My Christmas Gift To You!

Merry Christmas one and all! Have you been decking the halls in preparation for the holidays? I designed a little project for Moda Bake Shop's 2022 Countdown To Christmas that's perfect for decking the halls or gifting to your loved ones. 

My Christmas Lights Reverse Applique Pillow is a fun, quick and easy project - and it coordinates with my "A Lightbulb Moment" quilt that was featured in "The Best of Moda Bake Shop" book and the accessory projects I have shared on my blog previously.

You can get your free Christmas Lights Reverse Applique Pillow pattern by visiting my pattern shop at www.thistlethicketstudio.com or by clicking here.

Wishing y'all a joyous season and we'll see you in the new year!

~Sharla

Halloween Stars Sew-Along: Quilt Finishing

Finally we have reached the end of the Halloween Stars Sew-Along!

To complete the quilt, layer the backing, batting and quilt top, and quilt using your preferred method. I machine quilted mine with a stars and swirl pattern using white thread. I had planned to try machine sewing my binding on, both front and back, but chickened out at the last minute. My tried and true binding method is 2 1/2" strips, folded in half, machine sewn to the front of the quilt using a 3/8" seam, folded over to the back and hand stitched down. 

I love how my little quilt turned out and look forward to using it on my table.

Thanks to everyone who joined me in this sew-along. Be sure to share your finished Halloween Stars quilt photos and tag me!

Happy Quilting!

~Sharla

Halloween Stars Sew-Along: Top Construction

We finally get to assemble our blocks to make our Halloween Stars Sew-Along quilt top! 

You'll lay out your blocks, alternating the A & B blocks in a grid according to the size you are making. Continuing to pin those open seams when they meet is important for matching seams. It's always so exciting to get to this flimsy stage!

Share a photo of your finished quilt top when you get there & tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can see please!

Happy Quilting

~Sharla

Halloween Stars Sew-Along: Stripe Attachment

Yay! We are getting so close to the finish line of the Halloween Stars Sew-Along! Today we are completing our blocks by attaching the last 4-patch and stripe units.

You'll be attaching the units to both the A and B blocks. It's pretty straight forward and won't take long. Just remember to pin those open seams to get a perfect match!

With the blocks completed, tomorrow we'll be sewing our blocks together to complete our top - or as some quilters call it, our 'flimsy'. (I just love that name!)

If you'd like to make your own Halloween Stars quilt, you can get the pattern we are using (called Valiant) HERE.

Happy Quilting!

~Sharla

Halloween Stars Sew-Along: Star Assembly

Today for the Halloween Stars Sew-Along, we're assembling the star portion of the blocks. I'm deviating slightly from the pattern and going to make the star portion of both the A and B Blocks today instead of completing Block A today and Block B tomorrow. But you can do it either way, your choice.

I sat down to sew and decided to assemble all the star portions of the block in one sitting while was on a roll. To sew the star units, I laid the squares, 4-patches and star point units in a 9-patch grid, and sewed across to make rows, then sewed the rows together. Easy peasy!

Tomorrow I'll add the stripes to all the blocks.

How will you sew your blocks together? Will you follow the pattern and make all the A blocks before moving on to the B blocks or will you assemble all the star portions of the blocks, then add the stripes? Either way, we'll be finished soon!

Happy Quilting

~Sharla

P.S. We're using the Valiant Quilt Pattern for this sew along, which is available in my pattern shop HERE.

Halloween Stars Sew-Along: Small Star Points

Today for the Halloween Stars Sew-Along, we are making the small star points and then joining them with the large star points.

The small star points use the stitch and flip technique. Just like the large star points you'll be making both right and left units.

Tomorrow, we'll be starting the bulk of the sewing, just in time for the weekend!

Again, it's not too late to join in the fun! Get the pattern we are using for this sew-along, the Valiant quilt pattern, from my pattern shop HERE.

Happy Quilting!

~Sharla

Halloween Stars Sew-Along: Large Star Points

It's day 3 of the Halloween Stars Sew-Along and today we are making half square rectangles for the large star points.

The key to making HSRs is to extend the tips of the triangles past each other when sewing them together. See the red circles in the photo.

I've included a template in the pattern to trim the half square rectangles. I just cut the template out and taped it to the corner of my ruler to use.

Place the angled line on the template on top of the HSR seam then trim the first two sides. Rotate the HSR 180 degrees, line up the edges of the template with the two trimmed sides and the angled line on the seam, and trim the remaining two sides. 

You'll be making both left and right HSRs for the A and B blocks of the quilt.

How are you coming on your Halloween Stars quilt? It's not too late to join this sew-along! You can get the Valiant quilt pattern by visiting my pattern shop HERE. And you really don't even have to make a Halloween quilt. Make a patriotic quilt like the pattern, or a Christmas quilt or a celestial quilt.....the possibilities are endless!

Until tomorrow, Happy Quilting!

~Sharla

Halloween Stars Sew-Along: 4-Patches & Stripes

Now that we have our fabric cut, let's get started sewing for the Halloween Stars Sew-Along! Today we're going to make the 4-patches and stripes. 

