashing, punctuated by cornerstones. Made in solids, these hearts blocks and the surrounding sashing make for generous canvases to showcase some fun quilting. Fabric choices While my favourite thing about quilting is actua ..read more

One universal truth about quilters is that we spend a lot of time with our irons! I get tons of questions about ironing and pressing, so here’s the lowdown on pressing your fabric, and a mini-tutorial on how to press your seam allowances. Pressing, NOT Ironing For new quilters, it’s important to learn that pressing is NOT the same as ironing! When you iron a piece of clothing, you’re trying to smooth out wrinkles, usually with a light hand and lots of side-to-side motion. When making a quilt, you want to press straight down and avoid any side to side pressure that might distort your fabric. Yo ..read more

I won’t be a Debbie Downer and go into all the details, because this isn’t Misery Poker, but the Bobbin household went through a rough time early this year, and my energy levels just HAVE. NOT. RECOVERED. (Those all-caps feel a bit disingenuous, as they convey a level of energy that I can’t actually muster, but, you know… emphasis.) And the first thing to fall by the wayside when energy is scarce will always be cleaning. So it’s no surprise that the sewing studio got even more out of hand than last year. All the systems in the world won’t keep a space tidy if you just don’t have the energy to ..read more

Some people’s Christmas trees look like they’re straight out of a magazine: cohesive, subtle colour schemes, lots of sparkle, not a thing out of place. And then, there are trees like mine! A riot of colour. Sweet, memorable, mismatched ornaments. Nostalgic nutcrackers, toys, and crafts. And somehow, it just works! Decorating the tree is a trip down memory lane. When I started pulling fabrics for the quilted Arctic Vortex tree skirt to go under my Christmas tree, I wanted it to have the same feeling: an eclectic collection of meaningful bits and pieces, with maybe a bit of filler to pull it all ..read more

It’s time to bind our Arctic Vortex tree skirts and quilts! Putting binding on a hexagonal quilt may seem intimidating if you’re used to only doing mitred corners when binding square or rectangular quilts. I’ll show you how to bind the 120° mitred corners smoothly and easily, then we’ll take on the 60° mitred corners where the quilt splits to make a tree skirt. Finally, we’ll use the stretch of bias binding to bind the inside curve of the tree skirt. Join the Arctic Vortex Quilt Along Arctic Vortex Quilt Along Dates: September 14 through November 23, 2021 Duration: 10 weeks Quilt Sizes: Tree s ..read more

Can you believe we’re finally ready to quilt our Arctic Vortex tree skirts and quilts?? Whether you’re going fancy or keeping it simple, quilting is the most exciting part of the quiltmaking process. It’s the alchemy that turns it from fabric and batting into a quilt! Join the Arctic Vortex Quilt Along Arctic Vortex Quilt Along Dates: September 14 through November 23, 2021 Duration: 10 weeks Quilt Sizes: Tree skirt or hexagonal quilt: Large: 53” x 61” Medium: 47” x 56” Mini: 23” x 28” Schedule Week 1: Pick your fabrics, get your pattern, plan your coloring sheet Week 2: Cut, label, and organ ..read more

Are you ready to quilt your Arctic Vortex Quilt? Hold on a second. Just because you have a finished quilt top, doesn’t mean it’s time to start quilting! This week, we’re taking some time to plan and prepare first, so that the quilting goes a lot smoother. And yes, you can start quilting once you’ve taken these important steps. Join the Arctic Vortex Quilt Along Arctic Vortex Quilt Along Dates: September 14 through November 23, 2021 Duration: 10 weeks Quilt Sizes: Tree skirt or hexagonal quilt: Large: 53” x 61” Medium: 47” x 56” Mini: 23” x 28” Schedule Week 1: Pick your fabrics, get your pat ..read more