Month: January 2024

January is always a time for reflection and goal setting.  We tend to make resolutions and vow to be a better person, a better friend, a better quilter.  Personally, I gave up making resolutions a long time ago.  The word itself – resolutions – sounds stressful.  Kind of like if you don’t follow through with it, there’s a bounty on your head.  I much prefer the term “New Year’s Suggestions.”  This means the option to improve is there, but if you lack the follow through, there’s no harm, no foul. 

Last year at about this time I mentioned the projects I planned to undertake in 2023.  One of these was a temperature quilt.  I ran across several while perusing Pinterest one evening and was captivated by the idea.  Per my usual method of quilt making, I Googled the quilts and came across a lot of clever ideas.  It seemed quilt makers had been making these quilts for a while and there were so many great patterns for them.  What I had to weigh was my time allotted for quilting verses the demands of a pattern.  Due to my work schedule, quite often I don’t sit behind my machine until Thursday.  I also sew some on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.  Many of these patterns called for making a square a day, reflecting the high and low temperatures of a 24-hour period.  This would mean by Thursday, I would already be at least four days behind. And depending on how complicated the block was, I may even be further behind by Saturday.  So either the pattern would have to be super-simple, or a block which reflected more than just one day’s worth of high and low temperatures.

During my search, I came across this pattern Budgie Block Party by Bethanne Nemesh of White Arbor Quilting.  The budgie-bird represented a week’s worth of weather.  The head and back represented the average high of the week.  The cheek and tail denoted the average low of the week.  The seven feathers on top of the wing showed the highs for Sunday through Saturday and the bottom feathers of the wing symbolized the lows for those days.  Bonus (at least for me) it was paper pieced, the sashing was sewn on the side where the ends of the feathers protruded (thus keeping those ends stable), and matching seams are pretty much non-existent.  Instead of making 365 blocks, I only need to make 52 since there are 52 weeks in a year and each bird represents one week.  The pattern was reasonably priced and easily downloaded. 

I completed the 52^nd bird on New Year’s Eve. 

Now I need to make some decisions about borders (do I need them or not), binding, and how to quilt it. Not to mention I still need to remove over half the papers. 

This has been a year-long goal, and while I am pleased to bring it to an end, I did enjoy this journey very much.  That said, would I make one again?  Maybe.  I think if several years have passed or I moved to a different location, I may revisit this pattern.

I have used this quilt several times in my 2023 blog posts.  I discussed how to paper piece with the pattern, and I showed several pictures of my progress as the year went along.  If in all this, you feel inspired to try a temperature quilt yourself, I do have a few suggestions to pass along to you.

•  Find a pattern you can live with for a year. 

I was fortunate to find the budgie-bird pattern.  It was perfect for me and my time limitations.  The first bird took me a couple of hours to paper piece.  However, after that first foray into the birdies, the next ones didn’t take as long.  By the time I got to my 52nd bird, I could clock one at slightly over 45 minutes, if I had all my fabric at my fingertips, had no interruptions, and didn’t have to stop and change programs on my Netflix viewing.

• Determine your temperature ranges and fabrics beforehand.

Many temperature quilts will not give list ranges and colors.  Those decisions are up to you.  I will warn you the larger the temperature range, the fewer colors will be used in your quilt.  For instance, if you break your temperature range into 15-degree increments, you’ll use all one-color fabric for temperatures between 85 and 100.  I personally think the happy medium is between 5 and 7-degree increments.  I used 5-degree increments with my birds.  Yes, that means you’ll use a lot of fabrics, but you’ll also have a lot of color to work with.  I researched Jamestown, North Carolina’s weather history to get a good idea of how low and high the temperatures could reach and started there.  I used blues for the coldest months, then faded into greens, then yellow, oranges, reds, and fuchsias.  For my birds, this was a great idea.  I have brilliantly colored plumage, except for the month of July.  It was hot.  The birds were nearly solid red in color.  They looked angry. 

I pulled from two different sets of fat quarters for my fabric.  I didn’t use up either set completely, and for the most part, fabrics were used consistently.  However, there were a few fabrics I used up entirely and had to find substitute fabrics to fill in the gaps.  Personally, this doesn’t bother me.  To anyone who doesn’t know this is a temperature quilt, it simply appears to be a scrappy one. I tried my best to match the substitute fabric up with the original fabrics and for the most part I was pretty successful.  I found myself using a great deal of teal color fabric in my birds and you know how tricky this color can be.  However, I think I pulled everything off well.  However, if “accidents” like this bother you, you may want to opt for half-yard or larger cuts instead of fat quarters. 

• Organize, organize, organize. 

Keep all your fabric for your temperature quilt together.  I sequestered mine in one of those zippered bags bed sheets came in.  This way they didn’t “accidentally” wander off and end up in another project.  And since my temperature quilt was paper pieced, I made several copies of the patterns at one time and kept the left-facing birds separate from the right facing birds and labeled them, so I could make sure I grabbed the correct patterns.  I also used this sheet:

To mark through each bird as I made it.  This way I could stay on track (this sheet was provided with the pattern).

One time-saving trick I did use was these:

These handy-dandy rolls are 1 ½-inch pre-cut fabric strips from Keepsake Quilting.  These saved so much cutting time.  I cut the strips of fabric the length of the block and sewed those on the side of the block where all the feather tips were every time I made a block.  Then I sewed strips to the bottoms of the blocks which needed the narrower strip (some required the 1 ½-inchs strips and others a 3 ½ x 6 ½-inch rectangle). 

I found keeping all these together made the most of my sewing time.  When I sat down to work on one of the birds, I wasted no time hunting for fabric, tools, patterns, etc.

• Make your rows or columns as you go.

This quilt was assembled in columns.  Each time I made a bird, I sewed it to the one it was attached to.  I carefully numbered each column, so I didn’t get confused, and the birdies all flew where they were supposed to land.  Then when each column was completed, I attached it to the column it went next to.  By the time I made the 52^nd bird on New Year’s Eve, all I had to do was sew that final column to the end of the quilt and I was through with the assembly process. 

I strongly advise this, if at all possible, especially if you make a block for each day.  Imagine the work which would still be ahead of you if you had to sew together 365 quilt blocks!

• The Weather Underground website will be your bff for an entire year.

At the end of each day, I tried so hard to remember to check the day’s weather and faithfully write the day’s high and low on a piece of paper.  But my days can get pretty crazy.  It wasn’t too many weeks into this journey that I discovered the Weather Underground.  This website has the highs and lows of nearly all the small towns and large cities in the United States.  If I missed recording the temperatures one day, I could easily check this website and find out the daily high and low. 

