Changing shopping habits

July 1, 2025

I’ve always made it a point to shop local businesses whenever possible. However, the brick & mortar retail landscape in my area has really changed in the past 5 years – particularly when it comes to quilt & fabric shops. Where westside Atlanta had 8+ quilt shops prior to 2020, there were only two still in business when I retired in May 2022. Today, one shop has a completely new owner and the other is in the process of onboarding the next generation to run its long-time shop. In April, Stitched opened along the route to my monthly guild meetings and bee group gatherings. I really like the new shop’s vibe – plus Sadie is welcome. Needless to say, I shop here first for fabric and dog treats! 🙂

Some of the shop closures have meant I no longer have a local source of supply for certain notions I prefer to use. Even with three Janome dealers in the greater Atlanta area, I usually resort to buying parts and accessories from online dealers due to availability, convenience and price. Actually, I now apply the same parameters to shopping as I do therapy dog visits. If I can’t get there in under 30 minutes, I’m not going unless it’s a special occasion.

Instead, I’ll simply shop at regional quilt shops online before I head over to Amazon. One of the millennial age instructors in a class I took explained we can still support small & local businesses even when we shop online. She has a valid point. I recently bought fabric online from Stash Fabrics (needed to fix a boo-boo) and picked it up while running errands in that part of town. I needed Superior Threads Titanium Topstitch 90/14 needles and a cone of So Fine 50 wt thread in Straw color. Amazon was the only retailer that had both items available, plus it offered the best pricing overall and 2 day delivery. (It helps we’re Prime members.) I look at it this way: I’m saving time and money while still supporting the local delivery service provider who will deliver the package to my home tomorrow.

Photo by Kindel Media on Pexels.com

Label your quilts!

June 28, 2025
Label from a recently finished quilt

Yes, this is the label from the quilt referenced in two recent posts. The red you see was added with editing software to preserve my niece’s privacy. The original label was created using printable fabric sheets and my ink-jet printer. I like to use the free templates available from June Tailor/AccuQuilt as a starting point to create most of my labels. Now that AccuQuilt owns June Tailor, the templates may be found at the bottom of the Iron On Quilt Label product page (see bottom of screenshot below) rather than on the support page.

What info to include on your label? The Quilt Alliance has information about documenting your quilt and hints on making quilt labels. Simple or fancy? That’s up to you. Here’s a video that you may also find helpful.

Personally, I like to “name” the quilts I make. I also include the recipient’s name, quilt pattern name/designer, and the names of folks who helped make the quilt. I make sure to include city, state and month/year the quilt was finished. Depending on the recipient, I may include a photo of the quilt, cute graphic, quotes, or special notes about items used in making the quilt (silk ties, baby clothes, fiber content – wool, silk or bamboo batting, etc.). Recipients have told me they appreciate having care instructions on the quilt label. I like being able to customize care instructions for each quilt.

For this specific label, my sister-in-law got as far as she could before her advanced stage cancer left her too weak to continue. An extended family member was able to help me figure out when she last worked on it. I received the quilt bundle on Father’s Day. The quilt was finished and shipped to my niece yesterday (less than two weeks from receipt!). My niece approved the mock-up of the label and mentioned that she really appreciated the detail I was able to provide on the label.

Fifty years from now, my niece’s daughters will have documentation of the quilt’s history.

Boston bound

June 27, 2025

It took 3 days to machine quilt and hand bind this 54″ x 73″ quilt. I quilted it using Glide thread in Military Gold. Even with the Glide thread, my machine still hiccupped a couple of times as I was doing FMQ. At least it’s done.

After today’s quilt guild meeting, I attached the quilt label and packed the quilt, along with the pattern book, extra thread and remaining fabric, in a medium size Priority Mail box. It was definitely full! Anyway, the post office has the package and it should arrive at my niece’s home in Boston on Monday.

As for my sewing machine, it’s been four years since it’s been in for service. I gave it a really good clean-out, oiled some moving parts and bought a new FMQ bobbin case. A practice quilt sandwich showed everything was as it should be. I’ll quilt a charity quilt next. If the machine misbehaves again, then it will definitely be time to go see Mr. Marc.