Midlife Quilter

Hello quilty friends! This week, I am going to talk about my favorite category, PRINTS!! Prints are the star of the show…the scene stealer…the main attraction.  You don’t even know how hard it was for me to resist making prints the part 1 of this blog series, but I didn’t for one very important reason—this is about stash building—not bundle curating. What’s the difference?  I’ll answer that with a question of my own. How many of you have bins full of fabrics you love and when it comes time to make a quilt—nothing coordinates?  My guess is you fell prey...

  I can still remember it clearly—standing in the middle of a big box fabric store, bolts of fabric in my cart, and being COMPLETELY confused. Isn’t it the most disappointing feeling to be buying lots of fabric, but every time you want to make a new pattern you feel like you have to go out and buy all new fabric? Or that nothing you bought matches what you already have? It’s the equivalent of a closet full of clothes with nothing to wear 😟 I believe, firmly, that you should want to buy fabric, not need to.  Every quilter...

Today I have a quick tip to how I keep my quilting projects organized. Lately, I feel like I have a minimum of 3-4 quilts going at all times.  I know, for some, this is a cake walk.  For me, this is pushing the limits of my sanity. I am a list maker, note taker.  I don't feel ok unless everything has been crossed off my list at the end of the day.  As I've added more to my quilting plate, I have had to learn to adapt and realize that if I want to finish all the quilts I...

Christmas time is here! The holidays have different meanings for so many.  For me, this time of year has traditionally been one of reflection, gratitude and giving back.  Although 2020 has been a year like no other, I find myself feeling very much the same this year.  Quilting has been a highlight of the year and I have enjoyed seeing so many new faces entering the ranks as they looked for something to keep them busy as they sheltered at home. I keep thinking back to my own first days as a quilter and how those days have shaped so...

Are you a goal setter? I definitely am. But I am one of those people who sets secret goals--I don't generally announce them. It's too much pressure.   But a few months into my quilting life, I had set a goal for myself. I wanted to be a pattern tester. It seemed so glamorous--getting a sneak peek at a pattern, the challenge of creating a quilt that would reflect my style and do justice to the designer's pattern, working for a favorite designer-- I wanted it badly! Maybe you do, too.   But pattern testing can seem mysterious. How do...