It All Started With a Magazine
Remember waiting for your quilting magazine to arrive in the post or when we get to enjoy browsing them on the newsstand while we do grocery shopping? Flipping open those pages — the scent of them, the weight of them — and just… sitting with it? No scroll, no algorithm, no one trying to sell you a fake pattern. Just beautifully curated stories, project ideas, technique tips, and the quiet joy of a community that took the time to put it all together.
I still have a collection of older magazines, and I genuinely love browsing through them. In fact, I had the loveliest thing happen a few years back, a dear reader sent me a collection of vintage 1980s issues, and OH MY goodness. I feel like the luckiest person ever! I talked about this in my previous post HERE>
I have been slowly working my way through them, page by page, soaking up every bit of inspiration. The quilts. The styling. The way they wrote about quilting, and the stories… It’s a different kind of nourishment altogether, and one I didn’t realize I’d been missing.
Those magazines weren’t just content. They were curated. Someone who is chosen for their job through their experience in the quilting world thought carefully about what you needed to see, what would inspire you, what would teach you. That intention matters. It still matters somehow. At least the process of the curation is a filter in a way. These days we do have more originality but we also have to filter lots of noises around it too.
Read on and I’ll tell you what I mean by this…
Then Came the Blogs — and They Changed Everything
When I started quilting around 2010–2011, the internet was a very different kind of place. Quilting blogs were where you went to find your people. Real people, sharing their real projects, their real mistakes, their real joy. And those blogs — they kept me so excited. So inspired. So connected to a world of quilters I would never have found otherwise.
I started The Little Mushroom Cap right around that same time, as a way to document my own journey and reach out across the miles to other quilters around the world. It was never about being famous or going viral. It was about connection. About saying hello, I made this, and maybe you’ll love it too.
I started sharing when my first son was a year old, he is 15 now! This was one of the project in Simplify Book which you can read more about here.
Some of those bloggers I fell in love with back then are still going. Still writing. Maybe not as frequently as in their golden era, but still showing up — and honestly? I have so much respect for that. The effort to stay, to keep creating, to keep inspiring even as the internet shifted and changed around them — that’s something I truly aspire to as well.
Here are some of my all-time favourite quilting blogs that have meant so much to me over the years:
- Thimble Blossom – O she is still an inspiration now..but back then, her blog (no longer available) was the one I enjoyed the most. The photos all in one place with the stories.. She is no longer active on the blog, but she is active in Instagram and she is a well-known Moda Fabric Designer.
- Pretty by Hand – I followed Kristyne because she posted her journey of making making Mini Quilt from a book I owned at that time which was Simple by Camille Roskelley of Thimble Blossom. She made a whole series of it! Her work is just meticulously beautiful. I enjoyed looking at the beautiful photos and her joyful stories. She is no longer active on the blog, but you can still browse all the past blog post over on here blog HERE>
- Lilla Belle Lane Creations – An Australian Quilter I follow through the blogging world. I love her EPP creations. She is also no longer active on the blog, but she does have a website for her patterns.
- Red Pepper Quilts – Another Australian Quilter. Her quilts are distinct, full of colours and her photos are just another level. She is also no longer active, but you can browse all her fun past quilts to get inspired by.
- Lily’s Quilt is another favourite of mine. She often host giveaways and it was fun entering those and I have won a couple of giveaway before from a couple of blogs including one from Lynne’s.
- A quilting Life – Sherri still blog and I enjoyed her podcast on YouTube too these days as I sew. She grew into a fabric designer with her daughter and became more active on the net too.
- …and there were so many others! Can’t list them all but maybe you can share your favourite too in the comment below.
Ooo, another fun thing about the blogging world back in the days are the linky-parties and Blog Hop. There are few that are still active but not as they used to be.
