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Have you heard about Kim Diehl's  Simple Whatnots Club? 6 Beautiful new Mini-Quilt patterns A new line of Kim Diehl fabric for Henry Glass "Vintage Farmhouse" Only available at your favorite quilt shops...  *** Well one of my favorite local quilt shops is having a fantastic deal on the Simple Whatnots Club: 16 Yards of Fabric  -- enough to finish all 6 mini-quilts including backing and binding 6 brand new Kim Diehl Simple Whatnot patterns  -- including an applique and pieced version of the Hopscotch Mini Quilt Here is the Applique Version of Hopscotch -- isn't is beautiful? Image Courtesy Kim Dieh's Facebook Page  Here is Idaho Lily Another one of my favorites!! Image Courtesy Kim Diehl's Facebook page AND A Vintage Farmhouse Panel thrown in for fun!! Image Courtesy Henry Glass All of this for only $160 (plus s/h) at Sew It Is.  Where else can you get 16 yards of newly released fabric , Plus 6 brand new Kim Diehl Simple Whatnot patterns, and A Vintage Farmh...

Last week we met for the monthly "Quilting the Garden" applique along hosted by our sweet friend Debbie Wick, and with two other special ladies -- my sister Janet and friend Bonnie. We meet monthly to drool over Debbie's completed Quilting the Garden Quilt (a design and book by Blackbird Designs) and plan out the fabric and stitching for our own blocks.  Our versions of Quilting the Garden are being completed with various methods of Needle Turn Applique.    Bonnie uses a back basting method, Janet uses freezer paper templates attached while stitching, and I use a freezer paper marking method.  If you're interested in learning my method of Needle Turn Applique check out "Teardrops of Love - a needle turn applique tutorial" on my blog by clicking here . Back to Quilting the Garden -- Janet, Bonnie and I have nearly completed our house blocks so I wanted to share them. First is Debbie's House block from her completed quilt.  Isn't it beautiful?  Debbie ...

Oh I'm having such fun!!   I still have to pinch myself to be sure I'm not dreaming.... In the last few weeks I started teaching Introductory Wool Applique "Spring Basket" with two different groups and I'm doing cartwheels in celebration!! Spring Basket Sample by Karen L. Miller ~ Redbird Quilt Co. Many thanks to the ladies at the New Quilters On the Block Guild in Candor, NY and to the Partners and Students at Quilters Corner in Ithaca, NY for taking a chance on this green instructor!   Thank you ladies -- ya'll are just wonderful to work with...   New Quilters on the Block - Working Hard The New Quilters on the Block wanted to learn the basics of wool applique -- knowing that we wouldn't finish any pieces in the 4 hours we spent together.  We reviewed wool preparation, floss basics, Needles: threading - knotting - burying - finishing;  Stitches: blanket, couch, overhand, french knot, and so on...  They did a fantastic job on their quilts --...

It's been many, many weeks since I've had my hand at moving fabric around under a needle - I needed the practice, I needed the down time, I just needed to do it!   This is a sweet little Piggy Growth Chart by The Wonderful World of Susybee and it's a fun way to get those FMQ juices flowing again.   I dove into my stash of beautiful #Aurifil Mako Cotton 50Wt threads and had some fun!! Here are the steps that worked for me: 1.  Give your machine a good cleaning inside and out.   The Janome Horizon doesn't need to be oiled, so a good dusting did the trick.  I removed the face plate, swept all around, and discarded those dust bunnies!  It's extremely important to start with a clean machine. 2.  Outfit the machine with a Little Genie Magic Bobbin washer -- (see it below in the bobbin area ?)  These little guys are the best.  They take up that little extra space in your bobbin area and help your bobbin thread glide smoothly - especiall...