Steph’s Scoop

12.1.2024 - VLOGMAS 2024

I can hardly believe it’s already December…I really don’t know where the last couple months have gone. But, with December comes Vlogmas! Even though it is a lot of work, I love Vlogmas. I like interacting with all of you on a daily basis and it keeps me on track as a sort of countdown to Christmas. This is going to be a busy month with videos every day, my Saturday lives, and a few special things in between like opening the Missouri Star Advent with Steven Bland of the Idiot Quilter, and a Special Edition of the Sewcial Review on December 19th (7pm ET) with my quilting friends. There will be fun giveaways and project updates, and definitely advent calendar unboxings and sewing. So, stick with me and make sure you are subscribed (so you are eligible for prizes) throughout the month of December…let’s make this the best Vlogmas yet!

Also this month, I am hosting another Together We Sew Quilting Retreat in Georgia. This is always a fun retreat and a great way to finish up some projects before the new year. From there I am flying to Texas for a few days, so it’s going to be a whirlwind month. Somewhere in the middle I have a birthday, but I am not worried about it because I have had a lot of practice being 29, so I got this, LOL!

11.18.2024 - #3 The Last Announcement of the Week

This one has been the hardest to keep secret, but I am thrilled to announce that I have been chosen as a 2025 Ambassador for Benartex Fabrics!!! I was shocked and stunned to find out that I had been picked from the hundreds of candidates. What does this mean? It means that you will be seeing no less than six different projects, including some charity projects, from me over the next year that will be made with Benartex fabrics. I will be recoloring some of my existing patterns with their fabrics, and I will be releasing some new patterns featuring Benartex lines as well. I am so grateful for this opportunity and still have to pinch myself to make sure it’s real! I have lots of ideas and need to come down off my high to put them on paper, LOL. That announcement video is here if you would like to take a peek. Thank you all for your ongoing support that has got me to this point…you mean the world to me!

11.13.2024 - #2

I released announcement number two in a video last night…you can see that here. But the Cliff’s notes version is that Stitchin’ Heaven, which is a large quilt shop and retreat center in Quitman, Texas, asked me to cruise with them! I am partnering with them to promote their quilting retreat cruises and so excited to be sailing on the Quilters of the Caribbean Cruise January 26th - February 2nd, 2025. I am hoping that some of you can join me…after all stitching with friends is the most fun! You’re in for a retreat of a lifetime…great sewing, great company, great vacation. If you can’t join me for this one, check out their other cruises and if you decide to book, I would greatly appreciate that you put me (Stephanie’s Stitches) down as a referral because that tells Stitchin’ Heaven that my social media posts and videos reached you! Click here to check out the Quilters of the Caribbean cruise and other future cruises with Stitchin’ Heaven…maybe we will end up on a ship together!

11.12.2024 - THREE Announcements!

Hi all, I have three exciting announcements coming up in the next week, but I am only able to share one today. Today’s announcement is that I am collabing with my friend John of ‘Guys Craft Too’ on YouTube. He has made it his mission to have sew-alongs on most of the major holidays. As creators in the quilting space, we realize that the demographic in our space may include folks who are widows or their families may not be around for the holidays, so John is providing a place for you to be so you don’t have to go it alone. Well done, John!

So, this Thanksgiving, John will be sewing up my Christmas Tree Table Runner pattern and you can grab that pattern here! John will be sewing live at 8am Arizona time, 10am ET, and I will be there with him for the first 30 minutes or so. I can’t wait to see your version of my project! Please join, if you haven’t already, and share pictures in my Facebook group. Happy Thanksgiving!

11.1.2024 - Quilt Market/Festival - Houston, TX!

I am writing this as I am sitting in Texas and waiting for my plane to take off as it has been delayed over an hour already, but that gives me time to reflect on my week. I think I have come to the conclusion that Quilt Market (held before Festival for industry professionals) is no longer for me. I like seeing industry friends and getting the opportunity to browse new products first, but I wasn’t impressed this year. The energy at Quilt Market is stodgy at best and maybe I have a skewed view due to the younger, fun energy at H+H Americas (another industry trade show held in Chicago), but quite frankly I think Quilt Market is stale. The big talk of the show was Tula Pink’s new line, but otherwise, there was nothing fun and exciting. However, I did stay for Quilt Festival (my first time at Festival) and I had a wonderful time! Festival was jam-packed with booths/vendors and if you couldn’t find what you were looking for there, it’s not on the market. It was the 50th anniversary of Festival and this was one of the best quilt displays I’ve seen at a show in a long time (since pre-Covid). My friend, Andrew Lee aka the Combat Quilter, had two of his amazing works of art on display, and it was such an honor to get to experience them with him there. I posted pictures of his quilts in my Facebook group, and you can follow him on his YouTube channel.

I had the priviledge of meeting several subscribers….Rhonda, Laura, Evelyn, Susan, Jennipher, and Mary. And I got to see my friends, Andrew (previously mentioned) and Kevin…who are fellow Allstars, a group of quilters brought together by Rob Appell that support each other both in quilting and life! Overall it was a great trip and I can’t recommend Quilt Festival enough…hope to see you all there next year providing I make it home (still waiting to take off, LOL!).

