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It seems as if summer is just flying by and I can't believe we're already well into July. Here at the Quilting Arts offices we're hard at work on the August/September 2011 issue of Quilting Arts Magazine. And while I can't wait for this issue to hit the stands, in the meantime I thought...
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Thread-sketch by Leni Levenson Wiener from In Stitches Vol. 3. Thread sketching? Love it! Using free-motion stitching with your sewing machine to create what looks like pen-and-ink drawings lends a real "hand of the artist" look to a quilt. The technique is also an effective way to add stitched...
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Quilt making doesn't have to be complex, with hours of cutting, piecing, and sewing tiny seams. In this free eBook, How to Quilt: 4 Free Projects to Learn How to Make a Quilt , you'll learn how to quilt using fabric scraps, craft-store flowers, a fish, and canvas and paint. At the same time,...
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Quilting Daily
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Quilting Daily
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23 Jun 2011
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Filed under: Machine Quilting, How to Quilt, Memory Quilts, Quilt Binding, Fabric Art, Quilting For Beginners, Hand Sewing, Sewing Techniques, Quilt Patterns, Art Quilts, Quilting, Hand Stitches, Quilting Techniques
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Free-motion machine stitching is a hallmark of contemporary quilting. But, my friends, it does not always come easily. Practice and experience are key, and if you're like me, you also get by with some help from your expert friends. As you can imagine, I know many expert free-motion stitchers. When...
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When someone asks me what's the difference between contemporary art quilts and traditional quilts, one of the first things I think of is embellishment, especially beads and encrustation. Beaded embellishment is just not something you are going to see on a traditional quilt, but it does pop up in...
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The art of appliqué quilting has long been a way for quilters to add designs to their fabric, in addition to piecing. But while traditional quilters used the hand appliqué stitch to place their fabric motifs, contemporary quilters are more apt to fuse or machine appliqué, opening...
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To anyone who loves fabric and thread, making a handmade quilt is often the ultimate creative experience. The contemplative act of hand quilting--needle moving rhythmically over and under fabric--is a pleasure even for those who primarily rely on machine quilting enjoy. But you don't have to know...
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Quilting Daily
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Quilting Daily
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27 Jan 2011
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Filed under: Embroidery, Machine Quilting, How to Quilt, Memory Quilts, Fabric Art, Hand Sewing, Sewing Techniques, Art Quilts, Hand Stitches, Quilting Techniques, Handmade Quilts
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I've been enjoying the stories over on the QA community discussion board where members are sharing how they learned to sew. Everyone has their own unique story (some funny, some bittersweet) but most people seem to have learned to sew from: their mothers, their 8 th -grade home ec class, or from...
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Last week while back in Massachusetts I picked up a few essential Christmas mementos to send to our new Colorado home. As I was packing them up at Quilting Arts headquarters, people gathered around to comment. The sight of John's childhood Christmas stocking brought out everyone's nostalgic side...
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When I look at Kathy York's body of work, it's hard to believe she has only been making art quilts since 2003. Her award-winning quilts are easily recognizable for their bold and graphic styles, bright colors, and whimsical or humorous topics. I'm an especially big fan of her three-dimensional...
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For many, this is the time of year when nature beckons. The scorching summer heat has passed but the sun is still shining, and the great outdoors has so much appeal. I think this is one of many reasons that SharonV. Rotz’s colorful art quilts recently caught my eye; they depict natural objects...
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I'm excited to decorate our new home in Colorado, but lately I've had to do it on the fly--literally--ordering furniture online as I hop from airport to airport to attend the Cloth Paper Scissors CREATE art retreat and the taping of "QATV" Season 7. Still, even though we have moved...
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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...
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Quilting Daily
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Quilting Daily
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10 Aug 2010
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Filed under: Surface Design, Machine Quilting, How to Quilt, Quilting Supplies, Quilting Designs, Fabric Art, Quilting For Beginners, Quilt Patterns, Art Quilts, Quilting Techniques, Dyeing Fabric
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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. Since then, Elin has written articles...
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Imagine, if you will, me in my studio trying to use adhesive-backed water-soluble stabilizer. I carefully peel away the non-stick backing only to find that the sticky part doesn't stay put on my work surface. So now I am trying to hold down one edge of the stabilizer with one hand and peel away the...