In The Spotlight!
At Create Whimsy, we share the stories of makers. Learn about their creative journeys, inspirations and more! Browse all of our Spotlight Stories.
Spotlight: Michelle Freedman, Quilt Designer and Fiber Artist
Michelle Freedman began her creative path with early sewing, which led her to fashion and theater, including years as an outerwear designer for major brands. Today, she’s a quilt designer,…
Spotlight: Birgit Koopsen, Printmaker and Mixed Media Artist
Birgit Koopsen would draw for hours with her grandmother, turning rainy Dutch days into explosions of color. Her creative life has always been hands-on and joy-driven. In this Artist Spotlight,…
Spotlight: Katia Herrera, Photo Embroidery
Katia Herrera’s work lives at the intersection of photography, embroidery, and quiet emotion. In this interview, she shares how curiosity, intuition, and her Mexican heritage guide a deeply meditative practice…
Spotlight: Lena Pugachova, Textile Artist
Lena Pugachova’s quilts are where precision meets playful storytelling, stitched together with curves, color, and clever visual surprises. From her roots in Ukraine to her creative life in Ireland, Lena…
Spotlight: Charles Spitzack, Visual Artist
Charles Spitzack has been carving his way toward art for as long as he can remember, with woodcut becoming both his language and his compass. In this interview, he talks…
Spotlight: Miesje Chafer, Bead and Fiber Artist
Miesje Chafer’s creative story begins on her grandmother’s sofa with a knitting Nancy and unfolds into a life rich with color, pattern, and hand stitching. In this interview, she talks…
Spotlight: Colleen McCubbin Stepanic, Contemporary Artist
Colleen McCubbin Stepanic has known she was an artist since childhood, and her work carries that lifelong curiosity straight into the studio. In this interview, she talks about cutting up…
Spotlight: Qristy Kurtz, Fashion Facilitator
From thrifted fabrics to runway dreams, Qristy Kurtz has always used fashion as a way to belong, speak up, and build confidence. In this interview, she shares how sewing became…
Spotlight: Dominie Nash, Textile and Mixed Media Artist
Dominie Nash has spent decades letting fabric, dye, and stitch lead the way. In this thoughtful conversation, she shares how quilting became her creative language, how her process has evolved,…
Spotlight: Irmgard Geul, Mixed Media Artist
Growing up in a family where creativity was as natural as breathing, Irmgard Geul learned early that making was simply part of daily life. From couture sewing scraps in her…
Spotlight: Donna Deaver, Artist
Donna Deaver’s creative life has always been stitched together with curiosity, from her early days of sewing and embroidery to her rich practice spanning textiles, sketching, and mixed media. In…
Spotlight: Yulia Brodskaya, Artist and Illustrator
What's in a name? In illustrator Yulia Brodskaya's case, her name was instrumental in discovering her unique process of creating paper art. Reaching for a way to illustrate "Yulia" in…Trending Now
Confetti Quilting: Art Quilts from Scrap Fabric
Improvisational piecing results in original fiber art design that evolves piece by piece. The quilt is pieced on my home sewing machine and hand quilted.
