I finished stitching all my patchwork strips together and thought of some times to share with you:

When stitching 1/4" seam allowances with a 1/4" foot such as Patchwork Foot #37 or Patchwork Foot with Guide #57, be sure to use the actual edge of the foot as your guide - if your fabric is peeking out from under the side, it's extending past the 1/4" guide. Instead of watching the side of the foot, watch the edge of the fabric as it goes under the toe; this is where you'll align the raw edges of your fabric pieces with the edge of the foot. Another helpful guide is the 1/4" mark on your stitch plate, just in front of the foot. By following both of these guides you'll ensure that your seams are exactly 1/4", and all of your subsequent joins should match properly.

I always buy two spools of thread, then wind one completely on bobbins. That way I know I'll have enough thread on bobbins to last until the needle thread runs out. This works for garment sewing and home dec as well as patchwork. For colors I use a lot (browns, grays, denim blues) I purchase full boxes of thread - I can usually get a bulk discount that way - and I always end up using it all. Last summer I purchased several boxes of brown thread for the My Label wardrobe I put together - 50 weight for my sewing machine, and 60 weight for my serger. I use three or four spools of 60 weight on my serger when sewing garments rather than using serger thread - it comes in lots of colors and is softer on the inside of garments.

No, not the last quilt I'll ever make, but the last quilt I finished. I have at least four quilts-in-progress - all of them full- or queen-size - that need blocks joined and borders added before I can quilt them. Plus sets of blocks I've purchased at flea markets - I'm not the only one that doesn't get quilts finished!

Foundation piecing, based on a quilt in Valori Well's Stitch 'n Flip Quilts book. (I think the border is a Valori Wells batik from years ago, but I'm not sure.) I started it about 4 years ago in a class at my local quilt shop, made all the blocks, then finished a year or so later it at a weekend retreat with my quilt guild. What a great way to sew! 50 women, 50 tables, 50 machines, nearly two full days of sewing, no distractions, dozens of opinons...

I had fun playing with the free-motion quilting on this one. The BERNINA Stitch Regulator hadn't been introduced yet, so all of the quilting was done using Freehand Quilting Foot #29. I like the wide, clear sole of this foot for quilting - I can see where I'm going, and use the edges of the foot to judge how far I am from previous lines of stitching. I couldn't decide which threads to use, so I used them all - variegated threads from YLI, Superior Threads, Mettler, Sulky - all of the pink/orange/yellow and green spools in my stash. This kind of quilt is great for practicing free-motion techniques - since none of the blocks match, the quilting doesn't have to look the same either. No worries about staying inside the lines, having equally-sized loops, putting squiggles in the same places - just move the fabric and "draw" shapes.

I finished another quilt the same weekend - a group quilt made with seven children ages 7-13. It's one of my favorites, but I'll share it with you another time.

It's almost 2008 - what sewing projects do you have planned for the new year? My resolution is to organize my sewing space(s). I moved almost four months ago, and still have boxes stacked in my sewing room - boxes of thread, bins of fabric, bags of trim & lace, containers of sewing tools and presser feet - there's a lot of stuff. Erika redid her sewing room about a month ago and it looks great! She's my inspiration, but I think her space might be bigger than mine; maybe it just looks larger because she has it so organized! I have two tiny (8' x 9') bedrooms for my office and sewing room, plus space in the garage for sewing machine boxes, and under the kitchen counter for fabric (I needed something to fill in the space where the dishwasher used to be). Hmmm... I think I'm going to have to take over some of the guest room, too. I've found a plan that might work for me: The Domestic Diva started a Sewing Room Organization Challenge about 6 months ago, and her plan of action and storage suggestions seem like they'd help corral and keep my - ahem - extensive collections in order. Today she posted another in the series, this one on organizing notions - with dozens of ideas for those of us who are organizationally challenged. More on my 2008 sewing resolutions later. What are your sewing resolutions for 2008?