Most mornings after walking my dog and enjoying my first cup of coffee, I play Wordle and Connections on my iPad on the New York Times Games app. I know many of you also play –you share the results on Facebook. Connections is my favorite and the one I have the lowest success rate.

To play, you have a grid of sixteen words which are to be grouped into four categories. You get four chances and after that, the answers are shown and you cannot play anymore.

This is what a completed puzzle looks like– (this is a different puzzle than above.)

I completed this one today without any goof-ups!! Yeah me.

I must admit I sometimes have to look up a word’s definition and often the slang meaning. When the words go in front of a common word–for example the words in the purple group, I struggle. I wouldn’t have completed them this time if they had not been the last four words–can’t miss on that!

Supposedly the colors indicate the level of difficulty, yellow, green, blue and purple being the most difficult. But depending on your background, it is possible to figure out blue or purple first. I have been tempted to create my own version for family and Church Class gatherings.

So here is my 2025 Quilts Etc. Sale Connections Edition—

First Category–yellow. “Physical Feelings of Quilters”. Exhaustion, 15,000 steps, Hyper, and Pumped

Second Category–green. “To Whom We Owe Thanks”. FUMC Staff, QH’s ( Quilter Husbands), Friends and Family

Third Category–blue. “Changes in 2025”. Meredith Hall, Traffic Patterns, Equipment, Advertising

Fourth Category–purple. “Emotions of Quilters”. Surprised, Grateful, Curious, Anticipation

To say our reflections after the sale are a mixed bag is an understatement, but mostly positive. We were in a new location, Meredith Hall, which presented some new challenges. We didn’t know about space and lighting and displays. But we were told over and over that Meredith looked “cozy”. The round tables in a round room encouraged repeated looking.

The stage allowed better presentations and it was safer to be on the stage for a closer look than the previous stage in the Forum.

Meredith Hall is more difficult to find and access than the location last year, but with the help of QHs at the front door, quilters in the top hall, fall garlands and the elevator and ramp out side Meredith Hall, we did not loose anyone.

We tried new hours—last year Saturday was dead and this year was sort of the last trial for a Saturday sale. Well–what do you know? Friday was really slow and Saturday was great. Can anyone explain this? Very curious!

We had new “racks” to display our smaller items—thanks to George S. who created these “chicken wire” display racks from an idea I “borrowed” from a 4-H fair I attended.

We had the most quilts, table runners, placemats, baby bibs etc than we had ever offered before. Therefore, we had this gut reaction that we did not sell as much as the previous years. Here is a little secret–we sold more! Our sale receipts are higher by a bit than last years.

We were exhausted –but maybe not as much as previous years. We had a lot of help! Members of the Seekers class who were not quilters or husbands of quilters helped set up–resulting in 3 short days. So a big thanks to Marty, Brian, George and Annette. And of course to those wonderful guys who live with quilters year around–Tom, John, Larry, and David who set at the “check out” tables for three long days, who hung Christmas lights and assembled quilt racks–we love you!

The Coffee Shop also relocated but the new location did not faze Delane, Nonie, Kathy, and Sandy. Delicious coffee and home made goodies were still available. Paulette’s new curtains were so popular they will remain in Meredith Hall for the winter.

Good publicity is a key to a successful sale. I will always remember the 3 minute video of “making” a quilt, featuring Rev. Jeff, our associate minister, and Kane, the administrative assistant, which was shown in Church to promote the Sale. Evan did the graphics and put us platforms I was unfamiliar with the “how to”. Rev. Amy promoted us on the TV broadcast. We tried participating in the Wichita First Friday Art Crawl….it wasn’t a roaring success or a dismal failure. Thanks to all those quilters, QHs and Church members who participated and we have some ideas for next year.

We won’t close the 2025 books until the first of December, so I can’t give you a money amount. Watch a blog posted the second week in December. We still have many great items that can be purchased–check out the photo galleries on this blog. We will have tables at the Church wide Thanksgiving Dinner with items for sale. Contact any quilter for information.

We had barely moved the last quilt rack back into storage before we were anticipating the 2026 Quilt Etc. Sale; discussing what we want to make this coming year. But before we start preparing for next year, we do want to express our un-measurable gratitude to our Church staff and members, friends and family for their support. We are delighted to have made new acquaintances who share our love of quilts. And we hope all of you will continue to follow the Quilters at First on their quilting adventures.