10.1.2024 - October is Awareness Month!

Just a quick reminder that October is awareness month…Breast Cancer awareness month is in full swing and I will be sewing up a Bosom Buddy on my channel to support the cause. It’s a ByAnnie pattern so I know it will sew up nicely…check out my video and sew along with me!

October is also Pregnancy and Infant Loss awareness month. This is not a well known, so I am making it my mission to share my story in hopes that it can help another woman feel like it’s okay to grieve. As many of you know, I am very blessed with four children, but the road was not easy and something that I want to share. I had three miscarriages and one stillborn daughter, and the grief and loneliness I experienced was something I thought I wouldn’t be able to overcome and still struggle with today. There are groups for people grieving a loved one or spouse out there, but not really any support for pregnancy loss…and why you ask? Because it’s not something that most people can understand unless they have experienced it themselves; in particular with miscarriage because the only person connected to that little angel is the mother. I had to learn to put my grief in a box and I only allow myself to open it once a year on October 15th, the day I nearly died and lost my sweet baby girl. I would have been happy to give my life in exchange for hers, but if she is anything like my daughter Sara, she is taking care of my other sweet angels until Mommy comes home.

I am not sharing this for sympathy, but in the hopes that if you are struggling with this same grief that you will be comforted to know that you are not alone. If you ever need someone to talk to who understands, please reach out to me!

9.15.2024 - Walnutport, PA - The Nuthouse Retreat!

I had such a great time at my retreat in Walnutport, PA. This in one of my ‘Together We Sew Quilting Retreats’ and has been a staple for the last several years. The location of this retreat is so beautiful…it’s five minutes to the grocery store and town, but feels like you are in the middle of the country. The retreat center is a beautiful (large!) home that has been converted to a crafting/quilting retreat. The owners have thought of everything!

Unfortunately, for now, this was the last retreat at The Nuthouse for me. Due to changes in my life, this location and time of year just won’t work for me anymore, but I do hope to return in the future.

I will still have retreats in Ohio and Georgia, and have plans for future spots that I can’t share right now, but will as soon as I have more details. I love retreats for the simple reason that I love meeting all of you…so thank you to everyone who has come out to share your time with me and I hope to see you in the future!

8.11.2024 - Stitchin’ Heaven Retreat!

What a wonderful experience! As you know, I recently went on a quilting cruise with SH and had a great time, so I decided to try out a retreat at their headquarters in Quitman, Texas. They have such a beautiful retreat center and it couldn’t be in a more peaceful location. I flew into Dallas and if you drive directly to Stitchin’ Heaven it’s about a two hour drive. I did take a detour to meet with my friends at Fort Worth Fabric Studio first…that was awesome to see the shop and get a peek into where the magic happens. Then I went on to Quitman and checked in the day before the retreat. If you are coming in from out of town and they have availability, they will let you stay the night before for a very reasonable extra fee. It was worth it for me to not have to find another hotel room…I could just unpack and relax. My friend Rob Appell was leading this retreat and he taught how to get creative with raw edge applique…something completely out of my comfort zone. As most of you know, I am a precision piecer, so it was hard to wrap my mind around that it was okay just to willy nilly slap some applique shapes on a background and that it would be fine, LOL! And it was fine, but my brain struggled.

Rob is also a very talented tattoo artist and so I got inked! My friend Andrew, the Combat Quilter, also in attendance and a tattoo artist, fixed up a previous tattoo that I already had…so lots of different types of art going on at this retreat.

I can’t recommend SHs retreats enough…the projects, accommodations, food, atmosphere, and most of all the friends made this experience top notch. Check out my videos all about the retreat on my YouTube channel. Hope to see you at a Stitchin’ Heaven retreat in the future!

7.1.2024 - Wow…July Already!

I don’t know where the last month went…but looking forward to this month. We start it with a bang, literally! A big fireworks show is scheduled in my housing development, so I don’t even have to leave my house. I plan on chilling with my children on the front lawn, on a quilt, and watching as the beautiful colors paint the night sky. One of them recently asked me what Independence Day is all about, so even though school is out for the summer, what a great time for a history lesson.

Speaking of history, I’ve been delving deeper into Underground Railroad history as I make the quilt and it has quickly become somewhat of an obsession. I am sharing some of that on my YouTube channel as I sew the blocks and hope that you find them interesting. I even wrote a pattern, Freedom Road, as I was inspired by the Churn Dash block and is in my Etsy shop now! Happy stitching and I will see you online.

6.3.2024 - Quilting Cruise!

What an amazing experience I had on the Stitchin’ Heaven Patriot Cruise. Andrew, the Combat Quilter, and Mark, the Quilting Marine, were wonderful teachers and we made great projects! Did I get them done on the ship? NO, LOL! But I made some really great friends, especially Andrew, Rob, Krista, Linda, Tiffany, Heather, and Jamie. I attended with my friend Ingrid, and her and I had the best time together not sewing and instead talking with everyone. The week went really fast, but it was a good one. I enjoyed being in the company of so many like-minded people and I can’t think of a better way to spend your days at sea but sewing. If you are curious about what we did and saw, I have a series of videos on my YouTube channel from the cruise ship and a wrap-up of thoughts after. Go take a peek today!

