Articles written by Christine Mann

Use seasonal fabrics to make reusable, lined fabric gift bags for any occasion. Step-by-step instructions show how to make a small, medium, or large bag.

Dec 26, 2009 - Christine Mann

Use sturdy thread or yarn to knot a quilt's layers in place. Tying a quilt is easier than either machine quilting or hand quilting, and works well on puffy quilts.

Dec 18, 2009 - Christine Mann

Bold, geometric quilt patterns that helped use up fabric scraps and recycle used clothing were favorites of 19th century Amish quilters, are are still popular today.

Dec 14, 2009 - Christine Mann

Learn several easy ways to use solid focus fabrics to bring harmony to a string quilt's many different colors and patterns.

Dec 9, 2009 - Christine Mann

String quilts make good use of extra fabric scraps and help reduce waste in your quilting room. Learn all about string quilting and how easy it is to get started.

Dec 4, 2009 - Christine Mann

Create unique Christmas ornaments using a cookie cutter as a pattern. All you need is colored wool roving, a felting needle, a cookie cutter, and a few embellishments.

Nov 29, 2009 - Christine Mann

A step-by-step guide to figuring out why sewing machine thread is breaking and solving the problem so you can get sewing again.

Nov 21, 2009 - Christine Mann

These five favorite quilt blocks are made entirely from half-square triangle units or half-square triangles combined with squares. They can be made in many sizes.

Nov 19, 2009 - Christine Mann

Binding a quilt with a durable double-fold fabric strip binding helps protect the quilt's edges from wear and gives the quilt a decorative touch.

Nov 17, 2009 - Christine Mann

Staging a house or apartment can really improve its competitiveness in today's tough rental market. Try these landlords' tips for staging a rental property inexpensively.

Nov 12, 2009 - Christine Mann

From the Bayeux Tapestry to modern floral wall hangings, crewel stitches worked with embroidery wool on woven fabric have been an enduring hand embroidery tradition.

Nov 8, 2009 - Christine Mann

Take a cute picture of your cat, print it on iron-on transfer paper, iron it on a t-shirt, and embellish. In an hour you'll have a charming pet portrait, with no sewing!

Nov 4, 2009 - Christine Mann

Capture your favorite dog's personality in a t-shirt portrait that takes less than an hour to make - no sewing required! Iron-on transfer paper makes it possible.

Oct 26, 2009 - Christine Mann

Using a monochromatic color palette can produce quilts of great visual power and sophistication. The secret is in the way light and dark fabrics are combined.

Oct 20, 2009 - Christine Mann

Fabric painting is a simple way for quilters, sewers, scrapbookers, and other artists to embellish and alter clothing, quilts, home decor, or just about any fabric item.

Oct 13, 2009 - Christine Mann

Art quilts are quite a recent development in the centuries-long history of quilting. Here is the story of how quilts went from bed tops to gallery and museum walls.

Oct 6, 2009 - Christine Mann

Learn how using a mixture of both light and dark fabrics helps create quilts with color combinations that please the eye.

Sep 23, 2009 - Christine Mann

Early teddy bears were filled with shaved wood or kapok. Today's bear makers can choose from a wide array of teddy bear stuffings that includes several organic stuffings.

Sep 17, 2009 - Christine Mann

Would you like Teddy Bear's fur to be smooth, curly, shaggy, ultra-soft, or an unusual color? This guide to teddy bear-making fabrics helps you choose the right fabric.

Sep 7, 2009 - Christine Mann

Art quilts marry the traditional craft of quilting with concepts and techniques imported from the fine arts and graphic design.

Sep 4, 2009 - Christine Mann

A bib is the ideal present for either babies or toddlers (both notoriously messy eaters). Whip one up in just a few minutes for a new baby gift basket or baby shower.

Aug 30, 2009 - Christine Mann

Learning the basic concepts of color theory helps sewers and quilters understand which fabric colors work best together, and how to choose pleasing color combinations.

Aug 22, 2009 - Christine Mann

Avoid mistakes in tenant screening by making a written list of the income, credit record, employment and other requirements applicants must meet to qualify for a rental.

Aug 20, 2009 - Christine Mann

One of the reasons needlepoint has been popular for centuries is its simplicity and portability. Just a few easy-to-find needlepoint supplies are all you need.

Aug 15, 2009 - Christine Mann

Learn how to use needlepoint blocking to straighten out needlepoint canvases and make them lie flat to look their best.

