Join me and Cloth Paper Scissors Editor Jenn Mason for CREATE with Cloth Paper Scissors Mixed Media Retreat, August 25-29, 2010, in Rosemont, Illinois--just outside of bustling Chicago. 

I'm pretty sure that when most people think about how to make a quilt, "metal" isn't the first thing that pops into their mind. But there are so many ways you can incorporate metal into your quilts and wall hangings, adding texture, dimension, shine, and that element of surprise. 

Here are just a few ideas.

Each time we gear up for another International Quilt Festival Make It University!^TM with Cloth Paper Scissors® event, we try to balance keeping popular components with adding new features. As our staff brainstormed ideas for IQF/Chicago April 16-18, one thing we made sure to include was an art trade-but with a twist.

Last week the staff in our Stow offices got together for some after-hours creative play-time, making gelatin monoprints on fabric and paper.

I'd been cranking out monoprints for a segment I'll be shooting for the sixth season of "Quilting Arts TV" and everyone else wanted in on the fun. 

We received so many fun and interesting Let Out Your Inner Animal Challenge quilts from readers that the Quilting Arts editors decided we had to play, too.

Art quilters tend to stitch outside the box. Traditional squares and patches are not for them. But that doesn't mean that repetition and a sense of order isn't important. In fact, repetition is a key element in design. The concept of using a grid as a design element is classic--that's one of the reasons why patchwork appeals to so many people.

I have an uncanny (some on my staff would say freaky) ability to remember exactly what artist's article appeared in which issue of Quilting Arts, going back to the very first issue nearly 10 years ago. And up until recently, I've been able to put my hand on the printed page more quickly than anyone else can look it up on their computer. 

Thread sketching is not a new technique, but it seems as though more people are willing to give it a try and are looking for tips on how to do it. If you're one of them, then look no further, as Quilting Arts has plenty of thread sketching tricks and techniques for you to try.