Getting Block Party ready for the quilt show

June 2, 2026
39 blocks from students in grades K-12 ready to mount on the display panels.
Display panels with quilt blocks attached and ready for transport on Wednesday.

Return mailers prepped with swag ready to distribute with the blocks after the show ends on Saturday.

The past two months have been a blur prepping everything for the Block Party Exhibit at the Georgia Celebrates Quilts show this weekend. Block Party is done and ready to be installed Wednesday morning. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when Charlotte and I rolled the last display panel on the XXL pool noodle this morning.

Quilt show work began over a year ago with planning meetings and initial outreach to Georgia quilt shops. There’s been ongoing support for kid and teen sewing programs at local libraries and other nonprofit groups. I’ve sourced and delivered sewing machines, fabric and notions. I even helped teach some of those classes. The consistent outreach by the guild’s communications committee, members and sewing friends resulted in 60% more blocks being entered in this show versus the previous one.

On Sunday, I volunteered with the quilt judging committee. A long, long day, but what a learning experience! A few pearls of wisdom: make sure you clip all thread tails, bury your knots well and roll the damn cat hair off the quilt and the pillowcase before turning it in!

Practice makes you better

May 25, 2026
Not perfect, but better.

After several practice quilt sandwiches, it was time to do FMQ swirls on a *real* project. I unearthed a Moda placemat panel that had been part of the swag bag at last year’s JK Quilts spring retreat. I prepped the quilt sandwiches at sew day on Wednesday. Quilted them on Friday. Four placemats are now ready to bind.

Learning to FMQ with on my Elna 782 with the ASR requires a different set of skills – not good, not bad – just different. The payoff has been a more consistent stitch length when doing FMQ. I still get occasional long stitches (usually from moving my hands too fast when changing directions), but that’s okay. It’s part of the learning process. I actually prefer to FMQ using the start/stop button rather than the foot pedal. Still haven’t decided which particular foot I prefer to use for everyday FMQ. My next FMQ will be on a project made using the fusible grid interfacing. I’m going to try the “bowl” or clear view attachment to see if this works any better with all of the seamlines.

Back to Front Binding Tips:

Start with 2-1/2″ wide strips, adding 20% extra to the total length needed (just in case).
Do a mock binding layout to preview where any binding seams may fall – preferably no seams at the corners. Adjust as needed.
Sew using a 3/16″ seam allowance, joining ends using your favorite method.
Press sewn binding away from the back side.
Roll binding to the front side and glue baste in place, leaving corners for last.
Set corners and clip in place.
Let sit for 1/2 hour or overnight so glue can dry.
Stitch using a straight stitch with tie-off option and Janome Bi-level Left presser foot. (Note: the foot is advertised for 5-7mm machines, but I think it offers more flexibility with the 7mm widith machines. That said, my Elna 450 is a 5mm width machine. I set SW = 0 and SL= 3.0. Sew slowly with the needle down function engaged. )

DIY sliding mat for free motion quilting

May 18, 2026
DIY slider mat for FMQ. Not pretty, but it works great!

Quilters have a number of options for creating a slick surface on their machine bed to facilitate easier free motion quilting. A slider mat (aka Supreme Slider) and teflon spray are two options. I have a Supreme Slider to use with my larger machine in the Horn Quilter’s Dream cabinet. The queen size works great with my machine and required no cutting to achieve a perfect fit.

Using a wide extension table to FMQ while at a class or retreat may require that you trim your slider mat to size. This was the case with my Elna 450. I didn’t wish to spend $30-$40 for another mat. Instead, I took a thin oven liner mat (already on hand) and rough cut it to size. I marked the needle opening by running the sewing machine needle through the exact spot several times and later cut out a thin circle with super sharp scissors. I taped the mat in place and did the detail cuts around the curved edges and the inset to the right of the needle.

Next step was to test things out. I enlarged the needle hole slightly and trimmed up the inset areas a little bit more. Applied fresh painter’s tape to hold the mat in place and began to FMQ. Smooth as butter with no fabric catching anywhere!

Total cost: FREE because I had an extra pack of ThreadNanny oven liners from Amazon in my stash. I use them for applique projects requiring fusible interfacing or glue.

Close up of needle hole area in my DIY slider mat.

Curious about my settings for FMQ on the Elna 450?

Convertible FMQ foot with ruler work attachment (personal preference)
Blue dot (or low tension) bobbin case
Feed dogs lowered
Upper tension set at 4
Topstitch needle in 80/12 or 90/14
Glide thread top and bobbin (with at least 2 extra bobbins fully wound)
Slider mat securely taped in place
Gloves

I use stitch #1 and set the speed slider about 3/4 of the way. I always warm up for 5-10 minutes on practice sandwiches to test settings before I start on a quilt.