Sadly most of the quilting blogs got into hiatus when blogspot and typepad (where most of these are hosted for free) made changes. I guess the technical part behind a blog and the cost of it (when it’s not free) is just a little too much with so little impact as people turned away to Social Media…which is FREE, easier and quicker to post.
Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube — The Bloom Years
Not long after the blogging era took hold, the social media world absolutely blossomed. Facebook brought quilting groups where you could share a finish and get twenty warm comments within the hour. Instagram gave us a visual feast — those little squares of colour and fabric, beauty in an instant. Pinterest led you down the most delightful rabbit holes, from a pin to a blog to a pattern to a whole new quilting obsession. And YouTube gave us something else entirely: the more planned, thoughtfully produced quilting video — the tutorial, the walkthrough, the sit-down-with-me-while-I-explain approach.
Each of these was genuinely wonderful in its season. Quick sparks of inspiration. Fun, fast connections with quilters on the other side of the world. There was something truly exciting about watching this global quilting community expand and light up in real time.
But somewhere along the way… things got noisy.
When the Noise Took Over — And the Fakes Moved In
⚠️ Please read this section carefully — it’s important.
AI-generated quilting images are flooding Pinterest, Facebook groups, and social media feeds. These are not real quilts. They are not real patterns. And they are being used to scam quilters just like you and me.
I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but the quilting corners of Facebook groups and Pinterest have become increasingly polluted with AI-generated quilt images. And I mean flooded. These images look extraordinary — almost impossibly beautiful — but they are completely fabricated. There is no quilt. There is no maker. There is no pattern waiting for you on the other side of that link.
What there is, unfortunately, is a scammer chasing likes, reposts, and algorithm traction so they can eventually monetize your attention. Some are selling fake subscriptions. Some are selling fake patterns that will never work because they were never designed by a human who has held fabric in their hands. I have seen so many well-meaning quilters fall into this trap — commenting, sharing, even purchasing. It breaks my heart a little.
So far, these AI images and patterns still have that FAKE look to it. Too good to be true kind of look. Here is an example I simply generated with Chatgpt. I am putting it here to create awareness on how easy it is to be generated and that we should not be supporting such act.
You see, that is a typical look of the pattern these days… it may change over time… for someone who are new to quilting and have not much experienced in getting patterns, this may look like a valid real pattern. But it’s not! Real pattern get tested, and for sure has been cut and done in real life!
Hence, I highly recommend buying from the quilter you know, whom you’ve followed. Anyone can create these images and patterns these days. They are (AI are) taking the work of real quilters and turning them into easy scam and click bait.
So please: if a quilt image looks almost too perfect, if the hands in the photo look wrong, if the fabric textures are just slightly off — trust that instinct. Don’t engage. Don’t share. Don’t buy. These accounts crave your attention and your algorithm support. The kindest thing you can do is scroll right past.
Coming Back to Slow — The Quilty Chats That Feel Like Home
So here’s where I’ve landed: I’m craving the slow again. The real connections. The unhurried stories. And I’m finding it in what the quilting community has started calling quilty chats and quilty tube — a small but growing collection of YouTube creators who are doing something beautifully different. Not fast tutorials. Not click-bait content. Just… real people, talking about quilting, sharing their projects and their lives, while you sit and stitch alongside them.
There aren’t many of them yet, which honestly makes each one feel like a little treasure. Here are the ones I’ve been genuinely loving lately:
- Kate of “The Last Homely House” – oh how I’ve enjoyed so many of Kate’s quilty chats and her garden is just so cozy and so inviting. I love the way she works with her fabric and she brings along her process, video after video which reminds me that it takes time to make good quilts and I love the slow process.
- Sue of “From Small Things” – one of the accounts I recently followed. I love that she works with mostly reclaimed fabrics and her explanation of the process is just inspiring to listen to. I love how fun the quilt turned into from the various finds and the scraps.
