Pesky inner voice

The pattern for those first quilts seemed suspiciously way too super easy. Literally, sew 42 strips end-to-end. Fold in half, cut, sew up the side, and repeat until the top was about half the width as length. This is sometimes called a 'race' quilt or 'jelly-roll race' or some variant. How could I possibly screw this up? Connecting the strips in the same direction would probably have helped...or sewing a straight line... (I'm convinced that straight lines are like Princess Bride's ROUS's - they don't exist!) or any other number of small things an experienced quilter would know (right needle, right thread, anyone?) True to her word, my mother-in-law took them as they were and finished them, gushing how lovely they were and how much I had helped her. Strangely enough, she didn't ask for my help again (I think she may have forgotten, as she very soon stopped sewing herself). But I had so much fun creating something from fabric that resembled a quilt, I had to do it again.

That year on Black Friday, I went with a friend to pick up some fabric for some of her projects and found the perfect little machine that did more than my current one could for a reasonable price, so I came home with my new special gift. That was over 15 years ago. There is something special to me about finding a fabric, putting it with other fabric, and seeing the process of fabric, cutting it into pieces, putting those pieces together into a block, and the blocks into a finished project that is so satisfying. Each fabric has a reason, every block has a story, and every quilt has its place.

Don't for get the deal for this month is $5 off any order over $20! Use code 5NPNT20 at checkout. Come back next week to hear about my first custom request quilt!