I know I’m tired when I start a Monday with corn chips and a VERY large cup of coffee. And yes, I’ve been dipping the chips in the coffee, too. I think it’s all that cream that just happened to make its way into my cup…don’t tell.
But enough about my questionable Monday breakfast choices,
let’s talk quilts!
You have to LOVE a quilt pattern named English Rose. The name alone makes me think of an old-fashioned garden, pretty china cups, flowers everywhere, and maybe a quilt tossed over the back of a chair. It just sounds like quilting, doesn’t it?
The finished English Rose quilt block measures 10″ x 10″, and this is one of those blocks that can completely change depending on the fabrics you choose.
Make it soft and romantic with pinks and creams, give it an old-fashioned look with reproduction fabrics, or forget the “rose” altogether and make it in blues, yellows, or scraps from your basket.
That’s the fun part. The quilt pattern gives you the starting point, the fabric makes it yours.
And apparently, corn chips and coffee give me the energy to tell you about it. Monday is officially underway! Off to my small group, also know as my support group, therapy quru’s and just great people. AND they Quilt !
COLOR is always on Quilter’s mind, And here is the way that I was taught Years ago ! Remember the fabric may come after the quilt pattern?!?! HERE
Choose that first fabric because you LOVE it ! Not because you think it’s the “right” color. Then pull a second fabric that picks up one of its colors, add a third for a little contrast, and just keep going. Lay them all out together, move them around, take one away, add another, and see what happens.
Don’t overthink it. Some of my favorite quilts started with one fabric I simply couldn’t leave at the fabric store! And YOU purchased everything in your stash of fabrics…start there first!
I do it this was too, when the colors are perfect for me, see HERE
1) Start with one fabric. Take this one fabric and work from it. Is that one fabric, a dark, medium or light color?
This is a Dark
Add the light and medium. Move and change it until you like it.
Lay them out in front of you.
Then add, a dark medium, a light medium, until you have the mix of what you like.
2) Choose colors and patterns you love. An average a twin size quilt will take me about a week to piece together, and if hand quilted another, 3-4 months. If tied or machine quilted 3-4 weeks, you have so much time and cost involved you have to love it.
3) Natural or background colors. These are the corner stone. More often than not the background color is your light color. Your background color helps bring the blocks together. It does not always need to be a light either, dark or medium work well to, any color can be used.
4) Color Wheel. I’m not a big fan of the color wheel, I do like when colors pops and on most of my quilts the start fabric is not the most prominent color used it in, it is just a starting point.
5) Make one block. This should always be done, a Quilters practice, cut only fabric for one block and live with it for a few days. Especially, if it’s something you’ve never tried before. Most times you will know right away if you like it or not.
6) Have fun. This is the best way I’ve found to pick colors, enjoy the process, your quilt will be fantastic.
Thank you for supporting my Etsy shop and my Quilt Ladies Book
This quilt block from The Ladies Quilt Pattern Book has taken on a life of it’s on Pinterest ! Who would have thought this little star quilt ?!?! So here is it again !
I love seeing which quilt blocks catch your eye. Sometimes it’s a block I never expected to be a favorite—and then Pinterest takes over! That’s one of the things I love about quilting. A simple little block can become something completely different depending on the fabrics, colors, and quilter making it.
With 68 different blocks to choose from, you can make The Ladies Quilt as shown in the book, pick a few favorites for a smaller quilt, make pillows or table runners, or simply work your way through the blocks one at a time.
And if Pinterest has taught me anything, it’s this: Never underestimate a good little quilt block! It’s HERE – in Print and eBook
Meeting EVERY Tuesday to quilt is My Ladies. Doing large projects to small ones, they come together with baskets of fabric, ideas and laughter. “The Ladies”
They talked about it from time to time, doing a quilt pattern book and finally it was time to draw out their favorite quilt blocks and share them with all of you. All the quilt blocks stitched together, a quilt design (finished quilt measures 76″ x 84″ ) and that’s what became “The Ladies” Quilt Pattern Book.
Here is one of the Quilt Patterns from the book. The book has 68 quilt blocks, with a finished size of eight inches by eight inches. Here is my tutorial on How “I” make my triangles
Making a simple quilt pattern into a fantastic quilt pattern it’s easy and remember it’s ONLY a square. Making nine patch quilt block
This is just the next step in a nine patch quilt block. By adding more squares in different colors you can transform a nine-patch into a completely new quilt block.
Finished Quilt block size – Ten inches by Ten inches
Cut 5 Purple 2 1/2” x 2 1/2”
Cut 4 Gray 2 1/2” x 2 1/2”
Cut 8 Blue 2 1/2” x 2 1/2”
Cut 8 White 2 1/2” x 2 1/2”
One of my FUN Quilt Patterns, and it’s ALL Squares !
