Month: May 2024

Let’s play a little game this week.  What comes to mind when you hear this song?

Now how about this song?

Annnd finally this one?

I know I’m seriously dating my aging self.  But in my humble opinion, after 1995 there really was very little good music made.  However, I know many of my readers live in the same age brackets I do and will recognize the above music videos.  And I also realize that along with knowing these videos well (because they were played ad nauseum on the radio, MTV, and VH1), there are literally thousands of memories associated with the songs.  What came to mind as you listened to each of them?  If you’re like me, hundreds of memories come to mind.  People, places, events – they all come flooding back.

Let’s switch gears for just a hot second.  How many of you have pictures like this in your albums or tucked away in family Bibles?  How many of you inherited photos such as these – sometimes found in the pages of old books or stuffed in drawers or boxes?  Do you know these people?  Can you recall their names or where these pictures were taken?

There is a chance, if you have inherited a box or album of such photos, you may not know many of the people in them.  If you’re one of my younger readers, there’s an even better chance you don’t recognize any of the people in the pictures.* 

Now let me ask you a couple of questions.  First, if you recognize the above music videos, good for you.  But does not having all the cassette tapes or CDs or (gasp) vinyl records make the music any less meaningful to you?  If I had only played a snippet or two of the music, could you still recall how you felt when you heard the songs or how much the music moved you?  If I cut any of the above music videos down to one or two minutes would it have made it any less meaningful to you? 

Second, how attached can you be to photos of people you never met?  I am a long-time user of Ancestry.com.  I’ve been chasing my genetic roots for about seven years.  Through this process, I’ve met some DNA-linked distant cousins who have gifted me copies of photos of long-dead, equally distant aunts, uncles, and fourth great-grandparents I’ve never met.  I treasure each and every one of them.  But if pressed for space and I had to choose between these pictures and precious photos of my grand darlings?  Evangeline and Elli would win every time – hands down.  There would be no competition.  I’ve never met those far-off, long-dead relations.  I held both my granddaughters when they were just a few hours old. 

A very wise Snowman said this:

If you’ve been semi-observant so far, you’ve realized I am dealing with memory in this blog.  And while the jury is still kind of out about if water really does have memory, I am certain about this:  Fabric has memory.  It does.  I’m not referring to how sometimes we can treat fabric so it “remembers” to fold back on itself or press it so the seams “recollect” how to nest.  I’m not dealing with that kind of “memory.”  This blog deals with our memories and how they get tangled up with our stash and why this makes it difficult to sometimes purge like we need to.  And all of this has to do with the place where I am in my own life and in my own studio.  Bill and I are at the point in our home where we need to decide whether to “love it or list it” concerning our present house.  However, with either decision, our home needed some improvements (thus the new paint, new floors, and new cabinets) and we needed to clean out. 

Including my quilt studio.

I can be a minimalist in so many ways, but fabric has never been one of those areas.  When I began quilting in the early Eighties, a large stash – one which didn’t overrun your space but had a good variety – was a point of pride.  Since I already sewed my daughter’s clothes, I had scraps.  I added to this regularly.  And I found myself purchasing fabric because I needed it for a quilting class.  Then my friends went on a Shop Hop and invited me.  And there were trips to Lancaster, Pennsylvania and Paducah, Kentucky.  Add to that all the trips we’ve made between North Carolina and Florida and the local buying sprees with my quilting BFFs and I not only have a large stash, I have a large stash with memories.  Most of the time I can tell you where I purchased the fabric, what was the occasion, and who I was with. 

Fabric is my touchstone.  My scrapbook.  My time capsule.  My family album. 

However, the problem with this fabric is the same issue you have with old photographs with faces in them you don’t recognize: The memories surrounding the fabric die when I do.  Those lovely pieces of Liberty of London I’ve tucked back won’t mean a thing to whoever gets the job of cleaning out my quilt studio.  It’s far better if I can reduce it now rather than heave that burden on my kids.  So I’ve begun the process of not only downsizing my home, but also downsizing my stash. **

I’d be lying to you if I said it is easy.  But I’ve developed a system and I’d like to share some of what I’ve learned with you.  I left my bolts of fabric alone (except my Frozen fabric – the grand girls have outgrown this Disney movie, so I gave both bolts to a Disney fanatic in my guild).  I have  a half a dozen bolts left and they’re all basics – blacks, neutrals, background fabrics for applique.  I’m working my way through the yardage and purging pretty steadily.  If I can’t remember why I purchased it – for what project – it lands on the free table at my local guild.  We have several young, new-to-quilting members who appreciate it and will use it.  However, what has left me befuddled are my scraps. 

As sure as I know fabric has memory, I can also tell you applique quilters have scraps.  Lots of them.  All colors and sizes and shapes because most applique patterns don’t require a lot of yardage for the applique pieces.  I can get several good-sized leaves from a 6-inch square piece of green fabric.  Maybe even a small stem or three, too.  I gave myself a cardinal rule several years ago that any piece of fabric smaller than 8-inches square would be tossed.  You have to begin to cull somewhere at this was my starting point.   All my scraps are sorted according to color and kept in bins.  When the bin is full, I resort and purge.  However, in all honesty, the purge part of this process is kind of hit and miss, and now I find myself bewildered at my scrappage and what can I do with it besides applique. 

Maybe you’re at this point.  If you can’t bring yourself to throw out your large scraps, what can we do with them – especially if we have memories involved?  Of course, there’s always applique, but I also realize not all quilters don’t like applique although I’m still trying to figure out why.  Small quilts are always a great option and currently there are some really cute patterns available for bench pillows, door quilts, mug rugs, placemats, table toppers, etc.  Miniature quilts are another option (remember the difference between miniature quilts and small quilts is this: miniature quilts are scaled down versions of large quilts). 

If you get to the point where you find it’s difficult to throw fabric scraps away because you either associate them with good memories or you simply can’t allow yourself to toss them in the garbage, I do think it’s a good idea to set some boundaries about what you’ll keep.  With me, it’s a size (nothing smaller than 8-inches square).  For you it could be something entirely different.  If you use one particular color in most of your quilts, you may only want to save those color scraps.  If you construct a lot of Christmas quilts, you may opt to keep only holiday fabrics.  Some of the material you may not be able to let go because, well, you have some emotional ties to that fabric.  The boundaries are up to you and how scraps fit (if they fit at all) into your quilting lifestyle. 

Fabric and what it means to us – what quilt we used it in, who the quilt was for, and how we got it – will always affect the way we handle our stash.  For someone at the same life’s crossroad as I am (do we downsize and move or make some alterations and hang onto the family home?), we find out that as we simplify our life, we may have to simplify our stash.  And it’s sometimes difficult to let go of those last few pieces of pink fabric I sewed into Elli’s baby quilt or the Mickey Mouse fabric I used in Evan’s cuddle quilt because good memories are so intertwined with the fabric.  You’re constantly wondering what to keep and what to purge, and if you purge it, what do you do with it?  There are some options:

1. Give it away.  If you belong to a quilt guild, you may know some fellow members who like the same type of fabric you do.  You can always ask them if they would like a few more yards!  I recently made a few Halloween quilts – something I haven’t done before – and have several large pieces left over.  I don’t foresee any additional spooky quilts in my future, but I do have two fellow guild members who love Halloween, and those folks will get my leftovers.  The fabric will go to a good home and be used and that makes me happy.

