MAKE MORE ART: 1. Turning a floor into a quilt?

I committed to myself to make more art in 2026. I started with a photo I snapped of my nephew's tile floor:

selected fabrics:

English paper pieced 176 one-inch hexagons:

chose thread on a piece of stained glass fabric,

machine quilted flowers, swirls, and leaves

Now they are ready to gift:

Listen to me tell the whole story on YouTube.

I have a lot of photographs that are waiting to be reimagined and reinterpreted and created into a quilt. I look forward to sharing this journey with you. To follow along, subscribe to my newsletter.

Are you ready to use your imagination and create art this year?

Baby Bear Bonnet for my soon-to-be-born Grandson

I am waiting for my grandson to arrive.  Since he's overdue, I'm sure his mother is anxious for him to be born as well!

While I was at the Road to Rhinebeck event at Pick Up Every Stitch in Mount Kisco, NY in October, I bought some brown Gli Occhi del Lupo Corilla fingering yarn from Italy to make the Baby Bear Bonnet for his 7 month old cousin and for him.

This bonnet had German short row shaping, I-cord, I-cord cast off, and Kitchener stitch joining for the ears.  For those not in the know, THESE ARE NOT EASY!  I ripped his cousin's tiny bonnet out in various amounts at various stages but nearly sailed through this one!  I love proof that I'm becoming a better knitter.

Reminder that this was SEW CUTE on grandbaby #4.

Note:  I still have yarn left and would love to hear news of (yet) another baby.  Aren't babies the best!?!?!

New for Subscribers: Quilting an I Spy Quilt

My newest As the Bobbin Turns Subscriber-Only Video shows how I quilted my great nephew's I Spy quilt with a thread that matched so well it was hard to quilt!

In the video I give tips on thread selection, how to see while quilting when the thread blends in, and how to form meandering.

Subscribe to As the Bobbin Turns to see how I quilted this adorable quilt!  This is where my subscribers access the videos I film JUST FOR THEM!

Here Be Dragons Mystery Quilt REVEALED!

 Last weekend was five hours of fun with fellow quilters as we together made Here Be Dragons, a 60" x 60" quilt.  Hundreds of quilters trusted me and chose fabrics not knowing what their quilts would look like and I'm honored by their trust in me.

Several students shared their quilt tops with me and I have their permission to share them with you!

Heather was a trooper waking up at 4am to start quilting in Australia!  Her quilt was a little fishy, though:

Holly's quilt was a vision of loveliness in blues:

Patty's quilt using batiks was quite elegant!

Savannah's quilt shines with a pop of PINK!

Pamela's quilt is another blue beauty:

Ann's quilt is peachy keen!

It's not too late to make your own Here Be Dragons!  The revealed pattern is available for purchse.

How I Machine Quilted Lemon Bars Cutie Quilt on a Home Sewing Machine using a Stencil

 If you follow me regularly, you know I adore everything Primitive Gatherings.  I treated myself to their Pumpkin Spice Gatherings fat quarter tower and am using it one fat eighth (9"x22") at a time to make Cutie Quilts.

I just finished this Lemon Bars Cutie Quilt using all the orange fabrics from the collection.  Cutting each fat quarter in half, I used 16 fat eighths in the body of the quilt and pieced the other 16 fat eighths to make the border.  Then I quilted it to show on YouTube.

 Watch the YouTube video to see how I quilted the rectangles using my ABC Circle Heart Stencil from Full Line Stencils, how I stitched ribbon candy in the sashing (of COURSE I did!), and how I stitched leaves in the border. 

I texted a photo of this finished quilt to my sister and she instantly texted back "DIB!"  I guess it's hers now?

December Project Roundup

 A La Mode Cutie Quilt

Squared Away Cutie Quilt

Baby Bear Bonnet

A fabric book 

Ahoy Matey Color Block Quilt

Sweet Tooth Cutie Quilt

Sweet Tooth Cutie Quilt: Ribbon Candy Recovery Ritual

On the day after Christmas, I had my last infusion for 2025.  I feel "off" for a few days and decided to set myself up to ribbon candy quilt until I felt better again.

I pieced a Sweet Tooth Cutie Quilt in some bright colors to prepare for my recovery.  This is one of my favorite quilts to quilt because it's all ribbon candy stitching!

Doesn't this quilt make you feel 10% happier just by looking at it?

I gave this quilt to Taylor, one of the infusion nurses who takes care of me.  I visit a lot of doctors, often, and most of the doctors and staff have quilts.  It was Taylor's turn to get one.

She is adorable and she received this quilt in a suitably adorable fashion.  "Oh my word!  I have compression socks that look just like this fabric (Veggie Tales)!"  "I love it!"  "Can I give you a hug?"  

I tell all quilt recipients that they can throw this in the washer and dryer and that it's suitable for pets.  "Oh my cat is going to steal this, I can just tell!"

Other nurses who already had quilts shared stories of their quilts, and the office staff admired it greatly.  That means I have to make more to bring to the office staff.

These are some of the bright and happy 1 1/2" strips I have in my drawer.  I think there are enough for at least three more of these quilts that will spread some love through the medical group.

That means more ribbon candy happiness for me!

A Christmas Finish: A Fabric Book for Baby

My youngest grandson loves books and by "loves books" I mean "shoves them into his mouth."  

It's a good thing I'm a quilter and there are panels for cloth baby books!

I bought The Land of Opposites at Adirondack Quilts when I taught there in the fall and stitched it together while watching a few episodes of Stitch with Lisa Bongean on YouTube.  I love everything Primitive Gatherings!

My construction techniques for these books are accurate enough to not fall apart.  I claim no additional skill at making fabric books.

With grandbaby #5 on the way, I'm sure I'll be making a few more books.

