Kaoru Marie

It's been a long, long time since I completed a quilt. I think the last quilt I completed was a gift for a friend who was expecting a baby boy, which was almost a year and a half ago! How funny that this quilt is also for a baby boy. I found out over the summer (early summer actually) that a really good friend of mine is expecting her first baby. When I found out she was due in October I knew I had plenty of time to sit on it and not do anything until just before her due date. Naturally, that is exactly what happened. My first baby quilt was actually pretty big. I had no idea what size baby quilts typically are so I just made it to fit a standard package of "crib size" batting, which is 45"x60". I remember finishing it and doing some free-motion quilting over it and thinking it was really big for a baby. Over the past year I have paid more attention to quilt sizes from some quilters I admire. It seems like 36"x44" is a decent size for a baby and de

Is 'Professional Pattern Tester' a real job out there where I could seriously make a living? Because I want to apply for the job and do it forever. Pattern testing combines part of my real job (QA/QC checking for design errors) and my hobby (sewing). It's a match made in heaven for me! When I saw Christine's blog post about needing pattern testers, I immediately filled out the form. I have been dying to be a pattern tester for at least the past year. I always get a twang of jealousy when I read other bloggers tell their tales of pattern testing. Oh how cool and fun it always looks! Of course, some of my biggest concerns in my ability to be a good pattern tester were whether I could meet the deadline and have a wearable garment. What if the pattern didn't fit my body shape and I couldn't figure out how to fix it? That would be pretty disastrous. I was doubly concerned about the deadline because I was sorta in the middle of packing to move. My sewing corner ha