What do Jig Saw Puzzles and Quilts have in common?

I didn’t know January is National Jig Saw Puzzle month until a friend posted a photo on Facebook. But in our home since the pandemic in 2021, Christmas though mid February has been jig saw season. January is a natural fit–weather is not conducive to outside chores, darkness comes early, and the dining room table is empty after the holiday centerpieces were put up. We started the first one this season with our Seattle family, an holiday theme. The 1000 piece puzzle had a lot of evergreen and deciduous trees that looked very much the same. Threats were made to me about choosing future puzzles. Really! But I already had!

Chickens in the kitchen was fun. But my husband insisted on choosing the next one

Coffee was a quick puzzle for 1000 pieces plus we had a holiday week end. But there were 6 pieces missing and a duplicate! The company received an email concerning “quality control” and is sending another puzzle to fulfill their guarantee. Every puzzle we have done has been from a different company. So there may be a comparison chart of puzzle makers in the future.

I found this prize –still in the cellophane for $3 at a garage sale. A bit of trivia, Springbok is based in Kansas City

Maybe we will finish this up tonight…notice it is all the very dark pieces left…ugh. I would really like to own this “she shed”.

Look what a friend gave me for Christmas! She knows me well. Quilting and puzzles!

After much consideration, I believe quilters and puzzlers have several traits in common. We see color differently than some people do–for example, sorting greens into many different groups. After cutting and piecing 500 equilateral triangles for a quilt, quilters become adapt at noticing very slight differences in shapes, important in working puzzles. Quilters can “see” the finished product in their mind when only piles of fabric clutter the cutting table. Puzzlers see a pile of 1000 puzzle pieces and “see” the finish. Both quilting and puzzles can be done alone or with friends.

When a quilt is finished, most of us can not wait to show it off. Quilts are usually gifted for a special occasion, contributed to a charity or given a place of honor in our homes. When a puzzle is finished, there is a sense of satisfaction and photos are shared on social media and in texts with friends but then what? Usually it remains on our dining room table while we work on the next on, later to be broken apart and put back in the box. We have a network of friends with which we share puzzles and we have discussed the possibility of a jig saw library at our church. But realistically, puzzles do not have a very long residence in our life. And that is where quilts are different! Quilts can last generations. But both give our minds a short break from depressing world news, both keep our little grey cells working, both are a sort of therapy. Puzzles and quilts are both important for long winter nights.

We have more quilts/projects alllllllllmost ready!

Tammie is sewing the binding on this beauty. The colors are richer than my phone photo shows. The leave motif used by the long arm quilt shows up well on the backing.

A “jelly roll” in soft florals was used to make this top….a baby quilt, a throw, a lap quilt..you decide.

This holiday table runner just needs the binding before it will be for sale.

Scrappy Friendship Star is large, measuring 59″ x 84″–certainly large enough for a twin bed. After a visit to the long arm quilter and Vicki binds it, it will be for sale.

Diane has been super busy making bibs–big and little one. Some are very girly with pink patch work hearts and some are from novelty prints. Thanks to her we will have the largest selection of baby items ever!

We have several more weeks of winter here in the Great Plains. I hope you find something—puzzles, reading, knitting, baking, woodworking or quilting –that makes these cold days and nights interesting and relaxing.

Preview of Coming Attractions

The best part of going to the movies in a theater was the previews of the coming attractions. If my movie companion was in no hurry to get to the show and said something inane like “don’t worry, the first twenty minutes are just previews”, I was aghast! The previews was one of the reasons I came! These snippets of movies help to decide which films were added to my movie bucket list. They also gave me an edge when others discussed a film I had not or would not see. “Wow, the special effects looked amazing!” “Or I am not a big fan of Angelina Jolie, what did you think of her in this film.” “The period costumes I saw in the previews were so detailed.”

Movie trailers –another name for previews, are available on streaming services like Netflix and Prime. My grandson’s standard answer before agreeing to watch a movie with the family is “Let’s look at the trailer before we decide.” And often trailers are inserted before the main feature on rented CD’s from Red Box and other venues. Trailers are very popular with many of us. According to Wikipedia Of some 10 billion videos watched online annually, film trailers rank third, after news and user-created video.[1].

