Developpement – The French Quilter

My best tips for buying a sewing machine

Looking for a new sewing machine but don’t know where to begin? Start by reading this blog!

I regularly receive emails seeking advice on the purchase of a sewing machine to make quilts. I always take the time to answer as best as I can in private, however I see that this is becoming quite a regular question. That’s why I have decided to write a blog featuring my best tips for buying a sewing machine so that I can help more quilt enthusiasts with this great purchase!

Tips for buying a sewing machine

I contacted several sewing machine vendors as I wanted to get some help when giving advice reflecting what’s available on the market today. I was really happy to have two businesses interested in collaborating on my project. You might wonder why I reached out to vendors? Because the first thing you should do when purchasing a sewing machine for quilting IS to find a store specializing in the sale of sewing machines in order to ensure that you receive adequate assistance following your purchase.

Aurifil Artisan April Showcase: Favorite Thread Weight

I am really excited to present you my Aurifil Artisan April Showcase featuring my favorite thread weight. It’s taken me so long to finish this project but it was perfect timing for this month’s showcase.

Continue reading “Aurifil Artisan April Showcase: Favorite Thread Weight”

EXPERIMENTING BY TAKING A CLASS!

In keeping up with the word of the year: Experiment! I have another way to get you going for the month of March!

Just to keep track of our monthly goals to experiment in 2017, I had suggested in January to clean up your studio and organize your scraps. In February I had suggested that you experiment with colours, trying out a new pattern with a colourway that you would have never picked out on your own.

How did it go?

If you have fallen short on your monthly goals, this one is sure to jump-start your experimenting resolution. Here is your goal for March:

TAKE A QUILTING CLASS!

Continue reading “EXPERIMENTING BY TAKING A CLASS!”

EXPERIMENTING WITH COLORS

Earlier this month I offered you to experiment with colors for the month of February.

“Try a project using a color you have never used before, I dare you to try with a color you actually hate! I did that one year and it was my first pattern that got published by Quilter’s World! This time I’ve decided that I was going to experiment using all the colors of the rainbow.”

So here are the details of my experiment!

Continue reading “EXPERIMENTING WITH COLORS”

Welcome everyone to February!

In the past I have always found February to be a weird month and thanked God that it was a short one. It was the month where I would have the most quilt design inspirations! I would wake up in the middle of the night just to sketch a pattern I dreamed about, or write an idea that was just screaming at me during my sleep. All of those ideas would keep me busy all year long. I would always dread January as I was afraid of not having so many wonderful ideas. Sure enough, February would arrive and it would start all over again.

At first I thought that it was simply because it was the month where I had to close my books and do my year end reports for the company. I really hate accounting and it was taking up most of my time. So I thought that my creative side was feeling left out in the day and was pouring out in my sleep to compensate. Continue reading “Welcome everyone to February!”

TIPS & TRICKS FOR A BETTER STUDIO

In my last blog, I discussed the fact that your sewing room needed to become your STUDIO this year as you will be experimenting with your quilting. While giving my lecture last weekend, many students had questions regarding their studio and I thought I should elaborate more on the subject.

When I started to talk about organizing your space to make room for your creativity, way back in 2015, many students reminded me that I had the space in my quilt shop to have a studio. So I accepted the challenge to create a studio in my home. Keep in mind that I have 3 boys and do not live in a mansion! And I will not apologize for the mess in the following pictures. Continue reading “TIPS & TRICKS FOR A BETTER STUDIO”

WORD FOR 2017: EXPERIMENT

Hello everybody!

I wish you only the very best for 2017.

If you are looking for New Year’s resolutions, have some suggestions for you:

I have recently received many comments about my blog and wish to thank you for them because sometimes I wonder whether the time spent writing a blog is relevant. So the first New Year’s resolution would be to TAKE THE TIME to write a comment after reading each blog to confirm that you have read it. You do not need to write a novel … simply “Thank you” or “Interesting ” or “Check :-)”. If you really enjoyed the topic, than please do share on your social networks: YOU hold the key to my visibility.

The next resolution will be in your sewing room: EXPERIMENT! Meaning have fun and give yourself the right to try things for the simple pleasure of saying that you just had to play with the idea. Continue reading “WORD FOR 2017: EXPERIMENT”

STEP 1: UNDERSTANDING YOUR PATTERN

step-1 As promised, we will be spending the last twelve weeks of 2016 featuring the 12 steps to successful quilt making. Perhaps you can use these steps when preparing your holidays gifts.

Here is the first Essential key: UNDERSTANDING YOUR PATTERN!

Please read the pattern from beginning to end, and ensure that you understand it. Continue reading “STEP 1: UNDERSTANDING YOUR PATTERN”

The 12 STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL QUILTMAKING

intro-to-12-steps Hello Everyone and welcome!

We are now into October and most of us are wondering where has the summer gone? Right? We might even be thinking what have we done since the new year? We only have 3 months left of this great year yet have we reached our goals? Where are we with that?

Continue reading “The 12 STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL QUILTMAKING”

September 11th: 45 minutes that changed my life

I am sure that everyone on the planet remembers where they were and what they did the morning of September 11th, 2001. We couldn’t believe what we were seeing and felt helpless standing in front of a television wondering what happened. The rules had changed! War was not being fought in a battlefield with two parties wearing distinctive clothing.

I remember clearly that morning and like so many others, it completely changed my life.

Continue reading “September 11th: 45 minutes that changed my life”