Table of contents for June 2022 in American Patchwork & Quilting

Wolfforth TEXAS The West Texas landscape is like no other. The land is remarkably flat, and cotton fields stretch almost as far as the eye can see. “You’ll find lovely acres of quiet country surroundings, sunsets that are stunning, and a slower pace of life to enjoy,” says Michelle Fuller, co-owner of the Red Barn Retreat & Quilting Center in Wolfforth, Texas, which is about 10 miles southwest of Lubbock, Texas. Both Michelle and co-owner Paige Hyde owned retail businesses prior to forming their partnership, but had long dreamed of opening a quilting business together. After a local quilt shop closed its doors, they began searching for the right property and made their dream come true in 2015. The Red Barn, which beckons from the plains like a neon…

Durango COLORADO Imagine sitting down for a class at your favorite quilt shop. You’re looking forward to learn new techniques, getting your fingers on some fresh fabric, and plunging into a project. Your machine stands at the ready, but something is missing: a pattern! That’s because this is an improvisational quilting class. Attendees design as they go. “It can be scary to some and exciting to others,” says LeeAnn Vallejos, co-owner with her husband, Mark Rosenberg, of Stitch, a quilt shop in Durango, Colorado, that offers just such a class. “It’s a completely new take on quilting. You begin without knowing what the end product is going to look like, and oftentimes it leads you somewhere you didn’t expect. There is nothing like it.” The same might be said…

MATERIALS FINISHED QUILT: 56½×70½" FINISHED BLOCK: 14" square Yardages and cutting instructions are based on 42" of usable fabric width. Fabrics are from Ombré Galaxy Metallic collection by V & Co. for Moda Fabrics (modafabrics.com). To plan this quilt in a different colorway, use the Coloring Diagram on Pattern Sheet 3. ▫ 3 yards mottled white (blocks) ▫ 20 pairs of matching 2½×42" strips (40 strips total) assorted ombré prints (blocks, binding) ▫ 35 ⁄8 yards backing fabric ▫ 65×79" batting TO ORDER A KIT of fabrics for $84.99 + shipping in U.S. (includes Jelly Roll and background fabric), contact Shades of the Past Quilt Shop; shadesofpast.com. CUT FABRICS Cut pieces in the following order. From mottled white, cut: ▫ 80—4½" squares ▫ 20—2½×10½" rectangles ▫ 320—2½" squares From…

MATERIALS FINISHED QUILT: 58 ½×78 ½" FINISHED BLOCK: 10" square Yardages and cutting instructions are based on 42" of usable fabric width. ▫ 2 ⅜ yards assorted white prints (blocks) ▫ 1 ⅝ yards assorted blue prints (blocks) ▫ 1 ½ yards assorted green prints (blocks) ▫ 1 ⅝ yards assorted black prints (border) ▫ ⅝ yard solid black (binding) ▫ 4⅞ yards backing ▫ 67×87" batting TO ORDER A KIT of fabrics for $139.99 ppd. in U.S. (Wisconsin residents $146.99), contact Patched Works; 262/786-1523; patchedworks.com. “I wanted to make a quilt my four sons would like so I chose their favorite colors of green and blue in saturated hues and combined them with black prints and white prints for a strong contrast.”Kim SchaeferDESIGNER CUT FABRICS Cut pieces in…

Q Occasionally I notice that my machine stitches are loose or even skip. What causes this and how can I quickly fix it? Caren Owens ST. CLOUD, MINNESOTA The causes of inconsistent stitches tend to be problems you can easily solve. Consider these culprits—and their solutions—the next time you notice wonky stitches. Ask Us Anything! Submit a question by emailing APQ.Editor@meredith.com. Culprit: YOUR THREAD TENSION IS OFF. Solution: Run a test to determine what the issue is. Choose one color thread for the spool and a second color thread for the bobbin. Stitch a straight line on a fabric scrap. If the bobbin thread is visible on the front of your fabric (photo, right top), your upper thread tension is too tight. If the spool thread is visible on…

Leesburg VIRGINIA In the historic town of Leesburg, Virginia, stands a white house with black shutters. Two centuries ago, a maker of straw hats and his family worked and lived in the rooms that today are filled with contemporary fabric and yarns. Though the hatter of centuries past might be baffed by modern items like rotary cutters, the spirit of making that fills the space surely would feel familiar. Building a creative community is key at Finch Knitting + Sewing Studio. “Classes make the world go ’round for our shop,” owner Nicole Lindstedt says. She notes that students who meet in the popular School of Sewing classes (based on Shea Henderson’s book of the same name) often sign up together for future lessons. “People start out making quilts or…