- Laura of “LalaDee Stitches” – I follow her for her Flosstube series, where she shares all of her cross-stitching goodness, but O MY, when she started a quilty update, I was floored. I love all of her fun projects and I don’t mind the longer videos as I usually watch her while I sew too. I love her thought process and her choice of fabrics, it is just amazing. I get so inspired after watching her.
- “A Quilting Life” – this trio of family together, Sherri, Chelsi and Billie is just precious. I love listening to their podcasts and seeing them grow with time.
- “Stitch with Rachel” – I love her accent… and of course all her beautiful makes. If you love all the pastel colours, pretty fabrics and fun little projects, she has tons of those. She just became a full time content creator in the world of quilting. So go support her!
- I may have missed a few more.. But you can always add in later too. Please do leave a comment if you have a favourite Quilty Chat you listened to in the comment below.
These are real people, real creators, pouring genuine love and craft into what they share. They deserve our time, our engagement, our subscriptions, and — when we can — our financial support through things like Patreon or YouTube memberships. That’s where I’m putting my energy these days, and it feels so much better than doomscrolling through AI fakes and whiny engagement-bait captions.
Buy From Someone You Know — Or at Least Someone You Trust
On the topic of patterns: I have a simple suggestion, and I truly believe it will protect you and make your quilting life richer. Buy your patterns from someone you know. Or at the very least, someone you’ve followed for a while — someone whose face you know, whose voice you’ve heard, whose quilts you’ve watched grow from a pile of fabric into something beautiful.
That could mean the big quilting stars — the talented designers like Lori Holt (whom I followed growing from her blog too), the Moda Fabrics family of designers, names you’ve trusted for years. Or it could mean the smaller creator whose blog you’ve been reading for a decade, or the YouTube quilter whose channel makes you happy every single week. The point is: there is a person behind the pattern. A real human with a real design process who actually tested whether those seams line up.
AI-generated patterns? They don’t. They can’t. No one has sewn them. The math might look right and the image might be gorgeous, but when you get to that Y-seam intersection and it simply doesn’t work, there’s no one on the other end of an email who can help you figure out why. Support the real ones. They need it, and they deserve it.
Inspiration that comes too fast and too easily can become noise — a kind of static that actually keeps you from creating. Sometimes the kindest thing you can do for your creativity is to slow down, choose your inputs carefully, and really let something beautiful sink in before reaching for the next thing.
So Here’s My Gentle Invitation to You
I am slowing down my content consumption on purpose. Less scrolling, less noise, more intentional choices. I’m watching quilty chats while I sew, letting someone’s warm voice and real story be the soundtrack to my stitching. I’m going back to reading blogs — slowly, with a cup of tea, the way it was always meant to be done. I’m buying patterns from people I know and trust. And I’m choosing to financially support the creators who’ve genuinely moved and inspired me.
It’s a small shift, but it feels like coming home a little bit.
How about you? Are you feeling the noise too? Have you found your own little corners of slow, real quilting joy online? I would genuinely love to know where you’ve been finding your inspiration lately — especially if it’s the old-fashioned kind, the kind that takes a little longer and means a little more.
Drop a comment below and let’s talk about it — the real way. 🧵
With so much love and thread, Amira
I’d love to hear from you 💬
- Leave a comment and let’s have a real quilty conversation.
- What’s a quilting blog that changed your creative life?
- Have you spotted AI-generated quilt images online — and been fooled, or almost?
- Do you have a favourite quilty chat or YouTube creator to recommend?
- Are you also craving slower, more intentional inspiration?
Real conversations. Real quilters. Always.
If you love this kind of conversation, sometimes I don’t get to write a full blogpost about them but I often chat about this in my weekly newsletter. Join the newsletter below:
Pin the image below and let’s spread some love.
29 Comments
I love reading your blog and your newsletter. You are insightful and inspiring. I especially appreciate the information regarding AI scams. I think I have been fooled by them. I’ve not purchased any patterns but happy to be made aware of this happening. Happy quilting!