True, previews/trailers can be misleading.—that snippet of the movie contained the only action in the entire movie. Or the viewer is lead to believe a particular favorite star has a major role but really just plays a cameo spot. So as in much of life–take it with a grain of salt!

Here are some future attractions by the Quilters at First; photos of future projects for sale. Projects in various stages of construction are shown—and even we seasoned quilters are amazed how a quilt can change with the addition of a border or quilting or binding. So watch future blogs posts for photos of the finished item and compare it to the preview you saw in January!

Paulette pieced this top using four different navy fabrics in a non traditional pattern. The hand quilters have marked the top, sandwiched it with batting and backing and loaded it onto the frame for the stitching to begin!

The traditional quilting design in navy thread will be the star of the show. The quilt is close to 100 inches square and would fit a queen or king bed.

The piecing of neutral beiges and taupes is done…now comes the appliquéing of huge white snow flakes. Much time was spent on the placement of these flakes–check future posts to see if they were moved –again!

This child’s quilt with psychedelic cats will be finished soon–but really, it doesn’t have to be for a child–I can see it in a lot of different places.

These two quilts were made with Kim Diehl fabrics–they are all ready for the long arm machine quilter to work her magic. The first one is “Flying Geese” and measures 60″ x 70″. The mosaic stars quilt is approximately 60″ x 60″.

Perfect for October! Just waiting for the final touches of quilting and binding.

When I ask the quilters for photos of their “works in progress”, Janis, our applicator extraordinaire, send me this photo of her design wall. This was not staged–she has this many projects brewing at the same time.

If you can tell, there are three blue background pieces stacked here. They are witches houses! A wall hanging with the three houses will have a lot of fun details added.

Another “fallish” wall hanging features a crow, a pumpkin and mason jars. (Hint–this could be hung in your home from Sept. to December–not just Halloween.)

I love geraniums. They are the strong sisters of summer flowers! The perfect fabric was selected —appliquéing will just add to the realistic feel.

These disgusted and judgmental cats are my favorite! Look at those eyes—you know what they are thinking! Sweater cats were part of a Let it Snow pattern but just too good to share space with something else. Can’t wait to see how they turn out.

“Garlic Knots” in rainbow colors needs three more blocks before the top can be finished and sent to the quilter. It is not sewn together in rows yet, so the finished top may be arranged differently.

The next post will have even more “previews”…quilters as a group have a tendency to start a new project before they finish a previous one, so we have many projects not yet ready for sale. But keep watching, we enjoy showing off our finished items as soon as they are completed. The best is yet to come!

In “our spare time”, we quilt

Happy 2023! Back in the day, when I used checks for everything, the simple act of dating the check on January 1 or 2 reinforced the idea of a new year. We were in a new year with new numbers. But since I use a card for most of my purchases now, it may be February before I have accepted 2023 as the actual date! A new calendar in the kitchen, holiday decorations stored away, starting an income tax file–all signs that a new year has started but I haven’t written it yet!!

Since most of the quilters traveled or hosted over the holidays, there is little quilting finishes to share with you. December sewing was dedicated to gifts. My last baby quilt arrived the day before the new mommy left for the hospital! I have no photos of all the flannel pjs or reindeer embroidered tea towels or nut cracker wall hangings I watched being sewn but that were gifted and not for sale.

But here is a little secret, none of the quilters in our group just sew/quilt. When I retired, a friend was trying to guilt trip me into serving on a committee. His parting shot was “you can’t just quilt all the time”. Well, the quilters I know are super involved and giving of their time to a variety of causes and interests besides quilting!

Our first week back after the holiday break, Quilters at First made 219 polar fleece scarves that were donated to a local Title One Elementary school. Left-over fleece scraps from a previous group were discovered and put to good use. The students have already chosen their favorite color and wore them home Friday!

The core group of “First Friday” workers are quilters! Lunch for 120 persons are prepared by five quilters and a quilting husband on each ‘first Friday” of the month and served at the Open Door Homeless shelter. Quilters helped with the first “drive-by” food drive in 2023 for the Open Door Community Food Ministry. Two of the quilters work weekly as “intake” volunteers at the Food Ministry.

