Sew Thankful Sunday, July 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 July 2021 is full of projects for summer along with tips for quilting and much more!

Hello July and happy 4th! This is usually a month of vacations and/or long days of outdoor activities. We don’t have too many plans this summer other than a few weekend getaways. Maybe I’ll catch up on some UFO’s or start something new. I need to make a plan! Today’s list for Sew Thankful Sunday in July might give me some ideas.

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. Whether you’re cooking indoors or grilling outside, you’ll love this wonderful Oven Mitt Tutorial by Dawn at First Light Designs. These oven mitts are great for using up scraps of fabric and batting, plus they make great hostess gifts!
Oven Mitt Tutorial @ First Light Designs
  1. Riley Blake Designs has just launched a new YouTube series, RBD Building Blocks. If you’re a new quilter or you just want to brush up on your piecing skills, then this is for you! You can start with the Friendship Star block here.
  1. Summer might be the perfect time to get your sewing room organized. If this speaks to you, then join Jennifer at Bee Sew Inspired for an Organize Along! Each week of July and August will focus on a different area of your sewing space. One step at a time!
  1. This beautiful chart of Common or Standard Quilt Sizes from Caroline at Sew Can She is so handy to have around! You can download and print this resource to keep in your sewing room. How nice is that?!
  1. Christmas in July is here and you can participate with Jessica Dayon for her Sleigh Ride Quilt Along. The fun has just started and you can have this lovely 84 1/2″ square quilt finished sometime in August. You’ll be way ahead of the game!
  1. Thanks to the generosity of Amber at Gigi’s Thimble, you can download this New Beginning’s Quilt pattern for free! I love the color combinations she used and the simplicity of the design. It has a nice vintage feel to me.
  1. You might want to try a hand sewing project this summer, and Beth Colletti has recently shared a Getting Started with Sashiko Guide with tips, tools and how she tackled her first project. Great photos and lots of good tips!
  1. One of my favorite quilting designs is a simple grid. I loved this Crosshatch Quilting Tutorial by Sherri at A Quilting Life. It’s a fast and easy way to quilt a project and Sherri has some great tips to make it go smoothly!

Thank you for tuning in today and I hope you found some fun things to inspire you. If you’re in the states, have a wonderful 4th of July weekend!

Latest summer happenings

Summer is officially here! One of the things I love about it is the summer produce. We are so lucky to live in an area with an abundance of fresh, local fruits and vegetables. The apricot stand near our house just opened and the nectarines, peaches and berries are in full swing. Time to start making jams and cobblers!

I just pulled out my Summer Fun wall hanging and it’s so bright and happy. If you’d like to make one, you can find a series of free tutorials at my Summer Fun QAL from 2018. I’m working on turning these into one cohesive pattern which should be available in a few weeks.

Summer Fun Wall Hanging made and designed by Julie @ The Crafty Quilter. Free series of tutorials!
Summer Fun Wall Hanging @ The Crafty Quilter Designs
Summer Fun Wall Hanging made and designed by Julie @ The Crafty Quilter. Free series of tutorials!


I’m still finishing up a sample for a new pattern that is long overdue. It’s a 3-in-1 pattern that is a great skill builder. Outside of that, there are so many BOM’s and QAL’s going on right now and I wish I could do them all! I recently finished block 7 of Red at Night 2 that I’m co-teaching at The Granary Quilt Shop. I just received my packet of instructions and material for the Strawberry Garden Mystery Sampler from Fig Tree Quilts, so I’ll be working on that too.

Block 7 of Red at Night 2 made by Julie Cefalu. Pattern by Bound to Be Quilting.
Block 7 of Red at Night 2, made by Julie Cefalu; pattern by Bound to Be Quilting

I just discovered that the Moda Bake Shop is doing a free Summer in the Garden quilt along. It just started last month and will include 12 blocks and 6 bonus blocks with a garden theme. I wish I could join this one, but I know the time commitment doesn’t fit into my schedule. But maybe it will for you!

Aside from quilting, we visited my daughter and her partner in Seattle for a long weekend. We missed the nice weather, but I did get to visit Poulsbo with just the girls for a day. It’s a cute Norwegian town just East of Seattle. It definitely reminded me of Norway in weather and Scandinavian charm. I also experienced my first ferry ride in the states.

Poulsbo, Washington - June 2021
Makayla, Nicole and Julie in Poulsbo, WA.

Last weekend we celebrated Father’s Day with our youngest daughter at a beautiful winery in the Santa Cruz mountains. The weather was perfect and the setting is just gorgeous. It really felt like we were in Italy! Molto bello!

