12 Days of Christmas BOM Kickoff!

Hey there, Christmas lovers!  Now that the Fourth of July celebrations are over, we can really, start celebrating Christmas in July, which means it’s time to kickoff our 12 Days of Christmas Block of the Month!  

This quilt is unlike any other 12 Days of Christmas quilt you've ever seen- it is all traditionally pieced! There is no appliqué, no paper piecing, and no curved or Y-seams.  It is SO much fun to make, and it's a real showstopper whether you hang it on a wall, or use it on a bed.  

Though the blocks are detailed, the finish is worth it.  Even with all of that detail, each of these blocks can be completed in less than an afternoon from start to finish (including cutting!), which makes it very manageable for even the busiest quilter.

In case you missed last week's post, here's a rundown of the BOM schedule, which will give you a totally finished quilt by next Christmas (2027).  

July 2026- Kickoff and get your book!

August- Gather your fabrics

September- Block 5, Five Golden Rings

October- Block 6, Six Geese a Laying

November- Block 3, Three French Hens

December- Block 2, Two Turtle Doves

January 2027- Block 4, Four Calling Birds

February- Block 7, Seven Swans a Swimming

March- Block 9, Nine Ladies Dancing

April- Block 10, Ten Lords a Leaping

May- Block 8, Eight Maids a Milking

June- Block 11, Eleven Pipers Piping

July- Block 1, A Partridge in a Pear Tree

August- Block 12, Twelve Drummers Drumming

September- Choose Your Layout, Sew the Quilt Top

October- Quilting and Binding

November- Final Link Up- Finished Quilt in Time for Christmas!

So, it's time to get your book!  Signed copies are available in my Etsy shop HERE, or you can get it from Amazon.  Just FYI- those copies come straight from Amazon via my publisher, so they will not be signed.

Of course, if you like to sew fast and furious, there is plenty of time for you to finish it before THIS Christmas if you like. I actually made TWO of them in the span of about three weeks.  If you choose to sew the blocks all at once, I hope you'll still share with everyone along the way!

I'm really looking forward to sharing the joy of the Christmas season with all of you, and I'm so excited to finally get started!

The 12 Days of Christmas Quilt Block Sampler is HERE!

Hey there, my friends!  I'm so excited to let you know that today is the official release day for my new book, 12 Days of Christmas Quilt Block Sampler.  If you've followed me for a while, you know how much I love Christmas, and this book is a direct reflection of that.  

Obviously the book contains very detailed patterns for all 12 Days of Christmas blocks, with instructions for sewing them with or without numbers, along with two different layouts.  You can choose to make a square quilt for hanging on a wall, or a rectangular twin size layout.  As with all of my books, it also includes full finishing instructions as well.

Y'all know I always like to include a few little bonus bits with my books.  It's just my way of thanking you for buying the book, and this one is no different.  The 12 Days of Christmas Sampler includes ideas for additional Christmas projects you can make using portions of the blocks, like placemats, a table runner, a garden flag, and more!  It also includes a full bonus pattern for my Father Christmas pillow.

These blocks are sewn with all straight traditional piecing.  There are NO partial seams or Y-seams, no paper piecing, and no appliqué.  With detailed blocks like this, small pieces are inevitable, but the sewing itself isn't difficult at all.  Each of these blocks takes 2-3 hours to sew, and making one or even two per day is very doable.  BUT, I understand that there are those who would rather break the blocks up even more.  

Well, if that's the case for you, I have the best news!  I'll be hosting a Block of the Month Quilt Along, kicking off with Christmas in July!  Don't be discouraged by the level of detail in these blocks.  The book is filled with SO many tips and tricks to help you along, and a BOM format allows you to tackle this quilt in manageable bites, little by little.  I promise, the end result is absolutely worth it!

Here's the breakdown of the Quilt Along schedule.  We'll be sewing the blocks in order of difficulty so we can build precision along the way, and I'll provide link parties each month so we can cheer on your progress!  Also, notice that this QAL gives you plenty of time to get your quilt completely finished in time for next Christmas (2027)- no UFO's here!

July 2026- Kickoff and get your book!

August- Gather your fabrics

September- Block 5, Five Golden Rings

October- Block 6, Six Geese a Laying

November- Block 3, Three French Hens

December- Block 2, Two Turtle Doves

January 2027- Block 4, Four Calling Birds

February- Block 7, Seven Swans a Swimming

March- Block 9, Nine Ladies Dancing

April- Block 10, Ten Lords a Leaping

May- Block 8, Eight Maids a Milking

June- Block 11, Eleven Pipers Piping

July- Block 1, A Partridge in a Pear Tree

August- Block 12, Twelve Drummers Drumming

September- Choose Your Layout, Sew the Quilt Top

October- Quilting and Binding

November- Final Link Up- Finished Quilt in Time for Christmas!

