Quilts, Quips, and other Nearsighted Adventures

I’m really not much of a trend-follower.  Maybe it has something to do with being almost 64 years old and a card-carrying member of the We Do Not Care Club?  Or is it because I know what’s comfortable, what I like, what I care about and what I don’t?  I’m not sure, but over the past few months I’ve heard about this trendy little thing called Grandma-Core that has developed with young women and includes hobbies such as knitting, crocheting, sewing and quilting.

Sounds like Grandma-Core is something I can get behind.  Each generation of artists – whether it be boat builders, wood carvers, painters, knitters, quilters, etc – worry if younger folks will take an interest in these long-established art forms and carry them forward into the next generation.  This time I believe Grandma-Core has been our hero.

But all of this did get me to thinking.  I’ll be 64 in November and have quilted 40 years of that.  And if I had the chance to talk with these newly minted quilters, what would I say to them?  So below, in no particular order, are eight pieces of advice I would give any beginning quilter – and most of them still are applicable for us quilters who have been around the quilt block a time or two.

• If you are making any type of pieced quilt, make a practice block of each type of the pieced blocks.

I’ll be honest, when I was a new quilter, this step irked me to no end.  I wanted to jump in there with both feet and start having fun right away.  I did not want to make practice blocks out of scrap fabric.  However, after a few major flubs (which were too awful to even call design choices) I began to see the foolish error of my ways.  Read your pattern and then follow the directions exactly as they are written to make your block.  Cut the units out exactly.  Press exactly the way directed.  When you’ve completed the block, measure it to make sure it comes out the right size.  If the finished block checks all the boxes, proceed with the quilt.

However if it doesn’t….

It’s time to analyze the block.  Are your seams consistently the right size (usually ¼-inch)?  Did you press exactly as directed?  Are your block units the right size?  Sometimes the “fix” is fairly easy.  Seams may need to be a little wider or a bit narrower. If the block is a bit too small, sometimes pressing all the seams open will expand the block to the required size. 

If none of the above work, Google the pattern.  Sometimes it’s not you, it is the designer.  A Google search may turn up other quilters who have the very same issues you have.  And if there are errors in the pattern, put it down, walk away, and find another pattern worthy of your beautiful fabric.  Which brings me to my next point…

• Read the pattern all the way through (at least once) before anything else. 

Even if you’ve made the quilt before, read it again, if for nothing else to refresh your memory.

Again, this is one of the steps which seems to take up a lot of time before you can start having fun.  But trust me, this is worth its weight in expensive fabric.  Take the pattern.  Pour yourself a cuppa or beverage of choice and read the pattern from beginning to end.  Mark any part you have questions about.  Personally I make a copy of the pattern to mark up so I can keep the original pristine (the copy is mine, I’m not giving it away, so I see no copyright infringement with this).  As you read the pattern through, you may find the questions you had at the beginning will be answered.  Once you’ve done that, set the pattern aside for a few hours and then go back to it.  If it’s clearer now, let the quilt making commence. 

If the directions are still not clear, see if the designer has their email address, Instagram site, or some other way to contact them printed on the pattern.  Shoot them a message with your questions.  Sometimes they will respond.  Sometimes they won’t.  Also check their website.  Quite often they will post corrections to patterns there. 

If you still want to make the quilt, ask an advanced quilter to read through the directions.  Usually they can help interpret the directions.  Keep in mind the longer you quilt, and the more you’re exposed to all kinds of quilt designers, you will learn who writes really good directions and who doesn’t.

• Accurate cutting is essential.

A cutting mat, rotary cutter, and a ruler are some of the initial tools you will need to add to your quilting toolbox.  Rotary cutters come in a variety of sizes (18 mm 28mm, 45mm, and 60 mm) and they make quick work slicing through layers of fabric – which is what you want them to do.  What you don’t want to happen is the blade to slice through you.

If you’re using 45-inch fabric, fold it in half and line up the selvedges.  What you’ll notice is that the right sides (the edges which were cut from the bolt) probably won’t line up.  Using the rotary cutter and an acrylic ruler, make a cut to even the edges.  From there you can continue to cut strips the desired width and length.  If the fabric slips any, stop, re-fold the fabric, even up the cut edges, and continue cutting.

• Keep consistent seam allowances.

A few years ago I wrote a blog about keeping consistent seam allowances and I blew a quilting gasket some quilters have.   It’s this:  The ¼-inch seam allowance is not the Holy Grail of quilting. 

Before the crowds rail against me again, I’ll say it one more time for those in the back: The ¼-inch seam allowance is not the Holy Grail of quilting.  If there is such thing as a quilting Holy Grail, it’s the size of the finished block.  All the blocks should be as close to the same size as possible so the quilt can come together effortlessly. 

And sometimes this means the seam allowance may need to be a scant ¼-inch (and maybe less) or more than a ¼-inch seam allowance.  This is why making the test block is so important.  You can be sure exactly how big a seam allowance is needed before you start sewing up your pretty fabric.

• Let you first few quilt projects be quick ones.

This all falls under the umbrella of instant gratification, and there’s nothing like a little instant gratification to keep the creativity and enthusiasm in full flow.  Gradually, your projects can get bigger, but allow yourself time to grow into them.  This is something I wish someone would have suggested to me when I first started quilting.

• Don’t blow the bank all at once.

While quilting isn’t the most expensive hobby, it’s certainly not the cheapest one, either.  There will be certain purchases you will need to make:  good scissors, a rotary cutter, needles, pins, a cutting mat, and ruler.  What you don’t necessarily need is a top of the line sewing machine that costs thousands of dollars.  One that makes a nice, consistent straight stitch and a zigzag stitch is just fine.  Buy the best tools you can afford and then gradually add and replace as you have the funds and see your interest in quilting remains strong.  I also would caution about rampant fabric purchases until you can see yourself rampantly quilting in the years ahead.

• Give yourself the gift of time to discover fabric lines, pattern designers, colors, and techniques you enjoy.  These may or may not reflect those of your quilting BFFs.

For just the last couple of paragraphs, allow me to speak to you from my heart.  People quilt for a myriad of reasons – and all of those reasons are valid.  So, your quilt journey will look and be very different from the next quilter’s.  And that’s okay.  We are blessed to have so many wonderful fabrics and pattern designers, and choices we can make.  Take advantage of them. 

The one opposing suggestion I offer from this is if you’re a beginning quilter and you’re still getting your “quilting legs” under you.  Copying designer fabric choices or purchasing kits is a great way to expose yourself to different color combinations and color ways.  And I will go on to add this personal note about quilt kits at this point:  They have been great for my cancer journey.  During the past couple of years I’ve purchased several precut quilt kits simply because I thought they were lovely.  I had no idea I was coming up on a season of my life when I would be so debilitated by chemo and unable to stand long, much less cut out a quilt.  These precut jewels have allowed me to keep pushing needle and thread through fabric and keep my sanity.  God bless quilt kit designers and those who offer laser cut quilts.  I will be forever grateful.

Until next week,

Love and Stitches,

Sherri and Felix

Miss me?

I really must apologize to everyone for my absence without explanation.  Hopefully  the blog will get back on a regular schedule, but this part of my cancer journey has been very difficult.  I have lost almost 75 pounds and have been in and out of the hospitals several times. I do think things are getting better, and hopefully the blog will get back on a regular schedule.

Thanks so much for the messages and emails.  Keep me in your prayers.

Love and Stitches,

Sherri and Felix

This blog was published in February 2021. It’s no secret I love all things 1930s and 1940s quilts and this little Miss is my very favorite.

I love to write blogs about the history of quilt blocks!  There is so much more than just fabric and thread behind many of them.  I had such wonderful response to my blog about background of log cabins that this week I would like to discuss the ancestry behind this block:

Sunbonnet Sue.

Admittedly, there are very few quilters who are neutral about this young girl.  If you poll just about any group of quilters, strong feelings will rise to the surface.  Several in the group will absolutely hate her.  Then there will be those who love her to pieces. 

I place myself in the second group.  I grew up in the 1970’s – barreling through that decade from age 8 to 18.  Sunbonnet Sue was present in my house through a series of watercolors my mother painted (remember, she’s an artist).  I fell in love with the pictures of the sweet, little girl dressed in a pink pinafore dress and big bonnet.  For whatever reason, they made me happy.  My day could have completely gone to hell in a handbasket, but those prints made me smile (I think it had something to do with my obsession with the Little House books). 

When I moved away, and the Sunbonnet Sue prints were left behind along with my high school yearbooks and stuffed animals, I completely forgot about her.  Until I began to quilt and realized there were not only entire quilts made of Sue, but there were BOOKS explaining how to applique and quilt her.  My love affair with the pudgy, sunbonnet miss was renewed.  Through years, I’ve acquired several Sunbonnet Sue quilts and have made a few blocks.  I do have a Sue quilt in my plans.  I’m collecting fabric now and may begin it this summer.  Currently, I have three hand sewing projects which is really two too many and want to wait until I get one of them complete. 

I’ve never really understood why some quilters have such animosity towards such a sweet, quilty soul.  Afterall, she’s a quilt block born on a dare….And we all love a good dare.

