What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

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Happy (almost) New Year!! Today, I wanted to share with you a project that has been a draft blog post for about a year now. It is perfect for the New Year holiday because it makes me think of confetti. I worked on this in December of last year when I decided to repurpose a project into a quilt back.

I have a confession to make: I have gallon-size Ziploc bags everywhere. They’re how I store my scraps. Each color gets its own bag. And I also keep leftover piecing from quilts in Ziplocs, with each finished project having ...

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 I got these adorable Coca Cola Canvas Bag Panels in recently. 

While I was making the shop sample I filmed my process since I opted to use different directions than what is printed directly on the panel. There is nothing wrong with their directions, I just wanted to make it using only a straight stitch and having no raw edges any where on the finished bag.

Here is the video:

If the video does not play for you here then you can watch it directly on my YouTube Channel by following this link: Coca Cola Canvas Tote Bag Video Tutorial ...

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The freemotion design Paws is one of those designs that creates a lovely texture. You just want to pet the quilt!

This design works well for quilts with themes like animals, pets, water, sea, ocean, rain, weather, wind, flying, birds, and swimming. Is there anything else that this design reminds you of?

Pattern Tutorial

Create the dynamic design Paws by moving in all directions. The design sequence its pretty simple; curve round and add a teardrop or a paisley shape inside of the curve.

The teardrop is a symmetrical shape, while the paisley is not; it has a curve. Mix ...

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This Thanksgiving was extra special for our family. Both of our sons got married in the past two years and our daughter is engaged to be married next year. All eight of us were going to have Thanksgiving dinner together. We also invited a couple missionaries over to have dinner with us. I am usually a bit more casual about our Thanksgiving dining, but I wanted to set the table for this occasion. I had a few days to prepare, and I decided to make 10 placemats. Shopping and cooking for Thanksgiving sounds busy enough and sewing placemats may sound ...

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Learn how to make quilt-as-you-go holiday mug rugs with this fun and festive sewing tutorial. These little quilts are the perfect quick project to brighten up your coffee table, gift to friends, or add a handmade touch to your holiday decor.

The best part? You’ll sew the quilting and piecing at the same time—no separate quilting step required! Quilt-as-you-go projects are fast, forgiving, and a great way to use up your fabric scraps, especially all those cute holiday prints you’ve been saving.

Whether you make a set for yourself or stitch up a few for gifts, these ...

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Learn how to sew a zipper bag using leftover quilt blocks or orphan blocks from past projects.

This quick and practical sewing project is a great way to turn unfinished pieces into something useful—while giving your UFOs (unfinished objects) a new life.

This tutorial walks you through how to transform a single quilt block into a fully lined zipper pouch. It’s perfect for storing sewing notions, pencils, travel supplies, or even gifting to friends. You can make one in under an hour, and no two bags ever turn out the same!

Why You’ll Love This Project

• Quick ...

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Learn how to sew a fabric gift bag with this easy step-by-step tutorial. These reusable bags are a great way to wrap gifts in something that’s both beautiful and eco-friendly. They sew up quickly, can be made in any size, and are the perfect stash-busting project when you need a last-minute gift wrap idea.

No need for paper, tape, or bows—just pop your gift inside, tie it up, and you’re done! Whether you’re sewing for birthdays, holidays, or handmade gifts, these fabric bags add an extra personal touch that your friends and family will love.

Learn ...

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This cute filler freemotion design is a variation and the classic Pebble design. Add a curl on this inside to create the look of a cinnamon roll or the rolled up sides of a cinnamon stick.

The Cinnamon design works well for quilts with themes like Autumn, Fall, Winter, Christmas, cooking, pastry, cake. It can also be used in art quilts to represent water, bubbles, fossils, shells or various organic items.

Pattern Tutorial

This Pebble variation works like most do; travel around the circle to add decorative elements or to get to the spot for your next circle.

The circles ...

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Hello! I realized recently that I have never posted a binding tutorial here for how I machine bind my quilts. I'm not sure exactly where I learned this technique, I suspect it's a blend of several picked up over the years.  It's fast and secure and I'm very happy with how it looks finished.

Assemble your binding. I use 2.5" strips for my binding. If you're feeling motivated you can join them with 45 degree angles so that the seams make less bulk, but it works fine with straight seams, too. I recommend using ...

