Thread Count
and
January Free Quilt Block Patterns

Greetings -

Last week just zoomed by - with two webinars and adding a "Lite" version of our Quilt as You Go product, making it easier for quilters to get their hands on this information.

The Keys to Designing Quilts Webinar on Thursday was jam-packed with information, and when I get back from Los Angeles tomorrow, I'll post the replay and send a link.

In the meantime, you might want to pick up a copy of the replay on disc anyway - there is so much information that even speed writers would have a hard time getting all of the information for future use.

For those who are interested in our Business in a Box webinar series, I've lined up an exciting speaker for our February webinar who will talk about Grassroots Marketing, which is perfect for those of us who are selling our wares in our local communities, whether it is in a shop or at craft fairs or other venues.

Jeff also has great ideas for those of us who are online as well.

As always, these are free to those who attend. There will be notifications in this online newsletter, but to get even more information, join the email list that is specific to the Business in a Box:

Business in a Box email notifications:

Have a fabulous week; enjoy the news and Happy Quilting!

penny halgren quilter

Master Quilter

P.S. I wish it weren't so, but I'm back on my Every Other Day Diet! As diets go, it's great. Good food, easy to manage and I get to eat what I want every other day -

Now You Can Travel
and Not Give Up Any Quilting Time

Give Me 60 Minutes
and I'll Show You How to
Finish a Quilt One Block at a Time

Any quilter who has gone on an across-the-country driving trip or spent any time in a waiting room knows how annoying it is to be just sitting there doing nothing.

After all, “busy hands are happy hands.”

And why not keep them busy with a quilt?

For years – before smart phones – I would carry a book to read whenever I had some down time.

Not a quilt - but it was something!

The first few car trips we took with the kids I took along a quilt.

The problem was that I knew nothing about Quilt as You Go projects.

So the quilt projects I took were full size quilts – not king size; but one was queen size!

After the first trip, I got somewhat smarter and took small quilting projects – no little triangles and squares to get lost or mixed up - just hand quilting: hoops, thimble, needles and thread.

Now that my kids are all grown, I have discovered how fun Quilt as You Go projects can be.

Alas, no long car trips with small children.

But maybe when the grandchildren come…

You, too, can learn two of the primary Quilt as You Go techniques quickly and easily with our brand new Quilt as You Go Lite.

For those who want the basics - - -

quilt as you go project

This simple Quilt as You Go Project has 4 blocks and is used to show you how this quilting technique is done.

Thread Count

All cotton fabrics are not alike, even if they are 100 percent cotton. What's the difference, then? It's the thread count.

The thread count is important because it means the difference between a good piece of fabric and a poorly constructed one. Thread counts come in pairs since there is a cross grain and a straight grain. In a good piece of fabric, those thread counts will be equal.

When the thread counts for the cross and straight grains are equal, the fabric is said to be an even weave.

That's what you should look for in your quilting cottons. This even weave will give the fabric the same amount of stretch or give in both directions. This means you won't end up with quilt pieces (or blocks) that are skewed.

So how do you know the thread count for your fabric? You would think it would be on the end of the fabric bolt, but it usually isn't. To know for yourself, you generally have to examine the fabric yourself.

A magnifying glass and a ruler are needed. A tool like the Roxanne Optimal Strand Estimator is great because it combines both elements into one small, handheld piece. Even without a ruler, you can use the magnifier to examine the fabric's grains.

If the fabric is a good, even thread count, the pattern you see through the magnifier will resemble graph paper You will definitely know an uneven thread count when you see it. The threads will be uneven, not spaced uniformly, etc.

It is important to know thread count and to choose fabric with an even one because the spaces between those individual threads dictates whether your quilting stitches will be short or long, even or jagged.

As mentioned previously, uneven thread counts can cause fabric pieces to shift or stretch. Uneven thread count also leads to uneven shrinking or fraying when your quilt is washed.

The next time you go shopping for quilt fabric, consider something other than the colors or textures you see. Make time to examine the thread count. Don't be afraid to take time to inspect each fabric in which you are interested.

If you feel uncomfortable doing so, let the sales clerk know exactly what you are doing. The clerk may even have a few tips on determining thread count or may be able to save you some time by having that information available for shoppers.

R.O.S.E. Thread Counter from Roxanne International

Bobbin Tower

With all there is to think about when putting together a quilt, most of us quilters hardly give bobbins a second thought. We know they are required for what we machine stitch and we simply wind one as we need it.

Bobbins can sometimes vex us as we quilt and notice that our bottom thread has run out. If you don't have another one ready to go, you've got to stop sewing and make another bobbin.

This is an even bigger hassle if you use your sewing machine to make your bobbins since you have to temporarily change the thread set-up to make a new one.

Of course, there are pre-wound bobbins that may fit your sewing or quilting needs. Again, they seem to be a second thought.

Give your bobbins the attention they deserve and organize them in a Stack 'n' Store Bobbin Tower. Clover makes one that stores 30 bobbins.

These towers are great ways to keep your bobbin threads from unwinding and tangling together in a drawer or sewing kit. They keep the bobbins neat, and you can organize them by color for easy reference.

When you begin a rather large sewing or quilting project, make several bobbins ahead. Store them together in the bobbin tower so they will be handy and convenient whenever it's time to change.

If you've never been one to plan ahead bobbin-wise, this stackable bobbin tower will change that. They are so cute that you will want to fill each and every space!

If you use a variety of threads, you can keep your bobbins organized by fiber content easily by adding a small sticker to the plastic tower's bobbin clips. A "P' for polyester, "N" for nylon, or "C" for cotton is easily added to the arms of the bobbin tower to keep your threads organized.

The Clover Stack 'n' Store Bobbin Tower retails for about $15. For everyone whose New Year's resolution is to get your quilting and craft room organized, it is worth the small investment! The reasonable price makes them a guilt-free purchase for yourself or a great gift for a fellow quilter.

When it's full, the bobbin tower is too pretty to be hidden. If your bobbin tower includes a lot of interesting colors, it can even double as a decorative element in your craft room! Store it in a prominent (and convenient) location so it's both pretty and useful!

Crossword Puzzle

My dad loved crossword puzzles, and it occurred to me that there are thousands of quilters who enjoy the simple challenge of a crossword puzzle.

The beauty of this one is that you don't need an eraser! And, if you need a clue, it's right there - either for a letter or a word.

Loading crossword puzzle. One moment please.

January Free Block Patterns

Click here to download your January FREE quilt block patterns