A lot of contemporary art quilters swear by fusing their fabric art. But if you've had a bad experience with fusing, maybe you just swear.

Judging by the comments on the Quilting Daily Facebook page, a lot of you received fabric and new quilting gadgets for Christmas—perhaps even a new sewing machine? If you're like me, you're now itching to use those new goodies in quilting projects.

I always love to hear how people began quilting. Did they make their first patchwork quilt at their grandmother's knee? Did they get bored and take a class that led to a passion? Did a friend drag them to a quilt show, and they were hooked?

What does "modern quilting" mean? There are a lot of opinions on what modern quilting is—and isn't. But one thing's for sure, modern patchwork quilting is hot right now.

In this free eBook, Free-Motion Machine Quilting Techniques: 81 Tips for Free-Motion Quilting, Thread Sketching and Quilting Motifs, three highly respected quilt artists, Frieda Anderson, Robbi Joy Eklow, and Susan Brubaker Knapp share their knowledge and expertise for successful free‑motion quilting and thread sketching.

I've been using digital photos as a basis for my quilt designs for quite some time now. Digital technology has improved so much, too.

When I'm with friends who aren't quilters and the discussion turns to expectant parents, it's often assumed that my go-to gift would be a baby quilt. I explain that while I have nothing against baby quilts, my style of quilting doesn't really apply: babies and beaded, screen-printed fabrics don't really mix.

I confess: sometimes I get so caught up in the "art" I forget about the "quilting."

Let me explain. An idea for an art quilt forms in my mind based on, say, a favorite TV show such as (still--and forever) Tony Soprano. Or, a new line of gorgeous fabrics hits my desk and I have to do something with those luscious colors and witty patterns. Or, I get obsessed with a new surface design technique and suddenly all I can think about in my studio is Thermofax® printing or soy wax batik.