Appleton Dance

Eight-year-old Jake really wears that apron.   Child's size Large apron pattern -- one half Child's apron, size Large (adjustable) This project is so easy that it would make a good first, sewing project for a beginning stitcher. Make a pattern out of paper bags or wrapping paper. Your pattern will look just like the pattern shown here in geometric fabric. Cut your pattern paper 29-inches long and 12-inches wide. Mark the 29-inch length with the word FOLD written large along one side. Mark the other long side of your pattern with a dark marker ten-inches down from the top of the paper. Mark the adjacent top edge of your pattern at the five-inch point. Connect the two marks with a line and cut that angle away from your pattern.  The result will be a pattern shaped like the one in the photo at the right. the top is five-inches wide; the long side is 29-inches long; the short side is 19-inches long, and the bottom is 12-inches wide. Choose 2/3 yard of cotton ca...

16-inch, four-patch "pinwheel" block designed by Sujata Shah, pieced by Linda Theil 2016 Fabrics:  Sturbridge line by Kathy Schmitz for Moda and Daily Zen line by Michael D'Amore for Benartex. I attended quilt artist Sujata Shah's "Pinwheel" class sponsored by the Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild  at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor  on July 17, 2016. Shah is inspired by the work of Gee's Bend quilters and has developed a no-template method of piecing to emulate their unstructured designs. Shah's book, Cultural Fusion Quilts , is available at Amazon.com.  Shah's uses four 11-inch squares to make each block, but she said a quilter could use any size base they choose. Since I had a package of precut 10-inch squares in the "Sturbridge" design by Kathy Schmitz for Moda, I based my block on that size. We were instructed to bring a variety of backgrounds in one color and brights in another color. Since I signed up late for ...

Printed fabric from "Angel" dolls Craft Pack by Daisy Kingdom Inc. Portland OR, copyright 1996 I picked up this "Creative Stitch & Stuff Craft Pack" for 50-cents at the Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild annual garage sale on July 16. According to the cardstock cover, the kit for "4 Angel Garland Dolls" was created by Daisy Kingdom Inc. of Portland, Oregon in 1996.  Printed cover for Creative Stitch & Stuff Craft Pack -- "Angel Garland Dolls" by Daisy Kingdom Inc. Portland OR 97209, Copyright 1996. Kit includes "4 Angel Dolls". Purchased for 50-cents at GAAQG annual garage sale, July 16, 2016. Printed doll-body fabric from "Angel" dolls Craft Pack by Daisy Kingdom Inc. Portland OR, copyright 1996 The kit includes a cotton muslin panel printed with doll bodies and doll clothes for four "angel" dolls.  Complete written and graphic directions for creating the dolls are included in both French and Engl...

Lake Huron beach near camping cabins and campsites at Harrisville State Park, Michigan. Photo: Alisa Theil by guest blogger Sandy Hewitt Here is some information about Michigan camping and cabins. Michigan State Parks:  reservations link:  https://www. midnrreservations.com/ MichiganStateParks  or call  1-800-447-2757 . The online reservation system can be a bit frustrating, so call the 800 number if you have any trouble. Some parks have: Camper Cabins (have electricity, two bedrooms, and sleeps up to seven), Mini-cabins (have electricity, is one big room, and sleeps up to four), and/or Rustic Cabins (have no electricity, sleeps from four to eight depending on the site, and can be far away from the main park facilities - so there is usually a vault toilet close by). Cabins can be booked up to one year ahead of time, but they go fast depending on the park. There are also private homes for rent in these towns if the park cabins are booked up....

Trompe l'oeil buffalo-chex patchwork This buffalo-chex pattern in black, teal-blue, and gray is created by using a cross-weave printed fabric along with black and a coordinating color. I learned how to do this on Shay Henderson's Empty Bobbin Sewing School weblog post titled "Buffalo Check Quilt Pattern". (Note: this post is no longer at the original link, but the free pattern is available online. I love this, and think it's like magic to watch the fabrics transform into the buffalo-chex pattern. The secret is in using a "weave" printed fabric as the foundation of your design. The teal-blue "weave" print pictured below makes the "gray" blocks in the teal colored, buffalo-chex, patchwork I demonstrate here.   Moda Rustic Weave -- teal color, purchased from Missouri Star Quilt Co. This "Rustic Weave" fabric looks like it is course woven, but it is actually printed to look like a woven fabric of a teal color wit...