5.5.2024 - Underground Railroad Series and Freedom Road churn dash quilt pattern!

Yesterday, I posted the first video in my new series on the Underground Railroad quilt and featured a churn dash quilt pattern in the background. Now through 5.15.2024, you can download that pattern here for free as a thank you for watching my video. I hope you will join me for the series as I am really thrilled to be digging into this quilt and sharing what I find with all of you. I don’t have any specific dates when I will be posting videos, but I am going to try to do at least two per month, but leaving this open with my crazy schedule!

4.20.2024 - Ohio Retreat Wrap and News!

The 3rd annual retreat is a wrap. It was a wonderful experience and so proud that so many projects were completed! I’ve officially outgrown the 1847 retreat center, so it’s with mixed emotions that for 2025, I will be moving to a new location. I will never forget the good times and start to my quilting retreats in Millersburg, but looking forward to being able to include more quilters in the 2025 retreat.

So…the news is the retreat is moving down the road by a few miles to Berlin, Ohio at the Berlin Grande hotel. It’s a great location with a lot of room to grow, ample parking, and most importantly…no ghosts, LOL! If you are interested in attending the 2025 retreat, please head over to my retreat website, click here, and check out all the details. I’m so excited about this next chapter with my retreats and look forward to seeing old friends and new in 2025!!!

3.10.2024 - Sewing Shamrocks on National Quilting Day!

I had so much fun sewing up the Easter eggs with all of you yesterday that I can’t wait to make some shamrocks this coming Saturday, which happens to be National Quilting Day! I will be making four shamrocks and turning them into a hot pad for my kitchen, but feel free to make however many you like. If you want to make what I am making, you will need some cotton batting AND some poly-thermal fleece (batting used for making oven mitts). We will be sewing live at 5pm ET on my YouTube channel…see you then!

Fabric requirements (per shamrock): (4) 3.5” green squares, (2) 3.125” background squares, (9) 1.25” background squares.

3.6.2024 - Eggs, Shamrocks, and Updates…Oh My!

I realized in writing this that I haven’t updated my blog in a really long time…guess that means I’ve been busy! Since last September I’ve been to three retreats, flown on twelve planes, attended two national quilt shows, made over twenty quilts, and released two brand new patterns…no wonder I’m tired!

March is a great month…here in Ohio we are getting small hints of Spring and it’s also National Quilting Month. I have lots of fun things planned this month and have a calendar listed in the community tab on my YouTube channel if you are interested.

Saturday, March 9th, we will be working on some fun Easter egg mug rugs. Join me live at 5pm ET to sew along. You will need some scraps of fabric that are a smidge wider than the egg template (which can be found here), a piece of fabric that is a couple inches wider and longer than the egg for backing, and a piece of one-sided fusible interfacing (like SF 101) to give the eggs a little bit of body.

Check back here next week for the fabric requirements for the Shamrock trivet that we will make March 16th. March 23rd will be WIP sewing with Shannon of SleighArts and March 30th, I will show you how to dye rope (clothesline), to make your own custom-colored rope bowl!

9.28.2023 - Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Who’s Got the Pumpkin?

You will if you sew along with me this Saturday! A day earlier than promised…the fabric requirements to make the pumpkin pillow cover or whatever you would like to do with it, are down below. Join me and my good friend, Russ, of Quilt Meets World, this Saturday (9/30/2023), live at 5pm ET on my YouTube channel. Come with your fabrics cut and ready to go, and I will show you what to do. Hope to see you then!

Fabric Requirements: Pumpkin: (1) 10.5” square.

Leaves: (2) 2.5” x 4.5” rectangles.

Stem: (1) 2.5” square, (1) 2.5” x 4.5” rectangle.

Background: (2) 2.5” x 18.5” rectangles,

(2) 4.5” x 10.5” rectangles, (2) 2.5” x 8.5” rectangles,

(2) 2.5” x 4.5” rectangles, (9) 2.5” squares.

9.22.2023 - Where Did Summer Go?

I’m back from the Nuthouse, had a great time, but wondering where the last two months went! I guess I’ve been busy. I am not sad about it though because the retreats were a ton of fun and I am not too keen on summer anyhow. Autumn is upon us here in Ohio and I am thrilled. I love the cooler nights, apple picking, and PUMPKINS! Speaking of pumpkins, join my friend Russ, of Quilt Meets World, and I to sew up a fun pumpkin on September 30th at 5pm ET on my YouTube channel. Fabric requirements will be right here on my blog on the 29th.

In other news…this Saturday, Shannon of SleighArts, will be joining me on my channel to sew live. We will both be working on one of our Legit Kits, so grab a project and sew along.

I have lots of fun things coming up including a new collab (more about this on October 1st), BOMs, and the Sew Yeah retreat in Vegas. Really looking forward to seeing my good friends in Nevada again.

Look for those fabric requirements soon and in the meantime, be creative!

8.29.2023 - Ribbons and Retreats…

I’ll start with retreats…the Camano Island, WA retreat just passed and we had a great time. Met up with some old and new friends, got a bunch of sewing done including my new pattern ‘Bloom and Grow’, and started sewing up things for the next retreat, The Nuthouse. I’m sad that I won’t have the location for the next couple of years as it’s absolutely peaceful and gorgeous, but that just means that I will appreciate it even more when I return!

While I was on the island, back home a few of my quilts were in a local show, as well as my daughter’s art work. Sara received 3rd place on her painting, 3rd on her colored pencil drawing, and 2nd on her black and white drawing. I couldn’t be more proud of her! Two of my quilts were judged against nearly 300 quilts and I received 2nd on my Sewcialites 2 quilt in the large quilt category, and 2nd on my All-Stars quilt in the throw quilt category…so Sara and I both had some ribbons to bring home.

The next adventure for me is The Nuthouse retreat in Walnutport, PA. Really looking forward to this retreat as I don’t have to fly and I get to spend time again with a group of lovely ladies. I also have many sew-alongs happening soon…I will be making videos for the next Fort Worth Fabric Studio mystery quilt ‘Stay Spooky’, continuing the Pastry Shop Quilt sew-along ‘Christmas Stitched’, and starting the Moda Blocksheads 5 sew-along. Busy, busy, busy, but lots of fun stuff! Until next time…happy sewing!

8.8.2023 - I Have NEWS!

Well, remember those fairs/quilt competitions I was talking about? I have great news…on the State level, I was awarded three ribbons…3rd place for my Mosaic Star quilt, 3rd place for my Rose Garden quilt, and an additional ribbon for excellence from a first-time entrant (my first time in the State fair). And I just got word today that in a local competition, I received 1st place for my Ribbon Star quilt, 1st for my Winter Frost quilt, 1st for my Love Grows Here wall-hanging, and Best in Show on the Winter Frost…so grateful to have won anything, let alone 1st, amongst all the other beautiful quilts. One more show to go for this awards season, but I could walk away now and definitely feel proud no matter what happens!

7.15.2023 - Summer Quilting Fun…

Here in Ohio, summer is a time for fun, sun, and fairs. And fairs mean quilt competitions! Our state has 88 counties and most have their own fair, and we also have the prestigious State fair. So, this month I put the finishing touches (mostly binding, LOL!) on a few quilts. I dropped off several at the Ohio State fair yesterday, and have two other shows coming up in August for which I need to finish up some projects. Wish me luck on getting them done on time!

Summer also means figuring out how to keep the kids entertained. For the most part, they entertain themselves playing outside, but on the stormy days, it can be tricky.

As for quilting, I have plenty to keep me busy with upcoming retreats, the 2-color quilt challenge, Cotton Cuts, Fort Worth Fabric Studio, and my own projects. You can see all that is going on with me in the quilting world on my YouTube channel.

6.17.2023 - A Little Bit About A Lot!

Quilt Canada was amazing! The quilts were beautiful, but the company was even better. I was able to meet Steven Bland (Bland Designs and the Idiot Quilter) in person and his husband, Walter. They are such nice gentlemen, and even though they don’t like hugs, I got one from each, so I am thinking they like me back. They will be attending one of my retreats later this year, so I will get to see them again soon. I also got to meet Lydia, Judith, Ron, and Joan who are Canadian viewers that I have gotten to know on Steven’s channel during his sew days, so it was fun to see them in person. If you would like to see more about my trip, click this link to see my YouTube video!

The break from every day life gave me a chance to miss my sewing machine, so now that I am back, I am raring to go. I finally was able to get up a UFO/WIP video and feel like I am in a place to keep up with them going forward.

Coming up on June 26th, the next Fort Worth Fabric Studio sewalong, Simply Summer begins. This will be a quick three week project and will compliment last year’s Simply Spring quilt. You can find the digital patterns here once it begins.

June 20th, is the second month of the 2-Color Quilt Challenge with Shannon Way of SleighArts. This month we will be sewing the blocks at 6pm EST, live on my channel, and then will go back to Shannon’s channel in July. Don’t forget that I will no longer be publishing the blocks here on my blog, you have to register on my email list (see blog 6.5.2023 for link) to receive the patterns. Do Shannon and I a favor and make sure you are subscribed to both of our channels. It doesn’t cost you anything but it helps our content to be promoted to more quilters like you!

I have been asked multiple times in the last few weeks if I am still hosting retreats, so here is the short answer, yes! I have several coming up in the next few months, so lots going on for me very soon. I have one opening at my PA retreat (Walnutport, PA to be exact), but other than that, all my other retreats are sold out. I host about four retreats a year and love meeting people in person, so they are a ton of fun for me. If you are interested in finding out more about my retreats, you can go to my website by clicking here. If you see a location that you are interested in, even though they are sold out, I would be happy to add you to a waitlist in case of a last minute cancellation. Keep checking back for future retreats (hint, I usually have next year’s spots available about two weeks after the current year’s retreat is over).

