Just a brief reflection on the,”Year of COVID,” and some of the changes it brought about in my quilting/crafting world.
I discovered Flosstube and quilting videos on YouTube.
I have been reading the blog, The Polka Dot Chicken, for many years and she turned me onto the mother and daughter team, Chelsea and Pricilla Barnes, who design cross stitch charts and have very creative finishing techniques. From reading Pricilla’s blog, I discovered their Flosstube show that airs every Saturday.
Since late March 2020, I have had almost no regular live adult interaction with anyone but my husband...I was thrilled to discover their videos. Pretty much, the show rolls forward with all of life’s little speed bumps. It feels so authentic to watch their shows every Saturday.
Turns out, Priscilla and Chelsea are great friends and business associates with Kimberly Jolly of the Fat Quarter Shop. So that led me to start watching all of the Fat Quarter Shop videos on YouTube. They do a live Flosstube video every week and also a live quilting video every week.
Talk about going down a rabbit hole! I love the live videos with all their little imperfections. I feel like I am really in the moment with them when I am watching even though I don’t watch them “live.”
The Fat Quarter Shop offers so many free patterns for quilting and cross stitch. I love learning about Kimberly Jolly’s business, especially since I’ve been shopping at her online business for years. She publishes beautiful books for several designers and also has such a talented staff behind the scenes.
YouTube will suggest other videos for me and that has led me to watch Pat Sloan’s videos which air live, six days a week!
I could go on listing several more YouTube video channels that I watch regularly...but you get the idea.
Of course these shows have influenced what I am working on currently. Pat Sloan is doing several Sew Alongs (SALs) and I did get pulled into “Stomping Ground.” I ordered the pattern from Fat Quarter Shop as instant PDF download. I had two elephants done on my last post...
I am taking my time on this project. Cutting out each elephant is the most time consuming step but it sure makes sewing these blocks super quick.
I like to work on my cross stitching whenever I am watching a “Flosstube,” video. I did order some new projects inspired by what I have seen on videos but decided first to start with a Mill Hill kit that is not an ornament or holiday themed.
I am taking a little denim dress to embroider on for her...but making sure it fits first. Nothing fancy...just a few flowers in DMC floss...and maybe a butterfly...and maybe her name...we'll see!