If you don’t belong to a guild, check Facebook and Google for guilds in your area and contact them.  Sometimes they will have a use for your yardage – such as their charity quilt program.

•  Donate it to other groups.  Sometimes scout troops may need it.  Occasionally some thrift stores have a craft section and would love to have it. This takes a little research, but those groups are out there how would love to have your fabric.

•  Scrappage control.  If you want to leave your good scraps on the free table at guild, it’s a good idea to sort them by color and then put them in clear, plastic bags so they can be seen. And be generous with the sizes.  Avoid putting small scraps in the bag – those probably won’t be appreciated.  If I’m giving away scraps, I ask myself if a piece of fabric could be used for English Paper Piecing (which for some reason is still a hot commodity in the quilting world).  If the scrap can be used to cover a medium-sized hexie, it gets put in the bag.  If it doesn’t, it gets tossed. 

• What to do with scraps/fabric you can’t seem to give to anyone or any organization?  Call or email your local Goodwill store and ask if they recycle textiles.  I recently learned many Goodwill stores have an agreement with local fabric/textile recyclers who will come by the store and pick up those donations. 

I have discovered if I have a plan, it makes purging my stash just a bit easier.  However, I’ve given myself permission to hang on to some material if it is just wrapped up in too many memories.  I have inherited the stash of three quilting friends who have passed.  I can’t keep everything, but I allow myself to pick out one or two favorite pieces and hang onto them.  And if those pieces happen to be several yards, I measure off what I could comfortably use and store and keep only that amount.  This way I keep the memories, honor the quilter, but am acting responsibly with my space and resources. 

I hope this blog has accomplished two things.  First, if you’re at the same crossroads in your life that I am in mine, I want you to know you’re not alone.  We must downsize our stash, but that doesn’t mean letting go of everything that’s meaningful.  It’s okay to keep the pieces which are important and stir up warm memories.  We all want those quilts we can look at and remember special things about the fabric – why we purchased it and who we were with.  Second, when you do purge, there are viable options for the fabric to keep it out of landfills. 

Keep what speaks to you.  Let go of the rest.  And cherish the memories your fabric holds.

Until next week, from my studio to yours,

Love and Stitches,

Sherri and Felix

*If you are in the possession of old photographs and you do know who is on them (especially if they’re family photographs), be sure to write the names of the folks in order on the back of the photograph in either pencil or archival ink.  You may know these relatives and there’s a slim chance your kids may remember them.  However, chances are even slimmer your grandchildren and great-grandchildren will know who these remarkable people are.  They’re part of your family DNA which makes you uniquely you.  And as someone who has spent hours online searching for family names, burial sites, and photos, this information is priceless. 

**I do think quilters and crafters need a “back up troop.”  These are folks who your family can call on if you’re ever in a position where you can no longer quilt (or craft).  Ideally, these should be close friends who know you, your stash, your machines, what you value, and how you would want your items dispersed, sold, donated, or handled.  Keep a list of names with contact information and let your family know where this information is at.  If I’m ever no longer able to quilt, my family would honestly have no idea where to start or where to go or what to do.  But my quilting BFFs would. 

You should name your quilts.

You should.  They deserve a name.  I mean, you name your children, and they mean the world to you.  You name your pets.  Some of us name our cars (I have a white Tahoe affectionately known as Betty White).  A quilt, something we spend an immense amount of time on and just as much money, is equally deserving of a name.

Also, let me clarify, I am talking about a quilt name, not a quilt label.  Although the name of the quilt should go on the label, a quilt name and a quilt label are not the same things.  Let me also throw in you need to label your quilts.  For that blog, go here: https://sherriquiltsalot.com/2019/03/13/put-a-label-on-that-quilt/

A quilt can take on a lot of names during the construction process – some of them not very nice.  Anytime I refer to a quilt as “That Quilt”, let me assure you it’s not a compliment.  Then there was one called “The Flying Geese from Hades.”  And I can’t forget “This Quilt Has a Gazillion Pieces and I’m not Even Halfway Done.”

Good times….

For me, sometimes naming a quilt comes easily.  There’s something going on in my life and I work through the issues with my quilt.  Or I’m making a quilt for someone specific or an occasion.  These names come easier than others.  However, occasionally I have to get creative.  But I don’t feel I can go around calling a quilt something like “That one with all those triangles,” or “The one I finished before vacation.”  If I had so haphazardly named my children this way, my daughter would be known as “The one I had in the middle of The Cosby Show.”

Naming your quilts may take some time and a bit of creative effort, but they do deserve a name.  I’d like to share a few things I take into consideration as I plan to christen my quilt.

• Choose an element of the quilt you like:  This could be a line of fabric, a block, a quilting design, or the recipient of the quilt.  I do know some quilters use the name of the pattern as the name of the quilt.  And while this is certainly doable (and no quilt police will come around to arrest you), admittedly, this is not my favorite way to name a quilt.  If everyone did this, we would have hundreds of quilts named Dear Jane or Caswell.  It could get super confusing.  I have, however, used part of the pattern’s name in the quilt’s name.  I have two Dear Janes.  The first one was made from Feed Sack reproduction fabric, and she’s called “Depressed Jane” since Feed Sacks were used for quilts and clothing during the Great Depression.  My other Jane is under construction, and she’s made from blue Civil War reproduction fabric.  She’s tentatively called “Jane Sings the Blues.”

However, in the spirit of honesty, there is one future quilt I will (hopefully) make and it will take the title of the pattern as it’s name.  Bonnie Hunter has a wonderful quilt pattern called “Jarod Takes a Wife.”  I have a nephew named Jarod.  When the big day finally comes, I simply can’t think of a better pattern or a better name to use. 

And while we’re talking about quilt names verses pattern names, I do think it’s a good idea to put the name of the pattern and designer on the label.  I add this as a result of my own sheer frustration in quilt research.  I love Sunbonnet Sue quilts and have a half a dozen or so in my possession.  A few of these are made from printed Feed Sacks which place them clearly between the late 1920’s through the early to mid-1940’s.  All of these look exactly alike, down to the blue fabrics used in the borders and sashing.  Since none of these sweet quilts have a label, the best I can do is speculate.  I think the quilters followed the instructions and the sample quilt layout in a newspaper.  That’s really  all I can do. I would love to know more, but no labels mean no more info.  Adding the pattern’s name to your label is important – even if you just used a pattern as a jumping off place, it’s good to have something like “Inspired by” and add the pattern name and designer to your label.

• Choose a name relative to the design and makes the pattern stand out: 

I just finished this little Halloween quilt

All I needed to make it was a yard of background fabric and a charm pack of Halloween-inspired 5-inch squares. The charm pack had spiders and spider webs, Jack o’ Lanterns, bats, and all the orange, black, and white fabrics you could want.  I puzzled over the name for a while, until I zeroed in on the fact I used a charm pack in the quilt’s construction.  Therefore, this Halloween quilt is called…

This Halloween is a Charm.

I quilted part of the quilt with glow in the dark thread.  That little feat deserves its own blog.  It was challenging.

If you’re struggling with a name, focus on the quilting motif, or a block that is used frequently.  Let’s say you’re making a heavily appliqued quilt which looks kind of like a Baltimore Album, but strictly isn’t a Baltimore.  “Almost a Baltimore”  or “Not too Far From Baltimore” might be good names.  Or if you use the Monkey Wrench block in your quilt and quilt it with the Baptist Fan motif, you may want to call it “The Baptist Monkey.” 

