I just love the background on your witch's garden. I am not a big fan of white and am expanding my background fabrics. I would have never tried the linen looking fabric you used, but I now love it!
I love your complete sentence “No”! I make quilts as gifts, I really enjoy making and gifting a cozy quilt to family and friends, and cancer recovery. I make them in colors and patterns that I enjoy working with and inspire me! Because this is my hobby and I enjoy the process, and I will make something that suits the person I want to gift it to. So if someone asks me to make them a quilt, I probably won’t because it would probably be in a pattern and colors I don’t care to work with and there is usually a deadline or pressure to get it done, that’s when it becomes work! I dust my sewing room when I get around to it, it would consume too much sewing time otherwise! Thank you for your videos 🙂
For dust in my sewing room, I use an air purifier, and it seems to be helping. For those times when I've said yes to making something in colors that I don't enjoy sewing, I set a timer. Sew this project for 10-15 minutes at a time, then switch to something fun and bright. You could also use that neutral project as your leaders and enders like Pat does with the aqua squares.
I love that you said " No is a complete sentence" so true. As for the dust, I have a small handheld vacuum that I buzz around on my sewing service every day when I finish, but just about every quarter I do a hard dusting with swifters and large vacuum. Its just the nature of the hobby, the dust and threads, I guess.
When I make for someone else, I use the colors they like. I like all colors. My daughter-in-law asked for a quilt from Kaffe Fasset fabrics. At first, it was a challenge using his fabrics. But now, I love them. The Sew Sampler has gotten me out of my comfort zone several times. I am happy to expand my quilting world, whether it is color, designer, or pattern.
If one lives in an area that is dusty (ie. farming country or live on a dirt road or areas with lots of wind), one will have more dust. I live in farm country but am fortunate to live on a paved road so have a bit less dust. A good idea is to keep your windows tight and your sewing room closed up tightly when you’re not in there. Also keep your fabric & supplies in closed areas such as bins & cupboards. I just keep an eye on things and don’t let dust take over. But cut yourself some slack; you just need to keep your “stuff” from getting dirty. Good luck.
To the person, I believe it was Sandy, asking about dust, Do you live in an area where there is a lot of dust? I live in the high desert, and dust/dirt is just a daily part of life. So when creating I usually take time about once a week to clean, vacuum, dust, etc. otherwise it's just a losing battle. Also, is it possible that the heating vents in your home need to be cleaned out? The heater can cause a lot of dust, especially after not being cleaned for years. To the person asking about putting your name on a donation/raffle quilt, YES!! As someone who is interested in and studying quilt history, I say ALWAYS put your name, date, who it's for, etc. on your work, especially a donation/raffle quilt. It helps with provenance on quilts in the future. You have no idea what the winner of the quilt will do with it, maybe it'll stay in the family and the future family members will love knowing who made the quilt Great Grandma won at a raffle. Maybe it is given away and years in the future someone may find it at an estate sale, thrift store, etc. and be thrilled to know the name of the maker and the reason the quilt was made. Future historians will thank you.
I live in a phone booth (1000 sq ft with Hub, two young adults & 2 cats). I see clients in my home 3-4 days per week . I have always had to clean daily and I had to develop routines. I sew several times a week and sometimes every day of the week in the general living space. Sewing creates dust. So it is done BEFORE housework. I usually cut out at night after dinner on the kitchen counter and set up the machine on the kitchen table before bed and sew first thing in the am (while watching Pat). The floor is swept every day and often vacuumed anyway, because there is a lot of traffic in a small space. There are days when I don't sew because it takes time to set up and take down and clean up and that is just how it is. But those are handwork days, such as binding etc. And I do a lot of cooking on those days so I can sew more on sewing days. An air purifier helps, but so does having a routine. Clean up is a part of cooking and I don't NOT cook because of the time it takes to clean afterwards. Sometimes, I cook an easy meal because I don't want a lot of clean up. Accordingly, Sometimes I choose a less involved quilt, but I don't avoid it because of dust. OR some evenings I machine quilt rather than cut out because that is the brain space I have available. I seem to adjust automatically. Living creates hunger and dust and both need to be addressed on a DAILY basis:). I want to put the least amount of time into thinking about either. Please forgive me if this sounds righteous; I am trying to sound practical. We put effort into things that give us joy and minimize our sense of pain as much as possible and live a fuller life as a result. If done DAILY, even a huge house can be vacuumed and dusted in 20 minutes. If it's important to your happiness, get it done AFTER you are done sewing for the day and think of it as the final step of sewing. I have to vacuum and dust regardless of whether I have sewn. I much rather have sewn. I apologize for the essay
One of the best tips for cutting down on dust, if using jelly rolls with the pinked edges, BEFORE you 7nroll, uses a sticky lint roller and roll both edges multiple times! Removes so much li t. Your sewing MACHINE and your sewing g ROOM will thank yoy! I was amazed at how much loose stuff comes off.
We live in a rather small, open-air home in very humid Hawaii. Open air means that least half of the 'window' spaces are just screened and not closable. Plus, it is impossible to keep the bugs and spiders and geckos and small lizards out of our home. And they create their own 'dust'. After 15 years here, we finally have a brand-new Shark brand vacuum that boasts good for pets and long hair. And it works well for threads!!!!! No bag and super easy to empty. I can even empty this one in the house without it creating more dust which is a game changer. I do have an air purifier as well, that I use for special occasions like visitors. I could clean every day, but I would prefer to sew every day!
It’s great that someone asked about making a quilt for someone in colors you don’t normally use or like. My mom and I recently made a wedding quilt for someone in neutral colors (mostly gray and white). It turned out beautifully but it was the worst experience of our quilting lives. 😂. We don’t normally ask people what they want their quilts to look like. We usually make a quilt and then gift it and let me tell you we will go back to that format! lol!