Greetings from Finland. I would bring forth two content creators;
I like Karen’s “Just get it it done”-podcasts for all the interesting people she talks to and her other videos for tips and tricks.
Kristen of “Scrap fabric love” is a delight to watch. Her “no rules” scrap and recycled fabric quilts are fun, too
Olá, moro no Brasil e amo fazer patchwork. Venho estudando e procurando me aperfeiçoar desde 2017 mas, aqui no Brasil tem muita gente fazendo e pouca gente parando pra fazer com calma. Temos grandes guilteres mas ainda temos muito pra aprender. Obrigada pelo alerta.Realmentw é preciso ficar atenta para não perder o rumo .
I am new to quilting and the AI-generated content looks so real. I have been fooled but fortunately didn’t purchase. Your post is very helpful to a newbie! Thank you for sharing and caring:)
Thank you for this. I recently read a post in a Facebook group from a quilter who was so excited that they just learned how to ‘style’ their quilt by putting it in an AI setting, and my heart sank. Yes, it was a real quilt, but the rest of the “styling” casts doubt on the veracity of the whole thing. I want to see the quilt that is fighting with the wind, the fingers and toes of the quilt holder peeking out, the grass behind that’s not been cut and the dandelion sticking out of the cracks in the sidewalk. Real quilts in real life. I really wanted to post this, but then didn’t want to be the “negative nellie” in a public forum when she was so proud of this new skill. I certainly support the pattern writers I know and respect, and have taught others how to look on Etsy with skeptical eyes, but it is an uphill battle. Time to go get my cuppa and browse the photos I took at a quilt show this past weekend – real quilts, real artistry – loose threads and all.
Thanks for writing this. Yes, this has become problematic. The pictures look so amazing – but the patterns (or recipes, the same is happening there) don’t make sense. I too prefer just seeing posts from my favorite creators/designers and scroll right by AI content. It’ll be hard for new quilters to figure out what and whom to follow and what/whom not, I’m afraid.
Thank you for the confirmation! I am super annoyed by the changes. It is a sad part of our world, but it requires us to be more aware and be “in charge” of our space and platforms.
Happy quilting!
Thank you so much for info and links to join a real community of quilters. I’m tired of Pinterest and the fake stuff out there too! I do go to Bonnie K. Hunter’s blog every morning, Monday thru Saturday, when she’s not leading a group on a quilt inspired adventure somewhere around the world. Bonnie is a scrap quilter who has many published books and self-published digital patterns that anyone who reads her blog, knows she has made every quilt and written every word in each of her patterns. Many of her followers wait with anticipation for her next new quilt pattern (because we’ve seen her working on the quilt) and also for her mystery quilt starting in November (a free pattern that she reveals week by week from Thanksgiving weekend through some time in the new year). Also, she shares a leader and ender challenge every year starting in July. She’s been writing her blog for many years writing about so many things besides quilting, her family, her fur babies, her quilting retreat, the Quiltville Inn, and her travels. She is a wonderful, warm-hearted quilter who shares her life and though she doesn’t know me, I consider her a dear friend. My hope is that she continues writing for a long, long time.
I love Bonnie Hunter’s blog too…I use to love her YouTube LIVE or videos but I think she hasn’t made those lately or maybe I am missing where she shares videos of her quilting and chatting anymore. But her blog is wholesome!
Thank you for your input. I too have felt the “noise” on social media—too much! Appreciate the links you’ve offered to favorite quilty chats on youtube.
I’m a new quilter – only about 6 years and I’ve made 4 quilts. I discovered I fall in love with the process and really take my time. Truly appreciate the heads up about AI – seeing the beautiful work of the quilters in my guild is intimidating enough.
I, too, find myself missing blogs, where I could pick and choose what I wanted to view instead of having stuff pushed in front of me with a goal to sell me something. I had a list of favorite bookmarked sites, and I felt like I almost knew those quilters. I am ready to go back to that system, honestly.
