The last few months, and the last few weeks in particular, have been really really awful. For a lot of you, creativity is your escapism and I know from when I shared my political views that too much reality can be uncomfortable, but if you like some drama with your newsletters, keep reading after the PS.
Bea’s Bright Idea
Stress sends me back to basics so this week I’ve been diving into my scraps and making 1” english paper pieced hexagons. I have seen many teacher’s share their scrap strategies (especially recently in this Studio Tour video series) and had thought about creating an ebook of different strategies. I store scraps by color and am fairly liberal with the types of fabric I’ll mix in one bag i.e. quilting cotton, jersey, upholstery, hand dyes etc. I have found over the years you need to have one rule that guides you and only one - minimum and maximum size.
Minimum = 2.5” square
Maximum = Fat Eight (roughly 21x9 or 18x10)
I put all my scraps in an archive box that also contains the sorted bags of scraps and when the box is overflowing that’s my sign to spend an evening sorting by color.
How do you deal with your scraps? I might end up putting it in my collection of ideas ebook!
Did you notice the tray my hexagons are in? It’s not my pattern but I adore the one I made and have used it constantly for years now. Plus I love all her patterns - very well written. Link to the Zip Tray Pouch Pattern
From the Studio
I have been doing a lot of dyeing recently. From Summer Camp classes with 11 year olds (messy, would not advise) to stitched shibori for myself (pictured).
My Studio in the background - you can see a tour of it in this video.
I have been stock piling avocado skins and stones for my next batch. They give an amazing pale pink color. I am always delighted when the colors you can get are so very different to the material you start out with.
I’ll be teaching Stitched Shibori in Palo Alto next month - come and give it a go!
Join Me
In my next newsletter look out for a summer sew-a-long that is just for pleasure and for you. We’ll be making my EPP Hexagon Bag which I designed and made more than 11 years ago and still adore. I will be sewing-a-long with you and I’ll have kits available so you can follow along. But unlike a usual sew-a-long, we’ll be connected in real time, able to share progress as we go.
The pattern will be released in a few weeks and we’ll have a whatsapp group for those who want to chat and show progress or ask questions in real time.
Meanwhile over at Global Quilt Connection (my other business, which helps Guilds and individuals find fantastic teachers to learn from) I gave a lecture on “Solving your Guild’s Volunteer Problem” which is still available here. I also did a massive update of our Teacher Directory, which now looks truly beautiful! My next lecture will be on “How to Attract Younger Members”, coming in September.
Amazing Things I Think You’ll Find Worthwhile
NYT Article “HobbyAmory”: I am polyamorous and loved the union between hobbies and poly! “(Young people are…) a generation feeling disenfranchised by A.I. and disinclined toward drinking, making wholesome, creative and tactile activities all the more appealing. Online, terms like “hobbymaxxing,” the pursuit of as many hobbies as possible, have taken off. According to TikTok, #hobbies has seen an almost 15 percent increase in posts in the U.S. so far in 2026 compared with last year, and #grandmahobbies has grown by more than 400 percent.”
HUGE archive of Antique Patterns for quilts, embroidery, crochet, knitting, “churchwork” and a few terms I had to look up.
My friend Jen Perkins has a new blogpost about tiny journals. I have a batch of paper I’m dyeing currently cooling on the stove, a lot of which is intended for junk journals. If you have ancient notebooks you have no use for don’t whatever you do throw them away. There will be an artist in your network who will drool over them and if you don’t know anyone…me! I do! I want them!
Links & Info
My very popular workshop “Never Miss a Quilt Label Again” is available now for just $9. Find it here.
These are all of my on demand workshops that you can sign up for right now!
This is my store. A lot of new things just added.
This is where I’m teaching in the next month or so.
These are the things I currently need for art projects. If you’ve enjoyed reading and becoming a paid subscriber doesn’t appeal, I’d be very grateful for one of these.
Subscribe to this substack to get updates twice a month from me.
Thanks for reading,
Bea
PS: If you wanted some T with your tea, this is where the personal stuff starts.
Most of you know that I was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2020 and went through a lumpectomy and weeks of radiation therapy during lockdown while living solo and only months after leaving my cat poo of an ex-husband. It was not a happy time. My cancer was hormone receptive, meaning that my own hormones and any extras I might be given (such as from an IUD) fed the cancer and made it more likely that it would return. I was given a common post-cancer drug for 5 years which halved the chance of it returning but also tended to put women into early menopause (or not so early in my case since I was 42 when this happened) AND increased the chances of cervical cancer.
Fast forward to February 2026, this year, and I stop taking the drug and am officially cancer free and hooray etc. I’d been having menopause symptoms but a lot of them went away, yay, along with my periods coming back, boo. Then in April I got biblical level bleeding for ten days. Followed by the same starting on May 21st…which continued for almost TEN WEEKS, until JULY 28th, when I got the second and third biopsies of July, for cervical and endometrial cancer AND another procedure which, thank frickin all the gods, has actually stopped the bleeding. (First biopsy had come back negative earlier in July.) During the ten weeks I’d become anaemic from so much blood loss so had to take iron supplements and all sorts of other things, some of which made me very unwell, and I couldn’t take the usual stuff to stop it because it contained hormones that would increase my risk of cancer recurring. The results from biopsies 2+3 usually take 1-2 weeks to come back. It’s now been more than 2 weeks and I just booped the doctor. Or one of the doctors. I’ve had more people peering up me in the last few weeks than have explored the sea floor.
At the same time I’ve had all sorts of drama elsewhere in my life and really started fearing for my sanity as it all mounted up. Fortunately I seem to have reached a plateau and can take a few deep breaths, even with the results still pending. I am teaching 8 workshops in 6 days this week but am proud of myself for still finding time to dye this batch of paper for junk journals.
If you’d like to share what you’re proud of this week I’d love to see it in the comments below.
Dang friend where do I start. 1) Thanks for the shout out! 2) I'm in love with the stitched shibori and 3) waiting for biopsy results is the f'n worst. Thinking about you and keeping my fingers and toes crossed.
Today I am proud of you and all women like you who refuse to say no to the life they deserve. I have noticed that I have tended to have friends who have had really hard knocks as well. We understand and can truly support each other because we have survived. Stay busy at things that nourish you…. I wish you well in any aspect of your life.