Question for your next Q & A: I remember you cutting up Mr. Gregg's pineapple shirt for a quilt. Have you cut up any others? Have you fussy cut one square from the back, then hung back up in his closet? :)
For the person that is concerned about the dust and their sewing room, a good HEPA filter air purifier can help. Let the air purifier run all the time . I have asthma and dust bothers it so that's what I do.
Thank you for giving me permission to say no or I'm ok with that if my points don't match or I don't feel like making that! I used to feel obligated to do everything "by the book" and quilting was more of a chore than a joy. Watching your videos has made me so happy in my quilting life. Thank you!!!
Dust: I keep a pile of small batting scraps handy and use them for dusting. I use my scraps, long skinny pieces cut off the sides after quilting, as floor Swiffer cloths, as well.
Re Dust: I have an air purifier I have running all the time in my sewing room. It does not keep all the dust gone but it really helps. I got it on Amazon fairly inexpensive & it has been running nonstop for over 2 years now!! Clean it regularly & it will help tremendously
I cut excess batting into sizes that fit my swifter and at the end of my sewing day will swift the floors. Also cut smaller pieces to wipe the table top. I have a long arm in another room and when quilting, the batting seems to create more dust, so at the end of each quilt, will swift the floors.
I too will not use a hoop for cross stitching and when I stopped using a hoop for hand quilting I finally finished a quilt that had been sitting unfinished for over 20 years + ! Try it everyone it’s liberating!!! 😊
In answer to the dust question, I vacuum my room about every 2 weeks. I have a chair rail that needs cleaned that I see when pressing items but haven't cleaned it yet! Do you use jelly rolls much? They sure make a lot of dust! UFO's question, I have a bunch of them and try to move one to the front to be done soon occasionally, like when I need room for new projects/fabric!! Good luck because we all have bigger eyes than stomach when it comes to buying more fabrics!!!
Love your sense of humor! I look forward to your "Mini Master Class." 😊 I wasn't watching any quilting videos until I fractured my ankle in 2021--I found your channel while I was recuperating. But even though I've watched you daily since then, I still struggle with choosing the right fabrics to go with a pattern or idea. You have shared great ideas and examples on color and design choices in your quilt alongs, but I think a recap in one video would be great. Then we (I) could go back and watch it over and over and over. 🤣
I made graduation quilts for Nieces, Nephews, and my own children. The only quilt I really struggled with was the one I made for my daughter. She was with me and chose the fabric and pattern. I was very uninspired by this quilt, not because of the fabrics, they were beautiful, but because of the pattern. I finished my daughter’s quilt and she still loves and uses it. Since then, my gift quilts are my choices both in fabric and pattern taking in consideration that person’s style. I also don’t make quilts for people who ask for them. If I want to make a quilt for them it will be my gift with fabric and pattern of my inspiration and choice. The Witch’s Garden quilt is looking so nice. I really like the linen background, it has texture without pattern. Thank you for all you show and teach us
I love your quilted witch's garden. When someone asks me to make them a quilt, I'll let them pick a couple of colors options, but the rest of the creative process is my choice. Occasionally, I'll give them a little more input, but not often. I can't make something I don't like.
Thanks friends for helping out with my dust issue. I’m totally looking into a Hepa air filter- great idea. Love the batting used for dusting (wet a bit) - the routine of cleaning each day makes sense. I’m unfortunately in a home where there are people with breathing issues- and these suggestions are very helpful and appreciated. Quilters are the best people! ❤️
For dust, I really don’t have much because I straighten my room and wipe down my area every day after I am done sewing for the day because I like a straightened room when I come in to sew the next day. I don’t like a messy space so for me I just do a mini clean up each day. If I do it each day my space stays clean. When Pat was having her clean up days I really didn’t have anything to do because I keep my space clean as I work. Every person does their own thing with how ever they work so do what’s best for how you work.
I love your background fabric. I am working on a quilt top found in a great aunts attic from 1908 and not one piece of background fabric is white. It is charming
I had to make a comment about the dust! My dad owned a furniture store so I was the professional duster! If you have white sewing furniture like I do the dust doesn’t stand out! My bedroom furniture however is a dark wood and could be dusted every hour! Another difference is when a ceiling fan runs it stirs up dust.
Re: tackling UFO'S. My quilt guild has made this a challenge this year in a very fun way. It works like this. Make a list of 12 UFO'S. Each month we literally roll a set of giant dice and whatever number shows up, is the number project you work on. You don't necessarily have to finish it, just make progress on it. Then bring it to the next meeting for show and tell. We rolled #7 for this month, which for me is an inherited dresden plate quilt.
I have made a couple of graduation quilts for great nieces and yes I asked them both what colors they wanted and what pattern. Neither of them had much knowledge about quilts, so we did some browsing. The first one picked yellow as the dominant color, the second wanted a patriotic quilt. Both had their challenges. Yellow is not an easy color to work with, neither are the strong colors and prints in patriotic fabric. I do not use a pattern, but a general idea. So it is design as you go. We made a yellow star against a blue background using log cabin diamonds for the first. The second was a lone star in patriotic fabric. I would text them layouts and ask what they preferred and also ask them about the size they wanted. The quilts are not for me and I do not expect to have the same taste as them. Fabric is costly, which is why I want to make something they like, plus I really liked interacting with them on the quilt. Next up are two T-shirt quilts for my granddaughters. Those might be a challenge as I am not planning on squares and rectangles.
I learned so much from you about how to choose colors to use and why….I was brave enough to work on the quilted witch without buying the kit. I am using my scraps and I only bought a light blue speckled background. I wouldn’t have done that with out you! Thank you
I work on a large table but have very little storage space otherwise. When I’m working on a quilt top, I take a digital photo of my block or section layout, in lieu of using a design board, which I’d have to store. I have a small design board that fits in my needlework project bag, so I’m not totally anti-design board. I’m just doing me and using digital photos for quilting instead. ❤
I had a cousin who last year asked me to make a T Shirt quilt for him. I've never done one and am totally not inspired to even try to make a t shirt quilt for anyone, let alone myself. I gently told him that those quilts are more involved with extra steps and I wasn't interested in making one. He completely understood and all was good. You really can say no.
I have a king sized, almost completed, boring grey quilt top my daughter asked for, and the border is WAVY. I just don’t want to deal with all that grey again, but I need to correct the border so it can be quilted and gifted. I will never agree to such a drab and uninspiring project again.
I put big 3m removable hooks at the top of my bifold closet doors. Took a flannel table cloth and put plastic grommets on two corners. When I need a design wall I just hang the flannel tablecloth on the hooks. So simple and cheap. Use the indoor/outdoor hooks, they stick better
Would love to have a design wall, but not sure where to put one or what size (big enough for full/queen size would be great). At this point I'm not even sure where my sewing machine will go! Dust! Major headache for me cause of allergies. Dust & vacuum every few days, deep clean at least once a month. Will check out air cleaner machines, would be good for hubby's COPD too. Enjoyed visiting today. A & Qs was informative. Your unwitch garden quilt is looking good. Pat Sloan, have a great afternoon & I'll catch you online tomorrow 😊😊
I don't like using a hoop while hand appliqueing, but when I hand appliqued the egg on the breakfast club, I lost 1/4 th inch on all sides. So I decided on the future blocks, appliqueing and then cutting out the block size. I am doing 8.5x9.5 inch so I can hang it on my back door. I might also do different borders as I would like roosters on all 4 outside corner blocks.
You have helped me so much with colors in different spaces/designs through your videos! It"s been freeing, so I look forward to a "mini master class". Loved the 'No.' is a complete sentence!! No one could pay me enough to make a quilt for them, but i often do it out of love as a gift, with minimal, minimal, minimal input. They are always so pleased with my choices for them. Thank you for all your wisdom and experience you share.
Hi Pat! I just found your channel through the "Knitter on Fire" podcast. Loving your videos! For dust, I keep a Swiffer duster wand near my sewing machine. (replacement pads get their own drawer) Whenever dust starts to build up, I just give my machine and space a once-over with the wand. It works like a charm! For floors, I keep a broom with fine nylon bristles and a detachable dust pan (both have a long handle so I can sweep/dust while standing up) in the corner of my craft room. After I'm done doing any fabric cutting or sewing, I try to be good about giving the floors a sweep. Hope that helps! 😄
Interesting comment about having to dust..that made me smile. I usually have piles, bits and blocks of fabric all over the flat surfaces. Dust is never a problem!
Good Q&A but when you said the last question about how to use a stack of fabric with a pattern I agree that is what you do every quilt. You always show us several choices and then you explain why you made the selection. It's one of my favorite parts of your videos.
I only use a hoop frame for my embroidery! Not for quilting as I quilt and cross stitch in my lap on a pillow. I learned that from my famous quilter/cowgirl, poet/award winning book writing author and neighbor, Yvonne Hollenbeck from SD. She uses a lap frame and a floor stand frame to quilt in, but she told me if it’s not comfortable don’t do it so I don’t. As far as your question and answer goes I have a question. I would love, love, love to see you teach how to look at an antique quilt that there is no pattern for And figure out how to make a pattern for it so you can replace bad parts or you can just make a whole new one. I’d like to replace the old fabrics when you take it apart. As far as relatives quilts that some of the fabrics are in bad shape. Or maybe you just want to make a new quilt with new modern Fabrics but you don’t know how to make the pattern pieces. That’s what I would love to see.
I made a conscious decision to make quilts I like. I’m not running a business. This is my hobby. I ask the receiver to name a couple colors they would like and if they prefer traditional or modern. I’ll make the quilt as big as I can manage. If the quilt isn’t big enough for the bed, I gift them a coordinating Matelasse to lay under the quilt. I make a couple quilts per year for these special people and reserve the rest of my time sewing what makes me happy.
I have made quilts for others in their colorway, not mine, and it was a struggle to get to the finish line. "No" is my response now. I tried it and it felt good!
I did make a quilt for a friend several years ago...committed to it before she picked out the fabrics. 😮 ugh! i knicknamed it the ugly quilt (not in front of her) and chalked it up to paying my dues in quilting, but the humor helped get me through. I have recieved numerous compliments on the quilt since, so definitely a lesson in beauty is in the eyes of the beholders
When I make a quilt for someone. I do it in colors I like. I can’t make a quilt if I don’t like the colors. I try to do colors someone will like. I have to use a hoop for embroidering and counted across stitch. I can’t do embroidering or counted across stitch without a hoop I’ve tried. I think it depends on what you learned on. Just like quilting by machine or hand quilting. What you learn on is what I am comfortable with.
I recently made a design”wall” in my recroom. My sewing room does not have any walls available. I do have a medium sized fabric covered board to get started on projects in my sewing room. Anyway my big design wall is a movable screen with an old quilt with the fleece back pinned, well actually it is not pinned but on with clamps. I lean that up against the wall and I can do a whole quilt or most of one. I can’t just use the wall because of pictures. It is such a game changer after quilting for 20 years! Love it!!!
Pat, thank you for addressing my question! 😊 I think I lose motivation to work on some projects, which you mentioned. I am just now finishing my 2023 cupid box project because after Valentine's day last year, I didn't see the point of finishing right away, lol😅
Quilted Witch is looking great. I don’t have a design wall, but I use my king-size bed to lay stuff out. It works for me and keeps me off the floor so I am good with that.
I chuckle when people gift a quilt and are disappointed when it's not received well. Did you ask what colors they like? Once it leaves your home you don't to look at it. I realize it might make it harder to put together but the quilt might get a better reception.
I made a baby quilt for someone and they didn’t even take it out of the bag to look at it. That was weird and disappointing. Not everyone cares if you make them a quilt or appreciates the time it takes. I will be more selective of who gets my quilts.
Well Pat if u want to see the wedding quilt in person, Winston Salem, NC is fab. I was there one easter Sunday predawn, they do an outside Easter sunrise service at the historic village there. U first start to hear music at dark in the wee hours of the morning, from different parts of the Historic Village, then they all come together in the graveyard for a sunrise Easter service, it is spectacular to attend. If u go to see the quilt maybe consider going so u can take in that service. It is my most memorial Easter ever.
I’ve made about 3 quilts with pink ,and I don’t like it but it was for my granddaughters and they requested it. But I like to use the colors I like. I don’t like pink or purple. Strange right ? lol
aka KPDutyQuiter. I stopped making lists of UFO' s. What I do instead is use filing cards. On the card I might put the date I started, the name of the quilt, the color or inspiration. It becomes a UFO when another project becomes more urgent. When I made lists, I always had to start over. With the card system, I just rearrange the card as deadlines change. I can rearrange the cards as I see fit!!
My niece in law ask for a quilt in neutrals. Not something I usually sew with. I posted a quilt in blues called Jack & Jill. She called me that is the pattern I want in Reds. LOL To her Reds is a neutral!!
On yesterday video you told us about your lipstick that you wear as a viewer asked you what color it was. I went to CVS and found it L’Oréal 580 and bought it! Then later in the day I was reading your email and you posted it to get it on Amazon. Sorry I read that after the fact. Then today a viewer asked about making a quilt for someone that is in colors she doesn’t prefer. When people know you quilt they ask if you can make them a quilt. The answer is NO! They have no clue how much time goes into making a quilt. Do you think that they will pay you for your hours of labor? So I just tell people it’s my hobby and I make quilts for family members and for myself! No one has gotten upset over that. But if you make quilts for a living then I imagine that you would have to make the quilt in the colors that the customer chooses! Happy quilting everyone!
I can only speak to what works for me and my UFO pile. I think we all have them. I try to keep mine corralled in a stack of not very tall baskets, and stay aware of the stage the project is at. As I work through the projects, I eventually wind up with a finished quilt top, batting, and binding in each basket. It makes it easier for me to start with almost finished and work them one at a time to completion. I do take advantage of culling the ones I don’t care to finish once a year. Over time, I’ve discarded some tops, regardless of stage of completion, that I came to loathe working on. Be honest with myself is my motto. Will I ever finish? Can I finish in the time I have to quilt? Do I even want to? Can someone else finish it? We all have those problem children, and our skills and capabilities change over time. Great call on UFOs Pat! ❤️
I listed my UFOs. Now I have a calendar I follow. the first two weeks of the month I choose something from the list to work on one project at a time (enough time to finish up some of them and choose another) then from the 15 - 18, I work on money makers (ordered memory bears etc) and things I can sell on a friends market table. Then I take 9 days and chose 9 projects that I can easily swap out at the machine and do a different project each day, this gives me a bit of progress on them but also keeps me engaged with them enough that I don't forget where I was at in the patterns. The last days of the month I safe for quilting so I can quilt a large project or two smaller ones each month. The binding of them usually starts off my "one project at a time" start of the next month. Sounds complicated but has worked great for me ever since I started this system and I'm really getting through my list that started with 30 some whips and even let me start some new ones in between.
Pat, have you ever thought of doing a “Live Video “ on TH-cam? You mentioned awhile back about doing or releasing videos later in the day. Live Q&A would be awesome. Something to think about☺️
Your last comment is Why I watch every day! Example: I would Never choose the cross hatch "burlapy" background for the Quilted Witch & yet it works so well!! Looks like Fall, compliments the other Fall fabric, & even works with the pattern. Thanks for sharing your Brain with us! Great sympathy for working out of your preferred Color Zone. My compromise is: I get to choose the pattern ( unless they Really hate it).
I just love the background on your witch's garden. I am not a big fan of white and am expanding my background fabrics. I would have never tried the linen looking fabric you used, but I now love it!
Love that textured linen look
I love your complete sentence “No”! I make quilts as gifts, I really enjoy making and gifting a cozy quilt to family and friends, and cancer recovery. I make them in colors and patterns that I enjoy working with and inspire me! Because this is my hobby and I enjoy the process, and I will make something that suits the person I want to gift it to. So if someone asks me to make them a quilt, I probably won’t because it would probably be in a pattern and colors I don’t care to work with and there is usually a deadline or pressure to get it done, that’s when it becomes work! I dust my sewing room when I get around to it, it would consume too much sewing time otherwise! Thank you for your videos 🙂
I have the best husband. He vacuums, dusts and empties my trash a couple times a week 🥰
Your way of assembling quilt tops in chunks is a game changer! Thank you!
For dust in my sewing room, I use an air purifier, and it seems to be helping. For those times when I've said yes to making something in colors that I don't enjoy sewing, I set a timer. Sew this project for 10-15 minutes at a time, then switch to something fun and bright. You could also use that neutral project as your leaders and enders like Pat does with the aqua squares.
I love that you said " No is a complete sentence" so true. As for the dust, I have a small handheld vacuum that I buzz around on my sewing service every day when I finish, but just about every quarter I do a hard dusting with swifters and large vacuum. Its just the nature of the hobby, the dust and threads, I guess.
When I make for someone else, I use the colors they like. I like all colors. My daughter-in-law asked for a quilt from Kaffe Fasset fabrics. At first, it was a challenge using his fabrics. But now, I love them. The Sew Sampler has gotten me out of my comfort zone several times. I am happy to expand my quilting world, whether it is color, designer, or pattern.
For Cotton Dust, I use canned air to blow off the sewing and cutting area every few days, then vacuum after it settles.
I lint roller my jelly rolls for one.