Thank you for this article; it is very thoughtful and informative. I love you tube videos with quilters and cross stitchers and knitters. Slow, purposeful, and friendly videos that I can stitch along with. You listed some of my favorites, I will try to remember the names of others and share them.
Amira, you’re not only a quilter but a philosopher as well! I’m quite selective about the quilters I follow, and top of mind are you, Amy Smart of Diary of a Quilter, Julie Cefalu of The Crafty Quilter, Kristy Lea of Quiet Play, Lauren of Molly and Mama, Miss Leela of The Maker’s Stash. I’ve never been part of Facebook and I limit my Instagram to close family members. While I admire the possibilities of internet technology, I’m exceedingly concerned about the many ways we consumers of media can be manipulated, and your description of one of those possibilities is spot on.
I’m not a technophobe, having taught online graduate courses when online courses first became a “thing.” I read the NY Times and my local paper online, and find that Pinterest can be fun. I use my iphone to text friends and family, pay bills, check the weather, and yes, take pictures of my cat. What I object to is that for many people, their devices become more important than actual human interaction, and thus, they lose the ability, or the will, to tell the difference between what is authentic and what is fake.
Keep up the wonderful work you do on your blog and in your sewing room! Your insights are always so valuable!
I love reading your blog and many others (probably too many actually 😉 If I have seen any AI scam quilts I wasn’t aware but thank you for the warning. I typically browse Etsy and Pinterest for all the pretty quilts and other projects. I also listen to Sherri & Chelsi’s podcast and many times I will use Sherri’s tutorials especially for quilt binding. I listen to “Inappropriate Quilters” podcast also. I mainly like to listen to these while I am in my sewing room but sometimes I will listen in the car if I have been too busy to sew for awhile. Corey Yoder is another one I follow and I will watch her Saturday morning YouTube videos. I like to browse the quilt magazines and it is more fun to actually hold it in your hands but I do look at them digitally with my library app. Keep up the blogging and happy sewing/quilting.
Amen to the comments above! The community of quilters are still out here! I have a few of your patterns from “way back” and so enjoy them! Back in the 70’s to about 90’s, I worked for Minnesota Fabrics. We had live shows in the store where demonstrators either traveled to stores or they had A HOME ECONOMIST on their staff. When I became the demonstrator I would make about 20 to 25 quilts, or have other people who worked for the company make one and take it to the 20 or so stores to do demonstrations, mini lessons, hands on demonstrations. It was lot of work but so fun. (Also had “Christmas Show” with 25 items, tree skirts, ornaments, winter hats, etc. in the show. ) It was a way to sell the fabric, but it was free. But it also brought together “like minded” sewers, quilters. Thanks for letting us “gather at your table” of fabric delights!
I always enjoy your blogs and inspiring quilts. And I used one of your patterns for a delightful, bright baby quilt made with jellyroll strips, and plan to make another soon. Thank you for this thoughtful post. I couldn’t agree more. And, I would just add that each of us should be supporting our local quilt shop and taking advantage of their classes and retreats. We can learn a lot from online sources, but there’s nothing like building a relationship with one’s local quilt shop. And, in the process, you make new, local sewing friends. Friends to hop with on the next Shop Hop. Friends who also want to attend the quilt shows. Friends who have that one item on hand for you to borrow when the local shop is closed. It is a patchwork of various ages, races, faiths and personalities stitched together in one wonderful community.
And…
How about surprising a good friend with a Christmas gift of a Holiday Table Runner class at the local quilt shop… and seeing that friend fall in love with sewing again. And having that friend insisting that her hubby buy her a gorgeous new machine for Christmas.
And then have that friend completely pivot into the wide wonderful world of quilting.
THANK YOU Trish!
And the Chicago Fiber and Craft show was SO MUCH FUN!