Last, but not least, thank you all for your support. I enjoyed getting all your messages about safe travels and things while I was in Canada…they definitely made me feel loved and I appreciated them very much.

xoxo, Stephanie

6.5.2023 - Two Color Quilt Challenge News…

I hope you are enjoying the 2-Color Quilt Challenge as much as Shannon and I. We are excited to share everyone’s blocks that we have received pictures of so far. Due to some issues that have come up, which we will talk about on the live tomorrow evening, going forward, you will need to be signed-up on a special email list to have access to the patterns. It’s easy…sign up by clicking here, and I will email you pdf copies of the patterns the week after the voting. Thank you for understanding and look forward to seeing all of you tomorrow evening on my YouTube channel, Quilting with Stephanie’s Stitches.

5.25.2023 - Saturday Sew Along : Front Door Quilt!

This week on Saturdays With Steph, Sean (the Guy Who Sews) was to join me, but is otherwise occupied, so in lieu of that, I have come up with a fun and quick sew along. I’ve been wanting to make a front door quilt for quite a while, so this was my opportunity. I hope you will join me this Saturday, live at 5pm, on my YouTube channel to sew this fun and quick decoration. Grab the pattern here and join me on my YouTube channel (5.27.2023).

5.9.2023 - Winner, Winner…Jewel Box and Sparkling Star…

Here we go…for the first month’s 2 color quilt challenge, you all overwhelmingly picked the Jewel Box block and the Sparkling Star block. Grab the patterns, choose your fabrics, and cut all your pieces; then meet us on Shannon’s YouTube channel, SleighArts, on Tuesday, May 16th at 6pm EST to sew live with Shannon and I. Please share pictures of your finished blocks via email: stephanies.stitches@yahoo.com and the next month we will share those with everyone…we are excited to see what colors you picked. Don’t forget to download both blocks, click here for Jewel Box, and click here for Sparkling Star. We will see you on Tuesday!

5.7.2023 - 2 Color Quilt Challenge!

Announcing the two color quilt challenge sew-along with Shannon Way of Sleigh Arts and me, Stephanie’s Stitches. The first Tuesday of each month, at 6pm EST, we will go live on one of our YouTube channels and show the block choices for the month. You will vote in a poll and tell us which blocks to sew. I will post the block patterns right here on my blog the second week of each month, which will give you time to gather fabrics, cut, and join Shannon and I to sew the blocks on the 3rd Tuesday of each month, again live at 6pm EST. Please send us pictures of your completed blocks and we will feature them on the next month’s live…we want to see what you come up with! Please subscribe to both of our channels so you will get notification of when we are live as we will bounce back and forth between Shannon’s channel, SleighArts, and my channel, Quilting with Stephanie’s Stitches. Can’t wait to see your fabric choices!

5.1.2023 - I Lost My Sewjo and How I Got It Back…

After my last retreat, I came home and I was exhausted…not from the retreat, but the weeks leading up to it. After recovering from that, I had some things happen that made me question why I do what I do, and that made me lose my sewjo for a bit. I haven’t posted a WIP/UFO video for a while because of it, and I started doubting everything including my abilities. Quilting has always been a joy and peaceful for me, but it became a chore for a minute there. Luckily, all it took was one flu bug to bring me back! Do I recommend getting the flu to get over the sewing blues? No, LOL! But, the not being able to sew for several days made me miss it and when I was able to start again, I was thrilled to be sewing. My point is…if you have lost your sewjo, take a break…a good long break if you need it. Allow yourself to do something (or nothing) else and miss it, and I guarantee if you love quilting like I do, you will want to sit and sew again. Take it slow at first…a few minutes at a time so you aren’t jumping right back into the deep end. On that note, lots of fun things are coming up. Fort Worth Fabric Studios is starting a new mystery sew along, American Made, on May 15th, which I am excited to be sewing on my channel, I am starting a new sew along with my good friend Shannon of SleighArts, I’m attending Steven’s (Bland Designs and the Idiot Quilter) virtual Zoom quilting retreat May 6th, and sewing up Pastry Shop Quilt’s Christmas Stitched BOM. I am also very excited to be attending Quilt Cananda in Halifax in June and there I get to meet some Canadian YouTubers including meeting Steven in person! Glad I got my sewjo back just in time for all the things. Don’t forget to join my Facebook group, Together We Sew Quilting, where you can post pictures of things you are working on and maybe inspire someone else. Love to have you!

4.7.2023 - Life Update and All-Stars Finish!

These last two weeks were a whirlwind, from prep for retreat to the actual retreat to recovering from the retreat. Speaking of which, if you are not part of my group on Facebook, come on over, I would love to have you…you can see pictures of retreats and post any of your project finishes. I was hoping to find a little down time to get the finishing for the All-Stars completed, but life sometimes gets in the way. That being said…the pattern is all done and I will be posting a finishing video soon! This week on Saturdays With Steph, my friend Shannon Way of SleighArts, will be joining me where she will tell us all about Legit Kits, which seem to be the hot new FPP quilt kits on the market (I purchased one, LOL!). I hope to see you there and feel free to ask Shannon any questions you have. Next week (4/15/2023) will be the Cotton Cuts Puzzle Mystery Quilt, 4/22/2023 is still up in the air but hoping for a special friend to join me, and 4/29/2023 is sewing my Spring Project, which I still have some available in my shop if you would like to join. 5/6/2023 I will be starting a charity quilt project, more details coming soon. Lots going on, so stay tuned. On 4/21/2023, I will be teaching one of my patterns for Sew Yeah Quilting, which they are offering as a free class…if you would like to see the details and possibly attend, click here to go to their site and sign-up today! Now, what you really came here for, the finishing pattern for the All-Stars Quilt. I hope you enjoyed this sew along and please send me pictures of your finish…I can’t wait to see them! This patten setting is just a suggestion and I don’t mind at all if you find a way to join these together in a different way. Find the finishing pattern here. Thank you for waiting patiently for the finishing pattern and for sewing along with me…I love this little sewing community we are creating…Together, We Sew!

