March is known as National Quilting Month, and this Saturday, March 18th, is National Quilting Day! Do you have any special plans to celebrate? If not, I have some ideas:
Self Care- spend the day in your slippers and jammies and sew, sew, sew!
Volunteer for a quilt-related charity like Quilts of Valor, Project Linus, or your local guild's charity efforts
Weather permitting- hang a quilt or two on a line to show your neighborhood.
Support a local quilt store by shopping!
Make an appointment with a longarmer to get your quilts quilted!
Label your quilts for the next generation to know more about your work.
Enter a quilt show.
Sign up for or take a class.
Clean up/organize your sewing area.
Finish a UFO.
Start a Bee.
Try a new tool or technique.
Quilt Show Entry
Speaking of quilt shows…..I am so happy to share that the jurors selected my quilt to be shown at the Mid-Atlantic Quiltfest in Hampton, VA last month! I could not be there in person, but an angel snapped some photos for me!
Pantograph of the Month - Sprig by Ma Tante
I selected the pantograph “Sprig” as my featured pantograph this month. It’s so petite and dainty and beautiful! It reminds me of spring and seeing new buds peaking up out of the earth. Can you tell I’m itching for spring to get here?! https://matantequiltingshop.com/products/sprig
These are a few of my favorite things:
Mini Japanese Thread Snips with Leather Sheath by Cohana These cute little snips are always the talk of the town whenever they come out of my bag. Most people don’t believe they are real! Well, let me tell you, they are real and I couldn’t resist their cute factor! You can find them here. https://www.snugglymonkey.com/collections/best-seller/products/mini-japanese-thread-snips-with-leather-sheath. Shout Color Catchers These are fabric color catchers really work! I use these with all fabrics that I think may bleed, and with my regular laundry too! You can find them at your local grocer, or on my Amazon favorite’s list here. https://www.amazon.com/Shout-Color-Catcher-24Count-Pack/
Question of the Month
Why are batik fabrics different than quilting with cotton fabric? My Opinion Batik fabrics are not like standard cotton fabrics. They have a tighter weave than cotton fabrics so that they can stand up to the hot wax and dyeing process. When machine piecing or quilting with batiks, it may seem like you’re sewing through a piece of cardboard. Because of this tighter weave and dying process, the quilt will be stiffer than a regular quilt, regardless of how you quilt it. A popular modern quilt I see my clients make, is one made with the beautiful bright batik fabrics against a bright white background fabric. I have seen the batik fabrics bleed, so pre-washing these fabrics is a must! On the brighter side, batiks won’t fray as like cotton, and once you prepare the fabric, you’ll enjoy sewing with them and they’ll look gorgeous! Here are some tips that I have found helped me when quilting with batik fabrics.
Prewash batik fabric in hot water with at least three Shout color guard sheets, and throw in the dryer removing promptly when dry and then iron if needed.
Use Retayne and/or Synthrapol in the wash to stop the bleeding. I really like The Missouri Quilt Company’s video explaining more about how to use these products here. https://www.missouriquiltco.com/pages/retayne-or-synthrapol-prevent-and-reverse-color-bleeding
Change your needle to a 70/10. This size needle will glide through the fabric, but won’t punch holes in it. Do you have a question that I can feature in a future newsletter? Email or text it to me!
March Special: This month, I’m featuring a buy one get one 50% off the second quilt! Booking must be placed on or before 3/31/2023 11:59pm (Mountain Time) to be eligible and must be booked through my website www.spiritquilter.com Click “Book a Quilt” at the top of any page and mention BOGO in the note.
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