Cherry Blossoms

10/12/2026

It's reveal day in the Blackbird's Bounty SAL with the Woolie Friends and it's this block just beautiful! Meet The Gatherer!

To download the pattern for FREE and order kits, visit Linen Closet Designs" website.

Get more info in our Facebook group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/woolenoak

10/10/2026

How I Became a Quilt Designer!

It’s amazing how some of our stories are so similar, while others are completely different!

Back in 2009, I was really into blogging and joining all sorts of fun quilting challenges. I've always loved a good challenge, especially when it involves putting my own spin on a pattern! One of my favorite bloggers challenged us to create a Christmas design using the AccuQuilt GO! fabric cutter, which my hubby had given me for Christmas. I started dreaming up a sweet little snowman dancing in the snow and went shopping for the perfect dies. Along the way, I found a beautiful set of paisley dies that I just couldn't resist!

Well, one morning, while I was supposed to be working on my snowman, my mind kept wandering back to those paisley shapes. So I grabbed some colored paper, cut out a bunch of shapes, and started playing. And wouldn't you know it, those paisleys turned into the cutest little Christmas tree! So much for my dancing snowman! Haha! I named my little creation Feathered Christmas and shared it on my blog. Just a couple of days later, Brewer, a quilting distributor with exclusive rights to the dies I'd used, contacted me. They loved my little tree and wanted to know if I'd write a pattern for them to distribute. Me? Write a quilt pattern? Of course I said YES! After all, it was another fun challenge!

Feathered Christmas turned out to be a wonderful success, and one thing led to another, opening doors to opportunities I'd never dreamed of, including fabric design, teaching, and so much more!

It's been quite a ride, and I absolutely love what I do. I feel incredibly blessed to be part of this wonderful creative world and to share it with so many amazing people. And to think, it all started with a handful of colored paper, some paisley shapes, and a snowman who never made it to the dance floor!

Now I'm curious… have you made Feathered Christmas? I'd absolutely love to know if you've stitched my very first design!

And have you ever started one project only to end up creating something completely different?

Coming Next Week on Quilty Quips: Scissor Week!

10/07/2026

10/07/2026

I’m so excited to finally share Gathered Treasures, Block 6 in the Blackbird’s Bounty Mystery Stitch-Along!

For this block, I gathered some of my favorite things about autumn and stitching, two curious blackbirds, cheerful sunflowers, berries, fall leaves and a pumpkin, along with a primitive tin can filled with little sewing room treasures.

I had lots of fun adding the special details to this one! Fly stitches and French knots give the sunflowers wonderful texture, while silver thread and seed beads become tiny “pins.” Iridescent bead eyes, shiny metal charms, wooden acorns and carved buttons add a little extra personality, and I love the loose ribbon tucked into the tin can.

Gathered Treasures is available as a FREE PDF download October 5–11, 2026. After October 11, the pattern will be available for purchase. Visit my website to download your free pattern and pick up a Gathered Treasures kit so you can stitch along with us!

Link in Bio

10/07/2026

Love it!... made with my Keeper Bag Tote pattern.
Get your kit here: https://hobbyhouseneedleworks.com/pages/hobby-house-edit

Hobby House Needleworks is an online store filled with hand-dyed linens, cotton and silk floss, folk art and Americana cross stitch patterns, needlepoint canvases, and all kinds of needlework accessories.

10/04/2026

I’ve just been loving Thread Week! I hope you have too. There have been so many useful thoughts about different threads for different techniques. Today, I want to talk about machine embroidery thread!

My go-to is Isacord 40 wt. polyester. I love its sheen, huge color selection, strength, and how consistently it stitches. And since 40 wt. is such a workhorse for machine embroidery, it’s what I reach for most often.

A few quick thread tips:

Thread weight matters, the higher the number, the finer the thread. Changing weights can change the look, and even the coverage of a design.

Match your needle to your thread. Shredding, skipped stitches, or breaks? The needle is one of the first things I check.

Don’t forget the bobbin! I pair Isacord with OESD bobbin thread, its finer weight helps reduce bulk on the back of the embroidery.

Use a thread stand. I love the multiple spool stand available for my BERNINA. It helps larger cones feed smoothly, plus I can line up my colors in stitching order.

I always do a test stitch! Fabric, stabilizer, needle, thread, and design density all work together, so a quick test can save a lot of frustration.

And, of course, there’s COLOR! Sometimes changing just one thread color can completely change the personality of a design.

Next week on Quilty Quips, we’ll share a little more about ourselves. You’ve heard about our first quilts, now we’ll tell you how we became designers!

Stay tuned and tell me, what’s your favorite embroidery thread?

10/01/2026

Block 5 is here! Flowers for Thee by Blueberry Backroads, isn't it pretty? You can get the Free download this week only!! Visit their website to get your copy and order kits to make this sweet block at: https://blueberrybackroads.com/

09/25/2026

If you follow me or have ever taken a class with me, you know I love a good sewing tool, especially one that makes a job easier or solves one of those little problems we run into all the time.

And I think of these as tools, not gadgets. These are things I reach for again and again, and don’t want to sew without!
So, in no particular order, here are five of my must-haves:

1. Zirkel Magnetic Pin Holder: when I’m sewing and pulling pins as I go, I don’t want to stop and find my pincushion. I just toss the pin in the general direction of my Zirkel and, zip! …that strong magnet grabs it, you don’t even need good aim!

2. Clover Yarn Threader: I’m not confessing how many of these I own! There’s one by every machine, by my handwork chair, in the car... you get the idea. I use it for wool, embroidery and cross stitch, and with a Clover Gold Eye Chenille #24 needle to bury threads when doing machine appliqué. It makes threading a needle a breeze!

3. Wonder Clips… in ALL sizes: binding? Wonder Clips. Thick bag layers? Wonder Clips. Vinyl that I don’t want to pin? Wonder Clips. There always seems to be a size that’s just right for the job, so yes, I need them all!

4. Seam Ripper/Stiletto Combo: the seam ripper is for those rare occasions when something needs to be “unsewn.” Haha!! Flip it around and the stiletto becomes my extra finger for guiding little pieces right up to the needle. Two tools in one, just perfect!

5. Dovo Hardanger Snips: all-time favorite and most used scissors in my studio or on the go! They’re tiny, sharp and precise for close trimming and getting into those little spaces. I use them both at my sewing machine or for all handwork.

So there you have it, five tools that have earned their place in my sewing room!

Did we introduce you to a new “must-have” this week? Or do you have a favorite tool I need to know about? Tell me in the comments!

And join us next week for Quilty Quips, when we’ll talk about our favorite threads and why different threads really do matter for different jobs!

09/25/2026

I can't believe it's week four in the Blackbird's Bounty SAL with Woolie Friends and "Star Collector" is so sweet!

Visit the Wooden Spool Designs to download the free pattern and order kits to make the block at https://www.woodenspooldesigns.com/

09/14/2026

Block 3 in The Blackbird’s Bounty reveal day! Isn't this adorable? Designed by Through the Needle’s Eye.

Visit their website to get kits and the downloadable PDF pattern that's FREE this week, through Sunday, 9/19! https://www.needleseyestories.com/

Check out all the fun at https://www.facebook.com/groups/woolenoak