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This month I designed a fun snowy scene for our free quilt block! This is a simple block with a lot of

The post Snowy Landscape Quilt Block appeared first on Always Expect Moore.

After finishing piecing a row of quilt blocks I checked the stitch count on the BERNINA 560 and it’s just over 1.5 million stitches since the last service. That was just over five years ago. That’s not a lot of stitches when 3 million per year is average expected. I clearly have not been doing… Continue reading Welcome to 2026

The Plaid-ish pattern has been on my list for several years. I even had started collecting the light, medium and dark fabrics for it. They were all stored away in a basket, which I found while tidying up my sewing room. You see, the husband gave me a wonderful shelving unit for my “supplies.” My room had a bit of a leak and messed up the carpet AND the shelf unit I was using. So for my birthday he gave me all metal things! New pans and the shelves!

Anyway, since I found the basket and it appeared that ...

I jumped right into sewing this week. On Monday, I was determined to finish taking apart the shirts that Kayla had given me. I started working on these last week, but had a few to finish. I cut these up on my kitchen island, so I wanted them done and out of the kitchen. Kayla …

What I’m Working On: January 5th, 2025 Read More »

New Year-2026

There’s something about a brand-new year that makes us want to reorganize everything—our schedules, our studios, our inboxes… maybe even our lives. This year, though, I’m trying something a little more daring.

I’m slowing down.

Less hustle. Fewer shoulds. More joy. If quilting has taught me anything, it’s that rushing only leads to crooked seams ( ha ha)—and I’ve made peace with the fact that life (and quilting) looks better when we ease up a bit.

A Softer Kind of Goal-Setting

This year’s inspiration is coming not from a planner packed ...

During June of 2024 we enjoyed a land tour and cruise in Alaska. We actually lived there 40 plus years ago. (Gosh, we’re old.)

I picked up a kit featuring a panel with the northern lights. It came with everything but the back, but I picked something up. Didn’t make it right away, obviously, but finally decided I’d like it to be displayed during December. It didn’t take me long to do, and I mostly enjoyed the process.

The finished display quilt in Alaska was quilted so beautifully, I tried to do the same ...

I read widely in 2025, but only a handful of books truly stayed with me. These twenty—across memoir, nonfiction, fantasy, and fiction—are the ones I couldn’t stop thinking about. **Read the full list → Continue reading →

I’ve been working on a quilt designed by Krista Moser. When I saw the design, I thought it would be a good gift for the wonderful young woman our #1 grandson recently married. She lost a dear family member a couple of years ago, and she feels the loss quite deeply, of course. I’d heard […]

Here we are with a whole new year of potential. There are so many things I would love to have stitched by the end of 2026. Let’s take a look at what I’m working on because hopefully…these will be finished in the upcoming year. I put a little time into my Pleasant Sampler by Hello …

Cross Stitch Update: January 2nd, 2026 Read More »

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Time to ring out the old with an official report on 2025.

This year I completed 33 quilts:

1. AR Crossroads (2024 WIP) (COMPLETE 3/30/2025)
2. Ugandan Holiday–#1 Tablerunner (COMPLETE 2/22/2025) (2024 WIP)
3. Ugandan Holiday–#2 Tree Skirt (COMPLETE 6/11/2025)
4. Ugandan Holiday–#3 Throw (COMPLETE 6/18/2025)
5. Brightly Harry Potter (COMPLETE 3/19/2025)
6. Rail-Hourglass (COMPLETE 6/27/2025)
7. Hot Air Balloons (COMPLETE 8/12/2025)
8. Wedding Quilt–Cleo (COMPLETE 9/5/2025)
9. Perfect Patch Potholders (COMPLETE 3/12/2025)
10. Seastrand Baby (COMPLETE 2/2025)
11. Second Chances:  Improv Repro (COMPLETE 2 ...

The play on words for the name of this quilt just cracks me up!

This is my most recent project, which was a Christmas gift for my niece’s boyfriend, Mak. For many years he has watched me gift quilts to family members always being very complimentary. The couple years he started asking how to get a quilt.

My sister told him, “Ya gotta be family.” Which is true in the sense that I have to feel like making a quilt for a person. In the last year or so he’s been hinting at wanting a quilt ...

A guest post from Kayla… After years of good intentions I finally made my reading a priority and reached my goal of 50 books in one year. I’m all for spending on hobbies that make me happy but reading is one area where I can be entertained for cheap or free. I thought I’d share …

How I do my reading Read More »

Sorry I am late posting today. Christmas got the best of me! Whew…I’m still in Christmas mode, but I’m on the downhill slide now. The part of Christmas where I do the cooking and baking is behind me. My stitching took a big hit last week, and I didn’t get much done, but that is …

Cross Stitch Update: December 26th, 2025 Read More »

From the Kramer house to yours, Merry Christmas from us all. We are having a low-key day here. Board games will be happening… Long ago, Kramer and I told the kids…you do Christmas at your house with your kids. We didn’t want them chasing from family to family and not having time for their own …

Merry Christmas!! Read More »

In 2013, Sparkle Jane (daughter and 12 years old at the time) had life-saving heart surgery at Primary Children’s Hospital. We were so grateful to drive to that remarkable place, pick up a miracle, and take our daughter home. It was a complete cure.

I should, perhaps, say, we THOUGHT we were grateful. And we were. But, as the years have passed and she has continued to thrive–high school graduation, marriage, college graduation, Baby 1, Baby 2–the gratitude continues to GROW! Each year and each milestone, we have MORE to be grateful for.

It was Sparkle who ...

Joey has been busy with quilts for donation. I just love getting email from her sharing the finishes. Here is the latest. Joey writes: These two quilts were donated by Sylvia in WI. I love a double 4 patches & channels running thru… she loves civil war fabric as do I. Backing from my stasha …

Community Quilts from Joey Read More »

As you are reading this, I am likely at doctor appointments. My three-month time has rolled again, and it’s time to see what my cancer is doing. While I’m getting blood draws, CT scans, and MRIs, I’ll leave you to read my cross-stitch update. I didn’t stitch much at all this week. Arnie’s Grandson has …

Cross Stitch Update: December 19, 2025 Read More »