One quilter in our group works with Mennonite Relief Committee and in the Mennonite thrift shop…where she scores some really great finds.

Another member of our group is an active member of the Assistance League of Wichita. Their thrift shop supports Operation School Bell (new school clothes for children in need), scholarships and aid for assault victims.

One of our members works on the Charity Quilt Committee of the Prairie Quilt Guild. They organize donations of tops, fabric, batting and unfinished blocks by members of the Guild. This committee encourages members to make a warm and cute quilts to be gifted at the Wichita Children’s Home from what some might consider “throw a-ways”. Adults and children who lost their homes due to natural disasters, victims of assault, and marginal economic groups have received quilts.

Quilters at First who are lucky enough to family near help out with the demands young and aging families have.

And we read!! Each Wednesday we share our latest finds! The local and state library have e-books and audio books that most of us use. When we do spend some of our fabric budget on a “hold in your hand hard back or paper back” book, it is passed from one quilter to the next. I can not sew or cut block pieces without an audio book streaming through my head phones. If the piecing or cutting is especially tricky , I will pause to concentrate on the task at hand, but as soon as “I get it”, back to the book!

Here are some of our latest recommendations—

And quilters love to travel! Several of our members have visa stamps from all over the world. But no matter where we go, fabric shopping occurs! Fabric found in market stalls, huge warehouses and quaint shops is shown to the rest of us to exclaim over and pet –yes, a real quilter pets fabric–that tactile sense tell us much!

So yes, Steve—we do a lot more than quilt! But sometimes even I am amazed at what we do finish. Because I know each quilt or wall hanging I post on this blog took hours and hours of work! We don’t expect to get paid for the time spent–it is an act of love–but remember all those hours were spent when we were not traveling, or reading or volunteering or caring for family members!

May your 2023 be filled with what you like to do best!

Embracing Change

I sent a text to each grandchild expressing my excitement in anticipation of our Christmas holiday together. The high school senior responded very sweetly, but ended his text with this comment “my last Christmas is coming very quickly”. He is in that bittersweet space, anxious to be on his own at college and nostalgic for the comfort and security of his childhood. Hopefully my response to him was sensitive to his conflicts. But his text started me thinking about our “last Christmases”.

Christmas is a very tradition heavy holiday. A huge percent of the cards sent, depict a Christmas none of us every experienced—snow, carolers in old English dress, horse drawn sleds, a roaring fire in a holly draped fireplace, perfectly decorated desserts.

We all have our own family traditions that add to the sense of consecutiveness—Mom’s monkey bread for Christmas breakfast, John’s vintage Santa and tree from his parent’s home. Carols and holiday show tunes are not played until after Thanksgiving but then constantly.

The cliché, “change is the only constant in life” is the message I wanted to tell my grandson as he readies for his “last Christmas” at home –as a full time resident not a visiting family member, as a child not as a college student, and without his clothes in a suitcase and a return plane ticket on his phone.

Change can be big or small; with a huge impact or barely noticeable. I forgot to hang Grandma Van’s glass beads on our tree and no one noticed but me. There will be no Runts candy in a stocking this year. I finally realized that at almost 50, Runts aren’t his favorite candy! No one is looking forward to them so they won’t be missed.

Some changes are forever impactful and sudden. A family member won’t be there and it hurts so much we are tempted to not celebrate Christmas.

Some changes come gradually, the woman who cooked too much, who decorated in excess, who sent boxes of cards and letters slowly has to give up something each year until she only observed others at gatherings and celebrations.

Some changes are due to world events— COVID that keep us isolated, a recession that limited our gift giving, a war that sent sent a family member away on active duty. As I listened to the news of tornadoes in Louisiana, I thought of all the families whose Christmas preparations were blown away in minutes.

Some changes are joyful-. A new baby, a new girl friend that becomes a daughter-in-law, a new home to decorate differently, a new job in a chosen career . And there are many small changes that are fun–a new recipe that becomes a family holiday tradition, a new game .

No two Christmas will be the exact same. I packed up the kids and went to Grandma’s home with my extended family. Now we pack up and go one kid’s home. Due to location, etc it will be rare to have both of my children families together at Christmas. (But we have FaceTime, a big change in technology and communications.) Now I am witnessing my kid’s families grow up and change.

