After our nice Spring Break, I’d like to hop right back into things! This week’s block doesn’t introduce any new skills, but gives a few options for cutting your fabric before sewing. I cover those options in this week’s video.

Download this week’s block HERE, then head to Instagram to make the block along with me!

Now for a bit about Thread! I use the same thread no matter what I’m piecing. The thread you use is a personal choice, but here are some recommendations to help you make a decision:

FIBER CONTENT: I come from a garment-making background, where we’re taught to match the thread content to the fabric content. Use polyester thread with polyester fabric, etc. So I continued that trend when I started making quilts. Not to mention, cotton is strong, and doesn’t produce a lot of lint.

COLOR: Years ago, at the beginning of my quilt journey, I went to a quilt shop and “ooooh”ed and “ahhhhh”ed at a display quilt. I asked the employee nearby if she made the quilt. She said “no, if I had I wouldn’t have used black thread.” It was then I realized that you could, in fact, see the stitching through the light colored fabric. If you use light thread in dark fabric, you can always dye or use a sharpie to blend the thread into the fabric. If you use a dark thread in a light fabric, you can’t undo that! I use a cream or white, as even grey is too dark for my tastes.

WEIGHT: A lot of people use 50 weight thread for their FPP. I use 30 weight. I like the strength of it, and I don’t find it abnormally thick. Use what you have, it won’t make that much of a difference. Really, as long as you're practicing with sewing on the stitching line, the thread won’t make a difference.

If you haven't watched Weeks One through Ten, you can find them here: