Thankful for you

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is tomorrow?  There are so many things I’m thankful for.  Having you visit my blog and being a part of this wonderful online quilting community is definitely high on my list.  I appreciate you!

 

Note:  I am having some major issues with WordPress and my hosting provider.  I spent two hours on hold with Go Daddy last night only to be disconnected at the end.   After an hour of tech support and work this morning, it’s still not fixed.  I don’t even know if this will blog post will publish correctly.  Technology can be a *&%#!.  I’m just going to leave it for now and try again on Friday.

I will be cooking a small turkey this year for three of our children and a few friends.  Our oldest daughter and grandkids are traveling in a different direction for Thanksgiving, but we get to see them in a few weeks for babysitting duty!  Just for fun, here are the three goblins at Halloween:

 

Lots of activity has been happening behind the scenes here.   I am working on starting a newsletter (with a free pattern to go along with it), a new pattern is being tested by some wonderful pattern testers for release in January, and I have a new product review that I’ll share soon.

I just finished sewing the last border onto my Red at Night 2 BOM quilt.  I always cut my borders to fit my quilt rather than sewing on a long strip and lopping off the excess.  This keeps the quilt square and even.

Red at Night 2 BOM made by Julie Cefalu. Pattern by Bound to Be Quilting. Fabric used is Kismet by Sharon Holland for Art Gallery FAbrics.

 

This one is a beauty and probably one of my favorite BOM quilts to date.  The pattern is by Bound to Be Quilting, and the fabric used is Kismet by Sharon Holland for Art Gallery Fabrics.

I will post more pictures of the finished top soon.  I’m going to need some helpers to hold this one up!  I took a little video of all of the blocks, but I can’t upload it to my blog right now (that technology thing/problem).  You can visit my Instagram page and see it there.  Here is the cover photo for the video which has 9 of the blocks below.

 

I have to keep this short today.  Time to start prepping for tomorrow’s big feast!  I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and you’re able to hug someone you love (or you don’t love – even more important).  I’ll be back soon with more quilty fun stuff!

20 gift ideas for quilters

If you have a quilter on your gift list, then you’ll definitely want to read my 20 gift ideas for quilters. It’s difficult to know what to buy a quilter, especially one that seems to have everything already! And if you are a quilter, you’ll want to show this blog post to your family and friends before they go shopping!

20 Gift Ideas for Quilters is the ultimate gift list that includes basic and luxury items!

I’ve broken my list into two parts. Part One is made up of gift ideas under $50 and includes quilting notions and gifts that might be considered “beyond basic”. In other words, not every quilter will have these items in their toolbox. Part Two is the luxury gift list. This list has those things that many quilters want, but wouldn’t buy for themselves. (I like this list the most 😉 ).

Disclaimer: I have included brand information links (non-affiliate) as well as some product prices with affiliate links. I will receive a small commission when you make a purchase by clicking on those affiliate links (at no cost to you). I only promote products and services that I use and love myself. Your support enables me to maintain the free content of this blog and I am truly grateful!

