Of all the quilting techniques out there, my favorite is applique – by hand or machine, it doesn’t matter. There is something infinitely freeing about it. It gives the quilter the ability to back away from triangles, squares, and rectangles and produce something realistic. Instead of lines and sharp angles, you can have curves and circles. There’s more color play with applique as you strive for bouquets of flowers in every color of the rainbow. In short, applique is fun. More fun than piecing. I asked Google how many applique quilt patterns were out there in stores. It couldn’t give me an answer, although Pinterest helpfully volunteered it had over 900 applique quilt pins. In this blog, I want to explore a couple of things. First, how to turn a picture into an applique pattern, and second how to use something I call quilted applique. This process may take more than one blog, but I don’t have any worries about that. We’ll start with the basics and move on from there.
A lot of folks think quilters have to be ultra-creative people. Color choice and design should be as natural to them as breathing. I’d like to squash that little erroneous piece of information right now. While most quilters are to some degree creative, extreme creativity isn’t necessary for the process. And most quilters who have quilted for several years will tell you their creativity expands the more they quilt. All that’s really needed to get started is the ability to read and follow directions. Everything else will come with time and practice. Each applique quilt you construct will not only make you a better quilter, but it will also give you the confidence to go a little further and dig a little deeper in the creative process.
Another erroneous school of thought is applique quilters must have a huge stash – I mean just look at all the colors we use in flowers and leaves, etc. It must take hundreds of fabrics to make some applique quilts. In all honesty, it’s not about how much fabric you have, but that you have the right fabric. Overall, applique may use several different fabrics, but usually the applique pieces are on the small size. Sometimes (as in the quilt I’ll be working on later in this blog), you may use less than a fat quarter for the applique. The largest fabric requirement will be the background, binding, and borders. Which brings me to this point – one of the best things about applique is that it doesn’t take a lot of fabric. And one of the worst things about applique is that it doesn’t take a lot of fabric. Why? This means you only need a little money to develop a huge applique stash with pieces an eighth of a yard or less…which can lead to storage issues. Cultivate your applique stash carefully…which brings me to my next point…
Also cultivate your creativity. If you’re one of my readers who think you don’t have any real creativity, I also want to squash that little negative and erroneous school of thought. Everyone is creative in some way. Creativity is a part of everything we do. It plays a part in how we dress, how we cook, how we plant flowers…even the way you balance your checkbook. No one escapes this life without having some form of creativity. However, what I really want to do is help you grow your creativity. There are lots of ways to do this, and no one way is right or wrong. I want to offer some general suggestions and then you need to fine-tune them, so they work for you.
Take walks. This is a two-fer. If you need to take so many steps per day as part of your fitness routine, you can grow your creativity and increase the number of steps all at the same time! However, as you walk, I want you to pay close attention to a few things. Notice the sky. Notice it’s not all one shade of blue. Neither are the clouds all one shade of white. Look at the grass, leaves, and stems. Observe they are not all one shade of green. As a matter of fact, some of them are not green at all. Some are brown. Others are yellow. Look at the flowers or trees in bud. A rose isn’t all the same color red or pink. Dandelions are yellow, orange, and white. Take pictures of a few of these. When you get back home, enlarge these pictures on your phone and look closely at all the shades, hues, tints, and tones. It’s even better if you can upload the pictures from your phone onto a computer and look at them on a large screen.
If you can’t take a walk, Google some images of flowers, leaves, and butterflies (actual Google photos are better than paintings or drawings for this exercise). Notice the leaves aren’t all one color. A purple pansy can be numerous shades of purple. Nothing nature produces is all one solid color. Neither is anything perfect. Leaves can curl or be lopsided. The petal on a flower can be a bit crushed. Notice all of the imperfections nature brings to the table, yet we don’t get upset at them. We accept them as part of the whole. When we focus on the rose or the leaf, we don’t necessarily zero in on what’s wrong with it.
Doodle. Draw. I don’t mean major works of art and certainly nothing to hang in the Louvre. I mean little swirls and curlicues. Straight lines and curved ones. Cartoon-ish figures. Graduate to flowers and animals. It really doesn’t matter. However, what all this doodling is doing to your brain is highly important. It’s engaging your memory to reproduce something you’ve seen (perhaps on your walks). And repeatedly drawing your favorite curlicues and swirls trains both your brain and your hand to draw and redraw them from muscle memory. This is important – trust me. I’ll tell you why in a bit.
Be disciplined in your pursuit of creativity. I realized, even as I typed this, that discipline and creativity sound like polar opposites. Zone of truth here – when someone mentions the word creativity to me, I tend to picture someone in long, flowy, multicolored skirts with gray hair down to their waist, flowers in their hair and beaded necklaces and bracelets. My mind conjures up this person who is free-thinking and artistically uninhibited who can take paints and fabric and create these wonderful works of art right off the top of her head – gorgeous works which everyone loves.
However, except in rare cases, this is not how creativity works (although I totally could get behind the long, flowy skirts and gray hair down to my waist and beaded necklaces and bracelets). Creativity requires discipline – the ability to work every day at your art. Just like any other talent we want to develop, creativity takes steady practice. The more you do it, the better you become at it. Picasso got up and painted every day, whether he felt like it or not. At his peak, Beethoven practiced 14 hours a day. And while it would be disingenuous to think any of us could practice our quilting 14 hours every day, it’s not so hard to work in a few minutes here and there or a few hours on the weekend to work at the craft we love so much.
In my opinion, I think all of us are born as creative beings. Unfortunately, the school system can work that right out of us (I can say this freely, since I am a former educator). We are taught to follow the rules, color inside the lines, and hold our pencils and crayons a certain way. Some of these learned behavior literally strangles the creativity right out of people. Rejuvenating, revitalizing, and resurrecting our creativity comes with the freedom of realizing there are no rules. There is no right or wrong. What you like is right.
I’ve taught quilting for years. I was a French heirloom garment instructor before that. And I think I can say with a lot of honesty, a fairly large number of quilters get stymied on color theory and placement. They will read books, articles, and blogs. They will invest in apps for their phones and color wheels. After all these years of teaching, I want to let you in on a secret: Nine times out of ten, most of what is involved in color theory, etc., is already innately built into our brains and intuition. Yes, all the information on color theory and placement is exceedingly helpful, but you’re already engaging most of the principles. Don’t get hung up on somebody else’s set of rules.
Another thing which can kill creativity is not believing in yourself. Don’t compare your creative journey with someone else’s. Some people seemingly can turn their creativity tap on at will and it rushes out at that person’s bidding. Some folks (like me) find their creative journey slower and more methodical. Don’t judge the way your process works with anyone else’s. Each method and journey are different for each person. Neither is ever wrong. It’s what works for the individual.
Negative self-talk is also a sure creativity killer. Whenever I hear any quilter say, “Oh, I could never do that,” or “There is no way I could ever make a quilt that beautiful,” I cringe. Sure, you may not have the skill set now, but in 18 months or two years, you may be perfectly able to make the quilt. Allow me to share with you a personal experience I had several years ago when I was an educator.
Some of you may know, teachers are required to take so many enrichment classes every so many years to keep their teaching certificates up to date. These classes can be related to the direct subject matter you teach, or it can be information about things you would like to integrate in your classroom. One particular summer, I was late getting around to signing up for a class at my local community college. The only thing left was creative writing – which I did hold a personal interest in but wasn’t so sure I could integrate that into physics and chemistry. However, it would fulfill my certificate requirements, so I signed up and paid the fee. As I settled into the first class, I was wary the tiny, conservatively dressed, gray-haired lady leading the workshop could teach any of us anything about creativity. Frankly she looked like a woman my grandmother would be very comfortable sharing a church pew with on Sunday morning. Then she volunteered the information she was writing a book about the brothels in California during the Gold Rush.
Well, that certainly wasn’t what I was expecting. Sunday school material, maybe. But Houses of Ill Repute? No.
I had a lot of fun in that class. I wrote a children’s book about kittens. But the main thing I came away with was this: When you jump into your creativity zone, you have permission to set the very critical part of you – the part which doubts what you’re doing, worries about what other people will think – outside the room. Ms. Berensby told us she would physically set a chair outside the door of her office and tell the critical part of herself to take a seat and make itself comfortable. Then she shut her office door and got to work. The actual act of this somewhat ridiculous motion set her creativity free.
You may need a chair and a closed door. Or just maybe you and the critical part of yourself just needs a come-to-Jesus meeting. I’ve learned to let everything go the minute I step inside my quilt studio.
As you develop your creativity, you’ll change as a quilter and as a person. The biggest changes you may note are these:
You realize every mistake is a potential success, even if you have to start over. Several times.
You let your mind and eyes look outside the box. Sometimes you don’t even acknowledge a box.
You don’t mind digging through the trash, the scrap bins, or anywhere else you think you can find what you need to make your quilt perfect.
You play more with your art.
You’re not afraid to try new things.
You realize it’s the process which counts, not the finished product.
Most importantly, you learn to persevere. That doesn’t mean you don’t mess up, get mad, or even have a good cry now and then. It means after the crying has stopped, you go back and try again.
Wow! I’ve written slightly over 2,000 words and haven’t even begun to talk about the applique process I want to use for this blog. Next week we’ll start by looking at some apps which can turn your pictures into line drawings and how to simplify them. And then we’ll talk about fabric. Meanwhile, take a walk, doodle, and be creative…everywhere… Spread that stuff like sunshine.
Until Next Week, Remember the Details Make the Difference!
Every once in a while, we are lucky enough to experience a phenomena.
Phenomena can be defined in two ways. The first definition deals with scientific observation — a fact or situation that is observed to exist or happen, especially one whose cause or explanation is in question. The second definition is a little less scientific and a bit more personal: a remarkable person, thing, or event. During the mid-to-late 1920’s until the 1940’s, quilting experienced a fantastic growth period. Quilt shows were established. Techniques were changing and expanding, trending away from the traditionally pieced quilts to include applique. And over in the sleepy, small town of Emporia, Kansas, there was a quilting phenomenon taking place. As a matter of fact, it was such a bright spectacle quilt historians call it “The Emporia Phenomena.”
First, let’s take a brief stroll through Emporia. Emporia was founded in 1857 and drew its name from ancient Carthage – a city known as a historical place of commerce. It is nestled between the larger cities of Wichita and Topeka and became the county seat for Lyons County. Living up to its name as a city of commerce, it attracted several railroad lines during the 1800s. One of the railroad executives, John Byers Anderson, donated his entire library of books to the city in celebration of his 50th wedding anniversary. Not to be outdone, his friend Andrew Carnegie donated the funds to build the library. Nowadays it’s home to about 24,139 people (according to the 2020 census) and it’s known as the Disc Golf Capital (each year it hosts one of the largest disc golf championships in the world) and the first weekend after Memorial Day, it hosts Unbound Gravel. Unbound Gravel is a dirt bicycle race through Flint Hills. The bike routes are 35, 50, 100, 200, and 350 miles long, if you’d be so inclined to register for the event.
The Emporia Phenomena took place between 1925 – 1950, with most of the creativity hitting its peak in the early to mid-1930’s. Three quilters were responsible for the phenomena – Rose Francis Good Kretsinger, Charlotte Jane Whitehill, and Hannah Haynes Headlee. This blog will look at each one of these women and then try to explain why the Emporia Phenomena happened. We will begin with the most well-known quilter, Rose Good Kretsinger.
Rose Francis Good Kretsinger
If this quilter’s name sounds vaguely familiar to you, it’s probably not because of her -quilts, but the book she co-authored with Carrie Hall, The Romance of the Patchwork Quilt in America. This book is considered to be one of the classic quilt history books, and even though copies can be difficult to come by (it was first published in 1935), the book is still out there, especially if you’re content with an e-version.
Rose was born in Hope, Kansas on November 29, 1886, but lived most of her adult life in Emporia. Interestingly, her father was a partner in Good & Eisenhower, a dry goods store. Shortly before Rose was born, her father sold his share of the store to David Eisenhower and moved to Abilene. However, the store didn’t prove to be profitable, so Eisenhower moved to Texas, where he and his wife had a son, Dwight David, who grew up to be President.
From Abilene, Rose’s family moved to Kansas City, Missouri. By this time Rose was in her teens and she headed to Chicago to study at the Art Institute in 1908. After graduation, she spent a year in Europe before returning to Chicago where she designed jewelry. In 1914, she retired from design work and married William Kretsinger, an attorney and rancher. She had two children, a boy named William and a girl, Mary Amelia. During this time she attended all the meetings and activities the women in her set did and became an influential leader in her group of friends. Her life rocked along until 1926. This year was a watermark in Rose’s life. First, her mother died from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. Rose was close to her mother and her grief was deep. Second, this was during the Colonial Revival, which promoted arts and crafts such as quilting. Partly to deal with her grief and partly to participate in the Colonial Revival, Rose took up quilting. She was now forty years old and had inherited an antique bed from her mother. After consulting with some of her friends and magazines, she decided a quilt would be just the thing the antique bed needed to set it off.
Not finding a quilt pattern to suite her tastes, Rose copied an antique quilt. She found the handwork soothed her and provided a form of grief therapy for her. Her friends made quite a fuss over the quilt and encouraged her to enter it in the local fair. She did, and to her surprise, she won first place. Both shocked and pleased, she began a second quilt and over the next two decades produced a remarkable group of quilts which ignored the current commercial trends. Rose didn’t follow commercial patterns, instead focused on antique quilts. She didn’t like the patterns or kits of the day, which produced the same type of quilts over and over. “Women are depending more upon the printed pattern sheet to save time and labor. These having been used time and again often become tiresome,” she stated. Rose instead turned to old quilts, finding her inspiration in them. She borrowed family heirlooms from friends and sketched museum quilts. And while feed sack prints and other new multicolored dress prints were available, she preferred to use calicoes and antique fabrics to get the look she wanted.