1. Consider the color:  A purple quilt could easily be called “Purple Rain” or “Purple Haze.”  A red and white one could play up a peppermint theme.  If I have made a quilt and it is primarily constructed from one color, I find out two things.  First, I google the color to find out what it represents and see if I can play that into the name.  If that doesn’t work, I look up the Latin name for the color and use this as the name – which makes the quilt sound intelligent and intense. 

• Those quilts which hang out around the house:  Zone of Truth – the quilts I make which are destined for the back of a couch, the kind you pull out and wrap up in to read or watch TV, sometimes don’t have a name.  If I can’t come up with a name fairly quickly, I may forego a name (since these quilts will eventually be “used up” anyway), but I do always put a label on them. 

• Quilts bound for competition always need a name:  Quilts which are bound for a national, international, or state shows will need a name.  The registration forms will ask for the name of the quilt as well as some additional information.  Most small guild or local shows will also ask for the quilt’s name.  The name of the quilt goes on the placard placed either on the quilt or beside it to let the viewers know what you call your fabulous creation.  If the quilt is in an exhibition, chances are the organizers will also want to know the quilt’s name.  So if you’re tinkering with the idea of entering your quilt in a competition, consider names while you’re making your spectacular design.

• If none of the above spark any name-making, consider the following prompts:
•  Does the quilt remind you of a favorite food?  I made a pink and yellow lap quilt and called it Strawberry Lemonade. 
• Does the quilt remind you of a place?  As quilters, we tend to try to schedule stops at quilt stores wherever we are.  If you purchase fabric on a vacation, think about working the name of the location into to the name of your quilt.
• If you really love making quilts by a particular designer, can you work the designer’s name into the name of the quilt? 

Most quilts deserve the dignity of a name.  Think of it as the title for your work of art.  The quilt’s name will help you carry the legacy of your quilt forward into the next generation and will help future quilt historians correctly trace you and your quilt’s legacy.

Note from My Studio … About that Glow in the Dark Thread

While I have known that glow in the dark thread existed, I never had the opportunity to use it until I made This Halloween is a Charm and the quilt below:

Black Hat Society Call to Order

Both of these are small-ish quilts I’ll probably put out for Halloween (or more than likely hand them off to the grand darlings if they want them).  I’ve never been much of a Halloween person, but in for a penny, in for a pound – I wanted the quilts to be special.  Glow in the Dark thread seemed like an easy way to add a little pizazz without a lot of sweat and tears.

Since I didn’t have any of this thread in my thread stash, I needed to purchase a spool or two.  And since I had never bought this thread, and since it was a specialty thread, I decided to do a bit of research before placing an order.  I found out Glow in the Dark thread comes in types which will work in an embroidery machine, the kind you can use as quilting thread, and the varieties which can be worked into upholstery.  Like most threads, there are high quality Glow in the Darks, and low-quality glow in the darks.  High quality glow in the dark thread is made from a synthetic polymer, such as polyester.  Low-quality Glow in the Darks are solely made from polypropylene. Polypropylene will make the thread weak and will cause it to break and untwist easily.

With this knowledge I ordered my thread with the initial goal of quilting both quilts entirely in the glow in the dark thread. When the thread arrived, I unspooled about a foot of it and examined it. 

It was 40-weight, so it was definitely a heavier thread, but it also felt different – kind of like waxed quilting thread (I assume this heavy feeling was due to the chemicals applied to the thread to make it glow in the dark).   Since I had never quilted with glow in the dark before, I made a quilt sandwich and gave it a go.  And quickly found out this thread required a few special considerations which I didn’t normally have to give my regular 40-weight quilting thread.

First, my glow in the dark thread was wound horizontally.  My Janome M7 doesn’t particularly like horizontally wound thread, and this was no exception.  I tried a vertical spool pin and a horizontal one.  Neither passed muster.  I finally ended up placing the thread in a large coffee cup and setting it a few feet away from my sewing machine.  This helped a bit.

Second, since the thread was thicker (not only because it was 40-weight, but also because of the glow in the dark coating), I needed a needle with a large eye.  I tried my blue-tipped Janome needles and my top-stitching needles.  The thread continued to shred.  I could quilt for about 6-inches and the thread would shred and break.  I finally used a denim needle   16/100 and it worked pretty well.  The thread still shredded, but not nearly as often.  And yes, I tinkered with the top tension, but that didn’t help at all.

Third, I did not use the last thread guide near my needle – the last one you put your thread through before getting the thread through the eye of the needle.  This also helped stop the shredding.

Fourth, I discovered the thread worked much better if you are quilting up and down in a vertical motion than with a back-and-forth horizontal motion.  Again, it slowed down the shred.

Fifth, if you really want the glow in the dark thread to show up when the lights are out, you need to either use it to densely fill the area or go back over your quilting stitches a few times.

Bottom line – would I use glow in the dark thread again?  Absolutely.  It adds a lot to a spooky quilt.  Would I quilt an entire quilt with it?  No.  It seemed no matter what I did, the thread would shred and dealing with the shred takes a lot of time away from the quilting process.  And remember these quilts were quilted on a domestic sewing machine, not a long arm.  Any long armers out there who have quilted with glow in the dark thread?  I’d love to know how it worked with you.

Until Next Week, From My Studio to Yours,

Love and Stitches,

Sherri and Felix

I’m back home after a few days away at my mom’s in Graham.

For those of you who are long-time readers of my blogs, you may remember Mom suffers a bit from low hemoglobin and iron.  She’s anemic.  She was diagnosed after a week-long stay at Camp Wesley Long Hospital in 2015.  Now, at 84 years-young and almost ten years since her initial diagnosis, she is frustrated.  My brother and I are equally frustrated.  All we’ve been told from her local doctors is “We’ll give her iron infusions and hopefully that will make things better.” 

And they do.  All for the space of about a week after the fifth (and final) infusion.  Then she begins to feel tired and weak again.   My brother conferred with his wonderful doctors at Chapel Hill about Mom’s condition and was given the name of a doctor in the UNC system in East Towne. An appointment was made – which was part of the reason I was in Graham last week.  We had an 8 a.m. appointment with the doctor, who was 30 minutes away from Graham.  It meant getting up way earlier than Mom or I wanted to, but by 7:15 a.m. we were barreling down 15/501. Eric was driving and Mom was riding shotgun.

I was in the back praying.  There was a lot of traffic and high rates of speed involved.  I figured we needed all the help the Almighty could send our way.

We checked in at 7:45 and by 8 a.m., Mom was holding court with the nurses and the doctor’s assistant.  There were lots of questions and lots of answers, but by 9 a.m., the doctor put a lot of options on the table we didn’t have the day before.  Different iron infusions.  A possible oral medication.  No more endoscopies and colonoscopies.  Blood checks every two months.  We found out if the hemoglobin starts going down, the iron levels follow about a week later. Now we will watch the hemoglobin and get out ahead of the iron levels dropping.  Once the hemoglobin levels drop, she’ll be scheduled for an infusion. 

And those infusions will change, too.  Instead of five small infusions, she’ll be given one large infusion (which will take four-to-five hours to get through) and a different kind.  This type should last longer and start to make her feel better quicker. I am so optimistic.  Mom has always been super-active and taught stained glass art until she was 80.  To see her sit inside her condo, not feeling well enough to go anywhere has been hard on Eric and me and even more difficult for her.  Please send thoughts/prayers/good vibes/positive thoughts etc., as we plunge ahead with this new doctor and a better treatment plan.

