September Textile Love: 30 days of textile inspiration

September is here, and that means it’s time for September Textile Love, hosted by Seam Collective!

This year, the Challenge snuck up on me… but when the list of prompts showed up in my e-mailbox on August 31, I decided to participate again. 2026 marks my 9th year taking part.

September Textile Love 2026 prompts.

What is the September Textile Love challenge?

The idea is pretty simple: 30 days, 30 textile-related prompts, and an invitation to makers, artists, stitchers, quilters, knitters, weavers, yarn/fabric/thread aficionados, and textile lovers to share their work and their own interpretation of the prompt. 

There are no right or wrong answers! A single word or idea can inspire so many different responses. Give a group of textile artists the same prompt and you’ll get a myriad of interpretations. But know there will be 30 days of something surprising and inspiring popping up in your Instagram feed. 

Textile stitch landscape.

There is a September Textile Love Planner available on the Seam Collective blog. You can print it out and make a few notes. Sometimes I immediately know how to respond to a prompt, but for others… I have to scroll through photos, works-in-progress, less-than-successful experiments, and the creative corners of my brain to figure out what that prompt means to me.

The prompts are a good way to revisit previous work, review what’s currently on the cutting table, as well as discover new textile artists from around the world. The challenge, which began in 2017, has grown into a wonderfully supportive online textile community. It does not disappoint!

30 days of textile inspiration

So, for the next 30 days, I’ll be celebrating the love of textiles… one prompt at a time. Whether you’re a longtime participant or this is your first year discovering September Textile Love, I hope you’ll join in the textile love. Share your projects or simply follow along and enjoy all the creativity. 

Make Nine finish #8 from the stash: Wiksten, Cottage Shirt

This Make Nine 2026 finish #8 fulfills my second Wild Card prompt. For this prompt, I made two tops: a Wiksten top and a Cottage Shirt, both sewn from fabrics already living in my stash. 

Wiksten top, Make Nine 2026 finish #8.

From the fabric stash

All of the fabrics for these tops were ones I already owned: two with yardage, an off-cut from another project, and some fat quarters. These finishes are especially satisfying as I love finding a use for those smaller pieces that are too good to throw away but never quite seem big enough for a planned project. 

Wiksten top made with Annabel Wrigley and Marcia Derse fabric prints [Windham Fabrics].

For the Wiksten top, I started with a long cut-off piece from a 108” wide backing with a design that looks like improvisational patchwork. Not having enough continuous yardage for all the pattern pieces, piecing was necessary. I also had to accommodate lengthwise and crosswise grain directions of these leftover fabric pieces. 

After a consultation with an expert garment maker and trusted friend, Dr. Lauren Rudd, who is the chair of the Fashion Merchandising department at Tennessee Tech University, we determined potential issues with the varying grain directions were minimal, and she suggested an insert at the center front to accommodate the short yardage. Using a scrap piece of the circle fabric print, I cut it “ruler-free” (to honor the improv theme) and sewed it at the center front to connect the two front pieces.

Wearing my new Wiksten top in my Intro to Improv Quilts class.

Having limited yardage for this simple top, a fabric from the Halloween collection, Spooky and Witchy [Art Gallery Fabrics], was used for the neck facing. It’s a small detail, but I love knowing that a little bit of whimsy is sewn inside the garment.

The potion print from the Spooky ‘n Witchy collection was used for the neck facing.

From the pattern stash

Both of these tops were “Go To” patterns from my pattern collection. They were already fitted to my measurements which meant no muslins were needed—just move straight to cutting and sewing. Exactly the kind of garment project I needed when I had a week before my class at John C. Campbell Folk School… and I wanted to wear “something new.”

Here I am wearing the Cottage Shirt while teaching Intro to Improvisational Quilts
at the Folk School.

For my new Cottage Shirt [The Sewing Workshop], one fabric print was used for the fronts and sleeves, another print for the lower back, and the back yoke was improvisationally pieced with fabric scraps from the “Spare Parts Department”—my box of cut-offs and patchwork pieces left over from other projects. Nothing goes to waste if I can help it… especially with Improv!

Improv patchwork for the back yoke.

From the button stash

The Cottage Shirt has another stash-busting detail: a mix of orphan buttons from the button box. 

