It's almost tax day.

And boy will we be glad that is all over with for this year.  It's always so stressful - although I am glad that there are tax professionals who are able to handle such things for us.  Once the 15th passes I'm sure we can all breathe a sigh of relief and really welcome spring with open arms!

Perhaps you have already welcomed spring with open arms in the form of bright colors from your stash or maybe you have even had a chance to get out to your local quilt shops to see what luscious offerings they have available with new spring lines. 

Having a quilt tip each week sounds like a good idea.  After all, this hobby of quilting seems to change so fast.  There are always new ways of doing things.  Some work well for us and some don't but there is always something new to try.

This week's tip is about piecing thread.  Sometimes we see thread on sale and pick it up because, it's just thread.  However, just like in fabric quality can make a big difference in our finished product.  Have you noticed that often times a pattern will call for a scant quarter inch?  That's because our thread takes up space in our seams.  If we are using a thicker thread it will take up more space.  It may not seem like much, but this will add up considering this would be every seam in out entire quilt top.  What does that mean?  It means you might to think about what thread you are using when it's time to buy a new cone or spool.  Is there any one thread that is better than another?  Sure, there are some brands that are better than others, but there are lots of good ones so it comes down to a matter of personal preference.  If you are concerned about that quarter inch seam, you will want to think about the weight of the thread you are using - thread is gauged like wire.  The larger the number, the thinner it is.  Do I have a personal preference?  Of course I do.  Mine is for Superior brand thread in either Masterpiece (which is a 50 weight thread) or Bottom Line (which is a 60 weight thread).  For me, they both work wonderfully.  Of course you will have your own favorite, and I don't want to tell you that it is not a good one.  Only to suggest that thread isn't just thread.  It is something that can have a big impact on your finished quilt.

Spring has Sprung!

I feel like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop, but I think Spring has finally arrived!  Although I will retract that if we happen to get more snow.  (I know, bite my tongue!)

Has spring inspired you to dig into your stash for brighter colors or for a particular project? With our newest little man, it is hard to find time for sewing right now, but hopefully soon we will have a better routine down and I can get back into my sewing room.  So, for now I will have to live vicariously through you!  Share your photos!  We love show and tell here.

Hopefully you will all be finding some time to get outside to enjoy the much needed sunshine. 

Today, we are going to leave a little quilting tip.  When sewing a sew and flip block, there are a couple of ways to do your trimming.  You probably don't want to leave all 3 layers of fabric there as that creates some bulk that may cause some issues when it comes to quilting time.  If you are a scrap collector,  you can sew another seam 1/2" from your original seam (towards the outside of your original seam and before flipping).  Then you can trim between the seam lines and have a 1/2 square triangle all ready to go in another project.  If you don't have a 1/2" between but still want to do this, you can cheat your seam allowance however much you feel comfortable.

Or, you can cut out only the middle fabric after flipping.  This leaves your base fabric (or the larger piece you sewed onto) completely intact.  The benefits of this is that with your base fabric still intact you will still have the original size that you are sewing/flipping onto and helps minimize any error from sewing or fabric stretching as you do your sew and flip.  Plus it leaves a nice crisp corner for you to work off of.

I'm going to give credit for the second half of this little tip to Billie Lauder (who has a wonderful little book called "Quick Quilt Tricks" which you can find here) as I believe that is where I learned it.

Hopefully you learned something new!  Happy Quilting!

I think Phil lied to us...

Today is supposed to be the first day of spring.  Here the temperature is below 30 degrees.  That is not spring.  I think Punxsutawney Phil lied to us about there not being 6 more weeks of winter.  What do you think?  After all it did snow on Monday....

We are starting to pick up at the shop, so if you have items that you finished up over the winter and would like to have them quilted for spring don't wait much longer!  Besides, we would love to see what you have been working on.

