Category: Miscellaneous

Yo-Yos in the Landscape!

Now that the Georgia National Fair is officially over, I can share a little about our two days of judging quilts!

This year, I was paired with Kathy Howell…

…and we had SO much fun exploring our stack of quilts up close while sneaking glimpses of the quilts on the other tables. There was inspiration EVERYWHERE!!

Between our four judging teams, we judged over 400 quilts. As an added bonus, we had two interns who were such fun to work with!

Although we saw hundreds of gorgeous quilts, I want to focus on two that particularly caught my eye—one today and another tomorrow.

Today’s quilt is a landscape made by Wendy Earwood of Perry, Georgia…

There were so many fun touches to discover, but I especially loved her use of yo-yos!

They appeared in the sky…

In the trees…

On the bears…

And even on the frog…

What a playful way to add texture and dimension! Each time we looked, another little detail waited to be discovered.

I also particularly liked the simple quilting in the border. It added the perfect finish…

This quilt was a joy to judge.

Well done, Wendy!!

Come back tomorrow for another amazing quilt from the fair!

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Planning Your 2027 Quilting Projects—with a Little Grace

Are you already thinking about your 2027 quilting projects—or wondering what happened to all those things you planned to finish in 2026?

My friend Deb Messina of Quiltblox has written a lovely post about looking ahead without piling on the pressure. She encourages us to celebrate more than finished quilts and consider which projects still make us excited to sew.

Planning for 2027 is especially exciting for me because I’ll be retired for almost half of the year!! I’m looking forward to having more time to quilt, explore new ideas, and see where my creativity takes me. Deb’s idea of making a quilting wish list sounds like a wonderful place to start!

Read Deb’s post: Planning Your 2027 Quilting Projects—Start Now, Without the Pressure

I hope Deb’s words give you a little breathing room as you think about your own quilting plans. There’s room for unfinished projects, changing interests, and whatever inspiration comes along next.

What’s one project you’d love to carry into 2027?

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In this blog, I post stories about creativity, techniques, tools of the trade, and lots more about the wonderful art of quilting. If you are enjoying these posts, please subscribe to be notified of each new blog as it becomes available.

Let’s BURP it!!

Sometimes a little quilted project needs a quick finish, and I don’t want to make binding!

That was the case with a fall mug rug I was making for a quick gift. I had put together a small top using fabrics from my Celtic Knot quilt and a few 1.5-inch strips…

Now, how could I finish those edges without making binding?

Let’s BURP it!!

If that term is new to you, the idea is simple. You sew the layers together, then turn the piece right side out through an opening. The raw edges end up tucked inside!

For this mug rug, I put the turning opening in the BACKING.

I found a fabric among the “scraps” I had inherited and cut a piece larger than the mug rug top. Then I cut it in half and sewed the two halves back together, leaving a 2-inch opening in the center…

That little hole is the key to the whole process!

Next, I trimmed the backing and top to exactly the same size and stacked my layers in this order, from bottom to top:

• Batting
• Mug rug top, facing UP
• Backing, facing DOWN

The top and backing were right sides together, with the batting underneath.

This is important because if you get your batting in the wrong order, it covers up the whole…. ask me how I know??

Then I sewed around the ENTIRE piece…

No opening needed along the outside edge. I already had one waiting in the back!

I trimmed off the excess batting…

…and clipped all four corners, taking care not to snip my stitching…

Now it was time to BURP!

I turned the mug rug right side out through that little opening in the backing…

And just like that, the raw edges were on the inside, and I had a piece with finished edges. The final step was to close the hole with a few hand stitches…

No binding to cut, fold, or attach!!

My little mug rug was now ready for some appliqué. Come back Thursday to see what I added!

Have you ever used the burping method to finish a small quilted project?

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Big Smiles and Busy Hands at Sewrority Sisters Quilt Guild

You can learn a lot about a quilt guild just by watching its members arrive.

At the Sewrority Sisters Quilt Guild in Ellerslie, Georgia, they walked in carrying bags of quilts, bins of fabric to share, and most of all…

BIG SMILES!!

With over 100 members, this guild has plenty going on. But what caught my attention was the care they took to make everyone feel welcome.

The membership committee greets members at the front door…

Then it’s past the raffle quilt ticket sales table in the hall…

… and into a room full of quilters, fabric, and activity!!

For a guest, all of that activity could feel a little overwhelming. But the Sewrority Sisters have that covered!

Guests stop at the Hospitality table, where a committee member welcomes them and takes them around the room, explaining what’s happening.

There’s the “free table,” with treasures ready to find a new sewing room…

The birthday raffle…

…and t he 50/50 rafflle and door prize tickets!…

I loved that guests were given a personal introduction to the guild. It’s so much easier to join in when someone takes the time to show you around!

Like so many quilt guilds, the Sewrority Sisters put their skills to work for others through charitable projects and Quilts of Valor.

One particularly fun touch is their incentive for members who complete five charity quilts during a designated period…

A sunflower pin!!

What a sweet way to recognize the time, fabric, and love that go into those quilts.

And the welcome continues as new members join. They come to the front of the meeting and are formally presented with their guild pin…

That little ceremony says so much…

You belong here!

Before I start each of my talks, I love to take a group photo…

I had such a wonderful time sharing “Stop Thinking, Start Scrapping” with this group and meeting so many of its members.

Thank you, Sewrority Sisters, for welcoming me into your quilting community. Your generosity, enthusiasm, and BIG SMILES made it a visit to remember!!

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One of my favorite things about quilting is motivating others and helping them in their quilting journey. As part of this endeavor, I LOVE to present programs and workshops to groups and guilds around the world. All of my programs work well with Zoom meetings, and I would love to speak to your group.

You can find out more at this link…..

A Rainbow in Every Border!

A quilt border doesn’t have to be an afterthought—it can be one more place to have fun with your quilting!

This rainbow border is cheerful, flowing, and easier to quilt than it may seem at first. In this video I’ll show you how I stitch the design and keep the rainbows moving smoothly across the border.

VIEW VIDEO HERE

Don’t worry about making every rainbow exactly the same. Small differences give free-motion quilting its personality and make the finished border more interesting.

Give it a try on a practice sandwich first, and then add a little rainbow fun to your next quilt!

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Check out my new, ONLINE, ON-DEMAND Free-Motion Quilting Course

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