• Write down which fabric falls into each temperature range.  Either make a chart indicating which fabric is used for each temperature range or label the fabric itself with the temperature range.  You may think you won’t forget, but you will.  Trust me on this one. 

• Getting grossly behind is the kiss of death.

When I started my temperature quilt journey, I promised myself I would not get behind more than two weeks.  I was adult enough to realize that stuff happens and some weeks you get a monkey wrench thrown into the best laid plans.  The one time I allowed myself to go three weeks without making a bird was when I knew I was heading to a quilt retreat and would have more than enough time to make them.  Despite the fact I got pretty fast at this paper piecing pattern, it was still a bit on the complicated side.  Knowing myself the way I do, I realized if I finished the year with a lot of birds still to finish, I may not complete the journey – or resent it at the very least.  Since I really, really wanted to enjoy this process, I kept that promise to myself.  I didn’t get behind.  Every bird completed was progress.  And I did enjoy myself. 

If a temperature quilt is in your future, I advise you to pencil in a regular time to work on the blocks – whether it’s a certain time every day or one evening a week.  Allow yourself a margin – it’s okay to get behind X number of blocks – because we all know life can throw you some curve balls.  Grant yourself some grace.

Yes, I’ll make another temperature quilt.  I have one in mind with four-patches.   I would make four patches for each day.  Two of the squares would represent the temperatures of the day – one for the high and one for the low.  The other two squares would be neutrals.  For this one, I may allow myself a 10-degree temperature range.  And I want to use Civil War prints.  Then I would set everything on point.  The really great thing about this type of temperature quilt is I can pre-cut my squares.  Then when I had the time to sit down and sew, all I would have to do is grab the squares and go at it.  Even if I got behind, it would be pretty easy to catch up. 

Maybe this blog has inspired you to try a temperature quilt.  It’s still not too far into the new year to begin one.  And who says you HAVE TO start on January 1?  As far as I still know, there are no hard and fast quilting rules.  On the other hand, all of this may seem to be too much…too much information, too many blocks, too much organization. 

And that’s okay, too. 

Until next week, From My Studio to Yours….

Love and Stitches…

Sherri and Felix

Let’s talk a little bit about Charity Quilts.  I’m not talking about the quilts friends and family members want you to make for free “because you love making them and gosh, you have so much fabric you need to get rid of.”

Nope.

I am talking about those quilts quilters make and give to those folks who truly need a tangible hug to wrap themselves up in when there’s no one around to give them a two-armed one.  I’m talking about the quilts we give out of the compassion of our hearts because we do truly care about folks and the circumstances they’re going through.  These are the charity quilts I would like to highlight in this week’s blog.

Quilters, as a whole, are some of the most giving people I’ve ever met.  If you remember, when I decided I wanted to learn to quilt, it was not because I necessarily wanted to make quilts.  It was the quilters who were pouring themselves into me that made me want to take up the needle and follow them.  I needed more of that and them in my life.  We make quilts for folks we love who are getting married or are having babies.  We make quilts for birthdays and remembrances.  However, when someone we love is having a difficult time, we also tend to give a quilt or two to those folks.  Most quilt guilds/groups have an active charity quilt program.  It’s part of their mission statement (written or not) to help out groups by donating quilts.  My guild donates chemo quilts to our local cancer center.  Since 2012, we’ve given out over 1,400. 

These are the charity quilts I’m talking about.  And while quilters have given away quilts almost since the first stitch was put in a three-layered coverlet, charity quilts hit their stride in the early part of the nineteenth century.  These charity quilts were raffled, and the money was used to start libraries, support Sunday Schools, help abolitionists, and sponsor missionaries.  They were the backbone of many ladies’ aid societies and in the late part of the nineteenth century they were raffled to help support the Union Army.  World War I turned quilters’ attention to a national effort and quilts were made to keep soldiers warm, as well as raffle off to support “our boys in uniform.”

Today there are all kinds of programs that eagerly accept charity quilts.  Two of the most well-known are Project Linus (which also accepts knitted and crocheted blankets) and Quilts of Valor.  Ronald McDonald House, St. Jude, and the Shriners also accept quilts and Habitat for Humanity loves to have quilts for their new homeowners.  These are nationally known organizations, and your quilts may not stay in your community.  They may be sent out to others area which  needs them more than yours. If you’d rather have your quilts stay in your community, contact your local law enforcement agencies and the Red Cross.  Often an officer would appreciate a few quilts to keep in their vehicle for folks they may need to remove from a bad situation.  The Red Cross will take them to give to people who have had to leave their homes due to fire, flood, or other natural disasters.  The Social Services may appreciate them for foster kids.  Local hospitals may want them for cancer patients or small quilts for NICU units.  The list is honestly endless. 

However, as you’re looking into local agencies to donate your quilts to, be sure to do a few things first.  Don’t show up unannounced without an appointment and proceed to drop off quilts.  Call them first.  Explain what you do – you’re a quilter and you make quilts.  You want to donate those quilts; would the agency accept them?  Most of the time you’re going to receive an enthusiastic “Yes!”  Then ask if they have any restrictions – do the quilts need to be a certain size, can they have embellishment, etc.  Many organizations will have a few rules, usually concerning dimensions.  Quilts of Valor is a bit pickier, but it’s primarily about colors (they want red, white, and blue in the quilts for a patriotic theme since the quilt recipients are veterans).  Set a date you can drop the quilts off and get a contact name along with the contact’s email address and phone number. 

Let me also add this here.  If you call an organization and you suspect the quilts may not be used in the way you want (for example, sold instead of given to folks who need them), it’s okay to walk away if that bothers you.  Charity quilts, as with any other quilt you give away, should be released without second thoughts on your part.  If anything bothers you in the conversations you have with the organization, you are free to back away and find another place to donate your quilts.

Due to my work schedule, I don’t make as many charity quilts as I would like during the year.  After I retire, I hope to make one a month.  However, charity quilts are great stash busters (a bonus for you) and they don’t have to be super-complicated.  Half-square triangles, flying geese, square-in-a-square, or simple charm blocks sewn together can constitute a charity quilt.  I have about three super-easy quilt patterns I use for my charity quilts, and I know from memory how to cut my scraps for these quilts.  When I have enough block units cut out, I load up the Netflix, Hulu, or podcasts I want and spend a productive Friday night churning out a quilt top.  I straight-line quilt them with a walking foot, bind them, put a label on it and toss it in the washer (most places do want the quilts washed before you deliver them).  Then it’s ready to go. 