Sara, Julie & Allen at Regale Winery, June 2021

This week I’m going to take a break from quilting for a little bit and enjoy the summer. I’ll have plenty of quilting updates to share later next week. Happy Summer!

Three ways to make your sewing space more efficient

When we remodeled our house in 2019, we turned one of the bedrooms into a new sewing room for me. I wanted to make it as efficient a space as possible. Today, I want to share a few features that I love and some ways you can incorporate those ideas inexpensively to your own sewing space.

Extension Tables

One of my favorite things was to add a pull-out (extension) table that is hidden inside a fake drawer. It’s located to the left of my sewing area and it’s incredibly handy to have that additional workspace so close to my sewing machine. I can place a small cutting mat along with a pressing area on the extension table which makes for a super efficient set up!

Three ways to make your sewing space more efficient @ The Crafty Quilter

I can go straight from the sewing machine to the pressing station and then to the trimming station with the swivel of a chair! This is great when I want to get down to business and crank out a project, but maybe not so great for my posterior (one of the reasons I exercise and walk frequently).

Below is a photo I took after the cabinets were installed. I used Closet Factory in San Carlos, California for my cabinets. The top drawer on the lower left side is where the pullout table is located. All of my books are located in the upper cabinets to the right. I keep my paper crafting supplies in the upper cabinets to the left.

Before this sewing room, I had a small corner in my daughter’s bedroom that I used for quilting. She was the first one to go off to college, so I took over her desk. I created a portable side table out of a night stand. Mr. Crafty Quilter added rubber caster wheels to the legs and then I filled the drawers with notions, fabric, etc. I placed a June Tailor Quilter’s Cut’n Press on the top so I could cut and trim on one side and press on the other. I wish I had a picture of my little corner. It was a great set up for such a small space. Here is the nightstand (before I sold it on Craig’s List) and you can just see the wheels on it.

Sewing Cabinet

Sewing cabinets can add functionality and organization to your sewing space. I have a second sewing station set up under the window using a Horn of America sewing cabinet that I purchased in 2012. I don’t think this exact model is sold anymore, but a similar one can be found here. I don’t remember how much I paid for mine, but I think it was around $1,200. It was worth every penny! It came pre-assembled and I love all of the table extensions it has. You can see the drawer extension on the left. It also has a table on the backside that opens up along the width of the table which makes it a really large surface area. It also has a cutout area and lift for my sewing machine to sit flush, but I still need to get an acrylic extension to fit around my latest sewing machine.

Here it is with the small extension table being used to support a quilt while I’m free motion quilting. You can also achieve a similar effect by placing an ironing board or card table next to your sewing table.

I can also use this extension table for cutting, pressing and prep work. I purchased the add-on drawer caddie which is under the extension drawer. This is on wheels so it can be moved around and it holds my sewing machine accessories, bobbins, notions, and projects.

Three ways to make your sewing space more efficient @ The Crafty Quilter

Ironing Station

You can make a multi-functional ironing station very easily. I borrowed this idea from a friend and it has really come in handy. I purchased an Ikea Kallax shelf unit ($149) and had Mr. Crafty Quilter install caster wheels along the bottom. We purchased 1/2″ thick x 20″ wide plywood and had Home Depot cut it to fit the length of the shelf unit. I don’t have pictures of that in raw form, but it’s just sitting on top of the shelf unit and covered with an extra large ironing board cover.

You could easily make your own ironing board cover out of batting and muslin fabric, which I did at first. Then I purchased a large ironing board cover and it’s just a little easier to take off and wash if I need to. I love the storage cubbies underneath. You can add baskets, shelf dividers or closed doors to these cubbies to suit your needs.

Three ways to make your sewing space more efficient @ The Crafty Quilter

Other resources

I was recently asked to contribute a design tip for an article at Redfin on How to Create the Ultimate Quilting Room. You’ll find lots of tips and ideas on storage, layout, organization, furniture, lighting, tools, and more from quilting experts across the country. You’ll find my tip under “storage and organization”. It’s a great article, although a little short on visual stimulation. We creatives love our visuals!

You don’t need a large room, however, to create an efficient sewing space. You’ll find great ideas in this article, Anatomy of a Small Sewing Room by Robin at Seamwork. that will get you motivated to create a happy space to sew. Heather at Closet Core Patterns shared Tips for Sewing in a Small Space that has some clever storage solutions and tips for making the most of what you have.

We would all love to have a beautiful and efficient sewing space. I know that I’m very lucky to have my own sewing room and then to be able to have semi-custom closet cabinets installed is icing on the cake. It’s been a long journey for me, but quilting and blogging is what I do to supplement our income. I appreciate having a dedicated space that is efficient and provides the tools and storage I need.