I have celebrated seventy plus Christmas seasons. There have been different locations- different cities and a farm (without central heating), mostly in the US but one in a third world country and one in a hotel in Mexico. I have had Christmas card snow and 80 degree warmth. I have been with all my family and also with only my husband. I have been able to give much and limited to giving very little. I have mourned during the holidays and I have enjoyed cuddling babies. Each one has been special in some way and each has been Christmas. So my love, this is your “last Christmas” but it is also your “first Christmas”. I hope you can enjoy all the traditions observed each year but that you can also recognize change is inevitable.

Thank you for checking out quiltersatfirst.com. We are already looking for new patterns, checking our stash, buying new fabric, piecing and quilting. Watch the blog and FaceBook for many, many photos in 2023!

I found this on the internet—-

Merry Christmas and a Peaceful New Year!

What do I give?

I have spent hours on-line Christmas shopping. I don’t have a large family. We don’t go overboard on gift giving. But my role-model for gift giving, my Mother, always made sure everyone received equal gifts. If there was a package wrapped in Santa Claus paper for my brother, there was a package wrapped in Santa Claus paper for me. And total money spent for each person was equal. She continued this practice in “showing no favorites” when there were in-laws and grandchildren also–adults equal, grandchildren equal! So I can’t help my self. If I spent X amount on my daughter, how can I find something for my son-in-law that equals it! Gift cards/cash is a solution, but again that early role modeling whispers “there needs to be a gift one can unwrap and enjoy immediately”. Thanks, Mom.

I am grateful that my two children and their families are financially comfortable and don’t need money to pay a utility bill or buy car tires. If they need something, they buy it. We are lucky and grateful. So what do I give them that is special? (And as children of a long time quilter, I am sure they believe there is only so many quilts one can have in your home—-so no more quilts this year!)

To add to my dilemma, two of my three grandchildren are teen boys!!! The younger of the three, my granddaughter has a long wish list. I would venture that grandmothers find it fairly easy to buy for granddaughters, especially pre-teen age granddaughters. I have threatened to buy underwear for the boys if they don’t give me a list; that didn’t work. Any suggestions would be helpful.

Are you struggling with ideas for persons (other than teen boys) on your gift giving list? I have listed some ideas from the Quilters at First.

Microwave bowl are a good choice for any adult. We have some Christmas ones and if you order early enough, I can make more. These are $8 each and fit a standard soup bowl.

Potholders wrapped around a spatula or tucked in a basket with special ingredients and a recipe is great for a white elephant gift or a hostess gift. These are $6 each and “insult-bright” was used for extra protection. We have other choices and I can send photos.

Tooth fairy pillow for a niece or new mother? The Care Bear is cross stitched on the front with a pocket on the back for the tooth. $25

An embroidered snow person banner–it could be used though the entire winter. $20

A blast from the past–hand embroidered tea towels. The towels are all cotton–the best for drying dishes or covering a cooling rack of fresh baked cookies. Each is $8.

These are only two of the bucket hats we have for sale. Contact us for photos of all the different fabrics used. Each hat is $15 and fits most adults.

Microwave potato bags–great for preparing a moist baked potato in a hurry. Do you know a single guy who could use this? $10 each

A pie carrier– but it could be used for any roundish dish that you will be taking to Christmas dinner a way from your home. If you would want a particular color, contact me immediately. $15 each

All the proceeds from these sales go to FUMC TV Ministry and the Religious Nurture Center for disabled adults—that is a Christmas plus!

Good luck on your shopping–and we all acknowledge that it isn’t the packages under the tree that make Christmas special–it is the reason for this special season and those with whom we share the season.

“To Border or Not?”

One of the most asked questions we ponder over when finishing a quilt that we “sort-of” made up the pattern is “does it need a border?” Well, sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn’t— that wasn’t a lot of help, was it?

A quilt border is the strip of fabric between the quilt blocks and the binding–not be be confused with the sashing which separates the blocks . (The diagram is from The Sewing Directory.)

Borders serve several purposes.

