Do you every wish you could whisk yourself off into a pretend place? When I was in the fourth or fifth grade, I had a border print skirt.

There isn’t a time, I don’t wish I could shrink down to the miniature’s size and walk among this representation of the 1950 Kansas. What would I learn about my state? Who would I meet?

I do the same at the dentist’s office. I am not a good dental patient–I go regularly because I am a rational adult but sincerely dislike it. My former dentist had an inexpensive print of a side walk scene in Paris. I am sure you have seen it. How many times did I visit that cafe–in my mind — to forget where I really was?

Do you ever do seen a scene and “teleport” yourself there? Shirley brought in two “quilty” projects that are perfect for transporting you to another place.

Can you imagine yourself “glamping” in this sweet little vintage fifth wheel camping trailer? Take note of the all the details–the friendship quilt block on the 3-D miniature quilt and the barn quilt, the bird and dog houses, and the bunting used on the trailer.

The 9″ x 35″ wall hanging is a steal for $50. SOLD

This Christmas theme quilt also has scenes from the past.

The border print is of houses from another century decked out for Christmas.

The print depicts an image we would like to believe existed and that we would enjoy strolling on a winter’s night—This 68″ x 76″ quilt fits quite nicely in a traditionally decorated home. The quilt is machine quilted using a snow pattern-flakes and swirls of blowing snow. $200

Peggy finished this “jewel”–

Rich colored batiks are used in this 40″ x 49″ throw. The pattern is a variation of the rail fence pattern.

An imagination is a wonderful thing! Quilters are very imaginative–it helps the creative process. And there is nothing more fun that sharing the results of our imagination with you!

Are you a “pattern follower” or a “wing it” type of person? I am a 70/30 blend—with the 70% being “wing it”. And sometimes that gets me in trouble!

Many, many quilt patterns are just variations of the classic quilt blocks that have been used since who knows when. The time tested block patterns become the tools in the creative process.

This quilt is simply a nine patch–the most simple of blocks–on point with the addition of striped sashing. This is based on a published pattern by Eric Jackson named The Ruth Quilt but I winged it.

This baby quilt—folded up in my sewing room waiting for me to quilt it–is from fabric my daughter gifted me. No pattern, but I wanted to leave the giraffe print as big as possible to avoid losing the fun design. I also wanted to use just the coordinated prints, which was rare for me to have. I chose to copy a “rail fence” block for the spacer between the giraffe print. I did not alternate the fabrics in the three fabric block because I wanted to save most of the mosaic print for the border. How big to make the border? That depended upon the amount of remaining fabric. Another “winged it” pattern.

Some quilts are the same block over and over.

This beautiful quilt is a variation of the Lemoyne Star block being repeated. No quilt pattern is needed. The block pattern is in books and on tutorials videos.

Baby quilts are often a “no pattern” quilts. The focus is on the color or texture.

But sometimes I do use patterns.

…and I usually love the results!

My fellow members of Quilters at First, also like to “wing it”–

But my co-quilters have created some great quilts following a pattern.

Remember the huge box of quilt fabric and unfinished tops my daughter sent me? We made a quick trip to Virginia over Presidents Holiday and she had found more to send home with me. She gifted me 25 finished blocks of the 100 blocks need for the quilt, True Blue by Carrie Nelson. She also sent all the blues and low volume neutrals she had purchased for the quilt.

She had the pattern’s front cover but had lost the instructions with the measurements. Not a problem, I can just accurately measure one of the finished blocks. The key word being “accurately”. I am blaming the head cold and cough I also brought back from VA; I mis-measured the rectangle pieces. And then I cut forty sets of block pieces. Yesterday when I started sewing the blocks together, I discovered my boo-boo! Really wished I had had a pattern to follow.

Sometimes it is a great feeling to go off on your own creative path, and sometimes a interesting pattern is just the thing. Like a lot of life, it just depends!

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Not many new completed projects by Quilters at First in February but check these out..

More baby bibs…Diane is very creative with her baby bibs, no pattern. They are all quilted with batting to make them extra absorbent. They have Velco fasteners for easy use. The smaller ones are $8 and the larger ones are $10.

She also finished a ” 4th of July- Flag Day- Memorial weekend” table runner. Really red, white and blue is great anytime!