Let me explain.  But first, let’s delve into the ancestry.com DNA of Miss Sue.  Like a lot of us, Sunbonnet Sue began her existence as an English immigrant. Her “grandmother” was Kate Greenaway.  Greenaway was an illustrator of  children’s books and fashion plates.  Her work was published in America in both Ladies’ Home Journal and Harper’s from 1880-1890.  If you look at her illustrations: 

It’s easy to see how her art influenced the American version of her work.  Greenaway and her drawings were nearly as well known here as they were in England. 

Then in 1900 a woman named Bertha Corbett self-published a book called The Sun-bonnet Babies.  

This version of Sue was born in Minnesota and is the one we’re most familiar with.  And this is the one birthed on a dare … or challenge, if you like that word better.  Prior to 1900, Corbett had attended several art schools and had illustrated for many newspapers and magazines.  Around 1897, she began working on her early Sunbonnet Sue’s – lots of rough sketches, but nothing definitive.  Then an artist friend asserted emotion could only be shown in the face.  Corbett countered by saying that pose and gesture could do the job. 

“Prove it,” the artist friend is claimed to have said.  And Corbett did.  She drew a child in a long dress with a simple white bonnet covering her face and hair.  Thus, the American Sunbonnet Sue was born – on a dare.  To prove a point. To assert Corbett’s faith and trust in a little girl and her friends who were destined to invade the art, book, and quilt world.  The longer Corbett drew Sue, the more the little girl evolved.  An apron was placed over the dress to protect it as Sue worked and played.  Her shoes went from the high-button models to patent leather Mary Janes.  In many of Corbett’s drawings, Sue held a four-leaf clover.  When asked about the clover, Corbett said, “The clover is the reason why all succeeding babies were healthy, happy, lucky, and wise.” 

During the time span of Sue’s early popularity, Corbett also wrote poems to accompany Sue’s adventures.  She published two editions of poems and drawings in 1900.  She also wrote the poem “The Unexpected Guest,” which was published in Good Housekeeping in 1898.  It was all good work, and the payments for poems and drawings paid the bills, but Corbett wanted a larger audience.  So, in 1901, she submitted her ideas to Edwin Osgood Grover, who was an editor at Chicago’s Rand, McNally.  Grover had a sister, Eulalie, and Eulalie (a former elementary school teacher) had just begun what would become a solid career writing children’s books.  Eulalie was a bit of a rebel herself.  She thought the primers and early reading books used in primary schools were “colorless and dull.”  She set out to change them into something interesting and colorful.  Eulalie liked Corbett’s drawings and suggested they collaborate on a book.  

Over the course of three decades, the pair published nine books about the Sunbonnet Babies.  They added their masculine counterparts – The Overall Boys – who, for the most part, wore large straw hats which covered their faces.  And here’s where I will blow another quilting gasket:  for years, we’ve called her Sunbonnet Sue.

That’s not her name.

Her name is Molly:

Yes.  That’s right.  We’ve been calling her the wrong name for years.  Corbett named her bonneted darling Molly in The Sunbonnet Babies Primer in 1902.  Later she introduced Molly’s sister, May.

The Sunbonnet Babies became just as popular as Kate Greenaway’s.  At the height of their popularity, Corbett had 15 assistants helping her draw, paint, and publish.  The Sunbonnet Babies were on everything – Christmas cards, booklets, blotters, calendars, valentines, etc., etc. 

Eulalie and Corbett collaborated until 1908, when Corbett, who was clearly not happy with the arrangement, asked for a pay increase of either a flat fee of $2,500 per book contract or a 10-percent per-copy royalty.  We don’t know if Rand, McNally agreed to either demand or not.  It is apparent Corbett moved to another publishing house for her new projects in 1905.  She continued to illustrate the Sunbonnet Baby books for Rand, McNally, but the publishing house received none of her new or other ongoing projects.  Eventually Corbett moved from Minnesota to Chicago to be near her publishing houses.  Here she met other artists, enjoyed other collaborations, and met George Melcher, whom she would marry in 1910.  They would go on to have two of their own Sunbonnet Babies – Charlotte and Ruth.  She would continue to draw, write, and illustrate until 1928, when arthritis ended her career.  She divorced Melcher in 1930 and moved to Los Angeles to be with Ruth.  She died in 1950 at the age of 78. 

And that is how Sunbonnet Sue (or Molly) was birthed into existence – which in no way explains how she evolved into a quilt block.  You can clearly see the drawn Sue:

Looks radically different from the quilty Sue:

How did all of this happen?  By 1910, Sue was so popular that embroidery artists transformed her into a red work image, which still remained strikingly similar to Corbett’s drawings.

For quilts, Sue would have to be appliqued and until this moment in quilt history, most quilts were pieced.  Applique was still a foreign concept to most quilters.  Marie Webster (who I’ve mentioned before – seriously, if you’ve never looked at her applique quilts, do yourself a favor – as soon as you’re through reading my blog, Google her and spend a few moments being inspired and awed by her work) interpreted Sue for applique in her quilt “Keepsake,” which appeared in Ladies Home Journal between 1911 – 1912.

From this point on, quilt designers used Sunbonnet Sue in quilts.  As applique goes, she’s an easy figure to assemble, even for a beginner.  There are only four pieces: the bonnet, the dress, arm, and a roundish figure to represent a hand and a shoe.  Sue reached her height of popularity between the 1920’s and 1930’s.  It was also during this time the Sunbonnet Baby’s name changed from Molly to Sue.  And after this period, the quilt world slowly began to turn it’s back on the cherubic child. 

By the time the 1930’s drew to a close there were at least 200 different examples of the Sunbonnet Sue pattern.  Seventy-nine Sue quilts won the sweepstakes awards at the Kansas State Fair in 1978.  The saturation of the applique pattern in the quilt world soon had quilt historians calling her “too cute, too corny, and too trite.” (Jean Ray Laury, Quit Historian).  And evidently too easy.  Sue was great for a beginner project, but was far too simple for an advanced quilter to consider serious work.

Thus, the quilting revolt on our heroine began. Two groups designed different quilts which outlines her tragic demise.  The Seamsters Local 500 of Lawrence, Kansas created a quilt they named “The Sun Sets of on Sunbonnet Sue,” showing Sue’s death by hanging, lighting strike, nuclear fallout, etc.

The Bee There quilters of Austin, Texas took a different tact.  Their quilt is called Scandalous Sue, and it shows the bad side of Sue.  In this quilt she drinks, smokes, and is pregnant. 

The shock factor is obviously there.  It appears to be a deliberate attempt by the quilt world to rid itself of a saccharine-sweet, far-to-easy quilt pattern from the past.  As a quilt collector and semi-historian, an ample part of my soul rebels against this because I remember how Sue made me happy during the trying days of adolescence.  Maybe it was my over-identification with Laura Ingalls Wilder and her Little House Books.  Or maybe it’s the very grown-up part of me, who at this point in her life, longs for some of the innocence of childhood again. 

However….

Another part of me – the feminist, modern, worked-my-way-up self realizes Sue needs to evolve in order to maintain a place in our quilt world.  In many ways, Sue is a part of a long link in our quilt history.  She began as an English immigrant in 1880.  She survived and thrived through the end of the 1930’s.  During this time span, she took over a good chunk of the marketing world, changed the entire universe of young children’s readers, and made the dark days of the Depression a little bit cheerier.  She spawned another young marketing maven in the 1970’s through her influence on Holly Hobbie. 

It seems a shame she’s kind of been, well, given the shaft by many of today’s quilters.  There are great books about her in today’s market place:

So, if you want to make a Sunbonnet Sue quilt, there is certainly ample opportunity to do so.  However, the pinafore-bedecked Miss is still hopelessly out-of-step with today’s twenty- and thirty-something quilters.  That’s why, while shlepping through stacks of research for this blog, I was soooooooo delighted to find this:

Let me introduce you to Sinbonnet Sue embroidery designs by Urban Designs.  She is great.  She is current.  She is relevant.

And you still can’t see her face.

Did I purchase this embroidery program? 

Absolutely. 

Once a Sunbonnet Sue lover, always a Sunbonnet Sue lover.

I hope this blog has at least spike some interest in Sue/Molly (Molly-Sue?) As a southerner, I love a good double first name).  You may never want to make a block, but at least you know how she got here and the influence she has.

Until Next Week, Quilt On!

Love and Stitches,

Sherri and Felix

Here are a few of my Sunbonnet Sue Quilts.  They’re all made of feed sacks.  They live on a quilt ladder next to my bed.  And she still makes me smile every morning.

References for this blog are:

Bertha Corbett Melcher, Mother of the Sunbonnet Babies, Moria F. Harris.  Minnesota Historical Society (www.mnhs.org/mnhistory), Spring 2010

The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Sunbonnet Sue, Carla Tilghman.  AMS 801, Dr. Hart, December 2012.  Graduate papers.o

And you thought I wasn’t posting today...

I publish my blog on Wednesdays and Wednesdays are also chemo days. So I will continue to publish on Wednesdays, but the blog may be a little late, depending on what time my chemo appointments are.

__________________________________________________

It is time for an update.

I know I need to update everyone because I’ve recycled several old blogs and many of you have asked about how things are going and how I am feeling.  Medically, things were running smoothy.  My medical team was hitting the growth on my pancreas hard and it did itss work.  However, on September 10, we hit a little snag.  There’s a test called Carbohydrate Antigen (CA) 19-9 that counts wonky cells in your body.  The normal count is less than 37 U/mL.   On September 10, my reading was 3,682.  Cancer cells were coming from somewhere else.  More scans were done, and it was discovered a lesion on my liver had decided to show off.