_________________________________________________________

This week I’d like to start discussing a type of quilt I love – the Baltimore Album.  To me, as an avid appliquer, Baltimore Albums are the pinnacle of applique.  Those quilts are gorgeous, employ so many small pattern pieces, and their color palettes are stunning.  I’ve made only one Baltimore Album block, but I did fall in love with the process.  I asked for Sue Garman’s Friends of Baltimore quilt pattern for Christmas and have begun the fabric collection process.  In all honesty, more than likely I have plenty of fabric for the applique, but will need some background fabric.

Baltimore Album quilts are indeed “showy” quilts.  The large blocks, filled with appliqued flowers, buds, stems, leaves, fruit, baskets, and nearly anything else imaginable, actually had a pretty short shelf life.  First, let’s look at what an album quilt is, and then let’s discuss what makes a Baltimore Album quilt different.

Album Quilts Vs. Baltimore Album Quilts

Album quilts hit their stride during the 1840’s.  The term comes from autograph albums, which were also popular during this time.  In these books, young ladies would collect signatures and mementoes from friends and family.  An album quilt was similar.  It was a collection of many designs sewn by different women and then joined to form one large quilt.  Some of the block designers even signed their names on their block.  Creating album quilts gave women a chance to socialize and to demonstrate their artistry.  Sometimes album quilts were made as gifts and presented to important people in the community, such as a minister or soldier.  Many times they were also given to mark a special occasion, like a wedding, or as a remembrance when someone was moving away from the community. 

Baltimore Album Quilts were similar – yet different all at the same time.  This distinctive style of applique quilts was first made in the Baltimore, Maryland area of the United States and eventually could be found from New Jersey to South Carolina and as far west as the Mississippi.  They differed a bit from album quilts because their “lifespan” was shorter.  Quilters continued to make album quilts from around 1840 until the dawn of the twentieth century.  Baltimore Album Quilts generally span from 1840 – 1860.  Some quilt historians cut their lifespan even shorter – 1846-1852.  An album quilt’s blocks were generally not as intricate as a Baltimore’s and sometimes only one quilter made a Baltimore Album Quilt.  Many quilters contributed blocks for a regular album quilt, and those blocks could be pieced or pieced and appliqued.  Baltimore’s were all lush applique. 

Baltimore Album Quilts typically feature different blocks in a sampler-style design, or a large center block surrounded by smaller blocks with elaborate applique borders (something which could have been “borrowed” from album quilts).  The block patterns are applique and feature a wide variety of botanicals, patriotic themes, ships, and other common fraternal symbols of the day.  Sometimes the makers would sign their blocks and sometimes more than one woman would create the quilt.  The blocks also were usually heavily embellished with embroidery, silk ribbon, and inking (go here https://sherriquiltsalot.com/2021/09/29/how-the-printing-press-liberated-american-quilters/ for more information on inking).  Baltimore Albums were thought to be the maker’s finest “fancy work.” 

After 1860, interest in the Baltimore Album waned (we’ll discuss why a bit later).  However, in 1983 a quilter named Elly Sienkiewicz published Spoken Without a Word.  The book contained patterns and information about the symbolism and history in these quilts.  She has since published 23 books on Baltimore Album Quilts.  Besides the wealth of her research on these quilts, many of these books also contain CDs with patterns and instructions on how to make the blocks.  Elly Sienkiewicz is the Grande Dame of today’s Baltimore Album Quilts and should receive most (if not all) of the credit for reviving today’s interest in Baltimore Album Quilts. 

Styles of Baltimore Album Quilt

Many quilt historians break Baltimore Album Quilts into three different styles, but before we begin to discuss those, I’d like to back track a little to a type of applique I wrote about in this blog:https://sherriquiltsalot.com/2023/01/18/broderie-perse-the-applique-of-wealth-loop-holes-and-subterfuge/ Broiderie Perse.  Before the birth of Baltimore Album Quilts, America began to import waxed-glazed cottons called chintzes.  These fabrics had deeply saturated colors and precisely printed images of flowers, birds, vines, etc.  This fabric was a bit on the expensive side, but American quilters knew the value of a yard or two of this fabric.  They cut apart the images and then carefully appliqued them to the background of another piece of fabric. This type of applique is called Broiderie Perse (Persian Embroidery). Early makers of Baltimore Album Quilts sometimes employed this technique. 

As quilters, we love to examine the techniques used to make these wonderful quilts, but what really captures our quilty hearts and souls are the blocks themselves.  It is thought the Baltimore Album blocks were inspired by pietra dura works from Europe. 

The pietra duras weren’t necessarily realistic looking, but were delightful to look at.  Baltimore Album Quilt blocks are similar.  They aren’t true-to-life, but they are based on real-life items.  There may be peacocks or eagles with flags in the blocks, but there are no phoenixes or flying dragons.  Human beings may appear, sometimes appliqued and sometimes as inked drawings (indelible brownish-black ink was newly available at this time).  The quilters sometimes used this ink to draw in details or to write sayings, names, dates, or Bible verses.  One Baltimore Album quilt discovered in 2006 included an inked boffo portrait of John Wesley. 

Virtually all original Baltimore Album quilts included two colors:  Turkey Red and “Poison” Green.  These were rich and durable colors which held up to the test of time.  “Turkey” in Turkey Red alludes to the country, not the bird, and “Poison” Green was literally poison.  This particular green contained arsenic in its dye production. To give dimensions to sails, ocean waves, fruit, and birds, quilters could use new fabrics dyed into gradations of dark and light colors then called fondues (we now call them ombres). 

Quilt historians/appraisers/Baltimore Album enthusiasts have divided the quilts into three separate styles.

Style 1 – This is the classic style of Baltimore Album Quilt – more than likely these quilts are the ones which come to mind when Baltimore Album quilts are mentioned.  These quilts are full of ships, eagles, vases of flowers, butterflies, floral wreaths, and fruits.  The fanciest vases are called epergnes (ep-PURNz).  There are also cornucopias, government buildings, flags, soldiers, etc.  These blocks consist of 100 to 175 individual appliqued pieces.

Style 2 – These grew from the German folk tradition of fancy paper cutting.  The blocks are usually symmetrical, often nonpictorial, and sometimes quite difficult to make.  These block typically contain between 10 and 30 pieces.

Style 3 – These are said to be the work of Jewish immigrants from central Europe.  They are in some respects different from other Baltimore Album quilts:

• Entire quilts were made by individuals, not groups.
• They included fabrics like tweed and velvet and colors such as orchid and salmon which appear relatively rarely (if ever) in other Baltimore Album styles. 
• There are more animals.
• They have religious symbols.
• Birds’ nests were one of the most frequently used appliques.  Roses and fruit trees were also used a lot.
• Many were heavily stuffed and embroidered.
• Many reference the Mexican War.

These German-Jewish immigrant women of Baltimore in the 1840’s lived during a time of great change.  First, they had emigrated from a country where they faced an enormous amount of persecution and restrictions which made life for them intolerable.  They landed in many areas of the United States and Baltimore was one of those places.  As Jewish communities spread out, they toed the line between maintaining the “old” ways of religion and life, while also assimilating into a new country with new ideas, new laws, and new traditions.  Jewish women (though largely “cloistered” at this time by Jewish tradition) did want acceptance by the other women of Baltimore.  As a result of this, they formed the Hebrew Ladies Sewing Society in 1855, founded by many women who made the Style 3 Baltimore album quilts.  The society opened the door by which Jewish women entered American society and gave them a respected, and many times admired, position within the Baltimore community. 

