What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

Simple yet striking, this festive table runner will be the hit of your Fourth of July barbecue.  It can be found over on the Or So She Says blog.

With a finished size of about 16″ x 46″, it will fit almost any table and does not require too much fabric.  It combines piecing and a little bit of appliqué.  I love the way those white stars pop against the navy fabric.

Along with the fabric and other standard quilting supplies, you will need some fusible web for the appliqué shapes.  Other than that, the quilting is simple and, if ...

Amy from Diary of a Quilter hits a home run again with this adorable scrappy baby quilt pattern called Patchwork Star.  The best part is that it is a free pattern on her website.

Just look at all of the pretty fabrics that you can show off in this design.  I love all of the zoo animals in the fabric she used.

This small quilt comes together in no time and, as Amy points out, is a great design to show off some of those larger scale prints you have.  What baby wouldn’t love hanging out on this quilt ...

Here is a fun paper pieced quilt block from Blossom Heart Quilts.  It is full of movement and sharp points and life.

Paper piecing is a fun way to assemble blocks that can be more difficult to make.  Often times the designs have lots of sharp points.  This design is no exception and it is stunning.  The entire block measures only 6″ so there are some small pieces in it.

In the tutorial you will find a downloadable pattern which you can print as well as step by step photos to assist you when making the block.  There are also ...

Quilting is not all about making quilts that can be hung on the wall or used on a bed.  There are all sorts of beautiful things you can make with quilted fabric.  That includes things like this stunning tote bag featuring fabrics from Mister Domestic’s Snow Day collection from Art Gallery Fabrics.

While not specifically listed, this pattern would be suitable for someone with more advanced sewing skills.  There are a lot of steps to it.  The lone star design gives the bag a classic look while the offset placement makes it look a bit more modern.

The free ...

Here is a fun and free quilt pattern that has lots of lovely movement in the design.  Called “Midnight Glow”, it is designed by Connie Kresin and is an easy project to make.

Measuring approximately 24″ x 32″ when completed, it is not a large quilt.  It is an ideal size for a wall hanging.  Because of the lay out of the strips, you can use scraps or various precuts.  What I really love is how just a turn of the block makes everything look so different.

The tutorial includes measurements for a number of different sizes of the blocks ...

Perfect for Memorial Day or any other patriotic holiday, this beautiful table runner pattern from A Bright Corner is easy to make.  The white stars really shine against the blue in this design.

When finished it measures 12″ x 36″ so it’s a size that will fit many tables.  Along with standard quilting supplies, you will need paper-backed fusible webbing for the star shapes.

The downloadable pattern has a template for the star as well as detailed cutting and assembly instructions.  This would be a good pattern for beginners.

Table runners are nice to make.  They are not too ...

Today we are talking about thread storage, specifically about Sulky thread storage.

I don’t know about you, but right now if you looked in my quilt studio you would find a big box of spools of thread.  They are all just floating around and many of them are slowly unwinding every time I go to pull out another spool.

Here is a terrific solution for that problem.  Sulky sells these handy storage boxes in various sizes  You can show off all of those beautiful spools of brightly colored thread any way you want to in one of these boxes ...

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Learn how to hand quilt with this blog post from Homemade Emily Jane.  Hand quilting is a tradition that had been quietly going away.  With fast results being the new norm, and longarm machines that can do incredibly detailed and beautiful designs, folks don’t seem to have time for hand quilting anymore.

There is something extremely satisfying about hand quilting.  It may take a while, but when finished,  the hand (feel) of the quilt is quite different from a machine quilted one.

This article takes you through ten steps to have you hand quilting in no time.  From how ...

Calling all scrap quilt lovers!  This is one you definitely will want to try.  It’s the traditional Trip Around the World and Darcy Quilts show how to make it scrappy.  And let’s face it, aren’t scrap quilts the best (well at least to me they are).

Darcy uses strip piecing to make her quilt and shows off a number of different layout that can be used with this method.  It is a lot easier than piecing all of those small squares together individually, that’s for sure!

Standard quilting supplies are needed to make this quilt and ...

There are many things to consider when finishing a quilt.  In fact, many quilters don’t end up finishing a piece for numerous reasons.  They may not be able to decide on a border, or maybe they are not sure what kind of batting to use.  Some people get stumped on the backing, and binding can be tricky, even for the most experienced quilters.  That is where this book The Ultimate Quilt Finishing Guide, by Harriet Hargrave and Carrie Hargrave-Jones, comes in handy.