This was terrifying, to say the least.  However, my medical team is wonderful.  Consults were made.  Meds were changed.  Instead of nine-hour chemo sessions every other week, I now have two weeks of chemo and then a week off.  I don’t have to haul a chemo pump home with me.  On a good news/bad news scale, the bad news is this new chemo makes me more nauseous.  The good news is there’s meds for that and they work wonderfully.  And the even better-than-that news is when the med team ran the CA 19-9 this week, it dropped to 1381.  I may be sick as the proverbial dog, but things are looking up!

I will continue this regimen at least through the end of October. 

I am so thankful for modern medical technology.  I am so thankful for my husband who has been my absolute rock since day one.  I am so thankful for my kids who call or text daily to check on me.  I am so thankful for my brother, who is a cancer survivor himself, for being such a great cancer coach.  I am thankful for my guild members who have “baby sat” me to give Bill a break, brought food, beautiful flowers, and helped in so many ways.  And I’m thankful for all my readers who have messaged me offering words of encouragement  and love and most of all prayers.

Cancer is not a sprint.  It is a marathon.

And just for a chuckle —  the funniest thing that has happened on this journey?  I was in the middle of a PET scan at the hospital, and the fire alarm went off.  Could only happen to me.

I also have an addendum to add to the blog I wrote about non-quilty, quilting tools.  If you’re looking for some simple applique shapes, try cookie cutters:

They’re easy to trace around, and the shapes aren’t complicated.  I have a biscuit cutter set which ranges from super small circles to large ones.  It’s come in pretty handy through the years for tracing circles.

Until Next Week,

Love and Stitches,

Sherri and Felix.

This blog was first printed in April 2020

This week I’m dealing with a topic that most quilters love to discuss —  fabric.  Initially, the plan was to continue estimating fabric for an on-point quilt.  We just finished up the process with a horizontally set quilt, and it was natural to just jump to the next step and deal with setting triangles.  However, as I read back over those two blogs, I discovered something: That was a lot of math.   And even though it was pretty simple stuff, there was a lot of numbers tossed around.  I realize while math doesn’t really bother me much, I’m could be in a minority.  So, while we will “math out” an on-point quilt next week, this week, we’re taking a break from number crunching and will talk about fabric – more specifically your stash.

I’ve quilted for nearly 34 years.  In that 34-year time span, I’ve been to a lot of quilt shows, shop hops, and quilt/fabric stores.  I’ve inherited stash from quilters who have passed away or had to stop quilting.  I have bought serious inventory from quilt/fabric stores going out of business.  Yet, by some quilters’ standards, my stash is modest (for those of you who aren’t acquainted with the word “stash,” it’s the extra fabric quilters hoard store to use later).  I know some quilters that have floor-to-ceiling-come-to-Jesus stashes.  I’m not one of them despite what my family says. The last quilting statistics I read about such stockpiles suggested the average fabric stash is worth about $6,000.00.  And I believe every cent and yard of it.  Fabric has become more expensive in the past ten years because world-wide cotton crops have not done well.  One of the reasons I love to go Lancaster, PA is the range of quilt shops there and the reasonable prices.  I can pay for the trip in what I save in  fabric.

I do try to carefully cultivate my fabric.  While on occasion, I will come across some fabric I just love and will purchase the entire bolt, that is the exception and not the rule.  Through the years I have developed a purchasing plan for my material.  This plan allows me to use what I purchase regularly and keeps me from busting my budget.  And nothing gives me a bigger thrill than looking through my stash and finding everything I need to make a quilt. 

The very first thing that must be considered when cultivating your stash is your storage space.  When I began quilting, my sewing machine was in my kitchen because that was the only space available. The house we lived in then was much smaller than our present one and had no extra rooms.  This was actually an ideal situation because my daughter was just a few months old and the location allowed me to keep an eye on her while she played in the family room (which was literally three feet away), and gave me access to our kitchen table (where I cut everything out).  But this set-up meant my storage space was limited to two file drawers and one cabinet.  My time was also limited, between having a small child and a job.  Fat quarters became my go-to fabric purchase because I only made small projects due to time and material limitations.  These took little storage space and I could procure a wide variety without breaking my budget (which in the mid-eighties was admittedly tight).  If your storage space is small, you may want to limit your purchases to fat quarters or other small pre-cuts or to only the amount of fabric a quilt pattern calls for.  You don’t want to over run your storage space.  This makes it difficult to keep it organized and hard to see what you have.  Nowadays, my storage space is much bigger – I have a large studio and a storage closet – so my stash is greater.  I store fat quarters and up to one-yard cuts on small bolts and my flat-folds are stacked on shelves.  Fabric destined for a particular project is kept together in boxes along with the pattern and is labeled.  This works for me – and it’s a process I came to after years of trial and error.  Survey your storage area and research a plan that will work for you.

After you’ve mapped out your storage area, the next issue to wrangle is what to buy.  The longer you quilt, the more opportunities you’ll have to go to fabric sales and shop hops and participate in fabric exchanges.  Quilt shows – especially large ones – are easily overwhelming.  If you don’t go in with a plan or a pattern, you may end up coming home with material you’re not sure what to do with, so it ends up in the back of a drawer or closet.  If you shop with a pattern, it’s easy to come away with what you need.  But if you’re in a situation when you don’t have a pattern in hand or you’re just not sure what to buy, it’s always great to have a purchasing strategy for two reasons.  One, you won’t overspend on fabric you won’t necessarily use, and two, if the sale is a really good one, you will invest minimal cash in resources that will be used to its fullest capacity.  It’s this second reason we’re focusing on with this blog – what I call investment fabric resourcing.  Listed below are the types of material I purchase regularly when presented with a fabric resourcing opportunity:

Solids

Admittedly, solid fabrics are not my favorite.  I like prints because they give movement to a quilt.  However, solid colored fabrics make up the backbone of quilting and quilt shops.  One of the first pieces of information I pass along to beginning quilting students is to obtain a color wheel – either a physical one or one on their phone. 

Use this tool to help you purchase solid fabric.  For instance, if you’re at quilt shop or purchasing from an on-line site, and they have all of their solid green fabrics on sale in March for St. Patrick’s Day.  It’s a sale you really can’t pass up, because it’s all $3.99 a yard.  But you’re not sure what color to purchase with the green fabric for a quilt.  If you take a color wheel and find the green, you will see yellow and blue are next to it and reds are across from it.  All of those colors will work with the greens.  The colors on either side of the color you’re considering and the one directly across from it will harmonize together.   

Another good suggestion is purchase some of your favorite colors.  This sounds like a really simple idea – and in many ways it is – but it’s a good thought to keep in mind.  If you’re making quilts, you’re going to find a way to work in colors that appeal to you.  For instance, I can count on one hand the quilts I’ve made that have a lot of brown in them – approximately three.  But purple?  I work it into every quilt I can.  Same thing with blues, pinky-reds, and yellows.  Buy the colors that make you happy and I can guarantee you’ll use the fabric up.

One of my favorite ways to use solid colored fabric is to utilize it as the “zinger” fabric.  In most quilts I make, there’s one fabric that’s used to give it a little extra “sparkle.”  Nine times out of ten, I use a deeply saturated solid fabric for this.  It’s used sparingly and evenly over the quilt top, usually in smaller patches where a print would lose its integrity because the space is too small to frame it. 

So, when I get a chance to shop for solid fabrics, I use a color wheel and look for my favorite colors in deeply saturated tones.  With this in mind, let me introduce you to my favorite solid colored fabric line:  Painter’s Palette by Pineapple Fabrics. 

I love this fabric more than Kona.  It pieces like a dream, but it’s so soft that it’s wonderful for hand applique or hand piecing.  If you’re interested, you can find it at Keepsakequilting.com.  I recommend you order their color card – it’s exactly the color of the fabrics.  I’ve never been disappointed

Backgrounds or Neutrals

Let me state this first and get it out of the way:  I realize that nowadays, what’s considered a background or neutral can be nearly any color.  I acknowledged that about seven years ago when the Best of Show at Paducah used bright yellow as the neutral.  However, for this blog, we’re using the term neutral and background in its purest forms – all varying colors, shades, and hues of beiges, ecrus, grays, blacks, and whites.  If you’re at a fabric sale and can’t find anything you need or like, you can’t go wrong with a few yards of a neutral.  Neutrals and backgrounds will always be used. 

Personally, my favorite background or neutral always has either tone-on-tone or a fabric with some kind of background figures.  Solid ones almost look too stark (in my opinion), unless you’re making a modern quilt or an Amish one. 

Another background or neutral you may want to add to your stash are the low-volume fabrics.  These are generally neutral colored fabrics that have another colored figure printed on them, but the spaces between the figures is fairly large and the print is so small that the material “reads” solid (looks solid from a distance). Low-volume neutrals are quickly becoming my favorite neutral.

Prints

Prints are my favorite quilting fabric.  They offer color and movement, in addition to nearly endless variety.  Prints fall into four categories:

Small Prints – These prints are so small that they almost look like a solid from a distance.

