Week in Review April 13-17, 2026

MONDAY, Stitch America 250 Wonky House Borders, #FabricConfetti, Stitch Room, 4/13/26

If it’s Monday, it’s the beginning of a fun and busy Stitchuation room!

Becky shared her progress of the America 250 Wonky Houses Embroidery Banner. Becky is currently working on adding the borders to the banner. She emphasized the importance of using a quarter-inch seam allowance when piecing the borders together to ensure everything aligns perfectly (19:30) and walked through the process of applying fusible fleece (Pelon 987F) to the back of the borders for structure (47:50).

If you purchased the banner kit and noticed your digital download says, “America the Beautiful” instead of “Celebrate America 250,” please reach out to Fabric Confetti with your receipt for a correct redemption code! (11:58-12:30)


Tuesday. Finish! America 250 Wonky Houses, How to Square a Quilt, the Stitchuation Room, 4/14/26

Becky’s gearing up to start The Kimberbell Sipping on Sunshine wall hanging, a delightful summer-themed project, featuring picnic baskets, flowers, and sunny motifs, perfect for decorating through the summer. Becky’s getting it under the needle soon. The design and the directions are beginner-friendly, with step-by-step instructions that list every fabric needed, how much to cut, and more. (1:57).

Ok, let’s say it together: OH, SEW CUTE!

Purchase the digital design and download it from Kimberbell.com. There are optional background quilting designs you can download.

Fabric kits and embellishment kits (which include felt, vinyl, and other fun accents) are available through My Girlfriend’s Quilt Shop. These kits sure beat stash diving for me. Digging around for that tiny brown felt I shoved somewhere eats up my stitching time! That background quilting behind the sunhat is too stinkin’ ADORABLE!

Onto the America 250 Wonky Houses! Becky had a brainstorm about the America 250 Wonky Houses banner. The pattern calls for an envelope back, but that hanging triangle wasn’t going to sit right. SEW, Becky made it work her way! Did you want the kit that Becky’s using? There are only 19 left so avoid FOMO and get it now. Becky ‘walks’ us through using the Brother Muvit walking foot (could not resist) and lots of tips for some finishing touches. (33:04)

Go put something under the needle and remember: It’s only fabric, and we’re all here to have fun!

Stitch the Spider Blocks on the #CelebratingAmericaQAL, the Stitchuation Room, 15 Apr 2

It’s Wednesday and that’s Quiltin’ day, specifically the America 250 quilt-along (12:21). The challenge for the day? The Spider Block! Becky focused on making half-square triangles (HSTs) with a quarter-inch seam guide for precision. All the details about the Quilt along are here.

Becky demonstrates her preferred method for making half-square triangles (HSTs) using a quarter-inch seam guide and trimming them to a precise 1.5 inches (18:44).

So many good tips along the way!

Learn about the importance of “turn of cloth” in sewing (20:31) and why Becky prefers specific trimming rulers over pre-folded methods to ensure accurate points on bias-heavy blocks (23:27)

Becky finished the Kimberbell Home Sewn May Fabric Kit! Isn’t it fantastic?

America 250 Wonky Houses Quilt Along: Becky showcases her completed America 250 wonky houses project (6:45), including a look at her professional-grade “stitch in the ditch” finish.

She mentions the Designs by Juju monthly mini quilt project (6:18 – 6:31). She hasn’t started the May Juju Mini project, but she knows she needs to get to work on it as she has only two weeks left in April to prepare. How’s your progress?

Whether you are tackling your own America 250 blocks or just looking for some daily stitching inspiration, there is plenty to learn in this session. Don’t forget to get something under your needle today!


It’s a TWO-FER! Stitch Your Sewing Room & DBJJ’s May Monthly Mini Quilt, the Stitchuation Rm 4/16/26

Today Becky invites us into the “Stitchuation Room” and shares a variety of ongoing projects, keeping us motivated with her “two-fer” approach to machine work: Set one up, and go to the other one!

She discusses the Kimberbell Sippin’ on Sunshine project which she plans to start on Monday and plans to work on a couple of blocks per day to stay on track. The goal? Having the quilt finished by May 30th.(48:32).