The characteristic which made her quilts so different from others was their design. While Rose did copy old quilts, she only copied them to a certain point. They were her inspiration, but not her destination. Her gift to the quilting world was her reworking of the old designs. Because she was trained as an artist, she knew how to add drama with vivid colors and black accents, how to add line with an overlay of quilting and a scalloped edge, and how to add a touch of sophistication by reorganizing compositions by tightening up some items and filling blank spaces. Then she would finish the quilt center off with bold borders. Her unique combination of traditional standards and modern design earned her local and national fame, as she won contests from the Lyon County Fair to New York City.
After the Kansas City Art Institute held an exhibit of her quilts in the early Thirties, she earned national attention as a quilter. So much so that Carrie Hall asked Rose to co-write The Romance of the Patchwork Quilt. Rose’s contribution was the section on the history of quilting, and she added photographs and diagrams of both antique and contemporary designs to augment her writing.
Orchard Wreath by Rose Kretsinger
Rose’s only original quilt design was The Orchard Wreath. Designed in 1929, this quilt was inspired by a Coca-Cola advertising card she picked up at a soda fountain. Rose’s daughter, Mary, asked for an orchid quilt to match her bedroom and this time instead of finding inspiration from antique quilts, Rose found it in a Coca-Cola ad. All of her other quilts were either inspired by antique quilts or were redrawn from older patterns. Regardless, they all were outstanding quilts and garnered lots of attention in the national quilt shows in the Thirties and Forties.
Calenduia by Rose Kretsinger
The 1942 National Needlework Contest (sponsored by Woman’s Day) awarded her quilt Calenduia second place. The first-place winner was Pine’ Hawkes Eisfeller and her medallion wreath quilt called The Cottage Garden. The Cottage Garden was a variation of a quilt made in 1857 by Arsinoe Kelsey Bowen and was featured in Ruth Finley’s Old Patchwork Quilts and the Women Who Made Them. To say Rose was a little disappointed (and maybe even a little miffed) about second place would be an understatement. Beneath the picture of The Cottage Garden in Woman’s Day, Rose tersely wrote, “Poor Design.” However, not to be outdone, Rose designed her own version of Eisfeller’s quilt and called it Paradise Garden. ***
Paradise Garden by Rose Kretsinger
Many people consider Paradise Garden to be Rose’s masterpiece. This quilt, along with Orchard Wreath, were selected by a panel of experts for the exhibit America’s 100 Best Quilts of the 20th Century.
It is interesting to note that Rose didn’t quilt her own quilts. Like many of the “professional” quilters of her time, Rose hired local quilters to quilt her tops. The names of these quilters are long forgotten, but Rose’s children remember her designing her own quilting motifs to send along with the tops to her quilters.
Locally, Rose was generous with her time and talent. Her quilts were displayed in Emporia and inspired other quilters to attempt their own designs or request her patterns. She readily shared both her patterns and her knowledge and assisted others in making quilts. She was in every way, the heart of the Emporia Phenomena. Rose appliqued most of her quilts between 1926 and 1932. In 1940, she became a widow when William Kretsinger died of heart failure. Paradise Garden was begun shortly after his death. In 1949, Farm Journal Magazine sold two of her designs, Oriental Poppy and Old Spice. Rose continued living in Emporia until her own death in 1963 at the age of 76.
Oriental Poppy by Rose Kretsinger
Old Spice Quilt by Rose Kretsinger
In 1971, Rose’s daughter, Mary, donated twelve of Rose’s quilts and two of Rose’s mother’s quilts to the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas. Rose, along with Carrie Hall, was inducted into the Quilter’s Hall of Fame in 1985 – which in a way was bittersweet. The women had a sort of falling out over the royalties of The Romance of the Patchwork Quilt in America. Whether Rose felt slighted or if it was something else, was never made clear. It’s ironic one of the events which propelled both women into the Quilters Hall of Fame (besides their quilting) also battered their friendship.
Rose Kretsinger’s influence did not stop after her induction. In 1992, the Wichita Art Museum and the Kansas Quilt Project organized the exhibit Midcentury Masterpieces:Quilts in Emporia, Kansas, which featured the work of Rose and her Emporia friends. In 1998, her quilts toured Japan and were featured in the publication American Quilt Renaissance: Three Women Who Influenced Quilt Making in the Early 20th Century. The other two women were Carrie Hall and Marie Webster.
Charlotte Jane Whitehill
One of the most frustrating things about quilt/quilters research is the fact quilting was considered “women’s work” for so long and didn’t merit the attention and documentation granted to anything men did. Even though the Emporia Phenomena occurred after women received the right to vote and were gaining recognition momentum, some of the ones who left truly indelible fingerprints on our art received little to no attention by newspapers or other publications. Charlotte Jane Whitehall is one of those quilters, who despite leaving behind beautiful quilts, little is known about her. We do know she was born in 1866 in Wisconsin and lived in Emporia during the 1930’s. Like most of us, Charlotte picked up quilting as a hobby and made her first quilt when she was 63. She was a district manager for an insurance company and found quilting was a great stress reliever (sound familiar?).
Charlotte was known for several of her quilts. The Album Quilt: Lennartson Family Album
Indiana Wreath named one of the top 100 in The Twentieth Century’s Best American Quilts.
The Rose Tree
One very important fact set Charlotte apart from the Rose Kretsinger and Hannah Headlee – her job required her to travel. This allowed Charlotte a much more varied fabric stash than the other two women. She would arrive in a town and visit dry good stores to find fabric not available in Emporia.
Like Rose, Charlotte copied antique quilts. She preserved many 19th century and museum quilts (perhaps she also visited museums when she traveled?) by reproducing them. Whether Charlotte did this on her own, or was prompted by watching Rose Kretsinger, we don’t know. We do know, that like Rose, Charlotte eschewed the kits and patterns available to her.
Charlotte moved to Denver, Colorado in the 1940’s and continued to make quilts for about another five years. She remained in Denver until her death in 1964. In 1955, she and her daughter donated 28 of her quilts to the Denver Art Museum.
Hannah Haynes Headlee
Of the three women who sparked the Emporia Phenomena, I consider Hannah Haynes Headlee to be the rebel.
Like the other two women, Hannah came to quilting a bit later in life. She was born in Topeka, Kansas about 1867. She was an artist, quilter, teacher, and china painter. She supported herself primarily through teaching and painting china. She was married three times and is remembered as the first woman in Topeka to own (and ride) a bicycle. In 1914, she accompanied her niece (Hannah had no children of her own) Paulina Haynes Shirer to the New York School of Fine Arts and paid their living expenses by teaching and painting.
She is renowned for this quilt:
Iris Garland. There is some school of thought which suggests Hannah was inspired by Rose Kritsinger’s Orchard Wreath. If she was, she left no written record of such inspiration, although Hannah and Rose were acquaintances.
To me, the characteristic which sets Hannah’s quilts apart from both Rose’s and Charlotte’s is their almost watercolor quality. Hannah was a painter and came from that artistic background. She used fabrics which were subtle in contrast, but her borders were nearly gothic in design.
Peacock
Basket of Roses
Cranes
Many of her quilts were given to her nieces, nephews, and cousins, although seven eventually found their way into museums.
One interesting side note about Hannah Haynes Headlee. She was one of the needlework judges who gave Pine’ Hawkes Eisfeller’s The Cottage Garden the winning vote over Rose Kretsinger’s Calenduia.
Rose Kretsinger, Charlotte Jane Whitehill, and Hannah Haynes Headlee are the three quilters whom history claims are responsible for the Emporia Phenomena. There are several characteristics all three quilters have in common:
They bucked commercial patterns. All three eschewed the readily available patterns found in magazines. They found their inspiration from antique quilts or quilts in museums.
They did not use many (if any at all) of the fabrics available to them at their local dry goods stores. They preferred antique fabrics, unusual fabrics, or calicoes. All three had the means to get those fabrics.
They all preferred applique medallion quilts.
All three began quilting later in life, and two of them had art backgrounds.
All three gained national and international attention in the quilt world during their lifetimes.
You have to wonder, especially with the quilts bearing similar designs and fabric choices, if they were inspired by each other. History does tell us Rose’s quilts were predominantly displayed throughout Emporia. Did Charlotte and Hannah draw inspiration from them? Did the three actually ever meet in some capacity and talk quilts? Did they know of Marie Webster — who was designing her beautiful applique quilts during this same time period – and were they inspired by her quilts? Regardless, to have so much quilting talent concentrated in one small area at one time was indeed unique and wonderful. There is no wonder they caused a phenomena. However, there still is so much we don’t know about these women and their quilts. The sad part is, we may never know. We can imagine. We can speculate. But we may never know the entire story behind these three amazing women and how they and their quilts sparked the Emporia Phenomena.
Until Next Week, Remember the Details Make the Difference!
Love and Stitches,
Sherri
***One last footnote about The Cottage Garden Quilt. When I write quilt history blogs, I often refer to Barbara Brackman’s writings, as I did in this blog. She is one of the best cataloguers of quilt blocks and quilt history. However, when researching this blog I found a contrasting article about The Cottage Garden Quilt and its maker from the Kansas Historical Society.
The KHS lists Josephine Hunter Craig, not Pine’ Hawks Eisfeller, as the maker of the quilt and calls the quilt The Garden instead of The Cottage Garden. It also lists Josephine Hunter Craig as one of the top contenders in the fiercely competitive quilting environment in Emporia. This is her quilt The Garden:
The article goes on to state: “Along with other top Emporia quilters like Rose Kretsinger and Charlotte Jane Whitehill, Josephine Craig’s quilts often swept state fair contests as well as captured national awards.
The Garden is one of the best examples of Craig’s skill and artistry. Appliqued and quilted in Emporia in 1933, it was inspired by an 1857 version of the garden medallion which appeared in Ruth Finley’s book, Old Patchwork Quilts and the Women who Made Them (1929). Finley called the garden medallion the ‘acme of the branch of art’. These quilts became the standard of excellence for Emporia quilters, who were inspired to create their own medallion designs.
Friends Elizabeth Goering and Maud Leatherberry collaborated with Craig on the pattern and quilting for The Garden. Although Craig was a contemporary and competitor of well-known Emporia quilter Rose Kretsinger, Craig was a farm wife and therefore not in the same social circle which involved membership in the Garden Club and other city organizations.
Craig’s version of the garden medallion won numerous local and national contests. In 1934, Hannah Haynes Headlee (herself an award-winning quilter) was one of the judges who awarded The Garden first prize in a national contest sponsored by Capper’s magazine. It also captured First Place at one of the first national quilt contests, the Eastern States Exposition at Springfield, Massachusetts in 1936. Other honors for The Garden included first prizes at the Kansas Free and Kansas State fairs in Topeka and Hutchinson, respectively.
This spectacular quilt was donated to the Kansas Museum of History by Paul and Frances Carpenter of Kansas City, Kansas. Dr. Paul Carpenter is Josephine Craig’s grandson. Four other quilts by Josephine Craig also were donated to the museum by the Carpenter.”
In my opinion, when you compare the two quilts, it’s easy to see where Rose pulled her inspiration and yet changed the design. Both quilts won numerous awards. Both quilts are (in my opinion) equally lovely.
I get asked a lot of questions about my quilts and my quilting. Some of those inquiries really only need a paragraph or two to fully answer. I tend to collect these and when I have between ten and a dozen I write a blog and answer all of them at once. However, on occasion I get asked a question which merits an entire blog. This is one of those occasions, and the question asked is “How do you prep your quilts?” My first thought was the person wanted to know how I readied my quilt for the long arm. But no, this person wanted to know how I organized my quilt units for maximum efficiency when I sat down to sew.
Ohhhh booyyy. Maximum efficiency. Some days I have it and some days I don’t. In the words of that great lyricist, Mary Chapin Carpenter – Sometimes you’re the windshield and sometimes you’re the bug. I’ll be honest, I don’t have all the answers to this efficiency dilemma and what works for me may not work for you. Each studio set up is different and each person works at a different pace. Some people can work steadily for an hour or two and then feel the need to get up and stretch. Some can only manage twenty or thirty minutes at a time. I can tell you I had to develop a system which not only allowed me to put in some serious work in short spurts of time, but also set me up for longer periods of time without interruption. I am not retired. I work full time at the company my husband and I own. I know Monday and Tuesdays are my most difficult days and those are the times I may not finish pushing paperwork until late in the evening. Wednesdays are lighter and so are Thursdays. Work on Friday is virtually non-existent. Weekends are pretty much wide open. This means at the first part of the week, I may only have thirty minutes or less to sew. The other days are more flexible. Regardless, I like to have things semi-organized so when I can sew, I make the most of it.
My quilting world is divided into three types of quilts: Kits, Pieced, and Applique. How I organize each depends on the type of quilt. Let’s start with kits.
I treat all quilt kits the same way: As soon as I get them into my studio, I open them up and make sure I have all the fabric listed and the amount included matches what directions state should be there. Let me add this caveat here: Most quilt kits are just fine and dandy. The amount of fabric included in the kit is what’s stated on the pattern. As a matter of fact, there’s usually a bit more. However, mistakes can be made anywhere along the way, so measuring to make sure you have what you need is always a wise thing to do. No matter if it’s one block from a 12-month block of the month program or an entire kit, this is time well-spent. And as much as everyone knows I’m a pre-washer I don’t prewash the fabric in a kit. Even though you usually have a bit more than you need, prewashing does cause the fabric to shrink a bit. I would err on the side of caution and plan to throw several color catchers in my washer the first time I wash the quilt.