If one lives in an area that is dusty (ie. farming country or live on a dirt road or areas with lots of wind), one will have more dust. I live in farm country but am fortunate to live on a paved road so have a bit less dust. A good idea is to keep your windows tight and your sewing room closed up tightly when you’re not in there. Also keep your fabric & supplies in closed areas such as bins & cupboards. I just keep an eye on things and don’t let dust take over. But cut yourself some slack; you just need to keep your “stuff” from getting dirty. Good luck.
To the person, I believe it was Sandy, asking about dust, Do you live in an area where there is a lot of dust? I live in the high desert, and dust/dirt is just a daily part of life. So when creating I usually take time about once a week to clean, vacuum, dust, etc. otherwise it's just a losing battle. Also, is it possible that the heating vents in your home need to be cleaned out? The heater can cause a lot of dust, especially after not being cleaned for years.
To the person asking about putting your name on a donation/raffle quilt, YES!! As someone who is interested in and studying quilt history, I say ALWAYS put your name, date, who it's for, etc. on your work, especially a donation/raffle quilt. It helps with provenance on quilts in the future. You have no idea what the winner of the quilt will do with it, maybe it'll stay in the family and the future family members will love knowing who made the quilt Great Grandma won at a raffle. Maybe it is given away and years in the future someone may find it at an estate sale, thrift store, etc. and be thrilled to know the name of the maker and the reason the quilt was made. Future historians will thank you.
That Museum in North Carolina sounds like a destination for a weekend trip! Thanks for that.
Yep! I agree! "No!" is a complete sentence. I quilt the colors that I like too!
hey Karla! we learn that don't we?
Love how this quilt is turning out. The colors are perfect, the background just pops everything.
I live in a phone booth (1000 sq ft with Hub, two young adults & 2 cats). I see clients in my home 3-4 days per week . I have always had to clean daily and I had to develop routines. I sew several times a week and sometimes every day of the week in the general living space. Sewing creates dust. So it is done BEFORE housework. I usually cut out at night after dinner on the kitchen counter and set up the machine on the kitchen table before bed and sew first thing in the am (while watching Pat). The floor is swept every day and often vacuumed anyway, because there is a lot of traffic in a small space. There are days when I don't sew because it takes time to set up and take down and clean up and that is just how it is. But those are handwork days, such as binding etc. And I do a lot of cooking on those days so I can sew more on sewing days. An air purifier helps, but so does having a routine. Clean up is a part of cooking and I don't NOT cook because of the time it takes to clean afterwards. Sometimes, I cook an easy meal because I don't want a lot of clean up. Accordingly, Sometimes I choose a less involved quilt, but I don't avoid it because of dust. OR some evenings I machine quilt rather than cut out because that is the brain space I have available. I seem to adjust automatically. Living creates hunger and dust and both need to be addressed on a DAILY basis:). I want to put the least amount of time into thinking about either. Please forgive me if this sounds righteous; I am trying to sound practical. We put effort into things that give us joy and minimize our sense of pain as much as possible and live a fuller life as a result. If done DAILY, even a huge house can be vacuumed and dusted in 20 minutes. If it's important to your happiness, get it done AFTER you are done sewing for the day and think of it as the final step of sewing. I have to vacuum and dust regardless of whether I have sewn. I much rather have sewn. I apologize for the essay
One of the best tips for cutting down on dust, if using jelly rolls with the pinked edges, BEFORE you 7nroll, uses a sticky lint roller and roll both edges multiple times! Removes so much li t. Your sewing MACHINE and your sewing g ROOM will thank yoy! I was amazed at how much loose stuff comes off.
We live in a rather small, open-air home in very humid Hawaii. Open air means that least half of the 'window' spaces are just screened and not closable. Plus, it is impossible to keep the bugs and spiders and geckos and small lizards out of our home. And they create their own 'dust'. After 15 years here, we finally have a brand-new Shark brand vacuum that boasts good for pets and long hair. And it works well for threads!!!!! No bag and super easy to empty. I can even empty this one in the house without it creating more dust which is a game changer. I do have an air purifier as well, that I use for special occasions like visitors. I could clean every day, but I would prefer to sew every day!
Dust? Living in the country that has gravel road and semis passing by…. Yep. In a 100 year old house dust is a problem. Air purifier is my only help!
Generally, I simply use a permanent marker and put my initials on the back of the quilt, with the year. I feel like that’s the best of both worlds.❤
It’s great that someone asked about making a quilt for someone in colors you don’t normally use or like. My mom and I recently made a wedding quilt for someone in neutral colors (mostly gray and white). It turned out beautifully but it was the worst experience of our quilting lives. 😂. We don’t normally ask people what they want their quilts to look like. We usually make a quilt and then gift it and let me tell you we will go back to that format! lol!
Question for your next Q & A:
I remember you cutting up Mr. Gregg's pineapple shirt for a quilt. Have you cut up any others? Have you fussy cut one square from the back, then hung back up in his closet? :)
🤣
Thanks!
thank you so much!
I’m very much like you Pat regarding dust. I never really think about it until the dust bunnies follow me around!
For the person that is concerned about the dust and their sewing room, a good HEPA filter air purifier can help. Let the air purifier run all the time . I have asthma and dust bothers it so that's what I do.
Thank you for giving me permission to say no or I'm ok with that if my points don't match or I don't feel like making that! I used to feel obligated to do everything "by the book" and quilting was more of a chore than a joy. Watching your videos has made me so happy in my quilting life. Thank you!!!
On the dust issue, to help reduce it my sister and I use tower air purifiers. It doesn’t eliminate dust, but it does help reduce it for us. Cheers!
Dust: I keep a pile of small batting scraps handy and use them for dusting. I use my scraps, long skinny pieces cut off the sides after quilting, as floor Swiffer cloths, as well.
Re Dust: I have an air purifier I have running all the time in my sewing room. It does not keep all the dust gone but it really helps. I got it on Amazon fairly inexpensive & it has been running nonstop for over 2 years now!! Clean it regularly & it will help tremendously
That background fabric is awesome! I love how it's turning out! I made the full size quilt including the witch. I❤️ both the witch and the cat.