Gift ideas under $50

  1. The Quilt Show Star Membership. This is an online quilt show hosted by Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims that is packed full of tutorials, patterns, classrooms, BOM’s, shopping, and recorded quilt shows with top teachers and designers. You can join as a free member, but Star Memberships offer full access to all shows and more. I’m a huge fan and I think it’s an awesome value. Price: $49 for 12 months or $29 for 6 months at The Quilt Show.
Image Source: The Quilt Show
  1. (a) A Quilting Life Planner & Workbook. Designed by Sherri McConnell, this is not just a planner, but it’s an organizational tool as well. It has monthly planning pages, space for lists and notes, and 12 different topics on organizing your sewing space and home. Price: $20.98 at Fat Quarter Shop.
  1. (b) If you’re looking for something that’s more of a planner but it’s also geared for the quilter, then you might consider The Quilter’s Planner. This is what I’ve been using for the past several years and it’s fully customizable. It includes a quilter’s resource section, planning pages as well as 8 quilt patterns! Price: $49.95 at The Quilter’s Planner.
Image Source: The Quilter’s Planner
Image Source: Fat Quarter Shop
  1. BladeSaver Thread Cutter. This is a genius thread cutter that uses an old rotary blade to cut threads. If you do a lot of chain piecing, this little gadget will save you lots of time snipping fabric units apart. I love mine and use it all the time. Price: $18.98 at Fat Quarter Shop
Image Source: Purple Hobbies
  1. Sew Steady Grid Glider. This handy product is a slick mat that covers your sewing surface for easy free motion quilting. It also has markings for 1/4″, 1/2″ and 5/8″ seams as well as diagonal seam guides for HST’s. Price: $22.48 at Fat Quarter Shop
Image Source: Fat Quarter Shop
  1. Omnigrid Rotating Cutting Mat. These are so useful when trimming HST’s, quilt blocks, or any square shape. You can rotate the mat without having to move the fabric or your body. Price: $46.98 at Fat Quarter Shop.
Image Source: Handicraft
  1. Omnigrid Foldaway Cutting & Pressing Station 12″ x `18″. This is a portable cutting mat and pressing surface for taking to quilt classes and retreats. I like the larger size because it’s more flexible in the types of projects I can work with. Price: $33.99 at Amazon.
Image Source: Handicraft
  1. 12″ Hardwood Tailor’s Clapper. This is a great tool for pressing seams and making them stay flat. Not many quilters have caught onto this notion. I have this same one and it’s always in use! Price: $29.98 at Fat Quarter Shop.
Image Source: Fat Quarter Shop
  1. Alphabitties Specialty Marking Tools. These little markers keep your fabric pieces and blocks organized for easy piecing. They can also be used to keep quilt rows and columns in place while laying them out and sewing together. Price: $7.48 at Fat Quarter Shop.
Image Source: Fat Quarter Shop
  1. Betty Bands. These are made by Steady Betty and I love them for free motion quilting. They wrap around your hands and give you control of the quilt sandwich as your sewing. They come in two sizes and allow your fingers that tactile feel and control without making your hands sweaty! Price: $14.98 at Fat Quarter Shop.
Image Source: Steady Betty
  1. Precut Fabric Bundles. This might not be unique, but I can assure you that every quilter would appreciate a bundle of precut fabric! I love Green Fairy Quilts for purchasing precuts. They have a great selection and they’re always on sale. Price: varies at Green Fairy Quilts.

Gift Ideas Over $50

  1. Oliso Mini Craft Iron. This compact iron has the power of a full-size iron with a smaller footprint. It’s perfect for taking to classes or just for its space saving ability. Price: $59.99 at Amazon
Image Source: Amazon
  1. Craftsy Membership. I’m so glad that Craftsy is back and in full swing. You can purchase individual classes or you can opt for a membership which gives you full access to their class library. For a great gift, go for the annual membership! Price: Individual classes $0-59.99; Annual Membership $79.99
  1. Wool Pressing Mat. These mats absorb heat which makes them great for pressing from both sides at once. They come in a variety of sizes, so you can make the price point work for your budget. I like the 17″ x 24″ for my ironing table. It’s still portable but can handle a large quilt block or fabric cut. Price: $62.98 at Fat Quarter Shop.
Image Source: Fat Quarter Shop
  1. Creative Grids Stripology XL Ruler. This ruler has slots every 1/2″ that fit a rotary cutter perfectly. It is perfect for squaring up blocks and cutting fabric strips really fast and efficiently. I recently purchased this ruler and I absolutely love it! Price: $69.99 at Amazon.
Image Source: Amazon
  1. Accuquilt Go! Me Fabric Cutter Starter Set. This would make a nice gift for any quilter. It uses dies to cut fabric into most any shape or size used in quilting. It’s great for shortening the amount of time spent cutting so you can get down to business sewing. Accuquilt fabric cutters come in different sizes – this is the more portable (and affordable) option. This might go on my own Christmas list! Price: $154.99 at Amazon.
Image Source: Amazon
  1. Cheryl Ann’s Quilting Design Wall. This is a portable design wall and a great option if you don’t have wall space for a permanent one. This is a must have tool for most quilters (and one that I still need)! I have my eye on the 72″ square version. Price: $118.20 at Amazon.
Image Source: Amazon
  1. Electric Quilt 8 Software. This is a wonderful quilt design tool that I use often. It is fairly user-friendly and there are lots of tutorials to help navigate the program. If you already have EQ8, then consider purchasing the BlockBase+ companion software for it. It’s loaded with over 4,000 quilt blocks that are ready for your quilt design. Everything at EQ is 25% off through November 30, 2021, with the code 25DAYS. Price for EQ8: $239.95 at Electric Quilt. Price for BlockBase+: $119.95 at Electric Quilt. Those prices do NOT reflect any discount.
Image Source: Electric Quilt
  1. (a) Sew Sampler Subscription Box. This box of goodies is offered as a monthly subscription at Fat Quarter Shop. This can be a gift that keeps on giving throughout the year if you choose. Each box contains fabric, notions, a pattern and more that is always valued at more than the cost of the box. Price: $24.95 (+ shipping) per month at Fat Quarter Shop.

