A few projects I’m working on and updates

5 / 11 / 225 / 11 / 22

Hello friends! I have some projects to share that I’ve been working on, but first, I want to say “welcome” to any new visitors. There has been a lot of activity from the Passport to Quilting Event that just ended which means some fresh eyes are reading this blog. Thank you for being here! I have some exciting things planned for this year, so make sure to stay updated by following or subscribing below.

My WIP’s

I have many WIP’s (works in process), not to mention all the UFO’s. Speaking of which, what is the difference between a WIP and a UFO? I consider WIP’s to be active projects. They’re something that I keep working on a little here and there. Many of mine include block of the month projects.

UFO’s, on the other hand, are projects that have been set aside for longer periods of time. They’re usually a project that I started and then another project or deadline jumped in front of it. Sometimes, I lose interest in a pattern and I set it aside to be finished later. Often, UFO’s become lost or forgotten, which is why a comprehensive UFO list is a good thing to keep up to date. I’ll have to do a UFO confessions blog post some time!

So, my most recent WIP is the May blocks for the Halloween Figs Sampler BOM that I’m co-teaching at The Granary Quilt Shop. We’re still meeting via Zoom classes, but our next class will be in person! For my quilt, I’m using Fig Tree’s Pumpkins & Blossoms fabric collection which has a Fall look to it without screaming Halloween.

Halloween Figs Sampler BOM blocks made by Julie Cefalu, designed by Fig Tree & Co.

Another Fig Tree BOM that I just started (by subscription only and it’s full) is the Manchester by the Sea Mystery BOM. This project has a summer vibe to it with some nautical notes as well. Doesn’t it sound like I’m describing a fine wine? These blocks were finished for April and now it’s time to get started on May.

Manchester by the Sea Mystery BOM blocks - made by Julie Cefalu, designed by Fig Tree & Co.

And finally, I am in the quilting phase of my Spring is for the Birds Wall Hanging. The pattern is just about finished and it will be a free gift to you this month! I’ll let you know as soon as it’s ready.

Spring is for the Birds Wall Hanging by Julie Cefalu @ The Crafty Quilter. Free pattern coming soon! — Spring is for the Birds Wall Hanging by Julie Cefalu @ The Crafty Quilter

This year has been a challenging one, technologically speaking. Running a blog and online shop is a work in process itself. I’ve had my share of glitches in 2022, but I’ve finally switched hosting providers and hired a WordPress specialist to help on the back end. I’ll be unveiling an updated website in a few weeks along with a new email platform. You’ll be able to hear my sigh of relief when this is all done!

On a personal note, we were supposed to travel to Austin last week to visit our grandkids. We weren’t feeling well and thought we had picked up a cold. Mr. Crafty Quilter tested positive for Covid the night before our flight and I tested positive the next day. Fortunately, we found out before we got on the plane so we didn’t spread it to others. And we were able to cancel the flight with full credit.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see our grandkids. We both got hit pretty hard even though we were vaccinated and boosted. I lost a solid week of work, my sense of smell (and taste), and I’m still getting my energy back. But, I’m feeling SO much better than I did last week. It makes you appreciate your health!

Thanks for visiting today. I hope you’re enjoying some sunshine and beautiful spring weather!

How to reduce bulk in 4-at-a-time flying geese

5 / 4 / 225 / 4 / 22

My favorite way to make flying geese is with the 4-at-a-time method. It’s a fast and efficient technique, but I recently discovered that it creates two extra layers of fabric in the seam allowance. Today, I’m going to show you how to reduce the bulk in 4-at-a-time flying geese. It’s a simple solution that you’ll want to use right away!

How to reduce bulk in 4-at-a-time flying geese is a simple trick. All the details are at The Crafty Quilter.

Let’s dive into this idea a little deeper. This 4-at-a-time method starts with one large square for the flying geese body and 4 small squares for the wings. You place the two small squares on opposite corners of the large square (right sides together). The small squares overlap in the center. This is where the extra layers come from.

The steps for this method are show in the image below:

When you make flying geese with the traditional method using one rectangle and two squares, you don’t get this extra bulk at the point. They’re still bulky in this area because there are five layers of fabric, but this is unavoidable.

How to reduce bulk in 4-at-a-time flying geese

It’s really easy to reduce bulk in 4-at-a-time flying geese. Just follow these steps.

Draw a line from corner to corner where the top two squares overlap (shown by the arrows below.)

Cut through both top squares on the line. Make sure you don’t catch the large square while you cut. Discard the extra pieces (triangles). The two squares now butt up against each other with no overlap.