I sweep and vacuumed when done sewing for the day. It helps keep my space cleaner.
I do to. Clean up my sewing room when done sewing for the day.. So threads aren’t running down my stair and getting all over the house.
Good morning. Love watching you. Thank you.
I cut excess batting into sizes that fit my swifter and at the end of my sewing day will swift the floors. Also cut smaller pieces to wipe the table top. I have a long arm in another room and when quilting, the batting seems to create more dust, so at the end of each quilt, will swift the floors.
I too will not use a hoop for cross stitching and when I stopped using a hoop for hand quilting I finally finished a quilt that had been sitting unfinished for over 20 years + ! Try it everyone it’s liberating!!! 😊
it is so nice to do what works for us!
In answer to the dust question, I vacuum my room about every 2 weeks. I have a chair rail that needs cleaned that I see when pressing items but haven't cleaned it yet! Do you use jelly rolls much? They sure make a lot of dust! UFO's question, I have a bunch of them and try to move one to the front to be done soon occasionally, like when I need room for new projects/fabric!! Good luck because we all have bigger eyes than stomach when it comes to buying more fabrics!!!
Love your sense of humor! I look forward to your "Mini Master Class." 😊 I wasn't watching any quilting videos until I fractured my ankle in 2021--I found your channel while I was recuperating. But even though I've watched you daily since then, I still struggle with choosing the right fabrics to go with a pattern or idea. You have shared great ideas and examples on color and design choices in your quilt alongs, but I think a recap in one video would be great. Then we (I) could go back and watch it over and over and over. 🤣
I agree. Watching Pat's color choices really has taught me to not be so frigid in my matchy color and patterns. ❤
Beautiful wedding quilt (card)!
I made graduation quilts for Nieces, Nephews, and my own children. The only quilt I really struggled with was the one I made for my daughter. She was with me and chose the fabric and pattern. I was very uninspired by this quilt, not because of the fabrics, they were beautiful, but because of the pattern. I finished my daughter’s quilt and she still loves and uses it. Since then, my gift quilts are my choices both in fabric and pattern taking in consideration that person’s style. I also don’t make quilts for people who ask for them. If I want to make a quilt for them it will be my gift with fabric and pattern of my inspiration and choice.
The Witch’s Garden quilt is looking so nice. I really like the linen background, it has texture without pattern.
Thank you for all you show and teach us
I love your quilted witch's garden. When someone asks me to make them a quilt, I'll let them pick a couple of colors options, but the rest of the creative process is my choice. Occasionally, I'll give them a little more input, but not often. I can't make something I don't like.
Thanks friends for helping out with my dust issue. I’m totally looking into a Hepa air filter- great idea. Love the batting used for dusting (wet a bit) - the routine of cleaning each day makes sense. I’m unfortunately in a home where there are people with breathing issues- and these suggestions are very helpful and appreciated. Quilters are the best people! ❤️
For dust, I really don’t have much because I straighten my room and wipe down my area every day after I am done sewing for the day because I like a straightened room when I come in to sew the next day. I don’t like a messy space so for me I just do a mini clean up each day. If I do it each day my space stays clean. When Pat was having her clean up days I really didn’t have anything to do because I keep my space clean as I work. Every person does their own thing with how ever they work so do what’s best for how you work.
I love your background fabric. I am working on a quilt top found in a great aunts attic from 1908 and not one piece of background fabric is white. It is charming
I just love how its coming together!
if dust is a problem, you can get an air cleaner. i had one for my allergies in my bedroom and I had so very little dust in the room, it was great.
I had to make a comment about the dust! My dad owned a furniture store so I was the professional duster! If you have white sewing furniture like I do the dust doesn’t stand out! My bedroom furniture however is a dark wood and could be dusted every hour! Another difference is when a ceiling fan runs it stirs up dust.
Re: tackling UFO'S. My quilt guild has made this a challenge this year in a very fun way. It works like this. Make a list of 12 UFO'S. Each month we literally roll a set of giant dice and whatever number shows up, is the number project you work on. You don't necessarily have to finish it, just make progress on it. Then bring it to the next meeting for show and tell. We rolled #7 for this month, which for me is an inherited dresden plate quilt.
Thank you! I have heard of this and think I'm going to try it for this year!
The background on the Witches Garden is beautiful!
I have made a couple of graduation quilts for great nieces and yes I asked them both what colors they wanted and what pattern. Neither of them had much knowledge about quilts, so we did some browsing. The first one picked yellow as the dominant color, the second wanted a patriotic quilt. Both had their challenges. Yellow is not an easy color to work with, neither are the strong colors and prints in patriotic fabric. I do not use a pattern, but a general idea. So it is design as you go. We made a yellow star against a blue background using log cabin diamonds for the first. The second was a lone star in patriotic fabric. I would text them layouts and ask what they preferred and also ask them about the size they wanted.
The quilts are not for me and I do not expect to have the same taste as them. Fabric is costly, which is why I want to make something they like, plus I really liked interacting with them on the quilt.
Next up are two T-shirt quilts for my granddaughters. Those might be a challenge as I am not planning on squares and rectangles.
Hi Pat, the garden is going along nicely. Thanks for sharing
I learned so much from you about how to choose colors to use and why….I was brave enough to work on the quilted witch without buying the kit. I am using my scraps and I only bought a light blue speckled background. I wouldn’t have done that with out you! Thank you
"No is a complete sentence." Love it.
I work on a large table but have very little storage space otherwise. When I’m working on a quilt top, I take a digital photo of my block or section layout, in lieu of using a design board, which I’d have to store.
I have a small design board that fits in my needlework project bag, so I’m not totally anti-design board. I’m just doing me and using digital photos for quilting instead. ❤
I agree with the majority of the comments. I love that background!
I use a batting scrap to help with the cotton dust on my table. Love the QW background you chose. I need to find some in cream.