  1. (b) Quilt Kit. Fat Quarter Shop also has a variety of quilt kits to choose from. Kits contain all of the fabric you need to make the quilt, not including the backing. Price varies depending on kit at Fat Quarter Shop.

Image Source: Fat Quarter Shop
  1. Rowenta Perfect Pro Station Steam Iron. A good iron is a must when sewing and quilting. The Rowenta Perfect Pro Iron has great reviews and a few in particular by professional quilters. It’s definitely a luxury iron and would make a great gift for your favorite quilter. Price: $299.99 at Amazon.
Image Source: Amazon
  1. Missouri Star Quilt Retreat or Event. Perhaps considered the “creme de la creme” of quilt gifts is a trip to Hamilton, Missouri, to participate in a Missouri Star Quilt Retreat. Known as Quilt Town USA, Missouri Star is made up of 12 quilt shops and they offer retreats, classes and more. Many of the events are held at their retreat center and/or at Hotel Hamilton. Prices vary from $250 – $699 at Missouri Star/Eventbrite

I had so much fun making this list to 20 gift ideas for quilters. There are so many gift options available and it’s difficult to say what a person needs or already has. Often the best present is a gift certificate to your favorite local quilt shop or online quilt shop. That lets the recipient have all of the fun and removes the stress from you! And if you can find any of the items listed today at your local quilt shop, that’s the best place to buy them!

If you’re looking for gift ideas to sew, then check out my 16 Christmas Gifts to Sew for some ideas that are quick and easy.

16 easy Christmas gift ideas to sew at The Crafty Quilter.

I hope you enjoyed these ideas. What would you add to your gift list?

Sew Thankful Sunday November 2021

{I love the idea of “paying it forward”. I think the world would be a better place if we could spread some joy and acknowledgement of good deeds done by others. I try to do that once a month for my Sew Thankful Sunday posts. I highlight some great content that I’ve found on other people’s blogs that I hope will inspire you and reward the originator by bringing traffic to their site. If your blog has been mentioned without your consent, please let me know and I will take you off the current list of featured bloggers.}

Sew Thankful Sunday November 2021 is full of projects to get you ready for the holidays and lots of quilting ideas for the whole year!

Can you believe there’s only two months left in the year? Sew Thankful Sunday for November is full of projects to get you ready for the holidays and lots of quilting ideas and inspiration to keep you busy all year!

Note:  If you use Pinterest, please pin from the original source and not this blog post. Remember, you can click on any of the images in this post and it will open up a new tab to the associated link.

  1. The next big holiday coming up for the US is Thanksgiving. One way to keep everyone engaged after the feast is with this free Thanksgiving Fact or Fiction Game from Heather at Mortiz Fine Designs. She also has a Thanksgiving word scramble and gratitude cards available as free printables. Easy peasy and so fun!
  1. If you’ve been saving scraps, you’ll want to check out this Triangle Ring Quilt Block Tutorial by Alyce at Blossom Heart Quilts. This is part of her Scrap Buster Blocks series which features a different scrap-friendly quilt block tutorial each month.
Image Source: Blossom Heart Quilts
  1. I really enjoyed this Comparison of Quilting Cotton Solid Fabrics by Rachel at Stitched in Color. She does a great job of sharing the differences between seven manufacturer’s basic solid collections and her final thoughts (and favorites) of them all.
Image Source: Stitched In Color
  1. Are you ready for the holidays? Brittany at Lo & Behold Stitchery has you covered with 7 Free Christmas Sewing Projects that are sure to inspire you.
  1. Something I always look forward to is the Annual Charity Quilt Along at Fat Quarter Shop. This year’s Heart Felt Quilt Along will benefit Make A Wish Central & South Texas. The PDF patterns are free during the event with a suggested donation of $5 for each pattern. The quilt along starts in February, 2022, and kits are available at Fat Quarter Shop for this lovely 75″ x 80″ quilt made with Beautiful Day fabric by Corey Yoder for Moda Fabrics.
  1. I missed attending the Pacific International Quilt Festival this year which is held near me in Santa Clara, California. I was happy to glimpse some of the beautiful entries via the Quilt Inspiration blog. You can find part 1 here and part 2 here.
  1. I love this Free Holiday Table Runner Tutorial from Suzy at Suzy Quilts. It has an easy applique technique and it’s not so “Christmas-y” which means you can use it for other seasons.
Image Source: Suzy Quilts
  1. I’m excited about these Handmade Gift Ideas for Friends Who Sew by Amy at Diary of A Quilter. I want to add them all to my list of things to make (and receive)!
Image Source: Diary of A Quilter
  1. How about something sweet to eat? I can’t wait to try these Pumpkin Scones from Jamie at My Baking Addiction. They look perfect for an indulgent afternoon snack (to go along with my tea) or a quick breakfast bite.
Image Source: My Baking Addiction
  1. I fell in love with this Butterfly Cage Quilt Tutorial by Connie at Free Motion by the River. She had me at butterfly! Plus those applique shapes are just gorgeous.
Image Source: Free Motion by the River

I love all of the variety in today’s Sew Thankful Sunday November edition. Thank you to all of the designers and bloggers featured today. And thank YOU for stopping by!

For more inspiration, visit Sew Thankful Sunday November 2020 and 2019.

Product Review: Magic Quilting & Crafting Spray

Do you use starch to prepare your fabrics for cutting and piecing? I always do because it gives stability to my fabric and more accuracy during cutting and piecing. Today, I have an exciting new product to tell you about, so I thought I would give a product review of Magic Quilting & Crafting Spray. This is not a sponsored blog post, but any Amazon links are affiliate links.

Product Review of Magic Quilting & Crafting Spray @ The Crafty Quilter

I’ve been using Best Press for years and I’ve been fairly happy with it, but I always knew that something better would come along. And it has! I really like Magic Quilting & Crafting Spray (affiliate link) and I’ll be comparing it to Best Press only. I feel like these two products are similar in character compared to most other commercial spray starches on the market.

Magic Quilting & Crafting Spray is made by Faultless which is a company you may be familiar with. They make several starch products such as Niagara, Faultless Gold Starch and Magic Sizing. Their latest addition is Magic Quilting & Crafting Spray, and it has a few things going for it that I really like.

  • Number one is that it’s a stronger starch. It gives fabric more stability than Best Press but not so much that the fabric feels overly stiff. If you want to make it more stiff, you can reapply as often as needed.

Below, I have taken a fat quarter that has been rolled up and needs to be pressed. You can see the wrinkles before and how it looks after. True that any starch product would do the same thing, but I’m happy with the amount of stiffness I get from Magic Quilting & Crafting Spray.

