One of my Favorite Time-Saving Tips + Machine Quilting Stencils

Greetings friends!

I hope this finds you all well! In this week's edition I'm sharing one of my favorite time-saving quilting hacks - strip piecing - along with a few great free patterns that put it to use. We're also talking machine quilting using stencils as guides, plus some fun resources exploring 250 years of American quilting history.

Tip of the Week: Strip Piecing 101

Strip piecing is one of my favorite go-to techniques for saving time while making quilts. It allows you to create multiple matching units or blocks quickly, helping an entire quilt come together faster. This week, guest contributor Emily from Homemade Emily Jane is sharing her best strip-piecing tips and techniques, along with several patterns that make the most of this useful shortcut.

Strip-piecing patterns and techniques are a great way to use commercially precut strips.

But sometimes you want to cut strips from your stash - or need strips in different widths. In this post, I’ll show you how to square up your fabric so you can cut perfectly straight strips every time.

Click below for a detailed post about this versatile and time-saving skill + two free quilt tutorials that use strip piecing to make a fast baby quilt.

Strip-pieced Gingham Quilt Pattern (Free)

One of the most popular quilt tutorials on my site in recent years is this Gingham Quilt pattern from guest contributor, Elizabeth Chappell.

The simple construction creates a striking, on-trend design - and you only need three solid fabrics to make it!

And the quilt comes together quickly thanks to strip-piecing techniques! Choose favorite colors to make a perfect quilt for a wedding gift or a new dorm room.

Click below to access the free Gingham Quilt tutorial.

Building Free-Motion Quilting Confidence using Stencil Templates

What is your confidence level for machine quilting with your domestic sewing machine? I'll be the first to admit that my confidence is not super high - at least for free-motion quilting.

If you're like me, I think you'll be really interested in Melodie's guide to using her versatile and practical machine quilting stencils! These tools are great for helping you build confidence in your free-motion skills and achieve great quilting designs on your quilts in the process!

Fun Finds on the Web - America's Quilt-y History

One of the things I’ve loved about America’s 250th birthday is seeing so many museums, publications, and organizations recognize the important role that quilts and other forms of handwork have played in telling America’s story. Quilts preserve the stories of everyday people - especially women - whose creativity, resourcefulness, and experiences don't always made it into traditional history books.

For example, I loved the cover of the June/July 2026 issue of Country Living. If, like me, you weren’t able to get your hands on a hard copy, check your local library. Or try theLibby app, where you can borrow free digital books and magazines with your library card. I was able to access the full article, complete with its beautiful photos, and read it on my tablet.

Here are a couple of other interesting articles and resources celebrating this quilting legacy:

​Ken Burns Has Collected More Than 100 Antique Quilts The documentary filmmaker shares how his lifelong love of antique quilts began and why he believes they are among the truest expressions of American art and everyday history. (Yeah, Ken!)

​The Needleworker’s Ultimate Resource Guide to Celebrating America’s 250th PieceWork magazine has gathered more than 30 exhibitions, events, books, and other resources celebrating the needlework traditions that have helped shape America’s story.

The International Quilt Museum shares Material Nation: 250 Years of American Quilts where you can explore more than 250 quilts and quilt-related objects tracing the history of American quiltmaking from the nation’s founding to today. Includes a virtual tour you can enjoy from home!

My garden continues to be my happy place this summer. Although my mortal enemies - squash bugs! 😝 - are threatening to make a comeback. 😩 I've been checking my plants religiously every morning to try and thwart them. 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

Also wicked heat + next to no rain are contributing to things looking a little sad out there. At this point I'm just trying to keep everything alive until temperatures start to cool down a little. Typically second half of August and September are my best time of the year for plants, so we've just got to hang in there a few more weeks.

That said, the zucchini are coming in fast and furious (I've now got an official "zucchini list" of neighbors who want some and I can share with 😂). The tomatoes are starting to ripen and I've picked my first handful.

This year I also planted a bunch of wildflower and perennial seeds. I was out of town the last half of May; the seeds didn't get planted until June, so I was late to the game getting them started this year. But! The seedlings are starting to come up and I'm SO excited to see what emerges! The pumpkin vines are also starting to look good!

So there you go. A mundane (but obsessively interesting-to-me 😉) update on my summer happy place. It's still a work in progress: the pests are real, my cucumbers are tasting bitter, the maintenance is nonstop - but the growth and simple pleasures are still bringing me joy. Sounds like a metaphor for a lot of life.

Thanks SO much for checking in. I hope you're finding joy in your own summer happy places. ❤️

See you next week!

xo,

Amy

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