Auditioning random orphan buttons for the Cottage Shirt.

The buttons were all singles, with no particular reason to belong together other than they were: 1) the right size, and 2) were waiting for a job! I think they work perfectly for this improvisational- and sustainable-themed shirt… and the quirky assortment adds to the personality and artsy nature of the shirt.

One aspect of the Sewing Workshop patterns is a fabulous pressing tip—using manilla folder weight card stock with various seam allowance lines marked on them. They are used for pressing hems and fold lines to ensure accuracy as well as expedite the process. I used them on both garments.

Pressing guides and variegated thread.

Another fun detail on these new tops was using a 40 wt. cotton, multi-colored variegated thread for top stitching and sewing on the buttons. With the variety of colors of the fabrics, a multi-color thread felt right in line with the other characteristics of these garments.

A sustainable Make Nine finish

One of the things I enjoy about doing the Make Nine Challenge every year? The goal isn’t necessarily to make something completely new or ambitious every time. Sometimes it’s about being sustainable, using what I already have, returning to patterns I know work for me, and making clothes that I’ll wear more than once.

Wild Card prompt for Make Nine 2026.

Multiple stash fabrics, a handful of leftover pieces, some orphan buttons, and two well-loved garment patterns turned into two very wearable Wild Card finishes. Make Nine #8 is on the books… and documented here and on my Make Nine 2026 tracker!

Make Nine 2026 tracker, August 2026.

Junk Journal July: my 7th Make Nine finish for 2026

Last month, I participated in Junk Journal July 2026 and am counting this art journaling experience as fulfilling my “Online Challenge” prompt for Make Nine 2026. 

My junk journal for Junk Journal July 2026 Challenge.

Developing the prompt list

This year, I couldn’t find a good list of JJJ [Junk Journal July] prompts, so I gathered ideas from various sources and composed 31 prompts myself; publishing them for other participants to use as well. For me, the prompts serve as the inspiration framework for the month-long art practice and it reminded me of the 8 years I facilitated my ATC [Artist Trading Card] swap from 2009 - 2016. 

Junk Journal July 2026 page with prompts.

Favorite pages

Following are just a few of the pages and spreads in this summer’s Junk Journal. “Black and white” is a simple prompt but can lead to a dramatic composition. This page started with a a collaged checkerboard background a base page of lines. A slow drawing from one of my sketchbooks was added in the foreground. This page came together easily. Who doesn’t like a graphic black and white composition?

“Black and white” prompt.

Trying unfamiliar supplies added another layer of discovery to the challenge. This page is the response to the “Soft pencil, slow line” prompt and uses a Stabilo Woody pencil which has a soft lead that is water reactive.  

“Soft pencil, slow line” prompt with Stabilo Woody and watercolors.

The  “Fun art supply,” and “Unexpected” prompts also allowed for experimentation. Stepping outside my usual art supplies and experimenting with some new-to-me art materials, these pages were fun to work on while learning the properties of the supplies. The Distress Crayons, a set of water-soluble crayons, were in my art toolbox for a few years and got pulled out for this prompt.

“Fun art supply” prompt with Distress Crayons, Stabilo Woody, and water.

A bottle of walnut ink is a relatively new addition to my art supplies. It was combined with watercolor and the Stabilo Woody on this page.

The “Unexpected” prompt uses watercolor, walnut ink, and Stabilo Woody pencil.

The “Patriotic” prompt was especially timely this year, coinciding with America’s 250-year Semiquincentennial. This prompt gave me an opportunity to use the abundance of America 250 marketing pieces that were readily accessible.

“Patriotic” prompt on July 4.

Interactive, 3-dimensional page spreads

This Junk Journal also became a place for three-dimensional paper structures. Along with my usual art-journaling fare—drawing, watercolors, hand lettering, collage, layering, and textile samples—I incorporated several pop-ups to create moveable, interactive elements. The summer workshop I took on dimensional book structures was a great influence and resource for these spreads.

This is the still photo of the “Pop-up/Tuck spot” and “Botanicals” interactive spread.

A 2-page spread of “Pop-up/tuck spot” and “Botanicals” prompts.

Adding 3D elements transforms the journal from a collection of art journal pages into an interactive and playful book. This spread, for “Hand written” and “Folded layers” prompts, features a no-sew blizzard book with note cards (love letters) inserted into the folded signatures. The blizzard book is aligned with and pasted into the gutter of these two pages.