Medium Prints – I tend to categorize these into fabrics with designs that are no larger than a quarter.

Large Prints – Fabrics with prints that are larger than a quarter.  These are typically used in border work, but if you have large blocks with large units, they work great in those.  What’s even more fun is when you can fussy cut a large print to use in a block unit.

Blender Print – I love blender fabric!  It’s just so versatile. Loosely defined, blender fabric is a tone-on-tone fabric (though typically not a traditional neutral), that can pull two or more of the quilt fabrics together.  It can look like a solid from a distance, or it may offer a bit of contrast, although the colors will be in the same family.  I like them because they tend to give movement to a quilt. 

Within these four categories, you will probably want to have some of the following: Polka dots, checks, plaids, geometric prints, stripes, and florals.  I have found that stripes and checks really make interesting binding, especially if they’re cut on the bias. 

Holiday Prints

I put holiday prints in a separate category from “regular” prints because not everyone purchases them.  I am one of those people.  While I do have a few Christmas, Halloween, and Easter prints, I tend to purchase colored fabric that reminds me of the season (greens, reds, blues, blacks, acids greens, oranges, purples and a bevy of jelly bean colored material). I’ve never been one to buy yards of fabric with Santa Claus, Jack O Lanterns, and the Easter Bunny on them.  In my mind, the seasonally colored fabric could be used even after the season, where as any material with a direct holiday print would be limited in use. 

However, if you’re one of those folks that love holiday prints, let me caution you to keep this collection balanced (small, medium, and large prints, as well as blender fabric).   I would also keep this group small in comparison with the rest of my stash, since it is really limited in its use.

Precuts

To have or not have precuts in your stash is a personal choice.  Some quilters love them and others…not so much.  When they first began to appear on the shelves of my LQS, I was skeptical.  I finally (after much thought and internal debate) did purchase a jelly roll on sale and brought it home to try.

And was completely underwhelmed.  While the fabric selection was stellar, I found the cutting to be inaccurate.  Not all the strips were exactly 2 ½-inches, and some were off as much as a quarter inch.  But fast forward to 2020, and it’s a completely different ball game.  The cutting is accurate (for the most part), the selection is through the roof, and there’s a great deal of variety – charm squares, layer cakes, jelly rolls, cinnamon buns, mini-charms. 

If you find yourself increasingly cutting 5-inch squares or 2 ½-inch strips, you may want to consider adding these precuts to your stash.  If you like patterns that call for precuts, definitely add them to your stash as you find them on sale and in the colors you want. However, if you’re not sure where you stand on precuts, then I would hold off.  If  you find a pattern that calls for 2 ½-inch strips of a neutral, you may find it a better budget deal to purchase a jelly roll in neutrals rather than buying yardage of several different ecrus, grays, or whites.  I personally have found doing this is less expensive and a time saver – no cutting involved.

Personal hint here:  I’ve always found jelly rolls to be “linty” when they’re unwrapped.  To avoid hundreds of stray threads all over my floor and sewing machine, I’ve learned to open them outside and run a lint roller over the top and bottom of the roll before I begin to sort the strips.  While this won’t get rid of all the lint, it does go along way to dispose of most of it. 

With all of these in mind, how do I know how much to buy to build an effective stash?

This question has several issues to consider, and even then, there’s no really right answer.  Most of it has to do with you, your quilting space, and what kind of quilter you are.  When you’re purchasing fabric for a quilt, it’s really easy to round up the yardage and purchase “just a little bit extra” – round that half a yard up to a yard, etc.  So the first two concerns to be addressed concern money and space – can I afford the extra fabric and do I have space for it?  It makes no sense to bust your budget and it’s equally unwise to overflow your storage space. If you can’t afford it and don’t have a place to put the extra, the answer is “No” – don’t buy the extra fabric. 

But … if you have the money and the storage space, you should ask yourself, “How much do I love this fabric?”  I truthfully have used a fabric I’m not crazy about in a quilt simply because it worked well in the color scheme.  Given a choice, once that quilt was done, I would never use or look at that fabric again.  This would not be a wise choice for my stash.  If, in the process of purchasing fabric for a quilt, there is a blender, solid, focus fabric, or print that you love, a half-a-yard extra or so would be a good addition to your stockpile. 

If you’re not purchasing material for a quilt, but simply shopping a sale, it’s always a good idea to bulk up on traditional neutrals and solids – especially in the colors you love.  It’s also a wonderful idea to inventory your stash before you go to a sale – not a hard review, but know what areas are lacking.  If you need blenders, shop for those.  If you need small prints, look for those.  My yardage suggestions are just that – the guidelines that work for me.  If I’m purchasing for my regular quilting stash, I will buy between one and three yards.  Since I applique, I’m constantly on the look out for fabric that will work well for flowers, leaves and vines.   For material with applique potential, I generally buy one-yard cuts. 

However…with focus fabrics or that once-in-a-great-while event when I fall head over heels in love with a print, I purchase five yards.  Why five?  Two reasons – no matter what size quilt I make, five yards will cover the yardage need and probably the binding, too.  The second reason is a manufacturer will rarely ever re-print a line of fabric once it’s sold out.  Buy it now or regret it forever.  And if I love it enough to buy five yards, I will quilt it all up, I promise. 

To sum it up, you’re the one that will have to determine the size of your stash and what it consists of.  The type of quilter will also play into this – do you only piece or do you applique, too?  Do you make primarily bed quilts or wall hangings or small quilts?  Those characteristics play into the size and monetary value of your stockpile.  I encourage every quilter who has fabric storage room, to balance that stash and shop wisely:  Have a list, shop local, use sales and coupons.  But I also caution will leave you with this – if you see a fabric you love, just buy it.  Pay full price and have no regrets.  Life, as it has shown us lately, is too short to wait on somethings.   

Until next week, Level Up Your Quilting!

Love and Stitches,

Sherri and Felix

I apologize for the tardiness of this post.  This week has been a difficult one.

I have quilted almost 40 years.

I began at what I consider a transitional time in the quilting world.  Rotary cutters were just getting firmly established in quilt pattern directions.  Sewing machine companies were finally developing machines designed with quilters in mind.  Quilters were able to purchase sewing notions made just for them.  The biggest plum in the quilting pudding was Quilt Shops were popping up everywhere!  Imagine our sheer giddiness to discover fabric stores just for quilters!  We had one quilt store in Greensboro at that time.  The Saturdays I wasn’t at a ball field or dance lesson, I’d get up early, shower, chug down a cup of coffee and head over to Randy’s.  It was so nice to be in a place where there were lovely, all-cotton fabrics designed with quilters in mind.  To examine a plethora of quilting notions and patterns available and have knowledgeable staff to answer the questions of a very young and inexperienced quilter was pretty much my quilting heaven on earth. 

However, if you’ve ever had a chance to examine my quilt studio (which is such a hot mess right now between home renovations and the abrupt stoppage of clean out due to my cancer diagnosis), you’ll notice I have quite a lot of tools which didn’t come from a quilt shop.  Most likely these were picked up from a hardware store, the health and beauty aisle at a drug store, or one of those Everything-Once-Was-A-Dollar stores.  I’ve found these tools as useful as any I’ve purchased from any quilt shop and would like to share them with you.

• Blue Painters Tape

A roll or two of this tape is truly a handy-dandy item to keep in your sewing room.  When I began learning how to quilt on my domestic sewing machine, the first technique introduced was straight line quilting.  I used the painters tape as a guide.  After screwing on my walking foot, I used the side of the tape as a visual cue.  The tape can be placed vertically, horizontally, or diagonally across the surface and you simply sew along the side of the tape.

Why blue painters tape?  It doesn’t leave the sticky residue masking tape does.  It lifts pretty cleanly and can be repositioned at least once.  I have also covered old sewing machine needles with it before tossing them in the trash. I’ve used pieces of this tape to label parts of the quilt, hold together a design board, and tape down cords.  Bonus:  While the standard width of this tape is 1-inch (which I’ve found everywhere from Target to Walmart to hardware stores and even some convenience stores) it is available in 3-inch widths all the way down to ¼-inch.  One 1-inch roll is around $5 where I live, but I truly think it is more convenient and economical to purchase the three pack. 

• Pool Noodles

I could sing the praises of pool noodles forever.  I even wrote an entire blog about them: https://sherriquiltsalot.com/2021/07/28/in-praise-of-pool-noodles.  I always purchase at least one at the end of the summer at the Everything-Once-Was-A-Dollar-Store-But-Now-It’s-Not.  This year one cost a whopping $1.50 plus tax on the clearance rack.

Once the pool noodle hits my quilt studio, I cut it into chunks 4-inches in length.  My pool noodles are generally 48-inches long, so this gives me 12 pieces of pool noodle to work with.  And what I primarily use them for are binding holders.  When I cut out my quilt, I cut out everything including the binding.  I make it and then wind it on one of the 4-inch noodle pieces.  It’s small enough that it doesn’t take up a lot of room in my project box, but large enough it handles several yards of binding just fine, and I can easily pin it in place.  Once I’m ready to sew the binding onto the quilt, I use a cone thread holder, like this one:

And load the pool noodle on the spindle.  I place it beside my machine and sew the binding on with ease. 