One of the most important things to remember in these steps is to Press not Iron! To get flat, crisp, straight seams on your strip sets, remember to....

    1. Press to set the seam before opening the strip set.

    2. Open the strip set and place on the pressing surface right-side down.

    3. Finger press the seam open.

    4. Make sure seam is straight.

    5. Press seam open with iron.

    6. Spritz seam with starch.

    7. Give seam a final press.

Here's a tip for cutting the 4-Patch and Stripe segments: Make sure your strip set is straight by placing a line of your ruler over the seam of the strip set. Adjust the strip so the seam is straight and lays directly under the ruler line before cutting the segments. This will ensure your segments are square.

I love pressing to the dark side then nesting seams for that perfect match but that isn't always possible. In the Halloween Stars Sew-Along, we'll be pressing some seams open. How do you get perfectly matching seams when there's no seams to nest? Pin, Pin, Pin!

I hope these tips helps to take your quilting up a notch! See you back here tomorrow to sew the large star tips!

Happy Quilting

~Sharla

P.S. It's not too late to join in the Halloween Stars Sew-Along! We're using the Valiant quilt pattern in this sew-along and you can get it from my pattern shop HERE.

Halloween Stars Sew-Along: Fabric Cutting

Yay! Today is the day! Let's start the Halloween Stars Sew-Along! Today is organization and cutting day.

If you haven't already, get your Valiant quilt pattern from my patterns shop (click HERE). The pattern includes multiple sizes (baby, throw, full, queen and king). I'm making the baby size as a table topper for this sew-along.

Gather your fabric according to the size quilt you are making. I selected a small white print for my background but I think a black background would be super spooky fun! I fell in love with the black plaid in my first photo and I selected a bright green for my stars from the colors in the plaid fabric. Then I selected a complimentary contrasting color from the fabric (orange) for my fourth fabric. I debated where to place the plaid and orange but finally decided to use the plaid for the stripes and the orange as the cornerstones (option #1). Mocking up the quilt in EQ8 using my fabrics really helped to make fabric placement decisions!

Fabric Cutting Tips:

I’m sure you’ve heard this all before, but it never hurts to be reminded. 

1. Use a new blade in your rotary cutter.

2. Consider replacing any rulers that are notched from use or have broken corners.

3. Place your mat on a solid surface. Plastic folding tables can give under the downward force from cutting and can cause your cutting to be inaccurate.

4. Use your ruler for measuring, not your mat. Not all mats are accurate. I have one mat that is off by 1/4” from 0 to 24”.

5. Straighten your fabric before cutting. Selvedges should be parallel to each other. Place your parallel selvedges along a straight line on your mat then cut perpendicular to the selvedges/line to get a straight edge.

6. Recut a new perpendicular edge after a few strip cuts to straighten the fabric edge again. Unfold a strip and if it has a dip or bow at the fold, cut a new perpendicular edge.

7. When cutting long strips, move your hand down the ruler as you cut to keep the ruler from slipping. Or consider folding your fabric in half again lengthwise by placing the fold over and parallel to the selvedges, which allows for making shorter cuts and is easier to keep the ruler from slipping.

8. Use rulers with grip on the back or place adhesive grip dots on the back of your rulers to help prevent slippage.

9. Measure and remeasure before cutting. Measure twice, cut once.

Do you have any tips to add? Share in the comments!

Happy Quilting!

~Sharla

Halloween Stars Sew-Along

I'm excited to be hosting the Halloween Stars Sew-Along starting on Monday using my Valiant quilt pattern. The pattern features 5 sizes, baby to king, so you can make any size quilt you desire. I'm making the baby quilt and will be using it as a table topper for the spooky season that's upon us.

I'm using fabrics from a variety of manufacturers that I curated. I started with the plaid, which I love, and decided on the green for a pop of fun color. Then rounded out my selections with an orange with black dot and a white background with random orange and black dots.

Isn't this selvedge so cute!! I just love these little ghosts!

The sew along will start Monday, October 10, 2022 and I'll be posting on Instagram, Facebook and here on my blog. I'll provide tips each day as we sew our blocks. Although I'm sharing a step a day and will cover it all in a week so that those who are choosing to make smaller quilts can complete them before Halloween, please work at your own pace and don't feel rushed. The information will be available whenever you need it. The sew-along schedule is as follows:

    Monday, Oct. 10: Fabric Cutting

    Tuesday, Oct. 11: 4-Patches & Stripes

    Wednesday, Oct. 12: Large Star Points

    Thursday, Oct. 13: Small Star Points

    Friday, Oct. 14: Star Assembly

    Saturday, Oct. 15: Stripe Attachment

    Sunday, Oct. 16: Top Contruction

    Monday, Oct. 17: Quilt Finishing

Here's what you have to do to join in on all the sew-along fun:

    1. Get your copy of the Valiant Quilt Pattern that we are using in this sew-along by clicking HERE.

    2. Decide what size quilt you want to make and select your fabrics.

    3. Optional - Give me a shout-out on Facebook or Instagram and let me know you joining in the fun.

    4. Get ready to start on Monday!

See you Monday! Until then....

Happy Quilting!

