What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

We’re back with another guide for cross stitch beginners. If you don’t already know, we’re sharing a Learn to Cross Stitch Series with releases twice a month sharing everything from floss to finishing. We’re guiding you through the basics of this timeless and traditional art!

In the second installment of our Learn to Cross Stitch series, we’re continuing where we left off from the first post (which you can go back and read if you missed it) with a Beginners Guide to Cross Stitch Floss & Needles.

Last Friday was World Water Day and this next Friday is Mermaid Day, so this week’s free motion design just fits in!

The Mermaid’s Tail design is based on the clamshell grid. This design can be quilted pretty densely, but stitch it out as big as you want. You could even use a ruler to help you create the semicircular arcs. The clamshell gird is used upside down, making it look like scales. Scales on a mermaid’s tail!

Fill the clamshells with teardrops that fan out from the centre. Use as many teardrops as you like.

There ...

I'm happy to report that NOTHING was running around the neighborhood last night or early this morning. On the wildlife front, all is quiet! Murphy is still sleeping, and we're good!

However, we had issues walking in the morning. Snow was on the ground, and Bear came home covered with mini snowballs on his legs. He wasn't happy, and I had to carry him part way. 

Winter is back with dog snowballs

 After working a month on my previous crazy quilt, I was ready for something uncomplicated.  

Guess I can't leave well enough alone!  I was going to use just the simple background block for the whole quilt, but then decided that it needed a star in support of democracy.  It got more complicated after that to keep the zig-zag pattern going.  I ended up making 84 of the 3" striped blocks before I got it right -- always a learning process even on a simple quilt.

THE STATS: Democracy Matters; Thread, White, and Blue, 2024, 27" x 27", Paper pieced, Machine ...

Merry Christmas to everyone! Thanks to all of you for supporting me in so many ways this past year (OK -- that's something I should say on New Year's Day), but I appreciate all the comments and feedback and know that many of you read the blog over morning coffee! No pressure on me to face an empty computer screen every morning and drum up something! I LOVE it! 

I hope that your day is whatever you want it to be. Our day has always been quiet - no big families or groups of friends to celebrate with. And there ...

We’ve stitched up a surprise for you all here at Fat Quarter Shop. We’re doing some redecorating and we have some spools that are looking to go out into the Threadiverse and find some new homes! Find out all the details of The Great Thread Giveaway in today’s blog post.

Fat Quarter Shop is excited to give 60 lucky winners some of our favorite 50wt Aurifil threads from the thread wall in our studio! You may have seen it in the background of videos on Fat Quarter Shop’s Youtube Channel!

Aurifil 50wt thread is the most ...

I had a headache yesterday, which is extremely RARE for me - thank goodness. I hear stories from people who have migraines and headaches every day - I'd go mad! Thankfully, it wasn't a terrible headache, so I could still "function." Or so I thought. 

I was attempting to prepare for my paper-piecing class this morning and listening to an audiobook. As I said - it was a mild headache. Well, I think I made every paper-piecing mistake in the book! I stitched on the wrong lines, placed the fabrics incorrectly, and sewed the wrong fabric in place - so, needless to ...

This is how you create fabulous texture!

I don’t even know how many times I have used this Swirl Hook pattern, I have lost count. Baby quilts, charity quilts, bag components, pillows. It looks good on all of these projects. I think I saw this pattern first in a tutorial by Angela Walters and I thought it was the best ever! It felt like a more advanced pattern, and it is, but once you are aware of its structure it becomes way easier.

The design starts with a smallish curl / spiral. From the centre of that spiral you move ...

Did you play with marbles as a child?

I love collecting them but also really enjoyed beating my classmates in a game. We made a little hole in the ground and took turns getting our marble into that hole in the least amount of turns. Some negotiation took place before the games started to make sure the marbles were of the same ‘level’ or value. The big galaxy-type marbles were prized possessions.

I really loved stitching with this 12W Accent thread by Wonderfil. I put a larger needle in my domestic machine and stitched way slower than I normally do ...

In this WIP Wednesday episode Vanessa will be discussing:

– Tips for choosing thread colors in garment sewing projects

– Serger seam allowance tips

– A new JUKI sewing machine she’s trying out (with auto thread cutter!)

– A bag course sale on the Sunday Tote!

