Category Archives: staff projects

Essential Notions

What is a notion? Essentially, a sewing notion is any tool used when completing a project that would not otherwise be classified as a sewing machine, fabric, nor thread. The world of notions is vast and can quickly become overwhelming. I’ve narrowed this down and compiled a list of multi-use essentials that are key for any successful sewing or ...

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Podcast Episode 12: Tips for Beginners

The Connecting Threads Podcast is back! This season we follow Kate, a mom, serial organizer, and all-around podcast enthusiast, as she embarks on a quest to become a quilter. Kate comes from a long line of quilters whose roots originate in the midwest and predate the Depression era. She’s drawn to quilting ...

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NY Crafting Connecting Threads
Podcast Episode 10: Crafting for the New Year

At least once a year, typically towards the end or, rather the beginning, it’s a great idea to come together to take stock, celebrate achievements, and refocus on what’s really important. Today, Kris and Alison sit down to talk about Connecting Threads, the company, and brand you’ve known ...

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Jenn’s First Quilt

About a month ago, I finished my first quilt. I have sewn tons of small, quilted wall hangings over the years, but this was the first quilt I’ve ever made that would keep someone warm. I feel such a sense of accomplishment about it. It’s not particularly intricate or remarkable, but ...

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Chevron Techniques

Chevrons seem to be everywhere in quilting, home décor, and clothing. They have a modern, graphic appeal with a sense of movement and vibrancy. Since my work revolves around quilting patterns and designing, I have come across several ways to construct chevrons. While there is often more than one way to do a design or technique in quilting, it is a bit unusual to find so many methods to accomplish the same design element. Please keep in mind, I am ...

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Matt’s First Sewing Project

Hi there, I'm Matt. For those of you who don't know me, I am the CEO of Crafts Americana Group which is the parent company of Connecting Threads. I have been meaning to try my hand at sewing for a long time. Really, I have. I am literally surrounded by quilters, crafters, fabric and thread all day at work. At night, I usually come home to a kitchen table held hostage by my wife's sewing projects. With 24-hour technical support and a warehouse full of amazing fabric, thread, tools and notions at my disposal, I have no excuses. Still, there was something intimidating about a craft that requires the precise use of machinery and sharp needles.This year, with a lot of hand-holding, Mari (one of Connecting Threads' wonderful quilt designers) finally convinced me to begin sewing by taking part in the Gifty Galore project. It was the perfect opportunity. Rather than biting off a big project with room for compound error, the goal was to find a project that I could complete in less than 20 minutes.

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Learn to quilt with your home sewing machine

One of our in-house pattern designers, Sharla, is a whiz at machine quilting. Many of us bring our personal projects to her for quilting because she does such an amazing job at making her machine quilting look like longarm quilting. Last year she made the Chubby Chicks quilt (which is no small quilt), and quilted the entire thing on her home machine (no longarm!)...

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