If the unthinkable occurs and I am short a few inches or an entire piece of fabric, I immediately email or call the website or store where I purchased the kit. They will supply you with additional fabric and in some cases replace the entire kit. The sooner this is done the better. If the kit is an especially popular one, it could sell out completely and additional fabric may not be available. I’ll also add this – Ebay and Etsy can save your quilting sanity. Sometimes you can find additional kits or kit fabric on these sites. I’ve found Ebay to be especially helpful if I am working with a kit which is several years old.
Moving on to non-kitted pieced and applique quilts… I treat both quilts alike in a couple of ways. First, I make sure all my fabric is prewashed. Second, with both quilts I cut out all the blocks and block units before I take my first stitch. I have some sound reasoning behind this. Of all the quilting steps which must be taken, I dislike the cutting out part the most. I would rather get it all over with at one time so I can get to the fun part as soon as possible. The other reason has to do with the fabric itself. If I make cutting errors and need to purchase some additional fabric, now is the best time to know it. It could be drastically too late if I’m 35 half-square triangles into a total of 50 and run out of one of the fabrics. If the fabric is a recent enough purchase, chances are I can still find it where I purchased it at. However, if it’s from my stash, it could be several years old and no longer available for sale. Again, this is where Ebay and Etsy can save your quilting sanity. There have been several times one or the other site has exactly what I need.
Other than those two facts, the way I treat pieced and applique quilts differ. With pieced quilts, I read the directions through a couple of times. I decide if I will strictly follow the cutting instructions on the pattern or will make the units the way I want to. If I have to make dozens of four patches, I won’t cut out individual squares. I’ll use the quick strip method. I’ll make my half-square triangles larger and trim them to size. I’ll decide if there are certain parts (such as flying geese) I can paper piece. After these decisions are made, all the units are cut out – including the borders. Some people wait until the top is completed before cutting the borders. I personally don’t do it because it slows down my momentum. If I know I have to get up from my sewing machine and wrangle several feet of fabric, I tend to try to find something else to do. Let me also add I do cut my borders out longer than the pattern calls for. Sometimes the finished measurements of your quilt top will differ from those on the pattern. Always measure the length and width of the quilt center to get the correct border measurements and then it’s simple to just trim the cut-out borders to that – much easier than wrangling yards of leftover fabric.
After all of the units are cut out, it’s very important to coral them so they will stay organized. The way I control the madness depends on the status of the quilt. If the quilt will be stashed away for awhile or there’s travel plans in its future, I like these:
I keep the zip-type storage bags in three sizes – sandwich, gallon, and two-gallon – in my studio. I generally put all the units of the same size meant for the same intended use in a bag. For instance, if I have a grouping of 4 ½-inch squares which will be used to construct half-square triangles, all of those will go in one bag and I’ll write on the front of the bag “4 ½-inch square for HSTs.” Sometimes I even write the name of the quilt on the bag – especially if I think it may be several months before I can begin sewing. Just a note of personal reflection right here – always write what’s in the bag and what it’s for on the outside of the bag. You may think you’ll remember, but that’s not always the case ask me how I know.
If the quilt is in the “direct to the sewing machine” status, I organize differently. The zippered bags sit well in a project box, cardboard box, or tote bag. However, they’re slippery and tend to slide off my sewing tables, especially when stacked on top of each other. If I plan on starting the quilt right away, I opt for these:
These clips come in small, medium, and large and keep the cut-out units together pretty securely. Recently I discovered these clips:
Which are bigger and can hold quite a bit. They also have a hook so they can hang. I use these to hold completed blocks as well as units. Just like with the plastic bags, you need to indicate what size the units are and their intended use. With the clips I simply write this information down on a post-it note and slide it under the nose of the clip.
Once my units are organized, I find an old cookie sheet, disposable baking pans from the dollar store, or any other large-rectangle-ish pan. These work great to store these units in and they fit nicely in the area beside my sewing machine. If the project will be transported or stored for a while, I like stash them in the clear, plastic boxes you find at office supply places or dollar store establishments.
Now that all the units are cut out and ready to rock and roll, it’s time to make sure I have any specialty threads and notions nearby. If I’m paper piecing any units, all of the copies needed are printed. I have the machine threaded and extra bobbins available. I’ve changed my sewing machine needle (if needed) and I have read through the pattern directions at least twice and have my plan of action. When I have time to sit down to sew, everything is there, and I can make the most of my time whether it’s 15 minutes or three hours. I don’t have to stop and cut out additional units or chase down any special rulers.
I handle my applique quilts in a similar manner. If the quilt is both pieced and appliqued, I follow the method I use for pieced quilts and save the applique part until last. And no matter whether I machine or hand applique the quilt, I prep the quilt the same way. Like pieced quilts, the first step is cutting out all the units. And let me add this helpful hint: If your applique pattern doesn’t state your background squares are larger than needed and will be cut down to size later, be sure to add ½-inch to the size of the square. Both hand and machine applique will cause the fabric to pull up just a bit and if it’s not larger than needed, it may be smaller than you want when the applique is complete.
At this point, the quilt prep becomes like an assembly line. I mark all the centers of my applique squares and mark the backgrounds with any reference lines for applique placement. Then I prep all my applique pieces. Zone of truth here – this can take a long time depending on the size of the quilt. Some quilters prep one block at a time, but as much as possible, I try to have all the applique pieces prepped and bagged/clipped for each block before I begin sewing. This works for me because I love the applique process. Once I start, I don’t want to stop. I just want to keep sewing! I may spend two weeks or more prepping an applique quilt, but this prep time is really worth it. It doesn’t matter if it’s machine or hand applique or what method of applique used, advanced prep work really pays off.
The one thing I usually don’t do is layout the applique pieces on all my background blocks. I don’t do this because I use glue to hold my pieces in place (unless I’m using the needle turn or back basting applique techniques), and the units can come unglued, fall off, and get lost. If you want to lay out all your blocks at once, you can always thread baste the applique pieces in place. This generally will ensure they stay put.
After all the prep work, make sure you have any notions near your sewing area. With either hand applique or machine applique, thread is the primary issue. If you work with silk thread, make sure it’s nearby. Same with cotton thread or any other type of thread you plan to use. This way there’s no hunting for what you need if you have a few minutes to put in a few stitches. I find this is especially important if you’re switching thread colors to match the fabric.
Finally, there are a couple of additional steps I take to make the most of my quilting time. These suggestions don’t have anything to do with the actual quilt prep, but these are a few ideas I’ve found save me time in the long run. I work full-time, have a dynamic family life, and am active in my quilt guild and several other quilt groups. If I have even 15 minutes to put in a few stitches, it pushes my quilt a little closer to completion.
Every New Year, I make a list of quilt projects I want to work on. Generally this list is broken into four parts – Projects to finish, projects to start, projects to start and finish, and “lifers” (those projects which may take a few years to finish). I keep this list hanging over my computer so I can see it every day. It keeps me on task.
Every Sunday, I sit down and write out a list of everything I need to do for the week. These tasks include projects around the house, tasks for my family and organizations I belong to, and three or four quilting goals. The weekly quilting goals correspond with the yearly quilting goals. Some weeks I have time for several goals or a couple of lengthy ones. Some weeks I don’t. I just remember each little step pushes my quilt closer to the finish line.
When I stop machine sewing for the evening, I always make sure the units for the next step are by my machine and ready to rock and roll. This way I don’t waste minutes searching for the things I need. They’re ready to go as soon as I can catch some spare time.
I do the same thing with my hand work. And this is super easy to do if everything is prepped and ready to go. I may not have the time to spend time behind my machine or I simply may not feel like it. But if my handwork is ready to go and stacked by my chair in front of the TV, I can easily put in a half an hour binding a quilt, sewing down some applique, or hand piecing a few units.
I’ll be the first to admit, prep work is not a lot of fun. It’s not the “sexy” side of quilting. But I will also be honest and tell you good, solid quilt prep saves time and sanity in the long run. Once everything is prepped, you have the ability to make the most of your sewing time, whether is fifteen minutes or several hours. And every step — big or small – gets you closer to finishing your quilt.
Until next week, Remember the Details Make the Difference!
I’m not sure why I enjoy writing about obscure quilt topics.
Overall, any writer can tell you obscure topics require hours of research. Research that can yield little to no information. Remember my blog on the quilt projects of the 1980’s? That topic fascinated me. When I began to look into it, I figured it would require a day or two of research, perhaps some follow up phone or email interviews and I could have it “in the can” within a couple of weeks.
“The Power Behind the Needle: The Quilt Projects of the Eighties” took two years to research and one heartbreakingly short week to write. These projects were such a touchstone to quilt preservation, appreciation, and quilt guilds, I just knew the internet would be awash with tons of information. In actuality, the amount of remaining data about them was so small. So very, very small. Tragically small.
I’m All About Preserving Quilt History
I’m one of those quilters who strongly believe preserving quilt history is as important as preserving our quilts and continuing to teach new quilters. What we have today, as far as techniques and traditions, was established years ago. And while none of us (at least I think) would go so far as to state we all need to return to such traditions as hand quilting everything, we all can agree this art needs to be perpetuated in our twenty-first century quilting landscape. Just as most of us (at least I hope so) can agree understanding our quilt history is important.
The backwash of this is a historic hard reality: Quilting was women’s work. And society viewed women’s work through a patriarchal filter which meant it wasn’t nearly as important as men’s. Therefore, a great deal of our quilt history was passed down by women to other women in the forms of diaries, letters, and family folklore. Quilts and other women’s textiles did not merit much else. Once women obtained the right to vote in the 1920’s, things shifted a bit. Newspapers began carrying quilt patterns and columns written by women. Books and magazines promoted the art. Yet we are still left with questions about quilts and quilters which may never be answered.
Which brings me to today’s blog. In case you didn’t know, Barbara Brackman*** is the Grand Dame of quilt history and quilt blocks. She began cataloguing quilt blocks on index cards in the 1970’s and all her research led to her wonderful Quilt Block Encyclopedias and EQ’s Block Base. Merikay Woldvogel wrote one of the first books about Depression Era Quilts (Soft Covers for Hard Times). Barbara and Merikay knew of each other but actually met when both were researching the Sears Quilt Show. Then they proceeded to co-write a book about the show.
During the lecture Barbara mentioned it would be nice if someone could research the history of quilt shows and how they have changed throughout the years.
I’m not sure if part of me said, “Challenge accepted” or “Gee, that does sound really interesting and since I already include quite a bit of quilt history in my blog…this sounds like a good match.” Either way, I couldn’t stop thinking about the topic. On a quiet Sunday afternoon in March, I cranked up my computer and Googled “History of Quilt Shows,” and “How have quilt shows changed?”
And got back literally nothing except information on Ricky Timms and Alex Anderson’s The Quilt Show.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained, I searched “First Quilt Show,” “Quilt Judging,” and various other similar topics. Still nothing. Finally I pulled out one of my secret weapons: Susan Pierce. Susan is a fellow guild member. We quilt together on most Fridays. She’s one of my good friends. She also knows A LOT about quilt history. And she did not disappoint. She pushed enough information my way that it pointed me in the directions I needed to go.
From Livestock Shows to Quilt Shows
The first thing to remember about quilt shows is this: Quilters quilted for years without any. And the large quilt shows we’re so used to now (such as AQS Paducah and Houston’s International Quilt Show) are very recent additions to the world of quilting. For years, women would spread their quilts out for others to look at or put their best quilt on the bed in the guest bedroom. These types of activities were their quilt shows. Those quilts were examined, the workmanship praised, and they were pronounced beautiful and outstanding works of art. Sometimes patterns were requested by the viewers. And this had to be enough until County Fairs came on the scene.
Depending on who you ask, which county had the first fair is up for some serious debate. York, Pennsylvania had one in 1765. The Franklin County Fair is the oldest, continually operating fair. It’s been held in Greenfield, Massachusetts since 1848. The Topsfield Fair (also in Massachusetts) began in 1818 as a cattle show. No matter which fair you believe is the oldest, it’s safe to say county fairs were major events by the mid-nineteenth century. While most of these events began primarily as livestock shows, it didn’t take long for the fair officials to implement categories specifically for women to enter. And one of these categories was quilting. The county fair quilt shows were more than just an opportunity to win ribbons; it was a chance to see other quilts, examine what new techniques others were using, and come away with great ideas for your next quilt. Like today, you may have agreed with the judge or thought the judge needed glasses, but a good quilty time was had by all. These quilt shows are the first recorded quilt shows in America.
State fairs weren’t an event until 1841, when New York held its first state fair in Syracuse. Other states soon followed, with Texas holding the record for the largest state fair and Illinois having two state fairs. Forty-eight of our states and the District of Columbia currently have state fairs. In many ways, these state fairs mimicked county fairs, except they were bigger, had more attendees, and anyone in the state could enter any of the categories – including quilting. The state fairs offered a larger venue for quilters. Quilters from all over the state could enter their projects. Yes, it took some time for them to get their quilts to the state fair location, but in one way state fairs generally differed from county fairs – the prize winners took home cash. That, in and of itself, was enough to motivate many quilters to finish their quilts, pack them up, and get them to the fairgrounds on time. Ribbons and bragging rights are one thing, but cash is the great incentivizer.
The First Large, Well-Documented Quilt Shows
At this point, quilt show history gets hazy. While county and state fairs continued to have a quilt venue and listed the winners with pictures of their quilts in the newspapers, other quilt shows (if there were any) didn’t even have this amount of publicity. As a matter of fact, when I began researching quilt shows apart from what the fairs conducted, I came away with a myriad of dates. One resource stated the first quilt show (all of these are separate from those at the fairs) was in 1975. Another said 1978. However, I think there were at least two large quilt shows prior to the Seventies. One of these I know very well – The Sears Quilt Show at the 1933 and 1934 World’s Fair.
