What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

When I first designed the Japanese foundation paper piecing quilt blocks, Hinamatsuri, Kokeshi, Tsuru, and Kimono, it was purely out of a desire to honour an important time my family’s life and our time in Japan. We did not live the stereotypical “expat life” that many people might imagine of living in a foreigner-dominant area and accessing as many English options as possible. We were in the suburbs, my husband worked in a Japanese government institute, our children went to the local Japanese preschool, we went to a Japanese church. It was very immersive. And as such, our time ...

Does your family have football traditions? Here in Hamilton, Missouri we love to celebrate our favorite Kansas City football team and we are so excited to see them bringing more attention to the great state of Missouri once again. Whether your family goes to the backyard to throw around the pig skin or serves up an incredible halftime meal, we hope that you have a chance to enjoy your festivities of choice safely!

For those of us looking to make changes this year and celebrate smaller, there are still ...

In the summer of 2019 I visited the Daruma Yokota thread dyeing factory in Kyoto, Japan. As our wholesale company, Orimono Imports, is a distributor for the brand and our retail shop, Kimonomomo has sold their thread for several years, I was hoping to learn more about the dyeing process and brainstorm some new ideas. In both regards, the visit was a resounding success.

Kyoto is typically hot and humid in summer, so much so that I always get blisters on my feet, no matter what kind of shoes or sandals I wear. With all the walking I do it ...

Hello, friends! Today I’m sharing some A Quilting Life: Behind the Scenes & FAQ’s (frequently asked questions). We have had a lot of new readers over the past several months, and so I thought it was time for a re-introduction here on the blog. Many readers have joined recently from Moda Block Heads and from […]

The post A Quilting Life: Behind the Scenes & FAQ’s appeared first on A Quilting Life.

BLOCK Magazine is an “idea book” designed, produced, and published by Missouri Star Quilt Co. As you flip through each glossy page you’ll find gorgeous photography, fun patterns, brilliant ideas, and one-of-a-kind stories! For seven years – hard work, creativity and pure love has been poured into each issue!

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Go Behind the Scenes

Q: How many people does it take to make an issue of BLOCK Magazine?
A: It takes a team of about forty people!

Here’s how they do it:

Each issue of BLOCK starts with thoughtful planning months in advance. First, the design ...

Happy October! Well, as it’s 2020, I hope it’ll be a happy month… but nevertheless, October is here, and I am back, baby! I have spent the past three months resting, playing, surviving, and sometimes thriving. It has not been an easy year for anyone, but a quick recap of the past three months since I last posted (read that here)…

My state, Victoria, very quickly went from stage 3 lockdown (which included home learning) to stage 4 lockdown which included: mandatory masks; a 5km radius limit on travel except for permitted work, care or health; an 8pm ...

Dear Quilters,

Thanksgiving is just around the corner… talking about gratitude… I want to talk about the other side of giving, which is receiving. It is often easy to give of ourselves, but it can be difficult to accept help when we need it. I love this quote by Maya Angelou, “When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.” It reminds me that in every situation where there is a giver, there is also a receiver…

It’s wonderful to be on the giving end, as we so often are, but what about those times when we are ...

Dear Quilters,

This year has been so completely out of the ordinary, and challenging in so many ways, that I find myself simplifying again and experiencing great joy in the things that I have often taken for granted. Now, preparing for the holiday season is less about the hustle and bustle of finding just the right present, but taking the time to help create a warm, welcoming spirit in my home and in my community. 

As I contemplate the spirit of generosity, I recognize that giving comes in many forms. Some give of their time and energy, some share love ...

We have seen all the 2020 memes. We have had the jokes and the tears and the chocolate and the naps. We’ve supervised home learning, while continuing on with all other jobs in life, whether it’s running a household or working from home or a combination of both. The relentless global events, with the bushfires here in my country and state, threatening friends and family since before Christmas last year, and no break since then in the heartbreak and horror.

When you add in the various personal issues we all face in our daily lives anyway, regardless of ...

In 1875, Arthur Lasenby Liberty opened Liberty on Regent Street in London. He sold imported goods from the East such as ornaments, textiles, and artifacts. The imported goods went so quickly, Liberty opened an in-house studio in which to design and print their own fabrics. Now, 140 years later, Liberty is internationally recognized as a leader in print design and textile innovation.

Each collection designed by Liberty is inspired by some form of worldly art – architecture, history, music, florals, etc. A new collection is released each season and every season the fabrics tell a new story.

Each design is created ...

“Great stories happen to those who can tell them.” -Ira Glass

After the winter holidays, I like to write down the moments that made me smile. Like the care that went into a handmade gift from a grandchild, the friendly chatter around the family dinner table, and the sweet older lady who talked to me at the post office. Every day there’s something to remind me there is good in this world. These little moments make up each day and when I stop to appreciate them, it changes my perspective, and ultimately, my life.

Our lives are composed of ...

A friend recently mentioned that she’s been keeping track of her quilt projects with Trello. As I’ve been feeling increasingly overwhelmed by my own myriad of projects, my interest was piqued. I decided to give it a try, and I really like it! Trello is a great way to see everything I have in flight, along with how much progress I’ve made on each item.

Since it’s a free app, I thought I’d share how I’ve been using it. Maybe this will inspire a few of you to organize your own project lists. They ...

HollyAnne Knight of String & Story teaches one of our online courses here at Missouri Star. She helps people learn to not only quilt with confidence, but live an overall well and confident life. Check out her quilting blog or wellness blog for fun stuff!

Join HollyAnne in her Beginner-Friendly Free Motion Quilting class! You’re gonna love it and her! Get to know our newest instructor:

Do you have any funny “mess-up” stories to share from your experience with machine quilting?

Oh my heavens! … My quilting journey is like a RomCom of crazy mess-ups! I have quilted my supreme slider ...

Welcome back to part two of how to design a quilt pattern! In part one, I shared about how the Origami design came to be, and working out the fabric to use, so that means that it’s time to run the numbers. That is, work out the quilt maths* so that it’s a good quality pattern that is fun to work with!

*here in Australia, we say “maths”; in the US, “math” is used. I am so accustomed to using either interchangeably, so this post includes both wherever/however it comes out. Welcome to life as in “international ...

Sheri Cifaldi-Morrill is the founder of Whole Circle Studio, LLC which specializes in the design of custom modern quilts, patterns and other licensed products. She is an active member of the modern quilt community and recognized from her many outstanding awards from several major quilting events. Sheri also teaches and presents her creative skills all over the world, but works mostly from her home studio in New Haven, Connecticut.

With all her adventures in tow, we were thrilled that Sheri said yes to coming all the way to Quilt Town, USA to teach one of our online classes, Piecing Curves ...