Kimberbell Sippin’ on Sunshine Embroidery Design/Fabric/Embellishment is precious and the project features adorable sunshine-themed motifs like picnic baskets, bonnets, and soda bottles. (49:48)

Becky finished her Kimberbell “Home Sewn” project for May (3:44). While she joked about forgetting the batting, the final result—complete with a sweet sewing machine in the window—is a testament to the joy of these monthly embroidery challenges! Finished is better than Perfect!

Stitch Your Sewing Room Becky is creating a panel for the “Stitch Your Sewing Room” banner. This entire set of projects will be so satisfying to make!

Designs by Juju: Becky also works on the Designs by Juju (DBJJ) monthly mini quilt (22:50). She demonstrates the process of setting up the machine, emphasizing the importance of staying organized with thread changes and design files. The kits are available here. Becky is using DBJJ Stabilizer & Batting.

Throughout Becky’s projects she almost exclusively uses Magnetic Embroidery Hoops. An investment, and a good one!

Becky drops helpful advice for fellow stitchers, so grab some leftover jellybeans and enjoy them and the replay!


Sew with Me! Show & Tell Quilt, Stitch the Bunny Quilt Block

In this video, Becky demonstrates the process of creating the adorable bunny quilt block from the Show & Tell pattern by Elizabeth Hartman.

Becky emphasizes the importance of maintaining the integrity of the base shape when doing sew-and-flip units (13:16). She explains why marking the short side instead of corner-to-corner on the ruler is key to getting perfect points every time (17:00).

Don’t be afraid to unpick! Mistakes happen to the best of us (1:16:37).

 For those feeling overwhelmed by multiple projects, Becky recommends using clear containers to store your absolute favorites, helping you stay focused and productive (56:16).

Embrace the fun, share your progress, and enjoy the creative journey!

Please give the video a thumbs up and subscribe to the Power Tools with Thread channel for more quilting adventures and upcoming project announcements!


Weekly Progress Report & New Goodies in the Sewing Room! The Stitchuation Room, 4/17/26

 It’s been an incredibly busy and productive week here at Power Tools with Thread! Becky finished up beautiful quilting projects, welcomed new fabric collections, and today is hosting a very special guest!

Celebrate America 250: Becky finished this adorable wall hanging. The adding a binding makes such a difference. (4:20-4:33)

 Have you seen the Fat Quarter Shop Sew Sampler Monthly Subscription ?

OESD Magnetic Embroidery Hoops are On Sale! These hoops don’t go on sale often and are a significant investment, but Becky considers them a near-necessity, especially when using an embroidery machine for background quilting. Becky highly recommends the 6×10 size as a versatile mid-range option for smaller designs (5×7 and 4×4). She suggests purchasing both sizes if possible! (35:05)


New Goodies in the Sewing Room!

Becky has some new treasures that will give us all a touch of Fear Of Missing Out!

Berry & Sage by Lorie Holt: This new fabric line from Lorie Holt is absolutely precious. I love this color collection!

Becky think Berry & Sage would be perfect for the Circlets pattern. What would you use it for?

The Hoop Studio subscription is now available from Hoop Sisters and offers some delightful summer projects! Participants receive a new piece of the project each week to complete one block per month (33:13)

Hoop Sisters also has patriotic designs perfect for an America 250 theme, including projects like a tablescape with a placemat and floating stars. you can choose to purchase just the designs or opt for a full kit. (33:37).

The Kimberbell Spring Mini Pillows came in the latest ME Time Hoop Studio subscription (38:40). The duck and daffodil designs are just too cute to pass up. They just sing spring!

Designs by Juju Threads! JuJu comes through again with a new product line including thread, stabilizers, batting, and water-soluble toppers. The thread comes on 1,000-meter spools in neutral set colors,

a vibrant set that includes a wide range of colors from the rainbow and beyond. (19:45)

Happy stitching, everyone! Don’t forget to check out the links for more details on the projects and items mentioned. See you next week! (19:45)

Stitch the Spider Blocks on the #CelebratingAmericaQAL, the Stitchuation Room, 15 Apr 2

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