American Patchwork & Quilting August 2020

AS WE SEND THIS ISSUE TO THE PRINTER, we are coping with the COVID-19 global pandemic. Things are changing daily, sometimes even hourly. We are working from home rather than being together in the office. Photography opportunities are limited. And as sewers and crafters, we have been using our skills during our spare time to make personal-use masks. To that end we have been watching mask-making tutorials for hours, adapting patterns and fabrics—batiks (tightly woven), flannel (soft for the inside of the mask), and interfacing (or not)—to fit the needs of the groups for whom we are sewing. Sewing machine companies are reporting an increase in sales of entry-level sewing machines as people want to learn to sew in order to help. I welcome these new sewers and encourage their can-do…

LOST INTEREST? If your enthusiasm for a project has waned, consider these tips to get your motivation back. AllPeopleQuilt.com/847 EASY, BREEZY PROJECTS Pinwheel blocks spin beautifully across summertime quilts. AllPeopleQuilt.com/848 OH, BABY! Little ones and their parents will love snuggling under these quilts. AllPeopleQuilt.com/850 QUILT IT RIGHT See how to quilt seven common blocks on your domestic sewing machine. AllPeopleQuilt.com/851 CONQUER SCRAPS Gain insight into successfully piecing beautiful scrappy quilts. AllPeopleQuilt.com/852 search: American Patchwork & Quilting @allpeoplequilt ONE MILLION PILLOWCASE CHALLENGE WHERE TO DONATE: Many pillowcase donations go to children’s charities and children’s hospitals. Here are some other options: • Domestic violence shelters• Nursing homes• Hospice care centers• Homeless shelters• Red Cross for victims of natural disasters• Transitional residences• Veterans’ clinics and hospitals AS OF APRIL 21, 951,860 pillowcases had been added to our counter! Join the effort at AllPeopleQuilt.com/849.…

I keep my NEARLY EMPTY SPOOLS of thread separate from my full spools. Then when I need to baste or handstitch something like a button or a hem, I nearly always have the perfect color available and often can use up a spool.DIANA MARTIN Northfield, OhioTo remove loose threads from my quilting gloves when I’m machine-quilting, I roll a large piece of CLEAR PACKING TAPE into a circle with the sticky side out and place next to my machine. When I pick off a thread, I just touch the tape and it’s no longer on my glove.VICKY HENSLEY Wingate, Texas GET EVEN To achieve consistent and precise embroidery or hand stitches, use a washable pen or marker to add two marks to your thumb that are spaced according to the desired distance…

1 ENGLISH PAPER PIECING Store your ongoing English paper piecing project in a jam-size mason jar. The jar can fit fabrics, paper templates, thread, and snips. Glue a magnet to the inside of the jar lid to tightly hold a needle, pins, and clips. 2 EMBROIDERY Repurpose a hard-shell eyeglass case as a carrier for embroidery supplies. The case is long enough to contain embroidery floss, snips, needles, and a marking tool, and the hard exterior keeps sharp objects from poking through. 3 HAND APPLIQUÉ A 4×6" photo album can hold prepared appliqué shapes for wool or needle-turn projects. Separate appliqué pieces by pattern or block, and slide them into the photo sheets to keep pieces flat. Add paper labels to each sheet so you know at a glance what it holds. Choose a photo…

01 | SILK THREAD Au Ver a Soie silk thread is a sevenstrand floss that will add bright color to your hand-embroidery projects. The smoothness of the floss ensures snag-free stitching. Ten different palettes of six colors each are available. $30; sublimestitching.com 02 | BIG STITCH MARKING WHEEL Mark a quilt top for big-stitch quilting or fabric for sashiko stitching with an acrylic marking wheel from EZ Quilting that handles like a rotary cutter. Roll the marking wheel over tracing paper (found at your local crafts store) to transfer stitching designs. The tool comes with three interchangeable wheels that mark three, five, and seven stitches per inch for even and consistent stitching. $36; keepsakequilting.com 03 | FLORAL SEWING MACHINE EMBROIDERY PATTERN You can tackle this embroidery pattern by Flamingo Toes no matter what your skill…

01 | ORGANIC FREE-MOTION QUILTING IDEA BOOK Get free-motion quilting ideas from Mother Nature. Author Amanda Murphy’s handy guide showcases more than 170 ideas inspired by water, air, flowers, and more. With step-by-step instructions, you’ll be able to add organic texture to your quilts, no matter your skill level. $19.95; ctpub.com 02 | FEED SACKS Author Linzee Kull McCray explores the history of feed sacks in a 544-page book that features color photos and at-scale fabric reproductions. Originally published in a limited quantity by Uppercase Publishing in 2016, this reprint now is widely available. $29.99; shopmartingale.com 03 | PICTURE PERFECT Stitch the afternoon away with 16 embroidered designs, each measuring 2½×4½". Author Kathy Schmitz shows you how to turn your finished embroidery into sachets, pillows, and note cards, or how to frame them with watercolor…