Last year, when I shared my two 12 Days of Christmas quilts, Rose at Something Rosemade reached out and told me how much her granddaughter LOVES the 12 Days of Christmas.  She was determined to make the quilt as a gift for her whenever that book was available.  Well, instead of having her wait until the release, I asked her if she would like to test the pattern for me, and she jumped at the chance.  With blocks like these, an extra set of eyes never hurts.  

Rose's fabric choices are completely different from mine, and her quilt is so beautiful!  She has all of the details and photos on her blog, and you can check it out HERE.

Okay friends, now all you have to do is decide that you're in!  You can get your signed copy of the 12 Days of Christmas Quilt Block Sampler in my Etsy shop HERE, or it is also available on Amazon and other places books are sold.  Then check back here on July 1st for the 12DOC Quilt Along kickoff!

A Farewell to NTT

Hey there, my friends!  Welcome to the final Needle and Thread Thursday.  As I mentioned last week, it's a bittersweet ending, but I feel certain it's the right decision for me going forward.  

Before we get to the party, I want to take this opportunity to thank you.  To all of you who have shared links over the past (almost) thirteen years; to those who haven't linked up, but have cheered on other quilters and their lovely projects, and to those of you who have encouraged me as I have hosted each week- it is because of you that NTT continued on for as long as it did.  I have loved carving out a little corner of the internet and helping to build this community of such kind and creative folks, and I am deeply appreciative of all the inspiration and connection.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.  

I do want to reiterate that this is not a goodbye to blogging for me.  I will continue to share as I have things, but it won't be on a defined schedule.  I will also continue to share on Instagram (myquiltinfatuation), and I hope you'll find me there as well.

So, for the last time, here are some of my favorite links from last week's party.  This scrappy quilt is from Jan at The Colorful Fabriholic-

This lovely rainbow is from Deb at A Scrappy Quilter-

This sweet little quilt is from Sew Preeti Quilts-

And finally, I love this little mini from Anne-Marie at Stories From the Sewing Room-

Okay, friends!  We've had 590 parties over the years, and it's time to link up to Needle and Thread Thursday one last time!  

1. You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link within your 

    post.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)

A Major Change and NTT

Welcome to Needle and Thursday, friends!  I have some bittersweet news to share with you today.  After next week (at the end of March), I will be retiring Needle and Thread Thursday.  I've been thinking about this for a while, and I know it is the right decision for me.  I started NTT almost 13 years ago- way back in June of 2013, which makes it one of the oldest continuous quilt link parties (it even may be the oldest?).  It has never taken more than a holiday or vacation break, and it has never had another blog home.  

It was started when link parties were THE way to connect with other quilters and to keep your finger on what was happening in the quilty world.  It was before Instagram really took off, and those weekly parties were huge, averaging about 70-75 links per week!  It was also a time when blogging was the primary way quilters shared their work.  

But of course, things are always changing.  I still love the detail I can put into a blog post much more than the short posts of Instagram, so I will definitely continue to blog when I have something bigger to share, but I'm going to try to be more intentional about posting more frequently to Instagram, since it seems that's where everybody is most often these days.  If you're not already following me on Instagram, I'm myquiltinfatuation there, and I hope you'll join me.

As I mentioned, this change is bittersweet, and even though I have struggled with letting go of Needle and Thread Thursday, I know it's time.  Just FYI- I will continue to pay for the link service through June 2027, so you can continue to look back at previous parties if you like.  Unfortunately, once I discontinue paying for the service, all of the links will disappear.  :( 

So, without further ado, let's make these final two Needle and Thread Thursday parties amazing!  And let's start off with some of my favorite highlights from last week. This lovely quilt is from Something Rosemade-

Look at this stunner shared by Rebecca Grace Quilting!

This scrappy cutie is from Maggie at Making a Lather-

And finally, y'all know I'm a sucker for a rainbow, and I just love this one from Julie's Quilts and Costumes-

Okay friends!  It's time to get our party on!