3.25.2023 - All-Stars Week 10!

I think my body was transported through time and space because this last week went so fast, I really don’t remember most of it! I hope you all had a great week. Just a friendly reminder, when you are on all the things online, be kind…there is a human being with feelings on the other end. Luckily I have the power of the delete button and I am not afraid to use it! I almost made a big oopsie and shot back a comment to the rude person who left a nasty remark on my channel, but I stopped myself and just deleted them instead. It’s hard to do that when someone is being so mean, but I need to be better or I will just feel worse about it in the long run. Anyway…week 10! I can hardly believe it. This last block, the Prairie Star, is a sweet and easy block that uses some of the techniques that we have already done previously, so you should be a pro. I am looking forward to sewing this last block with all of you and then on to final assembly. See you this evening, live at 5pm EST on my YouTube channel. Click here to download the block and see you soon!

3.18.2023 - All-Stars Week 9!

This week has been one of the most overwhelming in my life and quilting ‘career’. I’ve had some wonderful highs (see the 3.16.2023 blog below!) and some not so fun personal lows, but I fully believe in taking lemons and turning them into lemonade. And with that…I am truly looking forward to sewing with all of you today, which just so happens to be National Quilting Day…a day for us crazy quilters, how cool! I know you didn’t come here to listen to me prattle on, so let’s get to what you really came for…this week’s block. If you remember, the last block was the ribbon star, and this week is what they call a ribbon star variation, but as you will see, they look nothing alike. And thankfully with all that happened this week, it was a very quick and easy block to piece. Click here to grab the pdf pattern and then join me on my YouTube channel live at 5pm (EST) to sew this block together. Enjoy National Quilting Day!

3.16.2023 - Sharing Some News…

I did a thing…Cotton Cuts, who most of you know from the Puzzle Mystery Quilt, asked me to be a guest blogger on their website!!! I was very honored to be asked and am excited to say that it is up for you to read now. They asked me to write about the reasons to attend a retreat, so I hope you find it helpful. If you have a couple minutes, I would appreciate you heading over there to check it out (click here).

The next piece of news that I have to share is that Pastry Shop Quilts, who puts out an amazing quilting subscription box, and for whom I am sewing the Patriotic BOM, is starting a Christmas themed BOM. It starts any day now and will end late November (for the quilt) so you will have a gorgeous quilt just in time for the holiday…either for yourself or as an amazing gift. There are a couple of bonus projects (a tablerunner and zipper bag), a boo-boo kit, and a set of 6 spools of thread curated specifically to match these projects. I will be sewing these on my channel as well, and hope you will join me. It’s going to be a beautiful quilt! Click here to go to Pastry Shop Quilts to see all the details and how to join.

3.4.2023 - All-Stars Week 8!

Happy March! I got a little taste of Spring this week in Las Vegas and I can’t wait for more. I will tell you all more about my trip to Sew Yeah Quilting very soon! For this week, we are sewing the ribbon star block. This block means a lot to me and you will soon find out why, so I couldn't do a star sampler without it. Click here to download the block, then join me on YouTube to sew this with me.

2.25.2023 - All-Stars Week 7!

Another month almost gone, but it’s been fun…busy, but fun. This past week was a challenge trying to balance everything and sometimes I have to remind myself to remember all the things I accomplished rather than all the things that remain unfinished. That is hard for me as I look through my list and see that I have very few check marks in the completed column. This week has been plagued with delayed product shipments (I know I can’t control mother nature, but, ugh!), unexpected last-minute trips (this OCD planner doesn’t do well with last-minute anything, LOL!), and multiple meltdowns from each child (and maybe their mother too). So I am officially putting the week to bed and claiming today as the start of the new week (yes a day early)…I need to change it up! So, this morning, I am going to enjoy the company of my friend Sean, you may know him as ‘The Guy Who Sews’ on YouTube, as he and I share a little something that we will be working on beginning today on his livestream. Check it out at 8am EST right here. Then I get to meet all of you on my live over at my own YouTube channel, Quilting with Stephanie’s Stitches, for the next All-Star block! I can’t wait as each of you always make me smile with your presence. This week’s block, the Missouri star, should be a quick and fun one as it uses all the techniques we have already mastered, just arranged in a different way. Download the pattern here and meet me for our VIP sewing date at 5pm EST!

2.18.2023 - All-Stars Week 6!

