And Sew It Goes

Category: Uncategorized

  • What is a Stitch Worth?

    Last week I spent a bit of time drooling over sewing machines. Not my own of course, but the machines in the fabric store that has many models with a variety of bells and whistles. There are the basic machines that sew. Imagine that? Then there are the next-step-up machines that are electronic and pre-programmed…

  • Simple Pleasures

    If you enjoy a favorite drink at a local coffee shop, or an item at your favorite restaurant then you know the feeling I have when I find the perfect fabric. It is amazing. That first look. The way it feels, drapes, blends with other fabrics in my stash or with the fabrics I’m going…

  • Directions

    I have an amazing sense of direction. I can find my way almost anywhere, especially if I’ve been there once before. I rarely need to use Google Maps to guide me, unless I’m in unfamiliar territory. This has been true my entire life. And when paper maps were a ‘thing’ I rarely used one. In…

  • Lifelong Learning

    I love to learn. I always have, though I’ve not necessarily wanted to learn what was being taught in school. Heresy from a lifelong educator.  Years in schools with children who are eager learners and those who are not proves this time and again. When we want to learn something nothing will stop us. When…

  • Wrestling With Machine Quilting

    Machine quilting on my home sewing machine sometimes feels like wrestling an alligator. No matter how carefully I approach it, the quilt seems determined to fight back. I’ve approached this in a few different ways. I bought the clamps, the spray adhesive and other accouterments to make the process easier. Well, it isn’t easy.  A…

  • Babies

    One of the most common reasons to sew a quilt is to welcome a new baby. As we prepared for a new addition to our family, I considered how I might share a quilt that parents and baby alike would enjoy. This particular branch of the family has a ‘thing’ for giraffes. So, I thought…

  • Gee’s Bend Quilting Retreat: Day One

    Today, more than 40 quilters gathered to begin planning, cutting, and sewing quilts under the guidance of Mary Ann Pettway and China Pettway, descendants of generations of women whose Gee’s Bend quilts are recognized around the world. I have wanted to attend this retreat for a few years, and was finally able to make it…

  • The Math of It All

    I love math. I know– it’s not a popular thing to admit, but there you have it. I’m a math nerd and I embrace it. The love of math has come in especially handy with sewing. I enjoy the math involved in measuring, cutting and piecing. I don’t always get it right the first time,…

  • The Stash Revealed

    This post is a part of the Stash Stories, a series about fabric, creativity, and the stories behind what we save. Each post explores a piece of my fabric stash- where it came from, why it matters, and what it’s teaching me about making, memory, and possibility.  Last week, I shared a handful of homespun…

  • Where the Road Leads

    I’ll admit it—I spend too much time scrolling through Instagram. I love images, art, and learning, and I’ve learned to curate my feed so that it mostly reflects what inspires my creative work or delights my quirky sense of humor. Somehow, I began seeing posts from Walk for Peace, USA, which follows Buddhist monks walking…