As an avid appliquer who has a special affinity for floral applique (remember my motto – if you can’t grow ‘em, sew ‘em), I have lots of bits of vines and stems left over from projects.  Some of the pieces are small enough to toss without guilt, but others you can’t.  I keep those spare vines and stems on my pool noodle chunks the same way I do the binding.  This keeps them in great shape, neat and ready to go when I need them.

Pool noodles can also be used for storing and transporting quilts, giving a spool a little lift on the long arm to allow for a bit more tension, and lots of other things.  To find out more, you can read my blog about them.

• Command Hooks

Again, this is one of the non-quilting items which can be found almost anywhere from Target, Walmart, on-line, and hardware stores.

I keep the medium-sized ones around because they seem to be most versatile the way I use them.  I purchased my first pack with one goal in mind – corralling my scissors.  You know how those things are – you are just sure you put them down in one spot, only to return to that spot to find they’ve walked off somewhere, and you spend the next half-hour looking for them.  I put a Command Hook on the side of each of my machines and hung my scissors there each time before leaving my studio.  I can’t tell you how much the frustration level dropped.

Over time I learned they’re pretty handy to have near my design wall and to hang the tools I need (like rulers) near my cutting table.  My best advice is to buy a pack of medium-sized hooks and keep them in the studio.  That way they’ll be there when a need hits.  A pack of nine medium-sized hooks sells between $11 and $13 on Amazon.

• Magnetic Bowl

I pick these up at Harbor Freight Tools and generally they run me around $6.  Mechanics use them to keep screws and other tiny objects in.  I first found them ideal to keep at my long arm for my pins.  You definitely need something to drop the pins in, and the bonus was even if the bowl tipped over, most of the pins remained in it.  Over time I found they were pretty handy to have anywhere I needed to corral my pins but didn’t want to take the time to stick them back in a pin cushion. 

• Magnetic Wand

While we’re on the subject of magnets, let’s talk about this wonderful tool.

Originally made for mechanics who dropped screws and other tiny, metal objects, you’ll be thankful for this extending magnetic wand when you spill a box of pins or needles.  A few wipes make for an easy (and safe) clean up.  And if your diabetic or have fur children, these things are priceless for finding dropped pins and needles.  I purchased mine from Harbor Freight for about $6.

• Magic Erasers

These things are wonderful to have around the house.  They clean everything from scuffs off of shoes to stubborn soap scum in the shower.  I keep one in my quilt studio to take any Sharpie marks off my rulers or templates.  At some point, we’ll use a Sharpie to trace a template or accidentally put a mark on a ruler, and I’ve found a dry Magic Eraser that takes those marks off beautifully.  Depending on whether you buy in bulk (like I do) or purchase a smaller pack, the cost can run between $5 and $12.

• Watercolor Brush Pens

These pens, normally used in artwork, can be pretty handy in the quilt studio.  Instead of filling the barrel with water, I fill mine with starch, Best Press, or Flatter.  I use them in conjunction with turned-edge applique, but they’re also great to run a bead of starch or Flatter down a seam before I press it.  The seam lies flat and neat.  A set of six on Amazon will run you about $6.

• Silicon Tips/Silicon Swabs

Originally these were found in primarily electronic stores and were used for microscopic cleaning of tiny electronic parts.  Somewhere along the way, sewists discovered them and found out they were perfect for cleaning sewing machines and their bobbin cases.  Some quilt stores now carry them, but if you want to buy in bulk, electronic stores or Amazon are still your best bet.  A hundred silicon swabs costs around $8 and a 300 pack of silicon tips are around $8, too.

• Silicon Make Up Brush Holder

These handy-dandy make up accessories can be found everywhere from Almost-A-Dollar establishments to drug stores to Amazon.  And while the open-weave interior is great for stashing make up brushes, mascara, and other beauty tools, that open weave is also great for storing quilting tools.  Quilt shops sometimes sell these, but if you’re pinching pennies (and who isn’t these days?) you may want to comparison shop.

• Plastic Baskets of Various Sizes

For me, these are strictly an Everything-Used-to-Be-A-Dollar store purchase.  These wonderful items can be found on several aisles of the store – laundry, closet organization, kitchen organization, school supplies – they’re literally everywhere.  These come in all sizes and depths, making them great for so many storage and organizational tools for your studio.  I purchase them in several sizes, but tend to stick to a low height so they can fit into a project storage box.  As I cut out my quilt, I can place the pieces neatly in one of these baskets and at the end of my sewing time, I can put them in my project box.  This keeps them neat and ready to go at the next sewing time I have.  The more organized you are, the more time you have to sew.

The last two items on my list of non-traditional quilting tools I almost didn’t list because I purchased them at a quilt store and haven’t seen them anywhere else, but apparently they are available at other shops and in other departments.

• The Purple Thang

I love this tool!  Inexpensive and practical – and now available in colors other than purple – this notion serves as a stiletto, flat edge for pressing seams, helps you turn corners, and a bodkin.  The tapered tip can help you fill small areas of stuffed animals or pillows as well.  I keep a couple of these near each of my sewing machines, one in my hand sewing kit, and one in my hand applique kit.  Currently, you can purchase our of these (with a case!) for $5.48 on Amazon.

• Glue Stick Precision Tip

We quilters use a lot of glue.  It wasn’t always this way.  When fabric glue was first introduced to the quilting world, a lot of us (including me) turned our collective noses up at it.  We worried about the long-term effects glue may have on our fabric.  However, as time went on and the adhesives became better and better, and we saw what a time saver those glues were, somehow, someway they found their way into our quilting spaces.

If I only need a very brief temporary glue – such as for hand applique, paper piecing, or English paper piecing – I use Elmer’s School Glue Sticks.  If you’re not purchasing an adhesive labeled as a “fabric glue” do make sure that somewhere on the label it mentions the glue will wash out with water.  Elmer’s School Glue does just that and I tend to purchase it in bulk at the beginning of the school year when it’s on sale.  This year, I happened to notice this was also sold alongside the glue:

This is a precision tip applicator.  It screws on top of the glue stick and allows you to distribute the glue in a fine line.  It seemed like a great idea, so I added that to my Amazon basket along with a box of glue sticks.  But I gotta be honest, it’s a love/hate relationship at this point.  Mine works well for a while but I do find I actually waste a lot of glue with it.  As the glue stick begins to run low, the tip is harder to fill with the glue, and I end up cleaning a lot of the glue out of the tip before putting it on a new glue stick.  So I guess it’s buyer beware with this gadget.  Some quilt stores are selling this tip, so those prices may vary.  Amazon has them for around $12.

As quilting consumers, it’s important to keep an open mind as we peruse different stores and website that aren’t quilting related.  There are a lot of great items you can use in your quilt room to make your world neater and more efficient.  Just keep your eyes and minds open!

Until next week,

Love and Stitches,

Sherri and Felix 

This is a reprint of a 2023 blog. I’ve had a difficult week with chemotherapy and need a week off from writing. Please enjoy.

I have a daughter.  Some of you know this.  She is many things – a logistics engineer, a mother, a wife, an activist for women in the logistics field, and a graduate student.

A quilter, she is not.

She loves the quilts I make, and she has a healthy appreciation and respect for the art.  I think, possibly, in the future, when her life slows down a tad, she may pick up a rotary cutter and some fabric and slice and dice her way into our world.  She also reads my blogs. 

After reading the one on Anita Smith, she sent me a text: I think you need to do a series on why quilting is so important for younger generations.  If you’ve read some of my past blogs, you know this is a twist on a topic I’ve hit on once or twice, but those had more to do with quilt guilds and quilt groups attracting younger quilters.  However, this is different.  She wants to know why quilting is important for younger generations. 

At this point I could go into all the ways quilting is a creative force.  It allows hopes, dreams, and visions to spill out onto fabric and batting.  It stitches down ideas and revelations for the world to see.  I could wax eloquent on the way it works both sides of the brain and helps prevent nasty things like Alzheimer’s and dementia.  But in so many ways, that would be wrong.  Not that quilting doesn’t do all of that, but so do other forms of fiber arts like knitting and crocheting. 

And so does dance, playing an instrument, drawing, painting, photography, and sculpture.  Quilting doesn’t have the market cornered on good mental health. 

I think, if I had a group of Millennials (and younger) crowded into my quilt studio right now, wanting to learn to quilt, I’d tell them this: 

It’s not all about the quilts.  It’s about the quilters – the fellowship.  It’s about sharing the good times and the bad.  It’s about multiplying the joys and halving the sorrows.  It’s about taking the scraps life hands you and sticking your finger in fate’s eye when you make something beautiful out of it.  That’s what quilting is all about.

Yes, I would emphasize quilting is important.  It is the legacy birthright handed down from our foremothers.  Quilts were made to keep us warm, but any women’s studies professor will tell you that in order to understand women, what they did, what they held as sacred and important is found in their quilts until about 1920.  We poured our political beliefs, our sacred trusts, our love for family and friends into those textiles.  Most of these were shown in highly symbolic quilt blocks or applique, but those thoughts and feelings are there.  Once women got the right to vote in 1920, our voices, for the most part, went from silent thread and fabric to vocally proclaiming our rights and beliefs.  At that point the patriarchy began a slow death spiral as we found our footing in “man’s” society.  Quilts weren’t necessarily created by quiet, meek women.  If you listen closely to the quilts, you’ll find they scream these women’s thoughts. 