MATERIALS FINISHED QUILT: 57⅛×68⅜" FINISHED BLOCK: 6" square Yardages and cutting instructions are based on 42" of usable fabric width. ▫ 2⅛ yards total assorted blue prints and navy prints (appliqués) ▫ 1⅛ yards total assorted solid blue and solid navy (appliqués, sashing triangles, sashing squares) ▫ 4 yards total assorted solid cream (blocks, setting units, sashing rectangles, setting and corner triangles) ▫ ⅝ yard navy-and-white print (binding) ▫ 3⅔ yards backing fabric ▫ 66×77" batting ▫ Thread: blue ▫ Lightweight fusible web “In this project I used a variety of fabrics that were special to me. Mixing prints and textures gave it an antique look right from the start.”Lori DeJarnattDESIGNER CUT FABRICS Cut pieces in the following order. Patterns are on Pattern Sheet 4. To use fusible web…

BUNTING MATERIALS FINISHED LENGTH: 108" FOR ONE BUNTING PIECE EACH OF FLAGS, TRIANGLES, AND HALF-CIRCLES Yardages and cutting instructions are based on 42" of usable fabric width. ▫ 4—18×21" pieces (fat quarters) assorted red prints ▫ 4—18×21" pieces (fat quarters) assorted navy prints ▫ 4—18×21" pieces (fat quarters) assorted cream prints ▫ ⅛ yard cream print ▫ 2 ½ yards 20"-wide lightweight fusible web ▫ 3-yard piece ⅝"-wide twill tape ▫ 13—¾×8" bias strips assorted red, navy, and cream checks (optional) ▫ 2—3-yard pieces ½"-wide double-fold bias tape: cream CUT FABRICS Cut pieces in the following order. Keep rectangles organized by print and size. From one red print fat quarter, cut: ▫ 2—6×9" rectangles ▫ 2—7 ¼ ×8 ½" rectangles From each remaining red print fat quarter, cut: ▫…

PREPARE THE FLOSS Because embroidery floss has a tendency to knot if used as purchased, remove the paper wrappings and widen it into a loop. Find one end of the skein. Pull out and cut a length of floss equal to the distance from your fingertips to your elbow. SEPARATE THE STRANDS Pinch the cut embroidery floss length at one end. Slowly pull one strand out from the top and place it on your work surface. Repeat until you have six individual strands. Combine the number of strands needed for your next embroidery stitch. ANCHOR THE FIRST STITCH Rather than using a knot as you would in hand sewing, catch the tail of the first stitch on the back side of your work with your first few stitches. For…

Having my fingers close to the seam ripper blade gives me superior control.Lindsay Mayland, PRODUCT EDITOR The grid marks are so helpful in arranging quilt blocks or units before I sew them together.Diane Tomlinson, ASSOCIATE EDITOR 1. SWIRL ORGANIZER LED LAMP WITH USB Organize your work space with an Ottlite lamp featuring three brightness levels, a USB port for charging phones or tablets, and a removable storage insert that keeps your most-used tools handy. The lamp has an adjustable neck to direct light where needed, and its LED light is said to reduce eyestrain by 51%. $69.99; ottlite.com 2. MINI MAT Place the 5×7" cutting mat next to your machine to quickly trim small units or pack it up for your next retreat. The double-sided mat features Fig Tree…

Rahway NEW JERSEY On a trip to Senegal in 1986, Lisa Shepard Stewart fell in love with African fabrics and returned to her New Jersey home with pounds of it in tow. Since 2001, she’s made frequent trips to Ghana, where she’s purchased fabric and beads to sell at shows, online, and through the classes she taught, often in her home. Still, until 2017, Lisa couldn’t imagine opening a brick-and-mortar store. She assumed it was out of the question because of her frequent travels. But as she watched the retail landscape shift, with customers becoming more familiar with pop-up shops and boutiques that have special hours, her point of view changed. She also watched as her community of Rahway, about 20 miles west of New York City, developed a…

THALIA BLACK RUG SPECIAL THANKS TO RUGGABLE.COM MATERIALS FINISHED QUILT: 75½" square FINISHED BLOCKS: 15" square Yardages and cutting instructions are based on 42" of usable fabric width. Fabrics are from Confetti Solids collection by Riley Blake Designs (rileyblakedesigns.com). To plan this quilt in a different colorway, use the Coloring Diagram on Pattern Sheet 3. ▫ 1⅜ yards solid white (A and B blocks) ▫ ½ yard each solid yellow, solid green, solid pink, solid red-orange, and solid purple (A and B blocks) ▫ ⅞ yard solid turquoise (A and B blocks) ▫ 3 yards solid dark gray (A and B blocks, binding) ▫ ⅓ yard solid red (A blocks) ▫ ½ yard each solid magenta and solid blue (B blocks) ▫ 4¾ yards backing fabric ▫ 84"-square batting…

MAKING A TEMPLATE 1. Trace pattern onto transparent template plastic, available at quilt shops and crafts supply stores. (Cardboard and other thick materials can be used in a pinch, but they are not as sturdy and will wear down over time.) Be sure to trace all lines, dots, and arrows. Use a ruler and a permanent marker to ensure straight, lasting lines (Photo 1). 2. Cut out template and check it against the original pattern for accuracy. Even small errors will multiply as you assemble a quilt. If you printed or photocopied the original pattern and made a template based on the printout, double-check it was printed at 100% and check its measurements against the original. 3. Using a pushpin, in all marked dots make holes large enough to…