Where does the time go? I hope you had a blessed holiday season and that the New Year has been good to you. We celebrated the New Year and our Christmas on Dec 31/Jan 1st with all of our children and grandchildren together in our new home. The joy can't be measured -- it's was priceless. We hope you had time with your loved ones too.

For me personally, 2022 is going to include a bit more time at home and (fingers crossed) a studio to call my own. I've decided to limit extended travel so I can be more present here at home and spend much needed time with family. This means I'll book more virtual events and, sadly, not attend some long distance in-person events that were scheduled. It was a tough decision but one that I feel is best for my family. Thanks for your understanding.

I have a couple open enrollment events coming right up. Will one of them work with your schedule? Join me -- I promise we'll have fun, be inspired and learn a lot too !!

Free Motion Curled Feather

hosted by Crafty Monkies UK

Virtual - 3 Hours - £30 - ~$34 USD - Jan 29th

January 29th via ZOOM I'm joining the lovely Rachel from CraftyMonkies UK for a 3 hour workshop on Curled Feathers. I'll be using my home machine and some beautiful Aurifil 28wt thread to stitch out my favorite feather motif. You can be setup at your home machine or longarm to learn how YOU TOO can stitch this beautiful design.

To begin, I'll share a few free motion quilting basics, then I'll dive into feather structure, how to curl, and how to draw a curled feather. We'll then work together at our machines to stitch out this beautiful design. addressing questions and challenges as we go. I'll also show you a few pieces from my trunk where I've applied the curled feather and how and why I decided to use it there.

You won't want to miss the curled feather workshop, Saturday, January 29th from 11am EST to 2pm EST. The CraftyMonkies platform is excellent, Rachel is the sweetest host and is present to ensure we all walk away from the event excited to get stitching. For appx $34 US.Dollars you'll receive live instruction and feedback, a FMQ basics handout and a curled feather handout. In addition to the live broadcast, a recording of the Workshop will be available for your personal unlimited viewing for 30 days after it is published. This gives you an opportunity to watch and rewatch any portion of the Workshop you like. We'll have a fun time and learn a lot too!! Join us.

Use the button below to select my Workshop from the CraftyMonkies page and enroll today. Don't worry that the fees are shown in Euros -- the payment system will convert the $30 Euro fee to applicable Americal dollars for you.

2 Day Free Motion Quilting Workshop

hosted by Flash Sew & Quilt Naples, FL

In Person - 2 Days - $179 USD - Feb 18 & 19

February 18th & 19th 2022 -- I couldn't be more excited to join my friends at Flash Sew & Quilt Naples, Florida for a 2-day, in-person workshop on Free Motion Quilting. You’ll choose one of many available whimsical World of Susybee PlayMat Panels to quilt during this 2-day Workshop. Quilting pre-printed panels is the perfect stress-free way to learn and grow your free motion quilting experience.

I'll review FMQ fundamentals including body and hand positioning, machine setup, notions, needle and thread choices, tension adjustments, and more. Several quilting designs including echo, swirl, pebble, ribbon, paisley and feathers will be discussed, drawn and stitched. This 2-day workshop affords you ample time and flexibility to practice, practice, practice on the Susybee panel (or panels) of your choice. Paired with one-on-one consultation and group guidance you’re sure to expand your skills and gain the confidence needed to finish your quilts at home.

Aurifilosophy Lecture & Trunk Show

hosted by Flash Sew & Quilt Naples, FL

In Person - 2.5 hours - $20 USD - Feb 16th

Aurifilosophy is the search for knowledge and truth, especially about the nature and behavior of Aurifil thread. This lecture and trunk show is designed to unlock the mysteries of thread, educate, inspire and enable you to achieve brilliant results.

I'll share my Aurifil-centric trunk of quilts while giving a structured, in-depth presentation about cotton thread including information on weights, ply, process, spool positioning, needle recommendations, tension settings and more. I'll offer helpful tips & tricks while addressing projects and photos aimed to inspire and expand your knowledge of cotton threads.

Each attendee will receive a free small spool of Aurifil thread, a cotton color card, a product brochure and exclusive Aurifil swag.

Don't miss this inspiring and educational event hosted by Flash Sew & Quilt.

Those of you that know me know that I've been hooked on Aurifil thread for years! The quality, strength, sheen, minimal lint, weight and color choices are unmatched in the industry. For these reasons I'm honored to be a Master Educator, Aurifilosopher and Designer with Aurifil threads.

Each month Aurifil hosts "Thread Matters", a blog series with inspiring, informative and educational contributions by 35 highly talented and creative Aurifilosophers.

I had the honor of kicking-off the new year for Thread Matters this week, sharing ten of our favorite posts from our revered Aurifilosophers. (Learn more about Aurifilosophy here or here.) In Thread Matters you'll find tutorials, tips, favorite notions, techniques, and years of thread wisdom written into each blog.

You'll also learn a bit about each Aurifilosopher, their "quilty" specialties and why they love using Aurifil thread. All of the posts abound with inspiration and education.

To celebrate the new year and my excitement of using the Aurifil 2022 Color Builders (including 24 luscious spools of Aurifil variegated threads and 12 complementary solid spools) on my newly designed Lotus flower, I've decided to host a Giveaway!

Ahh... I'm thrilled to giveaway one of my Subtle Sampler collections. Introduced in 2017, The Subtle Sampler contains 10 large spools of Aurifil thread in 4 different weights and 2 spools of monofilament. Learn about The Subtle Sampler here.

To ENTER THE GIVEAWAY and be eligible to win "The Subtle Sampler" collection, I ask that you pop on over to the Aurifil Thread Matters 2022 Welcome post, review the content and leave a comment there answering 2 questions.

That's It !! Share the giveaway on Facebook or Instagram with your friends too! I'll be sure to post a link to the details there.

Giveaway is open to all domestic USA entrants. If a winner is chosen from outside of the domestic USA that person will be offered a PDF version of any pattern on my website and a new winner will be randomly selected. Giveaway is open through end of day Sunday, January 23rd and the winner will be announced and emailed a few days later.