Tomorrow we turn the calendar over to October! So many different events and feelings are associated with this month! Some of my family and friends are facing serious medical procedures during October. Others can’t wait to spend days decorating their home and planning costumes for Halloween. I am looking forward to visits from family. Many of us are anticipating crisper mornings and cool evenings. Some friends are traveling to see the New England Fall Foliage. October is chock full of a variety of events, happenings and feelings. But to the Quilters at First, October means it is time for the annual Quilts Etc. Sale! What seemed like a long time in the future is now just two weeks away…

Just because we are gathering fall decor, distributing flyers and sorting inventory doesn’t mean we have finished sewing/quilting! Here is the latest items brought to the quilting room.

Two sets of placemats have been added.

This set of four is just waiting for October and all the colors of fall. They measure 11″ x 15” and each one is different but all are colorful autumn leaves. The set of four is $40. They are machine quilted and the binding is machine applied.

The second set is made using Mary Englebreit fabric.

They are 12″ x 18″. They are machine quilted, machine bound with a dark green rick rack trim. The back side is a bolder Englebreit print. Set of 4 for $40.

Tammy brought the softest tied quilt.

This photo convinced me to buy a new camera/phone!! The pink is the prettiest pink in real life, but not in this photo. The backing is Minky–pink of course. The Teddy Bear is a copy of the bear in the print. This sweet combo is $100.

Diane crocheted Granny Squares in various sizes for clutch bags–a real vintage look.

A table runner especially for October and November. Either side would be a great addition to your autumn decor. It is 15″ x 41.5″ –machine quilted in a grid pattern and the binding is hand sewn. $40

Janis wrote this for the Art Crawl on October 3–“I saw this pattern online and thought it would be easy and not take too much time. Wrong on both! The pattern was more complex that it need to be so–I didn’t choose pieces at random but had a visual in mind. My long arm quilter finished with orange spiders on the back. Great idea!”

Orange spiders! This 38″ hexagon would be the star of your Halloween decorations. $65

More items for the “etc.” part of the sale–

You can decide if they are coasters or mug rugs.

Harold C. had ask us if we would like some of his mother’s quilts. Of course we said yes! His mother was from Brooklyn, Iowa and like many rural women of her generation, had a quilting frame set up in the living room. He could remember her working on several of the quilts he gave us.

This quilt was well loved and a few of the “churn dash” blocks are thread bare. But it would make a good “cutter”–a quilt that can be repurposed. 72″ x80″. $20

This quilt is an autograph quilt. Each block has an embroidered name in the center. These quilts were often made to be auctioned off to raise funds for a church or school. Sometimes it was a gift for a friend moving far away. It’s hand quilted and in good shape.

66″ x 86″. $50

The Iris quilt is a combination of piecing and appliqué. Probably it was saved for “special”; it is hardly worn.

86″ x 96″. $50

This intricate pattern is amazing. It was quickly purchased—but it needs to be admired by all!

Oops–I didn’t get the measurements but it is large. The solid pink is characteristic of 30’s and 40’s fabric. The hand quilting adds another design element. It is in excellent condition. $60

Here is a close up of the hand quilting!

This “crazy quilt” is from another family. The pieces are mostly wool. There are very few moth holes. The backing appears to be newer than the front and is a cotton stripe. 62″ x 80″. $25

This Friday, October 3, we are participating in the First Friday Wichita Art Crawl. We have discovered the church’s narthex is a perfect place to showcase our quilts. We are displaying different quilts than we did in September. The theme is holiday quilts–Halloween, Christmas and Autumn–Thanksgiving. We also will have a few that are “year-around” beauties. We will be open from 6 pm to 8 pm. There is lots of easy parking off Topeka and we will have homemake cookies. All the quilts will be for sale.

This Sunday the edited video of Rev. Jeff and Kane learning to quilt will be shown during the eleven o’clock service. A little nervous about the teacher’s role!

And just in case you forgot, here is the Quilt Etc. Sale information one more time

I hope whatever October brings you, there is peace and a bit of fun.

