I was thinking today about some of the most amazing show quilts I have seen lately: how dense, how beautiful, how awe inspiring, and how perfectly… flat. I know flatness is a key component for judging, and shows a finesse, a degree of technical skill that makes it look 2D, like a painting, rather than […]
Some thoughts on practicing
When I first got my longarm, I wish someone had told me a few things about how to get started. While I like making things up as I go, as a teacher (Latin and history!) I also like having a rubric to follow, a goal to meet, and metrics to use to figure out if […]
Best self-directed craft
My little boy has been dying to make paper chains, and while I am usually really reluctant to do Christmas holiday decorating before Thanksgiving (the tree is another story–that happens the day *after*), he’s got some time this week and has the ambition, so why not? What you see here is crafting at it’s discount-store-finest: […]
PSA for the day–project organization isn’t my strongest suit, this time
When working with two very large 4′ x 5′ freezer paper templates at once, it is probably best to come up with two different ways to mark them. That way, when you’re looking at the pile of pieces, you won’t have that sinking feeling when trying to figure out which number 21 goes where. Next time […]
Thoughts from Kathy Mack on Quilt Market
Over at the Pink Chalk Studio blog, Kathy Mack talks about the three main trends she saw at Fall Quilt Market ’13. In particular, I want to call your attention to her discussion of the use of the word “modern” as Trend #1, and also to call your attention to “slower is better”, which discusses […]
P.S.A for the day
Dearest friends, do not attempt to adjust your in-ear headphones whilst holding a seam ripper in one hand. Love, Mandy p.s. this goes along with the P.S.A. “never put your seam ripper in your back pocket.”
Winding Down
I’ve been hard at work this summer, but it has not been so much sewing-wise as it has been family-wise and me-wise. If you just want to read about the sewing and stuff, skip to the end 🙂 Family-wise, we’ve been filling out our summer passport. And more importantly, we spent a month on swim […]
First week of August–in pictures
See the practice quilt from last year?
pictures this week
Lake George in the Adirondacks has been called the “Queen of Lakes”. We went out on it for the first time this week on a friend’s boat, and it was… an amazing 2 hours. Beautiful clear water (we could see down to about 25 feet), perfect skies and mountains, and campsites all along the lake […]
Today’s that kinda day
Today’s the sort of day where I start thinking about what things are worthy rewards for the terrible horrible no good very bad day it has been. And yesterday, too. Not that I will do this, but it’s nice to have pretty dreams when you’re incertain about kids getting stitches and being a half hour […]