My Great-Great Grandmother’s Quilt This quilt was a gift to my mother from her Great Grandmother. And then a Gift to me from My Mother. Making it my, GREAT-GREAT Grandmother’s Gift to ME ! Well…That’s how I like to look at it.
I never met her and my mom only remembered helping with the peddle sewing machine. I use this quilt and love sleeping under it. It goes in the washer and now living here in Florida and not having a clothes line it does go it the dryer….Yes… it bothers me too, but…. the colors are still very bright, but the Florida sun won on these photo’s.
It’s fun for me to draw quilt blocks out on graph paper. They make me happy and I love the other ideas it sparks as I do them. This is one of my quilt blocks.
I didn’t use MY own ideas last year. We did a huge oversea’s trip and then all Husband’s health problems, I was a bit of a mess and over my head in every other detail.
BUT ! ! Here I go, anew in 2026
I get going early in the mornings and decided one thing a day, it’s the cleaning part I really need this year ! My goal is NO hurry this year !
Okay…I am going to try! It’s all about my slow and steady thing, and happiness. This is my list Christmas, no Thanksgiving !
WHY, because my sister-in-law hosts and
I just arrive with food ! Love that about her !
Christmas List or Ideas – Stocking Stuffer List Start shopping as you go – see something pick it up, get one gift card per week, remember My Etsy and Print and eBooksStart any Handmade items you need to Make Photo’s for cards (if doing)Schedule, whole family start talking and plan, Start Your Holiday Calendar – travel times, shopping days, other life appointments, doctor-dentist, birthdays etc. Talk overwith loved ones who, what, where – travel? No travel? Who is hosting? Gifts? Photo Shot? Meal ideas– purchase can goods and freezer items ONLY early if on sale
QUILTER – Need a quilt quilted??? – Call long arm quilter or get it there NOW ! They book up and some/most close down for the holidays
I doing the – Get Your Home Holiday Ready First, Instead of trying to deep clean the entire house in December, do a little at a time.
Living Room
Clean drapes or curtains.
Shampoo carpets or clean rugs.
Repair or clean furniture.
Dust those forgotten corners.
Wash any linens , sheets, quilts you think you may need
Bedroom & Closet
Wash bedding and bed skirt.
Vacuum under the bed.
Declutter dressers and nightstands.
Wash windows and blinds.
Organize your closet.
Put away summer clothes (if your weather allows).
Sort jewelry, shoes, and handbags.
Take dry cleaning in early.
Bathroom, Main and Guest I will probably have to do this again in November our water?!?
Scrub the shower and grout.
Clean mirrors and light fixtures.
Wash shower curtains.
Refresh towels and linens.
Plan Your Holiday Budget I am giving myself a stress free Christmas
Decide what you want to spend before you begin shopping
Break it down in categories
Gifts
Food
Decorations
Travel
All Extras
If you start planning now, this next holiday and next coming years will be even easier.
Purchase holiday home show tickets – Great early gift too !
Bring the quilt backing to the front and using it as your binding, I am bring this over from The Quilt Ladies, this post is used and still asked for all the time, Thank you for that. Just a few days ago I received this comment on my original post:
from Helen: After reading the tutorial 3 times I committed to try it.
It worked perfectly. I just followed the instructions and it worked on a table runner. This method stops so much waste of material.
Thank you for asking and here is the rest of my first quilts story. First post and you wanted more! My updated post.
My great – great grandmother was a master quilter, and her quilt lives on today with me. I, too, decided to try my hand at quilting, and boy did I learn some hilarious lessons along the way.
I signed up for a quilting class because I loved quilts and had attended some estate auctions in Burlington, Iowa and I couldn’t afford any.(1980’s) I had sewn my own clothes for years and I am pretty good with directions.
My First Quilt
Now, I’m not one to toot my own horn, but I’m pretty crafty. I’ve tackled painting, crochet, and embroidery with relative ease. Always purchasing the worse house in the best area.
Quilting, however, was a whole different ballgame. I mean, how hard could it be to sew a bunch of squares together? Very, it turns out. I spent hours measuring, marking(in the days before a cutter and mat), cutting, and sewing, only to discover that my seams were wonky, my corners uneven, and my quilt resembled something a drunk toddler might produce. After multiple seam rips and profanity-laden outbursts, I finally managed to sew together a passable quilt top. Or I thought.