Some quilters may cringe at the simplicity of this process.  “Where’s the challenge?  How are those quilts going to make you a better quilter?”  Well, chances are they may not make you a better quilter, but they will make you a better person.  You’re giving of your time, materials, and skills.  And the recipients of those quilts don’t care if the quilt has taken Best of Show in Paducah.  All they know is someone cared enough about them to make them a quilt – a tangible, quilty hug for them to have when they’re all alone or scared.  Let me throw in that while they may not care about the lack of ribbons, they also may not know how to take care of the quilt.  I really like how my guild handles this.  Angie, the person over our Charity Quilt program, came up with the idea to have two labels on the quilt.  One tells the receiver the guild made the quilt, and we love them.  The second label has care instructions.  She has those labels pre-printed for us so all we do is sew them on.  You may want to think about doing something similar.  I do think a label works better than attaching a note – which could be lost. 

One final thought concerning charity quilts, and this doesn’t concern the recipients.  It concerns you.  The maker.  The quilter.  Do you ever think about what charity quilts give back to you?  I’m not talking about them reducing your stash or providing a great way to practice your quilting on either on your domestic machine or long arm.  I’m not even referencing the Biblical verse “It’s better to give than to receive.”  Nope.  It’s something even more personal and the only way I can explain it is to give a few examples.

In 2018, my daughter was diagnosed with cervical cancer.  We all were frightened and bewildered.  My guild, knowing what we were going through, handed me a quilt one night after our monthly meeting for Meagan to have as she navigated surgery and follow up.  It was white and teal – the colors for cervical cancer.  Those ladies didn’t have to be that attentive to detail, but they were.  That quilt – despite being hauled back and forth to the hospital, and wrapping two young granddaughters in warmth and love when their mother couldn’t – still is prominently on display at her home in Clemmons, it’s “good vibes” still gracing them with love.  Meagan remains cancer free.

My brother was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in 2021.  Not being able to help much in any way other than pray and quilt, I made him a quilt out of University of North Carolina t-shirts.  It was as much a coping mechanism for me (because I could do nothing to help him but pray as I stitched) as it was a gift for him to show him how much he means to me.  I put the last stitch of binding in the quilt, loaded it in the car, and drove to Burlington.  I handed it off to him, we shed a few tears and a few hugs and life went on.  A stem cell transplant and follow up care later and now he’s cancer free.  This year, his birthday post to me on Facebook featured the quilt.  I had no idea it meant that much to him.

Probably the very first personal charity quilt I made was for my cousin, Kemp.  Kemp was diagnosed with Follicular Lymphoma, a non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, over eight years ago.  He was part of the Naval Reserve.  To honor that, I made him a red, white, and blue chemo quilt to take with him for treatments.  Which he did, and later my aunt told me the quilt kept him warm; the treatment room was chilly.  He went into remission and out of it.  After a series of chemo treatments this summer, he was once again pronounced cancer free. However, life often holds twists we’d rather not take, and this fall he developed a cough.  The cough turned to Covid Pneumonia and a whole bunch of other things which complicated his already-tenuous immune system.  On December 8, he passed away. 

My brother had a part in Kemp’s eulogy.  In that, Eric mentioned if the family had to take a vote on who was the favorite cousin, Kemp would win.  And the testament to that was the number of cousins and relatives who helped fill nearly the entire front of the chapel.  My aunt and her family had some of Kemp’s favorite things displayed in the visitation room.  His motorcycle jacket.  His Bible.  Some pictures from the past and others taken recently…and the quilt I made him so long ago.   Despite the grief I felt, I was glad something I made brought him some kind of joy, comfort, and maybe even relief.   I hope my aunt has the quilt and it’s now bringing her some kind of comfort as she grieves for her son – that the tangible warmth from it is like a hug from Kemp.

I wanted to tell you these three stories for one reason:  It’s important to remember your charity quilts do not stop with whoever receives them.  No.  The love, the need to make the quilt to try to ease some kind of suffering life unfairly hands us, goes on to other people.  When you make a quilt for someone, it doesn’t stop with that person.  It goes on.

To remind folks of hard-fought battles and hard-won victories.

To remind people how much you care.

To comfort those who are left behind.

Something to think about in 2024. 

From my studio to yours.

Love and Stitches,

Sherri and Felix

When you hear the term “Bridal Quilt,” usually the quilt which comes to mind is one made specifically for the bride and groom.  It’s given as a gift, it’s somewhat of an heirloom, and really good fabrics and your best construction skills are put into play.  You don’t mind paying the long armer a little extra to customize at least part of the quilting process, or you throw all your quilting skills into the top.  It’s a once-in-a-lifetime gift, and only the super-special people in your life receive one.  Right?

That is certainly today’s definition.  However, the term “Bridal Quilt” has been used for hundreds of years and its meaning has changed over time.  As a matter of fact, to really understand what a Bridal Quilt is and its significance, you must go all the way back to Medieval Europe and another nearly-ancient term – dowry.

  During the medieval period, the practice of dowry was significant in European culture, especially with its relationship to marriage.  It was a form of payment from the bride’s family to the groom’s family, usually in the form of goods, money, or property which accompanied the bride upon her marriage.  The tradition had deep cultural and societal implications, and one of the key components of the dowery was bridal quilts. 

Now before anyone’s hackles start to rise about the bride’s family selling her off, let me strongly reiterate, this was the expected norm even before the medieval period. The concept of a dowry goes back to ancient civilizations, but it took on a rather unique form in medieval Europe.  It wasn’t so much a monetary transaction as it was a reflection of social dynamics and expectations.  It evolved over time and was influenced by historical events, religious beliefs, and society norms.  It came to be a type of “insurance” for the women.  The dowry would provide the bride with some financial security in the event of her husband’s death or worse (at least during that time) divorce.  A nice dowry would indicate the woman came into the marriage with some means of her own – she had wealth and social standing.  This was enough to pave a smooth road with the in-laws and assure the bride’s family her social standing would mean she would be well-treated. 

What was just as important – at least among the families of rank and privilege – the exchange of a dowry from the bride’s family and the promise of the groom’s family to take care of her, played a crucial role in maintaining establishing the social hierarchy.  This “wealth swap” allowed families to strengthen their social networks, forge alliances, and consolidate power.  By marrying off their daughters with a substantial dowry, families could improve their standing in the community and enhance their social reputation. 

On the face of it, it seems pretty simple.  A family has a daughter they’d like to see married into a certain family.  Talks are held.  Goods are exchanged.  There’s a wedding and hopefully somewhere in all this the couple falls in love and produces heirs.  Not too difficult and shouldn’t take too long, right?

