Sew in the Know Newsletter!

Have you missed me? I have had several people reach out wondering if I was ok...where are the newsletters?

The truth is that in January and the first half of February I have had some personal struggles - as all of us sometimes do. Like others, I have felt a little like my world was in pieces. And what do we do when we have so many pieces? Well gather them up, sew them all together and create a work of art!

So yes, I am good and thanks to all for checking in!

Quilting for many is therapy, but this month I struggled to even do what I love best. So I spent time gathering the pieces (of my life and of my fabric) and have begun arranging and putting them together to create a masterpiece.

So this issue will be all about those little pieces we have left over once we have finished a project!

And isn't it coincidental that today is "National Bow Tie Day", which made me remember what could be considered one of the most comforting quilts I ever had - a Bow Tie Quilt.

I received one as a wedding gift in 1980, but before that moment - I don't think I even thought about quilts much.

What I loved most about that quilt was how many colours were in it. I have often struggled with putting just the right colours together when designing a quilt - but what I have come to realize is - that scrappy quilts use whatever scraps there are. There are a few more rules - and I will cover some of them and give you some ideas on how to organize them and use them in cool new projects.

Click on this link to learn how to make an easy bow-tie block

SPECIAL NOTE: check out the bleached muslin and wideback bleached muslin available at the bottom of the newsletter. Fabulous value and great for backgrounds and backings.

I have still been doing pick ups and deliveries - so be sure to request a pick-up using the form I have online. Filling this form out really helps me keep things organized. Sometimes I have as many as 25 quilts in my studio - so if you fill a form out - I add it to your quilt bag and there is NO confusion!

Weather permitting - this week I will be doing some deliveries and pick ups. My car is white - so I am hoping to find it underneath the 5 feet of snow we have here!

As I have said before and will say again......keep on quilting!

Mandie (the quilter)

Located in Limerick (Near Bancroft) Ontario, she travels hither, thither and yon to spread quilting merriment!

February 16th, 2025

Happy Family to all and that includes our extended family of Quilters.

Blessed are the children of the piecemakers ... for they shall inherit the quilts ! 

Learning from Others

One thing I learned a long time ago is that ideas are free - but some of us have more ideas than others! I like to visit other web sites to get ideas and learn new things to keep quilting interesting.

Missouri Star Quilts has some great videos on youtube that show some great shortcuts.

Click on this link to learn how to make an easy bow-tie block

Pick up and Delivery Request

Tomorrow February 23rd and Tuesday the 24th, I will be in Newmarket, Milton Hamilton and Burlington doing pick ups and deliveries! Request your pick up here

Did you know... filling out the pick up request helps me AND you.

I print these sheets out and put them with your quilts so that all the instructions and your address are with your quilt. It also helps me to plan my pick up and delivery routes!

Longarm Quilting Services

Backings and Battings

Videos and tutorials

Kits and Patterns

PDQ club info

Other resources

I have not made many scrappy quilts myself - but I can tell you that I have quilted hundreds of them and I cannot remember seeing one I did not like.

Over time , spending hours looking at each quilt while quilting them, I began noticing what made the quilts so beautiful.

Interestingly enough, many people who send me scrappy quilts do not like them much until they are quilted. So here are some things to help you create scrappy without stressing over those ittle scraps!

• Choose a quilt block that is quick and easy to assemble. Too many small pieces takes the joy out of working with many different fabrics. (try a nine patch - or create an irish chain block - or create a HST quilt, or put two HST together to create flying geese)
• Use the HST method to create triangles before deciding on your block size. Doing this helps you see better the size of blocks you might like to use with the size of scraps you have
• Using one common coloured background will tie the quilt together. I use a good bleached muslin instead of a white on white print. It is more cost effective and does not take away from the prints.
• Stack like values together. Lights, mediums, darks. Don't worry about the colour. If you are having difficulty determining if a fabric is medium (the hardest to discern) - place it between a light and dark and take a black and white photo with your phone - it will become very apparent if it is a medium fabric.
• Using a the background colour for the border will make the blocks "float". Using a darker colour for an outside border will ground or frame the quilt top. I like both - but depends on the block I choose whether I want the quilt to float - or be framed.
• You can easily use a large printscraps nerxt to each other as long as you cut it into smaller squares. You will be surprised at the different look each square will have. You may get Dark, medium and light out of one fabric!
• Using squares no smaller than 2 1/2 inches ensures you won't be scrapping for years!
• Cut leftover backing pieces into 2 1/2 inch strips and use strip quilting methods to make square sets

Over time we often experience times of plenty and times when we scrimp to make ends meet. Right now - the times they are a changing - so why not hunker down and save a few pennies and use up thoose scraps! Reply to this newsletter with your scrappy quilt tops - so we can show them off next month!

Here are a few tips on organizing your leftover bits and pieces!

• Cut leftover backing pieces and pieces that are full width of fabric into 2 1/2 inch strips and roll them up like a jelly roll in colour co-ordinated rolls.

• Roll up 2 1/2 inch backing strips together and keep these long pieces - they make great binding.

• When completing a quilt take 10 minutes extra and cut scraps into 2 1/2, 4 inch and 6 inch squares and put them together n a ziplock bag.

• Fold larger widths of fabric over comic book boards and pin them so the ends do not come loose. These can easily be stacked in a bin.
• Take 5 minutes as you finish a quilt to make an easy block - any block - 9 patch is a good one to a finished size of 8 1/2 or 91/2 inch size and keep finished blocks together in a bag.
• Scraps that are 10" square can be used for 6 1/2 in HST using a common background fabric. Thats a great size! Stack them in colour co-ordinated stacks and you have a home made layer cake!

• With 1/2 meter pieces create your own fat quarters and store them all together - you will have your own little fabric shop! Learn how to fold a fat quarter here (yes it works using 1/2 meter fat quarters)

A scrap organizing flow chart?

American Patchwork and quilting has a flowchart on how to organize your scraps! It's not for me - lol - I'm not that ambitious! Check it out...

Download your scrappy flowchart here!

Beached muslin has become a favourite of mine. I makes for great backgrounds and is the bolts I have on hand also make lovely pillow cases.

A meter of 45" premium bleached muslin is only $7.99 a meter so it is very affordable! I have 2 full bolts here - so if you need some let me know!

I also have premium muslin that is 118 inches wide. It makes a great backing when you want to see the quilting and it really makes a stunning quilt when you flip it over! It certainly beats buying and piecing quilters cotton for the back of your quilt at almost $15 a meter! The price on the 118 inch premium white muslein is $19 dollars a meter. Again let me know if you need any!

Special Stash Sale!  (not mine but I bet it will be fabulous.

One of my newsletter subscribers s organixing this for February 22nd in the Newmarket/Aurora/King area.

Email the organizer to get the details! It sounds like a lot of fun!

POTATO Chip blocks? Yup - you read that right. Great for using up your scraps - Learn more here

Occasionally life gets in the way of our hobbies, addictions and compulsions! If quilting is your therapy and life has gotten in the way of your ability to pay immediately - please let me know!

SHORT ON FUNDS?

Please do not let a temporary 'shortage of funds' delay you from getting your quilt longarmed! Contact me - and we can work out a payment plan. (yes - we can!) And I can also offer Visa and Mastercard options. Contact me here to learn more.

Thanks for reading to the end!

Please pardon any typos... I am a quilter and still brushing up on my editing skills!

Do you know someone who would like to read it - have them sign up here.

Have questions or comments - please be sure to let me know. Email me at info@janestreetquilts.com