And if you look closely at today’s art quilts and quilts created out of tragedies such as COVID, 9/11, the AIDS Crisis, the Challenger Explosion, and every war we’ve ever fought, the quilts are still quite vocal.  Despite the fact we can protest, proclaim, march, hold rallies and news conferences, many quilters find their quilts leave lasting statements long remembered after some grandiose speech is long forgotten.  The act of quilting allows us to pray, rant, and grieve…and then put some kind of order to these feelings.  Stitching allows us an outlet – often solitary, often only between us and God – to regain a sense of peace and control, even when everything outside our front door has been wrenched out of our control.

So, yes, the quilts are important. 

I could give an object lesson to the younger folks in my quilt room.  I could hold up various tools such as a seam ripper and needles and thread.  I would ask how many of them knew how to use them.  I’d inquire how many had ever used a sewing machine.  And then I would tell them quilting could effectively teach them how to use each and every one of them.  I’d explain the skills learned in quilting can carry over into everyday life.  That needle and thread you may use to hand stitch can easily be used to tack a sagging hem.  The busted seam on your favorite shorts can be sewn back together on a basic sewing machine.  No going to an alterations shop.  No forking out $10 to fix a loose hem or a gaping seam. Quilting can teach you mad skills which can save you major cash.    

So, yes, quilting can teach you lifelong abilities guaranteed to save you money and make your friends look at you in awe.

But quilting is even more than that.  Allow me to insert my personal quilt journey.  Around 15…maybe even 20 years ago, my mother handed me a quilt.  This quilt:

It’s a utility quilt, made from dress making scraps and bits of leftover feedsacks.  It’s quilted with white, cotton thread.  It was made by my great grandmother, Annie Elizabeth Wolfe Perry.  The quilt sat, neatly folded, on a bench at the foot of my bed for years.  I would look at it every day.  And nearly every day I would think about how I would like to learn to make the quilt.  But between babies and school and work and a husband who worked out of town more than in, I didn’t have time.

Then one day my mother was over and asked to see the quilt.  I unfolded it and spread it out on her lap.  She began to point to different blocks.  “That was a piece of my grandaddy’s shirt.”

“This was a piece of my momma’s dress.”

“Here’s a piece of material from my school dress.”

The quilt became more than a quilt.  It was a textile repository of family stories and the lives of a hardworking textile family scraping out a living in Spray, North Carolina.  And a flip switched in me.  I no longer wanted to learn to quilt, I wanted to learn about this quilt.  A few phone calls to the local history museum landed me an appointment with its textile specialist.  She was able to give me a brief rundown of the fabrics, where they came from, and why a wool blanket was used for batting and backing, but as for the quilting?  Really not her area of expertise.  However, she did send me on my way with a list of local quilters and their phone numbers who could answer my questions “far better than me.”

More phone calls.  More appointments.  Meetings with women who knew their art intimately.  They listened to my story and looked at my quilt with rapt attention.  They ran their hands and fingers over the top with sheer reverence.  Stories and wisdom spilled out over cups of coffee and glasses of sweet tea.  As I pieced together the history of this type of quilt, and began to close this chapter of my life, I remember I didn’t want it to end.  I wanted to continue hanging out with those women.  I wanted to listen to them talk.  Learn their stories.  Absorb their wisdom.

And here’s where the secret lies in my quilting journey:  I didn’t learn to quilt because of the quilts.  I wanted to quilt because of the quilters.

I hungered for that sense of community.

If I had to tell this group of imaginary Millennials gathered in my quilt room only one reason they needed to learn to quilt, it would be for the community quilting provides.

My first quilt required several trips to the fabric store – Hancock Fabrics.  It was from this ugly humble first quilt, I began to meet quilters.  The salesperson who initially helped me didn’t know batting from backing, but pointed me in the direction of someone who did.  My first quilting friend was made.  Over the next few years, through workshops and trips to different quilt shops and sit and sews, I found my group of quilters.  We’ve quilted together through highs and lows, Covid, deaths of parents and spouses, and everything in between.  Prayer requests, wishes, dreams, rants, and regrets are shared as stitches are stitched.  There’s true support there, but we also hold each other accountable.  No one puts up with my “stuff” and will generally call me out on it.

These are the women who brought my daughter meals when she was recovering from her cancer surgery.  These are the people who prayed for my brother when he was undergoing treatments for Multiple Myeloma.  They regularly ask about my 83-year-old momma.  These are the folks I’ve cried with and laughed so hard with I had to go change my pants.  They are what I call my “Sunday Friends” – the ones I could call on a Sunday afternoon with an emergency and they’d show up with whatever I needed.

Not just anyone will do that.

If I had to give any Millennial a reason to quilt, it would be this – the wonderful opportunity to belong to a tight knit community who would love you, support you, and likewise call you out if you’re wrong about something.  A community of different races and ages and sexes, but all strung together by needles, thread, a love of quilts and quilters.  A gift so wonderful but yet as timeless as quilting itself.  Women’s history tells us quilters have gotten together in groups for hundreds of years. Our generation is no different, and the next group of us won’t be either. 

So why is quilting so important to the next generation?  It’s honestly not the quilts, as important and beautiful as they are.  It’s not the construction skills learned.  It’s the folks you meet along your quilting journey who become closer than some family and will love you no matter what.

This is why the younger generation should learn to quilt.

Until Next Week,

Love and Stitches,

Sherri and Felix

We use our sewing machines a lot.  For quilters (even the most avid hand piecer and hand quilter) this is probably the understatement of the year.  But we do.  We rely on them to assemble quilt tops and sometimes even quilt them.  We sit down at our machines, switch on the power, and just assume everything is going to work well…

Until it doesn’t

Then we thread and re-thread the machine, turn it off and on, and mutter under our breath how wonderful technology is – as long as it works.  When it doesn’t work, it’s a real pain.  So, today what I’d like to do is troubleshoot some areas with our sewing machine (and a few with a long arm) which may help us avoid frozen mechanics and irregular stitches.

The first thing I would like to define is what it takes to make a beautiful stitch.  Guaranteed you have a straight stitch setting on your machine, and a good majority of those machines will allow you to move your needle over to the right or the left to accommodate the quarter-inch seam allowances most quilt patterns call for.  But what exactly makes a “pretty” straight stitch?  An ideal stitch is even and consistent. The top and bottom threads should interlock neatly in the fabric’s middle, forming a straight, flat line. They should not have any puckering or looping, which indicates tension issues. Straight stitches should have uniform length and spacing.  That said, if you own multiple machines, you may have a preference for which machine makes the prettiest straight stitch.  For me, hands down, it’s my Featherweight 222.  That is followed by my old Janome (the one I’ve affectionately named Big Red), and then my Continental M7. 

However, if something is going “wonky” inside your machine, not only will your straight stitch be off, but every other stitch will also be off.  There are several actions we can take to keep our machines on track and working well.

Know Your Machine

This one sounds so simple, but it’s incredibly important.  Take time to know your machine.   Maybe even read through the manual – especially the troubleshooting section.  The better you know your sewing machine, the easier it is to fix any issues it may be giving you.  Each machine has its own set of quirks.  It’s important to know what they are.

One of the most problematic, quirky areas is thread selection.  Some machines prefer certain types/brands/fibers over others.  For instance, Layla the Longarm doesn’t play nice with Glide thread.  She hates it.  She’ll hiccup and balk and generally give me a fit until I replace it with something else.  My M7 generally will play well with whatever thread I put on her.  Knowing this tidbit of information helps me to avoid tricky situations before I sit down to piece or quilt.

Before Beginning to Quilt, Pull the Bobbin Thread to the Front of the Quilt Top

Before you take the first quilt stitch, be sure to drop your needle through all three layers of the quilt sandwich and bring it back up.  The bobbin thread should come up with the needle and form a loop on the surface of the quilt top.  Grab this loop and pull up the bobbin thread before starting to quilt.  This prevents any thread nests from forming on the back of the quilt.  I do this on both my domestic machine and long arm.

Bobbin Tension/Bobbin Winding

Whenever a quilter mentions tension issues, most folks assume we are talking about the thread tension and the minor adjustments we may need to make for stitch tension.  However, bobbin tension is just as important and needs to be given consideration for domestic, mid-arms, and long arms. 

There are three ways to wind bobbins.  First is your machine’s winding apparatus.  This is usually found on top of the machine.  Generally, these work pretty well and most come with an automatic cut off, so your bobbin doesn’t get too full.  It’s important that your thread set correctly in the  bobbin, so your bobbin looks like this:  

And not this:

The second way to wind a bobbin is an external bobbin winder, like this one:

These are kind of handy-dandy because you don’t have to unthread your machine, re-thread it to wind a bobbin, and then re-re-thread it to sew again.  The issue with these external bobbin winders can have “drag” which can occur as the machine gets older.  What I mean by drag is the bobbin winder will speed up and slow down as it winds a bobbin, which can tamper with the bobbin’s tension. 

The third way to wind a bobbin – which does not depend on you winding the bobbin – is to purchase pre-wound bobbins.  And honestly, this is my favorite way to wind a bobbin!  I use Super Threads pre-wounds and have always had a great experience with them.  I use them in both my long arm and my domestic sewing machine.  I keep a supply of my most-used thread colors so switching out bobbins is easy, and I don’t have to unthread and re-thread my machines.  Put in a new bobbin and just keep stitching.  The trade-off for the pre-wounds is this:  My M7 does not recognize the bobbin.  So while it has no issues sewing with the bobbins, my bobbin alarm won’t work. 