You can also do this step with a rotary cutter and mat. Place the squares on the mat inside of a square grid that is the same size as the large flying geese square (shown as a white square below). Place a ruler along the overlap intersections and cut.

Continue as usual with the flying geese 4-at-a-time method. You will NOT clip the remaining two squares.

More details

I took some photos of the cut-away pieces so you can see where the extra bulk would land. Below you can see the small triangle that was cut away.

In the image below, you can see how that piece would look had it been sewn into this step. It gets folded over itself to create the extra two layers.

Below, you can compare two flying geese; one made with the extra layers and the other made by cutting away the overlap. It’s definitely less bulky once the extra layers are removed.

Making flying geese 4-at-a-time is a great technique, but I also like to oversize them so I can trim them perfectly to size. You can find a full tutorial for my favorite way to oversize flying geese along with cutting charts here.

Two methods for making oversized flying geese @ The Crafty Quilter

Don’t forget the Passport to Quilting Event goes live tomorrow! Sign up below to get a free bundle of patterns from some of your favorite designers!

Passport to Quilting

Thanks for visiting! I hope you try this little trick the next time you make flying geese 4-at-a-time. Happy quilting!

Check out Passport to Quilting!

4 / 28 / 224 / 28 / 22

Hello quilters! I have exciting news to share that will make your quilt-y hearts happy! The Passport to Quilting event is right around the corner, and it’s the perfect opportunity to get lots of free sewing and quilting patterns just in time for summer sewing!

Passport to Quilting is a free bundle of sewing and quilting patterns from 20+ designers!

Passport to Quilting Details

So, what is Passport to Quilting?

This is a totally FREE event that takes place May 5th thru May 9th, 2022. I am one of 20+ designers participating and we are thrilled to be offering a bundle of free sewing and quilting patterns just for you! Think of it as a customer appreciation event where we give back to our awesome quilting community. In addition, each designer is offering special discounts in their shops just in case you want to do some extra shopping!

Passport to Quilting free patterns from these contributors.

Here’s what you’ll find in the FREE Bundle…

11 Quilt Patterns from some of the most creative quilt designers out there.
10 Quilty Projects that are fun and creative.
Fun and Simple Sewing Projects
20+ Inspirational Quilt Designers

How it Works

Go to the Passport to Quilting Page and learn more.
Click the orange Enroll Button and add your name and email.
Receive an email with details on how to login to the site. SAVE THIS EMAIL!
Get immediate access to the Bundle information and details.
Come back on May 5th and download all of the amazing free patterns and projects.

And, just in case you’re wondering… there are no special hoops to jump through to get the bundle. You just go to Passport to Quilting, add your name and email; and from May 5th-9th you get to download all of the FREE patterns and tutorials. Everything is hosted on a site called Thinkific which makes access simple and easy. Just be sure to save your confirmation email.

I’m excited to share my Seasons Reflections quilt pattern for this event (above photo – bottom left). I’ve mocked it up in perfect springtime colors, but it looks great in any seasonal or holiday color palette.

Make sure to sign up today by clicking the button below. May 5th will be here before you know it!

Passport to Quilting

5 way quilters can honor Earth Day

4 / 22 / 224 / 22 / 22

I love this place we call Earth. It constantly offers its resources and beauty without discrimination. Since it’s April 22, I’ve come up with 5 way quilters can honor Earth Day. There are small things we creatives can do to conserve and preserve our home for a better future.

5 ways Quilters can honor Earth Day

I like to think of myself as a “green” person. I recycle plastic, glass, and paper. I compost my food waste. I keep the thermostat within the suggested temperature range. I plant my own vegetables. I have eliminated plastic water bottles from our home. I’m doing my part, right?

No, not really. I’m better than some, but I have a long way to go. Take one look at my fabric stash and you’ll see more than I can possibly use in a life time! Quilters typically have enormous amounts of fabric, tools, thread, and other supplies. Fabric is what we love about quilting!

I’m not saying you have to give up your stash. I’m saying to be purposeful about what you buy, and think about where it’s sourced from. Let’s take a look at five ways we can honor Mother Earth and, perhaps, bring some peace of mind to our creative habits.

Destash

On the top of my list is to destash. That means to go through my fabric inventory and get rid of anything that doesn’t appeal to me anymore. I don’t mean to throw it away. I mean to find it a new home. Our tastes change as we grow – why hang on to something that doesn’t bring us joy? I know, Marie Kondo said it first.

A wonderful resource for our community is FeelGood Fibers. This is an online marketplace for the sale and purchase of secondhand fabrics. They have made it easy to have your own “destash sale”, and more importantly, they help lighten our footprint on Earth. In their words:

We believe having a bigger destash community is a win for us all, and that “all” also includes our planet. That’s because shopping and sewing with pre-loved fabrics is an easy and effective way to be an eco-conscious sewist. By buying from one another’s existing stashes, we can lessen the impact we have on the planet. Every yard of fabric that we reuse can save tons of water and other precious resources. And we think that’s something to feel (really) good about.

FeelGood Fibers offers tips and planning suggestions to make your own destash successful. Checkout their How to Have a Sucessful Destash Part 1 and Part 2 for some great ideas.

Other ways to destash are donate to a charitable organization, have a fabric swap with friends, or give it as a gift to a quilty friend. Check out How to destash your fabric sustainably at Sewrendipity for more ideas.

Purchase with intention

You’ve heard the term, “less is more”. It’s true! Less stuff equals more time, more money and more inspiration. Try to get it in the habit of buying only what you need and only what you’ll use. This will obviously save you money, but it will also save you time because you’re not trying to locate stuff amongst all the clutter, and you’re not spending time buying things you don’t need. And finally, you will be more inspired because your mind and your creative space are clear and ready for action.

Re-purpose and use what you have

Our ancestors were masters at repurposing old clothing, feed sacks, and drapes, etc. to make quilts and garments. They didn’t let anything go to waste; they had a very utilitarian aspect to their quilting. Even though most of us quilt as a hobby, that basic principle can still apply. Use old jeans to make a denim picnic quilt or a tote bag. Take the buttons off an old shirt and add them to a project, or use an old wool sweater for wool applique.

Quilters are very resourceful and some of us save every little piece of fabric. This is a perfect opportunity to use what you already have and make a scrap quilt. When my scrap bins start to overflow, I know it’s time to make something scrappy. There are SO many quilt books dedicated to scrap quilting. One of my longtime favorites, No Scrap Left Behind by Amanda Jean Nyberg, has plenty of ideas to use scraps in modern quilt projects along with fabric sorting and storage tips. If you have lots of tiny scraps, check out the book, Crumb Quilts: Scrap quilting the zero waste way by Emily Bailey for ways to use them.

Destashing fabric is one of 5 ways quilters can honor Earth Day.

Choose sustainable fabrics

Look into sustainable fabrics as an option for your quilting needs. Organic fabric should be certified by GOTS, the Global Organic Textile Standards, which ensures that every step of the production meets strict social and environmental standards.

There are just a few companies that offer organic fabric, Cloud 9 Fabrics being the most widely available in the US. They use 100% certified organic cotton and eco-responsible low impact dyes in their manufacturing process. Cloud 9 offers rayon, flannel, canvas, laminate and quilter’s weight cotton fabrics.

Birch Organic Fabrics is another leading provider of organic material for the quilting and crafting community. They believe that “the sustainability of our planet begins with consciousness, and can be successful with real action.” Their fabric is produced from 100% organic cotton and printed with low impact dye.

I recently discovered Monaluna Organic Fabrics which is based is California. This company was started by Jennifer Moore, a fabric designer, because she saw a need for more eco-friendly and sustainable fabric options in the industry. I purchased some half yards of their Modern Love Collection and I absolutely love it. The fabric has a nice drape, beautiful color and excellent quality.

Purchasing organic fabric is one of 5 ways quilters can honor Earth Day.

Watch out for microfiber

Microfiber is huge source of pollution for our oceans. Whenever we wash fabric (including clothes), tiny pieces of microfiber gets released into the water and ends up in our waterways. Fleece and plush fabrics are high on the microfiber list. Be aware of your choices when making quilts and buying clothes.

What else can we do to reduce microfiber? An easy solution is the Cora Ball (not an affiliate link). When you place this little laundry ball into your wash, it collects the smallest microfibers and catches them in its stalks. Studies show that it also reduces the amount of overall shedding in the laundry.

I hope you enjoyed this list of 5 ways quilters can honor Earth Day. It’s easy to be creative and lighten our footprint on the earth at the same time!

Arrow Stone QAL Week 8 & Quilt Parade

4 / 17 / 224 / 18 / 22

We finally made it to the last week of the Arrow Stone QAL! And today happens to be Easter Sunday, so I wish you all a Happy Easter as well.

Now that our quilt tops are finished, we are ready for the next steps. I’ll point you in the right direction for that, and then I get to show you some of your finished quilt tops. Always a favorite part of the pattern writing process is seeing the beautiful quilts you make!

Arrow Stone QAL Week 8 has tips for finishing a quilt. Basting, quilting and binding ideas are here plus some beautiful finished quilt tops made by participants!