Great post! I, too, am slowing down the social media consumption. Some great bloggers on Substack include Rachel of Stitched on Color and Tales of Cloth. I also love reading updates from Then Came June who has great inspiration and patterns, as well as Pat Sloan who has a website and FB page and weekly video updates and sew along.
Awesome! I haven’t got myself on substack but I have followed Rachel and Tales of cloth before, surely they’re a great inspiration to keep coming back to. I’ll check that out. Thanks for sharing!
Enjoy your website and how you relate to the patterns and process. Thanks for this information. I have so many patterns that I want to do, have been saving for years. I do not purchase new patterns. If I truly see something I like I save a picture for maybe later.
Keep on quilting slow, loving and Lovely.
Thanks for writing this. I’ve sewn long enough that I can usually tell when something looks fake, but it’s getting harder as AI gets “smarter”. I’ve really started to curate what I spend my free time listening to and watching. Sewing time is precious and I hope these scammers go find another place to play.
I appreciate your thoughtful, intelligent consideration of this new phase of technology in which we find ourselves. My instincts from the first were to take several steps back from anything A!, even if it seems good on the surface. There’s simply too much possiblility for misuse, fraud, scams, etc. Thank you for helping me frame my loose thoughts into something more coherent. Everything you write is always so well thought out and gently expressed. I enjoy your approach to life and quilting so much.
Thank you for this. I’m now traveling the US with my husband, 2 dogs and a Featherweight in our RV and am enjoying the slower paced lifestyle we’re creating as we go so your blog post really resonated. I’d like to share a channel on YouTube I recently found where she’s creating quilt blocks and we interact through chat. Her channel is Tracy Mooney if anyone’s interested.
Thank you for alerting me to this issue. I guess it doesn’t much occur to me as I don’t buy patterns often – certainly not just from a picture nor do I belong to Facebook/Instagram. I use Pinterest to look at pictures for inspiration and get links to websites or Youtubes. I subscribe to quite a number of Youtube channels and have favorites because of real people with real personalities. I can by watch what they are doing, then decide if I want to purchase the pattern that they are demonstrating. The only podcasts I’ve listened to all the way thru (while sewing) are from Quilting Central Podcast. Those gals really seem to enjoy quilting and each other. You are right – it’s all about the people connections.
Thank you Amira. I have been using Pinterest for ideas but am disappointed seeing AI images and not sure if scams or used instead of taking photos. When travelling around Australia in a caravan I followed Jody of Online Quilt Magazine for my inspiration. It was exciting to see the next months edition with very detailed instructions for a complete quilt, regular quilting tips and the reader show and tell. She has changed now to a regular blog with Quilt patterns that I know will work. I seldom came across fabric shops but would prefer to feel the fabric and ask advice and choose carefully, rather than shop online. It is more expensive but the advice that comes with it is invaluable. Instead I select exactly what I need and not to just add to a stash. I am saddened to see so many shops closed down because of online shopping.
Will the next generation of patchworkers do things differently? Probably.
Either way it is our own creativity that is important to preserve.
Enjoy it all and sew not scroll.
Gill K
I enjoy reading your blog. Loved taking your free motion quilting course which has given me confidence but need more practice. Was pleased that I follow the 5 bloggers/youtubers you mentioned. Thanks for sharing your love of quilting with us.
Thanks for writing this Amira. I did buy a pattern from Pinterest that didn’t come out right. Then I recently saw someone on Pinterest displaying some quilted pieces (jelly roll strips) that were sewn in a way that the zig zag pieces couldn’t possibly be sewn together. I decided to unsubscribe from Pinterest. I don’t make a lot of quilts and mostly look at ideas I can modify to my liking so I don’t buy a lot of patterns. I have a couple of favorites like MSQ and All People Quilt. I’ll stick with them.
I like Catbird Quilts, as she uses resale shop shirts & linen.
Also, Amy Dement is fun!
And Last Homely House is such a peaceful visit, like a chat with a friend!