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Today we’ll be taking a look at one of the best baby quilt pattern books that I’ve come across in a long time! Modern Baby by Martingale is a collection of 14 very different modern baby quilts created by various designers. I found this to be a great book during the season of becoming an aunt 1, 2, 3 times in the past 2 years! The Bubbles Quilt on the cover is what initially caught my eye, but I still haven’t have the right opportunity to make the fantastic fish quilt for any little ones in my life yet! I did end up making one of the more complicated applique quits: The Birdhouse Quilt by Carrie Bloomston.

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Office Pet

A few days ago my sister squealed as she made her way up to my office for a day of blogging and chatting (surprise! we mostly chatted). For a few brief moments of work, she sprawled out her papers on the floor and was quickly joined by the white fuzzball that now sits under my desk. “Oh I need to get myself an office bunny! I’m not sure how I get any work done without one,” she giggled as she gave him a much deserved pat down. Today I’d like to give a little bit of a sneak peak into my studio, tell you what it’s like to work in a shared studio with a rabbit, and share why I think it’s the best way to work from home. (Continue reading…)

How to use Briwax

When we first moved into our home, the first thing I did was call my mom. I had been storing a secret treasure in her attic for the past 13 or 14 years and finally had somewhere to display it! After climbing up and digging through all of my “treasures” (the woman is a saint), she found it: an intricately designed wooden antique, very likely the decorative back of a church organ! My dad found it when I was little—we lived on a farm then—and this treasure was shoved among some lumber in the rafters of one of our many barns. My dad knew that I would love it and asked if I wanted to keep it…and of course, I did! It’s now proudly displayed above my fireplace. You’d never find it in an antique or thrift shop & it’s got my own family history stamped on it—I absolutely love it!  (Continue reading…)

Family Embroidery Hoop

Last month’s embroidery project was a fun Super Bowl jersey (there’s still time to stitch it up, if you’re quick!), and this month is a special project that your family will love for years and years to come. This project started a long time ago when my sister mentioned that she wanted something for her living room wall but wasn’t sure what. After lots of ideas and drafts, we finally came up with the perfect design. Today I’m going to share it with you—I can’t wait to see your take on it! (Continue reading…)

5 easy tips for ironing quilt pieces—it really does work!

Pressing is just a pretty word for ironing. I’m sure they had to make a up a name other than ironing so that quilting didn’t sound like just one more household chore: I hate ironing, but I love pressing! There’s no sleeves, no annoying pleats, just a small, square piece of fabric with a seam—I can handle that.

It’s always the little things, isn’t it? The details always add up and make the whole. It’s no different with quilting! Today I want to share, what I think, is one of the easiest ways to make your quilts better, yet most people don’t think about: pressing. It’s a part of every quilt project, but I often will see a quilt that could look 75% better if the quilter had just taken an extra second to really press her (or his) seams better. Read on to see my 5 steps to getting a beautiful pressed seam, and in turn, a more beautiful quilt! (Continue reading…)