This is a process which could take months, even years to negotiate.  The ritual involved elaborate gestures and customs.  It involved lots of discussions between the families, often mediated by intermediaries such as matchmakers or family representatives.  To complicate the whole dowry process even further, dowries could vary depending on the region and social class.  It could contain land, livestock, jewels, household items, manuscripts, and books.  It was carefully curated to reflect the bride’s family’s wealth and social status, as well as provide her with the necessary resources to establish her new household.  Dowries were often understood to be a fore-inheritance – the contents of the bride’s dowry could be handed down to her daughters as a way to make sure the bride’s wealth remained within her lineage. 

So a dowry is more than just some cash, a few goats, and a quilt or two.  It was a multi-faceted practice that went beyond a monetary transaction.  It was deeply intertwined with social, economic, and cultural dynamics, shaping the lives and futures of brides and their families.  The evolution and significance of dowries highlights the complexities of medieval society and the intricate web of relationships and power dynamics that existed within it.

But how do bridal quilts fit into medieval dowries? 

Within the framework of the dowry, bridal quilts held special significance.  These meticulously crafted quilts were meticulously handmade by the bride, her female relatives, or paid skilled artisans.  Bridal quilts were not only practical items, but also deeply symbolic and served as a testament to the bride’s skills, creativity, and dedication.

          The Symbolism of Bridal Quilts

Bridal quilts were often adorned with intricate patterns, vibrant colors, and meaningful motifs.  Each stitch and design choice carried a deeper meaning, representing the bride’s hopes, dreams, and aspirations for her future married life.  The quilt acted as a visual representation of the bride’s journey and her transformation from a single woman to married wife.  Furthermore, bridal quilts were a form of artistic expression and showcased the bride’s domestic skills.  The time and effort invested in creating these quilts demonstrated her dedication to her future household and her ability to contribute to it.  The creation of these bridal quilts was a communal effort, involving the participation of the bride, her female relatives, and often the entire community.  The process of making the quilt was a time of bonding, sharing stories, and passing down traditions from one generation to another (any of this sounding the least bit familiar?).

Various techniques and materials were used in the creation of these quilts, depending on the regional customs and available resources.  The use of intricate embroidery, applique, and patchwork allowed for the incorporation of personal symbols, family crests, or significant emblems.  The resulting quilt was not only a functional object, but also a work of art, infused with personal cultural significance. 

          Bridal Quilts Leveled the Playing Field of Medieval Dowries

It goes without saying, some women’s dowries were wealthier than others.  Depending on the socioeconomic class of the woman and her family, some dowries were laden with gold, jewels, livestock, artwork, land, and critical political ties.  Other dowries were less impressive, due to the lower socioeconomic background.  However, the one item both types of dowries had in common were the bridal quilts.  The quilts leveled everything out.  A woman with lesser means could have quilts just as lovely as a woman of great wealth.  Certainly those quilts from advantaged families were made from more extravagant materials and may have had more intricate designs than other families, but the workmanship between the two could often rival each other. 

In addition to workmanship, the cultural significance of the bridal quilts remained the same across all groups.  Bridal quilts were held in great esteem and were often heavily featured in folklore, family history, story telling and songs.  They were a way to pass down cultural traditions and preserve the collective memory of a community.  They symbolized the hopes and dreams of generations past, carrying tales of love, commitment, and resilience.  Bridal quilts acted as tangible reminders of the bonds of family and community, connecting individuals across time and generations.

          So How Do Those Medieval Bridal Quilts Affect Us Today?

To be certain, this has been a process.  While the practice of dowries remained in effect in Europe, once settlers reached North America, things changed somewhat.  To be certain, dowries remained loosely in effect with the upper class, but they soon faded from practice completely.  However, Bridal Quilts remained popular with America for years – even up until today.  A couple near and dear to your heart sets a wedding date and you begin to weigh the pros and cons of making them a special quilt – what are their colors?  What size?  Can I get the quilt done in time? 

These questions are relatively new to the American Bridal Quilt Landscape.  Somewhere around the 19^th century, wedding traditions and Bridal Quilts were upended by the new, then-petite queen of England – none other than Queen Victoria herself. 

Queen Victoria was the one who popularized the white wedding gown.  Before her bridal fashion statement, a bride’s dress could be any color.  On the American frontier, it was often the woman’s “best dress” – one which was made for her as part of her trousseau and would also serve as a church/special occasion outfit.  As a matter of fact, Laura Ingalls Wilder was married in a new, black dress made by her mother.  Dresses which were made only to be worn once were simply out of the question – at least for most families.   Life in America, even though it was nearing its 100-year anniversary, was still somewhat hardscrabble.  If the Bridal Quilt was to continue to be a tradition, it would need to be updated and it would need to be practical. 

So now, the definition changed from Bridal Quilt to Bridal Quilts.  It would be more than one.  It became tradition that a single woman would need 13 quilts before she married.  Twelve of these would be made and completed before she became engaged.  These would be the practical, everyday quilts used on family beds.  A dozen quilts allowed a woman to have enough to change out her bedding as the seasons changed or if she wanted a different look.  Twelve quilts were certainly enough to have on hand without panic as her family expanded.  These quilts were made from left over fabric in the scrap bags of her or her mother’s, aunts’, cousins, and other already-married female relatives or close friends.  They were generally nothing fancy, but pleasantly utilitarian.  These twelve quilts were quilted and finished before she became engaged and then carefully stored, waiting for the time she became betrothed and started planning her own home. 

Among these twelve, it was tradition there should be a Tree of Life

A Flower Basket

And a Pandora’s Box or Double Wedding Ring.

Why?  These quilts were exceptionally challenging, and it was believed if a woman was skilled enough to make these three quilts, she was more than capable of handling the sewing for a household.

However…that thirteenth quilt…that quilt was special.  Traditionally, this quilt was the bride’s own design and once the quilt was complete, the pattern was destroyed because “it only belonged to her.”  To keep it, to allow it to be used by another, was considered bad luck. The final, bridal quilt was usually a very intricately stitched top, an applique quilt, or a whole cloth white spread.  The quilt was made from new, costly fabric, as well as the backing and batting.  Because of the expense of the final bridal quilt, it was never started until after the engagement was announced – and it was considered bad luck to begin the Bridal Quilt before an engagement.  And while the bride’s female friends could help with the quilting, the construction of the top was strictly the bride’s job.  Another “rule” to this was tradition was the quilt should not be completed until the night before the wedding. 