DIY Valentine Fabric Postcards Tutorial
Show your love by making your own Valentine Fabric Postcards! Fabric postcards are little pieces of art that the recipients can display and enjoy, and they are so fun to…
Scrappy Heart Quilt Block Tutorial for Beginners
Time to pull out that scrap basket and have fun making this quick and easy scrappy heart quilt block pattern just in time for Valentine's Day - or anytime you…
How to Finish Quilted Fabric Postcard Edges
Do you enjoy making quilted postcards and wonder how to make the edges tidy and professional? Add flair to your postcards with our creative and practical techniques to do just…
Scrappy Heart Mug Rug Sewing Project: Easy Tutorial
Make this adorable heart mug rug to share your love - on Valentine's Day and every day! Use up some of your smaller scraps to piece the heart and batting…
How to Make a Patchwork Heart Quilt Block – Free Tutorial
Hearts are very popular in quilting with hundreds of heart quilt patterns from paper patterns, to traditional piecing and patchwork to appliqué. This heart quilt block is a simple pattern…Latest Stories on Create Whimsy
Spotlight: Fenella Davies, Textile Artist
Fenella Davies is a hand-stitching storyteller, drawing on history, memory, and the quiet traces people leave behind. Working entirely by hand with aged and altered cloth, her process is intuitive,… Spotlight: Michelle Freedman, Quilt Designer and Fiber Artist
Michelle Freedman began her creative path with early sewing, which led her to fashion and theater, including years as an outerwear designer for major brands. Today, she’s a quilt designer,…
Spotlight: Nikki May, Artist and Designer
Nikki May has always followed her curiosity, whether that meant diving into ceramics as a kid, building a decade-long corporate design career, or trading cubicles for life on the road… Spotlight: Birgit Koopsen, Printmaker and Mixed Media Artist
Birgit Koopsen would draw for hours with her grandmother, turning rainy Dutch days into explosions of color. Her creative life has always been hands-on and joy-driven. In this Artist Spotlight,… Spotlight: Katia Herrera, Photo Embroidery
Katia Herrera’s work lives at the intersection of photography, embroidery, and quiet emotion. In this interview, she shares how curiosity, intuition, and her Mexican heritage guide a deeply meditative practice… Spotlight: Lena Pugachova, Textile Artist
Lena Pugachova’s quilts are where precision meets playful storytelling, stitched together with curves, color, and clever visual surprises. From her roots in Ukraine to her creative life in Ireland, Lena… Spotlight: Miesje Chafer, Bead and Fiber Artist
Miesje Chafer’s creative story begins on her grandmother’s sofa with a knitting Nancy and unfolds into a life rich with color, pattern, and hand stitching. In this interview, she talks… Spotlight: Qristy Kurtz, Fashion Facilitator
From thrifted fabrics to runway dreams, Qristy Kurtz has always used fashion as a way to belong, speak up, and build confidence. In this interview, she shares how sewing became… Spotlight: Colleen McCubbin Stepanic, Contemporary Artist
Colleen McCubbin Stepanic has known she was an artist since childhood, and her work carries that lifelong curiosity straight into the studio. In this interview, she talks about cutting up… Spotlight: Charles Spitzack, Visual Artist
Charles Spitzack has been carving his way toward art for as long as he can remember, with woodcut becoming both his language and his compass. In this interview, he talks… Spotlight: Dominie Nash, Textile and Mixed Media Artist
Dominie Nash has spent decades letting fabric, dye, and stitch lead the way. In this thoughtful conversation, she shares how quilting became her creative language, how her process has evolved,… Spotlight: Donna Deaver, Artist
Donna Deaver’s creative life has always been stitched together with curiosity, from her early days of sewing and embroidery to her rich practice spanning textiles, sketching, and mixed media. In… Spotlight: Irmgard Geul, Mixed Media Artist
Growing up in a family where creativity was as natural as breathing, Irmgard Geul learned early that making was simply part of daily life. From couture sewing scraps in her…
Spotlight: Kathy Knapp, Wearable and Textile Art
Kathy Knapp’s textile work is a maximalist feast, layered with hand beading, vintage jewelry, and stories stitched straight from the heart. Self-taught and fiercely intuitive, she lets fabric and embellishment…
How to Crochet a Balaclava with Granny Squares
Granny squares aren’t just for blankets anymore. In this project, they come together to create a cozy crochet granny square balaclava that’s practical, playful, and endlessly customizable. Whether you love…
Spotlight: Brenda Bunten Schloesser, Fiber Artist
Brenda Bunten Schloesser’s work pulls you in with depth and movement, then surprises you when you realize it’s all fabric. Drawing from a deep family history of sewing and years…
Spotlight: Holly Wong, Feminist Woman Artist
Holly Wong builds immersive worlds from tulle, thread, fire, and myth. Her work invites you to move through light, memory, and repair, where fragile materials reveal surprising strength. She shares…
Spotlight: Kimberly Bennefield, Shoemaker and Modern Quilter
Kimberly Bennefield brings a designer’s curiosity to every stitch, shaping garments, quilts, and even custom sneakers with the same thoughtful approach. Her background in UX fuels the way she solves…
Spotlight: Lauren Weber, Artist, Quilter and Garden Girl
Lauren Weber’s work feels like a walk through a well-loved garden, full of soft color, thoughtful design, and gentle growth. In this interview, she shares how learning to quilt as…