I completed the Handy Sewing kit from Quilter’s World Winter 2014 magazine. It’s a cute idea for holding some notions like needles, pins, or clips close to your machine. It would also make a cute gift for a Quilty friend.
Sewing Highlights: Fun with Friends
Myself and a couple of friends made them during a sewing weekend at the cabin. It was a quick project with minimal supplies needed: small wide mouth mason jar, fabric, stuffing, hot glue, buttons, and some twill tape/ribbon.
Look at how cute they turned out!!
Second Quarter Magazines
So, for April, I’m all set with my magazine pick and the project I’ve got lined up for this month:
Magazine: America’s Quilting Magazine
Project: Sunny Day Apron designed by Dawn Stewart of Spring Water designs.
You can hang your laundry out in style with this cute Sunny Day Apron. It features two large pockets that would be great to hold your clothespins, gardening tools, or other essential items while working around the house or tending to your garden.This apron is designed for both functionality and comfort, making it perfect for those sunny days spent outside. Whether you’re hanging clothes to dry or planting new blooms, this stylish apron will keep you looking fabulous while ensuring that everything you need is easily accessible.
It’s hard to believe I have completed the first quarter of my magazine challenge 2026. Make sure you check back from time to time to see my progress with my project and what other projects are yet to come. Maybe you have made a Sunny Day Apron, if so share a picture and your opinion on this pattern.
Hello Quilty Friends! Is 2026 the year of the scraps? I have been seeing a lot of posts lately regarding organizing and using your scraps so I thought I would join the party. We all have a bag, basket or tote full of scraps that we don’t want to throw away but we are not sure what we want to do with them. String quilt blocks are a great way to use up those strips of fabric that you have leftover from other projects and they make beautiful, colourful quilts. So grab some strips and let’s get started.
What Is a String Quilt Blocks ?
A string quilt block is made by sewing strips of fabric , of various widths ( usually anywhere from 1″ to 2 1/2″ in width) to a foundation.. The strips are usually stitched on a fabric or paper foundation one strip at a time until the foundation is covered. Foundation is the template to help you to trim your block. It is trimmed to the desired size and used in a quilted project. These blocks are meant to be varied and like snowflakes ,no two blocks are alike.
String blocks can also be created without using a foundation. I will talk about in the second part of String Piecing Fun.
Supplies
Fabric scraps cut into 1″width to 2 1/2″ width strips
Foundation to sew on the strips ( muslin, poly cotton, cotton, newspaper, magazine pages, )
Sewing machine
Thread
Cutting mat
Rotary cutter
Iron
Foundations
If you use fabric for your foundation you will get a heavier quilt because the fabric’s weight will add to the overall weight of the quilt. And the foundation for each of the blocks in your quilt must be the same for the consistency of the overall weight. Using a paper foundation which will be torn away makes for a lighter weight quilt.
I dugout some of my scraps and sorted the blues and greens into strips and crumbs. I decided I wanted make some string blocks from my strips so I went looking for something to use for the foundation. I didn’t have enough muslin or poly cotton to use and didn’t want to use my good printer paper or buy anything to use for the foundation so I thought about the phone book ( that we never use). I was going to cut the pages into 6″ x 6″ squares but decided to leave my blocks rectangular.
Let’s make a 6 1/2″ x 10 1/2″ String Quilt Block:
Step 1: Draw a diagonal line from the top left corner to bottom right corner.
Step 2: Center your middle fabric strip over this line. I fold this strip in half and place the crease line on the drawn line.
Step 3: Lay a second strip(RST) along the edge of the first strip and pin through all layers to hold it in place.
Step 4: Shorten your stitch length on your machine to 1.5, this helps perforate your paper for easy removal later.
Step 5: Stitch along the edge of your fabric strip with 1/4″ seam allowance.
Step 6: Fold fabric strip open and press.
Step 7: Repeat the process with another strip until you’ve fully covered one side of the paper.
Step 8: As you sew make sure your fabric strips are slightly longer than your paper.
Step 9: Repeat this process for the other half of the paper block.
Step 10: Press your completed block
Step 11: Using the paper foundation as a guide, trim the block. Then trim the block to finished 6 1/2″ x 10 1/2″.