Now how much truth is actually in all these traditions is up for much debate. 

Did every bride in America have 12 quilts finished and in her hope chest?  Historically, no.  Think about how long it would take to piece a dozen quilts, quilt them, and have them ready by the time you’re of marriageable age as well as attend to all the other work you had to do.  Think about what a pull from family resources a dozen quilts made for another’s household use would be.  More than likely a young woman had a half a dozen or so quilts in her hope chest.

Did every bride make a Tree of Life, Bride’s Bouquet, and a Pandora’s Box or Double Wedding Ring quilt?  Maybe.  There’s really no way to tell.  Since those quilts would fall under the utilitarian tab, most of those quilts were “used up.”  However, the fancy Bridal Quilts were never used unless there was a special occasion, such as overnight guests.  Those quilts were seldom used and a large number of them lived until the 21^st Century and are held in museums.  Overall, these are very elaborate quilts with flowers, birds, vines, and cottages.  Some include figures of a man and woman in typical wedding attire.  At least one of these museum—housed bridal quilts only has the figure of a woman and a black square where the man should be.  We can only speculate why.   A few brides’ quilts have been found with a wide black border, making it a mourning quilt. 

          What About Today’s Bridal Quilts?

Eventually, the tradition of Bridal Quilts and all the rituals which went along with those, faded into obscurity.  Times changed and tastes changed.  Quilts became less and less popular as “traditional” bedding.  Then with the bedding readily available in stores, the Bridal Quilt eventually morphed into something quilters would make for those nearest and dearest who were tying the knot.  Today there aren’t any of the traditions that go along with our quilts.  The bride may pick out the colors and fabric, but chances are she doesn’t put a stitch in the quilt.  The quilt may be full of fancy work – applique, embroidery, custom quilting – or it may be a lovely, pieced quilt with an edge-to-edge quilting design.  What hasn’t changed is the love that’s stitched into them.

I’ve made a few super-nice wedding quilts.  Each of my children have been gifted quilts (not exactly on the day they got married – I wasn’t as dedicated of a quilter then as I am now).  However, I heard something in a guild meeting a while back which made me re-think wedding/bridal quilts.  I happened to be in a Zoom quilt guild meeting with the Warwick Valley Quilt Guild and Jenny Doan of Missouri Star fame was the speaker.  We had the awesome opportunity to view her quilt studio and ask her questions.  Someone asked her about wedding quilts.  She has a fabulous idea.  She doesn’t make traditional, fancy wedding quilts any longer.  She makes picnic quilts to give to the couple. 

She pairs the quilt with a picnic basket and needed items for the picnic.  Then Jenny includes a card with the gift which says, “Always Date” and a “coupon” for a replacement quilt once the original picnic quilt is worn out. 

What a grand idea. 

Until next week, From My Studio to Yours,

Love and Stitches,

Sherri and Felix

Let’s talk about quilt borders. 

I have two schools of thought concerning quilt borders.  First school – those quilters who consider their borders an integral part of their quilt, as important as the center.  Much care and consideration go into their design and color placement.  Second school – those quilters who breathe a sigh of relief that the quilt making process is over.  They cut the borders out, sew them on, and then send the quilt to the long armer or quilt it themselves.  Which school of thought is wrong?

The answer is….

Neither of them. 

Borders, like a lot of quilt making, is an extremely personal decision.  The final design of your border may depend on if the quilt is made for a special occasion – such as a birthday or wedding.  The design may depend on if the quilt is show-bound or destined to live on the back of the couch to wrap up in while you watch TV.  My school of thought about borders is this:  They are the punctuation marks of your quilt.  They are the end of the sentence.  They are the last impression of your quilt making skills.  Some quilts are destined to have exclamation point borders.  These quilts were made for quilt show competitions or for special occasions.  Then some need borders which are simply periods. These are cuddle quilts and play quilts and maybe even some bed quilts.  What I want to do with this blog is make sure you understand what borders are used for and how to put borders on correctly – any type of borders, from the fancy-schmancy applique ones to the plain strips of fabric. 

In the world of quilting, borders did not really come into play until around the twentieth century.  Before that time, most quilts were made from necessity.  They were made to keep folks warm on cold nights. There wasn’t a lot of extra money or fabric to make borders or sometimes even for sashing.  If borders were on a quilt pre-twentieth century, most of the time they looked something like this:

The quilt was appliqued and designed for special use, such as the best quilt in a household or a bridal quilt.  Borders were not something used willy-nilly on all quilts.  Of course now-a-days, we’re used to quilts with borders and quilts without borders.  I must admit that during my career as a quilter, I’ve made very few quilts without borders.  Most of those have been on the small-ish size.  With this in mind, I began to wonder exactly why we put borders on most quilts now.  For most of us, we either have enough fabric to make borders or we have the funds to purchase that fabric.  But having either or both should not be the final impetus to put borders on a quilt.  Are there construction reasons to add borders to your quilt? 

Well…yes.  There are some valid reasons to add those borders.  The first reason deals with our old friend, bias.  If a quilt is constructed with blocks which have some bias on the outside edges, borders will go a long way in stabilizing the bias.  As a matter of fact, if there’s a lot of bias involved along those outside edges, you may want to cut the borders out along the length of fabric instead of across the width of fabric.  The length of fabric has the least amount of stretch of any fabric cut and can hold that bias really steady. 

The second reason is it helps keep the quilt square.  Squaring up a quilt is defined as “The process of making sure your quilt has 90-degree corners, borders are straight and flat, and the length of the parallel sides match the length in the middle of the quilt.”  Squaring up your quilt is so important it needs to be done at each step of construction.  Make your block units, square them up.  Construct your blocks and square those up.  Then square up your rows, too.  If you diligently and consistently do this (yes, I know it’s a pain), you’ll find that once it is time to add on the borders, your quilt center – for the most part – will be perfectly squared up.  You can cut the borders to fit and sew them on without the hassle of easing either the borders or quilt center to fit. Then the borders will work like “book ends” to keep everything square as the quilt lives out its life on your bed, wall, or wherever, even with occasional trips to the washing machine. 

Borders can also echo the quilt’s theme or add some special “oomph” to it.  This isn’t difficult to do.  Does your quilt use a certain block throughout the center?  You could always make smaller version of the block and use it as cornerstones in your border.  Is your quilt an applique quilt which features an animal or flowers or even a figure such as Sunbonnet Sue?  Add those to the border.  You will continue to echo the theme of the quilt out beyond the center, and it will really make the quilt seem complete. 

