Hey everyone. This week you will learn three calm, useful ideas we spotted across the quilting world — evergreen trees appliquéd over soft patchwork, a personal symbol you can stitch again and again, and a sampler setting that is planned before the last block is sewn. Here we go.
The short version: winter sewing is starting early, hand stitching is being shown off on purpose, and the big sampler of the season now comes with a full map. If you want a finish that feels personal without feeling hard, pick the trees, the symbol, or the setting — and start with one small test.
Are winter trees the gentlest way into appliqué?
Over at Missouri Star Quilt Co, a new winter design layers simple evergreen shapes over a soft, woodland-style patchwork ground. The piecing stays quiet. The trees do the talking. Because the background is patchwork first and appliqué second, a slightly imperfect tree still reads as a tree. That is good teaching. It puts the hard part last, when your top is already made and you can lay the shapes out, move them, and live with them a day before you stitch.
Our take: this is the appliqué start we wish more folks took. Fuse first if that steadies your hand. Stitch with a 50-weight thread and a size 80/12 needle. Slow down on the tight points at the treetop, or the needle will wander. We press from the back on a wool mat so the patchwork seams stay flat. Make one tree on one block first. If I can do this, y'all can do it. A single block becomes a pillow, and nobody has to commit to a whole forest on day one.
What if your stitches were meant to be seen?
At Quilting Daily, the newest Quilting Arts episodes, published October 19, are building a whole language out of small marks. One segment pairs handmade polymer stamps with free-motion stitching, so a simple shape gets printed, stitched, and repeated until it becomes your signature. The next takes one symbol and turns it over and over until it works in any medium. A later episode goes further. Patchwork is built working from the backing and batting forward, and bold sashiko-style stitching turns honest mending on old denim into wearable art.
Our take: we love this, because it gives you permission with a plan. Pick one shape. A leaf. A star. A little house. Stamp it six times on a fat quarter, stitch it six different ways, and keep the best two. For denim, use a size 90/14 jeans needle and go slow through the thick seams. Your stitches do not have to hide. Let them show. That is the whole point, and it is completely up to you how loud they get.
Can you plan a sampler setting before you finish the blocks?
The sampler everyone is sewing this fall is Blockheads 7, and Fat Quarter Shop is sewing along while the full setting details are now public. The theme is a neighborhood, and the blocks finish at four different sizes: 9 inches, 12 inches, 18 inches, and 24 inches. The featured layout is a generous 102-inch quilt. It uses two of the big 24-inch blocks, four at 18 inches, twelve at 12 inches, and twelve at 9 inches. Plan on about 4 yards for block backgrounds, plus about 5 yards for sashing and borders. Too big? A smaller layout finishes near 57 inches square. The team is also showing three colour stories at once: tonal prints that read like solids, one favourite fat quarter bundle with backgrounds, and a holiday version built from Christmas scraps saved over the years.
Our take: decide your setting now, not in April. Really. Lay your finished blocks on the floor this week and measure what you actually have. If a block scares you, make the 12-inch version of everything and plan your own simpler grid. We're not reinventing the wheel here. A sampler you finish beats a sampler in a bin, every single time.
Corey & Linda's game plan for your sewing week
- Test small, then commit. One tree block, one stamped fat quarter, or one sampler block at the size you enjoy most.
- Sort by value before you sew. Photograph your fabrics in black and white. Lights, mediums, and darks sort themselves fast, and your trees and sampler blocks will thank you.
- Pull backgrounds early. Browse fabric for the quiet prints and solids that let appliqué and bold stitching stand out.
- Need a one-evening win first? Our Craft Project Ideas series is full of small makes that build the same appliqué and hand-stitch skills.
- Planning a big sampler backing? If a wideback would save you a pieced backing, our Know Your Widebacks guides walk through the options before you cut.
- Take your time. It is not a race, folks. You're your own worst critic. One good block a week is still a quilt by spring. Just like that.
Quick answers
Is tree appliqué hard for a beginner? No. Big, simple shapes on a finished patchwork ground are the friendliest start. Fuse, test on one block, and stitch slowly at the points.
Do I have to make every sampler block? Not at all. Skip one, repeat a favourite, or make every block at 12 inches. The setting is yours to simplify.
That's the roundup for this week. Tell us what you're stitching — and if you need the fabric, batting, or backing to finish it, you know where to find us. Thanks for spending time with us, y'all. We'll see you next time. Bye.
— Corey (Chief Quilter) & Linda, Linda's Electric Quilters
