If you’ve never been to a quilting retreat before, let me just say this right up front: you are about to have SO much fun. A retreat is part sewing marathon, part sleepover, part show-and-tell, and part therapy session—with fabric. If you’re feeling excited and a little nervous, totally normal. Let’s walk through what to expect, what to pack, and how to make the most of your first retreat. What is a Quilting Retreat , Really? Think of a retreat as several uninterrupted da

I enjoyed a visit to a local guild's quilt show this week. As I walked around looking at the beautiful quilts, I overheard a lady saying "I think that's called meandering." That took me back to the first time I walked into a quilt guild meeting. It was like I was listening to a foreign language. There was talk about sashings, cornerstones, fat quarters, UFO’s, stash, and jellyrolls. I got it when they talked about the border of quilts but then someone said it's wonky. Umm, m

The quilt guild I belong to has a free Saturday sew once a month from September through May. I used to go to it pretty often but life seems to get in the way. The guild also has a once a year retreat that you pay to go. My thought was always why would I pay to sew with friends when I can go on a Saturday and sew with friends for FREE. Not make this mistake, it's not the same. A new person joined our guild and we became friends quickly and she had been quilting for awhile. Th

The cost of quilt top quilting varies across the country. Longarm charges can be set by the size such as throw, queen or king size. Some quilters charge by the square inch or foot. There can be additional charges such as thread or bobbin fees. Other variables include computerized quilting, a pantograph that is followed with a laser light or freemotion which is all hand guided. Also, you could choose to quilt edge-to-edge or select custom quilting or even perhaps a variety of

Do you wonder what happens when you enter a quilt show? Some smaller shows hand out ribbons, some you're awarded a ribbon and cash prize. Some of the big quilt shows will give out thousands of dollars in awards. When you want to enter a quilt show go to their website and print the entry form and rules. Different shows have different rules. I've never entered a show where you don't need a 4" hanging sleeve. The hanging sleeve I like is called a "D" sleeve. When you lay the qui

Do you lose your quilting and creating mojo in the months of January and February? Here in Pittsburgh it's usually gloomy and cold. Covid along with the gloom and cold has made it even worse. I tend to want to curl up on the couch with a quilt and do nothing. This past week a group of six of us got together to sew on our guilds raffle quilt. It was so much fun to be with others sewing. My first suggestion for this time of year would be to invite a few friends over to sew. Th