“Hand written” and “Folded layers” prompts.

The final JJJ prompt was “Celebrate.” This 4-page spread was created to celebrate textiles. 

Although more thought, testing, time, and a bit of reverse engineering were involved with making the pop-up pages, this Junk Journal offers an invitation to open, pull, move, unfold, flip, and explore the elements found within its pages.

Pop-up spread for the “Celebrate” prompt.

Why I like the Junk Journal Challenge

Thirty-one prompts mean opportunities to make something, try something new, play with cool art supplies, or simply see where an idea would lead. As with past junk journals, some pages came together quickly, others are experiments in materials, structure, or composition. Together, they document a month of creative practice and creative play. 

Images of all my Junk Journal July 2026 pages and prompts can be found on my IG page, @veronica.fiberantics.

Make Nine finish #7

This Junk Journal July is the 7th finish for Make Nine 2026.

“Online Challenge” prompt for Make Nine 2026.

This journal joins my growing collection of seven junk journals. This one, made with 7 signatures (including the cover), and coptic bound, has many more open canvases ready for further art and creative explorations!

Make Nine 2026 tracker, August 2026.

Improv patchwork class at the Folk School, Part II

With a full week of activities—in and outside the studio—it’s difficult to capture everything from a week-long Intro to Improv Quilting class in a single blog post. So, this is a continuation of the post from my recent week of teaching Intro to Improv Quilting at the John C. Campbell Folk School.

One of my 100 Day Projects incorporates trimmings and pieced bits from other improv quilts
into a fabric stitch book.

Instructor Show and Tell

In addition to digital presentations, I bring several several pieces of my work—quilts, garments, wall pieces, zippered pouches, etc.—to provide students with inspiration and an impetus for the improv process. 

Show and Tell on Day 3 of class.

Often, it’s helpful to see improv work “up close and in person” to see the piecing and the quilting, and the colors and prints of the fabrics “in real life.”

Quilting and embellishments on Blue Rhino Moon, an improv piece created in response to a Guild Challenge.

Improv pieced jacket collar using vintage fabrics and orphan blocks.

Through explanations of the parameters of a project—such as Guild Challenges or the score for my piece that was published in Sherri Lynn Wood’s, The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters book—questions arise and we have thoughtful conversations about quiltmaking. 

Guitar Strings Improv appears in The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters,
by Sherri Lynn Wood, p. 38.

Detail of Guitar Strings Improv.

Alone Together was a Guild Challenge that spanned 2020 - 2021. The piece was inspired by the lyrics in “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” by The Beatles. The story and the process is in this blog post and this post.

Alone Together quilt, in response to the 2020 Guild Challenge.

For more information about the stories and processes of the pieces from Show and Tell, below are the related blog posts. At least one of them includes “Quilt Stats” that includes hours of quilting time, thread specs, number of bobbins used, and the like.

• A Tribute to Steve
• Alone Together: piecing, editing, and assembly post, quilting and finishing with quilt stats, and what I learned from making this quilt
• Improv pieced jacket with vintage quilt pieces, and continued here.
• Blue Rhino Moon and this post about the story and the label
• Break Free, Take Flight
• Guitar Strings Improv
• Quarter Circle Improv quilt (the piece in the Instructors’ display at Keith House)
• zipper bag featuring ScanFil organic cotton threads
• 100 Day Stitch Book with leftover improv fabric bits

Show and Tell from a published author

My studio assistant for this workshop was Kim Deneault, the author of Raggedy Reverse Appliqué.

Kim shares her story about the Raggedy Reverse Appliqué book and how easy it is
for even young kids to make things with the technique.

Students were treated to a Show and Tell of samples from her book and Kim shared her story about writing the book, her TV episode on Simply Quilts, and getting into the quilting and fabric industry.

Show and Tell of quilts and pillows from the book, Raggedy Reverse Appliqué. 

The Booby Trap quilt.

Lots of texture and dimension!

As in life and with improv patchwork: you may start with an idea, but you don’t always know where you’re going to end up. You have to pay attention, respond to what’s in front of you, and occasionally take a leap of faith. 

It was a great week of making, learning, and sharing stories at the Folk School!