~Sharla

Announcing the Thistle Thicket Studio Shop

I am so pleased to announce that Thistle Thicket Studio now has an online shop and the first two patterns are available for purchase. 

My first pattern is Valiant and was made with a patriotic theme in mind, although it would look great in Halloween fabrics, celestial fabrics or Christmas fabrics too. Valiant features wonky stars with stripes cascading down the quilt and the pattern includes instructions for five sizes. 

The second pattern now available for purchase is Ciara. Ciara was originally envisioned as a red and white quilt, but it looks so awesome in gray and cream too (but really any color would be fantastic!). Ciara measures 72" x 72".

I'm already working on my third pattern, so stay tuned as more will be added quarterly.

Happy Quilting!

~Sharla

Trunk Show Travels

Last week, I was thrilled to be asked to present a trunk show for quilt guilds in northcentral Kansas in Hays on being a Moda Bake Shop Chef. It was so much fun sharing the things I've made for Moda Bake Shop, from designing patterns for their website to co-hosting sew alongs on Instagram to designing patterns for four MBS books.

Moda Fabrics was so generous in providing giveaways for my trunk show. They provided two project bags filled with goodies for door prizes and lots (and lots) of mini charms for every attendee. I decided to dress up the mini charms and placed two mini charms in a cupcake container filled with a liner and shredded paper then topped with a red button and a baker's twine bow. They turned out so cute and really fit the 'bake shop' theme!

I kicked off my presentation with a mixing bowl filled with Moda pre-cuts and talked about each one.

Back in my quilt shop days, the shop had a couple of Moda Bake Shop tablecloths that we cut down to fit a 6' table. My former partners found the tablecloths and the extra fabric cut from the cloths and gave them to me to use. I made a chef's apron from the extra fabric and trimmed it using woven ribbons used to tie Moda Jelly Rolls and Layer Cakes. 

I had a great time and I hope those who attended the trunk show enjoyed it as much as I did!

If your quilt guild would like to book my "Moda Bake Shop Chef" trunk show, please email me!

Happy Quilting!

~Sharla

Rollin' Along

Boy, this summer has rolled right on past me! Where has the time gone? I have been busy sewing and thought I'd pop in and share one of my projects.

This spring, the third Moda Bake Shop book was released and it features projects made with jelly rolls. It is appropriately named "Rollin' Along".

I was blessed to have a quilt included in the book called "Chain Links". It's a fun and easy quilt and the machine quilting pattern (called Modern Ogee by Anita Shackelford) really sets it off.

Moda selected their summer sew along project from the book, which was called "Family Reunion". It is a granny square medallion quilt designed by Christine Weld. The Moda Bake Shop Chefs featured in the book were co-hosts for the summer sew along.

I selected the Fig Tree Favorites fabric collection for my Family Reunion quilt.

Christine cleverly named each round of the quilt. The center medallion is called Great Granny block.

The first round around Great Granny is called the Granny blocks.

The second round is called the Momma blocks.

And the last round is called the Baby blocks. Boy, there were a lot of baby blocks! Only three more sides to go!

I haven't quilted my version of the Family Reunion quilt yet, but it's on the schedule for next week.

If you're interested in the "Rollin' Along" book, you can purchase it through Martingale Publishing HERE.

I'll try to pop in more frequently and share some of the other projects I've been working on.

Happy Quilting!

~Sharla

What's Happening In My Studio

Oh my! Has it really been over two months since I've posted on here??? I have been busy in my sewing room and on the farm but I really need to drop in more often. So, to that end, I thought I'd catch you up on what I've been up to.

First off, I am so excited to announce that I completed a 12-week pattern writing course taught by Amy Ellis of Amy's Creative Side. During the course, we learned how to calculate fabric requirements using industry standards, writing cut lists and instructions, pattern layouts and formatting, marketing, photography; and then all those things like tech editors vs. pattern testers and selling online vs. distributors. It was great to have someone to bounce ideas off of and someone to edit and organize how I write patterns. I met some other great pattern writers in our Zoom classes and I look forward to keeping in touch with them as we all move forward.

Best of all, I have designed and written two new patterns. I completed the pattern testing for one and it is now in top form ready to be quilted. Yay! And I am getting ready to start pattern testing the second one. I hope you stay tuned in as I will be announcing the launch of those patterns later (hoping for September!).

I'm also co-hosting Moda Fabric's Family Reunion Quilt Along using the newest Moda Bake Shop book "Rollin' Along". Most of the Chefs featured in the book are also hosting and we are all making the Family Reunion quilt from the book. It's not too late to get a copy of the book and join in the fun! Rollin' Along is available in local quilt shops or on ShopMartingale.

I also completed a commissioned t-shirt quilt and pillow for a retirement gift for a former colleague. 

In between pattern designing, pattern testing, and co-hosting, I've been busy in my garden and we completed a successful wheat harvest here on the farm. I even managed to go on two shop hop day trips with quilty friends!

I'd love to hear what you've been up to lately, but I've turned off comments for awhile on my blog because of all the spam/bots. So share with me on Facebook @ Thistle Thicket Studio or on Instagram @thistlethicketstudio, or email me! 

Happy Quilting!

~Sharla