Quilts, Etc.

It’s Not a Lost Art

When quilts are listed, one of the important pieces of information is “machine” or “hand” quilted. The Quilters at First do both methods of quilting but with the majority being machine quilted.

Hand quilting takes skill and patience. A quilt can take up to 300 hours at the frame- stitching one stitch at a time. That does not count the hours marking it with a pencil and stencil, basting and mounting it on the quilting frame with the backing and batting or in the construction of the quilt top.

Moving the top to finish the last section

The majority of the quilts are vintage tops passed down to family members. Authentic hand quilting adds to the value of the top a great grandmother made decades ago. Your top would be put on a waiting list but it is worth the wait.

The colors of the appliquéd flowers dates it as a 1930’s/40’s top.

Usually two or three quilts are made especially for the Quilt Auction. This quilt with the embroidered blocks and lavender sashing and border will be completed by October. The blocks were donated — and a quilt top was created using complimentary colors.

This quilt for sale is hanging in the Quilters room to be enjoyed before the auction.

THIS QUILT IS SOLD.

This simple pieced quilt is made sophisticated by the hand stitched designs in the off white squares. The quilters used taupe thread to match the taupe fabric used in the piecing of the top.

I seriously love borders—that other quilters do!

The serious hand quilter not only makes the front look great with tiny even stitches but the back is just as gorgeous. ( I can stitch a presentable front but don’t you dare look at my back!) These ladies have mastered both sides.

The quilt is 87″ x 87 ” and it design would go with either traditional or modern decor.

The quilt will be in the Quilt Auction on Saturday, October 16 at 7 pm at First United Methodist, Wichita. OR you can buy it now for $800 and enjoy it for and extra three months and be assured it is yours!

Not Your Mother’s Baby Quilt

I still have two quilts my grandmothers made for me before I was born. The quilts were used to keep me warm in a home heated with wood stoves. They are not pristine but they are treasured. Both are a careful combination of pink and blue–gender was unknown before the big day. Each of the quilts feature sweet baby animals–little ducks, bunnies in flower fields and happy puppies and kittens.

Now we label anything small and given to a family to celebrate the birth of a child a “baby quilt”. The important attribute is that the quilt was made with love and/or given in love. Modern or tradition, pieced or appliquéd, scrappy or whole cloth, machine or hand quilted, woven cotton or cuddly Minki –your choice!

This 31″ x 40″ quilt could be a baby quilt or a table topper or an accent piece, but I like to think it will be given to a family with a new baby born in the summer.

It is machine quilted and the back is a multi color dot.

I found this fabric and knew immediately it would be a great “baby” quilt….but spent months deciding how to use it. How to cut it into blocks? What pattern? Did I want to cut sheep? AH HA–make it the back of a quilt. Leave the fabric whole and piece the back.

Baa Baa black sheep (?) measures 35″ x 35″ and is machine quilted.

Both of these quilts and many, many more will be for sale at the Quilts Etc. Sale and Auction on October 15-16 at First United Methodist Church, Wichita. We have something to suit everyone!

30’s and 40’s reproduction fabrics + new tool= 1 Quilt

I am not sure why I like the fabrics that are reproductions of designs from the 1930s and 1940s. What is it about tiny little yellow ducks, or simple five petal flowers, or the typical basic color ways? Maybe it reminds us of what we perceive to be a simpler world (although there was a world wide economic depression and war). Maybe some of us can remember our grandmother’s aprons and house dresses made from “feed sacks”, a popular source of fabric for rural women. It could be that simple is soothing and comfortable. What ever my reasons, I have collected a stash of these fabrics.

During this past pandemic winter some online retail therapy occurred. Therefore when I wanted to test drive the “Slotted Trimmer” by Kari Carr that I had purchased, I used some of my 30’s and 40’s reproduction fabrics to make “easy, efficient and accurate” half square triangles. This tool is absolute keeper—and I used it to make so many squares I could create this pieced top!

The quilt is 68″ by 72″ which qualifies it to be a “lap” quilt. It is machine quilted on my domestic Bernina and the scrappy binding is hand sewn. The backing is a white on white floral print.

This quilt would be perfect for your porch swing, covering a child’s bed or draped over the back of a rocking chair. It will be for sale at the Quilts Etc. Sale on October 15 and 16 at FUMC Wichita.

Save the Bees!

Our world depends on bees to survive. Bees are needed in the production of food. We have been encouraged to grow flowers and trees to feed the bees and to become as chemical free as possible. Not only are they essential, they are a part of the spring and summer landscape and a symbol of hard work.

Fabric designers have become enamored with bees. Bee motifs are in all colors, designs and patterns.

This “bee” fabric here used grays, golds, yellows and black suggest the end of summer and harvest. Flowers and honeycombs add a touch of realism

This “bee” quilt is 56″ by 64″ and is machine quilted. The quilt pattern is “Cascading Diamonds”. The backing is a stylized light gray print –it could the buzzing pattern of bees

This quilt will be offered for sale at the Quilts Etc. Sale and Auction on October 15 and 16 at FUMC, Wichita.

Cherries and Cream

I love red! I used to tease my Mom that she brought me home from the hospital wrapped in a red blanket. I have collected red fabric–solids, print on print, grunge, stripes, prints, seasonal prints and especially polka dots, probably my favorite. My quilting friends learned of my obsession and have gifted me or pointed me to more.

And, I also love cherries, especially my Grandma Ella’s cherry crisp, cherry and chocolate ice cream and Cherry Fabric Prints. Cherry prints that give off a vintage 30’s flavor are best. I have made placemats and table runners featuring cherries.

Cherry print fabric is perfect for aprons–with or without ric rac!

I had never by fortunate enough to attend a Red and White Quilt show but my DIL gifted me a coffee table book featuring NYC quilt show and I have admired the versatility of red and white quilts. So when I happened on Nancy Mahoney’s Cherries and Cream quilt published in Fon’s and Porter’s Love of Quilting May/June 2020 magazine, I knew this was the one to start my own collection!

I loved piecing it! But when I put the pieced top on my bed, I decided nope–it wouldn’t live there happily so I am donating mine to the Quilt Etc. Sale and Auction. It is still at the long-arm quilters. I am tempted to add some tiny cherry prints in the binding but won’t—

Here is my version hanging from our deck before it went to the quilter.

Cherries and Cream | Finished Size 80″ x 98″

If you’re looking for the perfect quilt to start your own Red & White Quilt Collection, come to the sale.

Who are the Quilters at First?

About thirty women come together every Wednesday to work on diverse fabric works of art. Our artists create quilts of all sizes, table placemats and runners, wall-hangings, seasonal decor, bags, embroidered items, baby things, ETC. Items are both hand- and machine-quilted.

For 28 years we had sold these items at an auction one autumn Saturday night to raise money for the TV ministry and the Religious Nature Center at First. In 2020, COVID forced the creation of a new format — in 2021we had a three day “by appointment” sale and no auction. October 2021, we had have a two day sale –without appointments– and the return of our auction featuring 30 quilts on Sat afternoon. In 2022 we are had a two day sale in Wilke Family Life Center on October 21 and 22 and raised $21,000 split between the TV Ministry and Religious Nurture Center for Disabled Adults. In 2024 we were able to present a check of $9,500 to both groups. In 2025 we were delighted to hand over checks of $11000 to each! We have scheduled our 2026 sale for the week of October 15 through 17 .

This blog was created to show you all our diverse items we will have for sale! These photos are an enticing preview. Sizes and other important details will be included. The PHOTO GALLERY is the best way to quickly see what we have at present.

We love fabric! We love creating! We love offering these treasures to you which in turns helps to support programs of our church!