Quick Answers to Quilting Questions!

I've just about completed the hand quilting on 2 borders - keeping my stitching to evenings and weekends.

Being "HOME" for nearly 2 years has given me the time to spend with "big" handwork (as compared to small EPP hexie projects that travel easily) and I am thrilled that hand quilting has taken up much of my evenings through this winter.

There is something so satisfying in the rhythm of the needle as it rocks through the fabrics, leaving stitches in its wake.

I gave up long ago trying for the "smallest stitches ever" and instead just go with what is comfortable for the size of my hands, which I think has a lot to do with how our individual stitches come out.

I've seen some amazing hand quilted antique works - usually the batting is much thinner than what we have available, making smaller stitches possible.  Women 125 years ago were much shorter, and their hands were smaller.

Remember that Seinfeld episode with the "Man Hands?"  Yeah. That's me.  5'9'' and man hands.

Some wanted stencil info.

Stencils are one thing that I would pick up whenever I found one that I liked. This one is just called scallop border, but doesn't have a manufacturer or designer given.

It does say circa 1835 on it.

The stencil itself is way wider than I needed it to be, so I only used the top 5 arcs on my border.

It did leave some empty spots.

So I grabbed a lid off of a small round jar candle, and am drawing a teardrop in between each of the swags to fill in that area.

It's amazing what you can find around the house that will do a great job.

On to my second spool!

I have tried many hand quilting threads, and there is a difference.  I love YLI because it doesn't shred on my needle, and it doesn't tangle as much, or give me those loopy twist knots in the middle of my thread as I sew nearly as much as other brands. (Those are a pain!)

400 yards is a LOT of thread on these wooden spools.

And Rock Hill, SC means they are fairly local to me.

I was in a crunch to pick up the blue pens before last weekend's snow dumping happened (Because I knew I'd be snowed in!) and I picked those up at Walmart.  They are Mark-B-Gone by Dritz.

The fine mist spray bottle came in a Quilty Box at some point in the past.

I have bigger ones at the ironing stations, but this little small one is perfect for removing blue marks at the end of the evening before heading to bed so the border can dry overnight.

Yesterday was a mail order fulfillment day!

The Quiltville Store was busy over the weekend with the release of Cherry Crunch, and the winter free shipping sale running at the same time.

Orders kept coming in and there was no way for me to get to them!  We finally made it down to print invoices and get orders pulled on Tuesday evening.

Yesterday I spent the whole day processing 100 orders - Everything that I could get to the USPS by their 11:30 am closing time went out yesterday.

The remaining will be dropped off at the USPS today - and we'll be free and clear.

I can't thank you enough! 

The USPS was able to deliver to me in the tracks that we left across the drive so they could access our mailbox.

UPS and FedEx have been unable to get to us due to the snow on the drive, so the Hubs loaded the tractor on the trailer and came over to plow:

There was a ton of snow here!

But deliveries can get through now.

Most of the snow is pushed up against the old General store in front of the QPO studio.

Those grey clouds were supposed to bring rain yesterday -

But it only sprinkled enough to make things wet and messy.

The van is currently off road beyond the bottom of the drive.

(You can see our drive and Dave's pickup behind.)

Pickup and trailer at the bottom of the drive as he went to get the tractor.

It's pretty clear now until the next snow comes!

My plan for today after dropping all of the mail off?

I am getting close to having enough of our Fish School Leader & Ender units to start putting them together in some kind of quilt design.  That's exciting!  I may need to make more depending on how big I go, but as our Leader & Ender challenges run from July to July I have time.

How are you coming on yours?

I have that Butterfly Weed quilt still in bins.  I'm working on alternate blocks. Or I was.

I think I'm second guessing myself on this one - so maybe I'll play around with some other ideas today.

I'm working on the Churn Dashes just at the cabin, so I'll likely be back into those by the weekend.

It's good to have options!

And then there is that nagging nudge that also tells me this would be a great day to do some deep cleaning around the studio.  I'm trying not to listen! LOL!

Did you see this release in Saturday's Post?

Quilt Size: 67'' X 75''

The introductory price for Cherry Crunch is marked 25% off in the digital pattern section of the Quiltville Store.  No coupon needed!  Price reduction good through 1/31/22.

And while that is exciting on its own - it's even BETTER if we throw in a Gift-Away, don't you think?

I will be drawing for ONE lucky winner and THEIR FRIEND who will each receive the printable PDF pattern for Cherry Crunch along with a Facets of Red fabric roll from Cotton to Quilts! 

(Fabric prize must be shipped to a USA address only.  If you are outside of the USA we can ship it to a friend within the USA who can then forward it on to you.)

You gotta be in it to win it!  Click to Saturday's 1/15/22 Post to enter.

And it doesn't end there.  I have placed some OTHER Winter themed patterns ALSO at 25% off with no coupon required!

Forever Mine PDF pattern includes the runner too!

On sale at 25% off through 2/13/22

Warm Hands, Warm Heart & Winter Blues are both 25% off through 1/31/22.

If this is your first time downloading digital patterns from my store to a computer click HERE.

If you intend to download to an iPhone/iPad click HERE.

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

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Cathedral Stars Quilt pattern found under the Free Patterns tab!

Love Maya Angelou!

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She put so much joy in not just living, but in thriving with style!

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Today is a “work on what I want” day. My birthday is officially on Sunday this year, and I'm enjoying and making the most of the last days of my 50s.

60, here we come!