National Quilting Day 2014 is March 15th

Posted by andrew on Mar 13, 2014 | 0 comments

By Janelle Cahoon, Quiltcentric

Are you doing anything special this year for National Quilting Day?

This year marks the 23^rd anniversary of this celebration of quilt-making and quilters; it originated in 1991 with a resolution by the National Quilting Association and is always held the third Saturday in March.

Knowing When to Leave Your Quilt Guild

Posted by andrew on Nov 18, 2013 | 0 comments

By Janelle Cahoon, Quiltcentric

Sadly, we sometimes find that a guild or a bee we’ve been a satisfied member of for some time has become more of a chore than a pleasure.  We start finding excuses not to go, but we still hang on as a member because we remember how we used to love it.

A Male Quilter’s Point of View

Posted by andrew on Sep 29, 2013 | 0 comments

By Eric Suszynski, guest author

My name is Eric Suszynski, also known as, Eric The Quilter. I’ve been quilting for 14 months now, and I’ve been mildly productive. I’m at 20 quilt tops completed and 7 completed quilts, as well as a few quilted pillows and small things like that. I also run my own blog at www.ericthequilter.com.

10 Ways You Know You’re a Quilter

Posted by andrew on Sep 22, 2013 | 0 comments

By Janelle Cahoon, Quiltcentric

You know you’re a quilter when….

1. You see quilt patterns in carpet, wallpaper and bathroom tiles.
2. Your rotary cutter slips and your first thought is to avoid getting blood on the fabric.
3. You dream quilt designs.

Quilter Sews in Space

Posted by andrew on Aug 11, 2013 | 0 comments

By Janelle Cahoon, Quiltcentric

Karen Nyberg, astronaut and quilter, has released a photo of herself sewing in zero-gravity on the International Space Station.

Many quilters have been following her story since she lifted off May 29^th on her way to her 6-month assignment on the Space Station, bringing with her some fabric, a few sewing tools and expressing her hope to do a little quilting during her relaxation time.

Quilters Marry in Their Local Quilt Shop

Posted by andrew on Jul 21, 2013 | 0 comments

Via press release from The Running Stitch, edited by Janelle Cahoon, Quiltcentric

In what was surely the first wedding ever of its kind, Canadian quilters Susan and Robert (last names not released) were married July 13, 2013 at their local quilt shop, surrounded by over 2,000 bolts of fabric as well as by their friends, family, local quilt community, and a few unsuspecting customers who just thought they were coming in to look at fabric.

When Your Honey Hates Your Hobby

Posted by andrew on Jun 16, 2013 | 0 comments

By Janelle Cahoon, Quiltcentric

As I’ve said before, my husband is a “quilting enabler” and I love that he supports my quilting passion as he does, but I’ve been thinking lately about the plight of those quilters whose spouses are unsupportive, dismissive, complaining, or outright angry about their quilting hobby.

Space Station Astronaut is a Quilter

Posted by andrew on May 19, 2013 | 0 comments

By Janelle Cahoon, Quiltcentric

Karen Nyberg seems like a lot of other quilters.  She’s a working mom who learned to sew at an early age, has done both clothing and home décor sewing and makes lots of quilts as gifts.

What’s different?  She’s also an astronaut!

If You Quilt It They Will Come

Posted by andrew on Apr 28, 2013 | 0 comments

By Janelle Cahoon, Quiltcentric

Have you noticed the unique phenomenon that happens whenever you have a quilt nearly finished?  The perfect owner comes forward for it.

I’m a quilter. I’ve been a quilter for many years, but I don’t have a quilt on my own bed; I blame the “if you quilt it, they will come” factor for that.

National Quilting Day 2013

Posted by andrew on Mar 10, 2013 | 0 comments

By Janelle Cahoon, Quiltcentric

National Quilting Day is March 16^th this year.  This special holiday for quilters was started 23 years ago by the National Quilting Association.

Many quilt guilds celebrate quilting on this day by holding special workshops, retreats or by gathering to sew charity quilts. Individuals or on-line groups often celebrate by spending the day quilting, or by visiting their favorite quilt shops.  One of the online forums I belong to has had a running joke for years about setting our sewing baskets out for “Quilta-Claus,” who brings good quilters gifts of thread or fabric on National Quilting Day.

How Long Did It Take?

Posted by andrew on Mar 10, 2013 | 0 comments

By Janelle Cahoon, Quiltcentric

This is a question many crafters dread.  I know I do, but it seems I’m asked it almost every time I give someone a quilt.

“How long did it take?”

If you want to answer it seriously, do you include the years spent perfecting your skills, or the weeks or months you may have spent considering the pattern and gathering just the right materials?  Do you add in the months or even years it may have spent as a UFO while you worked on other projects instead?  Do you estimate the number of weeks or months you were actively working on it?

Is Your Spouse a Quilting Enabler?

Posted by andrew on Feb 10, 2013 | 0 comments

By Janelle Cahoon, Quiltcentric

My husband is a Quilting Enabler.  He wants me to buy the fabrics I love and the latest tools and gadgets.  He likes me to sit beside him on the couch in the evening and see me quilting while he watches TV.  He asks about the latest project or what I’m planning next.  He loves every quilt I’ve ever made – even the ugly ones.

10 Reasons to Enter a Quilt Show

Posted by andrew on Oct 28, 2012 | 0 comments

By Janelle Cahoon, Quiltcentric

1. Yes, you are that good!
2. It will increase your confidence in your quilting ability.
3. It’s a good way to support your guild.

In Praise of White-Glove Ladies

Posted by andrew on Oct 13, 2012 | 0 comments

By Janelle Cahoon, Quiltcentric

All around the quilt show, the white-glove ladies are the helpful angels who allow the curious to see the secrets on the back sides of the hanging quilts.

Quilting by the Surfer Code

Posted by andrew on Oct 13, 2012 | 0 comments

By Janelle Cahoon, Quiltcentric

I happened across an interesting WikiHow article the other day called “How to Live the Surfer Code” and I’ve been thinking about how the life lessons in the Surfer Code can also apply to quilting.

Announcing the Quilt Guilds Project

Posted by andrew on Sep 16, 2012 | 0 comments

By Janelle Cahoon, Quiltcentric

Quilters deserve to quickly find accurate and complete guild information when they want it, not just in the US but worldwide.

There’s a lot of guild information out there, but it’s in bits and pieces all over and much of it is just plain wrong!  I’ve gathered as much as I can from dozens of places and I couldn’t tell you how many abandoned guild links are out there, or how many times a guild website gave updated meeting information that wasn’t reflected in the older sources.

How to Beat Quilter’s Block

Posted by andrew on Aug 26, 2012 | 0 comments

By Janelle Cahoon, Quiltcentric

It’s happened to all of us at some point: even though we like to quilt, and want to quilt, and maybe even need to make a quilt, for some reason we just can’t seem to sit in that sewing chair and actually work on something.  It can go on for days, weeks or even months and the frustration can just keep mounting as the desire to quilt fights with the inability to actually do it.

How Good Is “Good Enough”?

Posted by andrew on Jul 31, 2012 | 0 comments

By Janelle Cahoon, Quiltcentric

There are quilters who make only heirloom quilts, who won’t tolerate a single blunted point or unburied knot, and there are other quilters who happily wave back at their wavy borders and quote their motto, “If you can’t see it from the back of a galloping horse, it’s good enough.”