I won’t rehash everything here about the Sears Quilt Show because I wrote two fairly exhaustive blogs about them and the links to these are listed above. The Sears Quilt Show remains the Mother of All Quilt Shows. Attendance topped out in the thousands, and it awarded $7,500.00 in cash prizes. The grand prize winner not only took home a ribbon and bragging rights, but also $1,000, which in the middle of the Great Depression was worth $18,014.27 in today’s money. Although Sears gave quilters a tight deadline (the show was announced in January and the deadline was May), they did award local and regional winners as well as the grand prize winners at the Chicago World Fair. This show also still holds the record for the number of quilts entered – 24,000.
The second large-ish quilt show was The Detroit News Quilt shows. And this wasn’t so much one show, as it was a series of annual shows. If you remember earlier in this blog, I mentioned women received the right to vote in 1920. The right to vote gave women more than just power in the voting booth. It gave them a voice. Entrepreneurs, newspapers, and elected officials with an ounce of forethought realized the 19th amendment was simply the tip of a very deep iceberg. Women would become a market group, voting bloc, and readership in their own might. The Detroit News realized this and in the 1930’s hired Edith B. Crumb as the editor of their Beauty in the Home section. As soon as Ms. Crumb settled in, she started the Quilt Club Corner in 1932. For a small fee, women could join the club. Membership included having your letter to Ms. Crumb read aloud by her on WWJ, a popular Detroit radio station. The club also produced a list of members for their membership which included addresses so members could correspond and meet. Best of all, it allowed members to enter their quilts in a show. The first of these shows was held November 17-19, 1933. This show attracted over 50,000 viewers and had over 1,000 quilts entered. Word quickly spread to quilters outside of Detroit and Michigan. The second Quilt Club Corner show was held October 12-14, 1934, and was “a greater success than the first show.”
The shows continued for several years. Ribbons were awarded as well as cash prizes (first prize garnered $25). The show expanded categories to include Juvenile Quilts as well as applique quilts. These shows were hugely successful. However, they ground to a halt in 1941. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Ms. Edith Crumb met with some of the members of Quilt Club Corner and formed The Detroit News Needles for Defense Club. Everyone who knew how to use a sewing machine or needle and thread was invited to join this new club and members of the Quilt Club Corner were given a special invitation by Ms. Crumb to join. The Quilt Club was disbanded for the duration of World War II.
After the War, it did not return.
Post World War II and the Bicentennial Quilting Re-Birth
Post World War II, women once again found their position in society shifting. During the War, women took the place of men in factories and farms, as men enlisted or were drafted into the Armed Services. When the war was over, and men returned home, things did not go back to the way they were prior to 1941. Many women remained in the workplace. Quilting dipped in popularity because there wasn’t a lot of spare time for it. While county and state fairs still had quilt venues, it wasn’t until our Bicentennial Year that quilting regained a renewed interest.
I explained much of what happened in to quilting in the Seventies here: https://sherriquiltsalot.com/2022/06/18/those-groovy-1970-quilts/. The 1976 United States Bicentennial renewed an interest in many folk arts and quilting just happened to be one of those. New quilters were abundant and as the Bicentennial festivities drew to a close, they realized two important things. First, they wanted to continue to quilt, because they loved it. Second, they wanted to form groups which would meet to continue to foster quilting and teach new quilters. As a result of this second idea, quilt guilds were formed throughout the Seventies, Eighties, and beyond.
Here’s when I believe quilt shows as we know them today began to come into play. When the guilds first formed, they met to teach and promote quilting skills. However, what many non-guild folks may not realize is a guild is run much like a business – even though the majority of guilds are registered nonprofits. The guild needs money for office supplies, hospitality supplies, etc. Membership fees cover part of these expenses, but most guilds learned rather quickly a bigger fundraising event was needed to sustain their bottom lines. Quilt shows, by necessity and by choice, became the defacto means of keeping the guilds’ bottom lines in the black. They also served another purpose. Quilt shows became a way of demonstrating to the community how important quilts were and how the local quilt guild helped their community (since most guilds have a charitable outreach of some kind). Members were encouraged to display their quilts and ribbons were awarded. Thus, the local quilt show was born. Today, we’re used to hearing about local guild shows on a consistent basis. The earliest of these shows was recorded in 1978 by the East Bay Heritage Quilters. Props must be given to a guild which was founded in June 1978 and held a show in October of that same year.
While the Seventies and Eighties birthed literally hundreds of local quilt guilds and their shows, a national awareness about quilts still lingered from the aftermath of the Bicentennial. So much so, there were several national quilt shows held during this time, including Jonathan Holstein’s and Gail van der Hoof’s 1971 Abstract Designs in American Quilts, which drew major attention to quilts. Quilts were hung vertically, presenting them as works of art, rather than domestic necessities. Their prominent display in New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art drew thousands of viewers. From these national quilt shows, three other folks formed national/international groups and developed what I call the “Big Three” of the quilt shows we’re familiar with today.
In 1975 Karoline (Karey) Bresenhan formed the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas. If you’ve read my blog on the Quilt Projects of the Eighties, you may recognize her name. Hot on the heels of the success from the Texas Quilt Project and growth spurt of Texas quilt shops and guilds, Karey decided to form both the International Quilt Market – which features vendors from all types of sewing and quilting goods manufacturers – and the International Quilt Festival, a four-day event which eventually drew quilters from all over the world. This show has numerous categories and awards both cash prizes (ranging from $12,500 to $1,000) and ribbons (not to mention serious bragging rights if you come home with a ribbon attached to your quilt).
Also in 1975, theMancuso Shows were born. Peter and David Mancuso formed the Mancuso Show Management from David’s antique shop in New Hopes, Pennsylvania. Originally the brothers wanted to host a series of antique shows, but soon found out that quilts and quilt-related textiles were the items which drew the most attention. They have now hosted over 300 QuiltFest shows, which awards cash and ribbons to the winners.
In 1983,Meredith and Bill Schroeder headed out to a national quilt show in Bell Buckle, Tennessee. The Schroeders, who were avid quilt collectors, were not surprised at the number of quilts – 400 – hung in the exhibit hall. What did grab their attention was the number of spectators who poured into see the quilts. Thousands of enthusiastic folks lined up each day and paid to view the quilts. Delighted in the eagerness of the attendees, Meredith formed the American Quilters Society in 1984. By 1985, AQS held its first show in Paducah, Kentucky. To me what is unique about this, is the town of Paducah. During the week of the quilt show, the city literally turns into Quilt City, USA. Quilts are hung everywhere – even gas stations. An average of 37,000 folks attend this event and both cash awards and ribbons are awarded. The cash awards in the Paducah AQS show are a bit different. There are straight-up cash awards and then there are purchase awards. Purchase awards mean your quilt is purchased by the show for future exhibits. The Best of Show Winner is a Purchase Award. While the winner may go home without his or her quilt, they pocket a substantial sum of cash and have the honor of knowing their quilt is now hanging in the National Quilt Museum (also founded by the Schroeders and named the National Quilt Museum by Congress in 2008).
These three large shows are juried shows (meaning you must send in photograph of your quilt for acceptance before it’s hung in the show). They also have great vendor malls and classes are available to take during quilt week. Most local quilt shows are not juried, but many do have good vendor malls, and some offer classes.
The In-Between Quilt Shows
There are a couple of quilt shows which fall between the definitions of a “small, local show” and one of the Big Three. The two I’m specifically thinking of are Road to California and the Sisters Quilt Show.
Road to California was purchased by Carolyn Reese in 1991. Prior to Ms. Reese’s purchase, Road to California existed as a small, local-ish quilt conference in Anaheim, California. She changed the dates, pulled in well-known judges, and developed a fantastic vendor mall. The result is an outstanding quilt show, attended by more than 42,000 people.
The Sisters Quilt Show is much smaller than Road to California, but it is held completely outdoors and is completely free. This show generally attracts around 10,000 people and the buildings in Sisters, Oregon serve as the backdrop for nearly 1,400 quilts. There are no categories. There is no judging. This is just an unabashed display of gorgeous quilts – of every color and every type — for your viewing pleasure. While this show is only for one day (the second Saturday in July), there are lots of quilting events throughout the week, including classes taught by well-known quilters.
There are other (literally hundreds) of “in-between” quilt shows like these all across the United States. Nearly all of them (such as the Vermont Quilt Festival and the New England Quilt Festival) are off-shoots from the Bicentennial’s quilt revival. Most have vendor malls and award both cash prizes and ribbons.
What Does the Future Hold for Quilt Shows
The “Big Three” will soon become the “Big Four”
While the “Big Three” continue to hold ground as the most well-known quilt shows, there’s an up-and-coming fourth player in the national quilt show realm: QuiltCon.
QuiltCon is the largest, modern quilting event of its kind and it’s produced by the Modern Quilt Guild. It is a juried show with twelve judged categories, special exhibits, and a vendor mall curated especially for modern quilters. It’s only 10 years old but it’s drawing in thousands of spectators and is hanging outstandingly beautiful quilts. My prediction is the “Big Three” will become the “Big Four” soon. I am proud and happy that my state’s capital – Raleigh, North Carolina – is QuiltCon’s 2024 host.
COVID still somewhat alters some quilt shows
For all the quilting quilters did during lockdowns, I still find the ugly backwash of the virus present. While the large quilt shows and most of the in-between ones are up and running full speed ahead now, many of the smaller, local shows are gasping for breath. Post-COVID, some guilds found their membership gutted, and no longer have the number of people needed to organize a show. Some good information was garnered during this time. Several organizations tried the virtual route – the quilts were displayed virtually and there was a virtual vendor mall. And while there were varying degrees of success, over all this virtual picture was pretty dim. Quilters like those in-person shows.
Quilt shows have come a long way from side exhibits at county fairs. After enjoying a nearly dizzying height of popularity in the Thirties and then falling into near obscurity only to enjoy a re-birth of it again after the Bicentennial, they have grown and changed to reflect quilters and their love of quilting. And personally, I’ve enjoyed falling down this quilty rabbit hole of obscure information about one of the hottest topics for any quilter. Please take a few moments to read the additional notes at the end of this blog.
Until next week, Remember, the Details Make the Difference!
Love and Stitches,
Sherri
**Quilt Alliance is located in Asheville, North Carolina. Once a week they offer a free Zoom presentation about some historical aspects of textiles. Quite often the program concerns quilts. If you log into their website, you can sign up for an email notification about the Zoom programs.
***Barbara Brackman is part of a YouTube Channel called Six Know-It-Alls and a Quilt. Six well-known quilters discuss quilts and textile history. This is a wonderful YouTube Channel, especially if you like quilt history. The ladies are knowledgeable and hysterically funny at the same time.
****Those of you who have read my blogs about the Sears Quilt Show (and if you haven’t, this footnote will make absolutely no sense) remember the grand prize winner of $1,000 was Margaret Caden. The winning quilt was titled “Star of the Bluegrass.” And to be honest, there was nothing super-spectacular about the quilt (even by 1930’s standards). It was a star quilt, done up in the particular minty-ish green so popular during the Depression Era. The technique which made the quilt stand out was the “stuffed” (trapunto) leaves in the blocks adjacent to the stars.
Margaret Caden’s Star of the Bluegrass
To be honest, this quilt has a pretty shady past. Margaret Caden was a professional quilt maker. She and her sister, Anna, owned a needlework/quilt making business. They employed seamstresses to make the quilts they sold, including Star of the Bluegrass. Margaret herself didn’t put a stitch in the quilt. She paid her seamstresses to make the quilt and offered them none of the prize money as a bonus. And after the quilt was complete, she didn’t follow the standard procedure for acceptance in the contest. Quilts were to be shipped to a regional Sears in the quilter’s area. At that Sears, they would be judged. The top three would then move onto the Chicago World’s Fair.
Margaret Caden didn’t do this. She shipped hers directly to the Chicago Sears for judging. She probably did this for a couple of reasons. The particular quilt design of this star and then a relief area was very well-known, well-used, and well-loved in Caden’s home state of Kentucky. As a matter of fact, most antique quilts with this design (especially if they were made from silks) have a Kentucky province. To have this quilt in the Kentucky (or surrounding area) Sears wouldn’t be in Caden’s favor. There were probably a dozen similar quilts in that particular contest. However, it wouldn’t be viewed as “common” in Chicago. It would stand out. And since the quilt pattern was so common in Kentucky, it’s unlikely Margaret or Anna Caden even designed much, if any, of the Star of the Bluegrass. In fact, it was a Mountain Mist quilt pattern. Few, if any, changes were made.
Beside the $1,000 cash award, a nifty ribbon, and bragging rights, the Grand Prize Winning Quilt would be gifted to the First Lady of the United States, which at this time was Eleanor Roosevelt. There are pictures and articles about Mrs. Roosevelt receiving the quilt. Meanwhile, Margaret Caden went back to Kentucky and monopolized on her big “win.” Pictures of the Star of the Bluegrass were everywhere, so the Caden sisters made quilt kits (for the quilter) and completed quilts (for the non-quilter) in the exact same colors as the winning quilt. Hundreds of the Star of the Bluegrass quilts soon populated Kentucky’s homes – not to mention out-of-state sales.
Meanwhile, the original Star of the Bluegrass, which was supposed to be residing in the White House, disappeared. We know Mrs. Roosevelt received it, and then it literally vanished. The Roosevelt Family has been asked repeatedly through the years if any family member has it, or do they remember ever seeing it. The answer to both questions has always been, “No.” It’s not in the Roosevelt Presidential Library nor White House Repositories. It wasn’t listed in the items Eleanor took with her when she moved from the White House after her husband died. It is thought, if Mrs. Roosevelt had knowledge of the quilt’s “shady” past and monopolized future, she would not have displayed it. Instead she may have packed the quilt away for a while and then gave it away to someone who helped her in the White House when she moved.
We will probably never know. More than likely the quilt was tossed a long time ago.