Step 12: Gently remove the paper from the back.
One Block Completed!
You would repeat the steps but draw the diagonal line from top right to bottom left so the orientation of the block is different and you get the corner pieces meeting in the middle if you want to form a diamond with them.
A phone book has over 300 pages so I have lots of foundations to use with the many scrappy strips I have. Maybe I will end up with a rainbow quilt .
This type of quilting I find mindless. You don’t have to be precise like you do when following a pattern. There’s no math to worry about. Put on a podcast or audiobook , grab some strips and a foundation and start making string blocks. It’s a great project to work on between other ones. Make a few blocks and put them aside until you have enough for a quilt.
My blocks are completed in same colour scheme but scrappy blocks also make a great quilt , as seen in this quilt. Muslin was used as the foundation for this quilt.
Have you ever made a string quilt? Do you have any tips or suggestions for anyone starting a string quilt? Let me know in the comments.
Well Hello Quilty friends! It is finally March and that means spring is just a few weeks away ( on the calendar anyway). It’s still cold here in Newfoundland and some places still have lots and LOTS of snow but we know this too shall pass and warmer weather will eventually get here.
March marks the third month of my Magazine Challenge for 2026, so it’s time to choose my magazine and project for this month. If you are not familiar with my challenge then be sure to check out my previous posts.
For my March magazine pick I have chosen Quilter’s World 2014 issue and my project from this magazine is the Handy Sewing Kit. This looks like a great little project to make and would certainly be a cute gift for a quilter/sewist by personalizing it with some of the recipient’s favourite notions.
Did you know that March is...National Quilting Month?
It’s a time to celebrate quilting, creativity, and quilty friendships. To celebrate National Quilting Month why not try something new to you ,like:
Improv quilting
Crumb quilting
Foundation paper piecing
English paper piecing
Take a class or workshop at a quilt shop or online
Take part in a quilt along
Visit a quilting group for a day of sewing and meet new quilters
Follow a quilter’s blog
attend a retreat
You can also support other quilters by:
Visiting a local quilt shop
Purchasing an original quilt pattern and help a designer do a little happy dance
Collaborating on a charity project
Remember quilting with friends has lots of benefits like improving mental health, skill building, and definitely provides a sense of community and can lead to lasting friendships.
What will you be working on this month? Be sure to leave a comment to let me know. even leaving a like helps boost my blog so if you just want to do that I would appreciate it.
Hello Quilty friend! Today I wanted to talk a little about Improv Quilting.
I have been a member of the Improv East Quilting Bee since 2023. It’s a group of 12( this year 13) quilters mostly from eastern Canada. Each month a Queen Bee is chosen who posts their theme, colour suggestions and instructions for the other Bee Mates to make blocks, using their own interpretation, for her. The blocks are then mailed to the Queen who puts together her quilt without a blueprint or pattern. I now have two completed improv quilts ,one in progress on my design wall, and blocks that I recently received from being the January 2026 Queen Bee.
2023 2024 2025
What is Improv Quilting?
While our traditional quilting focuses more on accuracy, structure and using patterns/templates, Improv or Improvisation quilting is a technique that encourages spontaneous and experimental piecing where the quilter works without a specific pattern or template. It’s a technique where the traditional quilter really steps outside their comfort zone. It allows for individuality and creative expression.
There are no strict rules but there is a focus. While Improv encourages spontaneous sewing, there is an idea of some kind for your project, for example the use of a colour scheme. You really don’t know what the end result looks like but you may have a vision in your head as to what it might be. It’s like you are still making decisions but not prewritten ones. No fixed blueprint!
For some quilters this type of quilting can be intimidating as they are use to everything being straight and precise. With improv, seams don’t have to line up and they don’t need to be straight.
Here are a few techniques and approaches to Improv I found that may help you get started on your improv journey:
While it is free-form, many quilters use a few basic guidelines, such as using only a specific colour palette or only using a specific shape, to avoid complete chaos because there can be chaos. Our Improv group Queen chooses the size and colours she wants her bee mates to make. We also use just solid fabrics .
A piece is sewn, then cut apart, and resewn with other pieces, creating a layered look.
Some quilters choose to cut fabric without a ruler to create uneven or wonky shapes.
