I first became aware of Elin Waterston through the Quilting Arts reader challenges, particularly our annual calendar contests. Very quickly, our team came to recognize Elin's distinctive brand of well-thought-out, uncluttered design featuring a strong focal point.

I love quilts that have been encrusted with lots of beads, baubles, buttons, found objects...you name it. The more outrageous the embellishment, the better! So I can't wait to share with you our latest ready-to-download eBook, Fine Embellishment Techniques from Quilting Arts: 5 Innovative Ways To Embellish Your Fiber Art.

Sometimes when I'm in a rut--in my studio or in my life--all I need is a change of scene to get me going again. In the past month, I've had the opportunity to experience a lot of new scenery: a family reunion by the ocean, a speaking engagement in New York City, a planning session in Houston for the next Quilt Scene, followed by a retreat at the Creativity Center in La Grange, Texas.

It's officially summer, and that means blueberry season. I'm lucky enough to live right next to my father-in-law's blueberry patch--more of a field, actually. While they last, I just have to walk out my back door and down the path to have access to fresh blueberries for breakfast, a snack, or to use as the main ingredient for my famous blueberry cobbler (see recipe below).

We live in a time of high-speed connectivity, with hundreds of thousands of books, magazines, and newspapers online and in print, with texting, Twitter, Facebook, and patterns available for instant download. It's hard to imagine a world without them. But long before instant communication, before printing, even before books, needleworkers had developed their own way of communicating.

Is there such a thing as too much texture? I don't think so! Texture is what we art quilters are all about. Texture is what excites the quilt artist and it's what entices the art quilt viewer to come up and take a closer look. Plus, adding more texture to our quilts gives us a great excuse to get in the studio and play!

Digital technology has opened up a whole new world of possibilities for designing art quilts. Whether you want to apply image transfer techniques to make a photo memory quilt, use digital imagery to make abstract designs, or a combination, we'll show you how to make a quilt with photos when you download our FREE  eBook: How to Make Photo Quilts with Quilting Arts: 6 Image Transfer Techniques for your Art Quilts.

While I'm gearing up for Quilt Market, I asked Studios Editor Cate Prato to update us on what's going on in the latest issue of Studios. Cate spent a day last week hunting for fabulous studio finds at the Brimfield flea market last week, so I know she's ready to show you some clever ways to help make your quilt and fiber studio uniquely yours.