  1. The border makes the quilt larger, more usable. With the addition of the border, Spot’s Colors measures 53″ x 53″–a great play mat size for a toddler. The licensed fabric is from the popular children’s series. The quilt is $100

2. The border serves as a frame just like a painting or photo. These three borders are go from tiny to large and keep your focus on the pumpkins. “The Best of the Pumpkin Patch” is 17.5″ x 52″ and is $75.

3. Borders keep the quilt from “rippling”. A quilter never wants the edges to wave! So by measuring the internal length and width, a border may be cut to square up the quilt.

4. Borders add interest to the quilt. I had no plan when I started this quilt. I had a jelly roll of vintage looking prints. But when I finished the top, it was rather blah. I decided a border might help but had no yardage from which to cut borders. So I pieced together remaining jelly roll strips that are 2.5″ x 42″. I cut some in half or thirds so that the strips would be different lengths. The first border is a jelly roll strip cut in half; the different width adds interest. Much better now!!! Measuring 65″ x 73″ it would fit a twin bed and is $250.

This border is pieced using the same 30’s green and same red vintage print that is used for the binding. This would be a charming quilt without the border, but this finishing touch makes a stand out. The background fabric is used as a “floater” between the pieced border and the binding. Measuring 67″ x 78″, it would fit best on a twin but would look great thrown over a recliner or sofa. It is for sale for $300.

5. Borders separate a busy block from the border to keep the individual blocks more distinct. This green block would melt into the border without the small border of white or a “floater” border.

“Vintage Summer” is 62″ x 63″ and is for sale for $200.

6. Borders may repeat a design element of the quilt, emphasizing a particular motif.

“Sharon’s Heart” repeats the flower hearts in the center with green hearts for the border. The squares on each corner are called cornerstones. The table topper or wall hanging is 40″ x 40″ and $45.

This baby quilt with a transportation theme is bordered with a print from the collection. The busy streets and traveling autos emphasis the theme. It measures 45″ x 51″ and is $50.

Elements of the design are occasionally appliquéd on the border. This is also an example of all four borders not being the same. This spring wall hanging is 37″ 56″ and for sale for $125.

7. Borders can give your eye a place to rest if the quilt top itself is very busy.

Each block in “Garden Gate” has four different fabrics. None of the 40 blocks are alike. The original fabric purchased for the border was just too busy. This black and white check on the bias proved to a calming border The flowers are hand appliquéd and it is machine quilted. It measures 51″ x 61″ and is for sale for $200.

Do borders belong on modern quilts or are they just used on traditional quilts?

At the International Quilt Museum exhibit of Joanna Rose’s red and white quilts collected over the past decades, there are quilts with borders and quilts without borders. Past quilters faced the same decisions we did–to add a border or not?

These more contemporary quilts do not have borders. Quilt #2 and #3 are “off center”–something my grandmother would have not done. The green quilt with tiny trees is 33″ x 33″ and is for sale for $45. Felicity, the quilt on the right, is made with batiks. It measures 58″ x 61″ and is available for $150.

So do you add a border to your quilt? Many factors go into that decision—and sometimes it just depends upon if you have enough fabric available!

New topic–Yesterday we celebrate our 2022 Quilt etc. Sale with a lunch and the presentation of our checks to Rev. Cindy Watson for the TV Ministry and to Lois Stewart, a volunteer with the Religious Nature Center. This year we set a record, $21,000! Thank you for supporting us and two great ministries of our Church. We could not have done it without you.

Photos thanks to Erin Davis.

My Other Grateful List

Some of you have a long list of “to do” bakes, cleaning and food preparation yet to accomplish, so don’t be upset with me when I say I am bone tired –and we are just having pizza for two for Thanksgiving! It was all those community pre-Thanksgiving activities that wore me out! Two mornings in the church’s kitchen and another two mornings outside checking in clients at the annual turkey give away. Every thing went well and in both cases I only had to follow instructions by those in charge (being in charge of an activity uses twice the energy!), but I am grateful pizza is on the menu tomorrow.