1. You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link within your 

    post.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)

The Siren Song of Spring and NTT

Every single year, it happens around the beginning of March- 72 degree days, plenty of sunshine, a warm breeze, trees and plants start to show signs of new growth- and I just can't help myself.  All I want to do is get my hands in the dirt and start my spring garden cleanup, or stay outside with my book, my coffee or tea, and my dog.  I love the two options equally, and this past week has been magnificent for both.  And since it won't be long before rainier days arrive, that is exactly how I've spent the past week.

Since I don't have anything new to share from my studio, check out some of my favorite projects linked up at last week's party! This quilt by Sew Preeti Quilts is just lovely (and such a gorgeous photo)!

I love this fun quilt top from Deb at A Scrappy Quilter!  Such a great use of scraps!

Julie's Quilts and Costumes showed off this pretty quilt-

Gretchen's Little Corner shared purple beauty, with lots of embroidery!

And finally, Nancy at Grace and Peace Quilting has been quilting up a storm!  She shared five different projects, but this table runner is my favorite, and perfect for the season.

Okay friends!  Let's party!

1. You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link within your 

    post.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)

An Unexpected Family Visit and NTT

Welcome to Needle and Thread Thursday, my friends.  Last week, I had the pleasure of hosting my parents and grandmother for a visit. They were supposed to visit over the weekend, but a last minute conflict meant they had to move their trip to the middle of the week, which is why NTT was skipped last week. We cooked, shopped, went antiquing, watched Olympics, and had a marvelous visit. This week, I've started working on something new, but I need to keep it secret for now.  So instead, check out a few highlights from our party two weeks ago-

This cheerful quilt is from Nancy at Grace and Peace Quilting-

Yvonne at Sew Yummy linked up this pretty purple and yellow quilt.  This LSU girl approves!  ;)

And finally, this fun, scrappy quilt is from Viridian's Blog-

You know what time it is!  Let's get this party started!

1. You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link within your 

    post.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)

All Olympics, All the Time and NTT

Hey, y'all!  I just love the Olympics.  I love the inspirational stories, the feats of athleticism, and the pride the athletes have in representing their families and their countries.  And when the Olympics happen, I watch as much as I possibly can.  Any sport and any event- qualifiers, finals, medal ceremonies- I love all of it.  I especially love that the games are happening in a time where the prime events in Italy are happening live during the daytime here.  Of course, that means that my days have been spent glued to the TV, rather than sewing, but that's okay.  

So, without any new progress from my sewing studio, let's go ahead and jump right into the highlights from last week.  Take a look at this scrappy quilt from Gretchen's Little Corner-

Check out this cute house block from Kat at Scrapbook Quilts-

And finally, this quilt from Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl is absolutely stunning.  I love the creativity of leaving some of the raw seams visible-

Okay, friends!  It's time to link up!

1. You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link within your 

    post.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)

Day 17,631...and NTT

Hey there, my friends.  It's currently day 17,631 of this ice storm.  Not really, but it sure feels like it, and for those of you who have seen the movie Groundhog Day, I guess it's fitting for this week.  As I write this, we're on day 12, and my neighborhood streets are still icy, which means the schools are still out, no mail or package deliveries, and things are still not back to normal.  And of course, since I haven't gotten to the quilt shop, it means that I haven't sewn anything new.

I know some of you northern folks are thinking that 4.5 inches of sleet is no big deal, but I'm in a southern city that doesn't plow roads (not that you can really plow ice anyway) with drivers who don't have chains or snow tires, so the best we can do is just wait for it to melt.  And usually, within a few days, it does.  But not this time.  This storm has brought temperatures barely above freezing every day, and then bone-chilling refreezing each night, making the roads into a lovely place for sledding, figure skating, or hockey, but terrible for driving.  We are all so over it.  Please understand, I know that SO many others have had it worse in this storm, and I am grateful for how well we've fared overall, but I sure do wish it would all just go away.

In the past two days, we have finally gotten some significant melting, and all I can say is, bring on spring!  

So, in lieu of sewing something myself, I'm living vicariously through your awesomely creative link-ups, like this fun string quilt from Deb at A Scrappy Quilter-

And this fun quilt from Maggie at Making a Lather-

Sally at Crafts, Cavies, and Cooking showed off this tiny beauty, which is only six inches square!

I love the movement in this quilt from Nancy at Grace and Peace Quilting-

And finally, look at this amazing quilt from Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl!

Okay, y'all!  Let's get our party going!

