Let’s talk about tight quilting and straight-line machine quilting. You’ve probably heard of the term matchstick quilting which is used to describe very close-together, parallel, straight-lines, hundreds of them across the quilt top. This method of machine quilting is clean and modern and when done well … it looks amazing. It can be as tight […]
Growing up, I was fascinated by the colours, designs and textures of the many different fabrics that my grandmother and mother used in their sewing. As with many women of that era, making curtains, upholstery and slipcovers was a necessary task and barkcloth was often the fabric of choice. The story of barkcloth is a […]
I first saw Dragon Scales, a technique by Gillian Conahan, while doing research for the articles on The Beauty of Texture series. At that time, I couldn’t see how to work it in nor had I the time to play with what appeared to be a totally different sort of fabric manipulation. It stuck in […]
Welcome to Part 3 of this elegant Pulled Thread Pastries Series. This series explores pulled thread embroidery using the basic little cushion samples to give you a good idea of what is required to accomplish each varied stitch. It also explores making a sampler which is limitless in its creative possibilities. Make it larger for […]
It was a sad day last year when the only importer of Monk’s Cloth in North America had dropped the distribution line. This left all suppliers and crafters wondering who would pick up the line and when? A burning question on everyone’s mind since it’s not an easy task to do. As an entrepreneur, it’s […]
It happened quite by serendipity. Suddenly, I found myself with a heap of leftover yarn. I also found a forgotten piece of evenweave fabric with an attractive texture to it, shortly after. The cloth is a great backdrop for Nizanka embroidery and if I gave the design some pop of colour, it will be quite […]
This is probably my favorite ‘recycle’ project! While visiting with our youngest daughter, Katie, and our nine-monthold granddaughter, Reem Audrey, Katie lamented that she couldn’t find a pair of long mittens, which would stay up the sleeves of her jacket, and that Reem couldn’t pull off. At the time, she happened to be sorting out […]
Brighten the place settings at your next party with these colourful party favours. The empty spools from balls of DMC pearl cotton form the core. Your stash of leftover bits and pieces of fabric and threads will provide plenty of inspiration for creating the decorative wrapping. Fill the favours with mints or other tiny treats […]
If you don’t happen to be a knitter, or if you don’t have time to find a pattern and knit a cuff, here’s a great short cut – and a good reason never to throw out stained or damaged sweaters with pretty patterns on them, like this baby sweater (A) with a couple of stains. […]
Small flower bouquets called a ‘posy’ have existed since medieval times. This particular pattern is inspired by that history as well as the time-honored art of lace making. The piece utilizes freshwater pearls from a never used bracelet, a scrap piece of 28 count white Monaco, DMC floss and a $2.99 thrifted pedestal glass candy […]