How is Halloween already this weekend?! October has flown by, and we’ve got a busy few days ahead with costume parties, trick or treating and everything else we have going on here.
I’m trying to squeeze in all the things I want to get done while keeping up with the things that actually have to get done. read more
Y’all, the weather has been GORGEOUS! We haven’t had to turn on the AC in four days! These breezy, dry and cool days are just amazing.
I’ve been playing pickleball every day this week and working on a Halloween quilt that I have LESS THAN 10 DAYS to finish. Have I made all the blocks yet? Nope. Am I starting to question my timeline? A little. read more
It’s finally starting to feel a little cooler in the mornings around here, and I LOVE it! I feel alive with the Florida heat but some breezy cool Fall temps are amazing too!
Been keeping busy with a little bit of everything lately. I’m back to quilting, squeezing in a few days of pickleball each week, lots of cooking and cleaning and watching my Netflix novelas while I work.
Between all that and everything else happening around here, there’s never a shortage of things to do!
Let me catch you up on what’s been going on ...
read moreYou already know that I’ve been making more time for fun stuff. That also includes hanging out with my friends!
When the kids were little, so much of my time and energy revolved around them and their homeschool lessons and play dates. And now, little by little, they don’t need me quite as much. The house is quieter. Everyone has their own schedules, their own activities, their own lives happening.
And I’m realizing that this leaves a little more room for my people, too.
I’ve been having lunch with one friend every other week, playing pickleball ...
read moreI feel like I’m getting better at figuring out what I actually want more of in my life… and what I could stand to live without.
I’m slowly letting go of some of the things that feel heavy and forced and adding more of the things that make me happy.
Sometimes it’s something big. And sometimes it’s as simple as cleaning the house with the music BLASTING when nobody else is home. read more
How is your Dancing Stars quilt going? Remember, during this quilt along you can sew at your own pace! This week we are sewing our blocks together to make the quilt top. I made 2 versions with a couple of tips for each.
First of all, for my black & white version, I had mapped out all of the colors ahead of time so it was simple to sew the blocks and then arrange them in a pleasing order. I created a checker board around the blocks with every other square being light or dark. As you can see above, a ...
read moreYay! It’s finally done. Mostly.
I have no doubts that if you’re one of my regular readers, you know that I’m easily pleased by little (and some big) things that happen around here. The Hubs overthinks construction on the level that I overthink everything else, and I have to admit that sometimes he has better ideas than me. Yes, I can own that. So while I had what I thought were “there’s no way it won’t be anything but this” moments, serendipitous epiphanies happen while you’re arranging and rearranging, and they make me happy ...
read moreThe gallery wall needed another piece of art. Fortunately, I had a rainbow in my sewing studio. I have collected Kona solids for years—decades, really—so there was no shortage of color to choose from. Pulling fabrics for this project was probably my favorite part. There is something very satisfying about watching a pile of individual … … Continue reading
read moreOne thing I’ve been thinking about lately is how important it is to try new things.
I’ll be honest I have never really had a problem in that department. lol. I’ve always been down for trying something new. But I’ve noticed that raising teenagers requires me to push a little more on this idea than I used to when they were younger. Pre-puberty they were ready to try anything! Now, not so much.
As they get older they aren’t as easy to sign up for new adventures and experiences as they were when they were ...
read moreYippeee! Since my last post here we learned we are to be first-time grandparents this autumn! That means I’ve been sewing and knitting like a crazy lady (which of course I proudly am). These projects are so fast and easy: two rectangles, sew together, turn, topstitch, done! The link to the free PDF is at the end, before the last two photos.
First, here’s a quick 2 minute overview of the entire project! I used Time-Lapse photography and a few stills so there is no audio; it is also stored on my itty bitty YouTube channel . I hope ...
read moreWelcome back to the Dancing Stars quilt along! This week it’s time to cut our fabrics. If you are one of those people who loves a pretty pile of freshly cut fabric, this is your week. If you’d rather skip ahead to sewing, hang in there – a little organization now will make the star blocks much easier to sew next week!
Remember, this is a quilt along, not a race. If you don’t get everything cut this week, no worries. These posts will stay up indefinitely, so you can work at whatever pace makes you happy.
read moreWelcome to Dancing Stars quilt along! We will take it nice and easy this week. Jut gather up the fabrics you plan to use and do whatever prep you normally do (prewash, starch etc. if so desired.) The quilt pattern includes 3 sizes and it calls for fat quarters, but this patten works very well with scraps, or fewer colors, too.
When choosing colors, think about complementary pairs of fabrics that will work ...
read moreI”m so excited to introduce my latest and greatest quilt pattern, called Mosaic Knots. It can be made either from fat quarters or precut strips and includes 4 sizes to choose from.
Click here to get the Mosaic Knots quilt pattern – PDF download.
I’ve been on a roll, regularly releasing new patterns featuring Riley Blake Designs Confetti Cotton Solids. I chose to make this quilt in the throw size from neutral fabrics, but it looks fabulous in bright colors and prints, too!
In all of my patterns I love to include machine quilting suggestions so that you can ...
read moreAre you excited to join me for another quilt along? Below you’ll find the supply list and schedule to make Dancing Stars, one of my newest and most versatile quilt patterns. I’ve already made it twice, and it’s one of those fun patterns that looks great in any fabrics you choose!
No fabric out this week.
We went to a crafter’s garage sale yesterday that a local quilt shop hosts every August. I bought mostly stitching items, but some fabric came home with me. If anyone is interested in the stitching haul, let me know in the comments and I will post it.
The large blue piece is fleece to make new yoga pants. I can’t find pants I like in the stores.
The other pieces are from a quilt kit. Imagine my surprise when I unpackaged it at home and discovered there was no picture of the finished ...
read moreI think I’m in my Chatty Cathy phase. But to spare you, I have whittled this down from what I originally wrote to save you from eye rolls and thinking, “What is wrong with this girl?”
The last couple of weeks have been busy. A good part of that time was spent with friends, and two of those times were spent at quilt shops and fabric stores. At one of those quilt shops, I ran into a favorite customer of the quilt shop I used to co-own, and had a wonderful time catching up with her. But I have ...
read moreThis month’s theme is “Night Sky.” Perhaps you’ve found some time this summer to head outdoors and enjoy the night sky. It
The post Twin Stars Quilt Block appeared first on Always Expect Moore.
read moreNo fabric out this week.
I bought a half yard of fabric on vacation, because you can’t go to Alaska and not buy fabric.
I haven’t worked on any quilts since we returned home. It’s been a bit of a struggle to get back to a normal routine.
Fabric Added: 13.625
Fabric Used: 6.5 yards
Net Fabric Added: 7.125 yards
How did you do this week?
read moreIt’s quilt along season and I’m excited to share one of my newest patterns with you! This fall beginning in September we’re going to make my Dancing Stars quilt. This is a fat quarter friendly design that’s easy to customize and make it your own!
In additional to including three size options and colorways in the pattern above, I’ve already made two versions of this eye catching quilt. The first one was made ...
read moreOur oldest granddaughter and her husband are expecting their second child, and the nursery theme is an old-fashioned blue-and-white gingham with teddy bears and warm wood tones. When I think of classic baby quilts, the Double Irish Chain is always … Continue reading
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