Then there are those borders which are outstandingly awe inspiring.  These are those borders which are such an integral part of the quilt, you cannot imagine the quilt without them.  Indeed, if you were to remove those borders, the quilt would look half-done.  One of the ways to make such borders is to either have the borders intertwine with the quilt center,

Or have the quilt center expand into the borders.  Either way, it’s hard to imagine the quilt without those borders. 

Scalloped and mitered borders are also pretty impressive.

And then there are those rare times when you find a piece of fabric which does all the work for you.  Once in a blue, quilting moon, you may find material which pulls the entire quilt together in such a way you can’t imagine the quilt without it.

Let me also throw in this Zone of Truth.  If I am putting a lot of time, detail, and effort into a quilt, I tend to think of the borders as a blank canvas.  I can continue that detail into the borders, whether it be applique or quilting or piecing.  They’re mine to create as I would like to, because in the end of construction, the quilt has to please me and make me happy.

The last reason you may want to use borders deals with the size of the quilt.  To be sure, if you need to make a quilt larger, you can always add more blocks.  However, a quicker way to enlarge the quilt is to add borders.   I did this with the “Gone Fishing” quilt I made my husband a couple of Christmases ago.  I purchased a fishing panel and used it for the center of the quilt.  I added blocks, more blocks and floaters.  However, the quilt still wasn’t quite big enough.  Bill wanted the quilt to cover the bed, hang down over the sides, and have a pillow tuck.  Long story short, I had to make a king-size quilt for a queen-size bed.  By the time I got to the point where I had to make the borders, I was suffering from a fishy hangover.  I was well past ready to be done with this quilt.  Some quick measuring of the quilt center and the remaining fabric told me I didn’t have enough fabric to make solid borders, so I simply cut the remaining fabric into rectangles, sewed them together, and created the borders.  It worked wonderfully.  That pieced border pulled all my colors together.  Did I break the Gold Ratio Rule when I made these borders?  Absolutely (and I’ll explain this in a bit).  Did I care about that with this quilt?  No.  This quilt was not show bound.  It was made to Bill’s specifications, and he loves it.  He sleeps under it every night. 

Now let’s talk about the correct way to sew on the borders.  Like most anything, there is a right way and a wrong way to do this.  First, there are those quilters who will simply cut long strips of fabric, sew them to the sides of your quilt, then cut of the excess.  This is the WRONG way to sew on borders.  Trust me.  Yes, this is the easiest way, but it will make your quilt all kinds of wonky and your long arm artist will hate you.  Let me show you why. 

First of all, I made two identical, pieced quilt blocks.  For the purposes of this blog, we’re going to use these blocks as a quilt top.  I measured the block, which for this example is 12-inches unfinished.  I cut four strips, 20-inches long by 2 ½-inches wide.  The length gives me more than enough fabric for all the sides, even after I’ve added the initial two borders. 

I sewed the right and left borders on. trimmed them to fit, and then pressed towards the border.

Then I sewed the top and bottom borders on, trimmed them to fit, and then pressed towards the border.

Now let’s set that little quilt top aside and use the second one to put borders on CORRECTLY.

Step One:  Press the quilt top and then lay the quilt on a flat surface.  Since this is a small quilt, I can use my rotary mat.  When I work with larger quilts, I lay the quilt on the floor (which I have swept beforehand).  It’s important you have a hard surface so you can get an accurate measurement.  Then measure the quilt at the right, middle, and left sides along the vertical length of the quilt top.

Take these three measurements and average them together.  If you have squared up at each step of construction — each block unit, the blocks, and then the rows — these three measurements should be pretty close, if not the same.  However, if these three measurements are over ½-inch in difference from each other, it’s a good idea to take a long, serious look at your quilt.  Your seam allowances are majorly off somewhere and no matter how good you or your long arm artist is at quilting, it will not quilt well. 

In my case, my average length turned out to be 12-inches exactly.  Normally, I put the left and right borders on first. For this, I will cut two 12- inch long fabric strips which are 2 ½-inches wide.  Fold the strips in half to find the middle and lightly finger press the fabric.  You may want to place a pin in the fold so you can better see where the middle is.

Now do the same thing to the quilt top.  In my case, since the quilt top is small, I can fold it in half just like I did the borders and lightly finger press the crease to find the middle.  Of course, with a larger quilt, you would use a measuring tape to find the middle of the quilt top.

Match the middle of the border to the middle of the quilt and pin them together.  Then proceed to pin from the middle out on each side of the border.  Repeat on the opposite side. Sew the first border on and then press the seam towards the border. Repeat for the other side.

Now we need to prep the top and bottom borders.  Since this little quilt top is square, the top and bottom sides were originally also 12-inches square, but the left and right borders have now been sewed on, so it’s wider.  Measure the quilt top again, this time across the quilt to include the borders you just added.  Measure the top, middle, and bottom and average those three numbers together.  In this case, the three measurements are 16-inches.  I will cut two 2 ½-inch wide strips, 16-inches long and use the same method to sew on the top and bottom strips as I did the left and right ones. 

Here is where you will see the big difference between sewing your borders on the correct way and the wrong way:

The quilt which had the borders put on the correct way lies flatter, while the one which had the borders put on incorrectly doesn’t.  The outer edges are kind of wavy and everything is sort of uneven.  This means it will be more difficult to quilt and won’t look good on a bed or a wall. 

This correct method of border construction applies no matter what kind of borders you use on your quilt – applique, pieced, or strips of fabric.

Before we leave the topic of borders, there are few helpful hints I’ve picked up through the years.  In no particular order…

•  What if your quilt has no borders, but you’d like to add them?  Can you do this and how do you know how wide to make them?  Yes.  You can certainly add borders to almost any quilt.  And the trick to making sure they look in correct proportion to your quilt center employs the Golden Ratio.  The math is simple.  Take the size of the finished block and add the width of the sashing (if there is any).  Let’s say we have 12-inch finished quilt blocks in our center, and they are surrounded by 2-inch-wide sashing.  You add 12 + 2, then multiply the Golden Ratio (1.618) and divide by 4 (since there are four sides to the quilt).  So the math looks like this:

12+ 2 = 14

14 x 1.618 = 22 2/3

22 2/3 divided by 4 = 5 2/3, which we will round up to 6 for easy construction.  The widest a border could possible be for this quilt and still look proportional is 6-inches.  This 6-inches can be divided anyway you want to, as long as the total border width is not over 6-inchs.  So you could have two 3-inch borders, three 2-inch borders, a 2-inch and a 4-inch border, etc. 