Back in the saddle again or so it goes. Looking forward to sewing the all-star blocks this week. Seems to be going well so far and I am thrilled to see so many viewers making the blocks, and all the variety with the fabric choices being made. Keep sending those pictures to me so I can share them with everyone (stephanies.stitches@yahoo.com). This week’s block is the Woven star, a block that needs attention to detail but looks harder than it is; rely on your acquired skills, a good 1/4” seam allowance, and be sure to trim all the units along the way. Today is going to be a fun day as it is also Sara’s 14th birthday! Her and I are going to an escape room this morning, then ice cream, then sewing…what a great day. So, join me live at 5pm (EST) on my YouTube channel, Quilting with Stephanie’s Stitches. Download (here), prep and cut your fabrics, and come sew the next star block with me!

2.12.2023 - Adding to the Mix…

This past Saturday was the break week for the All-Stars Block of the Week to make way for the new Village Green puzzle mystery quilt from Cotton Cuts. It was so much fun sewing along with everyone and I definitely appreciate all the quilters who so graciously shared their time with me. I love all the fabrics that everyone picked…there isn’t a bad one in the mix, and the clues went together nicely! Fort Worth Fabric Studio will be announcing (and so will I, LOL!) their new sew-along this week, so I am looking forward to that…it will be a fun one. I got my UFO/WIP video done and included the All-Star block pictures that everyone has sent in…that was fun to see all of those. I am also starting a new project that for now, I have to keep under wraps, but can’t wait until the day I can share with everyone…I am permitted to share sneak peeks along the way, so I intend to do so! Lots going on, but that’s what keeps things interesting I think. All-Stars Week 6 will be coming at the end of this week, so until then…just keep sewing, just keep sewing, just keep sewing, sewing, sewing!

2.4.2023 - All-Stars Week 5!

Poof…and just like that, January is out of here! I can not believe it is already February; that was about the fastest month ever. I taught my first class for Sew Yeah this week, and that was a lot of fun. Had some tech issues at the start, but that was my fault, you all know I am not the best with technology. But, after it got going, most of the attendees finished their project, so that was awesome! The Steven & Stephanie sew-along is quickly coming to an end…we can’t draw it out any longer because it was a quicker project than we expected, but it’s bittersweet too as I like spending time with my friend, Steven (of Bland Designs and The Idiot Quilter). It’s been a blast seeing all the quilts come together. Guess we will have to think of something else to do together! I got a lot of sewing done this week, but nothing I could show you as it was all for other projects, so no UFO/WIP video, but I will remedy that between this Saturday and next, so keep those photos coming with your star blocks as I will feature them in my UFO video again. Also, don’t forget that next week is the first break week from the all-stars block of the week, but it will resume on the 18th. Next week, the 11th, is the first Village Green sew-along for those participating in the Cotton Cuts Puzzle Mystery Quilt, so that should be a lot of fun to sew as a group. The block this week is called the Wyoming star and I just love it; grab the pattern here. Print it, cut your fabrics and meet me live at 5 (pm, EST) on my YouTube channel, Quilting with Stephanie’s Stitches…see you then!

1.30.2023 - All-Stars Q & A…

Lots of great questions coming in about the All-Stars Block of the Week Sew-Along, so I thought I would make a post here as a reference for everyone. I intended to do this as a kind of write as we go sort of pattern, where you kind of work on the blocks each week and we figure it out as we go as far as fabrics and such.

So to address the first question about how much fabric overall is needed, I sketched out the entire quilt, but these are really estimated based on how you cut your fabrics since we are only cutting week by week…a Fat Quarter Bundle with 18 or so fabrics would probably do you…I am using 28 different Fat Quarters for more variety in my blocks, but will have about a Fat Eighth of fabric left over from each color. You will also need about 3 to 3.5 yards of background fabric. I started with 3 yards and still have plenty left (so far), so I think it will be enough, but again, since we are cutting week to week, it will be based on how efficient you are with cutting and maybe savings pieces to use for another week (we all know I am not good at saving scraps, but I am trying with this background fabric!). You will also need about .75 yard of accent fabric which we will use for the corners of all the blocks, the sashing posts, and a small inner border (if you choose to do the same setting that I am doing - which I will share the week we do block 10). And last, about a 1 yard for outer border.

There are 20 blocks altogether…we are making 10 different blocks, 2 each week. You can make two of the exact same block or mix them up with two different sets of fabrics for each block…that’s what I am doing to make it more colorful and use more of the fabrics that I have. Be creative and enjoy the process! Your blocks should be 12.5” each before we put them into the quilt. And the quilt will finish approximately 65” x 79”, so a decent size quilt.

I hope that answers any questions you may have about the project…if not, please do not hesitate to email me as I am happy to help! Email: stephanies.stitches@yahoo.com

I will see you Saturday for Week 5, and don’t forget to keep sending me your progress pictures as I love seeing all your blocks in your chosen fabrics!

1.27.2023 - WAW! And All-Stars Week 4!

