Free Beginner Wildflower Embroidery Pattern PDF and Video Tutorial
This free beginner wildflower embroidery pattern comes as a PDF and includes a YouTube video tutorial that shows every stitch used in the design. The video lists how many strands of embroidery floss I used along with the DMC color numbers, so you can follow along easily. This pattern is completely free to download and…
Small Hand Embroidery Pattern: Tulips, a Home, and Rainbow Leaves
Winter in upstate New York has a way of slowing everything down. The days feel shorter, the light softer, and the quiet heavier. During these colder months, hand embroidery has become more than a hobby for me. It’s something grounding, steady, and deeply supportive of my mental health. Sitting with fabric in my lap and…
Taking My Time With a Simple Christmas Village Embroidery Kit
This winter, I worked on a Christmas village embroidery kit I found on Amazon as part of my ongoing stitching practice. I’ve been doing embroidery for a few years, but not consistently, so I still approach projects with a beginner’s mindset at times. I chose to shrink and print the pattern onto my own polka…
The Dark Brahma Chickens Behind My New Quilt Block
I just finished my chicken quilt block tutorial, and before moving on to the next thing, I felt the need to pause and tell you where it came from. This block didn’t begin with graph paper. It started on one ordinary, joyful day when my husband and I came home with eight tiny Dark Brahma…
How to Make a Chicken Quilt Block
This chicken quilt block came together by combining appliqué to create detailed shapes and texture. When I filmed the video on how to sew a chicken quilt block, I was thinking about how many ways there are to cut and attach shapes. There isn’t a single correct approach. Each block becomes its own piece through…
How to Bind a Table Runner: A Simple Step-by-Step Video
Binding a table runner can seem tricky, but following the steps makes it simple and enjoyable. In this guide, I’ll show you how to bind a table runner, using the method I followed for for this project. I’ll also include a few moments of mindfulness in this post — sewing can be both practical and…
Machine Quilting: Learning With Every Table Runner
I’ve made a few quilted table runners now, so I feel comfortable with the basics, but every project still teaches me something new. Preparing my quilt sandwich for machine quilting — the quilt top, batting, and backing — is always the first step. I enjoy pinning the layers together. There’s something strangely satisfying about seeing…
Avoid Avoiding Your True Focus — Choose Less, Live More
Today is the second snowy day of November, a perfect day to avoid avoiding. The trees outside my window are dressed in white, and the soft light reflects off the yard, making everything feel calm. The stillness reminds me to slow down, step outside, and notice what’s right here. Even a few minutes outdoors feels…
The Simple Joy of Making a Quilt Sandwich
Hello friends, I’ve prepared my quilt sandwich for quilting, and I have to say it’s a joyful part of the process. First, I clear my workspace and open the windows. Then, I take a few deep breaths before I begin. As I breath I begin to feel calm and centered. Preparing a quilt sandwich is…
My Wonderful Journey with the Disappearing Nine Patch
It’s a rainy afternoon, the kind where sewing feels like self-care. Therefore I’m working on my table runner for the coffee table in our living room, and this project has been more than just stitching fabric together, it’s been part of my healing. Through this process, I’ve learned how the disappearing nine patch mirrors my…