Most of us may already have four, six, or ten quilting projects going at any one time. It’s rare to only focus on one project, make it, and be done before beginning a new challenge. So how do we stop becoming fabric shop victims? Plan ahead and stick to the plan.

First of all, know what you’re looking for and try not to let yourself stray. It’s okay to look around, and obviously you want to see new fabrics, and maybe collect for future projects you’ve already begun planning for. Just don’t let your mind take over your body and lead you around the store picking up fabrics you weren’t planning on buying and can’t use elsewhere.

Second, know your budget. While it’s fun the find new fabrics and gadgets, don’t get out of control. Come into the fabric shop with a set dollar limit in mind and try not to go over. If you find your arms full of bolts and bolts of fabric, try to narrow your choices down before you start getting them cut. While your local quilt shop owner will love you for shopping with reckless abandon, your family may be on bread and water for days.

Finally, keep in mind that often we will have our creativity sparked at the quilt shop. That’s okay. Write down the manufacturer’s information for the fabric or buy a small quantity to remind you of your idea. Let the longing for this new project push you through the finish line of the project you’re on.

If there aren’t enough great things about quilting, another is that you can share it with your family. For centuries quilting has been a necessity of life and one of the only ways to express creativity. Now we do it as a hobby, a “fun” hobby full of get-togethers, county fairs, quilt shows, and even TV and internet shows. Quilting has certainly come a long way and aged well.

When we quilt we are not only sitting down and piecing fabric or lacing a strand of thread through three layers of fabrics and batting, but also stringing along history. The idea that we still do today what our ancestors did hundreds of years ago and still do it in relatively the same manner is remarkable. There aren’t that many tasks that we still do the way it was originally done. With quilting, however, it isn’t even considered abnormal or backwards to hand sew and hand quilt a masterpiece. Heck, look a Jinny Beyer’s work!

When times are lulled and the spark of sewing had turned to a slight flicker of willingness, remember you are part of something larger than yourself. When you quilt you are continuing the tradition our fore-mothers started. So we can have the latest fabric line, use the best  machines, and hold monthly meetings, but with quilting, our real and true quilting we do when we sit in our sewing space alone and living only with our thimbles and our thoughts we are carrying forward a legacy.

If you ever have the opportunity, share your love of quilting with someone else; friends, family, co-workers. Teach what you know to your children, their children, your parents, your neighbor. By sharing our skills we are extending beyond time and into the future of quilting. As quilting evolves, as it most certainly will continue to do, we can participate in the beauty of the ride. Learn something new, teach what you know, pass it on. Happy quilting.

It’s always hard to think of gifts for your fellow quiltersons. Why? Because if someone is already quilting away, chances are, they also already have all the notions that go with the job. However, there are things you can get your quilting buddies that they may find quite helpful and spur on their creativity for the next year. Aside from the make it yourself gifts, here are a few tips for giving gifts to quilters that could be very useful and welcomed.

Good scissors. If there is one thing a quilter always could use a new pair of, it’s the scissors. You can’t beat a good pair of fabric scissors fresh out of the pack and they’ll love you for it. If they have children, it’s a good idea to also get them some new scissors at the time so it’s very clear who’s scissors belong to who so the fabric scissors are used for just that.

Gift cards. A great gift card to a great quilt shop or store can mean a world of possibilities to a quilter. Not only does it guarantee that she or he will have to spend the money on themself, but also, it forces them to spend it on quilty stuff and that’s never bad. The only suggestion I have to this is if you aren’t getting the card from somewhere like Jo-Ann’s or Hancocks, where items can run a little cheaper, get the card for no less than twenty or twenty-five dollars. The reason I say this is that if you are going with a gift card to a mom and pop fabric shop in your area, the fabrics generally run about eight or nine dollars a yard. If you want your friend to be able to pick whatever they want, make sure they can buy more than a yard’s worth of fabric in case they find something they want to use as a major fabric in their next project.

Magazine subscriptions. These are never a bad gift, just make sure you don’t get them something they are already subscribed to. A lot of magazines also offer special rates for gift subscriptions so you can get yourself a subscription and your friend’s will be free.

Cutting mats and rulers. There never seem to be enough sizes of mats and if your friend is like me, then the mat they are using is getting a lot of wear and tear on the same lines over and over again. The self healing isn’t always cut proof. For the rulers, know which sizes and dimensions your friends already have and/or get something that may help them with a specific block or project.

A couple of spools of their favorite thread in the stocking goes a long way. I know this sounds a little odd but if your quilting friends know anything it’s what their favorite thread is. I’m the girl that sews with Coats and Clark Ecru #256 for piecing practically everything and my quiltersons know it. Spread the love and if you don’t know your friends favs, find out.

If all else fails you can always make up some friendly coupons to offer a few hours of babysitting while your friend quilts, or a trip to take a buddy along to the quilt shop, or even a day session of piecing where you help them sew their quilt top together. Whatever the gift, if it’s given with love, they will be glad to have it. So get out there and think about what it is that you would want most and get it for your quilterson friends.  Happy Holidays!