The runner is 13″ x 45″ and machine quilted. The binding is hand sewn. $40 (She used a pattern–she is more of a 95/5 person–95 being “wing it”.)

Do you know what I like best about this quilting experience? It isn’t the finished project– sometimes a bit of a let down, or fabric purchasing–I have almost broken myself of that habit, or having an outlet for creativity that is practical….it is being with my quilting friends on Wednesday! Wednesday from 11 am to 4 pm I am part of a group that still likes and cares for me ..the authentic me. 

We are fairly homogenous; same age group, same ethnicity, same religious backgrounds, all mothers and most grandmothers, but when there are twelve women together there will be big and little differences. We don’t all agree politically. Each of the twelve have different strengths and weaknesses. The role quilting plays in our everyday life varies. Roles shift within the group. But we joke we want to be on the same floor, in the same assisted living complex when we are older so we can take care of each other.

You would be surprised at all the topics we cover in a short five hours! Yesterday we  * shared latest streamed series we had watched and gave a quick review of each.   * discussed current books we are reading or listening to –audio books are preferred by quilters so one can quilt while”reading”.                     * results of latest medical appointments, up coming doctor visits and questions about health–our children don’t want to hear about this and our husbands are tired of hearing about it.                                   * Taylor Swift’s chances of making it to the Super Bowl this Sunday and her re-recorded songs.                                    * the British Royal Family’s medical crisis and the retired nurses diagnosed the type of cancer King Charles most likely has                       * the challenge of wearing flannel pjs bottom when sleeping on flannel sheets in the winter.                                   * funny self deprecating storied about losing things–keys, glasses, phones.      * and some topics and discussions that will not be shared outside the four walls of our locked quilting room.

BUT, quilting does happen! Sometimes it takes another quilter’s brain to solve a frustrating road block.  Yesterday, I could not figure out the repetitive pattern needed to put quilt blocks into rows. Diane and Shirley saw the solution immediately.  Another quilter finally realized the small detail in a printed pattern that made all the difference in the construction of a block that a quilter was trying to make to no avail. A few weeks ago, we all pitched in and curated blues for a quilt to be gifted. Many sets of eyes could see which blues were too green or grey, which prints were too big, or if there was a balance between darks, lights and medium. Not sure about adding a border to your quilt–take it in Wednesday and ask. We will have an opinion which we all know doesn’t need to be followed.

The second best part about my quilting buddies? The affirmation they give. When I show my husband (who is a wonderful, loving, generous man) my quilts, I usually get one of three comments. 1. That is interesting. (he sort of likes it). 2. That is a bit busy. (he doesn’t like it) or 3. That should bring a lot of money at your sale. (High praise). But he never says ”ohh, I love the color combination” or “the stripes made that so fun”. or “Wow, that was complicated but you did a great job”. My quilting pals do. We love “show and tell”. No matter the project, there will be praise. Even if most of think the colors clash, we will compliment the quilting or the pattern. If the binding is a bit wavy, we assure each other it won’t be noticed. Praise is important no matter your age or ability.

But the very best part about my quilting group. We care. We share the heartaches of losing persons, we share the joy of milestones reached by grandchildren, we share the uncomfortableness of change, we share frustrations of relationships, we share the excitement of trips and vacations and we “check-in” with each other. 

Of course we have our moments–eye rolls, lips pressed together so we won’t say anything, and hurt feelings. We have passed the stage of superficial interaction. We are a quilting family. No matter your passions, I hope you find your tribe.

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New projects just finished!

                     

A Christmas wall hanging—28″ x 46″. It has a hanging sleeve attached which makes super easy to use. Look at the machine quilting.

                               

Three different sets of six placemats. Each set is reversible. They are machine quilted and hand bound. Speaking from experience, these placemats will last through many, many washings. Approx. 14″ x 18″. Each set is $60. 

Soft unique baby bibs. They are extra thick and have a Velcro closing at the neck. Watch for more in the coming weeks. I already have dibs on an aqua pieced one for a great niece or nephew arriving this summer. The smaller ones, all the yellow ones and the top red, white and blue one are $8 each and the larger one is $10.