Aug 2, 2009 - Christine Mann

Add charm to throw pillows, purses, scarves, ornaments, and dozens of other accessories with easy-to-make tassels - no sewing required!

Jul 31, 2009 - Christine Mann

Needlepoint frames hold the canvas taut while you sew, freeing up both hands for stitching. A frame can help produce straighter stitches and reduce the need for blocking.

Jul 28, 2009 - Christine Mann

Learn how to choose the best needle for any needlepoint or cross-stitch embroidery project, with a handy needle size chart for both tapestry and chenille needles.

Jul 16, 2009 - Christine Mann

Needlepoint yarns and threads come in a wide variety of fibers, colors, textures, and weights. This basic guide describes the different options and when to use them.

Jul 10, 2009 - Christine Mann

Asking the right questions during a potential tenant's first phone call can save landlords a great deal of time by screening out problem applicants right away.

Jul 8, 2009 - Christine Mann

Learn about the different types of canvas available for needlepointing: mono, interlock, penelope, rug, plastic, waste, and gauze canvas.

Jul 7, 2009 - Christine Mann

Don't like hand sewing? Here's how to bind a quilt with a continuous binding strip that is attached to the quilt from the back side, then machine-sewed to the front side.

Jun 27, 2009 - Christine Mann

Accepting pets can greatly increase the tenant pool for a rental property, but the wrong pet can cause thousands in damage.Learn how to include pets in renter screening.

Jun 25, 2009 - Christine Mann

A comfortable, ergonomic chair helps avoid the aching back and stiff shoulders that can result from sewing or machine quilting while sitting on a poorly designed chair.

Jun 19, 2009 - Christine Mann

Learn which quilting fabrics, threads, needles, and battings are used by experienced heirloom machine quilters to create intricate quilted effects with no hand stitching.

Jun 15, 2009 - Christine Mann

Doing your own quilting can save a lot of money and be artistically satisfying, too. Here are the tools and supplies you'll need to machine quilt your own quilts.

Jun 6, 2009 - Christine Mann

Turbine systems generate renewable electricity by capturing energy from moving ocean water, and could eliminate millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year.

Jun 5, 2009 - Christine Mann

It takes just an hour or two to make one-of-a-kind potholders from leftover fabric and batting. Potholders make great wedding shower, housewarming, or hostess gifts.

May 25, 2009 - Christine Mann

Here's a quick and frugal way to give your home decor a unique touch. Pillows add a splash of color and softness that makes a room feel comfortable and welcoming.

May 21, 2009 - Christine Mann

Help find unwanted clothes a new home, and transform swapped shirts, dresses, pants, and other used clothing into one-of-a-kind fashions with a fresh new look.

May 15, 2009 - Christine Mann

Darius Rucker, Kid Rock, The Eagles, Robert Plant, Jewel, and Jon Bon Jovi are the latest in a long line of rock and pop stars to find success with country music.

May 5, 2009 - Christine Mann

Cross stitch embroidery is fun, easy to learn, and portable. To get started with cross stitch, all you need is a few inexpensive supplies.

May 4, 2009 - Christine Mann

Cross stitchers can choose from a wide variety of different fabrics, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Here's a beginner's guide to the available options.

Apr 30, 2009 - Christine Mann

Use this fast-piecing grid technique when you want to make more than a few half-square triangle blocks at once from the same two fabrics.

Apr 28, 2009 - Christine Mann

There are many ways to make half-square triangles, one of quilting's indispensable building blocks. Here are some of the most popular ways to piece them

Apr 24, 2009 - Christine Mann

The inexpensive Clover Quick Yo-Yo Maker really does save steps and speed up the process of making fabric yo-yos. It also comes in special flower and heart shapes.

Apr 22, 2009 - Christine Mann

A simple solar-powered refrigerator invented by a British student can keep perishable food or medicines cool for days in hot climates without needing fuel.

Apr 21, 2009 - Christine Mann

The Waldorf third-grade curriculum teaches children how humans have grown food, clothed themselves, and built dwellings through history.

Apr 18, 2009 - Christine Mann

Use a cookie cutter to create flat needle-felted shapes you can use as Christmas ornaments or to embellish sweaters, scarves, purses, quilts, and other projects.

Apr 2, 2009 - Christine Mann

When reservoirs are low and weather is dry, reduce your garden's need for water by xeriscaping, switching to targeted irrigation, and protecting plants with mulch.

Apr 1, 2009 - Christine Mann

Extensive economic research showing that people are willing to pay to punish bailout recipients and others who violate principles of justice and fair play.