If wide borders aren’t your thing, you can use this same formula except only multiply by roughly half the Golden Ratio — .618.  This time the math would look like this:

12+ 2 = 14

 14 x .618 = 8 2/3

8 2/3 divided by 4 = 2 1/8, which we will round down to 2 for easy construction.  The narrowest the borders could be and still be in proportion is 2-inches.  But what’s really great about knowing the narrowest and the widest proportions is this:  the border width can fall anywhere between the two numbers.   Technically you could use 3, 4, or 5-inch (or anywhere between those numbers) borders.

•  Make sure all your border fabric is cut on the same grain.  Cut it all width of fabric, length of fabric, or bias.  Don’t mix the grains or your borders will come out wavy.  This means you may need to sew some strips together in order to have borders the length you need (especially with WOF and bias borders).  If this is the case, be sure to join the strips on an angle like this, which is the same process used to make folded binding.

This type of seam helps in a couple of areas.  The first is appearance.  An angled seam is less obvious than a straight seam.  The second is weight.  An angled seams handles the pull of the border weight better than a straight seam – which is especially important with wall hangings.

• Although technically there are no rules about which borders are sewn on first, typically the left and right borders go on first and then the top and bottom ones.

• Because borders are long and they’re a lot to deal with coupled with the entire quilt center, there are some helpful ways to deal with them.  The first is to give yourself lots of room as you’re sewing them on.  Add an additional table to your quilting area, or clear off the surface around your sewing machine to support the bulk and weight of the quilt top and the borders.  This really helps.  Also make sure you pin enough.  You will pin if your add your borders to the top correctly.  Just make sure you have enough pins to keep the border fabric flush with the quilt center.  Sew the borders on with the borders on top of the center.  And quilting gloves make handling all the weight and bulk easier.  You just can grip it better with the gloves.

• Applique borders are a bit of a different beast.  The best way I have found to handle these beautiful borders is to cut the borders out several inches larger than needed.  Find the center of the border, lay out your applique pieces, and sew them on.  Then re-measure the border and cut it down to the size needed.  Applique tends to take up the fabric a bit.  If you cut it to fit before you applique, you may find the border too short when you sew it on.

• If you plan to finish your quilt with binding and no border, you may want to consider an “anchor border” (my term since it’s something you anchor the binding to), especially if your blocks are heavily pieced and/or there’s some bias on the outside edges.  This is a narrow border – no wider than 2-inches – in the same color as the background of the quilt, and seems to seamlessly blend into the center.  This gives you something with a bit more stability than a pieced block or bias edge to sew your binding to.  If you sew binding to a pieced or bias edge, there’s a greater chance the quilt center will stretch and become “unsquared.”  And personally I like my anchor border cut on the length of the fabric grain – it’s the least stretchy of the grains and stabilizes everything really well.

• If you have put a lot of time and effort into your quilt and at the end of the journey, you’re just ready to sew on some fabric strips and call it a day – don’t.  It’s easy to simply want to just finish the top, get it quilted and bound, and call it done.  If you’ve given the quilt lots of your time and attention to detail, it would be a shame to slack it on the borders.  Give yourself a day or two to think through a border plan.  If at that point, you’re still ready to cut out some plain strips of fabric and sew those on (correctly, of course), then go for it.  But chances are, you’ll decide to throw a bit more time and attention to those borders, too.

I hope this blog has shown you why it’s important to construct borders the correct way.  After all the time spent on the quilt center, the borders should serve to show off all that hard work, not detract from it. 

Tips From My Studio

Although I typically add my borders by sewing with them on top of the quilt center, this is not always the case.  I must weigh a few considerations.  If the sides of my quilt are not heavily pieced or appliqued, I can sew with the borders on top.  However, if the sides of the quilt are pieced or have applique placed close to the edges, I don’t want to “chop” any points or applique pieces off by accidentally catching them in the seam. Then I will sew with the quilt center on top.  This way I can make sure nothing is caught in a seam, dodging troubled areas if necessary.

Strip sets are one of my favorite quilting techniques.  They’re fast, accurate, and pretty much mindless sewing.  Find something to binge watch and get to it.  Next thing you know you can have tons of nine-patches, four-patches, or postage stamp blocks ready to go.  However, like all quilting techniques, there are a couple of extra steps you can do to make sure they look wonderful.  First, I handle these things almost the same way I do bias.  I starch the strips first, although not quite as heavily as I do bias pieces.  Second, if like the quilt tops in this blog, there’s a lot of strips involved, I don’t sew strip after strip onto the set.  I generally sew two or three strips together and then join those with another set.  This eliminates the constant handling of bulky fabric (you only handle joining the strip sets once or twice).  I’ve found it’s also easier to press the seams if you’re only dealing with a couple of joined strips.  However, this is a personal preference. 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with joining all the strips together, just be sure you flip the strip set as you go, so you’re sewing in opposite directions each time.  If you sew in the same direction, you may get “strip creep” – the strips of fabric shift and your strip set will look wonky. 

In case you don’t know, this pattern is called Rail Fence.  It’s a great way to use up your scraps and it’s super easy to make.  Cut your strips the desired length, sew them together, cut them into squares, and sew the squares together, rotating them so one set is horizontal and the other vertical.  This is one of my favorite patterns to use for charity quilts.

I don’t advise sewing really long strips of fabric together – nothing more than a WOF, which is generally between 42- and 44-inches.  I have issues with the seams twisting a bit if the strips are much longer than this.

At this point, you maybe asking, “Why does she use so much purple in her examples?”  Well, if you’ve guessed this may be my favorite color, you’re right.  Nonetheless, I typically don’t use a great deal of purple in my pieced quilts.  But anytime any of my quilting buddies have a surplus of purple fabric, it finds a home in my studio…and I have to use it up somehow….

From My Studio to Yours,

Love and Stitches,

Sherri and Felix

It’s that time of year again. 

I gave my 2024 predictions, and I announced this year’s theme.  And since the theme is “Welcome to My Studio,” I need to reveal what I plan to work on this year since you’re along for the ride.  My regular readers may remember this is a process I go through every New Year’s Eve.  I look over my works in progress, decide what I plan to finish as well as what I want to start.  I was way, way too ambitious in 2023, because I really struggled to complete anything.  Last year’s list looked like this:

To Finish:

High Point Quilt Guild’s 2021 BOM

Halloween Quilt I

Halloween Quilt II

Alphabet Quilt

Blue Quilt

Horn of Plenty for a New Generation

Reverse Applique Quilt

Colors of Springtime

To Start

Temperature Quilt

Flowering Gum

A Day in the Life of Sunbonnet Sue

Madonna Quilt

Garden Party Down Under

Windblown Tulips

To Start and Finish

Bags

“Lifers”  (These are those projects done almost entirely by hand which could quite possibly take this life and the next to complete)

A Day in Grandmother’s Flower Garden

Language of Flowers

So…let’s see where all these projects stand….

