What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

Did you ever want to make a city quilt, but weren't sure where to start (pun intended)? I once trod in your shoes — but now I can help! 

Hot off the press, five years in the making, here's my new 96-page book, 'Scrap Cities: Joyful Modern Architecture-Inspired Quilts.' 

Cities are fascinating in a billion ways, and a quilter could spend a lifetime making city-themed quilts — which I feel like I just did (In fact it's only been about five years).

'Quilted New York,' the book before this one, took me a year bent over a smoldering keyboard ...

I've made a lot of cityscape quilts, and I always have a blast doing them. Here's one, "Nonsense Town." 

And here's a closeup of some of the buildings. Let's look at that orange one. 

Below is an even simpler example, a potential skyscraper made from two print fabrics. It would take 4 minutes to cut out and sew together. The darker perspective side gives it a nice dimensionality. Modern skyscrapers require so little time to ...

Here’s the proof, my new book in my old hand, wearing my Dad's even-older ring (I think my grandmother gave it to him in the 40s). My Mom’s ring is ...

Off we go on our grand adventure to Africa tomorrow! Here is a little recap of the last 24 hours… Yesterday: Wake up to find we have been sent a notification from the airlines that our flight has been cancelled. Wait, what?!??? My heart skips a beat, a precursor to the flood of panic that […]

There are still spaces left for The Basics Workshop! This workshop is for any and all who want to learn basic design concepts, techniques, stitches and have lots and lots of fun. Hurry and sign up now before it fills up. I did a livestream for my Patrons yesterday using my newly organized space and […]

When COVID hit New York City over a year ago now, death was no longer an abstract idea. People we knew were getting really, really sick, a few of them died, a few are still not 100%. When the mobil morgue parked just blocks away from our building to handle the overflow of dead bodies, […]

My big idea was to create a building under construction, based on some of my New York City photos, especially of the building on the left.

To capture the sense of looking directly inside rooms, I drafted a foundation paper piecing patterns. It's constructed in strips. Here are the top portions of two of the strips. 

I’ve mentioned this before; my husband and I start the morning off with a reading of some kind and then discuss whatever it is we’ve just read. Today we read about relationships using thread as a metaphor, which was kind of perfect for someone like me. This quote was particularly appealing for obvious reasons. A […]

Fresh from the photographer! My newest quilt - it's about 70" high. I should have blocked it, look at that top edge, curved like an archery bow, oy!

I’m knee deep in writing instructions to various projects that I’ll be doing workshops on. I have to admit I don’t love writing instructions. It’s kind of tedious, exacting work, but it has to be done. Also it’s been kind of grey and rainy out, so one must grab the sunny moments to venture out… Continue reading Spring in NYC & Bear Cubs

First things first. There are just TWO spots left for my Dorset Buttons Gone Wild Workshop on Saturday, March 20th. So if you want to reserve a space, you’ll need to let me know right away! For those of you who watched my livestream the other day, you’ll know what happened when I cut into… Continue reading Vaccinations & Silk Cocoons

When I was in my twenties I had a brief moment when I was an “actor”. Being an actor is kind of a prerequisite to living in New York City as a young person. Of course that meant that I was also in the restaurant business. How else can one support an acting career if… Continue reading Hand Model? No.

Before COVID hit I would begin the day by going to the gym, riding a stationary bike for 30 – 45 minutes, perhaps taking a 45 minute high intensity workout class before heading home. So when the gym closed I figured I’d landed on a “free space” meaning I’d start my exercise routine again once… Continue reading Exercise in the Time of Covid

Seriously, is this one of the most hilarious things ever? Merlin is SO clever! So Merlin, in addition to all of his other amusing and endearing characteristics, also plays fetch. He may be small, but he’s fierce! In the morning, but occasionally in the evening as well, he will bring me his “cork,” which is… Continue reading Merlin Plays Fetch & Other Breaking News

I awoke this morning thinking I would get an early start by going out into the snowy streets to take some video footage. But then I looked at the weather and it said with the wind chill it felt more like about 20 degrees and I thought better of it. So I practiced my French,… Continue reading A Snowy New York City & Aging

There was a show at the David Lewis Gallery that my husband and I recently went to, which absolutely stunned me. It was one of those exhibits that takes your breath away. A solo show by the artist Thornton Dial. I walked in with no expectations and left profoundly moved. It was a visceral response… Continue reading Thornton Dial and His Art

Happy New Year!

Any little bit of snow is exciting news here in New York City where we used to get several big blizzards a year, but now, not so much. So in anticipation I went out for an early morning stroll and had such a lovely walk. I made a video of my morning outing and just… Continue reading A Little Snow in NYC

The most magical times in my life have been those moments when I met someone and the connection was instantaneous or they did or said something that was particularly moving and memorable. Likewise there have been places that felt magical, like some sort of spiritual vortex, inexplicable, yet utterly unique and beautiful. And there are… Continue reading The Magic of an Encounter

With much of the country and world resorting to increasingly strident measures due to the pandemic’s unrelenting destruction, here are a few memes and other silliness to make you smile. Years ago my husband, who is constantly hoping to catch sight of a UFO, and believes he will some day, came across acronyms that introduced… Continue reading And Now For Some Humor…