What's your favorite quilt shop to buy fabric book panels?

New in Color Blocks: Ahoy Matey Machine Quilting Tutorial

This is my fifth year of publishing monthly scrap quilting patterns called Color Block Quilts.  In short, I cut all of my scraps into 2 1/2" squares, group them into color families, stitch them into 16-patches, and then stich them into simple quilts.   All of the quilts for 2025 are grouped together in a free (for now) class.  Once you "buy" the class (for free), it's yours forever even if a price is eventually attached.

This year, all of the patterns are designed for babies!  I made this decision in the summer of 2024 before I knew I'd have a new grandbaby this year (June) and another one coming December/January!  Build it and they will come?

My December pattern is named Ahoy Matey.  I designed this as a toy boat or a pirate ship, but my niece thinks it's the Mayflower.  I guess that works, too, for any history-minded tots!

I quilted swirls and switchbacks in cream thread.  

I used a Baseline Borders Full Line Stencil to mark the waves/swirls using pink Pounce powder.  Yes, I said PINK!  I couldn't get the blue or white powders to show up on the fabric.  Due to my fabric choices, the quilting is really subtle; when the light hits the quilt, though, the quilting SHINES!

Head to the class for the pattern and machine quilting tutorial.

Get stitching, because you never know when a baby (or two) will enter your life!

A Christmas Finish: Baby Bear Bonnet

My youngest grandchild has two mothers who both knit and who both appreciate handmade gifts.  

While we (my daughter, daughter-in-law, grandson, and I) were at the Road to Rhinebeck event at Pick Up Every Stitch in Mount Kisco, NY in October, I bought some brown Gli Occhi del Lupo Corilla fingering yarn from Italy to make the Baby Bear Bonnet for him.

For knitters in the know, it had German short row shaping, I-cord, I-cord cast off, and Kitchener stitch joining for the ears.  For those not in the know, THESE ARE NOT EASY!  I ripped this tiny bonnet out in various amounts at various stages.  

After those bouts of frustration, I love how it turned out and it was SEW CUTE on grandbaby #4.

Note:  I still have yarn left and grandbaby #5 is due shortly.  Back to the needles!

New FREE Color Block Pattern -- Ahoy Matey

This is my fifth year of publishing monthly scrap quilting patterns called Color Block Quilts.  In short, I cut all of my scraps into 2 1/2" squares, group them into color families, stitch them into 16-patches, and then stich them into simple quilts.

This year, all of the patterns are designed for babies!  I made this decision in the summer of 2024 before I knew I'd have a new grandbaby this year (June) and another one coming December/January!  Build it and they will come?

My December pattern is named Ahoy Matey.  All of the quilts for 2025 are grouped together in a free (for now) class.  Once you "buy" the class (for free), it's yours forever even if a price is eventually attached.

Head to the class for the pattern.

Get stitching, because you never know when a baby (or two) will enter your life!

New for Subscribers: Squared Away Cutie Quilt and Clamshells with Rulers

Do you subscribe to As the Bobbin Turns?  It's where my subscribers access the videos I film JUST FOR THEM!

My newest video features my Squared Away Cutie Pattern in green and gray fabrics.  I machine quilted it with clamshells using a ruler on my home sewing machine.

Clamshells were a quick and easy pattern to stitch over the entire quilt.  It also looks great!

I love that the math mathed well on this quilt and the clamshells fit perfectly!

Subscribe to As the Bobbin Turns and watch the video to see how I was able to custom-fit the clamshells without marking!

New on YouTube: Garden Gatherings A La Mode Cutie Quilt

My A La Mode Cutie Pattern is quick and easy to piece -- as easy as pie A La Mode!

I chose to quilt it simply using a wave ruler.  That, too was quick and easy.

It was all so quick and easy that I feel like I blinked and the quilt was finished.  I'm sad I didn't get to work on this beauty longer! 

I did, however, film while I quilted this and added the video to YouTube so you can see how fast this little quilt went together.

To make your own version of this quilt, you'll need:

A La Mode Cutie Pattern

Garden Gatherings Fabric

Tidal Wave Ruler

Handi Grip

Batt Scooters

Tan 50-weight cotton Konfetti Thread

Soft Tan 80-weight polyester DecoBob Thread

and if you've never quilted using a ruler on your home sewing machine, definitely watch my Machine Quilting with Rulers class on Annie's Attic (it's on serious sale the day I'm writing this).

November Project Roundup

 I finished Scrappy Blue Snowball Fight in October, but didn't get to edit the video or take photos for my As the Bobbin Turns subscribers until November.

 

New for Subscribers: Scrappy Blue Snowball Fight

 I'm a big fan of everything Primitive Gatherings.  I've been to two retreats at their Wisconsin retreat center, I subscribe to their cotton quilt box, I purchase every new line of fabric, and I love their patterns.  Oh, and wool applique -- I'm learning to do that, as well.

I have the Snowman Gatherings IV pattern book and want to make every quilt in it!  

I chose the Snowball Fight pattern since it used 2 1/2" squares and I have boxes and Boxes and BOXES of 2 1/2" squares cut for my Color Block projects.  I pulled a little yardage for the snowball blocks but every other bit of this quilt was a 2 1/2" square that I lovingly cut from my scraps.  It's like a free quilt!!!

I machine quilted this quilt on my home sewing machine.  I stitched down each column of blocks from the top of the quilt to the bottom.  

I stitched snowflakes in the snowball blocks:

and stitched continuous curves and a few snowflakes in each nine-patch block:

Subscribers can head to As the Bobbin Turns to watch and learn how I quilted this quilt.  If you aren't yet a subscriber, you can subscribe monthly or annually to get an over-my-shoulder peek at how I tackle my quilts using my home sewing machine.