I don't think Char or I have really had time to work on any of our own projects.  Mainly because of the newest smallest blonde who sucks up the greatest portion of my time and my maternity leave which has sucked up most of Char's time.  I think we are both anxious to get started on some things, especially samples for classes for the shop.  Even if I only get in a few minutes here and there, it can really add up.  Wish me luck on that!

What bright spring projects are you working on?  Or are you still paring down your UFO list?  We'd love to hear from you!

Back to Normal - whatever normal is!

I know, it's been a couple of months since we have updated our blog.  We do have a fairly good reason for that!  You may already know, but in case you don't, Jen was off on maternity leave for the birth of her second son.  He decided to make his appearance a little early and Char was left to fend for herself.  Jen is now back to her regular hours and things at the shop are returning to normal.  At least normal for us.  Oh, and everyone is doing just fine!  The little guy is packing on the weight and growing like he should be.

We had anticipated putting out a newsletter and listing some new classes, but things happened rather suddenly and we did not get to do that like we wanted to.  We should have a newsletter out by the end of the month and we are still working on that row quilt of the month to hopefully have a sample in the shop so you can actually see what we are going to be doing.  Of course if you have any suggestions for classes you would like to see offered, please let us know and we will try to work that into the schedule.

Hope you are all doing well as it seems like spring is trying to make an appearance. Which I am super glad about because I am not a cold weather person and winter is my least favorite season.  However, with spring comes rain and mud so we do ask, as we do all through the winter, be careful of your shoes.  You may want to bring an extra pair to change into when you come in to quilt so as to minimize the risk of getting mud on you quilt or batting.  Thank you!

And now for something completely different.

Sorry, I just couldn't pass up the Monty Python reference, especially since it a new year with all the promise it brings.

Have you created some resolutions?  I have not.  I never stick to them anyway.  However, that doesn't mean that I don't have some goals I would like to accomplish during 2013.  I just like to keep the list loose so I have some wiggle room.  That way I won't be too disappointed in myself if I don't stick to a more rigid schedule.  You have to have some breathing room.  Okay, at least I have to have some breathing room!

I'm hoping to once again get started on all the UFO's that I have lining my sewing room.  Then I would have lots of plastic drawer storage for, well, for whatever!  My yarn for example or my cross stitching that I never seem to make time for.  I did spend some time in my sewing room on New Year's Day rearranging and trying to reorganize.  I have lots more to do in that way, but what I really want to do is start sewing and skip all the cleaning.  We'll see what wins over the next few days.

Stay warm and safe out there and may your resolutions all come to fruition!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

And probably the most stressful! 

Just a short note today from those of us at Quilting-By You.

We hope that you and your families have a wonderful Christmas - and that all your travels are safe.  May all your crafting endeavors turn out to match the picture in your mind's eye and may you have to rip out far less than you sew!

Happy Fa-la-la-la-la-ladays!
 (I listen to way too much Radio Disney these days)

Quilting By-You

It keeps getting closer!

Remember when January hit and you thought, hey this would be a great time to get started on making quilts (or whatever you have in mind) for Christmas?  Then July rolled around and you thought, well, I really should get started on those things for Christmas now so I can get them done so I'm not driving myself crazy on December 24th.  Well, now it is December and crunch time is here!

We have a few slots left if you have items that you need to get quilted (or have quilted) before Christmas.  Our days are now numbered! If you are looking for some items already completed we do have a few things in the shop - stockings, some place mat and napkin sets, doll quilts, wall hangings and some tissue covers for those travel sized packs of Kleenex.  If you are in the neighborhood and are looking for some last minute items that are complete and ready to go, please stop in and see what we have to offer.  We might have that item that is just right for you!

Hopefully though you are not feeling too much of the crunch this holiday season.  I would like to say that Char and I aren't but truthfully it seems like December sneaks up on us every year.  I suppose that is just the way Life likes to keep us on our toes....I could think of better ways than surprising us with December.

Happy Holidays!