Have you seen #justbeingmelani on Instagram or on Facebook? She is the “digital creator” behind the WE DO NOT CARE club. The first time I saw her, I was laughing out loud and shouting “that is me!” The club was created for all women who were going through perimenopause, menopause or who are post menopause. But many other versions have been created –the teacher’s edition, the Australian version, the London club, the teen parents edition and on and on!

The glasses on top of her head and hanging from her neckline and on her face was “my tell” that she knew what she was talking about. So with credit to Melani Sanders for this trend, I want to share with you the Quilters Edition of WE DO NOT CARE. Feel free to add your own.

• We do not care that we have spent over an hour in a quilt shop–“all who wander are not lost!”
• We do not care that some of our seams do not match–52 out of 56 is just fine.
• We do not care that you question our fabric choice for the quilt’s backing–it is what was in our “stash”.
• We do not care that you think the quilt top is “too busy”—I made it for me not you.
• We do not care that we went to the store in sweats covered in thread — out of black thread and the stored was closing in ten minutes.
• We do not care that our sewing room looks like it had been raided by the FBI–shut the door on your way out.
• We do not care that your PJ bottoms have been on my sewing table waiting to be hemmed since April–it is still too warm for flannel.
• We do not care that we vowed not to buy any more fabric until we had used what we had–it was on sale!

And as Melani says, “that concludes the meeting of the We Do Not Care club.

But seriously, there are many things the Quilters at First do care about–

*We care that all of our sale items are made of good quality fabric.

*We care that the items are priced to sell…which means you get a great bargain.

*We care about sustainability; we used donated fabric and leftovers from previous projects before we buy new.

*We care about craftsmanship. We won’t sell items that are poorly sewn.

*We care about offering a huge variety of quilt sizes, different styles and fabric items that are not quilts per se, such as wall hangings, table runners, placemats and accessories.

*We care that you leave our sale feeling great!

🍎🍂🍁🌻🍎🍂🍁🌻🍎🍂🍁🌻

What treasures do we have this week?

I love the AMERICAN JANE FABRICS by Sandy Klop in this quilt and truthfully, all her designs . These vintage inspired prints are fresh and traditional at the same time. The quilt is machine quilted and hand bound. It is washable and should be used! The colors are much more vivid than what I captured on my phone. You should see it in person. This 47″ x 62″ quilt be great for a toddler or as a lap quilt for someone who just likes it!!!! $150

Tomorrow is the first official day of Fall. Have you created cozy spaces in your home yet? This 41″ x 42″ table topper or wall hanging or sofa throw is certain to add an autumn feel to your space. Machine quilted and bound, it is only $50.

Christmas shopping yet? These pot holders and hot pads are made with Insulbrite which reflects the heats. Need stocking stuffers or hostess gifts?

The two orange ones and the pink one have a pocket to help you hold on to the hot dish.

These hot pads are for protecting your table from “oven-hot” casseroles. They have Insulbrite also. $8 each

We have two identical Christmas aprons. The pattern labeled them as children’s aprons but Diane is modeling this one and it fits. “Santa’s Little Helper” is a pocket. $15 each

Reversible placemats are smart to use.

These six placemats are 12″ x 18″ and could be used on either side. Machine quilted and bound –they are made to withstand many trips to the laundry. $60 for 6

Quilters at First received another great gift this week.

This huge quilt top is made from polish cotton which is very sturdy but also gives the quilt a sheen. The donor’s husband was from Hawaii and I can’t help but see an Hawaiian vibe to the quilt–the bright colors and the floral prints. This quilt is probably from the sixties, qualifying it as “vintage”. $50. Approximately 100 inches square.

And least you forget—-

We really, really, really hope to see you there!

This past Wednesday I experienced a flashback to my “teaching” days. As we prepare for the Quilt Sale in October, our Church staff has been thinking of new ways to advertise the event. Kane, the Church Administrator for Membership and Pastoral Care, and local funny guy came up with the idea of a video replacing a quilter speaking during the offering time slot. Silly me, I was imagining an informational video stating the obvious–what, who, when and where. But Kane thought it would be better to show himself and Rev. Jeff learning to quilt and then say, “quilting is more difficult than we thought, come to the Quilt Sale and purchase something the pros made”–or something like that!

