Along the way as I travel to teach and vend at various textile events, I have noticed a pattern among those I meet. Nearly every person works in more than one kind of medium. Very rarely do I meet someone who only does wool appliqué in their spare time—it’s nearly always coupled with a penchant for quilting, rug hooking, embroidery, punch needle, and other kinds of creative activities. I always love to ask people how they found my designs and how they got into wool applique.

Antiques are so often a source of inspiration for me, as many of you who follow me know. They are a treasure trove of ingenuity and creativity. Not surprisingly, some of my latest patterns come from ideas of old with my own interpretive take. This week I want to share some of the inspiration behind the Sewing Book & Needle Book Set patterns. An antique keepsake album I saw along my travels inspired the Sewing Book and Needle Book designs. This particular album had a binding m