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!

Times are tight. Craft and sewing retailers – from Joann’s to the local mom & pop quilt shop – are suffering. Several weeks ago, I posted that the Kennesaw Joann’s looked awful due to the bankruptcy filing. It literally had no merchandise in key areas. Sadie and I stopped in earlier this week and I’m happy to report that key sewing supplies and notions have been restocked, yet quilt batting and quilting rulers remain in short supply.

Today, Sadie and I visited our friends at Cabin Fever Quilt Studio in Ellijay. This shop had the additional yardage I needed for a project in stock and was also running a 30% off sale on most of the Lori Holt inventory. I was not prepared for the owner’s response when I casually asked when she was expecting the new Autumn collection from Lori Holt. She said she hadn’t purchased any of that collection because she still has plenty of the current lines to sell through and what she has in inventory will coordinate nicely with the How To Build A Scarecrow sew along. She’s 100% correct. This is also not the first shop in my area to skip an entire Lori Holt collection or two, but the first time this shop has. BTW, I’m not doing the scarecrow quilt. I’m making my own version of Autumn Love using templates and some vintage LH fabric gifted by a friend. I also picked up some Lori Holt sale fabrics in fall colors today.

Instead of one or two collections per designer each year, it seems as if major players like Moda and Riley Blake are introducing new collections of 40+ skus from each designer every three months. It’s too much for most quilt shop owners, let alone quilters, to keep up with – especially when most of the fabric lines now look so much alike. I have wholesale credentials, but I haven’t ordered in a while because the order minimums have been raised and the fulfillment rate isn’t the best. I’ve been kitting all of my classes and lessons using existing inventory. If I do need something, it’s usually cheaper for me to buy it on sale or with a coupon locally.

2024 Quilting Trends Survey Results

I have so many PhDs (projects half done) at the moment. The vast majority fall into “finish assembling quilt top” or “to be quilted” categories. Instead of making blocks at this week’s library sew day, I focused on “completion tasks” I could accomplish with a smaller sewing machine. This meant adding and stitching down the binding (by machine) to a throw size donation quilt, plus making binding for two other quilts. I had hoped to complete the two “Layer Cake Shake” quilt tops currently under construction, but that was not to be. The collective eyes of my sew squad noticed I had one HST of a Friendship Star block turned the wrong way in my Christmas version of the Layer Cake Shake pattern. I completely missed it. You can actually see it in the previous photo collage of my retreat in Boise. It took a while to unpick all the blocks and correct my mistake. However, I’m glad they noticed it before I added the borders!

It felt really good to complete two projects this week. Tracking project progress in a small flexible notebook (currently a Leuchtturm1917 B6+ softcover purchased in 2021) has been helpful. I used to do this when I was working full-time to make the best use of my limited sewing time. I pack it to take to classes and retreats, as well. A 5″ x 8″ (or A5 size) notebook would also work; however, coils on a spiral binding tend to get caught on stuff in my tote bag. All my sewing related notes, tasks, ideas, etc. go into one of these notebooks. When it gets full, I go through and transfer the information/items I want to keep to a separate 3-ring binder. This only takes about 15 minutes. I keep original design sketches, teaching notes, inspirational quotes, and any tips/tricks/product info I may need later. It usually amounts to less than 10 pages per notebook that I keep.

I plan to spend the hot summer months in the quilt cave practicing my FMQ skills on several charity quilt tops in my PhD pile. I should feel confident enough after 10 charity quilts to tackle FMQ on a two important personal projects. I won’t be spending my entire summer in the basement, however. Summer quilty plans also include helping out at the quilt show, mentoring at the SQTM quilt camp, a trip to Missouri Star and the International Quilt Study Center in late June, plus hosting a summer CraftLAB camp in mid-July.

August and September will bring the return of quilty travel in the form of a quilt retreat at the Koosa Mountain Lodge in August with my Friday sew squad and visiting the Asheville Quilt Show at the end of September.