A common method is to arrange and rearrange pieces , changing the layout constantly, until you have the look you like. I place my blocks on my design wall and play with the layout until I am happy with it.
It is also a great way to use up small scraps of fabric (often referred to as “crumb quilting”). giving you a one-of-a-kind quilted project. Crumb quilting is a great way to play with fabrics and “make fabric” pieces to use in quilts , bags or other small projects.
start with something small. AI Quilter has a great beginner Improv project that you can use to give this quilting technique a try.
Remember, improv quilting is about being spontaneous, experimenting, and having fun with the process. Choose some fabrics/scraps from your stash, trust your gut, and give it a go. Don’t over think it!!
A couple of projects that started out without a plan but ended up becoming a reusable market bag and a lap quilt.
Completed February Magazine Challenge : Quilty Insights
Hello Quilty friends! Are you watching any of the Winter Olympics events? It’s hard to get any sewing completed because I want to watch it all. But I’m happy to say that I was able to fit in enough sewing time to complete my February Magazine project. My two Hearts Entwined Placemats are finished. That makes 2/12 Magazine Challenge 2026 projects completed.
These placemats are very cute and are approximately 14″ round. The hearts are done with fusible appliqué and blanket stitched to the background. I found it a little difficult to get the scalloped design to finish the placemats. My friend was working on these placemats with me and she cut out a template to help with marking the curves..
Too bad there wasn’t a template with the pattern to help with trimming to get the scalloped look. Nonetheless. I did manage a scallop finish look even if the scallops are not all exactly the same. All ready now to use on Valentine’s Day !
Now to pick out my challenge project for March.
New Pattern Alert
I wanted to share my Canadian Maples quilt pattern that I designed for Quilts of Valour- Canada. All proceeds from the sale of this pattern will be donated to Quilts of Valour-Canada. The fabrics used in the pattern is from the Oh Canada 14 Collection from Northcott.
The pattern is only available in PDF format and can be purchased in my Etsy Shop https://somethingfrmnothinnl.etsy.com or you can contact me at mercedesmaryrose@gmail.com. I will accept email transfers and send the file to your email.
A Little About Canadian Maples pattern
Canadian Maples is a quilt that represents all Canadians. The maple leaf is a symbol of peace, unity and for those who served it represents sacrifice. The red and cream maple leaves are used to represent diversity., because we are not all one colour. They represent all Canadians equally regardless of their language and ethnicity. The black was chosen because everything goes with black and it makes the leaves stand out but it could also represent our dark days.
Spring Meadow Table Runner
My most recent pattern that was featured in Quilter’s World Magazine is this Spring Meadow table runner. The fabrics used in this sample is the beautiful Concerto collection by Deborah Edwards and Melanie Samra for Northcott fabrics.
A stand alone pattern is coming in the future but you can find the complete pattern in Quilter’s World Spring 2026 issue on newsstands now. Be sure to check it out.
Hello Quilty friends! Today I am sharing my February magazine and project pick for month two of my Magazine Challenge for 2026. If you go to my previous posts you can learn all about my challenge and what my January project was.
Month 2 – February
Magazine: Love Is… Art to Heart series by NANCY HALVORSEN
Project: Hearts Entwined Placemats
I went shopping in my stash to see what I had to make them and I found some Canvas and Tuscan fabrics. The colours look really nice against the beige music note print ( which was also in my stash).
Next step is to appliqué the hearts onto my background.
What is Appliqué?
Appliqué is a traditional technique that involves attaching smaller pieces of fabric to a larger piece to form designs. There are several appliqué methods including fusible , turned-edge, and reverse appliqué.
Fusible Appliqué: uses a fusible web, like Heat N Bond, to bond smaller fabric pieces to a larger piece
Turned Edge Appliqué: involves turning the edges of the appliqué pieces under for a smoother finish.
Reverse Appliqué: involves cutting away portions of the top layer of fabric to reveal the layer beneath.
There are also several popular stitches used to finish the around the appliqué pieces:
Straight stitch: great for a raw edge look
ZigZag stitch: perfect for neat edges and curve stitching
Blanket stitch: a decorative stitch for a finished look.
