American Patchwork & Quilting June 2020

IT’S SUMMER AND TIME TO TRAVEL! I’m looking forward to attending quilting retreats—local, state, and national—which is one of my favorite things to do. I have been going to the Iowa Quilters Guild Officers retreat for more than 25 years. I distinctly remember the first time I attended because I was pregnant with my oldest son. I hadn’t told anyone and slipped out frequently to nap. I feel like I slept through most of that retreat! When I travel by car to quilting retreats, I take four bags, below, two for sewing machines—one is a backup—one for fabric, and one for clothes. Often the suitcase containing fabric is larger than the one containing clothes! We polled our staff members, teachers, and retreat hosts for their favorite tips and suggestions for participating…

search: American Patchwork & Quilting @allpeoplequilt MAKE MORE TIME TO SEW When your to-do list is a mile long, check out our tips for getting more time in your sewing room! AllPeopleQuilt.com/832 ON-THE-GO PROJECTS These projects fit easily into your bag, making them great options for sewing while on the road, at a vacation destination, or sitting outdoors. AllPeopleQuilt.com/833 PATRIOTIC QUILTS Make and display seasonal red, white, and blue quilts. AllPeopleQuilt.com/835 EPP TRAVEL KIT Pack your English paper piecing project for easy travel. AllPeopleQuilt.com/836 PREP A BAG Sew a stylish bag big enough to transport crafts supplies. AllPeopleQuilt.com/837 ONE MILLION PILLOWCASE CHALLENGE DONATION SWEEPSTAKES Send us a pillowcase to donate to a local charity and you'll be entered to win! Each pillowcase earns one entry to our Pillowcase Donation Sweepstakes. The prize is a $200 quilting goody bag that includes fabric, enamel pins, magazines, two precut pillowcase kits, and…

After I wash a large piece of fabric, I roll it on too a POSTER SHIPPING TUBE to keep it wrinkle- and crease-free until I’m ready to use it in a project. JENNIFER SOIKAMilwaukee Because my sewing room is small and oddly shaped, I need to go to another room tohave enough distance for viewing a layout on a design wall. To accommodate this, I built a FOLDING SCREEN and covered it with FLANNEL. Now I can arrange a quilt on the flannel while in my sewing room, close and latch the screen, and carry it to another room for viewing. HELEN WEBERHumble, Texas Before I leave for a quilt retreat, I fill a BUNCH OF BOBBINS with white, off-white, and/or gray thread. That way if I run out, I can quickly stick a…

1 YOUR CAR Avoid the struggle of transporting large items to your retreat. An art portfolio (available at crafts and art stores) can hold hard-to-pack items such as a cutting mat, a wool pressing mat, acrylic rulers, and quilt tops. The portfolio handle makes it easy to carry supplies to and from your car. 2 YOUR WORK SPACE Keep your retreat workstation tidy with a flexible silicone organizer (available at office supply stores). It conforms to all shapes of scissors, rulers, marking tools, and other notions so you can keep your most-used items handy. If you’re sharing a retreat table with multiple people, it’s a good idea to label your tools with colorful ribbons or washi tape to avoid mix-ups. 3 YOUR PROJECTS Corral your retreat projects in a space-saving file organizer that hangs under…

01 | MAGIC FORK PINS Accurately align seams or pin appliqué and foundation-piecing fabrics flat before sewing using 0.5-millimeter double-prong pins that have heat-resistant grips. $12.99 for set of 30; connectingthreads.com 02 | THE COMPACT CRAFT ORGANISER Transport your English paper piecing or hand-appliqué projects in a Yazzii carrier, which is available in eight colors. Its five zipper pouches of varying sizes have room for all your supplies. $27.50; paperpieces.com 03 | SEWTITES DOTS Hold hand-sewing projects in place or thicker materials, such as cork or denim, together with small magnets. $20 for five; sewtites.com 04 | QUILT STAMPS Use Rinske Stevens Design stamps in a variety of popular hand-piecing shapes to mark cutting and piecing lines on fabric. The clear stamps and acrylic stamp blocks make it easy to fussy-cut. Memento acid-free ink is available in both…

01 | AMERICAN COTTON: FARM TO QUILT Author Teresa Duryea Wong shares the story of American cotton farmers, textile mills, the production of cotton batting, and companies working to bring back 100% cotton fabric that is both grown and manufactured in the United States. The book includes historical images. $29.95; teresaduryeawong.com 02 | THE STORYTELLER’S SAMPLER QUILT Conquer a challenging king-size quilt that features 359 hand- and machine-pieced blocks from author Cinzia White. $34.95; ctpub.com 03 | WOOL, NEEDLE & THREAD Learn the secrets of wool appliqué and embroidery from expert Lisa Bongean of Primitive Gatherings. Step-by-step photos accompanying five projects show you how to master these techniques. $28.99; shopmartingale.com 04 | THE NEW HEXAGON 2 Author Katja Marek offers instructions for English paper piecing and 52 ways to play with hexagons. Practice your skills on five quilted projects that…