Here are a couple of other thoughts about bobbin tension before we leave this topic. 

1.  It’s better to wind a bobbin at a slower speed to make sure it winds correctly and evenly, no matter if you use an external bobbin winder or the one on your machine. 
2. As you wind a bobbin, make sure the thread doesn’t slip out of any tension disks.
3. If you plan on using the bobbin for quilting, it’s a good idea not to wind the bobbin too full.  A little space from the thread to the edge of the bobbin can increase the resistance and actually make quilting a little easier.
4. If you do wind your own bobbins and want to make super-sure the bobbin is wound correctly and with good tension, there is this little apparatus:

The  TOWA bobbin case tension gauge.  The TOWA comes in two different gauges – one for M-style bobbins and one for L-style bobbins. Depending on how much you’re willing to spend, and if you want the standard gauge or the LED digital, they run from roughly $60 to $120 on the Superior Threads website.  Self-disclaimer here: Since I use pre-wound bobbins, I don’t need one, so I cannot vouch for how good or accurate they are.  Read the reviews before purchasing.

Use the Appropriately Sized Needles for Both the Thread and the Fabric

This really sounds like a lot to remember, but it’s easier than you think.  Yes, there are two factors determining the needle size; however, all you need to do is think logically through your stitching situation.  If you’re using a lightweight fabric, chances are good you’ll use a lighter weight thread, somewhere around a 50 weight or higher.  For this, you’ll need a needle with a smaller eye, because you want the thread to glide through the eye of the needle, not bounce up and down like it would if you used  a needle with a large eye.  Likewise, if a heavier fabric such as denim is under your needle, a heavier thread, such as a 40 weight, should be used.  This thicker thread needs a needle with a larger eye so it will move easily through the eye.  A needle with a smaller eye would cause the thread to shred and break.  To break it down to the Reader’s Digest Condensed Version: Match the thread to the eye of the needle.

Make Sure Your Machine is Threaded Correctly

I gotta admit, this sounds like a no-brainer, but hear me out.  A lot of us – I would venture most of us – use more than one sewing machine, even if we bounce only from a domestic machine to a long arm.  And it’s easy to kind of get on that mental “automatic” train of thought and default to the way our primary machine is threaded which may not be the way the machine we’re currently using is threaded.  So if my machine starts fussing when I try to sew, the first action I take is to make sure I have it threaded correctly. 

Once I have verified the machine is threaded correctly, I check to make sure the thread is seated properly in the tension disks, and that it has not fallen out of the thread take-up.  Finally, I make sure the needle is threaded correctly.  Some needles are threaded front to back, some from left to right, and some right to left. 

Lint is the Archenemy of Your Sewing Machine

Ask any sewing machine technician what’s the number one troublesome issue with all sewing machines, and I’d bet you a dozen of your favorite doughnuts, they would say lint.  However, the fact remains, if you sew, you have lint.  Despite the fact if you use long-staple cotton or some other low-lint thread, your machine will still get linty.  This is why it’s so important to clean your machine.  Even the new machines that declare themselves “non-oiling” still have a plan in place for cleaning your machine.  Be sure to read your machine’s manual so you know exactly what areas to clean. 

There are lots of gadgets on the market you can use to clean out the lint.  I use Q-Tips, a soft toothbrush, soft make-up brush, and a clean mascara brush.  But about a year ago I found these silicon lint-cleaning tools and absolutely love them. 

While you’re cleaning the feed dogs and other areas, be sure to take out your bobbin case and thoroughly clean that, too.

The question of how often you clean your machine depends on how often it’s used.  If you’re an occasional sewer, you may need to clean your machine every few months.  If you sew regularly, once a month (I always clean mine on the first day of the month – it’s easy to remember).  Keep in mind some quilting techniques are “lintier” than others – such as quilting with flannel, paper piecing (you get a lot of lint from the paper), and quilting.  If you’re working on such projects, you may want to clean your machine immediately after you’re through.  And no matter what, do not use canned air to clean your machine.  It looks like an easy way to get rid of the lint, but the force of the canned air can force the lint deeper into parts of your machine and make it difficult to get out.  In addition, some canned air contains moisture, which can be particularly devastation to some machines.

And regardless of how regularly and faithfully you clean your sewing machines, remember to schedule a “spa” day for them with a sewing tech every 12 to 18 months for a thorough cleaning and oiling. 

Practice, Practice, Practice

For some quilters, dropping the domestic sewing machine feed dogs and quilting makes them really uneasy.  Let me assure you, it’s really fun, but you have to put in the practice time to make your stitches smooth and even-ish.  Once you drop the feed dogs, it’s you who controls the length and appearance of the stitches.  So make up some practice squares and practice – but be sure to spread those practice sessions out.  Shorter, frequent practice sessions have proven to be more beneficial than one long one.

Long arms are a bit of a different story.  With a long arm, you use your arms to move the quilting machine, verses quilting on a domestic machine when you are moving the quilt sandwich and the sewing machine remains stationary.  Be sure the height of the quilting surface is good for your own height and find your comfort zone for the height and reach of the head.  Also be cautious about the tension of the quilt.  Once the quilt is all loaded on the rollers, you don’t want to be able to bounce a quarter off the top.  You do want the quilt sandwich to sag just a bit.  I find side clamps help a lot not only to keep the tension correct, but also hold the edges of the quilt steady.

Regardless of what kind of machine you’re quilting on, be sure to warm up a bit before putting your quilt under the needle.

I hope these hints help you in the pursuit of the perfect stitch.  Keep in mind all sewing machines have their own quirks even between those of the same make and model.  But by following some basic checklist items and good machine maintenance, you go a long way to make sure your machine will make the perfect stitch for years to come. 

Until Next Week –

Love and Stitches,

Sherri and Felix

Public service announcement before we jump into the blog.  I was scanning YouTube recently and a sewing machine tech popped up in a video discussing how to properly take care of those sealed sewing machines you don’t oil.  If you’ve shopped for one of the new high-tech machines, they may have only one or two places you need to oil, or no places at all.  It can be sort of misleading when they’re advertised as “no oiling needed,” because they do need to be oiled – just not by you.  The reason they don’t want you oiling them is because if you begin taking the machine apart, you may oil the wrong places and mess up sensitive areas that don’t need to be oiled and miss other areas that do.  Now you’ve not only damaged your machine, but you’ve also nullified your warranty (in most situations).  For these reasons, you need to make sure you’re taking your machine in for regular maintenance – every 12 to 18 months.  Treat it like it’s your car.  Give it a spa day.  Clean your sewing machine regularly and have it checked once a year.

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When your pushed into taking more time for yourself, you tend to think a lot:

“Did I layout that roast for dinner?”

“Did I pay the power bill?”

“Do I think Harry and Megs will divorce this year or next?”

“What do I think are the most important characteristics of a good quilt?”

Okay, while we’re not discussing power bills or Harry and Megs (they’re a lost cause in IMHO), we are discussing quilts and what are the most important characteristics. 

I think that a good quilt is a combination of well-chosen, high-quality natural fabrics (especially 100% cotton), a thoughtfully designed pattern and color scheme that creates a visual appeal and contrast, and skillfully executed quilting stitches that hold the layers securely together.  You want to be sure the fabric is durable and breathable, there’s balance in the design through proportion and symmetry, and neat even quilting that enhances the overall aesthetic rather than distracting from it.  This week, we’re taking a look at fabric choice, design and aesthetics, and construction and quilting. Keep in mind, these are my opinions and opinions are like bellybuttons – everyone has one and it’s probably linty.

Fabric Choice

• 100% Cotton.  Hands down, this will always be my first and only choice.  Cotton is the standard for a reason.  For practical reasons, it’s breathable, durable, easy to work with and holds up well to use and washing.

But for quilters, it possesses even more possibilities.  It holds up to the high heat we use on our irons without flinching.  For appliquers, cotton fabric can be easily manipulated by needle turn, freezer paper, Apliquik, or whatever applique process we use.  It will hold its shape, and make sharp corners.  There are good reasons quilters have preferred cotton fabrics for years. It stands to reason most quilters will continue to pick 100 percent cotton fabric over the competition for another century or two.

• Avoid Synthetics.  Fabrics with a significant polyester content are not a great choice for several reasons, and the paramount one is they don’t typically meet bedding flammability standards.  You don’t always like to think about the worst-case scenario, but you certainly wouldn’t want to add to one with synthetic fabric.

Second, they can be difficult to work with.  Once you’re used to cotton’s ability to hold a crease, lay flat after pressing, and it’s “needle-ability” under a sewing machine or hand needle, it’s almost impossible to use anything else.  For me, this includes flannel.  I love flannel.  There are so many lovely flannel fabrics out there, but I can only take them in small doses.  Once I’m through making a quilt out of flannels, it’s usually a good while before I return to them.  Plus it helps I live in a climate where it doesn’t get super cold, and don’t I need a lot of flannel quilts.