So, Wednesday at eleven I unlocked the quilting room to see lights and camera all set up ready to film. Hats off to Nathan and Elizabeth from our media team; not once did they show the frustration they must have felt as we quilters chatted, walked in front of cameras and moved lights.

Kane and Rev. Jeff were advised to select something simple as they perused block pattern books, but who wants simple? They chose this one. Going to tackle “half square triangles” along with everything else? Why not? But this pattern did illustrate one “rule of quilting”–use a dark, a medium and a light fabric for contrast. Next step was to select their fabric from our mini store. I did refrain from saying “Really?”

As I showed them how to use a rotary cutter, thread a machine and what a 1/4 inch seam allowance was, I mentally reminisced about all those years teaching Sewing I at Maize High School. When I had a classroom full of teens and a ninety minute class period, I would spend weeks on material that I crammed into a couple of hours Wednesday afternoon. Of course, with two adult men who are doing this for a lark and didn’t really care about the end product, I wasn’t as concerned about skills learned or about slicing a finger with the rotary cutter (yes, Kane, I am talking about the pizza cutter) or burning themselves with the iron. I did recognize the smiles and body language that said it was satisfying to learn something new or the pride in completing a task correctly.

How did the blocks turn out? Let’s just say they won’t be for sale this October.

It is difficult to remember “right sides together” every time. And most of the points match.

To be fair, I think I messed up Rev. Jeff pinning the rows of three together. But after two plus hours, he had to return to being the Associate Pastor of a Downtown Church and decided not to seam rip and resew.

I am looking forward to seeing how Nathan works his magic editing all the footage into a three minute clip. Watch our October 5 services on KAKE or on YouTube–it will be a inspiring service with great music and three minutes of comedy.

We are in the “ber” months–September, October, November, December—so anything holiday related is fine!!

Shirley appliquéd black cats to a rail fence quilt made up of Halloween prints. If you look really close you can see ghosts in the machine quilting. Even the backing is Halloween theme fabric. The 47″ x 57″ quilt would be perfect to throw over the back of your sofa or your recliner. A child could look for all the symbols of the season in a “I Spy” game–Halloween version. $125

Christmas is never far behind Halloween. A holiday table runner quickly changes the mood of a room. Traditional red and green prints were used in this 22″ x 46″ runner. It is machine quilted and hand bound. There is a touch of shiny gold adding to the festive look. $50

This block was donated to us and Vicki finished it as a table topper or small wall hanging. The gingham prairie points that form the basket’s handle are 3-D. The fabric prints are from the same line, coordinating beautifully. It is machine quilted and hand bound. 19.5″ x 19.5″ $40

Our October Sale has ETC in the title because we have so many smaller and less expensive items. All are handcrafted. We made many of some items, some we made just a few.

These fabric holders keep your tissues from becoming nasty and unusable in your bag. $5 each–a couple of dozen different fabric choices.

One of many pot holders or hot pads. This one has Insul-Bright as one of the layers of batting. Insul-Bright is a polyester batting with mylar woven into the batting, which reflects heat. $10. A good hostess gift or an addition to a gift basket.

You will never mix up your bag with someone else’s when you have a “customized” bag by Diane. Eliminate plastic bags by always having a cute tote in your car for spur of the minute shopping trips. $10 each

“They” are predicting a cold, snowy winter. So be prepared with a new hand crafted cap. These are all adult sizes. $20 each

And of course, we have more hand embroidered tea towels. The towels are 100% cotton and measure 27″ x 27″. Most are bleached white but a few are unbleached-natural colored. $9 each.

We do have a little bit of almost everything, so I hope you have marked your calendar for the Quilt ETC Sale, October 16-18, and see for yourself.

Big changes are coming to my life–in a week. My husband is retiring! He worked a decade after most people hang it up. But he loved his job, until he didn’t. Folks are very gracious and he is feeling the love. But both of us are treading softly, not sure what new patterns will develop. My friends have been issuing warnings and shakes of their heads with eye rolls when I tell them I don’t think it won’t be too different. Of course, there will be changes, but some habits have already be formed.

