So much for scraps. I mean, we all save them, right? Always looking for that perfect pattern to use them up. How about digging around in a trash can for batik scraps thrown away by fellow quilters during a sewing day? I am not kidding - I did it and here is the result! Trash Basket Batiks was made around 2004. Here's the little story: My Atlanta quilt guild was working on a group project - sewing several beautiful batik quilts in order to be used to raise money for a youth missions trip. Everyone was slicing and dicing and - horror of horrors! - throwing the little strings and scraps of batiks in the big trash cans. I was stunned. So, I dashed over and scooped out the little piles of gorgeous fabric and announced that I couldn’t let that happen. My guild understands my quirks and laughed and poked fun at me. Well, I got the last laugh when the next month I came back and showed them what I created from those trash basket discards. And the project: Trash Bas

On my 3 mile walk today I was humming to my tunes and thinking hard about some fabric. I knew I had used a particular Kaffe Fassett print in a quilt as a center circle (or partial circle) but it eluded me as to which one. You may be thinking: "Does this woman not know what her quilts look like?" Yes. But I've made so many over the past 22 years that I don't always keep things straight. Once inside my house again, I rushed upstairs and pulled a few quilts out of the closets. And I found the one I was looking for. I made it back in 2010 and it was rejected by my book publisher as being "too wild." I had it quilted by Connie Gallant and figured it could be a workshop. It does travel with me when I present trunk shows. Here she is: My Geese Have the Blues : 12" blocks; 38" x 38" This appears in my 2014 Wall Calendar of Quilts (out of print). Maybe you have the calendar? My Geese Have the Blues What's a little wild Targets fabric in

My friend Jean Ann Wright (who used to be my editor at Quilt Magazine for 14 years) has developed two more Log Cabin Trim Tools. One is 4" and the other is 6". Yes, small blocks. But I had a wonderful time working with my scraps to make these two projects: This is Diamond in the Logs and was made using the 4" ruler. Yes, there are 16 blocks! Diamond in the Logs : 23" x 23" These are quilt shop exclusive. I don't sell them myself. Check with your local shop. Here is a Sewing & Needle Case I also made, only this time with two 6" blocks: Sewing and Needle Book I enjoy making log cabin blocks. It is a great way to use up scraps. My gray, white and red one used several different prints. And my little sewing book used quite a few. Thanks for stopping by. I have a few more things up my sleeve and I'm going back to my sewing machine for now!

When I was a contributing editor for Quilt Magazine, we featured Kaffe Fassett and his Field Notes as an article in every issue. (Click that link to read all 16 of these awesome articles.) We invited him to talk about his work, his inspiration and his fabrics. I sewed with a LOT of those fabrics and had them published as quickly as I made them. At least 11 of those quilts made it into my book, Supersize 'Em Quilts and I even gave a signed copy to Kaffe at Spring Market in 2009. I have recently discovered a Facebook page devoted to Kaffe and his fabrics (along with Brandon Mabley and Phillip Jacobs). And I've begun cutting up my very large stash of his fabrics into 2-1/2" strips. Why buy a jelly roll bundle when you can create your own? So far, I've cut 27 strips with another 2 dozen to come (which includes the stripes and plaids). Note: I didn't buy this fabric or I would be in the poor house! It was part of working for a quilt magazine. 17 strips, cut on

As a parent, it seems I was always urging my 3 daughters to "Eat your veggies!" It was a battle, let me tell you. Now, as adults, they don't shy away from their vegetables and even have found clever ways to get their own children to eat them. How come no one shared that secret with me years ago? Today I am sharing about a new collection called "What's in My Pantry?" and again, it's all about vegetables. You may doubt it once I get going, but trust me, OK? The full tutorial is on the Benartex blog: Sew in Love with Fabric . Go check it out to see what I did. What's in My Pantry? fabrics by Benartex I combined some Fleur de Lis applique patches with these veggie prints and it got kind of crazy. Check it out and then come back to get the free template for the Fleur de Lis patch. Full size Fleur de Lis Here is the  FREE template  for a finished 10" block. It's a one page pdf.  Fleur de Lis Pattern

This new eMagazine has been updated. You can now DOWNLOAD it - for free! Here is the new link:  Modern by the Yard You do not have to give any personal information, nor should you be asked to pay for this. Modern by the Yard  eMagazine Just launched by Benartex,  Modern by the Yard  32 page e-magazine. Free. Beautiful. 4 projects and all sorts of inspiration. One of them is mine using some Fossil Fern hexies. Fossil Fern hexies What are you waiting for? Click the link above. Did I say, "WOW"? You can see several of the pages at the  Sew in Love with Fabric  blog. So beautiful!

This new eMagazine has been updated. You can now DOWNLOAD it - for free! Here is the new link: Modern by the Yard Modern by the Yard eMagazine Just launched by Benartex, Modern by the Yard 32 page e-magazine. Free. Beautiful. 4 projects and all sorts of inspiration. One of them is mine using some Fossil Fern hexies. Fossil Fern hexies What are you waiting for? Click the link above. Did I say, "WOW"? You can see several of the pages at the Sew in Love with Fabric blog. So beautiful!