What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

In this episode of WIP Wednesday Vanessa will answer questions that have been submitted by viewers regarding what sewing thread to use for bags, what is a good all purpose sewing thread to have on hand, how to tension top and bobbin threads, and how to keep fabric edges from fraying.

Whether you’re sewing your first project or a seasoned veteran of the craft, having the right information about thread and fabrics is essential. Knowing the difference between types of thread, when to use what type of thread, and how to treat different fabrics can make all the difference ...

It's like the Night before Christmas at my house. All is calm! And I love it! It's super easy to keep all my spaces clean and tidy - trust me, they go through many transformations in a day, and it can look like a disaster, but because everything has a home, it takes mere seconds to put stuff away. And yes, constant refinements will be made as I go along, or I'll unearth something else that needs to be dealt with. It's going to be an ongoing process for years to come.

However, at the rate I ...

Things are under control at my house, and it feels great! I'm not sure why every once in a while, there is this mad kerfuffle - I guess it's all a question of having to prep too much stuff for the weekend or something like that. It is UFO weekend and I still have two quilts of my own to quilt and bind, so it's not like I'm out of the woods, but I like being under control. 

It was Monday sewing and I decided it was time to get some quilts bound! OH first I should ...

Those birds were waiting for snow before they hit the birdfeeders! It was like a switch got turned on, and before I knew it, a pair of cardinals, a woodpecker, and many other smaller birds were feasting away, and I loved watching them. 

Mr. Cardinal

Small birds

Woodpecker

Of course, the girls were excited by the snow and couldn't wait to get outside. Our area hasn't had much snow, and it was like a winter wonderland walking in the morning. Then it stopped snowing, but we haven't seen the sun in a long time! Where is the ...

So many Advent Calendars -- so little time! Is it next year so I can order one? OK --- so that's pushing time limits a wee bit. But now that I've investigated advent calendars and found out how inexpensive some of them are, compared to the quilting ones -- I want a different one. Maybe I could "cheat" and buy one for myself this year!! No one will know! 

Had great presentations yesterday, and OH - boy -- I should learn to read the instructions. I seem to make things up when I'm sewing, and well -- if it works and it's ...

OK --- so the lawn furniture got put away. Phew -- we can all rest easy now. It wasn't so much the furniture; it was shutting off the tap to the backyard that was the critical thing here. I noticed that DH put one piece in the shed, but it was the largest piece, making it a challenge to get the rest in there. But I managed. And I drained 200 feet of garden hose, and it's all stored away. The deck is mostly swept -- I would have used the leaf blower, but it was at the back of the ...

Oh my --- we seem to be having some PASSIONATE discussions on our Zoom calls lately. Yes -- I am pretty opinionated, and well, some of those discussions come onto the blog, as in the cost of those fabric kits. I have another issue about that, but no time this morning. 

I will say that we are all still friends and have no hard feelings. We did have a great time at the Virtual Retreat, and we met Debbie again, who has walked a Camino! That was exciting, but I didn't want to bore the rest of the group to death ...

Hand quilting beginners often ask about appropriate thread colors for their projects. How do you know which colors to use or not to use? As always, I defer to the default of doing whatever looks best to YOU. Because that's really the very best barometer for ending up with a finish that you'll love and appreciate. It doesn't matter what I think if you don't end up liking the results! For the purposes of this series though, I will try to explain the 'Quilty Folk' look.

I gain much inspiration by way of viewing antique quilts ...

Hello, and happy Friday! Today I’m sharing more on sewing room organization with practical thread storage ideas. I also have a video to share near the end of this post where I walk you through my storage methods and ideas. I hope you’ll enjoy this post and find some inspiration and helps for keeping your […]

The post Sewing Room Organization: 7 Practical Thread Storage Ideas appeared first on A Quilting Life.

It was an exciting morning. I was prepping to leave the house to walk Murphy, and I saw the ominous-looking clouds and grabbed an umbrella. Then I checked the weather app, and it didn't look like we'd get rain for at least an hour. So I left the umbrella in the house, and we were off. 

BRRRR!!!!   It was a tad chilly outside. Can you tell me how we went from HOT to cool overnight? I had shorts on but wasn't going back to change. 

I stopped to take this picture of a beautiful tree in bloom ...

Twist! A few years ago I hosted a quilted block of the month and now I’ve started with the thread of the week or month depending on what’s going in my immediate world. As you know I love thread, how it holds things together and how it dances over the surface of a quilt. Sometimes… Continue reading Thread of the Week

So what happened yesterday? This is April -- the Easter Bunny has already come and gone, and we get this? 

A winter wonderland

Thankfully, the roads and sidewalks are dry this morning, but we do NOT need this snow. The landscapers are supposed to come and open my pond this morning, and I was going to clean up the backyard (from the dogs), and well, I was out when it started to snow. So the yard didn't get cleared. Sigh..................

I'm happy to report that I was able to finish all the quilting on my Cherrywood Challenge with the ...

With so many thread weights on the market, it’s tough to tell which one is perfect for a project! We’re here to help you distinguish between those tricky little spools with some descriptions and up-close stitch comparisons of Aurifil threads.

Print out this post and keep it as a reference sheet in your crafting room, or bookmark it for the next time you’re at a fork in the road when it comes to selecting thread! We have a special week-long sale on all Aurifil threads that starts today! Read on for all the details.

Aurifil 80wt Thread ...

I fell for the Merrow Croft pattern at the Festival of Quilts in 2019, where I met Margaret Mew and was enchanted by her work. My wonderful friend Michelle very kindly (and sneakily) bought me the pattern and gifted it to me later, just when I really needed something to smile about. It's taken me some time to start working on it but my plan was to finish a couple of other things first - they're getting there! With everything that's going on though I decided I really needed something that was no pressure, that I would enjoy ...

Thread and Needle MattersSelecting the right thread and needle for your project does not have be...

The new year is almost here, and I’m starting off 2022 with a new Aurifil cone to see how far it will go! I tried this out a few years ago, and it took me nine months to finish it all (that’s a full 6,452 yards). I’ve chosen a cone of my favorite thread, Aurifil color 2000, which I’ll start using for all my sewing on January 1. If you want to join in, all you have to do is select a new cone or spool of Aurifil thread and sew with it starting January ...