Chatterbox Quilts News for March 2024

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Welcome to the March Chatterbox Quilts’ newsletter!

Welcome spring! I hope that this newsletter finds you feeling energized and looking forward to warmer temps. Of course, spring isn’t really a thing in Calgary – it’s just a brief period of time with possibly more snow storms and then right into warm summer temps but I’ll take it.

What happened this month

March was the first month where I was live in various Janome Facebook pages and groups and I’m looking forward to more lives where I’ll be sharing the Janome love using the Janome MC17. If you have any suggestions for topics you’d like covered in these lives, send me an email. While I work on the Janome MC17, the topics I cover will also work with other Janome models.

I opened The Quilter’s Way to new members – you may be one of them! – and our spotlight for March was on walking foot quilting. Many of my members use different quilting techniques and walking foot quilting is one that works for those who struggle with some of the other options. When we think of walking foot quilting we typically think of straight lines but you can do much more than just straight lines with this quilting technique.

I created another project as an Island Batik Ambassador. In March we were challenged to make any project using their fabrics and I designed an arrow quilt that I’ve been wanting to make for some time. Click here to read about how I created this quilt and the quilting I used on it.

Tip

Thread shredding? Check that you are using a good quality thread first. Next, check the needle size that you are using. There are different needle sizes and types for various weights of thread and also for different techniques. It’s so important to use the proper tools to get successful results. For more details on all things threads and needles, click here.

Recommended Tools

You know that I’ve been working on my ruler work skills this month and it’s so important to have the “right” rulers that you can use over and over again. One of the first sets that I bought when I wanted to start ruler quilting (“wanting to start” and actually “starting” are very different in my world 😉) was the Janome Ruler Work Kit and I’ve used the templates in it over and over again. This set is made by Sew Steady/Westalee so you know that it’s great quality. If you’re thinking of getting into ruler work, you can get this set at your local Janome retailer or here.

YouTube Videos

Here are the new videos released in March for your viewing and learning pleasure (just click on the picture).

Coming Soon

In April I’ll be hosting Energize!: the virtual retreat that is hosted in The Quilter’s Way. This is the first one of 2024 and I know that the members are really looking forward to this weekend of fun, learning, and sharing. Members will be working on their own projects and maybe even on our current bookcase project. I’ll be hosting another online retreat in the fall.

Of course I’ll be creating another project for Island Batik and I’m really looking forward to this one as it is another technique that I haven’t done and I know it’s going to be really fun. As an Island Batik Ambassador I’m really stepping out of my comfort zone and challenging myself – and I love it! It’s the only way to grow your skills.

I’ll be doing more lives in the Janome Facebook pages and groups so keep an eye out for those.

I’ll also be doing a live presentation for the Canadian Quilter’s Association on April 17, 2024. You can get tickets to “Conquering Your Fear of Free Motion Quilting” here. Tickets are $10.00 CAD plus tax for CQA members and $15.00 CAD plus tax for non-members. If you’ve been too scared to try free motion quilting, this is the webinar for you! I hope to see you there!

Take care,

Kim

P.S. Unlock a world of quilting opportunities by joining the Chatterbox Quilts' Crew! This community of helpful and happy quilters is the perfect place to share your knowledge, learn from others, and connect with like-minded individuals. The best part? It's free to join! Don’t miss out: click here to join today!