From time-to-time we do hear that the Star of the Bluegrass has been found. Each time this happens, it turns out the quilt either came from a kit or was one the Caden sister’s needlework company produced. The closest we’ve ever came to the actual quilt was a few left over “stuffed” leaf blocks one of the seamstresses kept as her own souvenir.
Repeat this phrase as many times as necessary while reading this blog.
I am rather consistently amazed with quilters who don’t know how to “math” out their quilts or don’t understand how to. I’m even more amazed at quilters who would rather not learn how to do quilt math and simply follow all the directions on a pattern. Quilt math sets you free to alter patterns or design your own quilt. And there’s nothing to really dread about this math. It’s addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. If you can balance your checkbook and come up with a workable household budget, you can easily conquer the math needed to change patterns or design your own quilt top.
Quilts and quilters generally have an uneasy working relationship with Algebra and Geometry. Occasionally the fields of Algebra and Geometry will throw us quilters a formula we can use. And what I find gratifying about these higher maths (especially geometry), is when the formula is introduced in the concept of concrete numbers, it makes a lot more sense than it did sweating out variables in Ms. Blalocks’ seventh period geometry class. Which is why I also think Algebra should be taught in lockstep with chemistry, but that’s a different battle for a different day. I have written a lot about the Golden Ratio (1.618) and quilting (Go here: https://sherriquiltsalot.com/2018/07/26/sashing-and-the-golden-ratio/ ) and how we can use it to produce wonderfully balanced quilts, sashing, and borders. Today I want to introduce another similar formula called Fibonacci. But before we get into what exactly Fibonacci numbers are and how we use them in quilts, let’s talk a little bit about Fibonacci himself.
Fibonacci, also known as Leonardo Bonacci, Leonardo of Pisa, or Leonardo Bigollo Pisano (‘Leonardo the Traveller from Pisa’), was an Italian mathematician from the Republic of Pisa, considered to be “the most talented Western mathematician of the Middle Ages”. The name he is commonly called, Fibonacci, was made up in 1838 by the Franco-Italian historian Guillaume Libri and is short for filius Bonacci (‘son of Bonacci’). However, even earlier, in 1506, a notary of the Holy Roman Empire, Perizolo mentions Leonardo as “Lionardo Fibonacci”. Fibonacci popularized the Indo–Arabic numeral system in the Western world primarily through his composition in 1202 of Liber Abaci (Book of Calculation). He also introduced Europe to the sequence of Fibonacci numbers, which he used as an example in Liber Abaci.
Fibonacci was born around 1170 to Guglielmo, an Italian merchant, and customs official. Guglielmo directed a trading post in Bugia (Béjaïa) in modern-day Algeria, the capital of the Hammadi empire. Fibonacci travelled with him as a young boy, and it was in Bugia (Algeria) where he was educated that he learned about the Hindu–Arabic numeral system.
Fibonacci travelled around the Mediterranean coast, meeting with many merchants and learning about their systems of doing arithmetic. He soon realized the many advantages of the Hindu-Arabic system, which, unlike the Roman numerals used at the time, allowed easy calculation using a place-value system. In 1202, he completed the Liber Abaci (Book of Abacus or The Book of Calculation), which popularized Hindu–Arabic numerals in Europe.
Fibonacci is thought to have died between 1240 and 1250, in Pisa. (Wikipedia)
The key phrase from all this history is this: Sequence of Numbers. While Fibonacci was pretty darn keen about substituting Hindu-Arabic numbers for Roman numerals (because the Hindu-Arabic numbers we use today make computations so much easier – can you imagine three-digit addition with Roman numerals?), he was also fascinated with number sequences. What made it even more fascinating was Fibonacci saw his number sequences reflected in nature, art, and architecture. The way the number sequence works is though simple addition.
Begin with the number one. Add the number before one (in this case, zero) and one together to come up with two.
1, 1, 2
Now add the 2 and the second one together to get 3.
1, 1, 2, 3
Keep adding the new number to the one immediately preceding it, and this is the Fibonacci Sequence:
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, etc.
So, how do these numbers work in day-to-day life? The Fibonacci Sequence is seen in tree branches, as the sequence begins with the trunk and then works out and up in the branches. If you’re a storm tracker, the swirling masses of hurricanes is a great example of the Fibonacci numbers at work. The numbers in sequence, with one being the eye or center of the storm, expands in a tight formation of the Fibonacci numbers. Pinecones, flower heads, galaxies, flower petals, nautilus shells, and humans all exist as great examples of the Fibonacci Sequence. However, in nature, instead of these numbers lining up in horizontal or vertical row, most of the time they appear in a spiral sort of form like this:
The Fibonacci spiral or Fibonacci sequence is one of the mathematical formulas par excellence in terms of the proportion aurea or divine proportion. The number is repeated infinitely, we can find it both in the organic form of nature and in the galaxies of the universe itself.
It consists of drawing circular arcs connecting the opposite corners of the squares adjusted to the succession values, by putting side squares 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55 and so on.
Which, if you look closely, can be found reflected in nature and architecture.
By now, if you’re still reading about the plethora of numbers I’ve thrown at you, I bet you’re wondering what does any of this have to do with quilting? And that’s a fair question. But before I answer, I would like to ask you to do something: Think about a Log Cabin quilt block. For my example in this blog, I am using this Log Cabin variation.
If you follow the progression of this block, in the lower right-hand corner are two squares of equal size. For the sake of keeping things simple, let’s say both of these squares are 1-inch. So, these are the first two numbers of the Fibonacci Sequence: 1, 1. The patches adjacent to the left side and top are twice the size of the joined first two patches, making them 2-inches. This is the third number of the Fibonacci Sequence: 1, 1, 2. The next set of patches would be 3-inches (1, 1, 2, 3) and the sequence would continue on until the block was as large as you needed it to be. It would also be balanced and pleasing to the eye because it used the Fibonacci Sequence during construction.
Fibonacci may also be observed in some applique pieces, especially flowers. Note the spiral formation in the rose and the petals in the other flower.
Even star blocks reflect the Fibonacci Sequence.
So, at this point we know who Fibonacci was, his number sequence, and how to compute his number sequence. Which brings us to the main topic of this blog: How do we use the Fibonacci Sequence in our quilting? Is it anything like working with the Golden Ratio? Let’s tackle the first question before the second.
One of the easiest quilts to make is a Rail Fence Quilt.
This quilt is made of blocks like this:
Which are simply strips cut the same length and width and sewn together. There are two things I love about Rail Fence Quilts. First, they are super-duper stash busters. If you like to cut your leftover fabric into some kind of manageable stash-keeping system, Rail Fence Quilts is a great vehicle for this. After you’ve constructed your quilt top, cut the remaining fabric into strips in the width of your choice (I usually cut mine 2-inches wide). Store them somewhere until you have enough to begin piecing your blocks. Sew the strips together lengthwise until the sewn together strips are as wide as you’d like the blocks, and then cut the strip apart into blocks.
The second reason I like the Rail Fence Quilt is, despite its simplicity, there are some serious design variations you can throw out with these strippy blocks.
But…let’s play with this block by throwing in the Fibonacci Sequence. Going back to our initial sequence (1, 1, 2, 3, 5), what if we cut our strips the width of the Fibonacci Sequence? How would that look in a block? It’s not hard to figure this out. Remember, we always work with the finished size of the block, and then add a ½-inch seam allowance. This would the actual width we cut the strips.
Strips One and Two: 1 + ½ = 1 ½-inches
Strip Two: 2 + ½ = 2 ½-inches
Strip Three: 3 + ½-inches = 3 ½-inches
At this point, our block would be 7-inches finished, and would look something like this:
And there are lots of fun ways to lay this Rail Fence Quilt out.
You can have even more fun by dividing the 7-inch block into two rectangles with coinciding Fibonacci numbers.
Rectangle One could measure 3 x 7-inches finished and the second rectangle could measure 4 x 7-inches finished. Within these two rectangles you could piece units within the Fibonacci Sequence and come up with something like this:
Depending on your color choices, you can get some mind-bending layout ideas.
Please realize, too, you don’t have to stick to strippy blocks when Fibonacci is in play. Let’s revisit our sequence again: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5. As long as the units in your block (even if the units are pieced) measure these finished sizes, your good to go. In other words, you could have a simple pieced block with the units measuring 1, 1, 2, 3, 5 like this:
Or you could take those units and piece them. As long as the finished measurements of each unit come up to 1, 1, 2, 3, and 5, you’re still well within the Fibonacci Sequence.
The Fibonacci Sequence doesn’t just pertain to pieced blocks. Applique blocks also use them. The circles in this appliqued quilt
Used the Fibonacci Sequence to determine what size they needed to be. And those applique blocks with flowers all over the place? Many times the designers of those blocks used the Fibonacci Sequence to determine how big to make them.
Let me leave you with one last very practical example of how we quilters can use the Fibonacci Sequence. Most of us have one of these:
Somewhere in our stash. We saw the panel and we liked it. Or in my case, I keep a few nursery panels around to make quick baby quilts for gifts. The quickest and easiest way to deal with panels is to simply put borders around the panel. An afternoon of quickly cut borders, sewing, and some simple quilting results in a nice baby shower gift. We can use the Fibonacci Sequence to determine the borders’ sizes. However, I can hear some of you right now, “One-inch borders are so narrow to sew and don’t show up well against my panel.”
That very well may be true, but allow me to also throw in this caveat – you can make the first border 2-inches wide (you simply add the 1, 1). The second border would also be 2-inches wide. The third, 3-inches wide, and the final one would be 5-inches wide. You also don’t necessarily have to begin the sequence with one. You could begin with two. In this case, your sequence would look like this: 2, 3, 5, 8, 11.
Finally, let’s look at the last question: Does the Fibonacci Sequence and the Golden Ratio have anything in common? Truthfully, beyond both producing pleasing blocks, applique, or quilt size, no. But it is amazing how close the numbers come without landing squarely on top of each other. We use division with the Golden Ratio (1.618). If we take the Fibonacci Sequence numbers and divide them by their preceding number, the answers look like this:
2/1=2, 3/2=1.5, 5/3=1.667, 8/5=1.6, 23/8=1.625, and 21/13=1.615.
So you can see that the final number (21/13) gets super close to the Golden Ratio.
The Fibonacci Sequence is another tool you can tuck away in your quilting toolbox and bring out when you want to alter a quilt pattern or design your own. It also comes in pretty handy when you’re dealing with some orphan blocks in different sizes or a quilt panel. And always remember, no matter how traumatic your high school math classes were, numbers are our friends. They never lie.
Until next Week, remember the Difference is in the Details!
In many aspects, quilters can be divided into two groups: Those who cultivate a stash and those who do not. Stash – just in case you don’t know what that means – is the fabric accumulated by quilters without a specific purpose in mind. The quilter either liked the fabric and decided she or he would make a quilt out of it at some future point, or the fabric fits one of the basic quilting needs: It can be used as a neutral, a background, focus fabric, or is a blender. However, no matter if you’re a stash builder or a stash minimalist, both types of quilters need fabric. And that’s what today’s blog topic deals with – what is a good fabric, what’s not a good fabric, and where to find the best fabric.
This blog will also have many “Zones of Truth” in it on my part. Here’s the first one: I am a self-professed fabric snob. I haven’t always been this way, but the longer I quilt the more particular I become over notions, thread, and fabric. When I began quilting years ago (back when we lived in caves and I sewed with a needle made of bone), I couldn’t afford quality fabric unless it was on sale. I used the “cheap stuff” because those were the price points my wallet could afford. However, once I was able to construct a small quilt out of quality fabric, I was amazed at the differences. The quilt looked better, it definitely felt better, and sewed so much more easily. A light bulb went off and I decided I would only use quality fabric and purchase it as I could afford to. This could mean I waited awhile to start a project or only made a small one. However, the quilting experience was so much better with good fabric, it was worth the wait or the altered size.
And now, since fabric can be purchased from quilt shops, big box stores, and hundreds of online sites, how can we tell if it’s quality fabric? There are a couple of different ways. The first is thread count. Most of us may be aware of this term concerning bed sheets – the higher the thread count, the softer the sheet. While quality quilting fabric doesn’t need to have as high of a thread count as sheets, it does need to be somewhere in the 60 threads per square inch category – 60 threads running horizontally and vertically in the square inch.
So what do you do? The next time you’re fabric shopping, do you take a magnifying glass and count the threads per square inch before purchasing?
Nope. The fabric will have three other characteristics to show it has adequate thread counts. First, it will be smooth to the touch. It won’t be super stiff, it won’t feel like sandpaper, and will be soft to both the palm and back of your hand (the back of the hand is more sensitive than the palm). Second, it won’t fray. Pull the bolt out and look where the fabric has been cut across the crosswise grain from selvedge to selvedge. If there’s a great deal of fraying, the chances are pretty good the fabric has a thread count lower than 60 threads p/s/i. Third, it will have a crisp hand. This is different than feeling stiff. A low thread count fabric will feel stiff enough to almost stand up by itself. A crisp fabric can hold a crease well. To determine if a fabric is crisp, fold a section of the material and run your nail down the fold. Open the fabric. If the crease you just made by running your nail down the fold remains in place, then the material has a good thread count.
At this point, let me throw in this additional fact: Good fabric will have a finish on it. During the manufacturing process (usually towards the end of production, right before the material goes on the bolts), the fabric has a chemical introduced to its surface. Now this finishing has a lot of pros and just as many cons, depending on what kind quilt your making. If you plan on fusing any of the fabric (such as in raw edge applique), sometimes the finish can prevent the fusible webbing from adhering properly. If any type of dye, ink, or paint is introduced to the fabric’s surface, quite often the finishing will interfere with that. Some finishes will also flake off, so if you have a sensitive nose, it can make you sneeze. However, the finish does help the fabric look great on the bolt. When a fabric is treated with a finishing chemical, it keeps its shape, and it prevents bleeding. A super-stiff fabric not only has a lower thread count, but it will also (more than likely) be less colorfast than a finished fabric.
