A Colorful Thread: October 2023
Weaving together my life as a maker and other spheres of life.
Best of Stitched in Color {October}
On My Mind
Experimenting:: with EQ8, the quilt-design software. I was tipped by a friend that EQ8 can produce foundation paper piecing patterns and other templates for quilt patterns. I had no idea! My ex used to do these two things for me, so learning in this an area that I am exploring by necessity this fall. Last week I got to know the program and began creating a digital version of my 2024 block-of-the-month quilt, Positivities. So far, so good!
Sponsor of the Week
Quilt Sandwich
I love Quilt Sandwich’s curated bundles. They make some fun combinations and have a knack for choosing the very best prints from a collection. That’s nice because sometimes you don’t really need the whole collection, you know? Your favorites in fat quarters or half yards is a sweet little gift to give yourself.
Reading:: Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham. This was our last book club read, and I can’t say that it was a bit hit. The book is at times funny and certainly interesting (in a car wreck sort of way), but didn’t always sit well with our group. That said, I am still reading it, and it is getting a little better. I am reading it in Dutch, which is a good stretch for my language skills. She uses a lot of lovely, unusual words. The language is my biggest takeaway!
Celebrating:: this Starbright quilt by @LeukGemaakt. I have enjoyed watching every stage of this quilt develop. Believe it or not, before our sew-along I had never thought of making the Starbright quilt pattern in a Christmas quilt. It’s so perfect! Scrappy, stars, bright colors on the dark green background - it has all the ingredients for a bright and cozy holiday vibe. Thanks for the inspiration, Ingrid.
Anticipating:: Sewing, sewing, sewing! I was away for a few days recently and came back with so. much. sewjo. I want to start everything and the only problem is finding the time. In my last blog post I asked you all to weigh in on which quilt I should make next. So fun to hear your thoughts! Well, I’ve decided to make two of the options instead of settling on just one. That lightbulb moment thanks to a commenter who suggested I make all of the above, haha!
Featured Freebie
Improv Cross Blocks Tutorial
Stitched in Color includes a library of free tutorials, more than 10 years in the making. Each month I’ll feature one to spread the good news.
Since we’ve been talking about scrap quilts, I will highlight one of my favorite scrap quilt sewing experiences: improv cross blocks in a variety of '“magic number” block sizes. I had soooo much fun sewing these blocks and puzzling them together. It’s a great idea when you want to do something scrappy that feels more edgy and modern than classic quilt.
When I realize that October has already passed, I feel mostly confused. Where did that month go? What did I do with my time? I don’t think that I was particularly busy or stressed, but perhaps I was because the month passed in a blink. Or it can be that living in the moment each day kind of takes you out of the big picture and with it the awareness of time passing. Now it is November and I can feel the end of the year looming. I need to organize Elora’s birthday party, Thanksgiving, Christmas and travel plans, plus I have plenty to do before January for Stitched in Color, so good thing I’ve got that sewjo going on. I need to get at it!
Wishing us all sanity in this busy season ahead. I hope to find that balance between enjoying the daily moments and keeping my future goals in sight. Beginning today.
xoxo,
Rachel