In the April/May issue of Quilting Arts I have an interview with artist Kate Themel, and I'm so excited by her painterly machine quilting and our conversation, I decided to give you a sneak peek.

During almost a year of sharing quilting ideas with you via the Quilting Daily blog, I've noticed something interesting: circles are popular. Whether the circles are sewn with hand stitching or machine quilting doesn't matter. Every time I write about circle motifs, the post gets a big response.

Maybe the most important lesson I've learned from Rayna is that rules and perfection are overrated—at least when it comes to surface design and art quilting. In fact, I think it's her laid-back attitude, coupled with a keen eye for color and design, that makes her such a brilliant artist.

Just as the summer is winding down (sniff!), so is the celebration of 10 years of Quilting Arts Magazine. It's not a sad ending, though, because it's been really gratifying to revisit all the talented artists we've worked with and all the gorgeous artwork that has come through our offices and into our pages.

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.

Isn't it funny how sometimes the simplest of art processes can be so satisfying? I mean, you know I love my Thermofax screen printing and I am a sucker for hand embroidery. Thread sketching fascinates me and I never get tired of dyeing. But when it comes to hands-down fun, I have to go with stamping. There's something about the instant gratification of making a mark on fabric with paint or ink that is just so rewarding.

As a devotee of "Project Runway," one of the things I love most about the show-after the hilarious Tim Gunn quips-is watching how the designers translate their inspirations into line, pattern, and form. Take last week's episode, where Anthony and Maya were inspired by New York's Chinatown. Anthony's look was a dress with a honeycomb-pleated, 3-D design meandering from the right shoulder, across the front, and all the way down to the left side of the hem. This "line" was taken from the undulating paper-folded dragons seen at a Chinatown shop, and the designer made it work!