Wow…What A Week! The Nothing Sweeter Mystery Sew Along from Fort Worth Fabric Studio is well underway. The Steven & Stephanie Sew Along, Stargazer, is really coming along…seems we will be done a lot sooner than we initially thought, but the quilts are looking gorgeous and I am truly enjoying seeing all the color choices you all are making. I am working on many things for my upcoming Ohio retreat at the end of March, just opened the Georgia retreat for enrollment, and am starting to put my Spring Project package together. Lots going on, but all fun things. And on top of it, thanks to all of you, I hit 10,000 subscribers on YouTube this week! I am still in disbelief, but so incredibly grateful. I would do this whether I had 10 or 10,000 subscribers, but it’s so nice to share this amazing journey and craft with so many people. Now, on to what you are really here for, Week 4’s pattern! Don’t forget to come on by to Saturdays With Steph at 5pm EST where I will be live sewing this week’s pattern and announcing the winners of my Thank You Giveaway. And don’t forget to keep sharing photos of your All-Stars progress with me…I shared some of them during this week’s UFO/WIP vlog update video. See you soon!

1.21.2023 - All-Stars Week 3!

For this week’s blocks, I recommend non-directional fabrics if you are OCD like me because it will be difficult to match up the patterns. Pictures have been rolling in of your fabric choices and finished blocks and I am loving them! Thank you for sharing. I will be featuring them during my next UFO/WIP video update. I look forward to sewing with you later today on my YouTube channel, Quilting With Stephanie’s Stitches, at 5pm EST. You can find the PDF download of the block here.

1.14.2023 - All-Stars Week 2!

I think the first week of this project went fairly well…I am happy with how my blocks turned out. This week’s block is going to go quick, which is good as I am still playing catch-up from the holiday season. Don’t forget that the directions are written PER block, but you need to make TWO blocks each week (try making each one with different fabrics for more variety). I am mixing two lines, Zinnia and Love Lily, from Moda designer, April Rosenthal. I would love to see what fabrics you have chosen…please share a picture with me via email (stephanies.stitches@yahoo.com) and I will show your choice on my channel. Join me today at 5pm EST, on my YouTube channel to sew this week’s block (found here).

1.11.2023 - Steven and Stephanie…Comedy Hour Collab?

Today begins the sew-along collab that Steven (Bland Designs and The Idiot Quilter) and I are thrilled to share. It is very beginner friendly, so we are excited to be leading this on our channels and can’t wait to see what fabrics you choose. If you would like to sew along with us, download the Stargazer pattern here. We hope that you will share pictures with us of your fabric choices and progress along the way. Steven and I had so much fun opening our Missouri Star Advent Calendar together in December, that we didn’t want the fun to end, so we will be sewing and most likely laughing together once again. And speaking of the MSQC advent…we will be sharing our progress on the projects that we decided to make from the box. Head to Steven’s YouTube channel every Wednesday at 9am, EST to catch us live for the sew-along or catch the replay on either of our channels if you can’t make it at that time. This is an easy, fun, and beautiful quilt to start off the New Year!

1.7.2023 - All-Stars Week 1!

I am so excited to get started with this sew-along. To begin, you will need a fat quarter bundle, 3.5 to 4 yards of background fabric, and 1/4 of accent fabric. The first week’s pdf pattern can be found here. Please join me on my YouTube channel to sew along every Saturday at 5pm and share your fabric choices and block pictures on social media…tag me so I can see what you are making!

1.5.2023 - New Year, New Outlook, New Goals…

The start of 2023 literally found me alone in a car for nearly twelve hours…lots of time for self-reflection! I came to realize that one of the things that had been holding me back in my personal growth is worrying so much about others and not taking care of myself. I have always been a reserved, thoughtful person who for the most part thinks of everyone else’s wants and needs before my own, and in many cases to my detriment. All that solitary time made me think about how much I truly give away and how it is leaving me feeling empty. I will never start a project thinking that I’m better or know more than someone else, but I am also going to stop asking permission to do things and fill my tank first for once. This is definitely against my nature as I am not typically a ‘consequences be damned’ kind of gal, but if I don’t start taking charge of my thoughts and my ideas, it’s human nature for someone to take them from me. I still plan to go forward with kindness always in my mind and my heart, but by choosing my path instead of having it laid out for me. I have all kinds of ideas in my head that have been bursting to get out and I can’t wait to see where they can take me, so watch out 2023, I have arrived!

12.15.2022 - Looking Back…Progress Over Perfection!

Today I sit here and wonder what I would tell my younger self about quilting if there were a time machine to share everything I’ve learned. I think the first thing would be to relax and have fun. Don’t let quilting become something you dread because you are so worried about making everything perfect. You will make mistakes, but you will learn from those mistakes. You will get better. The reason I say this is because the first few years of my quilting journey were really not that fun. I actually thought about giving up so many times as I sat crying over a wonky block. I wish I had kept that first star block that was leaning so much it no longer looked like what was intended. As I look at the Ohio stars I am making today, I still find the imperfections, but what has changed is I don’t cry over them. Now I look at them as a learning tool…what can I do better next time? I constantly remind myself ‘Progress Over Perfection’. And I can definitely see progress from the beginning of my journey until now. I’ve gone from wonky blocks to blue ribbons, and even though it’s still not all perfect…there is definitely progress there and I can be proud of that.