I love your outfit today, especially the scarf you have on!! You 👀 great
Oh thank you!
I had a cousin who last year asked me to make a T Shirt quilt for him. I've never done one and am totally not inspired to even try to make a t shirt quilt for anyone, let alone myself. I gently told him that those quilts are more involved with extra steps and I wasn't interested in making one. He completely understood and all was good. You really can say no.
I make quilts for friends. I use fabrics that reflect their lives. It's worked so far.
I have a king sized, almost completed, boring grey quilt top my daughter asked for, and the border is WAVY. I just don’t want to deal with all that grey again, but I need to correct the border so it can be quilted and gifted. I will never agree to such a drab and uninspiring project again.
I like the kitty strip and could hang on its own. 😊
I put big 3m removable hooks at the top of my bifold closet doors. Took a flannel table cloth and put plastic grommets on two corners. When I need a design wall I just hang the flannel tablecloth on the hooks. So simple and cheap. Use the indoor/outdoor hooks, they stick better
that is great!
Would love to have a design wall, but not sure where to put one or what size (big enough for full/queen size would be great). At this point I'm not even sure where my sewing machine will go! Dust! Major headache for me cause of allergies. Dust & vacuum every few days, deep clean at least once a month. Will check out air cleaner machines, would be good for hubby's COPD too. Enjoyed visiting today. A & Qs was informative. Your unwitch garden quilt is looking good. Pat Sloan, have a great afternoon & I'll catch you online tomorrow 😊😊
I don't like using a hoop while hand appliqueing, but when I hand appliqued the egg on the breakfast club, I lost 1/4 th inch on all sides. So I decided on the future blocks, appliqueing and then cutting out the block size. I am doing 8.5x9.5 inch so I can hang it on my back door. I might also do different borders as I would like roosters on all 4 outside corner blocks.
Pat, this is going to be a very beautiful quilt! love your color choices.
You have helped me so much with colors in different spaces/designs through your videos! It"s been freeing, so I look forward to a "mini master class". Loved the 'No.' is a complete sentence!! No one could pay me enough to make a quilt for them, but i often do it out of love as a gift, with minimal, minimal, minimal input. They are always so pleased with my choices for them. Thank you for all your wisdom and experience you share.
my design wall is my bed.
Hi Pat! I just found your channel through the "Knitter on Fire" podcast. Loving your videos! For dust, I keep a Swiffer duster wand near my sewing machine. (replacement pads get their own drawer) Whenever dust starts to build up, I just give my machine and space a once-over with the wand. It works like a charm! For floors, I keep a broom with fine nylon bristles and a detachable dust pan (both have a long handle so I can sweep/dust while standing up) in the corner of my craft room. After I'm done doing any fabric cutting or sewing, I try to be good about giving the floors a sweep. Hope that helps! 😄
thank you for joining me!! Do you mean Brandy's 'Quilter on Fire'? or is there a knitting group that shared about my channel?
@@PatSloan Ah! Sorry for the mix-up, Pat - Yes. The Quilter On Fire podcast with Brandy.🤦🏻♀️I’m a knitter and I’ve recently started quilting 😂
Interesting comment about having to dust..that made me smile. I usually have piles, bits and blocks of fabric all over the flat surfaces. Dust is never a problem!
Your colors on the 'Unwitch' quilt are so amazing. Love the teal, orange, and the background is the best.
Love the kitty, i might do the kitty separate!
Good Q&A but when you said the last question about how to use a stack of fabric with a pattern I agree that is what you do every quilt. You always show us several choices and then you explain why you made the selection. It's one of my favorite parts of your videos.
I only use a hoop frame for my embroidery! Not for quilting as I quilt and cross stitch in my lap on a pillow. I learned that from my famous quilter/cowgirl, poet/award winning book writing author and neighbor, Yvonne Hollenbeck from SD. She uses a lap frame and a floor stand frame to quilt in, but she told me if it’s not comfortable don’t do it so I don’t.
As far as your question and answer goes I have a question. I would love, love, love to see you teach how to look at an antique quilt that there is no pattern for And figure out how to make a pattern for it so you can replace bad parts or you can just make a whole new one. I’d like to replace the old fabrics when you take it apart. As far as relatives quilts that some of the fabrics are in bad shape. Or maybe you just want to make a new quilt with new modern Fabrics but you don’t know how to make the pattern pieces. That’s what I would love to see.
Love to get As to my Qs😄
I made a conscious decision to make quilts I like. I’m not running a business. This is my hobby. I ask the receiver to name a couple colors they would like and if they prefer traditional or modern. I’ll make the quilt as big as I can manage. If the quilt isn’t big enough for the bed, I gift them a coordinating Matelasse to lay under the quilt. I make a couple quilts per year for these special people and reserve the rest of my time sewing what makes me happy.
I have made quilts for others in their colorway, not mine, and it was a struggle to get to the finish line. "No" is my response now. I tried it and it felt good!
I don’t mind, it gives me a chance to do projects out of my wheelhouse.
I did make a quilt for a friend several years ago...committed to it before she picked out the fabrics. 😮 ugh! i knicknamed it the ugly quilt (not in front of her) and chalked it up to paying my dues in quilting, but the humor helped get me through. I have recieved numerous compliments on the quilt since, so definitely a lesson in beauty is in the eyes of the beholders
When I make a quilt for someone. I do it in colors I like. I can’t make a quilt if I don’t like the colors. I try to do colors someone will like. I have to use a hoop for embroidering and counted across stitch. I can’t do embroidering or counted across stitch without a hoop I’ve tried. I think it depends on what you learned on. Just like quilting by machine or hand quilting. What you learn on is what I am comfortable with.
I am loving your quilted witches garden. I really need to buy the pattern book and join in.