Mar 22, 2009 - Christine Mann

Skirts for men have always been in fashion in most of the world, but not in northern Europe and North America, where fashion designers are trying to make them popular.

Mar 14, 2009 - Christine Mann

Waldorf schools divide a child's development into 7-year phases. In the first seven years, the curriculum focuses on exploring the physical world through the senses.

Mar 10, 2009 - Christine Mann

The Waldorf second-grade curriculum aims to engage the child's imagination while teaching reading, writing, basic math (especially multiplication tables), music, and arts

Feb 26, 2009 - Christine Mann

The Waldorf curriculum, adapted from philosopher Rudolf Steiner's ideas, is designed to appeal to the young child's imagination and love of active learning.

Jan 28, 2009 - Christine Mann

Sewing is a colorful way to attach papers, fabrics, flowers, buttons, beads, photos, and other elements to your crafts projects.

Jan 15, 2009 - Christine Mann

Rock supergroup the Eagles, Led Zeppelin founder Robert Plant, and reggae legends The Wailers all played a role in Billboard's 2008 list of top-selling country albums

Jan 5, 2009 - Christine Mann

The top-ranked country songs for 2008 included a few entries from newcomers and quite a few by long-time country stars, but hardly any by female artists.

Jan 3, 2009 - Christine Mann

If this year was yet another year when you didn't make much progress on reducing your stack of unfinished quilt tops, it's time to take a new approach.

Jan 1, 2009 - Christine Mann

A quilt backed with fleece instead of batting and cotton backing fabric is wonderfully light and warm. Learn the tricks to quilting with fleece successfully.

Dec 22, 2008 - Christine Mann

Drawing technique developed by Rudolf Steiner aims to help develop the young child's handwriting, hand-eye coordination, ability to concentrate, and other capacities.

Dec 12, 2008 - Christine Mann

Wrap your gifts in clever cloth pouches that can be reused over and over. You'll help reduce the mountain of trash generated by gift wrapping during the holiday season.

Dec 7, 2008 - Christine Mann

Everyone loves getting a fabric postcard! Use these instructions to make an easy Christmas postcard that's ready to mail in half an hour or less.

Nov 19, 2008 - Christine Mann

High-caffeine energy drinks like Red Bull, Rockstar, and Cocaine have become a multi-billion dollar business, but they have a dark side.

Nov 9, 2008 - Christine Mann

If you're a time-challenged quilter - or a beginner who would like to start with a quick and easy quilt - here are four basic blocks you can make fast with strip piecing.

Oct 17, 2008 - Christine Mann

Carving the time for regular family meals out of today's busy schedules takes planning, but it's worth the effort. Here are 9 tips for successful family meals.

Oct 16, 2008 - Christine Mann

Studies show that eating dinner every night with the whole family is one of the most effective ways for parents to help their children do better in school and in life.

Sep 24, 2008 - Christine Mann

Many of country music's greatest songs were missing from Billboard Magazine's 50th-anniverary list of All-Time Top Hot 100 Country Songs. This article explains why.

Sep 17, 2008 - Christine Mann

A few simple tests for freshness will help you find a real Christmas tree that stays beautiful and smells good throughout the holiday season.

Sep 17, 2008 - Christine Mann

Billboard Magazine marked the 50th anniversary of its Hot 100 chart by issuing the All-Time Hot 100 List: the most popular songs of the last 50 years.

Sep 13, 2008 - Christine Mann

If your house is located in an area where air conditioners run on hot days, installing white, reflective roofing can lead to significant savings.

Sep 12, 2008 - Christine Mann

If you have a tank-style hot water heater, especially an older one, you might be able to save a pretty penny by simply wrapping the tank in a precut insulation sheet.

Sep 10, 2008 - Christine Mann

Every quilt you make has its own story to tell. Keeping a quilter's journal helps you remember the details of how and why you created each quilt.

Sep 9, 2008 - Christine Mann

Fabric is probably a quilter's greatest storage challenge. Arrange your fabric by size and color to make it easier to find what you need when you start a new project.

Sep 7, 2008 - Christine Mann

Even the smallest quilting space needs to include separate work stations for sewing, cutting, and pressing, plus storage space for fabric, tools, and other supplies.

Sep 4, 2008 - Christine Mann

A parent's guide to how Waldorf teachers assess whether a child is physically ready to move up from kindergarten and begin the academic work of first grade.

