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Know Your Product: Rotary Cutters

By Deborah Segaert There are numerous rotary cutter brands on the market. Twenty years ago, my first rotary cutter was an Olfa. Since then, Fiskars and Clover have embraced the quilting market and, more recently, a number of smaller manufacturers have started offering these products. I have added a number to my tool collection over […]

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In the Studio with Wendy Nutt

Letting go of traditions and rules, Wendy Nutt creates modern works of art with her own unique twist  Words by Casey Ioannou, Photographs by Wendy Nutt Originally attending a local quilting group to support a work colleague, Wendy Nutt could never have imagined the passion she would develop for improvisational quilting. “Laity (my friend) was […]

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How did she do that? Lemon Tree in Tuscany

Sandra Bruce has been quilting since 1988 when she formed a group with her neighbor, Therese May (one of the first art quilters). Then in her 30s, she had been sewing clothes since she was eight. This quilt is made using a technique Sandra developed called Material Matrix, inspired by the painter Chuck Close. Sandra […]

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Creative Inspiration: Fusing Machine Embroidery and Quilting

About five years ago I was asked if I would ever try machine embroidery. My answer straight away was “Nope, no, definitely not!” I was not interested in machine embroidery at all; my obsession at the time was free-motion quilting and I couldn’t see a way of combining embroidery without it looking like it had […]

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Road Test: Pick & Mix Template

  Have I ever mentioned that I love my job? I adore taking a new product and trying it out. I have been doing this for a while now, and have often found it was the simplest-looking items that impressed the most. I love to piece and a multi-function tool is great value. Claire Turpin […]

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Know Your Product: Cutting Edge Cutting Mats

Cutting mats have two main jobs: protecting your table surface and increasing your cutter’s lifespan. They are also used to measure and accurately cut fabrics. A closer look at cutting mats reveals a number of important things. When I began quilting back in the early ‘80s, rotary cutters, mats and rulers were not around. Good […]

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Creative Inspiration with Paula Storm: From Inspiration to Creation

Creative inspiration is everywhere. No matter where I go I’m constantly seeing things that inspire my creative side. Today I thought I’d share with you how I take that original inspiration and turn it into a project. To say my sister and I are obsessed with craft is a bit of an understatement. While I’ve […]

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Road Test: Bernina Q24

Driven by Michelle Marvig Buying a sewing machine today is not a simple task. There are so many features, functions and accessories. If you want to quilt big and can accommodate a long arm machine, there are many on the market. Recently my husband purchased a Bernina Q24. Yes ladies, he does quilt! So what […]

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In the Seams: Log Cabin Barn Raising

This quilt is a Log Cabin Barn Raising pattern made with silk and cotton fabrics. It is machine-pieced with strip/string piecing. It also features embroidery and burgundy and gold-embroidered ships wheel in the corner of each block. The quilt has been machine-quilted. The earliest known versions of this pattern appear in Great Britain on the […]

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In the Studio with Wendy Gleeson

In the quaint Victorian town of Colac, the studio of renowned Australian quilter and owner of Clever Ducks Quilting Co, Wendy Gleeson, has a warm, homey appeal that is just perfect for stitching away the hours. Words by Casey Ioannou, Photographs by Wendy Gleeson When she moved to a new home in 2005, Wendy was […]