Most of today’s quilts are made from 100 percent cotton fabrics. And with today’s consumer interest in all-natural, organic everything, cotton fabric is easy to come by. However let me add this additional piece of information for you to ponder – Besides having the ability to purchase good fabric to use in quilts, did you know we now can purchase cotton fabrics designed especially for quilters? These are called Quilting Cottons, and it’s important to note that all cotton fabric sold as quilting fabric may not be Quilting Cottons. Quilting Cottons are a bit heavier than regular 100 percent cottons, weighing in at roughly four ounces per yard. So faced with the possibility of purchasing either regular cotton fabric or Quilting Cotton, why should you choose the Quilting Cottons?
First, Quilting Cottons are heavier than regular cottons. This means there’s less chance of the batting bearding through. Second, Quilting Cottons are also more tightly woven than regular cottons, meaning they are extremely stable and won’t stretch or warp while cutting and sewing. The third and fourth reasons are from my Zone of Truth. If I have to cut a lot of pieces on the bias, or I’m making true bias binding for a large quilt, I try my best to perform those two tasks with Quilting Cottons. The tighter weave of the fabric gives it more stability and I personally think this keeps the bias from stretching too much. The fourth reason concerns the quilting itself. I think Quilting Cottons quilt up prettier than regular cotton fabric (and this reason is completely subjective).
Of course, quilts from the past were not always made from 100 percent cotton fabric. Many times women had to work with what they had or what they could find. It’s not odd to find wool used in antique quilts and quilts from the 1970’s have an abundance of double knit and polyester. Today quilters will often turn to linen and flannel for their quilting needs. However, with the growing popularity of “upcycling,” many quilters are searching for fabric/used clothing at thrift stores, estate sales, and their own closets. Which can raise the question (especially if there’s no tag on the item), how do we know if the fabric is 100 percent cotton or not? Luckily there’s a test we can do to find out. All you need is a couple of square inches of the fabric and a match.
Place the test fabric in a flame-proof container and use the match to set it on fire. Let it burn out completely. If the fabric burns like paper, the flame has an orange to yellow after glow and the ashes dissolve in water, it’s 100 percent cotton fabric. If the cloth appears to melt, smells like burning hair (or something equally offensive), and the ashes are brittle, it’s not 100 percent cotton.
At this point, you may be wondering why it’s important to know if the upcycled fabric is all cotton or not. Remember all fabric have different shrink ratios – even among different types of organic fabric. Pure cotton fabrics shrink at a different rate than 100 percent linen. Polyester/cotton blend fabric has little to no shrinkage. If you make a quilt with different types of fabric before pre-washing them, you’ll get different shrink ratios and this may make the top a bit difficult to quilt and look a little wonky. Of course you can completely avoid this test by prewashing everything…but I know some quilters don’t like to do this.
These two photos are of the quilt, “Goodwill To Men” designed by my one of my quilting BFFs, Janet Wells. Most of the paid fabric in this quilt was upcycled from men’s shirts purchased at thrift stores (hence the name, Goodwill to Men). Not only did this upcycled project turn out completely beautiful, Janet snagged two ribbons for it in our guild’s last quilt show.
By now you may be thinking, “Okay…you’ve convinced me to go for the good fabric. Where do I shop so I know I’m purchasing good quality, 100 percent cotton fabrics?”
Not most Big Box Stores. If you find yourself shopping at Walmart or even Joann’s for fabric, be sure use the touch test to see if it’s good stuff. You don’t want a stiff fabric. You want one with a smooth surface which doesn’t ravel a lot. And this can be a bit dicey at times in these stores. Take your time as you shop there and be sure the fabric will work in your quilt. Quilt stores are a different story. Quilt shops exist to satisfy the quilter’s itch for good fabric. Noted, it will cost more than the cloth in a Big Box Store, but overall you won’t have to worry about the quality. Online stores can be a bit of guessing game. I suggest you try website affiliated directly with a quilt shop, or the well-recognized online names such as Fat Quarter Shop, Shabby Fabric, Keepsake Quilting, Pineapple Fabric, Missouri Star, Stitchin’ Heaven, Hancocks of Paducah, E-quilter, and Fabric Shack, to name a few. These online stores have an excellent reputation for wonderful fabric and stellar customer service.
Finally, one last Zone of Truth as I’m rounding out this blog on fabrics — I would like to share my favorites. I’m asked pretty frequently which lines of fabric I use in my quilts. My very, very favorite is Fig Tree Fabrics.
Fig Tree Fabrics
I love the sweet colors and prints this fabric house produces. And added bonus (after hearing me harp for months about most fabric families don’t have a true dark) they will have a true dark in their fabric lines.
My next favorite is Henry Glass.
A very small example of Henry Glass fabrics. This fabric house is huge!
This production house has Kim Diehl’s fabrics and hundreds of other whimsical prints. If I need inspiration, I look at their website.
P&B Fabrics
P & B Fabrics round out my top three. I began purchasing this line of fabric for their quilt backs. Often backing fabric feels stiff and thin. P&B’s doesn’t. It’s thicker and the mottled colors are just gorgeous. As a matter of fact, I use a lot of their backing fabrics in my tops. All of their fabric is so wonderful to needle, either by hand or machine.
After these, in no particular preference are: Buttermilk Basin, Hoffman, Cherrywood, Tula Pink, RJR, and Riley Blake. All of these are great to sew with (by hand or machine) and come in clear, bright colors and with a variety of neutrals and shirtings. All of these fabric companies have produced quality fabric consistently for years.
One line of fabric you may have noticed is absent is Moda. When I began using Moda some years ago, it was a really good fabric. Through the years, it has appeared to me, the fabric has gotten thinner and feels a bit rough. My complaint is primarily with Moda’s solids. Fortunately, I have discovered a line of solids which are crisp – Painter’s Palette. They work well with either machine stitching or hand stitching. And an added bonus with this line is the consistency of the fabric colors. They don’t discontinue colors readily and the fabric dye doesn’t change. For instance, I used their Agave for a quilt I started a couple of years ago. Unfortunately when I ordered the fabric, I had not planned on using Agave in the borders, but changed my mind as I was completing the top. I ordered two additional yards, a year later, and everything matched perfectly. Painter’s Palette also produces a handy-dandy swatch card which is true to color, also, making fabric coordination oh, so easy.
No matter where you purchase fabric, keep in mind it’s important the material feel smooth, not ravel at the cut edges, and is crisp. Indulge yourself in the colors and prints you love because any sewing project – quilting or otherwise – is a time commitment. You and those fabrics will be spending hours together. Make sure it will sew wonderfully and bring joy to your eyes and heart.
And here’s where my standard disclaimer goes: I don’t work for any of the fabric companies, stores, or websites mentioned in this blog. They do not supply me with any “freebies” for mentioning them. My blog is not monetized in anyway by any corporate entity. The opinions expressed are my own, drawn from over 30 years of sewing and quilting experience.
Until Next Week, Remember the Details Make the Difference!
I have a daughter. Some of you know this. She is many things – a logistics engineer, a mother, a wife, an activist for women in the logistics field, and a graduate student.
A quilter, she is not.
She loves the quilts I make, and she has a healthy appreciation and respect for the art. I think, possibly, in the future, when her life slows down a tad, she may pick up a rotary cutter and some fabric and slice and dice her way into our world. She also reads my blogs.
After reading the one on Anita Smith, she sent me this text: I think you need to do a series on why quilting is so important for younger generations.
If you’ve read some of my past blogs, you know this is a twist on a topic I’ve hit on once or twice, but those had more to do with quilt guilds and quilt groups attracting younger quilters. However, this is different. She wants to know why quilting is important for younger generations.
At this point I could go into all the ways quilting is a creative force. It allows hopes, dreams, and visions to spill out onto fabric and batting. It stitches down ideas and revelations for the world to see. I could wax eloquent on the way it works both sides of the brain and helps prevent nasty things like Alzheimer’s and dementia. But in so many ways, it would be wrong. Not that quilting doesn’t do all of that, but so do other forms of fiber arts like knitting and crocheting.
And so does dance, playing an instrument, drawing, painting, photography, and sculpture. Quilting doesn’t have the market cornered on good mental health.
I think, if I had a group of Millennials (and younger) crowded into my quilt studio right now, wanting to learn to quilt, I’d tell them this:
It’s not all about the quilts. It’s about the quilters – the fellowship. It’s about sharing the good times and the bad. It’s about multiplying the joys and halving the sorrows. It’s about taking the scraps life hands you and sticking your finger in fate’s eye when you make something beautiful out of it. That’s what quilting is all about.
Yes, I would emphasize quilting is important. It is the legacy birthright handed down from our foremothers. Quilts were made to keep us warm, but any women’s studies professor will tell you in order to understand women, what they did, what they held as sacred and important is found in their quilts until about 1920. We poured our political beliefs, our sacred trusts, our love for family and friends into those textiles. Most of those were shown in highly symbolic quilt blocks or applique, but the voices of those thoughts and feelings are there. Once women got the right to vote in 1920, our voices, for the most part, went from silent thread and fabric to vocally proclaiming our rights and beliefs. At that point the patriarchy began a slow death spiral as we found our footing in “man’s” society. Quilts weren’t necessarily created by quiet, meek women. If you listen closely to the quilts, you’ll find they scream these women’s thoughts.
A lovely rose block to look at, but if you think this Democratic Rose block doesn’t blare the maker’s political views, think again.
And if you look closely at today’s art quilts and quilts created out of tragedies such as COVID, 9/11, the AIDS Crisis, the Challenger Explosion, and every war we’ve ever fought, the quilts are still quite vocal. Despite the fact we can protest, proclaim, march, hold rallies and news conferences, many quilters find their quilts leave lasting statements long remembered after some grandiose speech is long forgotten. The act of quilting allows us to pray, rant, and grieve…and then put some kind of order to these feelings. Stitching allows us an outlet – often solitary, often only between us and God – to regain a sense of peace and control, even when everything outside our front door has been wrenched out of our control.
So, yes, the quilts are important.
I could give an object lesson to the younger folks in my quilt room. I could hold up various tools such as a seam ripper and needles and thread. I would ask how many of them knew how to use them. I’d inquire how many had ever used a sewing machine. And then I would tell them quilting could effectively teach them how to use each and every one of them. I’d explain the skills learned in quilting can carry over into everyday life. That needle and thread you may use to hand stitch can easily be employed to tack a sagging hem. The busted seam on your favorite shorts can be sewn back together on a basic sewing machine. No going to an alterations shop. No forking out $10 to fix a loose hem or a gaping seam. Quilting can teach you mad skills which can save you major cash.
So, yes, quilting can teach you lifelong abilities guaranteed to save you money and make your friends look at you in awe.
But quilting is even more than that. Allow me to insert my personal quilt journey. Around 15…maybe even 20 years ago, my mother handed me a quilt. This quilt:
It’s a utility quilt, made from dress making scraps and bits of leftover feedsacks. It’s quilted with white, cotton thread. It was made by my great grandmother, Annie Elizabeth Wolfe Perry. The quilt sat, neatly folded, on a bench at the foot of my bed for years. I would look at it every day. And nearly every day I would think about how I would like to learn to make the quilt. But between babies and school and work and a husband who worked out of town more than in, I didn’t have time.
Then one day my mother was over and asked to see the quilt. I unfolded it and spread it out on her lap. She began to point to different blocks. “That was a piece of my grandaddy’s shirt.”
“This was a piece of my momma’s dress.”
“Here’s a piece of material from my school dress.”
The quilt became more than a quilt. It was a textile repository of family stories and the lives of a hardworking textile family scraping out a living in Spray, North Carolina. And a flip switched in me. I no longer wanted to learn to quilt, I wanted to learn about this quilt. A few phone calls to the local history museum landed me an appointment with its textile specialist. She was able to give me a brief rundown of the fabrics, where they came from, and why a wool blanket was used for batting and backing, but as for the quilting? Really not her area of expertise. However, she did send me on my way with a list of local quilters and their phone numbers who could answer my questions “far better than me.”
More phone calls. More appointments. Meetings with women who knew their art intimately. They listened to my story and looked at my quilt with rapt attention. They ran their hands and fingers over the top with sheer reverence. Stories and wisdom spilled out over cups of coffee and glasses of sweet tea. As I pieced together the history of this type of quilt, and began to close this chapter of my life, I remember I didn’t want it to end. I wanted to continue hanging out with those women. I wanted to listen to them talk. Learn their stories. Absorb their wisdom.
And here’s where the secret lies in my quilting journey: I didn’t learn to quilt because of the quilts. I wanted to quilt because of the quilters.
I hungered for that sense of community.
If I had to tell this group of imaginary Millennials gathered in my quilt room only one reason they needed to learn to quilt, it would be for the community quilting provides.
My first quilt required several trips to the fabric store – Hancock Fabrics. It was from this ugly humble first quilt, I began to meet quilters. The salesperson who initially helped me didn’t know batting from backing, but pointed me in the direction of someone who did. My first quilting friend was made. Over the next few years, through workshops and trips to different quilt shops and sit and sews, I found my group of quilters. We’ve quilted together through highs and lows, Covid, deaths of parents and spouses, and everything in between. Prayer requests, wishes, dreams, rants, and regrets are shared as stitches are stitched. There’s true support there, but we also hold each other accountable. No one puts up with my “stuff” and will generally call me out on it.
These are the women who brought my daughter meals when she was recovering from her cancer surgery. These are the people who prayed for my brother when he was undergoing treatments for Multiple Myeloma. They regularly ask about my 83-year-old momma. These are the folks I’ve cried with and laughed so hard with I had to go change my pants. They are what I call my “Sunday Friends” – the ones I could call on a Sunday afternoon with an emergency and they’d show up with whatever I needed.