Frist thing learned, choose Your Fabric Carefully. If there’s one thing I learned from my quilt making experiment, it’s that not all fabric is created equal. I have made the mistake of using cheap, flimsy cotton on a quilt, and boy did I regret it. The fabric pulled, puckered, and frayed at the slightest touch. Lesson learned: always invest in high-quality 100% cotton and my rule is purchase at the price you can afford. Your future self will thank you. I started my quilt with a clear vision of what I wanted it to look like: it was a class we all came with square cut and share. Yes, I took a class with VERY seasoned quilters and they were terrible in their not welcoming someone new. But I had paid the fee, it was a national teacher, I was young and dumb, I had a babysitter for the day and was determined to learn to quilt. And…my quilt is pretty good, if I do say so. Well…I thought, I am not giving up and attended 3 weeks later a (their) quilt guild meeting. Not knowing that corner should be square, my were curved, I hand quilted with huge stitches and laughed at, because my binding was quilted down. I was crushed, but I made a quilt, my quilt may not have been a work of art, but it was cozy and functional, and that was enough. And, I still use it to this day. I think of those days, not with found memories but with look what I do now !
Despite my initial struggles, I found myself drawn to quilting like a moth to a flame. There was something therapeutic about the rhythmic, repetitive motions of cutting, sewing, and pressing. I find myself lost in a sea of colors and patterns, my worries and stress melting away.
Whenever I wrap myself up in one of my handmade quilts, I’m reminded the time, the cutting the sewing the pieces of fabric to create something beautiful
So, if you’re feeling like a quilt, get one of my pattern books, grab some fabric, thread, and a sense of humor, and join me in the wacky, wonderful world of quilting. Who knows what hilarious lessons you’ll learn along the way! I love things with a beginning, middle and end.
I love the untold stories in every stitch, stories of long nights by lamplight, scraps saved from worn-out dresses, and hands that stitched with love, patience, and often necessity. I don’t purchase many things anymore, but I do purchase quilts. I love browsing a flea market, a local antique shop, buying an old quilt isn’t just shopping—it’s adopting a piece of someone’s history.
A Few of My to Do’s when purchasing an old Quilt
UNFOLD the quilt onto a flat surface, IF on floor ASK. At one estate sale the estate clerks, didn’t like this…I have NO idea, probably not a quilt people?!? But I asked and opened the quilt (on to the bed) and I did a bit of a lesson for them, fabric quality, stitches, binding, and batting.
Turn it over and do the same thing to the back. Again, estate sale estate clerks, didn’t like this. I did it anyway. I wanted to say…ladies please read the person, read the room. There is NO one else was not one else just them, and me?!?
All quilts at estate sales will be fading, discoloration and normal wear, they were used.
Look for stains, dry rot or brittle fabric means that is cracks when handled. Give the quilt a sniff too, a storage musty smell can be hard to remove and a smoke smell I always walk away from, it doesn’t come out. “If you’re determined to rescue a quilt with a mild odor, know that careful airing, baking soda treatments, or professional textile cleaning may help—but don’t expect miracles with heavy smoke, smoker or mildew.”
Workmanship and materials, old 100% cotton, feed sacks, wool, or silk all have a place in quilting. Is the quilt hand stitched, machine stitched, how quilted, I always seem to go for hand stitched. Hand stitched, small stitches, holding all layers together.
Pattern and design matter too, especially if you’re collecting. Some patterns—like the Double Wedding Ring, Grandmother’s Flower Garden, or Log Cabin—are more sought after by collectors.
Buy what you love! If a quirky, one-of-a-kind scrap quilt makes your heart happy, that’s more important than following what’s “valuable” on paper.
Color choices can also hint at the quilt’s age. Browns, indigos, and turkey reds often point to the late 1800s, while pastels came into fashion in the 1930s.
How will you use this quilt, or will you? “Will it live on your bed, hang on a wall, be folded on a bench, or tucked away in a collection?”
Look for Repairs and Damage Beyond Wear Check for old repairs, new patches, or even color-mismatched fabrics. Some repairs are charming and part of the quilt’s story, but others may have been poorly done or with materials that won’t age well. Look along seams and in high-wear areas like edges and corners.
Confirm it’s a Quilt (Not a Comforter or Blanket!) It sounds silly, but at some estate sales, things get labeled “quilt” when they’re actually mass-produced bedspreads or blankets. Look for the traditional quilt layers: a pieced or appliquéd top, a middle layer of batting, and a backing—all held together with quilting stitches.
Trust yourself, if the price feels too high for the condition, or if you’re getting a bad vibe from the sale, it’s okay to walk away. There will always be another quilt. And sometimes the hunt is half the fun.
Bring cash if you’re at a smaller estate sale, and don’t be afraid to negotiate a little—especially if you’re buying multiple quilts or if the sale is winding down for the day.
If you’re shopping online, don’t be shy about asking for close-up photos of both the front and back. A seller who knows their quilts should expect questions.
Cut 6 Burgundy 2 7/8” x 2 7/8”
