An Irish Blessing for Quilters

An Irish Blessing for Quilters

May your spools and bobbins be full, May your stash be colorful and plenty, May your scissors and needles be sharp, May your seams be even and true, And may your quilts be filled with the love in your hearts.   Laureen...
Mass Migration

Mass Migration

Each fall we see hundreds of birds, particularly geese, fly south for the winter. In our neighborhood, we see many geese, some of whom are already back this spring and getting ready to nest. I always mark when I see the first robin of spring. My neighbor counts on the...
Solidarity Sunflower for World Central Kitchen

Solidarity Sunflower for World Central Kitchen

When the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, I designed the Solidarity Sunflower as a way to pull myself from the news. Now, it has become a way to give back. I made the pattern available for free so that we could help flood the world with a show of support for the...
Dresden Blades

Dresden Blades

One question will always be asked during a class “Where do I get that tool?” That tool is usually a ruler or other notion which I have found makes my patterns easier. Up until recently, I would give a link to a local quilt shop, on-line quilt shop, or...
Impressionistic

Impressionistic

Fabric speaks to me, sometimes. When I receive swatches from fabric manufacturers, the fabrics often tell me what type of design to create. There are those occasions when they shout – DO NOT TOUCH ME. I have learned to listen to that too. When they tell me the...
Garden Steps

Garden Steps

Every so often, you find a project that has you step outside your comfort zone. When you take that step, you grow as an artist and a person. Garden Steps has been one of those projects for me from beginning to end. At the start, Northcott had just signed an agreement...
Monday Morning

Monday Morning

Like most of you, Monday morning is the start of a new work week for me. Granted my work week and weekends tend to blend together as I work from home and my hobby is also my profession. During the week, I am designing, writing instructions, and testing pieces. On the...
Solidarity Sunflower for World Central Kitchen

Solidarity Sunflower

Like so many others, I found myself glued to the news this weekend, looking for anything positive. The range of my emotions ran from anger and disgust to sadness and helplessness. There were glimpses of hope, pride and encouragement sprinkled in there as well. One...
Summer Squared

Summer Squared

I don’t know about you, but I am ready for spring. Around here, spring quickly jumps to summer, which means hot, hazy and lazy. Given my fair complexion, I am not normally a beach bunny. So, if you ask what my idea of a perfect beach day is, my response will...
Muscle Car Mania

Muscle Car Mania

Growing up, my dad ensured that I had a healthy appreciation of cars. We visited car museums and he taught me to identify the model year of a 1950’s vehicle by the shape of its tail fins. I learned to appreciate rumble seats, crank starts, suicide doors, and...