Thursday was a fun day. Arnie’s sister-in-law is a huge Iowa Women’s Basketball fan…such a fan that she has two season tickets. Typically, her husband goes with her, but this was a weekday game, and he had to be up early to go to work. I was available, so lucky me!! I got to go. …
A Little Thursday Fun… Read More »
read moreI am determined to keep my quilting projects moving along. That led me to be up early on Monday morning at the sewing machine. Last week I had cut out some of the sashing and cornerstone pieces for my Emerald City quilt. Monday morning I sewed all of the nine patches that are needed for …
What I’m Working On: January 19th, 2026 Read More »
read moreMy neighbor, Paula is definitely one of the best we’ve ever had. There are so many times she’s helped me out, either with chicken broth or taking my doggie out when I’m gone longer than I’d planned. We really don’t keep track of the favors but I wanted to make her something special.
This is one of the most interesting quilts I’ve made. It’s so clever how the pieces go together to make beautiful blocks. I enjoyed making this it so much, it was so peaceful to ...
read moreI had some cross stitch time this week…enough that I was able to stitch on a couple of things. You might remember I started a couple of new projects all at once around mid-November. One of them was Hannah Wallace from With They Needle and Thread.My original plan was to stitch a motif each week. …
Cross Stitch Update: January 16, 2026 Read More »
read moreIn 2024, I had the crazy idea to purchase as many quilty (and quilty-adjacent) advent calendars as I could find. I ended
The post The BIG 2025 Advent Calendar wrap up! appeared first on Always Expect Moore.
read moreYesterday I got to give away one of my favorite quilts. I had put it together a few years ago and then put the top in the pile to be completed at a later date. When I shared my binding bowl in the last post, I realized that I should finish one of them. So I did!
I just realized I don’t have a picture of the finished whole quilt. Not the first time that’s happened, probably won’t be the last. (Eye roll)
When I started the actual quilting, I found myself heading directly ...
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I’m so excited to be teaching at AQS Paducah 2026. I will be teaching:
If a workshop is sold out, keeping checking back. Sometimes people cancel.
read moreMiracle of miracles, I worked on the longarm this week. Longarming isn’t something that I have jumped into after surgery. There is a lot of upper body and back work that goes into it, plus I have to stand the entire time. I’m still building up my stamina. I finally decided I have some back …
What I’m Working On: January 12, 2026 Read More »
read moreThere is something about the whimsy of a holiday that gives me the itch to create themed gifts. What started as making some valentine throw pillow covers quickly turned into button mirrors, engraving, and embroidery too. I always have a little something lying around that works for my crafts. When my sew day plans went bust last weekend, I just started making! Now I have a table full of love to share with my friends (and with you!).
One of my favorite pieces is the red quilt block key chains made from some of my leftover red acrylic from my ...
read moreI had some stitching time this week. I was really excited to work on all of my new projects. If you remember, last week I started three New Year/ New Start projects. That’s a lot for me!! I started out by working on my 12 Day of Christmas Stocking. Here is where I was… …and …
Cross Stitch Update: January 9th, 2026 Read More »
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Topic One: Zipper Bags (Yes, Those Zippers)
Let’s rewind.
Fifth grade. Clothing class at a local Benjamin Franklin. A side-set zipper in a pair of shorts. Epic failure.
I will not be taking questions at this time.
That single zipper traumatized me for decades. Apparel sewing wanted exact sizes, perfect placement, and a level of precision that did not fit me literally!. So when I started sewing again later in life I happily stayed in the quilting lane where it did not have to FIT my body.
Fast forward to now—and ...
read moreI’ve been thinking about cross-stitch plans for 2026, and I thought I would share them here with you. After writing my wrap-up for my 2025 cross-stitching finishes, I came to a conclusion…I’m doing fewer stitch-alongs this year…well, at least formal ones. You can jump in and stitch along with me anytime. I love the company…but …
Cross Stitch Plans for 2026 Read More »
read moreThis 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.
read moreAfter 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
read moreThe 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 ...
read moreI 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 »
read moreThere’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.
This year’s inspiration is coming not from a planner packed ...
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