Jamie Fingal is a fiber artist who just says no. No batting. No binding. No pins. No rules....

We moved the Quilting Arts offices earlier this spring, and the change has given me a whole new outlook — literally. Whereas my former office didn't have much of a view, this one has windows that look out onto the wooded buffer between the office complex and the street....

Reports from Fashion Week earlier this year (how many of us knew the term "fashion week" before "Project Runway" came on the scene?) showed that color, graphic design, spots, and fabric that seems to move would be hot this fall....

At first glance, the worlds of traditional and modern quilting don't seem to have much in common, other than fabric and thread. But of course, modern quilting has its roots in the traditional methods. And, in fact, many contemporary quilters began as traditional or Victorian-style crazy quilters....

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....

Summer is coming and I'm getting ready for the three Bs: bikinis, beaches, and books. I read year-round, but I especially look forward to those summer beach books, even if most of the time I'm just catching a few sun-screened rays on my deck. And while I don't mind getting a little lotion on a fat paperback, I'm more careful about my Kindle. So making a Kindle Cover is definitely on my summer season to-do list....

Finally, we've had a stretch of warm, sunny days and my spring flowers are starting to bloom. Local garden centers are awash with marigolds, pansies, geraniums, and herbs. All of which has made me think about gardening and dyeing. Sunny, windless days are perfect for dyeing. But while I usually use commercial dyes on fabric, I've been thinking about natural dyeing from collected plants....

We always get feedback on the artwork in our publications, but some themes and projects resonate more than others. Animal themes always get a big response from our readers (and, you may have noticed, your humble Quilting Arts editors who love their dogs and frogs). Birds are particularly popular. We always receive bird-themed entries to our challenges and get requests for bird quilt patterns and projects....