Tag: crafts

Not feeling it

September 15, 2025

I’ve been in kind of a “meh” mood the past week. Nothing seems to be going as it should from quilting projects cut wrong to therapy dog events still in limbo to estimates to repair a leaking master bath shower that are coming in a lot higher than anticipated. I won’t even go into recent events in the news. Makes me want to hole up in my house and not go anywhere. However, I made commitments to certain folks. Sadie & I must appear for those events, but I can opt out of the rest.

At this week’s R.E.A.D. visit with the public library, the librarian’s expression matched mine. I remarked she must not be feeling it either. She agreed. By the time our last reader left 90 minutes later, I was in much better spirits. So were several patrons and library staffers. All due to the simple act of sharing my dog with others.

Thursday morning, we presented a program on therapy dogs as community helpers to a local kindergarten class. Several upper elementary students were waiting in the lobby as Sadie & I stepped off the elevator. Their faces lit up when when they saw us. Everyone had to come say hi. Big Girl was definitely in her element. After the kindergarten class, we found the 2nd grade classroom where many my former Monday enrichment regulars are now learning. It was wonderful to see them again.

Still showing up even when I wasn’t feeling it pulled me out of the funk that was starting to settle in.

I finally figured out where I screwed up on the Aloha Mystery Quilt – and am extremely grateful I had another jelly roll of the same fabric line in my stash. I spent most of Sunday fixing my mistake and getting the different bits color coordinated to make a controlled scrappy version of the Aloha Spirit design. There’s a celebration at the sponsoring quilt shop on October 11th. I plan to be there to share my completed quilt.

Now on to making pillowcase for my guild’s community service program.

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DIY Design Boards

September 8, 2025

Design boards are essentially a hand-held version of a design wall. I first learned about design boards at a retreat with Lori Holt back in 2019. We actually made our own design boards as one of the retreat projects. For quilters, they are great for holding bits and pieces of blocks or smaller projects. Ready-made design boards in a variety of sizes are available through Riley Blake Designs. Retail prices range from around $15 to $30 per design board.

DIY Design Boards holding M50 Aloha Mystery Project Components

You can DIY multiple designs boards for the cost of a single ready-made one. Basic supplies needed: a piece of foam core board, scrap batting and a couple of jelly roll strips. You will need either a glue gun or Heat & Bond Ultra (in the red package) with a mini iron to affix the border trim.

I prefer to make my design boards using self-adhesive foam core board (I find it at Hobby Lobby), felt and the Heat & Bond Ultra (on the roll) method. Note: a glue gun will still come in handy to hold the mitered corners in place. If I can’t find self-adhesive foam core board, I’ll use spray baste to hold the batting/felt in place.

Foam core board can be found in the school supply section at Dollar Tree, Wal-Mart, Office Depot, Hobby Lobby and Michael’s. It usually comes in a 20″ x 30″ sheet and quality can vary, so compare before you buy. I cut mine to the desired size using a 60mm rotary cutter. Personally, I like an 18″ to 20″ square board for larger quilt blocks and a 10″ to 12″ square board for smaller quilt blocks. And yes, I have been known to Frankenbatt leftover pieces of foam core board to make one more design board.

Design board made from leftover foam core board pieces (taped together with painter’s tape).

Design Board Tutorial using glue gun
Design Board Tutorial using Heat & Bond Ultra

Quilt Backing Fabrics – Thrifty Edition

August 25, 2025

Quilt shop fabric in my area is now $14.00 + tax per yard. For charity or donation quilts that require 4 yards to make a quilt back, $60 per quilt isn’t sustainable for my budget over the long haul. Nor does it seem to be sustainable to those in my quilt bee group. Those ladies are a thrifty lot! Many only buy backing fabric for a donation quilt if they absolutely have to.

Sources of free to less expensive quilt backing fabric:

1. Free table at quilt guild meetings.
2. Community service fabric donations (sometimes batting is also available).
3. Shopping your quilty BFF’s fabric stash or scoring big at a destash sale.
4. Pieced backing using fabrics from your own stash.
5. Flat sheets (twin or full size) from big box stores or thrift stores.
6. Fabric cuts from thrift shops (like Mostly Mutts or Scraplanta).
7. Hobby-Lobby when quilting cottons are 30% off.
8. Michaels – Fabric Editions prints that are $3.99 per yard. Order online for store pick-up.
9. Wal-Mart – Waverly precuts are available in 2 yard bundles for less than $10.
10. Mark-down section at your favorite quilt shop.

Me? I check the free table, ask Community Service or see if I can piece odd fabrics from my stash to make a quilt back that coordinates with the top. If not, I’ll usually hit Hobby Lobby or Wal-Mart for suitable backing fabric. I can usually get the fabric I need for about $20-$25. That fits my budget.

For personal projects, I’ll buy full-price fabric from the quilt shop if the project calls for it. However, I still shop Hobby Lobby and the clearance sections of nearby quilt shops to find coordinating backing fabric.

Had to buy a replacement rotary blade for my Cricut Maker. Michaels in Alpharetta had them in stock. This location will be the big cut-to-order fabric store on my side of ATL. Saw some of the cherry fabric I’d bought on sale at Joann before they closed. Same fabric bolt is now $8.99 per yard. Michael’s rarely puts fabric on sale and it is usually excluded from coupons. Still adjusting to my new crafty shopping options and sorely missing Joann’s.

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