1. You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link within your 

    post.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)

MidMod Stars and NTT

Hey there my friends, and welcome to this week's Needle and Thread Thursday.  As you can see from my photos, we are covered in a blanket of white, but unfortunately, it's about 4.5 inches of pure sleet rather than soft, fluffy snow.  The only footprints in it are from Tucker running through it and digging in with his claws.  It's so icy and hard-packed that regular walking doesn't leave any marks at all. Thankfully though, we didn't get any freezing rain ice buildup, which is the big worry with power lines and trees.  We have kept our electricity, and we are so thankful.  Our neighbors just to the south of us were not so lucky.

The weather did give me time to get my latest quilt finished, and I love how it turned out.  I decided to lean into the Mid-Century Modern feel of this pattern and call it MidMod Stars.

It felt so good to have a finish after such a long break raising a puppy.  He's nine months old now, so technically I'm still raising him, but he has gotten a little easier lately.

As I mentioned in my last post, last fall, when I was really missing creativity but still couldn't sew, I did lots of pattern designing.  This is one of those designs.  When I designed it, it was an immediate favorite and I knew I had to make it first.  It was a lot of fun to sew.

I decided to quilt this one with a nice, easy stipple to ease back into the quilting groove.  It gives the quilt plenty of texture and allows the pattern to really be the star.

This quilt makes very efficient use of either fat quarters of long quarters, so I didn't really have many scraps to speak of.  So, for the back, I made what I like to call a Focus Stripe backing.  This backing is from the Stash and Yardage Backs section of my book, Perfectly Pieced Quilt Backs.  Often, I like to use a large print in the center focus stripe, but for this quilt, I made the backing using three tonal prints to keep the color stripes as bold as possible.  It's a really simple backing, but adds just a little extra interest to the back.  My book is full of full patterns for pieced quilt backs (30 of them!), ranging from simple to a little more intricate, but all are easy and are a perfect way to remember that the back of your quilt is another place to get creative!  

And a crisp Kona Navy binding frames the whole quilt nicely, and looks great with the front and back of the quilt.

One of the things that felt the weirdest about this quilt is the fact that I had to purchase every single bit of fabric for it.  Usually I shop my stash and then purchase fabric to fill out the fabric I need, but after using up all of my fabric last year, that's no longer an option.  Of course this means that until our ice melts, I'm at a standstill on starting something new.  Hopefully we'll get above freezing within the next couple of days!

It's almost time to get our party on for this week, but before we link up, check out some of my favorite projects from last week.  Sandra at mmmquilts showed off this lovely quilt with a snowy backdrop of her own!

Check out all of the delicious texture on this sweet owl quilt, shared by Anne-Marie at Stories From the Sewing Room-

And finally, Jan at The Colorful Fabriholic linked up this scrappy teal goodness-

Okay my friends!  I hope you're all warm and cozy and getting lots of good creative time!  Let's get this party started!

1. You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link within your 

    post.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)

An Ice/Snowpocalypse, and NTT

Hey there friends!  According to the weather forecasts, if you're almost anywhere in the southern/central US, you're gearing up for a major winter storm, with some pretty shocking ice/snow forecasts.  I'm hoping that as the storm gets closer, these numbers are a little more reasonable, but at one point here in the Memphis area, we were forecasted to get 18-24" of snow!  That is completely unheard of here.  Currently, our forecast sits at 5-8" of snow, which is better, but not really.  Because with this storm, less snow means more ice (up to a half inch for us), which is even worse.  

So, I've been planning and shopping for meals that can easily be cooked on a grill if we lose power (visiting three different grocery stores, because they are already a zoo), we also convinced our son to come stay here for the duration, and even purchased some firewood for our fireplace that has never had a fire in it in the six years we've lived here.  This amount of snow and ice is absolutely crippling for a southern city, and since the temps are projected to stay below or just above freezing into next week, we have to be prepared to be stuck at home for several days, which is probably through next Thursday.  It's been a lot.

Nevertheless, I have made some good progress on my latest quilt this week, and finished all of the quilting.  Here's a little peek!

With all of this snow and ice on the way, I'm sure I'll have no trouble getting the binding put on before next week.  But on that note, just keep in mind that if I lose power, I may not be able to post.

Before we get to our party, check out the highlights from last week.  This lovely quilt is from Sew Preeti Quilts-

All three of these awesome quilts were linked up by Nancy at Grace and Peace Quilting-

Andree' at Quilting and Learning showed off the center block of a fun new project, and I can't wait to see more!

This pretty quilt is from Something Rosemade-

And finally, I'm in love with this beauty from Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl.  Y'all know I love the green!

Okay, friends!  Let's get our party on!

1. You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link within your 

    post.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)