Analyzing Potential Quilt Projects

May 25, 2024

You see a quilt on Pinterest that catches your eye. Your social media feed is buzzing about an upcoming QAL hosted by a certain designer and quilt shop. By all means, download the free pdf info sheet and/or print off the pattern information. Before you hit the “buy now” button, take 5-10 minutes to really study the pattern details. I am all for supporting designers and publishers. However, many blocks (often renamed something catchy to sell a pattern) are in the public domain – meaning freely available to anyone. I challenge you to see if you can figure out how to make simple designs without automatically purchasing the pattern. This will help you better understand quilty math and quilt design, plus might free up your shekels for more challenging books, patterns, and fabric.

Why do I say this?

If the QAL project involves a single, classic, pieced block, you’ll find lots of online blog and video tutorials are available. You may even find the block in a compilation of quilt blocks book at your local library or quilt guild.

Also, the back of a pattern envelope/ free pdf project info download sheet provides a wealth of information with regard to: 1) finished project sizes, 2) detailed diagram of project and 3) any special tools/supplies needed to make the project. Use this information, plus any finished quilt photos you can locate online to determine the interior block layout, finished block size and guesstimate sashing and border widths.

Block size: Quilt patterns often come in multiple sizes. Merely subtract the finished size of one project from the next size up. For example, if the toddler size is 42″ x 54″ and the lap size is 54″ x 66″, your finished block size is 12″ x 12″. This rule of thumb works best if all blocks are the same size.

Border width: Straight set blocks with a single border makes it easy to figure out border width. Count the number of blocks across one row and down one column. Multiply this by your block size to figure out the interior quilt size. Our example uses 12″ blocks in a 3×4 layout. The interior quilt size is 36″ x 48″ The finished size is 42″ x 54″ so the border is 6″ total. Divide this by 2 and add 1 to 1-1/2 inches to that number. I would cut my border strips at 4 to 4-1/2″ wide in this example.

Personally, I’ve declared a moratorium on buying quilt books and patterns. FQS is currently sponsoring a bow-tie block QAL to market a new book/fabric line and my social media feed is full of bow-tie quilts. As commenters said on social media, “I don’t need that book to make this quilt.” True, but I will be adding yardage to the charm pack swag received at my recent quilt retreat to make this quilt in “mostly” the new fabric line featured in the QAL. Excellent marketing strategy, FQS!

Today should have been my official retirement date…

May 24, 2024

If I’d worked all the way through to official retirement, today would have been my last day. I’m so glad I walked out those schoolhouse doors two years ago! Life has been so much richer. Yesterday, Sadie and I visited Delta airlines flight ops center along with two other teams as part of a wellness event. There’s absolutely no way I would’ve been able to do this had I still been working full-time.

Retirement is what you make it. The best part is you get to decide what you do each day. Sleep in? Hike Kennesaw Mountain? Have lunch with a friend? Catch a matinee at the cool movie theater with hubs? Accept an extra therapy dog visit request? Check out a new museum or fabric store? As I told a friend recently, no two weeks in retirement have been exactly the same.

It’s taken two years, but we’ve found our retirement groove. Mid-summer, I’ll be “officially” retired meaning my pension payments begin and health insurance rates will once again return to employee/retiree rates. We’ll both breathe a sigh of relief and continue to follow our plan. We’ll make a couple of deferred purchases within the next six months (like a replacement SUV for me and a tackle house project or two). Sure, working those two additional years would have meant a few extra dollars in my pension check, but when looking at the whole picture holistically – it wasn’t worth it to us. Time, freedom to do our thing and peace of mind meant so much more.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend! Summer’s here!

Make your vote count

May 21, 2024

Hubs and I were drawn into all new voting districts this time. The only thing that remains the same is my polling location at a nearby church. I was actually going to sit out this election cycle in protest, but after reviewing all the candidates and issues on the sample ballot, I decided to make my vote count. I voted against individuals I know I definitely do not want to see on the November ballot and for/against specific issues presented.

I’d rather have someone local represent me than a 3 term politician who’s chasing districts she doesn’t live in just to go back for another term. I realize GA law makes this possible; however, this candidate doesn’t understand what’s important to constituents (local issues) like the other candidates do.

It’ll be interesting to see how many of the voters in my new districts share a similar point of view.

Remember – be in line by 7:00 p.m. so you can cast your vote!

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