With this information in hand, you may wonder if it makes Style 3 Baltimore Albums are overtly religious?  The answer, in my opinion is, it makes Style 3 no more religious than Style 1, because Style 1 is Methodist influenced.  When Baltimore Album Quilts began to reach a popular status, it was primarily because of the Methodist women.  These album quilts were often given as a token of love and remembrance to people who were moving away.  Per Methodist denomination rules, the ministers of Methodist churches generally took a pastorship for only two years before moving on to the next congregation.  Many of the Methodist women would work together to make a Baltimore Album for the departing pastor.  They did this so frequently and became so skilled at the workmanship, that these quilts are still searched for with fervency.  In short, these Methodist Baltimore Album Quilts are considered the best of the best.

It is also interesting to note that some quilt historians/analysts completely dismiss the Jewish element of Style 3 and simply give a description.  This Style 3 is described as “blocks which consist of mostly solid fabrics with 35 to 60 appliqued pieces and are known for their ‘Hot Dog Rose’.” 

It is equally noteworthy to understand that not all Baltimore Album Quilts are truly album quilts.  By definition, an album quilt is comprised of blocks made by more than one person.  So, if a Baltimore has more than one seamstress, it’s a Baltimore Album.  If it was made by only one person, technically  it’s a Presentation Quilt, although we would still call it a Baltimore since it would incorporate one or more of Styles 1-3 (no matter how you defined Style 3). 

A Little More Baltimore Album History

If you begin to really dig up the history of Baltimore Album Quilts, eventually you’ll run into three people:  Mary Evans, Mary Simon, and Dr. William Rush Dunton, Jr.  Parts of their efforts with Baltimore Album Quilts are a bit hazy.  But Dr. Dunton’s is clear as crystal.

Dr. William Rush Dunton, Jr., per the book Old Quilts, was the first person to study and publish about the Baltimore Album Quilts.  A man named Arthur Evans Bramble brought seven quilt blocks to Dunton for him to study.  Bramble claimed the blocks were the work of his late great-aunt, Mary Evans.  Dunton used these to study both Baltimore Quilts and the style of Mary Evans.  Evans used baskets, inked details, triple bow knots (these were kind of her “signature applique”), white roses, rainbow fabrics, etc., — nothing really different from a great deal of Baltimore Album blocks.  However, since Mary Evan’s name wasn’t found on any of the blocks, it was difficult to tag her as the maker with 100% accuracy.  Later, when analyzing Mary Evan’s actual handwritten signature on an application to an Aged Women’s Home against some of the inking done on quilts, it was determined that Mary Evans had worked on about 50% of them. (Lori Triplett/Dana Katzenberg, Curator of the Baltimore Museum of Art).

But….because the stitching varied so much between block, there still was a bit of doubt about Evans being the creator of even 50% of the blocks.  There were obviously other stitchers involved.  This, coupled with the fact Evans had never worked as a seamstress and the discovery of a diary by a contemporary woman named Hannah Trimble, began to cast even move doubt over any claim Evans could have on the blocks.  Trimble’s diary was a written record of the time, and she wrote about going to “Mrs. Simon’s on Chestnut Street, the lady who cut and basted these handsome quilts, saw some pretty squares.”  These findings then threw the onus on a Mary Simon for a great deal of the blocks.  It seemed as if Simon had a good thing going – apparently she was designing, cutting the applique shapes out, and  basting them down on a background fabric.  She then sold them to the ladies of Baltimore to needle turn.

Ah….an early quilt kit enterprise!  Good for her! Way to be one of the first!  You go girl! Right?

Hm.

Not until you read a bit deeper into Trimble’s Diary and she also mentions a Mrs. Silver/Sliver doing the same thing, because a Baltimore Album Quilt was also seen at her establishment.  According to Lori Lee Triplett’s research (Lori Lee Triplett (/blog/authors/lori-triplett), the 1890 Wood’s Baltimore City Directory shows a Mary Evans dressmaker at 144 Hanover Street.  At that same address, Sarah Silver, a dressmaker, and Jane Harrison, also a dressmaker, resided.  Three dressmakers at the same address would account for the differences in stitching.  It also would take into account the ability to take commissions and make more of these quilts than one person ever could.  The completed blocks could have been passed to Mary Simon for trimming, sandwiching, and basting.  Hannah wrote of seeing Mary Simon on Chestnut Street, so it appears Mary worked out of her husband Phillip’s carpet weaving location at 220 Chestnut. 

Add into this once one business owner establishes a popular and well-run business, others will “copycat” it.  There definitely could have been more than one group of seamstresses offering either ready-made Baltimore Album Quilts or supplying the “quilt kits” for women to make their own. 

Now let’s circle back to Dr. William Rush Dunton, Jr.  If you’re in the medical field, this man’s name already be familiar to you.  Dr. Dunton is the father of occupational therapy.  He was also among the first inductees of the Quilters Hall of Fame in 1979.  His dedication to helping those with anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues was matched, if not surpassed, by his passion for textile crafts, and especially for Baltimore Album Quilts.

In fact, while occupational therapists today may be familiar with Dunton’s medical journals, he produced another very valuable work – Old Quilts.  This book was self-published by Dunton in 1946-1947 (and sadly out of print – I couldn’t find it anywhere).  The book details many Baltimore Album Quilts and their associated social histories.  It is one of the oldest histories of this niche quilt style.

It may sound odd that Baltimore Album quilts have anything to do with occupational therapy.  But if you examine what occupational therapy is, it does fit in nicely.  Generally “occupation” can be any everyday task.  For Dunton, occupations were particularly therapeutic because they required some level of concentration that distracted a person from their mental distress.  During his time at Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital, Dunton implemented a large variety of occupations, such as gardening, woodworking, weaving, and quilting.  He observed that the repetitive nature of quilting, the establishment of community as women came together to complete one quilt, and the encouragement of self-expression and creativity all provided unparalleled benefits. 

With all the positivity surrounding Baltimore Album quilts, you have to ask yourself why did they fade into obscurity until 1983 when Elly Sienkiewicz resurrected the genre?  In a word – life.  Events happen…people move.  According to some quilt histories, there was a core group of Methodist women in Baltimore who were primarily responsible for the Baltimore’s popularity. These were young women.  The theory is as time passed and they began families, either they didn’t have time to make these detail-oriented quilts, or they moved away from Baltimore and no longer had access to the “kits” provided by various enterprising business women.

Or…

The market may have become too saturated with “kits” and (like most fads) people grew tired of making the labor-intensive blocks.  As demand waned, the kits gradually stopped being made and the Baltimore’s faded into obscurity until Elly Sienkiewicz.

Or…

It could be a bit of both.  However, what we do know is that by 1860 at the latest, the quilt’s popularity had bottomed out.

So You Want to Make A Baltimore Album Quilt?

I have made one block.  I am no expert, so I’m not even going to pretend to give any advice from me.  However, I did read quite a bit before writing this blog and talked to a few folks who have made Baltimore Albums.  What I will do is offer their suggestions and a warning.