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This quilt came to be as the result of a personal challenge: to design the most efficient quilt I could using THREE charm packs, and still have it be interesting. I hope you enjoy it.

Three Times The Charm

66-1/2″ x 66-1/2″

NOTE: You could also use a layer cake and give the quilt an additional border set. The finished size of that would be 74″ square.

MATERIALS

3 5″ charm packs of 42 squares each (You will use all but 8, assuming no cutting errors)

2-1/2 yards background fabric

1/2 yard for centers of the ...

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This meandering freemotion design Mistletoe is open, airy and whimsical. It resembles a mistletoe plant but not exactly, making this design more versatile than just a Christmas quilting design.

The design consists of a series of two leaf shapes, two feathers and one or more small circles. The circles on sticks will help you travel to a new spot for the next sequence.

Pattern Tutorial

This design is built on a sequence with three design elements: leaf shapes, feathers and a circle on a stick.

Move into the area you want to fill with your design and try to use ...

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The edge to edge design Cogs is based on a soft curl surrounded by a boxy echoes and hops.

This funky design would be lovely on a quilt for a person who likes to know the inner workings of a piece of machinery. On the other hand, this freemotion design would work well within a mix of various flower designs too. 

The elements within the sequence of Cogs are pretty simple. A soft curl, a series of boxy shapes as an echo around to the curl and then to complete the shape, add a series of hops around it all ...

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National Sewing Month has us thinking about all the ways we can sit down at our sewing machines and come away with a project that will add a touch of charm to our homes. At the beginning of the month, we brought you a roundup of 5 Cute Weekend Sewing Projects For The Kitchen, and this week, we have a brand new tutorial for the cutest tissue box cover with all the trimmings!

1. Gather Your Supplies

If you love collecting cute trims and pretty lace as much as we do, you probably have everything you need for today’s ...

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Here is my promised three-charm-packs quilt (could also be made with a layer cake or cut from scraps).

Finishes at 66″ square. Great throw, table topper, or even wall hanging (if you have a big wall).

Tutorial coming soon (probably next week).

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Halloween is getting closer, and I have a few small quilty projects planned to get done before then. I have shared a few freemotion designs in the past that suit the scary season, and I will share them again below.

This weeks’ design is called Hair, maybe not specifically named after Cousin Itt from the Addams family, but if the shoe fits…! The random and free-flowing design Hair looks just like ghosts flying and tumbling through the air, don’t you think? Maybe it makes you think of flowing water or kelp too. The edge to edge design Hair is ...

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Learn how to make a braided key ring with this quick and easy sewing tutorial. This is a fun project to whip up with fabric scraps, ribbon, or strips of fabric you already have on hand. The finished keychain is not only practical but also a great way to add a little handmade flair to your everyday items.

This key ring project is perfect if you’re looking for a beginner-friendly sewing idea, a thoughtful handmade gift, or a way to use up leftover fabric. It only takes a few minutes, and you’ll end up with something both useful ...

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Let’s do another zigzag design, which also works in sashings and borders. This week’s design is named Coral.

This design is based on fat curls and echoes and it can transition corners without stopping and breaking thread.

This whimsical design is very suited for projects with themes like the ocean, the sea, nature, octopus tentacles, kelp, coral, marine animals, ferns, and the forest.

Pattern Tutorial

The design can be quilted in any direction, horizontal, vertical or diagonal. In the tutorial drawings and video footage you will find all of these angles used.

In this tutorial I will use ...

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Learn how to sew a fall pumpkin mug rug that’s quick, scrappy, and perfect for using up those little fabric bits hanging around in your stash. You know the ones—too small for a quilt, too cute to toss, and just waiting for a cozy project. This pumpkin mug rug comes together in no time, making it a great beginner project or a fun seasonal sew-along if you’ve only got an afternoon to spare.

Think of it as a mini quilt that’s big enough to hold your favorite mug (pumpkin spice latte, anyone?) and a cookie or ...

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Learn how to sew a DIY smock apron with this simple sewing tutorial. This beginner-friendly apron pattern is perfect for quilting, cooking, crafting, or even working in the garden.

It slips right over your head, so there are no ties to fuss with, and the roomy fit makes it extra comfortable to wear.

With just a couple of yards of fabric and a little sewing time, you’ll have a handmade apron that’s not only practical but also a great scrap-buster project.

Whether you’re looking for a handmade gift idea, something to keep your clothes clean while you ...

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