Nothing like an “feed sack” tea towel –the embroidery makes them gift worthy. $8 each

A scrappy lap quilt or throw–40″ x 50″. Machine quilted with a cotton/poly blend. 

Thanking you for checking in and reading this post. My sincere hope is that you have a supportive, up-lifting ”village” in your life.

Have you ever been advised “to think outside the box”? If I had a dollar for every time that phrase was used at in-services during my teaching career, I would be booking that river cruise! But it is great advice. I am more of a rule follower–a think “inside the box” person but I admire persons who can look at a situation and see a nonconventional solution. 

My nephew and his wife needed another bedroom when child #3 arrived. They reconfigured their small home and the former dining room became a bedroom for the little one–babies don’t need closets. A friend creates outfits from pieces out of her closet that I would have never put together, but she always looks great. 

Quilters at First are a wonderful mixture of “inside” and “outside” the box thinkers. Shirley finished two great examples of “Wow! I would have never thought of that” quilted projects. 

Pre-printed panels are difficult for me to re-invent. Sometimes I give up and just quilt the panel as purchased. But Shirley thought “outside the box” and came up with is delightfully soft baby quilt.

The front, the panels and the backing are all yummy soft Minky. 

Sometimes, we use “the box” or pattern to get us started, but then add a bit to make it more interesting. 

Shirley followed a pattern and the suggested color scheme for this 62″ x 63″ quilt but then added the whimsical flower and butterfly appliqué. Now it is unique! Did you notice the butterfly quilting motif?

But some times it is very satisfying to follow a plan. I like to make half-square triangles. I loved this collection of aqua fabrics my daughter sent me. 

This block of the month quilt included some embroidered blocks–but not the style of the maker. So additional pieced blocks were included. 

An orphan block becomes a small table topper.

Not a four or nine or sixteen patch—but a 25 patch was used with these batiks to create a quilt for the nature lover. 

The colors suggest leaves and grass, wood and stones. 

And you realize that in ten months you will be decorating for Christmas. And of course, some of you organized souls are already purchasing gifts for next year. Well, we are making potential gifts for you!

A table runner with many different holiday prints! It is backed with the same beautiful print that frames the front. 12.5″ x 45″. $40

For the holidays or all year a-round, this suggests view in the Rockies. It is machine quilted and hand bound. 16″ x 36″ $40. (I really should start pinning all around the pieces to have a better representative of the actual item!)

I found this on the internet a couple of weeks ago. Probably describes me best.

But a friend posted this on Facebook this morning and it is a bit more positive.

There is always “outside” the box.  Have a good week.

Quilt historians have found many different battings. A quilt that is registered with the Kansas Historical Society and was donated to the Quilters at First, used raw cotton as the batting. Cotton was cleaned of seeds and stems and stuffed between the top and backing and tied. This method would not allow hand quilting. 

Early housewives used worn out sheets, blankets and quilts to add warmth to the new quilt. Women in colonial and western expansion times used what was available. Many of the quilts of the Depression were made to keep families warm thus a torn or tattered quilt’s life could be extended by becoming the “batting” of a new quilt.

We have lots of batting choices in 2024. Cotton, polyester, wool, bamboo, silk and blends are all available. 

Cotton batting is packaged by quilt size–baby quilt (45″ x 60″)to king size (122″ x 124″) or by the roll. Most of the “cotton” batting” is really a blend with 10% more or less of polyester fiber. The blends are usually less expensive and combine the best features of both cotton and polyester. It is important that 100% cotton be used in anything that would be used in a microwave. Polyester blends can cause fires! 

Polyester is fluffier and according to the hand quilters at Quilters at First, much easier to slip the needle through. It won’t shrink–no crinkly vintage look and won’t show fold creases. But it is not as warm and doesn’t drape as well. It is slightly less expensive. 

Wool batting is a bit more expensive and not as available.

Siłk is the luxury batting with a lovely drape and feel.  It is very breathable. In cold climates it keeps the body warm and in warmer climates it cools, remarkable! It is hypoallergenic, very durable, and resists mold. But silk is the most expensive, almost double the cost of cotton batting. 

Lots of fiber choices! But wait, there are also color choices. Most cotton batting comes in a cream or natural but white and black are for sale. White batting beneath a mostly pastel or white top adds to the sparkle.