Method-– FusibleAppliqué:
I traced the heart shape onto the paper side of my fusible web then ironed the fusible web to the wrong side of my chosen fabrics. I cut out along the traced lines and placed the heart shapes on to my background fabric , adhesive side down , and ironed in place.
Next step is stitch around the hearts using a blanket stitch with matching coloured thread.
Make sure you check back for my progress and to see the finished placemats.
What have you been working on lately? Leave me a comment to let me know.
This is my first time making the Wool and Wax Tote pattern by Noodlehead Sewing Patterns.
It recommends using wax canvas, cotton canvas, wool, or home decor fabrics for the exterior but I only had a little cotton canvas which I used for the bottom exterior. I used Stonehenge Stitch in Time quilting cotton fabrics by Deborah Edwards for Northcott to give this bag a try.
My goal is to use what I have when I can to complete my projects so I went shopping in my fabric stash and found this collection ,Stonehenge Stitch in Time. I purchased this fabric a number of years ago with the intention of making a bag ( can’t remember what bag it was😬). I used Pellon 75 (I think that’s what it’s called, some people call it placemat batting) on the exterior body pieces including the front pocket panel and 911FF on the lining pieces and the cotton canvas bottom. For the handles I covered two pieces of cotton webbing , as I didn’t have any that would match my bag. I figured I’d add a little “bling” with this key ring which I was gifted from a friend for Christmas.
The Wool and Wax tote is a simple bag to make and you can easily use quilting cotton with some batting and interfacing to give it structure. Maybe this beautiful bag will give you some inspiration for your next project.
I’m happy to say that my January magazine challenge is complete. I chose the Fons and Porter Easy Quilts magazine for Fall 2013 and from this magazine I decided to make the mat and ruler tote designed by Kathie Webster.
I am also challenging myself to shop my stash for these projects so this is not the prettiest bag as I used a pre-quilted fabric that I had on hand and some scraps of cotton from my stash. No coordinating fabrics or modern collections. The interfacing used was also from my stash and I am not fan of it in the bag.
On a positive note, It’s a lovely big bag to store your mat and rulers inside when going to classes or retreats. If I were make it again I would definitely change a couple things, like adding snaps or ties to the sides to keep the bag together and add straps that go all the way around the bag for more structure.
That’s 1 down and 11 to go. I already have my magazine chosen for February, I just have to decide on the project and go shop my stash.
My Magazine Challenge for 2026 is up and running. I spent sometime yesterday looking through some of my magazines and to my surprise I have made projects from more of my magazines than I thought. After a couple hours and much thought I have decided on three magazines for the first quarter of my challenge ( January, February, and March). For this challenge I want to use fabrics from my stash as well to complete each project. We all have so much in our stash that it’s important to shop your stash before shopping elsewhere.
Quarter 1 Magazine choices
Magazine Organization:
There are a number of ways to store magazines like using baskets, magazine racks, file holder boxes which can be cardboard( some people cut cereal boxes to make file holders) or plastic and some just store them on shelves.
I store most of my magazines in protective sleeves in a binder. I also have some of these plastic strips which I use to place some in the binders. I’m not sure where I got them ,as I have them forever. I place a label on the binders with the name (s) of the magazines ( Fons and Porter; Quilter’s World, etc.) using a sticky label and I order them by the publication dates.
Do you have a different way to store your magazines? I would love to hear your idea.
Project #1
My first Magazine Challenge project is from Fons& Porter’s Easy Quilts (Fall 2013). I have decided to make the Mat and Ruler bag. It’s a good size to carry your mat and ruler to sewdays or retreats. I am using a piece of pre-quilted fabric that I have had for ages and as part of my challenge want to use what I have.
If you want a different quilting challenge for 2026 then join the Magazine Challenge. The projects don”t have to be a quilt, as that’s a lot for each month. I know magazines mostly consist of quilt patterns but there are smaller projects as well. This challenge gives you a chance to take out those magazines you haven’t flipped through in months or even years. Looking through your magazines can provide inspiration and fresh ideas from makers from all over the world to help you with your quilting journey.
Make sure to subscribe so you can follow along with my progress and having subscribers helps keep me accountable to stay on task.
Something from Nothing Quilter 
