You have a new quilt! No matter if the quilt is beautiful or interesting, just finished or gently loved, sentimental or an investment, with a history or bought at a sale, the next question is often “what do I do with it?” I have many quilts and only two beds. And this is a little embarrassing, but I like having a coverlet on the bed on which I sleep rather than a quilt. So, how do I store my quilts and how do I display them so I may enjoy them. Each of my quilting friends likes to be surrounded by their quilts so I have ask them to share photos.

Quilts on beds seem the natural show cases, especially the guest rooms.

The quilts made from ’30’s and “40’s reproduction prints goes well with the metal day bed frame Peggy found. Vicki’s guest room showcases two of her interests–light houses and quilting! I have layered or stacked quilts on my guest room bed. At most, the room is used by guests three or four times a year. So under the top quilt, I am storing a Halloween quilt and a Christmas quilt until I ready the room for “sleep over” guests.

Quilt racks vary a great deal

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Janis has another popular free standing rack, a ladder designed to display several quilts.

Several quilts can be displayed at one time and it adds visual height to the room. This rack could be moved from room to room but you must have an empty spot for it.

I like to use walls to show off my quilts. Anything I hang on our walls, must have meaning to me or my family, so quilts are perfect for decorating our home.

Drapery rods or curtain rods work well. They are easy to install and can be inexpensive.

A hanging sleeve was sewn on the back of the quilt for the rod to be inserted. Temporary sleeves or loops may be carefully pinned on the back.

Quilts can get quite ingenious in an effort to show off their work.

Quilts make wonderful table toppers or table cloths.

What do you do when you have more quilts than walls or chairs or tables? Again, necessity is the source of our creativity.

Open shelving is one solution.

Quilts add warmth to a home …on a wall, in a basket, over the sofa back. Want to make your home inviting? Scatter a few quilts about!

Valentine’s Day sneaks up quicker than any other holiday–well, my husband’s birthday just jumps onto the calendar. I am never prepared. Never. And now, Valentine’s Day is five days away! I do have the grandkids cards in the mail, but otherwise, yikes! In lieu of getting my husband something creative, but meaningful, he will have to settle for a Hallmark card. Maybe an heart shaped pizza?

Some fun facts I found on the internet about Valentine’s Day:

1. February 14 was chosen to celebrate Valentines because it was believed in France and England that birds started mating on this early spring day.

2. Of the 145 million cards sold by Hallmark, teachers receive the majority followed by children, mothers and wives. Since I taught high school students, I can not verify this!

3. The 250 million roses given in US for Valentine’s Day are grown in the Southern Hemisphere.

4. Valentine’s Day is the most popular day to become engaged to be married.

5. The first heart shaped chocolate box was made in 1861 by Cadbury–and I always associated Cadbury with Easter. Chocolate used to be prescribed by physicians for patients suffering from a broken heart or pinning for a lost love. Makes sense!

6. $751.3 million is spent each year by pet owners for their furry family members. Sorry cats, dogs receive more Valentine gifts.

7. The original “lovebirds” were the rare parrots, Agapornia, that mated for life.

8. In many countries around the world, Valentine’s Day is a day to express gratitude for friends. I like this message. Amy Poehler on the hit show Parks and Recreation suggested “Galentines Day” be celebrated on February 13. She wanted “ladies celebrating ladies” and fajitas.

9. According to some experts, candy conversation hearts have a shelf life of 5 years. But if you find a bag in you pantry hidden behind a can of chick peas dated 2010–they are just fine for consumption!

10. Chocolate and flowers are the most common gifts given on the 14th The most money is spent on jewelry. But if you wanted to be creative–give a gift they have never received before. Check out the quilted gifts below. Each of these items would be great Galentine Day gifts!!

Peggy was creative when she made these pennants. One side is Christmas fabric and one side is Valentines. Don’t even put them away in January–just flip them to the other side for February. Each pennant of ten triangles is $15.

This table topper or wall hanging is larger….30″ x 30″. The hearts and pinwheels were made from an assortment of red and white fabrics. $40

Valentine Day is fun, but showing kindness and sharing gratitude for our family members and friends is important everyday. A romantic partner is wonderful, but the best test of relationship is what happens on other 364 days of the year. Happy ❤️ Day!

Happy Groundhog Day! Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and predicted 6 more weeks of winter! According to news outlets, he has been right 100 out of 137 times since the late 1880’s. But, Phil, it is only the second day of February—what do you expect? All of us have experienced some of our coldest temperatures and most snow in February and March. Even in Kansas, I have had to bundle my daughter up in snow boots, winter coat and gloves over her new pastel floral Easter dress. So, I wasn’t too shocked to learn we could have six more weeks of winter.

The movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray, a very, very funny comedy, is about a weatherman caught in a time loop, having to live the same day over and over. The title of the movie morphed into a catch phrase for ” same old same” over and over again–not in a good way.

Not the case at Quilters at First. We have something different each time we meet. Yesterday, four quilters brought finished treasures to share–and all of them are different from previous projects. Creative people find it difficult to do the same thing over and over–a previously popular project may be tweaked a bit to make it better or due to necessity.

Elaine used Kaffe Fassett designed fabric for this framed hour glass quilt. Kaffe Fassett has been called the “guru of glorious color”. HIs fabric is very distinctive and breathes new life into a traditional pattern. This quilt is 60″ x 75″ and machine quilted. $150

Valentines Day is only 12 days away. Measuring 28″ x 28″, this pieced heart wall hanging was created using Kansas Troubles fabric. The Kansas Troubles lines are more muted and suggest a past time in our state’s history. $50

Phyllis claims she only sews in the winter–but we have contradicting evidence. Her latest projects have different holiday themes.

Before you know it, we will be putting out pumpkins and buying trick or treat candy instead of Easter basket candy! This Witch table runner has dangling boots! The quilted plaid center is 13″ x 48″ and is for sale for $50;

We saw the “design board” stage of these charming wall hangings earlier this year–now the finished projects! All are “Janis’ appliqué”.

And guess who showed up–Korny Cat!!

Just ask him what he thinks of Punxsutawney Phil–or humans that dress him up for Halloween. Neither would be pretty! I am so tempted–my dog and my husband are not cat fans. Korny Cat would be a good substitute–are you in the same situation? 13.5″ x 18.5″ $50

It may be Groundhog Day on the calendar but not in the sewing room!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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?

Borders serve several purposes.

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.

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.

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.

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.