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Hello everyone, yes, I do know today is Thursday…but read on, I’ll explain… :) These summer days, as long as they are, don’t seem to have enough hours in them for everything! Sorry for not posting in some time, as always – promise to do better! :) Anyway…how is everyone’s summer? Are you thinking holidays yet? Making gifts already? I just love, love love Mary Ellen’s instructions for those triangular coasters! (previous post) Those are promptly added to my favorite list of small gifts to make – thanks ME! As we start to rev-up our sewing, quilting and holiday gift making, some new tools might be of help…I just saw this blog post from Moda (fabric manufacturer) and …hmmm, not sure what to think about these QUILT STICKS! What do you think? Another inspiration came from the recent email that came from our Newsletter fairy, Colleen, about Karen Goddard’s quilt […]

Hello all, ME here. I was trying to remember, unsuccessfully, a silly knock-knock joke from my childhood that had a punch line that began with “orange you glad I didn’t say…”. That’s all I can remember. If you know this joke, please send it to me to put me out of my misery! Anyway, got an e-mail today from Quilting Arts about color choices. It seems “Tangerine Tango” is the 2012 color of the year from Pantone. Have we seen shades of orange everywhere this year? Not me, although I’ve stayed out of the stores more than usual. Thinking about the new quilt fabrics I’ve fondled so far this year, I do recall lots of orange. I’ve even purchased some yardage of a fabric with paisley in shades of orange and turquoise. So hot and summery looking. Here’s a link to a blog post from Quilting Arts about orange in […]

Hello all, ME here. Wow, I went out to walk the dog this morning at about 7:15. I always check my kitchen weather station just before we leave so I know if I will need a jacket or not. It’s a habit, so even during the summer I check. It was 83 degrees at 7:15! This is not my idea of a great summer day, fans. I want it cooler in the evenings and early mornings. It was very gray and windy while we walked, so the old-fashioned method of forecasting tells me rain is coming-but I think it might be a heck of a storm instead of a steady soaker like we need. Yesterday I gave demos at a local shop-some of which were giving ideas for using the 60 degree triangle ruler that many quilters have. Once you have made the striped fabric table runner, what else can […]

Hello all, Mary Ellen here. I have been a fan of Ami’s quilting patterns, books and teaching, almost since I started to quilt. I am so glad to have learned Ami’s invisible applique stitch a long time ago. I use it for almost everything I need to hand stitch, where I want my stitches to be completely unseen. I rarely take the time to hand stitch my bindings to the back of my quilts, but when I do, I use her stitching method. You truly can not see any stitches, and if I have been careful enough there are no puckers or traces of any kind to give hints of where the hidden stitches are. There is no need to use matching thread for the stitching, they are so invisible! At her website she still sells the book from which I learned this stitch, many moons ago! I got Ami’s […]

Hello everybody, Mary Ellen again. When you see a man in a quilt shop, do you assume he’s there to buy a gift for his wife? If you see a man hand stitching under a shade tree, what do you surmise about him? Do we take for granted that stitching/quilting is a female domain? What about those gorgeous stitched kites that were in our quilt show this spring–made by a male stitcher? Whenever you see or hear about a guy who quilts, do you have a little voice in your head whispering something about his manliness? Is there a divide between sewing projects that are manly and those that are for the rest of us quilters? I sure hope we are beyond those stereotypes. Here’s an interview with a dad who quilts who is making quite a name for himself in the world of modern quilters. And here’s a link […]