Gathering is a simple technique that is easy, even for beginners. You can stitch a long length of fabric to a shorter piece of fabric, creating fullness. Gathering is found in all types of projects. You’ll see it in garments such as gathered skirts and puffed sleeves as well as home dec items such as […] Read more…
Hello Sioux Falls!
It has been over a year and a half since I travelled to teach and I’m finally going to get back out there. Later this month I am going to go to Sioux Falls, South Dakota to teach two one-day classes about my favorite subject – presser feet! I’ll be teaching at Heirloom Creations, owned […] Read more…
7 Tips for Stitching Paper
If you like to explore sewing beyond fabric, paper is a logical step. Create greeting cards, mixed media art pieces, bookmarks, scrapbook pages, and other paper items. Making these types of projects is an inexpensive way to be creative because most, if not all, of the supplies needed may be things that you already have […] Read more…
Improve Your Stitch-in-the-Ditch Technique
A few weeks ago, I gave you a sneak peek at my latest embroidery project and now I’m ready to show you my finished wall hanging. Click here to see my previous post that shows the beginning of my Modern Petals wall hanging. I embroidered 16 tiles and stitched them together to make a small […] Read more…
Make Something Beautiful
You may remember at the first of 2021, I promised to post one art quilt a month. If you’ve been paying attention, you have also noticed that I’ve fallen behind on that promise. In an effort toward catching up, I’m posting a unique little quilt that I hope inspires you to have fun making your […] Read more…
Six Questions (and Answers) about Bobbins
Understanding the parts of your machine increases your sewing knowledge and helps you become a better sewer. An essential part of the machine is the bobbin. This little spool holds the lower thread that interlocks with the needle thread to form each stitch. This post explores six common questions sewers have about bobbins. Read more…
Machine Embroidery Sneak Peek
Sometimes I forget how much fun I can have with machine embroidery. I’m working on a project I’ve wanted to stitch for a few years now and I’m loving it! It’s an OESD tiled collection called Modern Petals. Tiled collections are unique in that you stitch a number of small patches, called tiles. Then, you […] Read more…
Foot Note: How to Attach a Walking Foot
The walking foot is great to use anytime you want to keep your fabric layers from shifting and sliding. We usually think about using it for quilting so the quilt top, batting, and backing all go under the needle and feed at the same speed without shifting, This helps you avoid puckers and tucks that […] Read more…
Foot Note: Making Cross Tucks with a Quarter Inch Foot
We all know a patchwork or quarter inch foot is used for piecing patchwork patterns. Using a consistent quarter inch seam allowance throughout the process means that your patches fit together perfectly to form a specific quilt pattern. But, there are more uses for these feet than piecing. One of my favorite techniques using a […] Read more…
Do You Pintuck?
I love adding texture to flat fabric. One of my favorite ways to do this is by stitching double needle pintucks. I’m working on an embellishment project, and I created a diagonal grid with pintucks. Add this technique to quilt blocks, pillow fronts, purses, and to almost any other type of project. Pintuck Supplies To […] Read more…