– Jalie Karine Cardigan course sale- this week only

Submit your own question to be answered on a future WIP Wednesday here: https://forms.gle/D2qMCVJxfAgJHvWb7

What we’re covering:

1:24 – Choosing thread color

12:22 – Thread on textured fabric demo

14:01 – Jalie Karine Cardigan Class

16:20 – A look inside the Karine Cardigan

18:38 ...

No change in the numbers.

I’m stitching facing on the challenge piece, which means a finish soon.

I mentioned last week I’m using a Robison-Anton rayon for the quilting, a thread I’d not tried before. It stitched fine, no tangles or breaks. It doesn’t have the sheen of some of the other rayons, but more of a flat finish. There is a bit of a twist to the thread that reminds me of a buttonhole twist. The line also contains many solid and variegated colors.

It’s a thread I’ll keep in mind if I ...

No fabric in this week.

I used 1/4 yard of fabric for a quilt binding.

Once that quilt was finished I returned to working on the challenge quilt. The top is together and I’m totally underwhelmed. I have big hopes that the quilting and some embellishment will liven it up.

I had questions last week about the brand of thread I bought. It’s a Robison-Anton rayon in the color Sky Blue. I’m not sure on the weight, but it looks thinner than Sulky. I plan to use it on this quilt, but that could change. Quilting ...

 Let me start this by saying I am in no way affiliated with Wonderfil.  In fact, as you might have noticed, I never monetized my blog 'cause I really feel like we have enough ads in our lives and I'm not adding to the clutter.

 Wonderfil is a thread manufacturer in Alberta, Canada.  I came across their thread by mistake back in 2020 when I saw somewhere (I think it was on the AQS site) that they were giving away free samples of Wonderfil thread.  Because all the national quilt shows had been canceled that year,  they had all ...

No change in the numbers. I went to a quilt shop yesterday and everything was 20% off, but I didn’t buy fabric.

I only bought one spool because it’s a new brand for me. My machine can be a bit temperamental about thread. I can get more later if it works out.

I will definitely have a finish this week. I’m running out of month for my OMG.

Fabric In: 28.625 yards

Fabric out: 5.75 yards

Net Fabric In: 22.875 yards

How did you do this week?

Lori Holt of Bee in My Bonnet created the cutest and most convenient way to store needles! Drop those bandages, your finger-pricking days are gone. Now, you’ll be taking your needles for quilting, sewing, and cross stitch on-the-go safely in your handmade, DIY Needle Book. Lori has an easy video tutorial for you, and we have all the supplies!

Watch the video tutorial

Lori’s YouTube Channel has all the info you need to stitch up this DIY Needle Book. You’ll ...

 I love all your comments, even though I'm a "bad" blogger, and don't personally acknowledge them all! That's another reason I want to cut back (DH just laughed when I said that) on stuff for next year. Hey -- the process is already happening, but there's still lots to do in the meantime! 

I'm glad I inspire others to clean up our houses, studios, digital worlds, etc. We owe it to ourselves and our families to take more responsibility for ourselves! Isn't that what we teach our children? I wish I would have started a ...

Here’s the quilt for the newest member of the family and part two of my previous post titled Legacy and Heirlooms.

It felt incomplete to hand down bumper pads and a crib skirt with no quilt, so I dug out the leftover nursery fabrics and scanned everything into Electric Quilt in preparation for creating a layout.

There was enough of the main print in the collection to feature prominently in the layout, although I was bothered about having to build out each fabric image to get to a 9-inch block size.

OH MY GOSH --- Murphys is a "branch" manager!! I LOVE that! Does she get a raise for the job? Thanks, Anne, for the chuckle!

And yes, Elle -- I just keep plugging away at this mess. It's kind of therapeutic in a bizarre way. One box at a time, and thankfully, the number of boxes has been significantly reduced since I took on the task. Does it get any easier? Maybe - it's still mentally challenging, and I swear, this is a SKILL we should be teaching our kids from the moment they get their first possession! 

Speaking of possessions ...

 I literally fell into bed last night. I hadn't slept well the night before, and at one point, I needed sleep! Thankfully, it was at the end of the day! But I had a great sleep, so I'm ready to go today!

It's my Dad's 90th birthday!! He is the hardest person to catch on the phone, as he is never home when I call, so I'll try and catch him later today. Happy Birthday, Dad!! Oh gosh --- it was only when I went to open the picture file that I realized his birthday is ...