Fat quarter of fabric before and after starching with Magic Quilting & Crafting Spray
  • It comes in an aerosol can and a spray trigger container which is my favorite (more environmentally friendly). The spray comes out in a fine mist and one “squirt” covers a good-size area. It does not clog up or drip. I’ve been a little disappointed with the spray of Best Press – it’s not as fine as this one.
Product Review of Magic Quilting & Crafting Spray @ The Crafty Quilter
Image Source: Faultless.com
  • It is also fragrance free which is nice if you have allergies or are sensitive to fragrance. This is something I’m learning to appreciate. I had always enjoyed the scent options of Best Press (it also comes in unscented). Recently, I started noticing how toxic it felt when I inhaled it. I could feel it burning in my throat. Maybe it’s my old age because I never noticed this when I first started using Best Press.
  • Magic Quilting & Crafting Spray has all of the ingredients listed right on the bottle and on their website. I honestly can’t tell you how safe the ingredients are, but I know there is a “film former”, an ironing aid and two preservatives on the list. I cannot find the ingredients of Best Press anywhere on the company website or on the bottle itself. It does proclaim to be “earth and people friendly” but I’m not sure what that means.
Product Review of Magic Quilting & Crafting Spray @ The Crafty Quilter
Image Source: Faultless.com
  • Both Best Press and Magic Quilting & Crafting Spray do not flake and do not leave spots or a residue. This is a great feature of both products!

Note: As always, I recommend that you purchase any of these products from your local quilt shop if available.

We all have our preferences and some may never feel the need to use starch at all. I always thought of Best Press as a good product, but not a great product. I think I’ve found a great product with Magic Quilting & Crafting Spray.

Product Review of Magic Quilting & Crafting Spray @ The Crafty Quilter

In the end, it’s the performance that trumps everything for me. I love how this spray works on fabric and the amount of stability it adds to the material. I also love now the spray application is fine and broad. If you’ve never tried it before, I would definitely feel comfortable recommending it to you.

If you want more information on spray starch in general, you can check out my blog post, What Type of Spray Starch to Use For Quilting (and how to make your own).

Happy Quilting!

Christmas sewing & Nordic Star correction

Does is feel like time is flying and Christmas is right around the corner? It is for me! I have been doing a little Christmas sewing in between other, larger, commitments. I’ll show you my latest Christmas finish and then keep reading for information on a pattern correction for the Nordic Star Table Runner.

Christmas Sewing

I finished the All The Trimmings Mystery quilt top from Fat Quarter Shop. This was a free sew along with downloadable patterns that you can find here. I love love love how it turned out! I used fabric from the Christmas Morning collection by Lella Boutique for Moda Fabrics and the background is Linen Texture in charcoal by Andover. It’s the perfect size for a wall hanging, and I have lots of fabric left over to make some coordinating pillows.

Nordic Star Table Runner Pattern Correction

Nordic Star Table Runner, a free pattern @ The Crafty Quilter

I was just made aware that there was a small error in my free Nordic Star Table Runner pattern. On page 3, Step 10, I said the corner unit should measure 5 3/4″ square and it should say 6″ square. Otherwise, all of the cutting and piecing instructions are accurate; I have made the correction to the pdf and the original blog post. For your convenience, you can download the pattern below:

Nordic-Star-Table-Runner-PatternDownload

I had the pleasure of running into a blog follower, Donna C., at The Granary Quilt Shop where I work on Tuesdays. She had just finished making a Nordic Star Table Runner for her daughter, and she sent me a photo of it. It turned out beautifully and Donna gave me permission to share it here.

Donna was asked to make the table runner longer and 12″ wide. Donna did that easily by leaving off the border and adding extra blocks. The blue and white color palette is so pretty – perfect for a frosty look! I’m always thrilled to see my tutorials and patterns made up in “real life”. It’s the ultimate compliment!

Every year, I try to create a free holiday tutorial/pdf pattern to share on my blog. Last year’s freebie was the Peppermint Snowball Candy Mat. This is a small project that is quick and easy to make. It’s perfect for hostess gifts or perhaps to hold a plate of candy or cookies for Santa Claus!

I hope this sparks some ideas for your own Christmas sewing. It seems like all of the holidays are stacked up in the near future beginning with Halloween. Blink and it’s Thanksgiving. Blink again and it’s Christmas! Time to start sewing!