Appleton Dance

 by Linda Theil When I saw Jess at OklaRoots on YouTube demonstrate construction of this Sallie Tomato pattern, "Scarlett" , I thought it would be perfect for my cousin who wanted a 12 x 12 tote. I downloaded the inexpensive pattern PDF from the Sallie Tomato site, printed the file, and assembled the pattern pieces in no time. I had ordered striped yardage, panels, and coordinates from the Jim Shore "Nordic Noel" collection for Benartex last year, so I had lots of options for putting together a pretty tote. Front "Scarlett" tote Back "Scarlett" tote  I was inspired to create a bag bauble by Tania Martin at Beautiful Faux Leather and Vinyl . She posts her "Bag Bling" tutorials on her Facebook page. I used one of the "Nordic Noel" panel motifs for an inside patch pocket.  The strap had a clean and easy insertion. I used Decovil Light and Pellon fusible midweight for interfacings.  Resources OklaRoots website, https://oklaroot...

 by Alisa This quilt is a project that started with an idea I had had awhile ago to make a black and white baby quilt. I had seen somewhere that babies love to look at high-contrast items: "Newborns' color perception is limited to white, black and shades of grey, because their eyes and capacity for sight are not fully developed at birth. As a result, babies loves to look at high-contrast black-and-white patterns, which stand out in their blurry worlds, attracting their attention and helping them focus." from Advantages of Black and White in Developing Newborns' Vision . Then I fell in love with a fat-quarter bundle that my mom bought -- " Linework" by Tula Pink for FreeSpirit Fabrics . As soon as I saw that fabric, I knew I wanted to make a high-contrast quilt, but for who?  Luckily, I found a purpose when I realized I had a baby shower coming up for a couple who would appreciate a modern vibe. I thought that half-square triangles would be fun but wanted a p...

by Linda Theil J ournalist Meg Cox discusses "Making Meaning" at GAAQG. Washtenaw Community College, Ypsilanti MI July 16, 2022. Today the Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild celebrated its first in-person guild meeting since January 2020 in the newly renovated auditorium at Washtenaw Community College in Ypsilanti, Michigan. I accessed the event via Zoom thanks to the GAAQG continuing virtual meetings. Meg Cox was the keynote speaker. As a journalist specializing in the quilt beat, Cox's  bonafides  are long and exemplary. In the first of two presentations, Cox spoke about her journey as a journalistic specialist in quilts and the direction of quilting today. She touted digital fabric printing and hand sewing as two seemingly divergent aspects of modern quilting.  As a quilt journalist, Cox has been there, done it all, and wrote the book. As a former Wall Street Journal reporter, she has a keen eye for trends and the financial aspects of the quilting world. In 2008 at a nat...

 by Alisa My nephew turned ten-years-old earlier this year. He's adorable and amazing and I knew he was learning to play chess, so when I saw instructions  to make a chess set in the May 2021 Martha Stewart Living magazine I knew it was the perfect bday gift. The online instructions don't include what I think is the best part of the set -- the combo storage box/board. You make the chessboard/storage box from a 13" x 13" x 4" sliding lid maple box from Tilnic Box on Etsy and a 12" chess board stencil from The Stencilsmith online. Martha suggested spray painting the board, but I used acrylic paint and a stencil brush instead. I should have sealed the wood before stenciling, but I tell myself the bleeding at the edges shows the work that went into painting the design. I had already purchased all the blocks -- there are a lot -- suggested in the Martha Stewart instructions, so I got to work on creating the Chess pieces. I took some liberties with the instruct...

by Linda Theil Steven, I am giving you this quilt because every stitch represents a step in your journey to become a board-certified, healthcare professional. This quilt is composed of blocks in the traditional log-cabin quilt block design, consisting of fabric pieces spiraling out from a central square that represents the heart, the hearth, the essential. Although the log-cabin design is traditional, the execution is modern because fabrics are chosen from cotton pieces the maker has on hand. The pieces for your quilt were gathered in a color palette of red, white, and green, accented with gold. Each block was composed according to the maker's esthetic at the time of its creation. For more information on this process, see AppletonDance post, "Scrappy log cabin blocks" . This improvisational approach is a current fashion in quiltmaking, influenced by "The Quilts of Gee's Bend" show in 2002. So your quilt represents the continuity of quiltmaking, setting an an...

 by Linda Theil I recently made several Spencer-Ogg "Amplector" crossbody bags as gifts for friends and since they have all been distributed, I can share photos of the projects. Panda-plector! Spencer-Ogg large-sized “Amplector” pattern in Tula Pink "Pandamonium Ink" fabric and Tula Pink webbing for the strap. Lining is from "First Light" collection by Ruby Star Society. Card pockets were added. Two-by-two-plector! New Spencer-Ogg large-sized “Amplector” using vintage fabric with a repeating Noah's Ark inspired print of unknown origin, purchased at Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild fabric sale in 2017. Card pockets were added. Posey-plector! New Spencer-Ogg small-sized (9.5 x 6-inches) “Amplector” using “Lavender Market” collection by Deborah Edwards for Northcott, with self-strap and h ardware by Craftmemore. Posey-plector II A second new Spencer-Ogg small-sized “Amplector” using “Lavender Market” collection by Deborah Edwards for Northcott, with self-st...