On the Road: Phoenix, AZ
What don’t you do after five days of teaching twenty students? Don’t try to edit your blog that’ll be posting that night. Especially don’t try to check it to see if … Read More
Author: Susan
It’s in the Details: My Studio
For much of my life, my creative space has been an appendage, an after-thought, a space co-opted from existing living space. You know what I mean. There was the craft … Read More
Quilt Stories: There’s Somethin’ Fishy Going On
The Fish Lady For a while, early on in my career, I could have been known as the Fish Lady. Quilts of fish were some of the first pieces I … Read More
Sort It Out: Organizing Fabric
Of course the biggest benefit of my career is the guilt-free indulgence of buying all the fabric I need (or want!). Each new project requires a different “palette” of fabrics. … Read More
From Photo to Fabric: Choose the Best Shot
Listen up. Time for some tough love. That picture of your laughing grandchild, that snapshot of your beloved bulldog, the antique photo of your great-grandmother: what wonderful memories they elicit! … Read More
Quilt Stories: Dain and the Piece of Fabric that Changed My Life
“Dain,” an early portrait of my father-in-law, influenced my quilting in several important ways. One piece of plaid fabric especially changed how I pieced quilts forever.
A Christmas Gift that Keeps on Giving
We all have projects that just never seem to get finished. Quilters sometimes call them UFOs–Un-Finished Objects–and these projects are almost always the source of guilt and self-criticism. It’s bad … Read More
“From Insects to Elephants” (and Crocs)
A visit to the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts where my quilt “Crocodylus Smylus” is having its premier with over 100 other animal quilts.
Why Color Is Irrelevant
In a comment on a previous blog, a follower asked if I would describe how I inject vibrant, non-realistic color into my pieces. You may never look at your fabric stash the same.
“Bird by Bird”: How I Use a Book on Writing to Teach Fabric Collage
Inspiration comes from many unexpected sources. I’ve found a book on writing by Anne Lamott to be both useful and entertaining when I or my students need a boost.