With the proliferation of quilt shops around the country, visiting these unique stores can be a highlight of any vacation for a quilter.    When visiting a new town, be sure to research ahead of time to find the well-known quilt shops in the area. Find out when they are open, and if they have seasonal hours. I have tried to visit many stores that were closed because it was the "off season."  Often quilt shop owners are quilters themselves and are fonts of knowledge about the local quilting scene. They can recommend area quilting museums or exhibits. While in the shop, take your ..read more

Recently, I was contacted about a call for quilt squares that represent Family. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints will use the blocks to make a quilt to display. They asked that the blocks be 8.5 inches square but opened it up to any type of quilting or fiber arts or things like that.  I wanted to share the two blocks that I am going to submit for consideration. The first is a copy of a block that I inherited from my grandmother. She passed away when I was 11. Since I started quilting, I have gotten to know her a lot more. I knew she enjoyed quilting. But I didn't know until ..read more

Now available: The Reclaimed Denim Picnic Quilt Patterns! Give denim a new life while making memories with these original quilts. The pattern is perfect for quilters looking for a sustainable way to repurpose worn denim into a durable, modern heirloom.   These two quilt tops are made from used denim jeans This is a great way to use up those old jean you have laying around. Each quilt will be completely original with each pair of pants having different colors, shades, wear patterns, patches, pockets, and prints. These denim quilts are great for those picnics in the park. The thick denim w ..read more

Changing seasons usually leads to change in decor and a quick way to change decor is to change pillow covers. I needed some Christmas pillow covers and these were fun to make! For each pillow I used a 12 1/2 inch unfinished quilt block plus about a 1/2 yard of additional fabrics from my scrap pile. This cover will fit a 16 inch square pillow form.  Start with the quilt block. For this pillow I used the Honeymoon Quilt Block. This is such a fun block and looked like a good Christmas pattern. You can find instructions for how to make this quilt block here. There is also a selection of q ..read more

When I think of Fall, one of the things that come to mind is Flannel. Flannel shirts, soft blankets, and rag quilts.  Flannel is a popular choice for quilts for several reasons, and it offers various benefits to quilters and those who use the quilts. Here are some of the benefits of using flannel in quilts: Warmth and Coziness: Flannel is known for its warmth and softness. It provides a cozy feel, making flannel quilts perfect for cold weather, winter nights, or as a layering option on a bed. Comfort: Flannel is gentle on the skin, making it an excellent choice for quilts that will ..read more

Now that Spring Cleaning is done, did you find a giant stack of quilts? Did you say to yourself, "What am I going to do with all these quilts?" One option is donations! I have mentioned a few charities in previous posts. But, I have put together a generic list of places that might accept quilt donations. This will vary with each location and organization.  Please contact the organization before you decide to donate to them. Some may not be accepting donations at that time, or have special specifications for the quilts they can accept.  Hospitals, Hospice, or Cancer Treatmen ..read more

The last few years, I have been trying to improve my hand quilting skills. Once a month, there is a group of ladies that meets together to hand quilt and they have been showing me some great tips and techniques that I would like to pass on to you. Needles.  Use short, thin, but strong needles.  Short needles are easier to do a rocking motion with when you quilt. (More on that to come.) Thin needles make smaller holes in the fabric. Strong needles won't bend as you quilt.  Thimbles. Everyone seems to have their own opinion on what works. Here is a blog post about different opti ..read more

Having trouble with Free Motion Quilting on your domestic machine? Try these tips to see if they help! These tips are based on the experience I have learning on my machine. I have a Brother Innovis 80. Your machine will be different, even if you also have Brother Innovis. Everyone sews differently, and every machine acts differently.    1. Change your needle.  2. Try a different thread. I have found that my machine does better with certain threads. Otherwise I get a lot of thread breaks and skipped stitches. My machine prefers Deco-Bob 80 wt thread for the best free motion quilt ..read more

Today I would to share a charity that is great for any quilter! Wrap the World in Quilts. Starting at the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Gina and Hal Halladay started to hear about the refugees and the horrible things happening from their friends in Ukraine.  A lot of people had to walk away from their homes, and have barely any possessions. Also, when Winter set in, they had no way to keep warm. So they decided the way they could help out was to send quilts to the people in need. To date, they have sent out over 24,000 quilts. These quilts provide people not only with phy ..read more

Now that all of the How-To Blocks are all complete, I now have 47 quilt blocks ready to made into a quilt. This is how I put them together to make a queen size quilt top. First, I went through the stack and found my favorite blocks. I knew I was not going to be able to use all of them.  For a queen size quilt, I knew I needed about 90+ inches on each side. These are 12 inch blocks so 6 blocks across would give me 72 inches, which leaves some room for sashing around each block. For a 6 x 6 quilt, I would need 36 blocks.  I laid the blocks out on my living room floor. Then I took a pi ..read more