I liked that his job required a routine. His alarm clock made sure we were up and at it fairly early. (But not as early as a neighbor who runs at 4:30 am..what?). Dinner was soon after he returned home in the evening. Consistency reduces some decision making! He has already lined up two volunteer jobs; one on Monday morning to get the week started.

Each of us prepares our own breakfast and lunch and I only prepare dinner. This was our pattern even on Saturdays and his days off. That will continue.

Each of us are fortunate to have our own space..my sewing room and his office. Both are messy and unorganized to the untrained eye. But it keeps the common spaces neater and we don’t irate each other with our personal valuables!

My husband had the privilege of choosing when he retired. Many people did not have this luxury. Poor health, company downsizing, replacing expensive older employees with new hires, and pandemics have forced many to leave a career they enjoyed and needed. Starting over when one is over fifty is difficult. True, some folks have found a completely new employment path but it is not as common as we would like to believe. I am extremely grateful the decision to retire was his.

What am I looking forward to with this new lifestyle? Breakfast out occasionally instead of dinner. Not ironing so many dress shirts. Small day trips. Not helping with the lawn care. Some home improvement jobs. His helping with the Quilt Etc. Sale set up (he doesn’t know this yet!!!). So yes, I am very much looking forward to his retirement!

Quilters at First hear this clock ticking inside our brains–count down to September’s “First Friday at First” Quilt Exhibit and the Quilt Etc. Sale. We are gathering all our projects together. This week we received a treasure trove.

Folks, it is not that long to Halloween –and it is legal to put up Halloween decor anytime after Labor Day. This little guy amuses me…I feel his vibe.

12″ x 12″. $35. There is a hanging sleeve already sewn on the back.SOLD

New tea towels–pick your season. Each is $9 each

After we take down our Halloween decorations, some of us go directly to the Christmas holidays.

No room for a real or artificial tree in your home? This wall hanging could be your tree. Various shades and prints of green make up the pinwheels that form this one-dimensional tree. It is 28″ x 31″ and also has a hanging sleeve already sewn on the back. It is machine quilted. $50

Technically this table runner isn’t for the holidays–it would look good on your table all winter. In Kansas we really don’t see many snow people until January or February. 18.5″ x 33.5″. $40

“Hark the Herald Angels Sing”–Know someone who loves this Christmas carol? The table runner is machine quilted in a hatch pattern and the binding is hand sewn. 13″ x 42″. $40

I finished the binding just in time to share the finished project this week. I am most please with the binding. The black stripes are the same “faded” black with hints of blue as the pieces in the quilt. It is square 68″ x 68″ , perfect for a single bed or to have one the back of a chair just in case you need to wrap up in a quilt. The backing is a multi rose colored floral. $160

When this quilt was fold up I wasn’t that impressed–but wow–look at it when it is hanging from the stair railing! I love the big bold design..a winning combination of solids and prints. The solid colors are all on the cool side of the color wheel and the prints contains all colors. The machine quilting softens the sharp angles of the pattern.

The fabric on the back has a mid-century feel. Look at those radios from the fifties and sixties!

The quilt is larger than many–68″ x 84″. $200

Janis makes one large appliquéd piece each year for our sale–in addition to the many smaller wall hanging, table runners etc. She finished in time for it to be the centerpiece of our first Art Crawl venture.

Ta Dah! Here it is! The pattern is “Tweets and Twinkles”. She made some adaptations to the pattern. She used bright batiks instead of the prints suggested and a zigzag stitch instead of the blanket stitch to appliqué the birds and florals. It is custom quilted perfectly…so many different machine quilting patterns were used. The feather stitch on the border frames the pieces so well!

Don’t these owls have an attitude?

How does she always choose the perfect fabrics? (see the machine quilting on this square?)

But this little robin is my favorite! The robin’s front is “robin-egg-blue”

The quilt is 50.5″ x 62.5″ . It took over six hours to custom quilt this piece. She can not even to begin to count the hours it took to copy the patterns, select the fabric from her stash and cut out the individual pieces (look the robins beck is a piece that need copied and cut out!) and to appliqué. This is a work of love. $500.

Come to the First Friday Art Crawl on September 5 to see this piece in person!

I drank my coffee from a cup from Urban Abbey; not sure why I have the cup, but the printed saying always reminds me of what is important.