This little quilt is going to QuiltCon! I made it back in January for a fiber show at @kenai.art.center and itās one of my favorites that Iāve made. Iām glad it gets a chance to hang in another show before I put it up on a wall in my house!
#quiltcon2026
Weāre moving to Vermont in just a few weeks, and as this last excellent Alaskan summer gives way to the changes of fall, Iām finding myself wishing for just one more year here to do all the best, soul-filling things, like kayaking in Resurrection Bay with porpoises, or going to the dump to see the eagles guarding the carcass bin š. I know that Iāll never feel like Iāve had enough, even when my next āhomeā is exciting and good in its own way.
Alaska is such a special place, and I donāt think Iād have gotten this deep into quilting if it hadnāt been for my time here. The isolation and overwhelm of moving so far away from family with my infant son, which led me to spend my evenings quilting in an attempt to find some semblance of āself careā, has transformed into a rich community that feeds my creativity. Iām so thankful for its influence in my life and the version of myself that Iāve found here. Being here has been one of my lifeās greatest privileges. ā¤ļø
I play with selvedge letters like toddlers play with blocks. Just having the most fun every time I pull them out.š
#selvedge #selvedgeletters #salvagetheselvedge #selvedgeletterlabel
Today I pulled out most of the variations of white fabric in my stash for my @pantonequiltchallenge quilt, then I added in a bunch of my favorite colors which Iāll sneak into the quilt. I have a lot of cutting and piecing to do!
#pantonequiltchallenge
block printing š¤ quilt block
Yesterday I took a block printing workshop taught by @elizawestmakes at @hardpressedvt and I had such fun playing with blocks! My brain is always circling around quilts - do you think thatās obvious in the banana (bandana! Silly autocorrect!) that I made? š
For me, the hardest part of the block printing process was drawing a design to carve, as I donāt do a lot of drawing or doodling in my creative practice. But these two simple shapes of a sun (or tree slice?) and barn swallow turned out better than I thought they would, and Iām going to reuse the blocks to make a tea towel for my kitchen soon.
Vermont has been surprising to me in how vibrant the art community is here. So many opportunities to explore and play!
Build a wonky house with me!
Today I did a trial run of the bee block that Iām requesting during my bee month in September. I wanted to make a traditional schoolhouse block but with a ākidās construction paper artā vibe. I think this will fit that bill! āļøšļø
I got to see my tiny little quilt at QuiltCon this year, and even wore my matching jumpsuit! I made a sticker of my quilt, and it happened to be quite close to scale. š
What a great weekend in Raleigh. It feels like summer camp, full of friends and excitement and joyful people. I talk to so many people on Instagram and see so many quilts virtually, and itās special to be able to do those things in-person for a few days each year. I always leave feeling so inspired and thankful. ā¤ļø
Only this weekend and next until QuiltCon! Are you working on last-minute projects? Iām hoping to finish a chore coat and make two shirts, but both of my kids have birthdays in the next two weeks, so that might be a pie in the sky dream for me. š
An easy and quick project, if youāre looking for one, is to make a lanyard from your favorite scraps! You could cut up some selvedges and add your name to it, too, if you feel so inclined. After QuiltCon, I repurpose one of my lanyards as a camera strap.
Itās pretty easy to figure out how to make a simple lanyard on your own, but if youād like to see how I make mine, complete with measurements and supplies, look in the āReelsā tab of my profile and youāll see my step by step video for a scrappy lanyard like these. š
I took two years off from making blocks in the Scrappy Happy Bee, but Iām back this year! š„³ Itās hard for me to consistently work on my own projects in addition to monthly bee blocks, so I havenāt been in every yearās bee round (and others in our bee take breaks as needed, too). It feels like a healthy and realistic long-term structure. Itās fun to make space for bee blocks again this year and use my stash for friends who love the same fabrics as me! This same bee has been going for four years now, and every block feels like making something for a dear friend.
This block is for @honeybee.homemaker who especially loves Heather Ross fabrics. The little creepinā/judgy-looking gnome is my personal fave. š