Batting adds to the cost of making a quilt! If a twin quilt top is completely made from scraps (which were purchased at one time), the batting will add $20 to $30 dollars depending on the type. The batting for quilt offered on our web site for $125 probably cost $20+. I save every scrape of batting to “Frankenstein” batting for table runners, baby quilts, placemats etc. I puzzle piece the scraps together and zig zag the straight edges. 

Batting has been on my mind lately. I have six finished tops stacked in my sewing room needing to be quilted and to be quilted– batting is needed. 

All this was probably more than you cared to know about batting but it is the “filling” in quilt sandwiches and you are a bit more knowledgeable about the information provided in the description of a quilt for sale. Happy shopping!

Do you multi task? Do you several things at the same time? Some would argue that a person isn’t really doing several things at same time, rather individual actions very close together. I have also heard it argued that multi tasking slows the process down; a person would accomplish more if only one chore was undertaken at a time. Others champion women as the ultimate multi-taskers—that genetically men are not able to several things at a time.

Many years ago I read Cokie Roberts’ We Are Our Mothers Daughters after hearing her speak. I don’t remember any thing about her lecture but the following from her book has stayed with me for decades. She observed that women have always performed many tasks at the same time out of necessity, citing her mother’s simultaneous dictation of a speech(her mother was a member of Congress), while making pickles and cradling a baby. “Multitasking is just a made-up guy word to describe what women have done all along,” 

Keeping house and raising a family is a series of tasks done at the same time or at least a series of starting one job while finishing another. When I taught Family and Consumer Classes and especially clothing, I would be frustrated with students who had not learned the fine balancing trick of doing at least two things at the same time—waiting for an iron to heat up and filling your bobbin. Don’t just stand there and watch the iron preheat, set up your machine! Ahh, the difference between a 16 year old and a 50 year old. It is evident I valued using every minute productively…not sure that is good or bad. 

I always have two or more things going on at the same time.  Most of the time this method works for me. But I will admit to over baking brownies because I was focusing on getting all my emails answered or flooding the flower bed while ran in side to unload and load the dryer. But I have many interests and lots on my “to-do” list for a retired person! I love to sew and I have a long list of books I want to explore. Can’t read and sew at the same time, but I can sew and listen to books. Great example of multi-tasking. My husband and I enjoy an hour in the evening of watching Prime, Netflix, or Apple TV streamed series. Many an embroidered tea towel has been completed during these hours. Bluetooth technology allows me to visit with far a way family and cut out hundreds of 2.5″ fabric blocks for the next quilt at the same time. I am always in a hurry to finish one project and move on to the next, often starting one before finishing one.   

This week the Quilters at First received two beautiful quilts, a baby quilt and a wall hanging, that were hand quilted, They are exquisite. While looking and handling these pieces of vintage art, I estimated the hours spent creating them. I marveled at how the makers were willing to devote so much time on one project. Give the age of the projects, I assume there was no blue tooth technology calls while quilting. The quilter may have been listening to the radio while stitching those tiny stitches, but no audio books. These women, and I assume they were women, were willing to focus on one project for a very long time. This took patience and perseverance. Probably their goal wasn’t “how many” but “how well”.

I am guessing the baby quilt was for a very special child and the quilter was not trying to overwhelm the recipient with many gifts but to create one special quilt.

The quilt is probably post WWII —made for a baby boomer. It is 33″ x 46″–made for a crib. 

The wall hanging is made from whole cloth, meaning it isn’t a pieced top. The classic, detailed design is created by the hand quilting. 

Zillons and zillions of tiny stitches created this treasure. The maker had to enjoy the actual sewing more than the finished quilt. Perhaps as she sewed, she envisioned where it would hang in her home and hoped for many compliments on her mastery of needlework. Perhaps she was making it for her daughter’s wedding or for a much loved sister. But no matter what would become of it, she had to have looked forward to her time creating this art with her needle.

These two pieces are lovely reminders that the journey should be enjoyed just as much as the destination. Their creators had no idea where their quilts would be in 2024, but I trust they would have hoped someone would enjoy the finished project as much as they did making it.