With 127 pages filled with photos and illustrations, this book covers it all.  The largest section by ...

This owl quilt block from Connie Kresin is absolutely adorable.  It also can be made in no time with the dies she uses from AccuQuilt.

Connie goes through the entire method of how she makes her block and turns it into a 16″ pillow.  This little guy would look so good in a child’s room.  I bet your favorite birder would love one too.

She uses her AccuQuilt system to cut out all of her pieces, but she provides measurements so you can cut them out even if you don’t have that system.  The owl is a die ...

Traditionally, Dresden plate quilt blocks can be quite daunting.  Melanie over at Southern Charm Quilts has a helpful video tutorial to make a top stitched version of the block.

This traditional quilt block has a wonderful look to it.  It is a nice design to make when you want to add some circular movement to a quilt.  As seen in the photo, it is also a great way to use up scraps.

The video makes the process easy.  You will find tips for getting sharp points, chain piecing, pressing, and stitching them to your background.

Don’t be scared to ...

Break free from the simple straight line machine quilting and try something new.  This book, 99 Machine-Quilting Designs, by Christa Watson, has plenty of ideas to choose from.  It can be purchased over on Connecting Threads.

The book has step-by-step instructions for 35 walking foot patterns and 64 free-motion ones.  Included for each design is a photo, a diagram, and written instructions.  You won’t need any other ideas once you have this book.  With 96 color pages, it is nicely illustrated.

A quilting design can sometimes make or break a quilt pattern.  It can accentuate areas that you may ...

Have you ever wondered how to pick out fabrics for a quilt?  This helpful tutorial from Polka Dot Chair has got you covered.

The article goes into details about a number of questions quilters may have.  They include:

• Where Should I Get My Fabric?
• What Colors Should I Use?
• What Should I Use for the Background?
• How Much Should I Buy?
• What is a Fat Quarter Pack?

All of these questions are answered in the article.  You will also find lots of lovely photographs showing off all kinds of fabric and all kinds of combinations.

Picking out fabrics for a ...

Make Mom something homemade for Mother’s Day this year.  This mini nine patch quilt from Amy over on Diary of a Quilter is just the perfect pattern.

Measuring about 22″ square when finished, it makes a terrific table topper or wall hanging.  It is also ideal for any charm pack you may have.  Not only that, but if you are a fan of using scraps in your project, this makes a great one for that.

In addition to the squares for the nine patches, you will need fabric for the sashing , binding, and backing.

Easy projects like this are ...

Have you ever been “Glamping”?  It’s basically fancier camping.  I’ve never been, but it’s pretty much the only kind of camping you will ever see me do.  If you would rather quilt about it than actually do it, Made by Marney came up nine charming camping quilt blocks.

Each one is cuter than the next and can be purchased over on Etsy.

These are digital download paper pieced patterns so some knowledge of paper piecing would help when making these blocks.  You can find out more details about each one, and purchase them individually here:

1. Camping Tent ...

To celebrate her 8th year in business, Rose over at Threadbare Creations designed this lovely mini quilt and made it a free pattern.  It’s a Crown of Thorn block with a slight twist.

The finished quilt measures about 16 inches square.  I will warn you that there are plenty of small pieces, so it is not a project for a complete beginner. In addition, you definitely want to piece the quilt carefully and maintain the suggested quarter inch seam.  This is the type of project that is not very forgiving if you aren’t careful.

One thing I really ...

Like shooting stars in the night, this stunning quilt pattern called “Showering Stars” by Robin Pickens can be purchased on Etsy.  The stars practically twinkle in this design.

This jelly roll friendly pattern is for a quilt that measures 75″ x 90″.  Make sure to read all of the information about this pattern and what is included in your purchase.

The color palette used for the cover photo is lovely.  However you could use any combination you desire.  Wouldn’t this be striking in holiday colors?

Note that this is a digital download pattern.

If you would like to purchase ...

If you are on social media then you have definitely seen all of the quilted coat designs popping up.  It is not super easy to make one, but this article by guest poster Brittney Frey over on Suzy Quilts will help get you started.  After reading it, I’m ready to run down to my quilt room and start sewing.

In the tutorial you will find tips on all sorts of things, from picking out the fabric to finishing it up.  I particularly like the suggestion of making a muslin test piece to make sure it fits.

Make sure to ...