Spring is here and summer is on its way and with them comes beautiful, warm weather! It’s getting harder and harder to want to spend your days completely indoors when you could be out soaking up the sun.
With hand work, you’re never confined to any specific space – the world is yours for the taking (and making!). Get outside and create to your heart’s content!
Both QAYG and English Paper-Piecing are perfect ways to continue stitching up beautiful projects wherever you roam! Take your pieces on the go, all you need are your materials, a needle and thread, and your hands and you’re all set to create some magic!
QAYG Hexagon Quilt by the Missouri Star Quilt Company.
Hand Binding
Finish off your quilts with a little personal touch – by hand stitching your binding closed! With hand binding, you can take your project outside or on the road easily – all you need is a needle, some thread, and your project, ready to be bound! Finishing your quilt can be one of the toughest parts of the process, especially when you’re so eager to have the beautiful finished project adorning your spaces. Luckily, binding is something that you can do wherever you are – take that project with you and you’ll have that binding stitched up in no time!
Do you embroider? It’s the perfect “on-the-go” project for people of all ages! No matter your experience level, it’s a great way to keep your hands busy and the outcome is a beautiful work of art! There are no limits when it comes to embroidery – if you can sketch or trace it out, you can embroider it!
If you knit and crochet then you already know how mobile of a craft it is! Grab your yarn and needles or crochet hook and the world is your oyster – outside, on the go, snuggled up in a quilt on the couch – there’s no bad place to whip up something beautiful!
Join the One Big Happy Cowl knit-along!
If you haven’t yet taken a dive into the knitting or crocheting world, have no fear! Our sister company, One Big Happy, can show you the ropes and have you whipping up projects in no time. There are tutorials and patterns and all the supplies you’ll need to get started and keep going here.
How do you create when you’re on the go, away from your sewing machine? Do you ever take your work outside with you? Let us know below!
Today, folk artists use modern elements to create an antiquated look. At Missouri Star Quilt Co., we have a shop filled with these primitive-inspired fabrics. From muted browns and blacks, to woven gingham, and brilliant star and rag-doll patterns, Primitive & Wool has it all!
As you walk along the walls of muted color, it would seem candles light your way with eighteenth century-inspired lights that hang from an adorned, gold ceiling.
Antique wagons, galvanized tubs, and homemade barn-wood shelves hold merchandise ready for the taking!
And if you’re are wondering where you can find some embroidery thread, Primitive & Wool, is where you’ll make your stop. Plus, this unique store is also where we have our wool kits stored. Pick one up and make something cozy-cute!
Make your way to Quilt Town, USA and shop your favorite primitive prints in Primitive & Wool! For even more old-school styles, check out the Missouri Star Mercantile for Civil War era reproductions and 1930’s-inspired fabrics!
Tell us about your primitive themed quilts, furniture, home decor, and other rustic-y projects. What is your favorite thing about Americana?
Courtenay Hughes is one of our talented instructors here at Missouri Star. As part of our education team, Courtenay teaches quilting, embroidery, and appliqué classes through Missouri Star Academy. This includes our online courses, in-town classes, and some of our free tutorials!
“I want to say I LOVE her teaching style! She is so funny, and I felt like I was spending an afternoon with a good friend. I really enjoyed this video.”
– Customer Review
Courtenay’s Creations
This quilting diva has been a wonderful component to our education team and you can see why! Her gorgeous projects continue to inspire all of us makers!
Now, let’s talk about appliqué, Courtenay’s area of expertise! If you’ve always wanted to try it out, but imagined it might be intimidating, we’ve got the tools, techniques, and tips to change your mind. Appliqué is a lot easier than it looks – and it looks pretty spectacular personalizing and decorating your quilt!
We talked to Courtenay about machine appliqué designs and tips…
Q: Courtenay, how long have you been sewing machine appliqué? A: I have been quilting for over 25 years. I’ve had about 20 odd years of practice at machine appliqué. And I am really looking forward to sharing some of that with you
Q: What’s your favorite part of teaching appliqué for beginners? A: My favorite part of teaching is when students who aren’t sure they can complete their projects get to the point where they realize that, yes, they can make them—and they will be beautiful! Whether that’s how to machine appliqué small pieces, how to hand appliqué in the car on road trips, or how to let loose and try something completely new, like a free-motion zig-zag “heartbeat” stitch that looks complicated but is actually very freeing, I love seeing students succeed!
Q: What shapes can you make with machine appliqué? A: Anything you can imagine – and any pattern in your library, really. I like to show you tips for leaves, stems, circles, stars, hearts, petals, and working in layers. While a lot of my patterns are flowers or animals – ask me about placing bunny ears – the sky is the limit. You can decorate any quilt with appliqué, in blocks, borders, even your quilt label.
Q: What are some tools you recommend for appliqué? A: This depends a little bit on which method you’re using, but some of the applique essentials are:
For Machine Appliqué:
Fusible Web – Use this to temporarily glue fabric pieces in place while machine stitching.
Appliqué Pressing Sheet – Place over the project diagram to use as a guide while layering fabric shapes.
Marking Pen – Use a fine sharpie or marking pen to trace designs onto projects.
Scissors– A good pair of scissors come in handy for cutting fusible and fabric pieces.
Machine Needles – A sharp needle that is great for stitching through layers of applique pieces.
50wt Thread – A strong thread that blends with fabric shapes. Or black thread for a “folk art” look.
Self-Threading Needles – An easy way to bury threads after stitching pieces to background.
Iron and Iron Cleaner– An iron for fusing paper shapes to fabric, and iron cleaner.
Embroidery Hoop – (optional) These come in handy when stitching pieces in place on background, especially when using the free-motion zig-zag “heartbeat” stitch.
Hand Needles – A smaller point for hand stitching, but also a bit enough needle to prevent hand cramping.
MiniIron – A tiny iron will give more control over tiny fabric pieces.
Appliqué Pins – These come in handy when fitting several pieces into place.
Fusible Web(optional) – Melts to adhere the fabric pieces together.
We think it’s time to give appliqué a try!
We currently have two classes for beginners at Missouri Star Academy. You’ll learn multiple methods, troubleshooting tricks, how to machine appliqué a quilt or how to hand appliqué a quilt. Each class also comes with a FREE quilt pattern so you can show off your newly mastered skills! Try appliqué today!
Don’t forget to check in on our Education Center’s class schedule to see what class Courtenay will be teaching next!
If you’ve taken a class by Courtenay Hughes, show her what you made in the comments below ⬇️
It’s the most wonderful time of the year for all you quilting and embroidery fans out there! February is National Embroidery Month and March is National Quilt Month, so this week we are combining the best of both worlds for an “I Heart Quilting” embroidery project!
Around here, we certainly love our sewing machines, but sometimes you just can’t beat a little hand sewing, and this embroidery project is just the ticket! And, because we really love quilting, we created a few different designs that you can download HERE.
Courtenay, a member of our Missouri Star team, showed us how to create this darling wall hanging in a Live Video. Watch it below:
We hope you have a ball stitching up your “I Heart Quilting” wall hanging. Be sure to share photos of your creations with us on Facebook and Instagram using #msqcshowandtell
Some folks collect snow globes, coins, or baseball cards. But Jenny? Jenny collects old, forgotten quilt blocks. She’s always on the lookout for unfinished treasures, and when she gathers just the right combination, it’s project time!
In today’s new tutorial, Jenny demonstrates a quick and easy “quilt as you go” method that can transform a set of vintage embroidery blocks into a finished quilt.
So grab some hot cocoa, watch the tutorial and pull out those orphan blocks you’ve been saving for just the right project!