With the holidays just around the corner, it looks like a great time to push to get those unfinished projects finished up. Unfortunately, there are tons of distractions and very little time to complete them. Don’t worry. The key to finishing up those last minute projects, or the ones that you have set aside for a while, is time management. Keep in mind that quilting is not a buffet, and you will be a happier quilter with less on your plate.

The best thing you can do is take a good long look at your schedule. Find gaps of time that you aren’t using and take advantage of them. If there’s a show you love to watch on Tuesdays, hit record and use that hour for sewing.  If you usually go to bed around ten, if you can make it happen, stay up an extra hour or so and get some projects done. It’s only for a few days/weeks that you will do this so you won’t be running yourself down too much. If you’re like me, you’ll find that you start to really enjoy that extra time alone being productive, and it’s a great motivator to do it again the next night.  If evenings aren’t your thing, try getting up earlier and use that time to sew. Or you can always save your hours of mall shopping by buying online and do some sewing on the day you would have been out window shopping.

Another thing to remember is this: it’s not the amount of time you spend that is important, it is the intensity of focus. You won’t get nearly as much work done if you’re piddling around in the sewing room, not sure where the start. Go in with a clear idea of what project you’re going to do, and do only that project. Sure you can start by washing some fabrics for your next item, and have them drying while you do the first one, but make sure that you are using your time to the fullest. There isn’t much of it to go around, so keep that focus on one thing at a time and you’ll fly through your projects more quickly than you thought possible.

Finally, and I can’t say this enough, prioritize, prioritize, prioritize! If one task will take you an hour and another will take you three, go ahead and do the quicker of the two and be done with it.  Then you can really get going on the one that will need more attention. I like to make a list of all the projects I think I can reasonably accomplish and then number the items in order from quick to time consuming. This gives you your marching orders and tells you exactly what to start on first. Just remember to keep your eyes on the prize and finish up the projects that are weighing you down. Find the time, focus during the time, and use it wisely. You’re a quilterson, of course you can do it!

Ah, it’s that time of year again. Cookies are baking in the oven, decorations are getting put up, and wrapping paper rolls are filling up underneath your bed. It’s crunch time! If you’re like me you’re quickly realizing that all of those projects you thought would be finished by now aren’t done and you still need to get to the store to buy presents. Well, don’t let that get you down, because I have a couple of great ways to make presents for your friends and family that use up scraps from the stash basket.

Nine patch coaster   Any two inch strips or squares you have lying around can easily be sewn into the nine patch. To turn it into a coaster, simply take the left over flannel from the last time you tried to make pajamas and cut out five in squares. Place the nine patch and the flannel right sides together. Sew a 1/4″ seam all the way around the edge leaving about two inches open. Turn the coaster right sides out and stitch the hole closed. If you can’t match the same fabrics, just be sure to use the same shades of fabric to keep a similar contrast going.

Table runners   Pick a pattern you’ve been wanting to try or go with on you can do with your eyes shut. A table runner is quick to sew together and fast to quilt up and finish. Just remember that this is an item that may get dirty and non-quilters and some quilters will want to throw in the washing machine. Be sure to use fabrics that won’t run and, if you don’t think of it as the four letter words, stippling may be best.

Blocks in a frame   There’s something nostalgic and romantic about quilt blocks framed and behind glass. Either piece some together yourself from the stash basket or use some vintage blocks you know you aren’t going to do anything else with. This gift adds decor and quilt blocks nicely to any space.

Fabric bags   Purses, cosmetic bags, potpourri sachets, oh my. Take any of the scraps you have and sew them together how ever you would like. Use this piece as your “solid” piece of fabric and cut your pattern pieces from this.

Friends and family will enjoy the beauty and thoughfulness of homemade gifts but to know that you also worked down your stash is an added bonus. Now get sewing!

After all of this work it makes a gal want to sew, sew, sew. Sometimes if you’re in a rut (aka: Christmas is coming and I just realized my project list is longer than the time I have to finish it) take a moment to tidy up your sewing room a bit. Put some scraps away that have been eyeing you for a week, organize your fat quarters, and get those foot long strips of binding wrapped around something to make room for your creativity.

The cleaner your sewing space the more likely you’ll be to go right in and start sewing. If you know there’s a ton of straightening up to do, you may just as well have a seat and watch Dr. Phil because you aren’t going to get any sewing done anyway. There’s something magnetic about a cleared off sewing table and a cutting mat where you can see all four corners at the same time without having to move something first. Not only will you get right to work when it’s quilting time, but also you’ll be a happier lady in there doing it because you won’t feel like you should be cleaning instead.

Getting your projects together is one thing, but remember to put stuff up when you’re done. Don’t “leave it out for next time” because next time may be in a few days. If your sewing space is clean, so will your mind be also. Just like we dust our machines, oil them, and change the needle (yes, we do change needles not just when they break), we also need to keep our work spaces clear and ready for creativity to come rolling in.

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 Just curious? Well, what is a quilterson?

Anyone can be a Quilterson. Sometimes they are single, sometimes married, some with children, some without, some work outside the home, some are in college, some are beginning quilters, some are advanced. Any of the above and none of the above. Quiltersons have a love of quilting; they are doers (even if it takes three years to complete the project). A Quilterson is a member of this unique group and Quilterson.com is intended to bring these creative ”young” minds together.