• If you like applique, these blocks can be addictive.  Be prepared to enjoy yourself and want to spend as much time as you can spare on them.
• Choose high quality cotton for applique, quality silk ribbon, elaborate cotton prints for fussy cutting, and 1800’s reproduction fabric. 
• Cotton Sateen is often used for the background.
• The applique can be accomplished using a wide variety of techniques.  Choose the technique which works best for you to get the desired results.
• If this is your first Baltimore, a good pattern or book with detailed instructions for the blocks and borders will be your BFF.
• Pick threads which are fine, such as silk or thin cotton.   The thread can be matched or use a neutral.  The choice depends on the applique technique used.
• Embellishments can include silk ribbon, heavy decorative thread, beads, inks, and textile paints.
• Small, micro-serrated scissors are a must. 

Now for a warning.  I mentioned fondue fabrics in the first part of this blog.  This was a fabric with gradations from light to dark, very much like our ombre fabrics.  However, there is a big difference between the fondues and the ombres and it has to do with the width of the repeat.  Ombres are like typical cotton fabrics with a 44-45-inch width.  The color generally changes once or twice over that width.  A typical Baltimore Album style block is 12-to-20-inches square.  To put shading into some images, such as sails, you will need a fabric that goes from very light to dark in about six inches.  Today’s quilters sometimes mimic fondues with fabric paint to get the small scale of a single block. 

Well.  Bummer.  However, we do have freezer paper and light boxes and glue basting and precision cutting machines and lots of other quilting gadgets which should make our Baltimore Albums a bit easier to construct than those made in the 1840’s.

They should.

Maybe.  I’d say no.

I hope you enjoyed my take on the Baltimore Album quilts.  They are lovely and I would like to make one – even a wall hanging.  Much credit for references for this blog should go to all of Elly Sienkiewicz publications and Lori Lee Triplett’s blog:  https://www.quiltandtextilecollections.com/blog/authors/lori-triplett

Until Next Week, From My Studio to Yours,

Love and Stitches,

Sherri and Felix

It’s a tale as old as time …

It’s the chicken and egg dilemma of quilting.

How do you decide what quilt to make next?  Which comes first, the fabric or the pattern?  Does the fabric prompt you to make a quilt or does a pattern nudge you towards your cutting table? 

In all probability, it’s most likely a mix of the two.  There may be times when a particular fabric grabs your attention and the next thing you know, you’ve swiped your card and left the fabric shop with five yards of your newest, most favorite material.  Then there are the times when a pattern called out to you, and you knew you just had to make that quilt.  Right now.  No matter what other project you were in the middle of making.  For me, it’s always been more about the fabric than the pattern.  When I come across a pattern I just have to make, usually it’s one which will challenge my skill set and I come away from that project a much better quilter.

However with fabric, it’s not that situation.  Fabric is all about color – what appeals to the eyes, what emotion it evokes, and how it sings to the soul.  Since most people are visual learners (learn best by watching someone perform a task), I would cautiously venture to say most quilters are visual quilters.  The colors and patterns they see with their eyes prompt them to purchase certain fabrics.  At times, yards of certain fabrics. But once we have this prized material in our possession, what do we do with it?  How do we go about choosing a pattern which showcases this wonderful fabric?  With this blog, I will walk you through my process of choosing a pattern for my fabric, and fabric for a pattern. 

Large Prints – By large prints, I’m talking about anything over two to three-inches wide. Kind of like this:

These are prints which will lose their integrity if cut into small pieces (you won’t be able to determine the print) and usually have several colors involved in the printing process. These fabrics make excellent focus fabrics.  The colors can help you determine the rest of the material you need to pick out for the remainder of the quilt.  Borders and sashing are great places to showcase large prints, as well as setting blocks or triangles. 

If none of these options work, try finding a pattern which uses large block units.  A large print may work perfectly well for the center of some star blocks or large flying geese. 

The important concept to keep in mind for large prints is you need a large space to showcase them properly.  If they’re cut into small block units, it’s going to be difficult for anyone to see how truly wonderful this fabric is.  Give it room to impress.

“Blingy” Fabric – We see a lot of this at Christmas, and occasionally it creeps into other fabric too – the fabric which has been shot through with sparkly threads or dyes. 

Depending on the designer, this can be super cute or super not cute.  I rarely bring this type of fabric home unless it is Christmas fabric for Christmas quilts, but when I do I tend to approach this fabric in the same manner I do large prints – borders, sashing, large block units, setting blocks, and triangles.  However, if the blingy print is something like this:

Where the metallic highlights are on a smaller scale, they do work well in smaller block units, which, when scattered across the quilt top, makes the quilt top sparkly.  And in applique I’ve found this type of fabric works well to mimic snow and ice.

Reproduction Fabric – I realize this fabric can be used in any quilt, but personally when I decide to purchase 1930’s or Civil Ware reproduction fabrics, I automatically think of quilts appropriate for the time period.  I just can’t get myself out of that box.  Thirties reproduction fabric works beautifully in Dresden Plates and Sunbonnet Sues.  Civil War fabrics look equally as beautiful in Star blocks. 

Background/Neutrals – This is one type of fabric I generally don’t purchase until I need it.  These are the backbones of both pieced and appliqued quilts.  Their job is to play “supporting actor” to the rest of the fabric.  Generally we tend to think of these as low-volume, tone-on-tone, or solid fabrics in whites, beiges, ecru, gray, and black.  However, now almost any color of material can be up for consideration as a neutral or background.  If I do see some fabric I simply must have and know it will be used as a background, I mentally rehearse what type of materials I will need for the applique.  If it’s a lighter background, almost any color of fabric will work for the applique.  If it’s black, I know I’ll need material which can stand up next to the inky darkness.  Bright batiks or quilters cottons will generally be used on blacks.  Knowing what kinds of colors I’ll need for the applique allows me to mentally go through what I have on hand, so I know what (if anything) I’ll need to purchase in the future.

If the neutral is part of the pieced quilt, I have to keep in mind that it will be scattered pretty equally over the quilt top. It will need to play nicely with the other fabrics and not overwhelm them.  Neutrals in pieced quilts are there to balance the quilt blocks and give the eyes a place to rest before moving over the rest of the quilt top. 

“Wow” Fabrics – These are also called sparkles, sizzlers, and a host of other names.  These are the fabrics that you simply love and must buy because …well… because you love them.  There may not be any rhyme or reason why you love them, you just do.  They touch your sense of sight and sing to your soul, and you must have at least a yard of it.  Maybe two.  Perhaps even the entire bolt not that I would know anything about that.  If these are large print “Wow” fabrics, you may want to opt to handle them the same way you do large prints in blocks. However, I generally don’t use my “Wows” as borders or sashing because that is too much of a good thing.  My favorite way to utilize these fabrics is to sprinkle them across the quilt top sparingly – as part of block units or as cornerstones in the sashing.  This way they draw the eye across the quilt top.

Nine times out of ten, I find the fabric and then pick a pattern.  However, there are times I work the opposite way.  And the longer I quilt, the more I’ve discovered that applique patterns determine the fabric for me.  There are a few other scenarios which dictate the pattern first, then the fabric and these are listed below.

The Date of the Pattern – I do realize there are no hard and fast quilting rules and there are no quilt police.  As a result, there are also no hard and fast rules that an older pattern can’t be set ablaze with brilliant batiks or the latest line from Riley Blake.  And there still are current patterns which still use the old blocks – such as Log Cabins, Ohio Stars, and Drunkard’s Path.  However, I do think there are certain quilts, because of their quilty genealogy and DNA, that deserve pause and special fabric choices.  Quilts such as Dear Jane, which falls squarely in the Civil War era, may need the fabric/fabric reproductions from that era to be effective. 