The third reason to avoid synthetic fabric is the “crinkly” texture so many quilters desire.  I love the texture after a quilt is quilted, but after it’s washed and dried, and all those crinkles start appearing, I love that texture even more.  We get that texture from 100% cotton fabrics.  Synthetic fabrics have some kind of polyester fiber that keeps them from wrinkling.  If you mix synthetic fabrics and cotton fabrics in a quilt, that crinkly texture will be uneven – the cotton fabrics will crinkle and the synthetic won’t as much, if at all. 

• Quality Matters. High-quality quilting cottons with a high thread count and tight weave provides stability and will last longer.  They’re lovely to look at and even better to quilt with.  Yes, they may cost a penny or two more per yard, but look at your quilt as an investment.  It’s your time, your creativity, your vision.  You want it to look the very best and you want it to last. 

Design and Aesthetics

• Color and Value.  Books have been written on color theory and value.  There are classes offered in them, and YouTube has hundreds of videos on the subjects.  It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when someone begins to discuss them.  However, let me let you in on a little secret:  Most of this stuff comes naturally.  Your brain is more wired to work with color and value than you ever realize.   Color and value are important because they make your design stand out.  Just keep in mind two thoughts – a good color scheme is crucial and contrasting values (light and dark) are more important than using many colors, as they emphasize your design.

• Fabric Placement and Scale.  Thoughtful placement of fabric, considering their scale and how they interact, can elevate a quilt’s final appearance.  Like color and value, a lot of this simply happens naturally.  But let’s break this one down just a tad.  Scale has to do with the size of the print in a fabric.  For instance, this would be a small-scale print:

This would be a medium size scale print:

This would be a large-scale print:

When quilting, match fabric scale to the pattern’s block size.  Use small prints for small blocks and large-scale fabrics for larger, more prominent areas to avoid a cluttered or unclear design.  Consider your pattern’s overall size and style, using focus fabrics for main features and more subtle companion fabrics to enhance the design and add variety without overwhelming the quilt.  Small scale fabrics work best in quilts with smaller piecing or blocks as those prints help maintain clarity.  Larger to medium-scale fabrics should be used to showcase the larger areas of the quilt pattern, such as a focal block or border, to make them a prominent feature.  The focus fabric should be placed in the most prominent position in a block to draw the eye to it. 

Once the focus fabric is in position, it’s time to add companion fabrics and balance the design.  Companion fabrics are smaller scale fabrics, tone-on-tones, or solids which are used to complement the focus fabric and prevent the quilt from becoming too busy.  By mixing and matching fabric scales, visual interest and balance is achieved throughout the quilt.

Overall, it’s important to remember these three tips:

1. Consider the quilt design:  The scale of your fabrics should enhance, not compete with, the overall quilt pattern.
2. Avoid the Overwhelm:  Using too many large-scale prints in a small area can make the quilt look busy and unclear.
3. Don’t be afraid to experiment:  Don’t be afraid to try different combinations, but always keep your pattern’s over scale and desired effect in mind.

• Proportion and Symmetry.  A balanced design uses good proportions, meaning elements are appropriately sized for the overall piece and appropriate symmetry (or asymmetry) creates a pleasing look. 

• Creative Touches.  This is one of my absolute favorite things to find in a quilt.  Quilters can be overwhelmingly whimsical, such as in one of my favorite quilts below:

It’s the little touches, the attention to the smallest detail which adds so much interest to a quilt – whether it’s through the use of a cute print fabric or a detail in an applique which is sure to make folks chuckle.  Adding a unique or creative touch through color, details, or sashing can make a quilt even more special than it already is.

Construction and Quilting

After the excitement of choosing fabrics and figuring out whimsical touches, thinking about construction and quilting seems a little dry.  However, both of those are so important for both the quilt’s appearance and its longevity. 

• Secure and Even Quilting Stitches.  The quilting stitches should be consistent in length and density, holding all three layers together without being too heavy or too sparse.  Even quilting is the name of the game. 

• Straight and Neat.  Construction stitches should be even and personally, I decrease the stitch length on my sewing machine.  My M7 is set at 2.5., but I usually lower that to 2.0 when I’m piecing.  Quilting stitches should also be straight and even, whether machine quilting or hand quilting. 

• Consider the Softness Level.  For a softer quilt, consider prewashing your cotton fabrics and using a soft batting, such as an 80/40 blend and leave more space between the quilting lines.  For a quilt you want a bit stiffer, such as a wall hanging, use a cotton batting and densely quilt your quilt.

I hope this little blog helps my readers as they go forth and quilt.  A lot of this information you’ll find does come sort of naturally to you, and you become better at it the longer you quilt.  Currently, I’m heading towards my fourth out of seven rounds of chemo and I do have a scan coming up.  Do I have “scanxiety?”  Absolutely.  Keep me in your thoughts and prayers.

Love and Stitches,

Something was said during one of my online quilt groups few weeks ago that really got me thinking.  I quilt with some excellent quilters and a lot of them are commissioned to make quilts for organizations, as well as enter their quilts in major contests (as well as bring home the ribbons).  One quilter discussed how she was making a Winnie the Pooh quilt for a contest and told us she could freely use all the characters from the Hundred Acre Woods because they were all old enough to fall in the realm of Public Domain…except Tigger.  He was introduced later and is not public domain.  The quilter would have had to receive permission to use Tigger, and since that is a bit of  a hassle (and usually the answer is “No”), she wisely opted to leave the striped-tiger-wanna-be out of the quilt.

Well, that conversation spun around in my head for days.  My thought went back to a small quilt I made several years ago (and is still in my possession) featuring the book Charlotte’s Web.  I used all the images of the animals, as well as Charlotte, on the front of the quilt, but never thought about public domain at all.  Since the quilt still lives with me, I think I’m safe, but if I had decided to sell the quilt, I could possibly face some legal issues.  So today, I would like to briefly go over exactly what public domain is so we can continue to make wise quilting decisions. 

Briefly, public domain covers any work published prior to January 1, 1923.  These works are no longer protected by copyright.  The rules get a bit murky for works published between 1923 and 1978.  Those are a little more complex and several factors must be reviewed to determine the copyright status of any work created or first published during this period.  But this means that all those old quilt blocks we love so much are all public domain.  We can use them freely and without fear of any legal repercussions.  However, if they are used in a pattern we purchased, again the situation gets murky.  While the blocks are definitely public domain, the directions for the pattern are not.  This means if we make the pattern and plan to sell the quilt or make the quilt as a raffle quilt, we need to receive permission from the quilt designer.

Today, a copyright lasts for the entirety of the creator’s life plus seventy years.  The copyright protects against unauthorized copying or other use of various types of creative works.  Works eligible for this protection under copyright include patterns, diagrams and instructions for making quilts, written materials that talk about quilts and the making of quilts, and quilt designs, regardless of whether those designs appear in a pattern or diagram for the quilt, in a software program that lets the user make the quilt, or in the quilt itself. 

For most quilters, this isn’t something we need to worry about if we’re making any quilt for ourselves or intend to give the quilt as a gift.  No money is exchanged.  However, if there are plans to sell the quilt or use the quilt as a raffle quilt, permission from the designer should be sought.

For us applique quilters, a bit more research may need to be done, as we tend to use flowers and figures and all sorts of things in our applique.  My Charlotte’s Web quilt?  Well, it’s a good thing I’ve never decided to sell it.  EB White didn’t publish the children’s classic until 1952.  However, let’s say you wanted to make a quilt with the characters from Peanuts.  Various characters have been introduced over a period of years.  How do you know which ones fall into public domain and which ones are still copyrighted?  The best piece of advice I can give is to research each character.  And in the case of our beloved Snoopy and his cohorts, they will not fall into public domain until 2071.  They were created in 1950 and Charles Schultz passed away in 2000.   But Sunbonnet Sue?  Use her freely.  She’s public domain.

Okay, quick update on me.  As you are reading this I have had my third chemotherapy infusion (four more to go).  My first one went pretty well, but I was really sick with the second one.  I have one every other week and for the first six days after the infusion, I’m super tired and sick.  The good news is the doctors have given me good meds, but sometimes even they are not enough.  Friday I found myself back at the hospital suffering from dehydration.  The doctors changed up my meds, so they work more effectively, and things are better.  I’ve lost some weight (54 pounds).  My hair is falling out – not chunks at a time but I find several strands on my pillow in the morning and in my comb.  My energy levels are below average to super low.

But this, too, shall pass.  The good news is my oncologist told me I’m in his top 1% of patients tolerating and responding to this type of chemo for pancreatic cancer.  My infusions literally last three days.  I have two at the hospital on Wednesdays and then one comes home with me.  It’s attached to me by a super-hip fanny pack and I get disconnected from it on Fridays.

My guild – God bless them – have worked to have our meetings Zoomed so I can be “there” even if I’m not there in person.  I’ve received cards, food, visits and sweet messages of encouragement.  Keep the prayers and good thoughts coming.  They mean more than I can ever express.  Through this situation I’ve realized something very important.  No matter how bleak the situation is, there is still good in this old world.  People, overall, are kind and good-hearted and helpful.  And we are all more alike than different.

Until next week,

Much love and stitches,

Sherri and Felix

PS – My infusions are early on Wednesdays.  During this time, I will still publish a blog, but it may not be posted until late Wednesday afternoon.  Just keep an eye out – I promise the blog will be up.