My daughter Kelli and I have teamed up on many quilt projects. In fact, we even wrote a quilt book together. You can find it HERE.
If you go through the book, you would never know which one of us did which part of each project. We didn’t care who did what, just that it got done.
In general, I am the designer…longarmer and binder. Kelli is the layout, figuring out cutting and construction directions, and color selection. Both of us sewed the quilts. We can both cross over…except for longarming.
Kelli has a special talent that I don’t have. She has a great sense of direction. Long ago before we made the quilt book, we worked on Perkimon Daydreams quilts.
I was bound and determined to make this quilt. Kelli wanted to, too, but I had more fabric and more time. I started and soon stopped. The layout was killing me. I turned and twisted strips. I was ripping out as much as I was sewing. UGH.
Then Kelli jumped on board. She pinned things together, and I sewed away. It finally clicked, but then the blocks were all constructed. It was time to sew them together. I was an epic failure. Kelli had to pin the blocks together…I sewed them. I was twisting the blocks every which way and was ready to full-fledged ball my eyes out; I just couldn’t get the blocks in line to make the beautiful design.
By the way…you can read about the quilt HERE. To date, we have pieced FOUR of these quilts. We gifted one to Kayla, one to Buck, and we each have ours. Mine is completely finished…Kelli’s is not. She took hers home and said she was going to make a backing for it. She’s never brought it back for me to longarm. (I know!!)
Well, fast forward. Ila sent me a UFO to finish and donate. This is a picture of the design. I saw it and cringed. Don’t get me wrong. I love the pattern. I loved the color selection. Everything about it was good, but I know me…this quilt would be the death of me. The twisting of the blocks would require to have a seam ripper constantly within reach.
I set the project aside…I wasn’t up for it yet. I was just seriously getting in my sewing room. I wasn’t ready to man-handle a seam ripper.
Then Kelli was home one day. I ran (well, walked as fast as I could) to grab this project. I just knew Kelli could handle it…and she did.
Then she shared her secret with me. To focus on the row she was pinning, she would fold the paper and cover the rows below.
Every time she finished a row, she refolded the paper so that the next row would be the one closest to the folded up edge. Then her eyes could concentrate and she’d get the block placement correct.
You can see all of the fold marks she made in the paper.
Oh, I could have kissed her when she had the quilt top done. I was off the hook, and the seam ripper, and I would not have to become close friends. WHEW!!
I love that Ila sent this project. Kelli so misses sewing, but managing the kids, the house, and a full-time job doesn’t leave her much time to sew. She misses it, though. Having the project here was just perfect. Kelli could get in some sewing time, and we could have some mother-daughter time. It was as close as we’ve been to the old days in a long time. Both of us truly enjoyed it.
So friends, if you are directionally challenged like I am…that’s my tip (or rather Kelli’s tip) on how to stay focused and to get each block placed in the correct direction.
I have often taken women with me to a quilt show. They will look at the quilt and immediately say it looks very hard to make. I tell them to find the individual block and look at that block by breaking down the cutting and sewing pattern. Don’t look at the rest of quilt. By looking at one block it becomes simple to make.
That is so true! When I first started my quilting era I too looked at a quilt as a single unit and not as separate parts and would quickly get overwhelmed! I’m fortunate to be learning the process under the guidance of an experienced quilter who is also a Deb Tucker Studio 180 instructor. Now I can see what the individual units and blocks are made up of; it’s really neat!
It amazes me how good you and Kelli work together. It has to be fun how you each compliment each other’s skills. One of my daughters and I were good together like that way back when she lived close enough that we could do things together. I have your book and time to get it out again for another look.
When I was cross-stitching, I would do that to keep track of the rows. Now that I would rather work on quilts, I tend to do that for some of the patterns. It’s nice to have experienced crafters pass on some of their tips. Thanks for sharing all that you do.
The Perkimon quilts are amazing! It would drive me crazy making one of those also. It must be a heavy quilt with all of those seams!
Another great finish and I thank you for the great suggestion.
Jo, I know this in regards to a post from last week I think, but wanted to thank you for the zipper fix. My son is a flight attendant and just before leaving for a flight his zipper broke. He doesn’t have another pair of pants, so he temporarily fixed it. When he got back today I did what you said to do, his zipper had broken in two places but was far enough apart I could do the fix you shared then added a piece of Velcro at the top to keep the top closed before the button. He has some on order but has to leave again early tomorrow and the pants won’t be here for a week. Thank you!
Jo: I use sticky notes to block off the areas I’m not using. Then, I can focus on that line or area as needed. I also do this with complex recipes. Pat from SD.
Great idea Pat!!