It All Started With a Magazine

Remember waiting for your quilting magazine to arrive in the post or when we get to enjoy browsing them on the newsstand while we do grocery shopping? Flipping open those pages — the scent of them, the weight of them — and just… sitting with it? No scroll, no algorithm, no one trying to sell you a fake pattern. Just beautifully curated stories, project ideas, technique tips, and the quiet joy of a community that took the time ...

I Finally Started the Home Town Quilt (And Here’s What Happened)

There’s a quilt kit that has been sitting on my shelf since 2024. Every time I walked past it, I’d give it a little smile — a quiet, slightly guilty smile — and keep walking. You know exactly what I mean, don’t you? read more

Why is it called the Topper Quilt? Because it started out as a TUTORIAL from Free Motion by the River. Great use of Mini Charms (one per block, or a bunch of scrap-cut squares.) AND, if you get carried away, suddenly you have a quilt top. With pillows.

NOTE: This is the front yard of my home. And you are seeing my locally-famous front yard garden. Keeps me honest about weeding…

I love how each block came together and how I was able to use fabric I had on hand. If you have mini charm packs without a purpose, each ...

This Bottled Water Quilt block is a fun and simple make, and so easy to customize! The large blue labels finish at

The post Bottled Water Quilt Block appeared first on Always Expect Moore.

You know that feeling when you finish a project in one day and it just immediately makes your sewing space happier? That’s exactly what happened with my Pretty Pockets Sewing Machine Caddy.

Let me introduce you to my newest sewing room addition. This cheerful, scrappy sewing machine caddy has been sitting on my machine for a couple of weeks now and I am absolutely in love with how it brightens up my whole sewing space. It came together so quickly!  I made the whole thing in a single day — and that kind of quick win is exactly what I ...

When I am sorting scraps, or cleaning up after projects, I cut likely pieces into standard sizes: 1-1/2″, 2″, 2-1/2″ squares. They are so handy, sitting there in their little tubs just waiting for a project to come along.

And here it is! Double four-patch.

A large (queen? king?) size quilt made out of 4-1/2″ blocks. Yes, it is a lot, but I have a lot of squares. And I am not in a hurry. And, I already have 11 blocks. Only something like 550+ to go.

This grid design May Garden is based on a square grid and can be executed with a circle ruler if desired. The design is constructed out of a series of flowers with four petals. May Garden can be used as an allover or edge to edge quilting design, or just in a block or border.  The design will look great on projects with themes like gardening, flowers, butterflies and nature or quilts with a retro ’70s vibe.

Ruler or no ruler?

I used a 1 inch grid for this sample so I did it freehand… which you can clearly see ...

I’ve Always Known Creativity Gives Me Energy

For as long as I can remember, creating has always made me feel more alive. And ever since I have started this blog and quilt, I have always been inspired and super excited when I think about what I get to do. About the time I get to quilt. 

Even during busy seasons, creativity brought me back to myself. What changed recently wasn’t the realization that quilting gives me energy. I’ve always known that. What changed is that somewhere along the way, I stopped prioritizing it.

Let’s chat about ...

This is truly an Economy Baby Quilt–the block is an 8″ economy block, and it was built entirely of hand-me-downs and scraps.

The feature fabric is adorable (not sure of line). And the quilting echoes the theme.

Finished size is 40″x40″.

It goes in the donation pile.

The pattern is called Cheater Patchwork by Happy Quilting. It calls for TWO layer cakes, but I used one and filled in with coordinating solids.

Finished size is 72″x72″.

I LOVE the Henhouse line of fabric (Available at your local quilt shop or online. I got mine on Ebay). Such a great variety of prints, and the colors do a great job of walking the line between traditional and contemporary.

It was delivered to a fellow teacher who I have worked with for a few years, but just recently served with on a committee. Once you get to know ...

As much as I will always be a Texas girl, I have to admit that New Mexico has a special place in my heart. It's where DH and I began our journey as a married couple. It's where our son was born. It's where the good Lord has set us for the second time. It's home. The sunsets and sunrises are spectacular on a regular basis.  The food is addictive and don't even get me started on how much I

Have you ever turned a clamshell design on its side and used it as a border design? Well, here you go!

The machine quilting design Foliage is based on molar feathers and quarter circles. The grid design works well as a single border design or as a repeated grid pattern, like in the image below.

Foliage is loose and structured at the same time. Yes, the grid in this design creates structure, but the molar feathers are loose and free-flowing within their available space. 

Stitch this design from left to right as a single or double row and pre-mark it ...

A coworker is having a baby soon. When asked about a quilt she said that she liked teal-aqua and the room would have a farm animal theme, “You know, like elephants!” I am not sure how many elephants the average farm (outside of Asia) has, but this quilt does have them.

The block is a modified version of Scrappy Log Cabin Heart block. It is a great pattern and highly recommended.

Because of the elephants, I selected a quilting design with that theme. AND, because I am super lucky, found fabric in my stash that has both the right colors ...