Building confidence on your quilting journey

You know when you just want to get one thing done, but related things that really should get done before you do that other thing keep cropping up? Kinda "while I'm at it" stuff?

That's what happened to me the past few weeks. I was finally ready to get my Tumble Into Love table runner pattern into my store,

but first...

I created a YouTube video walking through parts of the pattern as I made the cover quilt.

Then I created a video library of all my YouTube tutorials specifically geared to quilters making their first quilt, because I wanted to have that video library ready for any newbie who buys the pattern. There's a lot that you pick up along the way that just isn't obvious to a newbie!

Then I decided I really needed a YouTube about how to read a fabric cutting chart to include in that video library.

I just hit post on all those things! Whew!

Go check them out :)

Tell me what you wished you'd had someone explain to you on your first quilt adventure!

Irish Chain quilt done

In studio news (as opposed to 'me glued to my laptop' news), I finally finished my "Irish Chain" quilt. It needs an actual name.

I'm thinking about doing another one but with wider chains and maybe not have the appliqué in the center. That appliqué is a little puffy because I didn't want to quilt over it with the stiff backing in case I ended up with permanent needle holes.

The quilt is going to get a video too - a walkthrough of making it - because people do that on YouTube? It will be a new thing for me. I've got lots of footage to edit through. But maybe it will inspire someone to try quilting - everyone should quilt!

Horse quilt done

I will also be doing a video of my process of working with those embroidered blocks I got from my Dad last month. The quilt is finished and soon to be sent to my cousin.

These embroidered blocks were found in my late mother's stash. It was obvious whom she intended them for in our family, even if what she had planned to do with them was not. So I improvised.

I had a little fun going off the rails and designing on the fly in reaction to things not turning out the way I had hoped. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't get this top horse head situated right in fussy cutting the square, so I added some 'ghost' quilting to make it look like I planned it that way LOL.

And then I washed it THREE times to get the washable graphite pencil out of the stitching lines. I've never had the washable graphite pencil not come out easily before.

What's next

To tell the truth, grand baby is probably next :), but the PLAN is to write a pattern for a throw sized quilt similar to the Tumble Into Love tablerunner. It's been bouncing around in my head for awhile. I think it would be a great quilt to make for a wedding gift. A cuddle on the couch quilt. And it will use a bunch of fat quarters! I have so many fat quarters here from my mother's stash :)

The challenge will be actually documenting the process of designing, writing the pattern, and sewing the quilt. If all goes well, I'll have the pattern finished and tested by November - perfect for making a Valentine quilt and plenty of time for a summer wedding gift:)

I hope you are staying cool and having fun sewing!

P.S. I'd love to hear from you - what you're making, what is driving you nuts? What is working well? I rejoice over and answer every email I get - well at least from you :)