Because I know we all love pictures of sewing rooms, I’ll include a few more of mine. These are not super current because well, you know. It doesn’t always look this pretty! You can visit this post for more photos, information and details.

Three ways to make your sewing space more efficient @ The Crafty Quilter
Sewing cabinets along one wall makes an efficient set up for organizing and storing materials.
Fabric storage includes clear plastic pins hidden behind cabinet doors.
Fabric Storage

Thank you for visiting today. I hope you found some ideas that you can use!

Sew Thankful Sunday, June 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 June 2021 is full of projects for summer along with tips for quilting and much more!

(This blog post is a few days late. Thanks for your patience!) I love the long days of summer as June brings us warm weather and plenty of sunshine in the Northern hemisphere. It also means vacation plans, summer break, and perhaps some new projects to start. There are plenty of ideas to keep you busy in today’s Sew Thankful Sunday for June.

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. If you are ready to stitch up some 4th of July projects (or you’re just a fan of red/white/blue) then look no farther than Diary of a Quilter. Amy recently shared 25 Patriotic Quilting and Sewing Projects for the 4th of July. This is a nice assortment of projects from small to large that makes for some beautiful eye candy!
  1. Check out this beautiful Blooming Star Free Quilt Pattern from Corey at Coriander Quilts. This is a gorgeous quilt that Corey shared seven years ago, but she’s re-shared it in some lovely color combinations. Quilts made with stars are some of my favorites and they’re great for summer décor!
Blooming Star Free Quilt Pattern @ Coriander Quilts
  1. It’s time to get ready for the Macaron Mystery Quilt at Meadow Mist Designs! Every year Cheryl hosts a FREE monthly mystery quilt along that results in a generous lap-size quilt. The fun starts July 1, 2021 and continues through April 2022; all you need to do is subscribe to Chery’s blog at Meadow Mist Designs.
  1. It’s nice to make little projects that sew together quickly. This Tiny Foldover Pouch by Svetlana at Sotak Handmade is perfect for holding small things or to give as gifts. Svetlana shares all the instructions in her free YouTube video.
Tiny Foldover Pouch, free video tutorial @ Sotak Handmade
  1. Are you looking for some ideas for Father’s Day gifts? Then check out these Five for Friday – Father’s Day Sewing Projects at the Aurifil Blog. I’m sure you’ll find something just right to sew for the father figure in your life
  1. A nice tool to have in the sewing room is a small design board. Lea Anne at Podunk Pretties has a great video tutorial showing how she makes her Quilt Block Design Board out of everyday materials, so it’s budget friendly!
  1. I get asked a lot about how to change the size of a quilt and/or quilt block. I was happy to see that Sylvia at Flying Parrot Quilts tackled that question with Resizing Quilt Patterns (part 2). She has a link to part 1 of that series which covers resizing paper piecing and other template based blocks as well as adding blocks to a quilt.
  1. One of the necessary steps of the quilting process is basting a quilt. Carolyn at Sew Can She has a great tutorial on How to Pin Baste a Quilt. It’s a great way to baste a quilt without using sprays or chemicals.
  1. Are you in the market for a new sewing machine? If so, check out Features to Look For in a New Sewing Machine by Erica at Kitchen Table Quilting. It’s full of ideas and tips for features you might want to look for when selecting a new machine.
  1. Sometimes we are lucky enough to find an antique quilt in our possession, but don’t know how to care for it or repair any damage. Brittany at Lo & Behold Stitchery has written a fantastic series of blog posts on vintage quilts, starting with How to Repair an Antique Quilt. Definitely worth bookmarking!

I know I’ve got some catching up to do with quilting (and just about everything else in my life), but I am always excited and inspired to read about what the rest of the quilting community is up to. It seems we’ve all been busy in our own way, and I appreciate you taking the time to read this bit of quilting news. Thanks to everyone featured today, and I hope you’re summer is off to a great start!

Checking in and an English Paper Piecing project

This is going to be short and sweet. I just wanted to check in and say hello. I’ve been busy prepping and teaching EPP (English Paper Piecing) to 5th graders as well as a lesson on tessellations. I taught a Zoom class on Tuesday and another one is scheduled for this afternoon. The whole thing deserves its own blog post and that will happen soon. It’s been really fun so far, but it’s kept me from my usual quilting and blogging activities (along with the fact that I caught a nasty cold over Memorial Day weekend).

We’re also getting on a plane tomorrow morning and flying to Seattle to visit our daughter, Nicole, who lives up there. We’ll be gone until Monday afternoon. I don’t think I’m going to get my June Sew Thankful Sunday posted this weekend either. Time has just gotten away from me, but I will get caught up next week!

I hope you’re all having a great week so far and enjoying some nice weather. Happy quilting!