Hello!

I wrote recently about unearthing things during a spring cleaning of my sewing room.  You won't believe the most surprising thing I found:  my own hand quilting.

Like a lot of us, I hand quilted everything during my early quilting journey.  I babysat my granddaughter (now an adult) and while she napped I hand quilted at the dining room table.  I quilted every single day...for years until she went to school.

But then an old aunt of mine looked at my work and was critical of the size of my stitches; she also said they were uneven.  Now normally I wouldn't take criticism like that to heart but I respected my old aunt and I stopped showing people my quilting.

Eventually (because of my hands), I stopped hand quilting all together.

But here's the thing...

I own hundreds of antique and vintage quilts.  I've studied hundreds (or thousands) more.   I know what hand quilting is supposed to look like.

But during the last few decades, I never even looked at some of the old baby quilts I had made.  I just packed them away until this past month.

But when I brought them out to iron and fold differently, I noticed my stitches...and I was shocked.  My stitches were fairly small and very even.  I have no idea what my aunt was criticizing.

When I thought about it a while, it occurred to me that my aunt didn't even quilt.  I don't remember her doing any handwork.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not mad at my aunt.  I am disappointed in myself for internalizing her opinion.

I remembered this article and this photograph:

I didn't stop hand quilting because of my aunt's comments.  Carpel tunnel and other hand problems arose and I switched to machine quilting.  

Still, I wonder how many of you have encountered the same kind of discouragement about your sewing and how it impacted you.

Have a safe and happy day.

Flower Friday: April 4, 2025

 

Hello and how are you holding up?

We have been getting some rain here and are grateful for it.  Not only do April showers bring May flowers but hopefully it's making a dent in our severe drought.

In 2020, I started "Flower Fridays" and encouraged readers to send me photos of the nature they were see in their region.  I would still love to see what is going on in your area so--please feel free to email me photos at allentownquilter@gmail.com.

This week, Sue sent two very pretty photos for us.

Here are some hyacinths and daffodils from Sue's garden:

Also from Sue's garden are these amazing British Soldiers Lichen that grow on the fence of Sue's vegetable garden fence.  Aren't they absolutely charming?

In our neighborhood, the trees are just beginning to bloom!

Weeping Cherry

Magnolia

I'm hoping you will have a wonderful weekend!

This little boy is finally getting an haircut on Sunday!  

Have a safe and happy weekend

Spring Cleaning Haul (so far)

 

Hello and how are you today?

I started doing a deep clean of the sewing room a few weeks ago before I got sick.  I don't have much left to do yet but I need to get back.  It's not that I'm eager to clean but I found such good stuff!

Many things were examples I used to take for my quilt lectures.  

The blocks below were from the Story Time Stitches program and to the left, some extra McKim Roly Poly blocks.  The nursery rhyme blocks are enough to make a baby quilt.

I have a few tops that could be quilted now that I'm not traveling.  

Also some various projects that were never finished...either needed binding or a hanging sleeve put on the back.  Those are now on my baseball binding stack.

 Well I'm off to get some more things done!

Have a safe and happy day!

Tuesday's This and That: April 1, 2025

 

Yippee!  It's April!

It's also April Fool's Day but I really have never cared about that day.  Have you? 

***

Baseball officially began last week!  That means baseball binding!  I love doing handwork while I'm watching (listening) to the game.  It calms me when things don't go my team's way.  😕

Do you like to do handwork while games are playing?

***

Gardening is on hold right now.  It's been raining around 8 p.m. each night and I don't like to work in mud.  I do have to start the spring clean-up though.  Next week is the first week that the city begins to pick up our yard waste!

***

As you can tell, not much going on here today so I'll leave things at that.  

Have a safe and happy day!

Big Chairs

Hi there!

Last week I woke up to find that my computer no longer worked.  I worked with service folk (who were very nice) and my internet provider, but to no avail.  The computer had to be replaced.  At first, I ordered a computer from Amazon but it wouldn't work with my monitor so I sent that back.  

Then I went to Staples and I received such great assistance.  I didn't think I could get a computer with a CD drive anymore but they had one that had everything I needed.  Then they loaded the computer so that all I had to do was take it home and plug it in.  They even wiped my old computer and got rid of it!

It was a very busy week anyway.  We had ordered two new recliners in November and they finally arrived on Wednesday.  My husband swore they were the same size as the recliners we had.  They weren't.  Now half the living room is taken up by the chairs.😂  Even my know-it-all husband was shocked when he saw them (of course he was away during the week so I was moving furniture on my own).  

Lucky:  "I LOVE these chairs!"

How large could the chairs be?  Well big enough that my 27 lb dog can lay comfortably on one arm of the chair.  He can lay across my lap without curling up because he fits the width of the chair.

We aren't returning the chairs.  Mostly because we don't entertain anymore and the chairs are comfortable.  At this point in our life, we should just appreciate any comfort we can find.

 Anyway, I'm pretty happy that life is returning to normal (at least I hope that) this week.

Have a safe and happy day!

Tuesday's This and That: March 25, 2025

 

Hello and welcome to another edition of 

Tuesday's This and That!

***

Donna Jordan of Jordan Fabrics passed last week.  We are all sending prayers and sympathy to her family.  For years, I've used a lot of Donna's free patterns and tutorials (see here).  I recently was using her youtube tutorial to make a Jewel Box quilt (top not finished yet).  

It was from Donna that I heard the hack about using weights to hold down my ruler when I was cutting.  It was a technique that I know Beth uses too.

I know the whole quilting community is praying for the Jordan family and sending sympathy to her family.

***

Last week I shared a tutorial of a possible scrap quilt (here).  I found another quilt tutorial that is very easy and would use scraps.  Either of these quilt patterns would make great charity quilts.  The tutorial is here and uses charm squares or 2.5 inch squares and strips.  It would also make a good beginner quilt pattern.  The end effect is quite charming.  Enjoy!

***

Speaking of charity quilts, have you heard of Wrap The World With Quilts?  There's a nice website you can explore here.

***

That's it for today!

Have a safe and happy day!

March Finishes

 

Hello friends!

I continue to focus on things that bring me joy.  The news is abysmal, the weather here got cool again, and I'm looking forward to losing myself in the garden as well as the sewing room.

Despite being sick and my machine being in the shop this month, I did manage to get some quilts finished (because they only needed binding).

The first one focused on a Mary Engelbreit panel and leftover blocks from a quilt I made a long time ago (maybe 8 years?).  Well another piece finished!

The quilt below will probably be a charity quilt.  I have lots of juvenile novelty prints left and I need to use more of that up as well.  

Now that I'm feeling better, I'm hoping to get back to my hand sewing as well.  What are you working on?

Have a safe and happy day!