I started this Christmas quilt a few years ago, today I WILL finish the binding...I WILL! :) This pattern is a Gordian Knot. Someday I'll have quilts for each season to decorate my home with. Fiber art is anything that includes stitching, weaving, quilting, sewing, rug making, crocheting, kni
[ read more ]
A friend of mine asked if I could make her a couple of quilts from her parent's clothing who had recently passed away. I didn't have time, but Olivia was up for it. Our friend didn't care what the pattern was she just wanted the clothes used. Olivia made 2 quilts, one for our friend and on
[ read more ]
We had a great Domestic Class Tuesday when we did rag quilting. Here is one of the students with her bright and happy rag quilt. All she had to do was the snipping part after she got home. Now that is a good day's work! You can see my tutorial for rag quilting HERE! Next week it's S
[ read more ]
I made these two baby quilts for a couple at our church that are expecting for the first time, and they are having TWIN GIRLS!!! I chose 7 fabrics, you can choose less or more; I think I started with 1/4 yard; then cut 3 inch strips and sewed them together on 1/4" seam. Back Side
[ read more ]
OK, so I love using words that reflect my faith (rescue, redeemed) and as my kids will tell you, I make an analogy out of EVERY thing...I really can't help myself! The other day Jeff and Olivia were cleaning out a basement for a lady, she hadn't been in there for 20 years she
[ read more ]
Photo quilts are a great way to document a family's heritage. Modern technology has made it easy to scan old pictures and print them on fabric. I've made several of these special order quilts. This quilt was made for my great aunt's 80th birthday. This throw was made for a teen
[ read more ]
Thanks to my sweet friend, Joyce Pooser, here is a great inspirational video: Fiber art is anything that includes stitching, weaving, quilting, sewing, rug making, crocheting, knitting, spinning, etc… Each Monday we can share ideas, patterns, finished projects and ask que
[ read more ]
Sophia, of Frugal Ideas from the Parsonage, took part in last week's Fiber Arts Monday, she shared about this beautiful patchwork quilt she made from vintage sheets. I have to agree with Sophia, I love patchwork quilts too. Isn't it so bright and beautiful?! I really love how she did the quilt
[ read more ]
Thanks to being over 40, and maturity, I don't really pay attention to fads any more, but I did read an article about there being a big debate in the design world over what was best to use for covers on your bed. The opinion now is a quilt! LOL! Well, I could have told you THAT! Quilts are smooth
[ read more ]
If you have ever taken one of my sewing classes you've heard me stress the rule of NOT cutting paper (or anything else) with fabric scissors. Fabric scissors should be saved (hidden away from children and men who want to cut EVERYTHING but fabric) in a safe place and only used for fabric. Have yo
[ read more ]
A sweet reader sent me this link. What a cute quilt. The squares are large enough make it go together more quickly, yet small enough to give it a scrappy look. Here is the tutorial for a baby rag quilt.
[ read more ]
I used a bunch of old flannel shirts that I've been saving up and made this quilt. It may not be the prettiest, but I use it between the other quilts on our bed and it sure is warm! This would be great for a boy's room too! Rag quilts work up so quickly and are the easiest type of quilt to mak
[ read more ]
I received this from the mom of one of my Domestic Class students. Isn't she cute?! Kathy, Here is the promised picture of Mia's quilt. She LOVES it and sleeps with it at night. Her bed looks adorable with this and the princess pillowcase she made at your earlier class. Keep up
[ read more ]
Today's Domestic Class was Rag Quilting. The girls did a great job! It's WONDERFUL when moms lend a helping hand! Mia is ALWAYS excited to sew something...anything!!! Although her attention span in not very long and her mom had to help her a lot, her mom realizes the importance of encou
[ read more ]
There was a time in American history that when there was going to be a wedding the women in the community or church would come together and make a very special quilt for the couple to begin their new home with. The quilt was made to last for years and often became a family heirloom. In our day of
[ read more ]
I love when people use one of my tutorials and send me pictures of what they have made. Below is an e-mail from a sweet reader and her BEAUTIFUL rag quilt! You can see the Rag Quilt Tutorial here. Hi Kathy- I wrote awhile ago asking some questions about the rag baby quilt. Thank you so mu
[ read more ]