Those which were not even picked up, looked at, or thought about:  High Point Quilt Guild’s 2021 BOM and Halloween Quilts I and II.  While I do have all the block patterns for the BOM, have decided on my fabrics and colors, and even know how I will lay the quilt out, not one thread of fabric has been cut – however, I do have my fabrics, so points for that one.  I must quilt both Halloween Quilts and have purchased special glow-in-the-dark thread for those.  My excuse for this is my long arm is a hot mess.  I’ve had continuous tension issues with it since Sewing Machine Plus replaced the head.  I really try to keep a positive tone with my blogs.  I really, really do. However, if you’re in the market for a long arm, and I could give you one piece of advice, it would be this: Purchase it from somewhere relatively close to where you live.  I realize this isn’t always possible, but some long arm dealers do have techs who will come to your studio and work on your long arm.  I have to ship mine all the way to California if I have an issue.  I can’t begin to tell you what a hassle it is, and I can’t even get their tech to return calls.  I acquired my long arm from them due to their extremely reasonable pricing.  I have purchased basic sewing machines from them for my grand darlings, and that was a completely positive experience.  The Long Arm is a different story. 

My Madonna Quilt pattern has not even been opened, so you know where that stands.  I really want to make this quilt – it’s just precious – but it’s been backburnered.  Maybe this year?  Perhaps 2025?  Also not touched – neither of my “Lifers.”  My Day in Grandmother’s Flower Garden is stretched out over my long arm, so I see it every day.

 Every. Single. Day. 

The guilt is enormous.  My plan is to sew a little on this one at my Friday Sit and Sew and at night when I watch TV.  In all truthfulness, the directions for this quilt are so poorly written, I put it in time out for sanity’s sake.  I can only take so much of it at a time before I have to try to decipher what’s the next step. 

Flowering Gum needs some explanation.  First I really, really love this pattern.  It caught my attention the first time I saw it, and I planned to use it for my guild’s 2023 President’s Challenge using the Pantone Color of the Year.  I could use the Vivid Magenta in the flowers and upon completion would have a beautiful wall hanging.  I purchased the pattern, downloaded it, and began working.  Ruth De Voss, the designer, used a different paper piecing technique which I found was not user friendly (at least to this user).  It was one I had not used before and struggled with.  I realize paper piecing curves (which there are a lot of in this quilt) is difficult, and due to the fact I was on a tight deadline with this quilt, I abandoned it.  Instead, I made this quilt:

Of cone flowers, which took third place in the HPQG 2023 President’s Challenge contest.  But I’ve found Flowering Gum is still tickling the back of my mind.  So I pulled the pattern back out in November, and I do believe I can make the quilt, but will alter the pattern for applique.  Where’s there’s a quilty will, there’s a quilty way. 

Language of Flowers was pretty much sidetracked this year.  With everything going on, appliqueing something with hundreds of tiny pieces just didn’t work.  I have the next set of flowers prepped and ready to go.  Hopefully 2024 will give me the impetus to keep moving ahead. 

My Blue Quilt is sandwiched, and I’ve sewn around the sashing to hold everything in place so nothing will shift while I quilt it.  I simply haven’t taken the time to start it.  I completed the blocks for Horn of Plenty for a New Generation.  I plan to use a quilt-as-you-go method for this one.   I have all the pieces cut out to do this, I just need the time to sit down and decide what quilt motifs I want to use.  The Alphabet Quilt has all the applique pieces cut out and ready to fuse around the borders, and I have prepped the last three blocks of the Colors of Spring.  While I didn’t finish everything I wanted to in 2023, I did go a long way in moving them closer to the finish line.  My reverse applique quilt was completely completed and was used as a class example back in September. 

Throughout 2023, I collected fabrics for my Year in the Life of Sunbonnet Sue.  While I had plenty of scraps to make her dresses, bonnets, and aprons, the backgrounds for the blocks used quite a few landscape fabrics.  I searched and collected all year, purchasing bits and pieces as I found them on sale.  I think I have enough to start now and have the freezer paper pieces cut out and ready to rock.  Extra points for me – I also have the border and sashing fabrics in hand.  I also have the fabric for Garden Party Down Under. 

Windblown Tulips is completely sewn together and appliqued.  I need to find a backing and sandwich it. Bonus points:  I have the quilting thread!

My foray into bags did not happen.  I purchased bag patterns, bag making supplies, and in some cases the videos which went along with the pattern.  I really want to give those a try this year.  I want to do something a bit different. 

The temperature quilt is finished, except for removing the papers and quilting.  I need to make some decisions about possible borders (do I make anchor borders or regular borders?).  I have my binding fabric, which is an awesome stripe and pulls everything together quite nicely.  Bonus, it’s printed on the diagonal, so I don’t have to deal with bias binding.  I have an upcoming blog written about my year-long temperature quilt odyssey.  Long story short, yes I would do it again.  It was fun.

Okay…since our primary theme this year is Welcome to My Studio, I’ll take you along on many of my quilting journeys.  Here’s what to expect:

Domestic Machine Quilting – I will quilt both of my small Halloween Quilts and Windblown Tulips this year on my Janome M17.

Quilt as You Go – I will show you how I am working through my Horn of Plenty for a New Generation Quilt (or as it’s known in my house Fruit of the Loom).

More Raw Edge Machine Applique – I want to push Colors of Springtime a little closer to the finish line.  I’m pretty set on sending this quilt out to a professional long arm artist.  It deserves much better ruler work than I’m capable of giving it.

Design Decisions – I hope to start Through the Year with Sunbonnet Sue.  There are literally hundreds of decisions I need to make about this quilt.

Bags – I really, really want to make a few bags.  If we get to June and I haven’t mentioned them in a blog, someone nudge me.

Meanwhile, I already have a blog about the history of bridal quilts written and ready to post.  I also have one about borders – the correct way to put them on, when they became a part of the quilt process, and how to jazz them up if you want to.  There are plans for a very personal blog about charity quilts.  Hope everyone comes along for the ride and may 2024 be even more productive than 2023.  And a bit kinder.

Welcome to My Studio…it’s creative chaos.

Love and Stitches,

Sherri and Felix