Sew Becca Snippets: January 2025

January 6, 2025 Becca Shifflett

Happy New Year, everyone! 🎉

As I sit down to write this, I’m enjoying the peaceful beauty of our first real snow of the season. It’s still falling, and we already have about 7 inches on the ground! The view outside is stunning, but the real showstoppers are Akumu and Beetlejuice, who are absolutely loving the snow. They’re asking to go outside constantly, and it’s such a joy to watch them romp around. Akumu, being so short, hops through the snow like a little bunny rabbit—it’s the cutest thing ever! Meanwhile, Beetlejuice takes it all in stride, dashing around like he owns the yard. I’m so thankful to have the flexibility to work from home on days like this and soak in these moments.

New Year, New Beginnings!

The start of a new year is always a great time to embrace fresh beginnings and tackle new goals. One of the things I’m most excited about is our 2025 Quilt Along! Each month, we’ll be making a traditional block, and at the end of the year, we’ll sew them all together into a beautiful quilt.

Here’s the scoop:

Free patterns for each block will be available on my website.
The first video drops on January 11, 2025, so mark your calendars!
In the video for Block 1, I’ll walk you through all the details and share tips for the quilt along.
Get all of the details on this blog post!

I can’t wait to sew along with you and see how your blocks come together throughout the year. Let’s make 2025 a year full of creativity and connection!

Getting Organized in 2025

Another big goal of mine this year is to get better at keeping myself organized and staying on task. One way I’m tackling this is by committing to writing these newsletters every month! But instead of only sending them to your inbox, I’m also publishing them on my brand-new blog.

The blog will be a hub for everything I share with the community—recipes, tutorials, updates, and yes, even my general blabberings! If you missed anything, you’ll be able to catch up there.

And, in case you missed it - Mary joined Ian & I for a special podcast episode where we spoke about getting ourselves organized in 2025!

Sprucing Up My Sewing Space

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been busy giving my sewing space a much-needed refresh, and I’m thrilled with how it turned out! Here are three big changes I made that have completely transformed the space:

1. A New Computer Desk

This was an absolute must-have. For years, my computer and monitor, along with bulky tripods for cameras, lived on my sewing table. Not only was it cluttered, but I couldn’t see guests sitting in the chairs nearby, and I missed out on enjoying the beautiful view from my windows. The worst part? The eye strain from looking at a monitor 4 feet away and the backaches from hunching forward to get closer.

So, we headed to Ikea, grabbed a few pieces, and now I have a dedicated computer workstation—and I couldn’t be happier! It’s made working on the computer so much more comfortable, and I love having my sewing table free to focus on what I truly enjoy.

2. Thread Organization

Behind my longarm is a wall I’ve never quite known what to do with. I tried hanging quilts there, but the longarm’s light bar always distracted from them. I wanted something functional yet visually appealing, and I finally found the perfect solution: a thread wall!

For my 50wt thread, I’m using a spool rack I found on Amazon. The pegs are longer than those on the Jo-Ann’s version, so it can hold larger spools. For my longarm thread, I went with Ikea picture ledges. The spools are arranged in rainbow order, and it looks absolutely stunning! Plus, I went the extra mile and labeled everything, thanks to a new label maker I got for Christmas!. Now, not only does it look fantastic, but it’s also super convenient having my longarm thread close to the bobbin winder.

3. Beautiful New Valances

One of my favorite changes is the new valances I made for my windows using fabric from 'Sunday Stroll' by Bonnie & Camille. I know many of you will want a tutorial for these, so I’m already working on one to share! These valances are lined, giving them a polished look that’s a step up from just hemming fabric. The beautiful ruffle effect isn’t sewn in—it’s created naturally by gathering the panels, which makes them look so elegant and professional.

I’m also thrilled to finally use this fabric! It’s been sitting on my shelf for ages, waiting for the perfect project, and now it’s framing my windows beautifully. It’s such a treat to glance up from my sewing table, look out at the snow, and see these valances adding the perfect cozy touch to my space.

This refresh has made my sewing space not only more functional but also more enjoyable to spend time in. Whether I’m sewing, organizing, or working at my new desk, the space feels fresh and inspiring. I can’t wait to dive into more projects and share them with you from this transformed space!

Things to Look Forward To

This Month:

Zoom Session: VIP Members and YouTube Perk holders can join me on 01/26/25 from 2 PM - 6 PM ET for some virtual sewing fun. VIP Members can find the Zoom link on the website and YouTube Perk holders will see a post on my community tab on YouTube the day before!
Livestreams: Every Friday night at 8 PM ET, come hang out and sew with me live!

Next Month:

Zoom Session: 02/16/25 from 2 PM - 6 PM ET.
QuiltCon: From 02/19 - 02/24, I’ll be at QuiltCon, and I’m planning a meetup! Tentatively looking at Friday evening or Saturday—details to come.

Videos in the Hopper:

My 2025 Goals
2025 Quilt Along: Block 1.
A tutorial for my valances

Thank you for joining me on this journey as we kick off 2025 together! Whether it’s sewing along with the quilt along, joining a Zoom, or just stopping by to read the blog, I’m so grateful to have this community. Let’s make it a creative and fulfilling year!

Until next time, stay warm, stay inspired, and happy quilting!
~ Becca