I recently made a design”wall” in my recroom. My sewing room does not have any walls available. I do have a medium sized fabric covered board to get started on projects in my sewing room. Anyway my big design wall is a movable screen with an old quilt with the fleece back pinned, well actually it is not pinned but on with clamps. I lean that up against the wall and I can do a whole quilt or most of one. I can’t just use the wall because of pictures. It is such a game changer after quilting for 20 years! Love it!!!
Pat, thank you for addressing my question! 😊 I think I lose motivation to work on some projects, which you mentioned. I am just now finishing my 2023 cupid box project because after Valentine's day last year, I didn't see the point of finishing right away, lol😅
Quilted Witch is looking great. I don’t have a design wall, but I use my king-size bed to lay stuff out. It works for me and keeps me off the floor so I am good with that.
I chuckle when people gift a quilt and are disappointed when it's not received well. Did you ask what colors they like? Once it leaves your home you don't to look at it. I realize it might make it harder to put together but the quilt might get a better reception.
I made a baby quilt for someone and they didn’t even take it out of the bag to look at it. That was weird and disappointing. Not everyone cares if you make them a quilt or appreciates the time it takes. I will be more selective of who gets my quilts.
Love the colour / fabrics you used for your quilted witch quilt top. Thanks for sharing. 👍❤️😊
Well Pat if u want to see the wedding quilt in person, Winston Salem, NC is fab. I was there one easter Sunday predawn, they do an outside Easter sunrise service at the historic village there. U first start to hear music at dark in the wee hours of the morning, from different parts of the Historic Village, then they all come together in the graveyard for a sunrise Easter service, it is spectacular to attend. If u go to see the quilt maybe consider going so u can take in that service. It is my most memorial Easter ever.
I’ve made about 3 quilts with pink ,and I don’t like it but it was for my granddaughters and they requested it. But I like to use the colors I like. I don’t like pink or purple. Strange right ? lol
Love the heart card. Wedding quilt.isnt it interesting how some blocks on point and some not turned all different directions?
I know its time to dust when my kitty comes out from under my sewing space with dust bunnies on his whiskers! 😂
aka KPDutyQuiter. I stopped making lists of UFO' s. What I do instead is use filing cards. On the card I might put the date I started, the name of the quilt, the color or inspiration. It becomes a UFO when another project becomes more urgent.
When I made lists, I always had to start over. With the card system, I just rearrange the card as deadlines change. I can rearrange the cards as I see fit!!
My niece in law ask for a quilt in neutrals. Not something I usually sew with. I posted a quilt in blues called Jack & Jill. She called me that is the pattern I want in Reds. LOL To her Reds is a neutral!!
On yesterday video you told us about your lipstick that you wear as a viewer asked you what color it was. I went to CVS and found it L’Oréal 580 and bought it! Then later in the day I was reading your email and you posted it to get it on Amazon. Sorry I read that after the fact.
Then today a viewer asked about making a quilt for someone that is in colors she doesn’t prefer. When people know you quilt they ask if you can make them a quilt. The answer is NO! They have no clue how much time goes into making a quilt. Do you think that they will pay you for your hours of labor? So I just tell people it’s my hobby and I make quilts for family members and for myself! No one has gotten upset over that. But if you make quilts for a living then I imagine that you would have to make the quilt in the colors that the customer chooses! Happy quilting everyone!
I always link everything I tell you about on my video right under my video. CVS does not pay me any commission or help my small family business.
Pat, your Quilted witchless Quilt is going to be beautiful. I too love your background. Thank you so very much for all you do! Big Hugs😊
Hello Pat, your witches garden quilt is coming together nicely. I love your fabric choices. I love the kitty! ❤😊
Love the background on this quilt.
I can only speak to what works for me and my UFO pile. I think we all have them. I try to keep mine corralled in a stack of not very tall baskets, and stay aware of the stage the project is at. As I work through the projects, I eventually wind up with a finished quilt top, batting, and binding in each basket. It makes it easier for me to start with almost finished and work them one at a time to completion. I do take advantage of culling the ones I don’t care to finish once a year. Over time, I’ve discarded some tops, regardless of stage of completion, that I came to loathe working on. Be honest with myself is my motto. Will I ever finish? Can I finish in the time I have to quilt? Do I even want to? Can someone else finish it? We all have those problem children, and our skills and capabilities change over time. Great call on UFOs Pat! ❤️
I listed my UFOs. Now I have a calendar I follow. the first two weeks of the month I choose something from the list to work on one project at a time (enough time to finish up some of them and choose another) then from the 15 - 18, I work on money makers (ordered memory bears etc) and things I can sell on a friends market table. Then I take 9 days and chose 9 projects that I can easily swap out at the machine and do a different project each day, this gives me a bit of progress on them but also keeps me engaged with them enough that I don't forget where I was at in the patterns. The last days of the month I safe for quilting so I can quilt a large project or two smaller ones each month. The binding of them usually starts off my "one project at a time" start of the next month. Sounds complicated but has worked great for me ever since I started this system and I'm really getting through my list that started with 30 some whips and even let me start some new ones in between.
Love how your quilted witch is looking and thanks for the A's to the Q's!
Pat, have you ever thought of doing a “Live Video “ on TH-cam? You mentioned awhile back about doing or releasing videos later in the day. Live Q&A would be awesome. Something to think about☺️
I do not plan any live videos. I do not enjoy watching them or filming them
Left over scraps of batting work great for a quick dusting. I usually clean real good a few times a year or if it really bugs me.
Your last comment is Why I watch every day! Example: I would Never choose the cross hatch "burlapy" background for the Quilted Witch & yet it works so well!! Looks like Fall, compliments the other Fall fabric, & even works with the pattern. Thanks for sharing your Brain with us! Great sympathy for working out of your preferred Color Zone. My compromise is: I get to choose the pattern ( unless they Really hate it).
Like your quilt n colors is coming along very nicely 😊
I love the background you are using…it looks so cool! My hubby always says “ by saying no, you are getting your life back!”