Not just anyone will do that.
If I had to give any Millennial a reason to quilt, it would be this – the wonderful opportunity to belong to a tight knit community who would love you, support you, and likewise call you out if you’re wrong about something. A community of different races and ages and sexes, but all strung together by needles, thread, a love of quilts and quilters. A gift so wonderful but yet as timeless as quilting itself. Women’s history tells us quilters have gotten together in groups for hundreds of years. Our generation is no different, and the next group of us won’t be either.
So why is quilting so important to the next generation? It’s honestly not the quilts, as important and beautiful as they are. It’s not the construction skills learned. It’s the folks you meet along your quilting journey who become closer than some family and will love you no matter what.
In the words of the great poet, Maya Angelou: “Let me remind all women that we live longer and better lives when we have sisters we love, not necessarily born in our bloodline or of our race. Sisters.”
Until Next Week,
Love and Stitches,
Sherri
PS I would be remiss if I did not recognize there are male quilters out there, too. I’m sure they also enjoy the sense of community quilting brings. However, I’m writing from a historical perspective and while men have always been a part of our quilting fabric, the field has been predominantly female for hundreds of years.
Now you have your pattern read and re-read, you’ve marked up sections you have questions about, and you’ve picked out your fabric. It’s time to look at the inner part of the pattern and begin to cut our material and assemble our quilt. At this point, there are a couple of items to keep in mind. First, don’t think just because your pattern may have wonderful pictures or illustrations, you can get by without reading the directions. No matter how great the graphics are, they are never completely complete. You need to read all the instructions. Second, most quilt patterns – no matter if they are stand alone, in a book, or in a magazine — are similar. There’s no great learning curve between the three. Since you can’t get started sewing until you’re through cutting, let’s look at the cutting directions first.
There are two different types of cutting instructions. The first is simply a diagram. Each unit tells you how long and wide to cut it. It’s pretty easy to follow.
This next set of directions is a bit more complicated. It’s for a table runner called Autumn Splendor by Norma Whaley. The runner has three star blocks. Each set of cutting directions is clearly labeled and easy to follow. One item I would like to note is the numbering of the cut units.
The number of units to cut is shown by parenthesis. The size of the unit is outside the parenthesis. For instance, the pattern tells us to cut (4) 2” squares and label them A. This means you will cut four 2-inch squares. These will go in the A position on the block, as shown on the diagram. I would cut these, clip them together, and add a post-it note to them with an A on it. This way I know exactly what these units are for and were they go.
“Roadmap” of the block layout
The light areas denote background fabric. The darker areas denote the other fabric.
Note the two diagrams above. The one in the upper position is a kind of “roadmap” on how to assemble the block units. corner. It illustrates how you put the block together. It shows where each block unit goes. The graph in the bottom shows how to assemble the units into rows, and then the rows into the block. You can see the background fabric is white and the star points are darker. This helps with color placement. Most patterns will denote the background as white, and the prints as grayed out or black.
As we finish reading through the pattern we find some other important info.
First, section A points out all three star blocks need to finish at 6-inches. This means when the blocks are sewn into the table runner, they will measure 6-inches square. However, in order for it to finish at this size, it has to have a seam allowance, generally ¼-inch for each side. So, when you complete the block, but before it’s sewn into the runner, it should measure 6 ½-inches. This is the unfinished size.
In section B, there are pressing directions. I love a pattern with pressing directions. Let me explain why. When you’re constructing blocks, one of the goals is for them to lie as flat as possible and to reduce bulk. Correct pressing, so the seams nest and bulk is reduced, is incredibly important. This pattern tells us how to iron that nine patch in the middle of the stars so all the seams nest and the corners line up. It also directs us on how to press the flying geese side units so it will lie flat. Not all quilt patterns give you this information and may take some time to figure out the best way to press your block.
We’ve read through all of this, but do you know what’s not anywhere on this pattern? The unfinished size of the nine-patch or the unfinished size of the flying geese. Nope. All we know about unfinished sizes are two factors: The size of the corner blocks (2-inches) and the unfinished size of the block (6 ½-inches). We can “math” this out. Before we do this, let me remind you if you are “mathing” quilt blocks out, work with the finished sizes and then add the seam allowance at the end. This is what we know:
The finished block size is 6-inches.
We cut the four corner blocks at 2-inches. When we subtract the seam allowances, we get 1 ½-inches as their finished size (2-inches – ½ seam allowances). Since there are two of these blocks on each row, we add them together to get 3-inches.
Now we subtract the 3-inches from the 6-inches, and we have 3-inches left in the top row of our star block. This means our flying geese should finish at 3-inches, and their unfinished measurement is 3 ½-inches (3-inches + ½ inch for the seam allowance).
At this point, you have options. You can go with your math and begin cutting out your quilt and sewing the units together. Or you can make a test block out of scrap fabric to be sure everything works. Personally, even if you’re really sure your math is correct, I strong suggest making a test block of every type of quilt block used in your project, even if you’re pretty darned sure of every unit’s unfinished size. A test block can tell you lots of things…
If you like the construction methods the patterns used
If there are any incorrections in the pattern
Your math is correct
You want to make any changes
If pressing directions aren’t given, you can discover the best way to press the blocks
All of this information is important to know before you slice and dice your beautiful quilt fabric. Yes, a test block takes time, but it can provide you with a wealth of information. I would also add this – as you complete a few blocks, take the time to measure these and do any trimming necessary. It’s always easier to trim a few at a time than to get to the end block construction and have 50 or more to true-up.
Lastly, let’s talk organization. The two quilts used as examples in this blog don’t have a lot of pieces. Sure, you’d need to mark the size of the rectangles on Hope for Tomorrow, but overall compared to queen and king size quilts, there aren’t many block units. But it’s good to have an organizational plan in place if you have lots of block units. My favorite organizational tool for this is food storage bags which have the plastic zipper.
You can tuck each unit in its own bag for easy identification. All the 2 ½-inch squares can go in a bag, all the quarter-cut triangles can have their own bag, etc. These bags can be labeled according to size and set aside.
Paper plates are another useful organizational tool. Let’s say we’re making a scrap quilt from Monkey Wrench blocks:
I can put all the pieces for one block on a plate and then stack another plate on top of it and put the pieces for the next block on it. I can keep stacking plates on top of each other and when I’m through, I can slip them into the plastic bag the paper plates originally came in for either storage or transportation to a sew day or quilt retreat.
And one of these:
Is terrific for storing rectangular pieces of sashing, or string blocks such as those used in Hope for Tomorrow or the strips for a log cabin quilt.
The two best things all these storage ideas have in common are they’re inexpensive and easily found at dollar store establishments and thrift stores.
I hope this blog and the one last week has helped any of you who have issues reading quilt patterns. While not all quilt patterns are the same, it’s safe to say the majority of pattern designers want their instructions to be understandable and clear. And if you are having problems with a pattern, remember your first line of defense is our old friend Google.
Until Next Week, Remember the Difference is in the Details!
Today I want to talk a bit more about quilt patterns. In a recent blog, we went over what makes a good quilt pattern:
It has the unfinished measurements for each block unit
It has the unfinished measurements for each block
It offers the quilt in several different sizes
It has illustrations, line drawings, or pictures to give us a visual boost as we follow the directions
A great quilt pattern will have all of the above and the following:
“Oops” room – The pattern’s fabric requirements add a little extra to each measurement to cover any cutting mistakes. It doesn’t have to be much, as little as 1/8th to ¼ of a yard works just fine. Even me, for as long as I’ve quilted, can make cutting errors. That tad of extra fabric can really turn out to be a helpful thing. How do you know if a pattern allows for a little fabric than the quilt actually requires? Sometimes this information is in the pattern directions. Somewhere in all the verbiage the designer may state there isn’t any need to purchase additional fabric because the directions call for more material than actually needed.
If you can’t find this information anywhere in the pattern, you can always ask Google. Simply Google the question “Does quilt pattern designer __________ ask for more fabric than needed in their patterns?” Sometimes Google will return with a definite answer. Past knowledge is also something to go on. For instance, I’ve made a few Judy Niemeyer quilts. I know she always adds a bit more fabric than actually needed in her fabric requirements because I have a history with her patterns. I don’t purchase any extra (unless I just like the fabric). However, I have also used EQ 8 for designing several of my own patterns. I know when I print the EQ fabric requirements, there is a little “oops” room, but not much.
After researching this question for a bit, I have discovered most pattern designers do add a bit of extra to their fabric requirements. Exactly how much depends on the designer. There are no industry standards.
Gives you a “jumping off” place for color decisions – While pattern designers develop patterns because they love what they do, they also have to sell patterns in order to cover their expenses so they can design more patterns. A large portion of the sales depends on the visual representation of the pattern. In other words, the picture on the front of the pattern will be as visually appealing as they can make it. Which is great for us, because it gives us something to go on as we pick and choose our patterns. A quilter may decide they like the quilt just the way it appears on the pattern and will find fabric which closely matches what the designer used. Others (like me) may prefer to shop their stash first and only purchase what is needed. And still others may make the quilt to match a room or color preference. If you decide to change the colors up, use your cell phone to take a picture of the quilt on the pattern, change the filter to view it in black and white, and then make your fabric selections based on lights, mediums, and darks.
Is clearly labeled – Somewhere in the pattern, it’s really great to have a label indicating if the quilt is for beginners, intermediate, or advanced quilters. I defined these categories in the earlier blog: However, let me add if you feel a bit bored in the category you’re in, don’t be afraid to move up to a more difficult pattern. If the quilt proves a bit too hard for your liking, you can tuck it away for a while longer and bring it back out later.
If the pattern includes applique pieces, it states clearly if the applique pattern is already reversed, or you need to reverse it – Depending on the applique technique used, this information is pretty important if you want your applique pattern facing in the correct direction. If the pattern is congruent (you can draw a line down the center of the pattern and it’s the same on both sides) this doesn’t matter so much. However, if the figure is like this:
You could draw a line down the center of Sunbonnet Sue and the two sides would be different. So Sue is not congruent and needs to be reversed before cutting out the templates on fusible and the wrong side of the fabric.
And both sides are different, it does. Techniques such as Apliquik and some freezer paper methods need the image reversed.
Lists the designer’s website – Most designers, even the newest ones, have a Facebook page or a website. And while most designers work really hard to produce error-free patterns, mistakes do happen. They use their Facebook or website to list these errors and supply the corrections. It’s really a good idea to check the website or Facebook page before starting the quilt to see if any mistakes are there.
Okay, so let’s say you have your pattern in hand and are ready to start your quilt. You find the fabric requirements, pull together your choices, and are ready to begin slicing and dicing your material. This is the next step, right?
Nope. Not even close.
Let’s take a step back to where you have your pattern in hand. The very next step to take is reading the pattern. From the first page to the last page, read the pattern.
Every word.
Even the parts which are not clear to you.
To the end.
Now go back and read the pattern a second time, this time a little slower. Keep a pencil, pen, or highlighter handy to make notes. If the thought of marking up your pattern bothers you, make a copy of it. Because this copy is only for you, and you’ve purchased the pattern, no copyright laws are violated. As you read the pattern through this second time, take special consideration of the following:
This pattern is Hope for Tomorrow designed by Rana Heredia. It can be purchased on the Sewnwyoming.com
The pattern cover – This should have a color illustration or picture of the completed pattern. It has the name of the quilt and usually has the designer’s name. You can glean a lot of information from the cover. You can consider if the color scheme used would work for you. If the quilt has a center medallion, you may want to think about using a panel for it instead of appliqueing or piecing one. It may also have the publisher listed.
The pattern back — This part of the pattern may contain the pattern number (showing this pattern isn’t the designer’s first). It may also have a bar code, which means the designer took the time and applied for one of these. A QR code like this:
May also be present. When you scan these with your phone, additional information about the pattern or a video will pop up. Many patterns, like the one featured in this blog, has the fabric requirements on the back.
One feature on the back which doesn’t get a lot of attention but should be noted is the Copyright Statement. This piece of information can tell you a lot about intended usage – such as can you make this quilt for resale? Are you permitted to enter a quilt made by this pattern in show? Good designers spend hundreds hours making patterns and often have quite a chunk of money invested in designing software and fabric. The Copyright Statement helps protect them. However, even if you can’t find a Copyright Statement anywhere in the pattern, remember all patterns carry a copyright, even if it’s not stated.
The “Innards” — The bulk of information about the quilt and the directions is sandwiched between the cover and the back. The second time you read through the directions, pay attention to a few things.
Is it logical? A pattern is like a recipe. The success of the next step depends on the previous one. The pattern should follow an understandable order.
Is it well-written or does it have a lot of typos? Maybe it’s the left-over school teacher in me, but if a pattern has a lot of grammatical errors, I tend to question the designer’s attention to detail.
Can you follow the order of the steps? Most patterns number them. If the one you’re working with didn’t, read through it a third time to make sure you can follow the pattern and know the procedural order.
Make sure you know what the abbreviations mean.
Now let’s move to the fabric requirements and notions section of the pattern. I’d like to share with you the way I handle this part. The first step I take is to make a copy of this part of the pattern because I generally mark it up to within an inch of its life. I rarely (if ever) will make my quilt identical to the one on the pattern cover. Therefore, the colors I need will differ from the colors of material listed in the fabric requirements. For instance, let’s look at the supply list for Hope for Tomorrow:
Center Strings – ½ yard black
Side Strings – Assorted prints, ½ yard
Inner Border – 3/8-yard pink
Vine – 6 ½ x 10-inches gray
Leaves — (3) 1/8-yard of low-volume black and white prints and pink prints
Bird – 6 x 9-inch black polka dot
Binding – ½ yard black and white print
Backing and Batting – 55” x 70” inches
This is a great color combination, but it couldn’t live at my house because I have nothing pink and black. When I saw this quilt pattern, I pictured it in Christmas reds and greens to use as a table runner during the holiday season…or maybe as a wall hanging. This is how I would take those fabric requirements and mark them up.