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Projects completed by Quilters at First this past week

Fall Batik table runner 11.5″ x 35″. $30

Ribbons–table runner. 18.5″ x 42″. $40

$8.00

Good morning from a snowy Kansas. We are on the good side of a blizzard–much worse out west.  The snow is lovely to look at from inside a warm kitchen; the winds are what make it dangerous. I do feel for all those who must be out in this caring for animals, providing essential services, and those without a cozy warm home. The day is perfect for sewing. In the winter my perfect day is 1. No place I must be. 2. A good audio book 3. A cup of hot tea –Cinnamon Apple Spice by Celestial Seasonings 4. Knowing what I am preparing for dinner or better yet, leftovers and 5. Hours at my sewing machine piecing quilt tops. 

Typically in the winter, I have several quilt tops pieced/finished but have not sent them to the long arm quilter for her to do her magic. A quilt top changes at each step of the production. I try not to pass judgment until the end–even an addition of the binding changes the impact of the quilt. Watch the evolution of these “quilts to be”.

The blocks above are one of the eleven partially finished quilt tops my daughter sent me last year. And since it was red and white, my favorite color combination, I started this puzzle. I could not find any pattern with her things, so up on the design wall it goes. She had included lots of red and white fabric and some of the partial blocks so it will be fun to finish. 

Another gifted top–this one from the other coast. My daughter in law sent this Mary Engelbright chevron quilt top home with me Christmas as a donation to the quilt sale. She included yardage for a border, binding and the backing! Both my daughter and my DIL are very precise, so I never worry about the quality–the points match, the pressing is well done. Now I must decide which fabric would be best for the border–do I add a small black border first, then the yellow print as a larger border? Pretty sure the machine quilting should be a holly leaf design.

Baby quilts are always needed in our sale. Three yards of gender neutral fabric from my daughter was used to make this simple top.

The up close photo of the fabric shows the colors better. Can’t decide on a backing–something soft and fuzzy–Minky or a flannel. The binding color will even change “the look”.

I had an itch to make an Irish Chain. I needed some no-brain sewing. I just kept making the basic nine patch blocks. If I had used them all, it would have been a king size quilt plus! Knowing a smaller quilt is more appealing to most, I limited the size. And there are enough blocks left over to make something else interesting. 

I think I will ask the long arm quilter to use a colored thread to create an all over holiday design. Your thought? Scrappy binding, hmmm?

I wanted to try the “disappearing four patch” block. It was fun and will probably do it again.

Do I need a border to corral all these blocks? What color should it be? White?

The finished quilt we offer for sale on Quilts Etc. Sale has gone through many stages of production and of enthusiasm by the quilter. Much like our human relationships– the initial excitement, the tedious job of making it work, the times of disappointment and joy and hopefully a feeling of satisfaction and pride when it is done.

New photos and info has been added to the Photo Gallery–general and the fall and Christmas ones.

Stay warm!

Last Wednesday we celebrated the end of our quilting year and prepared for a new year in the sewing room! We partied, worked and dreamed. At noon we had lunch with the hand quilters and presented our checks from the 2023 sales to representatives of the two missions we support. 

The Quilters at First were proud to present a check to the TV Ministry for $9,250 and a check to the Religious Nurture Center(RNC) for $9,250. Rev. Amy thanked us and reminded us what an important role our TV Ministry plays not only in the lives of homebound persons, but also on Sundays with 8 inches of snow on the ground and with COVID still making the rounds. Most of our new first time visitors try us out on TV before coming to our Sanctuary in person. 

Delaine H. represented the RNC, reporting that the numbers of attendees was climbing. She listed some of the activities such as visiting the Sedgwick Co. Zoo to see WILD LIGHTS and going to the Forum for ELF that our donation helps provide. It was a feel good moment! 

After lunch, we spent the rest of our afternoon sorting 11 large boxes of fabric. A FUMC TV viewer heard about Quilters at First via our Quilt Sale Announcement in the Fall. When she decided to move to a one bedroom home closer to her family from a four bedroom home, she contacted the church to ask if the quilters could use her fabric! Of course we could! Her family brought 11 large boxes of great fabric to FUMC. It was like Christmas! We sorted by theme–holiday, sports, reproduction, juvenile, novelty, etc. We sorted by color and we sorted by size! 

We dreamed of future projects that could be made using this fabric. Clear tubs were labeled and stacked for easy access. Nothing makes a quilter happier than new fabric with which to dream over! 

