Strawberry Fields Forever

Strawberry Fields Forever

I love strawberries! As kids, my mom would take us with her to a local farm and we would pick (and eat) strawberries for hours. The farmer would joke that he should weigh us before and after, then charge the difference for the strawberries! Of course, we were so...
Oxypetalum or Southern Star

Oxypetalum or Southern Star

I am an avid, but laissez-faire gardener. “If it lives – yeah! If it dies, it wasn’t meant to be.” My garden is full of plants with a wide variety of foliage and flowers. Some plants thrive, like penstemon red husker. I pull it out liberally,...
Broadening

Broadening

With each quilt project, I try to broaden my horizons and learn something new. Sometimes that is playing with different colors than I would usually pick. Others, it is adding a new technique for assembling the quilt. Often the design itself is an extension of the...
Madras Madness

Madras Madness

Being of Irish heritage, plaid was an integral part of our family growing up. I can’t remember seeing my grandfather without plaid. Sometimes, he would even wear two plaids at once. That made most of the fashion-conscious women of the family cringe. He would...
Play Date

Play Date

Do you remember simple toys  and times when you were a kid? The times when punishment was being sent to your room? You had to come inside by dusk. You and your friends took hikes in the nearby woods or park and built forts from fallen limbs. A bike ride around the...
Distractions

Distractions

Rigby Do you ever have one of those weeks when you know you should be more productive, but time just keeps slipping away? I am having one of those weeks. I need to get some patterns finished and tested before the end of the month. We have some great ones coming out...
Fall Framed

Fall Framed

Earlier this summer, we published Fall Framed featuring Timeless Treasure’s “Autumn Symphony” collection. The pattern was used to make a sweet wall hanging or table topper measuring 34″ x 44″. It has been very popular with some shops. We...

Autumn Oak Medallion

The EQ8 Block Spotlight for August is White Oak, an applique motif.  Such an appropriate block given fall is just around the corner. Granted, it is hard to believe as the temperatures have soared to 100F. But, quilters are always trying to stay at least a season...
Finding the Silver Lining

Finding the Silver Lining

Yesterday, I was so excited to finally have the Sun King medallion appliqued onto the background fabric. I had pinned it on and used a blanket stitch around the perimeter of the circle to secure it. I wasn’t thrilled as I reached the start again as the fabric...
Curved Piecing Secrets

Curved Piecing Secrets

It is no secret to those who have seen some of my patterns that I like curves. They can be so graceful and add such character to piece. However, I also understand the frustration of getting pieces to line up perfectly or even begin to look like a curve instead of a...