Center Strings – ½ yard black white-on-white snowflake print
Side Strings – Assorted prints, ½ yard – Various Christmas prints, ½ yard total
Inner Border – 3/8-yard pink red
Vine – 6 ½ x 10-inches gray green
Leaves — (3) 1/8-yard of low-volume black and white prints and pink prints
(3) 1/8 yard of greens and Poinsettia reds, equally divided
Bird – 6 x 9-inch black polka dot Cardinal red
Binding – ½ yard black and white print ½ yard red and white striped print, cut as true bias binding so it looks like a candy cane.
Backing and Batting – 55” x 70” inches
Keep in mind all of this would be in my own dubiously neat handwriting. So you can see why it’s a good idea to make a copy of this part of the pattern. Plus, the next time I make the quilt, I may want to change it into an Easter pattern, so there would be different fabric decisions. If I kept writing and re-writing fabric choices on the supplies section, it would be impossible to keep everything straight.
If the quilt pattern has lots of moving parts (i.e. it’s got lots of pieces or lots of applique), you may find it will include one of these:
I can’t begin to tell you how wonderful these are. You can cut a swatch of the fabric you chose for each needed piece and tape or glue them next to the description. This really helps keep things crystal clear with more difficult patterns – especially applique. If your pattern doesn’t have one of these, you can always make your own. In fact, if the quilt pattern you’re using is complex, making your own swatch sheet can eliminate countless mistakes and headaches!
The next thing to read back over are the notions. Some notions are so standard they may not even be listed, such as thread. But other items may be specifically mentioned, such as a specialty ruler. Maybe it’s just me, but every time I encounter a pattern which calls for a special ruler, I immediately ask “Why? Why can’t I just use a normal ruler?” Some of my long-time readers know I don’t like to have anything in my quilt room which can’t multi-task. The only single-action tool I have is this:
And I hope I don’t ever have to use it. The problem with some specialty rulers is this: You can only use them to make one type of block or block unit. To me, that’s not a good use of my money. If I have a pattern which calls for a special ruler, I immediately search for any fine print on the pattern. It’s in this fine print you can often find ways around having to purchase another ruler. If there’s no fine print, I Google the pattern again to see if there is a tutorial or YouTube video on how to make the quilt. In those resources are often found alternate construction methods which don’t require the ruler.
If you take another look at the Hope for Tomorrow pattern, you’ll notice the leaves and bird are appliqued. I need to find out if the pattern for the bird is reversed. The leaf doesn’t matter since both sides are congruent. The reason I need the bird reversed is because I plan on using the raw-edge applique technique, which requires the reversed pattern for placement on the fusible web and the wrong side of the fabric (Go here: https://sherriquiltsalot.com/2022/04/06/most-applique-is-like-ogres-it-involves-layers-or-how-to-begin-raw-edge-applique/ for additional instruction). I think the only applique technique which doesn’t require the pattern to be reversed is freezer paper on top).
Bird on front of applique pattern
The bird template is facing the opposite direction from the bird on the cover
I also need to know if the applique pattern is full-sized or if I need to enlarge it. For instance, I’m using a cone flower pattern to make a wall hanging. It clearly states it should be enlarged 200%. However, the applique pattern for Hope for Tomorrow says nothing about it needing to be enlarged, so we will go with the assumption it isn’t required. But the pattern does not state if the templates are reversed anywhere on the pattern. We have to compare the template to the picture of the quilt. Since the birds are facing opposite directions, we know the applique pattern is reversed, even though we not directly told so.
At this point, we have:
Read the pattern through at least twice.
Googled the pattern to see if the designer allows additional fabric for “oops” moments and has issued any corrections to the pattern.
We have chosen the colors and fabric for our quilt.
We have scanned any QR code for additional information.
If there’s applique involved, we have determined if the templates are already reversed or if we need to reverse them ourselves. We also know if they need to be enlarged.
We can logically follow all the construction steps.
We know if any special notions – such as particular rulers – are needed.
We know if the quilt pattern is a beginner, intermediate, or advanced.
We know if our plans for the quilt falls within the designer’s copyright statement.
We’ve developed our swatch sheet (if needed).
If we’re not using the same fabric as shown on the pattern cover, we’ve made a copy of the fabric requirements and marked them up with our own design ideas.
All of this information, and we haven’t even gotten to the inside of the pattern yet…which we will do next week. So until then….
A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog about show quilts. In that blog, we talked about what steps you should take if you’re entering a quilt in a show. I mentioned it’s important to have a label securely fixed to your quilt, due to the fact quilts have been stolen from shows. This is occurring with somewhat alarming frequency – and not just with the quilts hung for judging. I’m friends with a few major vendors at these quilt shows. The vendors have also reported quilts stolen from their booths.
In my opinion, it takes a pretty low person to steal a quilt, or any artwork for that matter. These objects are more than just a price tag. They are the artists’ passion, creativity, and life work. Most of us want these thieves to be caught. We want the full judgement of the law brought down on them. However, life isn’t an episode of Law and Order, so unfortunately this doesn’t always happen. Quilters need to be vigilant and wise about how we mail quilts and how we surrender our quilts to be shown. We will deal with mailing quilts at the very end of this blog. However, what I want to discuss with you now is something you need to do before that – and may want to do with all the special quilts in your life.
After I published the blog on show quilts, I had a wonderful reader offer a suggestion. She said it would be a good idea to have a quilt appraised before sending it off to a show. This is a great idea and I’ve had a few of my quilts appraised. But I wasn’t sure if my readers knew what a quilt appraisal was, how to go about getting one, and why it’s so important. According to the National Quilt Museum, a quilt appraisal consists of a description of the quilt in terms of pattern, fabrics, techniques, and quality of construction. It takes into consideration the quilt’s condition, confirmation of information known by the current owner, replacement value, and an approximate date of quilt. A qualified quilt appraiser will carefully look over the quilt and consider the following:
The current market – What are similar quilts selling for now?
Construction techniques – Quilts made by skilled quilters and well-made quilts are generally worth more.
Condition – Fading fabric, holes, or tears from use or fabric weakness and staining all reduce the value of a quilt.
Quilt design – Is it pleasing to the eye? Does it have good color and design choices?
Quilting – How much of it is there? Is it enough? Does the quilting add or detract from the quilt itself? Is it hand or machine quilted – one is not appraised better or worse than the other. Regardless of the method used, the quilt will be evaluated on how much quilting there is, how complex it is, and how well it was executed.
The quilt’s provenance — They will consider any of the quilt’s history you may have.
The quilter’s resume – Quilts made by well-known and award-winning designers are generally worth more. In other words, you may construct a quilt from one of Scott Murkin’s patterns, and even if your quilt is perfect, it still won’t be worth as much as any of Scott’s.
After all of this is taken into consideration and the appraiser verifies as much as they can, a dollar amount is assigned to the quilt.
Please note, nowhere in this information does sentimental value figure into the appraisal equation. Nope. Appraisals deal with cold, hard, facts and numbers. If you have one of your Great-Aunt Sally’s Sunbonnet Sue quilts appraised only to find out it’s worth a mere few hundred dollars, you may experience a moment of offence, because the quilt may be (in your eyes) a priceless heirloom. The quilt may have huge sentimental value because it’s a family treasure. But the bottom line is Aunt Sally’s Sunbonnet Sue’s quilt must be compared to others from the same pattern, and frankly there are literally hundreds of Sunbonnet Sue quilts in existence from the 1930’s. While your quilt may be extra-special and irreplaceable in your eyes, the bottom line may tell a different story.
Now that we have a good idea about what an appraisal takes into consideration, who exactly are these appraisers? Quilt appraisers are folks who have a concentrated focus on textiles. They have an extensive background in fabrics/quilts/garments/other textiles and have worked with an experienced appraiser in a type of apprenticeship program. Appraisers are defined as “someone who holds a certified designation from a recognized appraisal society and regularly performs appraisals for which compensation is received and follows the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practices.” Appraisers should be independent contractors (no links to fabric houses, museums, quilt brokers, etc.) They are expected to perform ethically and competently in accordance with accepted appraisal standards of their professional organization and by the accepted standard of the appraisal industry as defined by federal guidelines of The Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP). Probably the most recognized quilt appraiser certification comes from PAAQT – the Professional Association of Appraisers – Quilted Textiles. Appraisers who have PAAQT certification have gone through rigorous training and overall are very good at what they do. The American Quilter’s Society also has an appraiser certification program and it’s rigorous and thorough. Between AQS and PAAQT, there is at least one appraiser in most states and several regions of Canada.
With all this information about quilt appraisals and appraisers behind us, let’s get down to the nitty gritty of this blog – When should you have a quilt appraised and how do you put the appraisal process in motion.
Not every quilt you make needs to be appraised. If you’re making a back-of-the-couch quilt, a play quilt, or a quilt which is made for day-to-day use, it probably does not need an appraisal. However, if you’ve made a quilt in which you’ve put a great deal of time, effort, money, and it holds some intrinsic value (such as it was made for the first grandchild, it was a wedding quilt, or it’s destined to be an heirloom quilt, etc.) then you may want to take the time, effort, and cash involved and get it appraised. It could be worth your time, effort, and the fee just to know how much the quilt is worth. Allow me to insert a personal story here. I had quilted for years, and my technique of choice is applique – primarily hand stitched applique. A local quilt show had an appraiser on site, and I took what I believed was best hand sewn applique quilt and had it appraised. I knew I would be happy if the appraisal showed my quilt was worth several hundred dollars. My jaw nearly dropped to the floor when I found out it was worth almost $4,800. And may I add this was in the late 1990’s. I can only imagine what it’s worth today.
Besides the self-satisfaction, there are other quilty scenarios when an appraisal may come in handy:
You’re donating a quilt for some non-profit use. You may decide to donate your quilt to an organization and allow it to raffle your quilt off to raise money. You may choose to donate one of your quilts to a museum. When this happens, you can have your donation documented as a gift-in-kind. The organization or museum will not state what the quilt is worth, just simply acknowledge you gave them a quilt. The dollar amount you assign to this quilt to claim it as a charitable gift for a tax deduction is up to you. If you plan to claim this gift as a tax deduction, you will need some paperwork to back the deductible amount, and this is when an appraisal is needed. If you have an appraisal by a certified appraiser in hand, the IRS will have a difficult time declining the deduction.
You want to sell a quilt. If you plan to sell a quilt you’ve spent a great deal of time, effort, and money on, an appraisal is an item to have to support your asking price.
The quilt is in a scenario where it could be stolen OR you need to ship/mail the quilt to another location. I’ve lumped both of these situations together because they both involve insurance companies. With either of these cases, your quilt could disappear, never to be seen by you again. This is a painful thought for nearly any quilter. So much time, attention, love, (and not to mention money) is spent on the special quilts we want to put in shows or send to others. It’s excruciating to think the quilt may never reach it’s intended destination or recipient. However, between the tears of frustration and anger, we still have to think logically, and this means we should file an insurance claim. We may not ever get our quilt back, but we can be recompensed monetarily. While this won’t replace the quilt, at least we can have the funds to go buy some more fabric and start over.
But…there’s bad news about this type of insurance claim. Unless you have an appraisal from certified appraiser stating what your quilt is worth, the insurance will only pay out an extremely small amount – the cost of a blanket from a big box store. Insurance companies make no differentiation between quilts and blankets. To them they’re one and the same. An appraisal at least gives you the documentation to correct them and be rightfully recompensed.
I also think if you have this type of quilt in your home, or some well-made antique quilts, you need to have them appraised just in case the unthinkable happens. If thieves break into your home and have an affinity for fancy textiles, at least you’re covered. However, be sure to check with your homeowners insurance to make sure the quilts are covered by your policy. With some companies, quilts are considered fine art and need to be covered by a rider (which generally isn’t too expensive).
Before we leave the topic of why you need an appraisal, I do confess I don’t have every quilt I mail appraised. If I’ve made a friend or relative a chemo quilt or just a “regular-nothing-too-special” quilt, I don’t have those appraised because I can reproduce those without a whole lot of issues. I may not like to re-make them, but those quilts usually don’t merit an appraisal. However, with that said, when you mail a quilt (any quilt – appraised or not) don’t put the world “quilt” anywhere on the package. If you must supply a description anywhere, label it fabric or blanket. This lowers the chance the quilt could be stolen.
By now, you may be wondering how you can find a quilt appraiser. If you go to the PAAQT or the AQS website, there are listings of certified quilt appraisers broken down by state (for the US) and providences (for Canada). Most states have at least one appraiser and the site has their contact information. You’ll need to email or call to set up an appointment for the appraiser to look at your quilt. The appraiser needs to see the quilt in person – not just from photographs. Along with your quilt, bring any additional documentation. For instance, if it’s an antique quilt you’re having appraised, bring any certified Provence. If it’s a quilt you’ve made, any fabric sales receipts, pattern, etc. The appraiser will take pictures and issue a report about your quilt’s value. Another option may be quilt shows. Sometimes quilt shows have appraisers on-site for the duration of the show. An appointment still must be made, but if you’ve got plans to attend a quilt show and an appraiser is there, take advantage of the opportunity.
Lastly, it’s important to remember time changes the value in things. Overall, well-constructed quilts go up in value. Likewise, if you become a well-known quilter, quilt designer, or have some successful quilt sales, the value of your quilt will go up. It’s a good idea to have quilts re-appraised every three to five years, for insurance purposes, if nothing else.
Until Next Week, Remember the Difference is in the Details!
