The Magic 8 method is certainly not original with me, but I thought it was worth sharing since I’ve been using it religiously on one of my newest designs (It’s called Breezy, and you’re going to love it! It will be releasing sometime in April.) Anyway, there are lots of ways to make Half Square Triangles, but this method is the fastest and most precise that I’ve found.
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Binding can make or break your quilt. You could have done it all right from start to finish: getting straight cuts, squaring up each block, snipping every thread, and pressing every seam perfectly. But your binding might make all that hard work go unnoticed! Nothing is worse than a wonky corner on your binding. So, let’s make sure that your quilt is as good as it can be: here is a full-picture tutorial on how to get the perfect binding corner on every quilt!
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Today I want to share one of my favorite patterns with you and explain how to use it. It’s a newer concept that I came up with & sometimes quilters have troubles knowing what to do with it. I’m talking about my Grow With Me sewing pattern, of course! If you’re not familiar with this pattern, let me explain, I bet you’ll love it once you understand it: (Continue reading…)
I’ve received lots of questions about today’s topic because I mention it in almost all of my patterns & my binding tutorial. So, I’m going to share one of my favorite products with you:
Can you guess what it is?
The Fons & Porter Binding Tool!
Maybe that’s your favorite thing too, or maybe you’ve never heard of it. If you haven’t heard of it, then let me tell you all about it! (Continue reading…)
Coffee, Cake, and Quilting—the perfect night at the quilt guild to take a project that needs ripped out. Yep—I was in a rush to finish a project, got sloppy, and decided to rip half of it out. If I had to rip seams, I might as well do it among people who know my pain and can chat with me while I endlessly rip. I found a seat, hunkered down over my quilt, and dug into my project. I looked up and saw Diane making her way over to me and she quietly asked, “Do you want me to show you a better way to rip seams?”
“Heavens yes!” I replied—I felt a little sheepish, knowing that I probably just should have googled this long ago, but I gladly took her up on her offer. (Continue reading…)
“I was a bad quilter an pressed my seams open,” wrote one of my pattern testers.
If that makes you a bad quilter, then I am the worst of all sinners…because whenever I can, I’ll tell you to press your seams open! I know that it’s not commonly accepted among quilters, but I think the benefits outweigh the negatives that might come to mind. Here’s why I (almost) always press my seams open:
Today is the Sew Much Fun Blog Hop & let me tell you–it’s been amazing! 10 amazing bloggers are sharing free quilt blocks with you! I hope you caught Jen’s free block over at Patterns By Jen and our other great bloggers, you’ll be glad you did.
Today I’ve got a simple and wonderful little 12″ quilt block for you—you’re going to be seeing more of it in a few weeks when my newest quilt pattern releases—you’re going to love it when you see it all together! (Continue reading…)
Coming in with the fresh breeze of summer is my latest design: Shiplap! This nautical quilt is perfect for men, beach lovers, and land lovers too! It’s all about your fabric selections.
Shiplap is a fun, modern, quick-sew for summer; with only two fabrics to choose and simple piecing and appliqué, you’ll be able to sail through this quilt and still have time for fun in the sun! (Continue reading…)
You might remember a post from a while back talking about The Great Pre-wash Debate: whether or not to pre-wash your fabrics. But, did you know that there is a fabric that you should always prewash!?
That’s right — batiks, with their vibrant dyes, will often times bleed onto lighter cottons when washed. Which spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E for your light background! So, what’s a ready-to-roll quilter to do when those lovely, natural, delicious batiks arrive to the sewing room? (Continue reading…)
“I really need to kick this habit of sewing over my needles…
…when I finish this project.”
*SNAP, ZING, TING*
“Great, now I need a new needle!
…and my machine is clicking.
…and I’ll be on my hands and knees looking for metal shards for the next hour”
Been there? Done that? Me too. And for some reason, I always return to my bad habit, ruin my machine, and then swear it off again. (Continue reading…)
A lot of blood, sweat, and tears goes into every pattern I release (and maybe a few cookies too…brain food!). I make each design at least once (usually twice), and sometimes 3 times to make sure that everything is perfect when you purchase a hard copy or PDF pattern from my shop. Every time I release a new pattern my release and pattern say “tested for accuracy.” But what does that actually mean? Today, I want to share with you how I ensure that every pattern comes out picture perfect: fabric requirements are accurate, cutting instructions make sense, and everything as clear as possible. I want sewing my patterns to be fun and relaxing—and that means that every part of my pattern matters. None of my patterns would be quite so polished without the help and varying skill levels, techniques, and ideas that come from my pattern testers! (Continue reading…)
At the beginning of the month I attended my first quilt guild. I know—it sounds crazy…a designer that’s never been to a guild meeting, but hear me out—it didn’t seem like my cup of tea. I now stand corrected; guild meetings are fun for all! I’m super excited to join as a member at the next meeting of the Lancaster Modern Guild! I learned so much at my first demo night, one technique was of particular importance to me: the invisible appliqué machine stitch. This is a technique that isn’t all that new, but I was unaware (and in need) of it until now. I was so inspired that I went home and ripped out a freshly finished appliqué quilt that was just begging for this technique! I’ll require a bit more practice until it’s perfected, but I love the clean edges that it allows (Continue reading…)