Jul 26, 2008 - Christine Mann

The Waldorf kindergarten acts as a bridge between a child's life at home and the later, more academic years in school.

Jul 22, 2008 - Christine Mann

The Nine-Patch block, consisting of nine squares arranged in a checkerboard pattern, is one of the mainstays in any quilter's block repertoire. Here's how to make them.

Jul 20, 2008 - Christine Mann

Learn how to make a simple Four-Patch block consisting of four squares, two squares of lighter fabric and two of darker fabric, arranged in a checkerboard pattern.

Jul 17, 2008 - Christine Mann

Strip piecing can dramatically cut the time it takes to sew together many pieced quilt blocks. Try these tricks other quilters use for strip piecing success.

Jul 15, 2008 - Christine Mann

While accuracy is important in every step of piecing - in measuring, cutting, sewing and pressing-you need to make sure you are sewing a consistent quarter-inch seam.

Jun 26, 2008 - Christine Mann

Whether you call it batting, padding or wadding - it's the essential middle layer that gives your quilt its cozy warmth. Which batting is right for your next project:?

Jun 22, 2008 - Christine Mann

Conventional quilting fabric, threads, and batting are made with heavy doses of toxic herbicides, pesticides, and dyes. But now there's an eco-friendlier way to quilt.

Jun 4, 2008 - Christine Mann

This method of binding your quilt involves simply sewing around the edges of the quilt sandwich as if it were a giant pillowcase. Use it when you're in a hurry.

May 27, 2008 - Christine Mann

Binding fabric covers your quilt's raw edges and helps keep them from getting worn as you use the quilt. Learn about five different ways to bind your quilt.

May 14, 2008 - Christine Mann

Here are nine easy and inexpensive ways to create a quilt design wall that lets you view your quilt and make sure it looks good before you assemble the pieces.

Apr 19, 2008 - Christine Mann

Here are several favorite ways to assemble blocks into Log Cabin quilts: Broken Dishes, Chimneys and Cornerstones, Converging Chevrons, and Streak of Lightning.

Mar 7, 2008 - Christine Mann

Here are five favorite ways to arrange Log Cabin blocks into quilts: Straight Setting, Fields and Furrows, Barn Raising, Sunshine and Shadow, and Chevron.

Feb 27, 2008 - Christine Mann

Size recommendations and factors to consider when making wall quilts, lap quilts, table toppers, and bed quilts. Includes standard U.S. mattress and bed quilt sizes

Feb 23, 2008 - Christine Mann

Four distinctive types of Log-Cabin quilt blocks use contrasts between lights and darks to help you create a variety of dramatic quilt looks.

Feb 16, 2008 - Christine Mann

Show your Valentine what's really in your heart with this simple fabric postcard you can actually send through the mail. It's sure to be treasured for years to come.

Feb 8, 2008 - Christine Mann

If you're a quilter, or if you're close to a quilter, you'll appreciate these little gems of wisdom and whimsy about the joy - and the obsession - that is quilting.

Feb 6, 2008 - Christine Mann

Fabric-strip logs arranged around a central "hearth" say warmth and home. Log Cabin's simple sewing technique makes it perfect for beginning quilters and using up scraps.

Jan 25, 2008 - Christine Mann

Needles come in a confusing array of shapes and sizes. Here's how to choose the right ones for machine-piecing, machine-quilting, and embellishing with special threads.

Jan 25, 2008 - Christine Mann

When you create a hand-made quilt for a friend, baby, wedding, or special occasion, choose a message that expresses all the love and care that went into your gift.

Jan 19, 2008 - Christine Mann

Quilts get lost, stolen, sometimes even forgotten. A good quilt label will identify your quilt and help tell its unique story to generation after generation.

Jan 16, 2008 - Christine Mann

Pantone, Inc. chose a shade of blue as its color of the year for 2008--and 2000, 2003, and 2005. Find out why blue is a color every quilter should try this year.

Jan 15, 2008 - Christine Mann

There's an ugly stain on your beautiful quilt! All is not lost. Here's how to remove blood, dye, ink, pencil, and some of the other most common stains from quilt fabric.

Jan 8, 2008 - Christine Mann

Some quilters wouldn't dream of starting a project without washing and machine drying their fabrics first. Others never prewash. Which will work best for your project?

Jan 4, 2008 - Christine Mann

You've decided to prewash your quilting fabric to control shrinkage and wash out potentially harmful dyes and chemicals. Here's how the expert quilters do it.

Jan 4, 2008 - Christine Mann