Once I ask my family to list what they were grateful for but they couldn’t say “family, friends, health, jobs–the usual. Don’t get me wrong, I am so thankful for all those wonderful things in my life. I feel blessed and lucky. But it was interesting to hear what each was happy about that I hadn’t thought about. My daughter-in-law was happy she had a tall son that could easily retrieve items off the top cabinet shelves for her. The other grandfather was glad there was a week of no soccer, so he would not have to vacuum up the “rubber crumbs” tracked into his home after practice on an artificial turf. My son was happy more and more pro soccer games were televised. Me, I love having library books available 24 hours a day via Libby and Cloud Library.

So here are some more things that may be minor in the big picture of life–but for which I am grateful.

FACETIME–my grandkids live on the west coast and phone calls and texts are happily received, but seeing them “roll their eyes”at me or showing me their messy rooms makes me feel more a part of their lives. (We were celebrating Chinese New Year!)

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MORNING WALKS –our dog has two jobs. One is guard us from Fedex, UPS, USPS, friends etc that dare step into his territory by continually barking until they are gone. The other task is to follow me around each morning giving me the sad puppy eye treatment until I get his harness and we go on our morning walk to check out the neighborhood. We go every morning—maybe ten times a year it is icy or too, too cold. I would not walk this regularly if it were not for him. I need those walks and thanks to Taka, I take them. See what I might have missed.

INSTAGRAM– Before you tell me all the things wrong with social media, let me explain what I find beneficial. I follow a woman who lives north of the Arctic Circle where they are experiencing 2.5 months of polar night. Books could not have given me the same visual experience. I know that I am seeing what she wants me to see—but I am fascinated. I also follow a family that lives on a million acre cattle station in the outback of Australia. I have seen “road trains” carrying cattle and Christmas celebrated in the middle of summer. I probably won’t ever visit these places but I had a peek into lives so different but yet similar in many ways.

ASSISTANT LEAGUE AND KLOTHES KLOSET– I am so happy to have a two “stores” that recycle clothing locally. The Assistant League uses my “out-grown” or “what was I thinking?” garments to fund some wonderful scholarships, provide brand new clothing for the first of school for children that need help and Teddy Bears for children police officers want to comfort.

The Klothes Kloset gives away clothes and household items in a well organized clean environment. The clients do not feel that they are digging through a trash bin.

CLEAN WATER AND A STEADY SUPPLY OF WATER–I boiled and filtered water when I lived in a third world country for only three years but every time I step in a shower and know it will stay on until I am finished or drink from the kitchen sink I am still grateful.

CLOTHES DRYER–Did you ever hang clothes out in freezing weather and bring them in later frozen stiff?

WHEELS ON SUITCASES–Who ever put those first wheels on a suitcase, thank you!

MY CHURCH – DOWNTOWN IN THE HEART OF THE CITY—with all the pros and cons associated with our location.

DIRECT FLIGHT TO SEATTLE –You have to have flown out of Wichita to understand this blessing.

LARGE SEWING ROOM– I have sewn on the kitchen table that had to be clear away for every meal, I have sewn in the unfinished basement of 1930’s house, I have sewn on the end of my bed in a mobile home—so to have a large room with windows, lots of shelves and a closet that has a closet (really), I am sooo grateful!

YOU–can’t believe you take the time to read this, but know you are appreciated very much.

The Grateful List could be pages long. Sometimes I need to remind myself of all the big and little good things I enjoy. What are you grateful for outside the “usual”?

Use My Stash!

I promised myself–No more fabric buying! Even if it is on sale, a great sale. Well, except white background fabric needed for the scrappy pink pinwheel baby quilt I am making on consignment and the baby quilt for my husband’s niece. And, I did need more of the particular colors requested for the niece’s quilt—but after those, no more fabric shopping, for real!! I had found forgotten fat quarter bundles and yardage when straightening up my sewing room after the sale. (I can’t really say “cleaning” up my sewing room—) Not only is buying more fabric financially irresponsible but I was adding to the ecological problems of textile production. So I sincerely pledged to myself to use what I had for at least this quilt sale year –October ’22 to October ’23. I am not going to keep track of the number of yards I have used from my stash as I have seen others do; probably couldn’t. But I am going to keep track of projects that came from my storage closet. What will I do with all that money I save???