Last Fall one of our members who had been seriously ill for several months passed away. Her family gave us her fabric, chiefly batiks, and some of her rulers, templates etc. Anytime we pull some of the beautiful fabric from those big containers, we will remember Lynn’s lovely appliqués using batiks. 

We are grateful to these generous people who shared their fabric. I promise you it will be put to good use!

On a personal note, I was very, very good on my fabric diet in 2023. I purchased very little–some backing and some apron fabric for special orders. And it seems, I really need to continue the diet through out 2024. Remember my daughter sent me 11 quilt tops in various stages of completion plus yardage last fall? Our quilting room at the church is bursting at the seams after generous donations. So, it is another year reminding myself why I am on this self imposed quest to use up the fabric I have before it becomes dated and sent to the landfill. I want to support our local fabric shops and will make an effort to purchase fabric locally for any special needs that arise. So wish me luck and remind me not to torture myself by scrolling though all those online shops having great sales!

I am thinking another Log Cabin quilt, an Irish Chain, a baby quilt for a new family member, a red and white quilt…hmmm. Check in with me in December 2024!

I sincerely appreciate every one of you that read some of my ramblings–I know it can be confusing! Thank you for purchasing something you saw online—We would have nothing to give to the TV ministry or RNC if you had not bought a quilt or placemats or an apron! A huge thank you to all those people behind the scenes that allows the Quilt Sale in October to happen. And most of all to all my family, friends and acquaintances that are so understanding about my passion for quilting, thank you!

I want to wish you a happy holiday; may you find joy in little things and experience a peace that gives you comfort in this war weary world. 

It is all about balance! I envy persons who have a figured out how to balance all their needs, wants, and obligations. I struggle daily with what I think “I should do”—volunteer with groups that delivery food or meals, deliver flowers to homebound persons, visit an ailing member of my extended family and what “I want to do”--sew an interesting quilt top, read a cozy mystery in the middle of the day, bake a dessert for no particular reason. And then there is the “I need to do”–cook dinner, do laundry, iron shirts, vacuum doggy hair. I know each of these items on my “to do” list is a choice. I have the freedom to pick and choose. But I have seventy-five years of “oughts” in my psyche. My values shape much of what I do and that is probably not going to change. So, every morning, I try to cram as much as I can from each list into my day.

The Christmas season is particularly challenging! I always fool myself thinking there is plenty of time to do all the things from each list, often ending up feeling that missed something. Add to this struggle, gift buying! I want each gift to be meaningful (personal), not wasted (never used) and financially responsible ( don’t overspend). Also there is the “balance” or “equal” factor. My mother made sure the gifts to my brother and me were equal to the penny price-wise. Also, if there was a green strip with red bow package for me, there was a green strip with red bow for my brother. Do you know what this did to my mind? I have wasted a lot of thought striving to continue this practice. But now I try–with in reason–to spend the same on each grandchild. It may not be equal this time, but over the year with birthdays and other milestones, it evens out. The VA family and the WA family are more or less the same.

I believe the gift giving solutions I have embrace apply to my life balance also. I may do more from the “I ought to” list today; tomorrow more from the “I need to”. Over the day or month it balances out. And here is a secret I have learned…be grateful for each task. This past weekend I was dreading an “ought to” task and by simply thinking “I get to” I enjoyed the errand. I will admitted I gave a cheer in the car when I was done! Good luck on finding your balance–there is no “one size” fits all–but there is a satisfying one for each of us.

Three beautiful holiday items were completed in last few weeks.

Vicki completed another winter forest wall hanging. It is 49″ x 54″ and $100. It is machine quilted with a cotton batting. This peaceful winter scene would look good in your home all winter long. SOLD

Barbara’s jolly table runner is striking panel extended with have square triangles and framed with peppermint sashing. It is machine quilted. 11″ x 32″ $40. This panel with the winter and holiday item just make me happy looking at it.

This table runner is made with a charm pack. It measures 19″ x 34″ and is machine quilted. The backing is almost silky but a washable cotton. $40.

🎄 Next week we will announce our 2023 Quilt Sale donations at a luncheon. Stay tuned for that post.

Keep your balance folks! A little play, a little service and a little work!