Today's Domestic Class started with a lesson in hand quilting. This is sweet Jamie, who is 8 years old, I just want to scoop her up and take her home! Then after lunch was the Hand Embroidery class. I made each girl a little practice piece to help them remember the names of the stitches. Em
[ read more ]
I received this in my inbox and thought it was TOO CUTE not to share! My sweet friend Robin sent this: Dear Aunt Kathy, I love your quilting DVD. I kept hearing your voice and could not even eat my breakfast. I recommend it to all babies under a year old. Love,
[ read more ]
When we started this website our goal was to teach young people (kids). We saw such a need to encourage practical skills for the next generation. As time went on we realized that the reason why so many kids did not know how to do the hands-on things was because their parents and grandparents did not
[ read more ]
Would you like to learn how to make beautiful heirlooms from scraps of fabric? How about creating special, one of a kind gifts? WATCH THE VIDEO CLIP HERE *All it takes is learning a few quilting techniques, some basic quilting tools, some practice and o
[ read more ]
Many of you may not quite get the love for quilts that some people have. People love quilts for different reasons, perhaps their grandmother quilted, or someone gave them a special gift of a quilt one time; whatever the reason may be, once a quilt holds a special place in your heart, you hav
[ read more ]
"Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be the miracle." --Phillips Brooks
[ read more ]
I received a phone call for a lady who wanted a quilt made from her cheerleader uniform, pieced together with the uniforms from her children and grandchildren. This was her uniform from over 50 years ago, HEAVY wool with a silk lining. Oh my, how uniforms have changed! Not near as
[ read more ]
This is a quilt I made for a friend at church, Beata. She is giving it to her grandmother for her 90th birthday. She e-mailed me 20 pictures in sepia tone, spanning five generations. She also bought the fabrics. Here is a brief tutorial. I did not follow a pattern,
[ read more ]
I was so honored to receive such a wonderful review of our Learn How to Quilt in Five Easy Lessons. Angie from 5 Kids, My Husband and Me wrote: All I can say is WOW! I just got the How to Quilt in 5 Easy Lessons and they are so thorough. I can't believe how Kathy puts th
[ read more ]
Here is another heritage quilt I made for my great aunt who is turning 83 this week. These pictures cover 4 generations. I changed all the pictures to a sepia tone. You can go here to see my tutorial on how to make a PHOTO QUILT.
[ read more ]
When I receive e-mails like this one it blesses me beyond words! Thank you Kim for sharing! Ladies, take note of what Kim has done, even without all the fancy tools and new fabrics. GREAT JOB!!! Hi Kathy, Here are pictures of t
[ read more ]
I absolutely love doing these! They are so easy and they do not need to be perfect. This is a great beginner's project. For a baby rag quilt you will need: a total of 2 yards of fabric (for this project I have used 1 yard of each color). If you want to use batting you will need ab
[ read more ]
Bottle Cap Pin Cushions These are easy to make, pretty and useful too! They also make good little gifts for aspiring needlecrafters! Because we do alot of quilting around here, and hopefully we'll attempt apparel sewing this year, these are handy to have on hand...lol!!! I made several of the
[ read more ]
This past week was good, but I sure am glad it is over! The quilt guild that I am president of had our annual quilt show Friday and Saturday. It was a TON of work, but the show went off smoothly..well, except for the wind and rain on Friday, which is even worse when you are on
[ read more ]
Yesterday our guild (which the girls and I belong to) took part in the Collinsville Quilt Walk. There were seven historical houses filled with quilts from seven states. The theme was the Seven Sisters, this quilt pattern above. Our guild was in the most beautiful house!!!! We had 76 qu
[ read more ]
Today was the last of our summer Domestic Day Camps. This lesson was Rag Quilting. This is the easiest, most forgiving project. It is perfect for beginners. Here is a tutorial I put up last year about Rag Quilting.
[ read more ]
This week I had the privilege of spending some time with this sweet family of girls. They learned how to String Quilt on paper. Here they are with their almost finished quilt. It is made of Christmas fabrics. Do you see the smiles on their faces? They are like this all the time. :o) A pure joy to be
[ read more ]
Our family's choice:
The best way to have a good idea is to have LOTS of ideas,
then to actually put them into action!