But then I remembered—it is less than a month to our Quilter’s Christmas Party! Years ago, we decided to not celebrate birthdays with gifts or give notepads and funny coffee cups to each other at Christmas. We would acknowledge our friendships with FAT QUARTERS! Each participating quilter requests a particular style or color, resulting in approximately 20 usable fat quarters.

Most of the fat quarters are used to create items for the Quilt Sale. Shirley R used her fat quarters that she received last year to make this quilt. This bright fall leaf quilt was perfect to use in our advertising campaign.

I had requested red, green and white Christmas prints and received this beautiful collection. They were used in table runners, wall hanging, pot holders and microwave bowls. A person can’t have too many of these in your stash.

So folks, I had to go shopping for fabric! I love this tradition and look forward to it every year. Fun to look at all the new fabrics on the shelves. Fun to buy the requested color without worrying if it will go with my other fabrics of that color in a particular project. Fun to go to a shop others might not, so my choices will be unique. Questions do come up–is that a “true” green? is a small enough print? is that cream or light beige? But for me, it is one of the best holiday activities.

Today, my husband and I explored a near by town about an hour a way with a quilt shop and a great deli–that was an added bonus. I do support the quilt shops in my town, but today was a multi-purpose day–outing and shopping.

I bought light blues, indigo blues with small prints, grunge, floral with little, bitty flowers, white on white, brights, fall colors and Christmas prints—-and that should conclude my fabric shopping for the year!!

We have some new items for sale—maybe some are perfect Christmas gifts!

Reversible dinner napkins are a “green” or ecological gift. Measuring 16″ x 16″, they would work for either lunch or dinner well. Each set of four is $30.

Needing an hostess gift when you visit over Thanksgiving? This set of fabric coaster are reversible and the batting gives added protection. Each coaster is $6.

This table runner is larger than most and would work in any season of the year. It. measures 18.5 ” x 52″. The traditional colors and blocks helped name it “Prairie”. It is $50.

Know someone who will be expecting several visits from the Tooth Fairy this coming year?

There is a pocket for the baby’s tooth on the reverse side of this Care Bear pillow. Wish Bear is cross stitched in a gender neutral color. The pillow is approximately 12″ square and is $25. Perfect for a baby shower.

I look forward to sharing what we received and made from our fat quarter exchange. And I promise to be accountable to you on my “Use My Stash” campaign.

And with this ring….

Wedding rings are sign to the world of our marriage status. How many novels have you read where the heroine checks out the left hand of the handsome stranger? And if the actual ring missing, is there an indention for paler skin indicating a ring is usually worn? Wedding rings or bands have an ancient history.

In many civilizations, a ring symbolized a union and was part of a ceremony of some sort. Before it was a token of love and fidelity, it is believed to be the first payment of a dowery or a pledge that the groom was financially able to support a wife. Folks in 19th century Germany were the first to commonly exchange rings in a wedding. In the US, men did not commonly wear a ring until World War II

A wedding band/ring is usually worn on the left hand on the fourth finger due to a ancient belief that a vein ran from the left finger to the heart. But some groups associate “left” with evil and wear their rings on the right hand. Members of religious groups that believe in a simple lifestyle often do not wear rings. Gold is the preferred metal but today there are so many choices….tungsten, titanium, platinum, silver, rose gold and redwood and meteorite!! With gems or semi-precious stones or without..design your own or buy a “ready made” ring. With all these decision, you will understand why we opted for the tradition gold band and our personal sentiment engraved on the inside!

Another symbol of love and romance is the Double Wedding Ring Quilt! The traditional pattern has interlocking rings symbolizing marriage. This traditional American quilt became very popular in the 1920 and 1930s. The first published pattern was sold in the 1920s even though there are examples of the quilt found in the early 19th century. The quilt is usually made with scraps of left over fabrics or recycled fabric, making it very popular in the Depression Era. A king size Double Wedding Ring Quilt would have 2255 individual pieces! And these are not simple pieces–the trapezoid shapes fit together like a puzzle. This is not a beginners pattern!

These quilts were made by mothers and grandmothers for their children and given as gifts on their wedding day or anniversary. Old folklore suggests that the union would be blessed if the couple sent their first night together under a Double Wedding Ring Quilt. Given the sentimental value and the complexity of the quilt, most were keep for “good” and certainly not put on a child’s bed!