I realize that may be just a tad controversial and I welcome this debate.  I’ve seen really pretty Dear Janes made from batiks.  But the way I look at the quilt, and knowing the history behind the quilt, makes me squint just a little when it’s not made from Civil War reproduction fabrics.  And I do say this from personal experience.  The first Dear Jane I made was from 1930’s reproduction fabric.  My reasoning:  I had a tub full of Aunt Grace Feed Sack reprodution fabrics.  I needed to use them.  This Jane is finished, but not quilted.  It’s lovely and wonderful (and did I mention finished?), but somehow it doesn’t look quite right.  Because of this, I now am collecting Civil War blue fabrics and will make another one.  I figure once I’ve perhaps righted this mental wrong I can be at peace with my 1930’s Jane. 

I will also acknowledge this could just be a “Sherri” thing and I may be the only quilter who thinks this way.

The Type of Quilt – Specific quilts just prompt certain fabric selections. Certain quilts, such as some Amish ones, generally require specific colors in order to look authentic.  The same goes for Civil War reproduction quilts that you want to look as if they came from that period.  

Some applique quilts can fall under this category, too.  I’m thinking of such splendid applique quilts as Love Entwined and the Caswell Quilt.  While, yes, both of those quilts can be made with any color scheme (and they would look lovely), Love Entwined is a Georgian Era quilt, which according to quilt historians “has no peer” (in other words, it’s truly one of a kind).  It stands as a testament to British and Quilting History during that time period.    I’ve seen this quilt made in bright colors, batiks, and other quilting cottons, but it’s something about that Georgian palette…

That shows this quilt in it’s pinnacle of glory. 

To a degree, I think the Caswell Quilt also falls in this category. 

This quilt was inspired by the Caswell Carpet in the Metropolitan  Museum of Art in New York and it’s Circa 1835 –so it’s pre-Civil War and the color palette is just bit lighter than the true Civil War hues.  I admire the applique skills it takes to pull this quilt off.  And while I have seen this quilt done in other color palettes, I have the same reaction to it as I do when I see Love Entwined reproduced in other palettes – I feel jarred. 

I also realize these reactions could be solely mine and other quilters have no problems with changing out older palettes with newer, brighter hues. 

Finally, I’d like to walk you through some questions to ask if you’re muddling through the dilemma of “Should I let the fabric dictate the quilt, or the quilt dictate the fabric?”

• If you’ve pulled a piece of fabric you absolutely love, what do you love about the fabric and how do you see it used most effectively?  Borders and sashing?  Used liberally in quilt blocks?  Will the design in the fabric lose it’s shape and integrity if the material is cut into smaller pieces?

• What do you think when you look at a quilt pattern?  Can you picture it in color ways other than the one it’s pictured in?  If it’s a period specific quilt, can you see it constructed in only period specific reproductions or in another, more recent color way?

• What feeling, thought, idea, etc., do you want the quilt to convey?  Quite often it’s this question which will help you chose your colors.  Want a quilt which conveys peace?  Blues, greens, and neutrals.  Want one to warm up a room?  Reds, oranges, and yellows.  Do you want the quilt to bring in Spring long before the calendar flips to March?  Quilt a flower garden – pastels, brights, and every color in between.  Is the quilt for the Holiday Season?  Bring on the bling.

• What is your long-term plan for the quilt?  Yes. You really need to answer this question before you take the first stitch.  Is the quilt show-bound?  If you’re constructing a quilt you want to enter in an international or national show,  you need to know that before the first cut of fabric is made, because show quilts definitely need more consideration – from fabric to technique.  Is this just a quilt for personal enjoyment or a gift?  Is it an heirloom?  Do you want it to have historical context?  All of these questions will help you decide if any attractive color palette will do or you should be more selective in your fabrics.

• What quilting motif will you use?  This one sounds a bit trivial, but hear me out.  If you’ve made a quilt from a particular time period using that time period’s colors (such as Dear Jane), you may want your quilting motif to be in sync with era in which the original was produced.  An edge-to-edge may not be the best quilting motif to choose.  However, I do think the older quilting motifs (such as Baptist Fan) looks well on almost all quilts regardless of color palette or design.

I hope in the “chicken or egg” dilemma of quilting, no matter if the fabric dictates your quilt pattern or the quilt pattern dictates your fabric, this blog offers a little insight and helps you.  Most of the views in this blog are mine – they come solely from my experience as a quilter – and can and should be debated.  Like I said earlier, there are no quilting rules and there are no quilt police.  Let me know how you handle this situation. 

Until Next Week, From My Studio to Yours,

Love and Stitches,

Sherri and Felix

I’m at that awkward age.

You know…you may be there, too.  It’s that point in time when the doctor says, “You’re in good shape for a woman your age,” (what does this even mean?)  and my kids still think it’s too early to look for a long-term care home. Yup.  That’s where I’m at – right between too young for most senior citizen discounts and too old for Clinque makeovers.  Old enough to know better, but still too young to care.

As we get older, we pay attention to a lot of things we didn’t when we were younger.  The way our knees creak when we stand up.  The way it takes us a little longer to roll out of bed in the morning.  We ponder the great remaining mysteries of life, such as “Why did I come into this room?  What was I looking for?”  And we tell ourselves epic lies, like “I’m gonna put this in a safe place so I’ll remember where it’s at.”  It is true  getting older isn’t for sissies, but I’m about to drop a great truth bomb on you backed up by science…

Quilting can help you stay young.

Yup.  It’s true.  And I have the science to prove it. 

• Doing activities you love (such as quilting) increases the levels of serotonin in your brain.  What is serotonin?  Chemically, serotonin is known as 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and is a monoamine neurotransmitter. It also acts as a hormone. As a neurotransmitter, serotonin carries messages between nerve cells in your brain (your central nervous system) and throughout your body (your peripheral nervous system). In our brains, serotonin acts similarly to dopamine – it’s a happiness hormone.  The higher the levels of serotonin we have, the less prone to depression we are.  Activities such as exercise help our bodies produce more serotonin, as well as some things we eat.  Foods which are high in tryptophan and fiber can increase the serotonin production in our bodies.  However, so can participating in activities we love, such as hobbies…such as quilting.  I think this is why after a particularly difficult day, even if I’m exhausted, if I can spend a few minutes in my quilt studio at one of my machines, or in front of the TV with handwork, I immediately feel better.    My serotonin levels have been raised and I can go on with the rest of my evening with a much better attitude and outlook.
• Quilting can also lower the levels of cortisol in your system.  You may have heard a doctor bandy the term cortisol around.  And if serotonin is the happiness hormone, cortisol is its exact opposite.  Cortisol is the stress hormone and it’s produced by two adrenal glands. These glands sit on top of your kidneys and react to stress.  When you’re under a lot of anxiety, the glands can produce too much cortisol, causing your body to go haywire.  You may experience fatigue, irritability, headaches, intestinal issues, anxiety, depression, weight gain, and increased blood pressure when your body has too much cortisol running around its systems.  Cortisol can be aggravated by some foods – such as processed meats, alcohol, high sugar food, and food with a lot of caffeine.  And while some cortisol is good for your body to have (it helps you manage stress), too much of it can make it difficult to get a good night’s sleep or lose weight.  To maintain good cortisol levels, include fermented foods, dark chocolate, spinach, and avocados in your diet.  The correct levels can also be maintained by engaging in activities and being with people who bring your joy and reduce your stress levels.  So if quilting brings you joy, it will help keep your cortisone levels at a good balance.  If you quilt with friends, you’ll get a good, double whammy of cortisol maintenance. 