If you’re just now joining us, all of the past content for the Arrow Stone QAL can be found below:

Arrow Stone QAL Week 8

Basting, quilting and binding come next in the quilt making process. This is not usually a fan favorite, but it’s definitely necessary. I’ll give you some suggestions and tips for those steps, and then we’ll have a little quilt parade.

Basting Tips

I just published a blog post devoted to How to Spray Baste A Quilt. This is my favorite way to baste, and you’ll find all of the tips and information for this step there. If you prefer other methods of basting your quilt, then please do what makes sense for you!

How to Spray Baste a Quilt @ The Crafty Quilter

Quilting Ideas

You have a few decisions to make for quilting. First, are you going to quilt it yourself or send it to a longarm quilter? I’ll be speaking to those that are doing the quilting themselves. You need to decide if you’re going to use free motion quilting or straight line quilting with a walking foot. Maybe a combination of the two!

There are endless possibilities for quilting designs. I haven’t quilted my Arrow Stone Quilt yet, but I have a few ideas for straight line quilting. I used PicMonkey and Adobe Illustrator to mock up a few of them.

Grid quilting is always a good option and I love diagonal grids. One thing I’m trying to avoid is quilting along any bulky seams (which there are many). The design below avoids those bulky intersections and keeps it simple. These quilting lines are minimal – there should be more to keep the batting from shifting. This will give you a good starting point, though.

Quilting ideas for the Arrow Stone Quilt pattern - by Julie Cefalu @ The Crafty Quilter

This next design is made up of squares on-point that intersect and overlap each other. Again, more quilting needs to be added. I thought the large open areas would be a good place for FMQ. If you have any stencils, this would be a great place to use them. Check out my blog post on How to Use Stencils for Quilting. It’s full of good ideas and information.

I love texture in quilts. Adding rows of a serpentine stitch will give your quilt lots of texture and movement. Many machines have this stitch and you can adjust the size as needed. Check out this Arrow Stone Quilt made by Beanie @Beanster the Seamster. She added the perfect amount of stitching to add interest without looking too busy.

Arrow Stone Quilt made by Beanie @Beanster the Seamster

Binding

With binding, you either love it or hate it. I’m in the “love it” category because I’ve found a way to make it fast and painless. You can see all of my Machine Binding Tips here and decide for yourself! If joining the binding tails is your nemesis, then read How to Join Binding Ends with the Pocket Method.

Finished Arrow Stone Quilts

I am happy to show you photos of the finished quilt tops that participants sent to me. They’re all unique and beautiful!

Arrow Stone Quilt made by Ann Dunn. Pattern by The Crafty Quilter Designs. — Made by Ann Dunn

Arrow Stone Quilt made by Carolyn Kohut. Pattern by The Crafty Quilter Designs. — Made by Carolyn Kohut

Arrow Stone Quilt made by Chris Behme. Pattern by The Crafty Quilter Designs. — Made by Chris Wright Behme

Arrow Stone Quilt made by Janie Bettis. Pattern by The Crafty Quilter Designs. — Made by Janie Bettis

Arrow Stone Quilt made by Joyce. Pattern by The Crafty Quilter Designs. — Made by Joyce

Arrow Stone Quilt made by Lexi Tejeda. Pattern by The Crafty Quilter Designs. — Made by Lexi Tejeda

Arrow Stone Quilt made by Lucy Cesar. Pattern by The Crafty Quilter Designs. — Made by Lucy Cesar

Arrow Stone Quilt made by MaryJo Shuler. Pattern by The Crafty Quilter Designs. — Made by Mary Jo Shuler

Week 7 Winners

This is our last round of prizes for those that made it to the “finish line”. The winner of the Binding Wheel and Third Hand Binding Clip Holder from Purple Hobbies is Ellen Louise @ellen_louise45.

The winners of a gift bundle of fabric and notions from me, The Crafty Quilter, are:

Sue Keida @sue_keida
Jan Winkel @winkelacres

Congratulations to all three winners! If you didn’t receive my direct message, please send me an email so I can get you your prize!

Thank you sponsors!

A huge thank you to all of the sponsors for the Arrow Stone QAL! They motivated us each week and made this a fun and exciting event. We appreciate their support and generosity! Make sure to visit them and spread some love.

It has been a pleasure to sew along with you every week and see your beautiful creations on Instagram. I know this was not an easy pattern to put together, but I hope my weekly tips were helpful. I appreciate all of your support and your positive feedback.

Just a quick note: The comment section of my blog is not functioning. I’m working on it, but if you need to reach me you can always email me directly at [email protected]

Thanks for joining me and I’ll see you around the quilt neighborhood!