The son of an elderly church member brought us quilts found in a closet of his father’s house. His father had moved to a care home and the son ask if we would be interested. Oh, we were interested! One of the quilts was this treasure.

This Double Wedding Ring quilt is unique. Most Double Wedding Ring Quilts are created using a white or pastel background–going with the wedding theme and white fabric was readily available. The background on the quilt is “cheddar”. Cheddar dye was developed in the late 1800’s and became so popular for a period that it was considered a neutral–but not in this traditional pattern. I did find vintage Double Wedding Ring Quilts that used yellow but not such a strong color such as cheddar.

Many of the pieces are feed sack fabric. In fact, I found pieces in the quilt exactly like a feed sack from the 30’s that was gifted to me.

The quilt measures 72″ x 88″. The photo of the quilt spread out on a queen size bed shows it would be a “full” size perfectly. (This photo is a truer representation of the color than the one previously taken in natural light outside.)

The quilting is a simple pattern but all by hand and very dense which adds to its stability. The binding is cut on a bias, necessary to go around curves and is hand stitched.

I had to try it on my dining table…..which was a mistake. It would make a perfect autumn table cloth/covering …the cheddar and deep blues are certainly giving off a Fall vibe.

This keepsake was not used a great deal. I found only one minor spot where the backing was coming away from the binding–maybe an inch in length. The backing is muslin. The quilt has been soak and washed and line dried.

When I was cleaning it, I wished the quilter and previous owners could set down with me to answer my questions. Did you choose the unusual background fabric because that was all you could get? Or because you really liked the strong color? Or were you a rebel and wanted to do it your way? Did friends or family help you quilt it—it took hours and hours to do all the dense hatch quilting. Was it a gift or was it made for your own use? Did you make another? Was it a quilt for “company”? Did you plan to pass it down through the family? I will never know the answers to these questions, but you can write the next chapter of this quilt’s history. This unique “cheddar” Double Wedding Ring Quilt is for sale for $200.

If you have questions, please leave a comment and I will get back to you.

“It takes a village…..”

I just re-read the blog post I wrote last year after the Quilts etc. Sale about the importance of thanking persons for their help..and it is especially true this year. We certainly would not have had the huge success without the help of each person and group listed last year. We don’t have the final total of sales yet, but believe it to be the highest number yet! Twenty plus women did not do the sale by themselves! And as the sale closed last week, I thought of the saying “It takes a village to raise a child”. Our village reached out and we had a great quilt sale.

Our church provided a great space and staff to host a sale.

Husbands and a guy friend helped moved stands, tables, and racks up from storage and down again…lots of stairs!

Husbands ran the check out collecting the cash, checks and helping with credit cards so the quilters would be free to answer questions and constantly rearrange the tables and displays as items flew out the door!

Non-quilters who set up a classy coffee shop next to the sale with yummy baked goods and delicious coffee donated by The Spice Merchant.

The Forum Theater, with productions from September to May, moved heavy sets and equipment for a two day quilt sale in October!

Several folks outside the quilt group donated quilts. We were gifted several lovely vintage quilts. These quilts found new homes and we added more money to our donations! This proved so popular that we hope to have a Vintage Corner next year.

Most of all, all the folks who came–some because they were purely interested in quilts and handcrafted items–but many came because they cared about an individual quilter. I had neighbors, co-volunteers from a non-profit where I spend one day a week, staff from the school from which I retired, and family–some from out of state! It was fun to see the children of quilters supporting their mother or best friends who don’t care a fig about quilts but support their friends interests. Church members shopped because they believe in the two ministries we support. A few visitors were viewers of the TV ministry we are helping support. Our village reaches far and wide!

The support our village gave us, allows us to help other members of our village. So please accept our sincere thanks!

And what are the Quilters at First doing after the sale? Why starting new projects or finishing up items that didn’t quite make to the sale this year! Do we ever get tired of this process…? Nope! Why, because we get feed back like this photo a friend sent me– Jack’s mother bought this quilt at the sale specifically for him.

The role of some members of the village is to appreciate! Jack’s smile was the best thanks I will ever receive!