• Quilting can help lower your blood pressure.  Stress can raise your blood pressure.  Prolonged periods of stress can raise it and keep it there.  Taking part in creative and calming activities can help lower stress and decrease your blood pressure. Dr. Randy Cupps from South Denver Cardiology explains that when you spend time on a hobby or something you enjoy that isn’t about work, you give your mind a break. This shift to something fun and enjoyable is good for your well-being, “As a result, your blood pressure and hypertension lower.”  So, if you have a demanding job, or are in a stressful situation, a great way to disengage from that is to quilt.  It’s something you enjoy and can shift your brain out of the anxiety-lane into a more peaceful mindset. 

• Participating in an enjoyable hobby like quilting can release physical tension.  We all know when we’re under stress, we not only carry that tension in our minds, but also in our bodies – primarily between our shoulders and in our back.  When I taught school, my son always knew when I had a particularly stressful day.  I would be carrying my shoulders so tight they were almost even with my ears.  However, once I stepped into my studio, the tension would immediately ease out of my body.  Putting together a quilt can be exceedingly relaxing, almost like being in a trance.  Psychologists call this phenomenon “Flow.”  You forget your worries.  The hands-on work of quilting calms your nerves and helps your body relax.

• Quilting is a healthy addiction.  We quilters (and sometimes our significant others) joke about our fabric addiction and how we will drop a project like a hot potato to begin a brand-new, shiny one.  But it’s truly like I tell my friends, family, and dear husband, “There are worse things I could do with my life.”  And it’s true.  Having a fun activity that takes our minds off of stress and worry helps keep us mentally healthy and sane.  The goal is to find a positive distraction which helps you grow and feel fulfilled.  Quilting does all of that.  Plus, when you think about it, there are far worse addictions than quilting – fancy cars, boats, buying lots of lotto tickets….
• Quilting helps you maintain hand-to-eye coordination.  Making a quilt requires the ability to do small, exact movements repeatedly. The more quilts you make, the easier it gets. If you continue, it can help you keep your fine motor skills sharp as you get older.

• It also helps you maintain foot-to-eye coordination.  If you use the foot control which came with your sewing machine, you know your eyes have to tell your brain when to stop, and the brain has to pass that information along very quickly to your foot.  So there is proof that quilting could help you keep driving longer, as you’re constantly engaging the foot-to-eye coordination.

• Quilting can give you a sense of purpose.  As we grow older, this becomes more important than ever.   When we’re younger, we’re driven by starting and expanding our careers, building our families, pursuing educational goals, and participating in our community.  As we age, these things change.  Career goals have been met (for the most part) and many of us settle into retirement.  Children grow up and build their own families and your role as a parent changes. It can be easy to wonder what our next step is.  Quilting can help steer us in a direction.  There’s always something new to learn and mastering new skills can boost one’s self-esteem.  And at the end of a completed project, you have a tangible item you can enjoy or give away.  You may find giving away your quilts at this period in your life is even more enjoyable than it was earlier in your quilting journey.  Giving to others not only brings them happiness, it also brings the giver a sense of joy and purpose.

• Giving your quilts to others can reduce your feelings of hopelessness.  I think one of the worst things which came out of Covid and the lockdowns was the sense of isolation.  And this is a feeling which still seems to persist in many areas – such as those of us who are still working from home.  I’ve always thought isolation and loneliness were two of the biggest battles older folks have to fight.  Tied together, isolation and loneliness can lead to feelings of hopelessness – I don’t know what to do, I don’t know who needs me, I have no control over my situation.  Quilting, or more precisely quilting for others, shines the light on the dark shadows of hopelessness.  There are organizations which would love to receive your quilts, it just takes a bit of research on the internet or a phone call or two in order to find out the organizations regulations.  As a former US President told us, “The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, and you will fill yourself with hope.” Quilting is more than a hobby.  It’s a valuable way to spend your time.

• Quilting builds self-confidence.  With each completed quilt, with each new skill mastered, with each finished project, your self-confidence grows.  Personally, I’ve found it helpful to break projects into a series of small, reachable goals and set due dates with those goals.  With every goal met (big or small) your self-confidence not only grows, but you also have this huge feeling of accomplishment.  Positive Psychology reports, “Making progress towards personally meaningful goals is the scaffolding upon which healthy self-confidence is built.” 

• Quilting gives us a community.  I cannot stress how important it is for women to have a community.  This is more than family.  These are the people we choose to make part of our extended family.  In some instances, these folks are closer than family.  Quilters (like other crafters) have always had opportunities to build these friendships.  Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers may have had quilting bees.  We have guilds, quilt shows, and on-line groups.  The internet has opened doors to international friendships and instruction.  These things not only give us a sense of belonging, but they also offer support for each other and our craft.  One of the groups I quilt with has met since the early 2000’s.  We’ve seen each other through divorces, deaths, sickness, victories, promotions, gains, and losses.  These women are as close as any of my family.  These are the women who brought meals to my daughter when she was recovering from cancer surgery, who prayed for my brother while he was undergoing his stem cell transplant and surrounded me with love when I lost a cousin to Covid pneumonia.  The older we get, the more important this community becomes.  I think that as we age, we have gaps in our lives.  We lose spouses or significant others.  Our children need our presence less.  We retire from jobs we may or may not have loved.  These events leave gaping holes in our lives and the community we build with other quilters helps to fill this.  This also staves off feelings of hopelessness and loneliness. 

• Quilting can connect us with the outside world.  This is a bit more than building our own quilting community or even giving our quilts away.  Quilters can often find opportunities to share their love of their craft with groups and wider communities.  Scout troops frequently need quilters to help with projects so badges can be earned.  Museums and historical sites may need volunteers who know a bit about textiles to help out.  Use quilting as your springboard into a wider variety of friends and spread your quilting knowledge to the next generation. 

• Quilting can keep your mind young.  Learning new skills or working on a new quilt keeps your brain active.  Designing a pattern, or teaching the art helps keep the mind – all the mind – working.  Neuroscientists are now realizing the similarities between cognitive activities such as sudoku or crossword puzzles and designing or completing complex quilt patterns.  Even if you’ve been quilting for several years, there is always something new to explore if you want.  Sometimes it’s an easier way to sew curves or flying geese, or a totally new challenge like foundation paper piecing.  With all the virtual classes and on-demand courses, it’s easier than ever to learn something new, but attending an in-person class can be a great way to absorb those happy chemicals from sewing enthusiasts.  Psychologists believe that quilting utilizes the entire brain as it involves creativity, logic, spatial awareness, color analysis, fine motor skill activation, and math.  Intense concentration and focusing on your craft keep your brain active while distracting you from everyday pressures, thus reducing stress. 

Researchers also measured stress indicators in subjects while they performed stress-reducing activities, including reading, painting, playing cards, playing video games, and sewing.  Their results found the most relaxing activity to be sewing.  According to Robert Reiner, PhD, the study’s author, “The act of performing a craft is incompatible with worry, anger, obsession, and anxiety.”

Prescription for better health?  Quilting, of course.  Please do see your doctor along with making lots of wonderful quilts and take prescribed medications as directed.  Exercise and eat right.  But don’t forget to quilt…by yourself and with others.  It’s good for you!  Science says so.

Until Next Week, From My Studio to Yours,

Love and Stitches,

Sherri and Felix