The cheery days, the dark days, the boring beige days, Wagner believes God allows them all into our lives for a purpose. I know about hard times," Wagner said, "but there is no doubt in my mind there is something to learn in every situation, and there is always hope when our faith is in God. The book includes interesting information about the craft of quilting and the history of many quilt patterns. For more information on the book, or to purchase Quilting Patches of Life, contact Affirming Faith at (248) 909-5735 or visit the website www. E arned M edia are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content. read more

Photos by NATALIE CAUDILL/DMN Debby Luttrell holds the finished quilt from the Patchwork Party 2007. The venerable art of patchwork is alive and well, thanks to a modern-day cyber circle that’s the brainchild of Debby Luttrell, owner of quilt shop Stitchin’ Heaven in Quitman, 100 miles east of Dallas. Sensing that camaraderie and a mutual fondness for hearth and home were common threads, she launched the twice-annual Internet event called Patchwork Party, inviting quilting enthusiasts nationwide to participate, compare notes and admire the finished works of a select group of shops. Although the traditional medium for quilt block templates is paper, acrylic templates are recommended by Patchwork Party participants. Patterns for the quilt blocks are by quilting designer and author Marti Michell of Atlanta, whose focus is on "quilting for people who don’t have time to quilt. In addition to its own quilt block, each store has its own suggested quilt design for assembly of all 12 blocks, viewable via that store’s link to Patchwork Party 2007. read more

TVFC members, from left, Mary Lou Batty, Sue Nelson and Laurie Folse and Shiloh Homemakers guests Shirley Wright, Faye Carr and Shelia Gaglaino complete blocks in the club’s scholarship quilt. AMITE - Quilting is an ancient fabric art form that dates back to at least the Crusades, when soldiers needed warmth as well as protection from the chafing caused by the heavy armor they wore. The thrifty American homemaker did not want to waste bits of fabric leftover from making clothing, so she pieced them together and used the new-formed cloth to cover older whole cloth quilts, extending the usefulness of old fabric. The Tangipahoa Volunteers for Family and Community, an all-volunteer arm of the LSU Ag Center, has continued this ancient art form as a way to fund their nnual scholarship for a high school senior in Tangipahoa Parish. Each year a committee of chapter members select the pattern and fabric at a local quilting shop and begin the exciting task of changing yards of fabric into a piece of art work anyone would be thrilled to own. Seniors in local high schools are encouraged to request a copy of the TVFC Scholarship application from their high school counselor and apply. read more

A full-color, 57-page guidebook, “Hearth & Home Quilts,” makes it easy to create a little instant nostalgia for yourself (or for someone special). Topics include selecting and preparing fabrics, rotary cutting, template cutting, piecing and pressing, applique, quilting, binding, and signing and dating your finished quilt. Designs include “Argyles Quilt” (pictured), “Caramels & Cream Quilt,” “Simplicity Quilt,” “Simplicity Pillow,” “Garden Fence Quilt,” “Squash Blossoms Quilt” and “Sew Simple Baskets Quilt. You can find six other quilt designs with a decidedly vintage flavor in a 40-page guidebook, “Quaint Quilts,” No. read more

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