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Patchwork Sampler

Make quilts. Use fabric. Have fun.

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design wall, sewing room · May 15, 2013

The Elephant In The Room

It took years to figure out a fabric storage syste

It took years to figure out a fabric storage system that works for me. So far, the methods I'm using now keep everything organized and readily available. I always admire people who have beautiful open shelves of color coordinated fabric. With the quantity of fabric in my sewing room, I know I could never keep that up.

All of my fabric is stored away from light, either in a closed cupboard or in a cubby bin and is organized by quantity. Everything over 1 yard is wrapped on comic book boards. 1/2 yard cuts up to 1 yard is folded and stacked by color on shelves. Fat quarters are folded and stored by color in plastic totes so they are easy to pull out. I consider anything smaller than a fat quarter a scrap and is stored by color in a cubby bin.

I don't like wasting time looking for fabric and this method makes it easy to find a particular color and immediately know how much I have of it. I love scrap quilts and always try to shop my stash first!

#IGQuiltFest #IGQuiltFest2025 #IGQuiltFest2025day9 #patchworksampler

Can you ever get rid of your scraps? As I was look

Can you ever get rid of your scraps? As I was looking for a "scrappy finish" I came across the quilt in the first photo. It was made mostly with scraps from a previous quilt and now the Road to Oklahoma that's currently on my design wall uses many of the same scraps. it's so hard to use up that last little bit of a fabric.

The scrappy pineapple quilt in the second photo is one of my favorite finishes. There are so many memories in the hundreds of fabric in this quilt.

#IGQuiltFest #IGQuiltFest2025 #IGQuiltFest2025day8 #patchworksampler #pineappliequilt

As we wrap up the first week of #IGQuiltFest2025,

As we wrap up the first week of #IGQuiltFest2025, I again want to thank Amy @amyscreativeside for organizing this amazing event. Today's prompt is "lesson learned."

Over the years, I've learned many lessons, but maybe the most valuable one is that it is okay to cut your losses. Life's too short to continue a project if you're not enjoying it. This string spiderweb is from a Bonnie Hunter retreat I attended several years ago. I tried to get into this project but I DETEST foundation piecing (and paper piecing, hand piecing, or any other technique where I can't sew pedal to the metal-haha!). During class I finished a handlful of blocks and the project languished with it's giant bag of strings for years. I didn't want to completely abandon the project because Bonnie signed one of the blocks so I ended up making enough blocks for a bed runner, quilted it, and called it good.

So, my lesson learned is that it's okay to pivot on a project and make something else or even get rid of a UFO. Many guilds have put and take tables and someone else might enjoy finishing your project. It's even okay to trash something if it's not giving you joy!

#IGQuiltFest #IGQuiltFest2025 #IGQuiltFest2025day7 #patchworksampler #quiltinglessonlearned

Quilty fashion is pretty much a been there, done t

Quilty fashion is pretty much a been there, done that, don't want to go back kind of thing for me. I admire all the beautiful garments that others create, but I don't like to sew clothing, and have never been one to jump on fashion trends. Not only that, my family still hasn't let me forget the matching Thanksgiving outfits I made 25 years ago. Haha!

Now my most quilty fashion is a handful of graphic t-shirts.

#IGQuiltFest #IGQuiltFest2025 #IGQuiltFest2025day6 #patchworksampler,

Today's IGFest2025 prompt is "Why do you quilt?" A

Today's IGFest2025 prompt is "Why do you quilt?" A better question might be, "Why doesn't everyone quilt?" I can't imagine what my life would be like if I hadn't discovered quilting.

My tagline is, "Use fabric. Make quilts. Have fun." and that pretty much sums up why I quilt. Fabric is what initially drew me in and it has inspired me for over 35 years. There is so much beautiful fabric and just when you think it can't get any better, it does!

Then there is endless inspiration from quilt blocks. Each block in these books opens a wealth of possibilities for new quilt designs.

But maybe the most important reason is that quilting is fun. The third picture is an early morning view of a retreat room. Soon after the picture was taken, the room filled with enthusiastic quilters from the US and Canada at our annual retreat. It is a week of sewing, laughter, and renewing our friendships. Quilters are fun and some of the best humans on the planet. I treasure the friends I've made through quilting.

#IGQuiltFest #IGQuiltFest2025 #IGQuiltFest2025day5 #patchworksampler

Whenever I tell my husband, "It's in the sewing ro

Whenever I tell my husband, "It's in the sewing room." he says, "Which one?" It does seem like quilting stuff reproduces overnight.

My primary sewing room is in the basement. It is a large room with tons of storage space, but with the long, gray Wisconsin winters, I am prone seasonal affective disorder. I needed more sunlight, but I also needed to sew to get through the winter. Our living room is the sunniest room in the house and the most unused so I set up a small sewing space there.

I placed peel-and-stick acoustic tile on one wall to use as a design wall. It also works well for quilt photography. The small sewing table has a lift-up side table for added space and the aqua Eversewn machine works well for basic piecing tasks. A desk with my laptop is off to the side so I can work on anything in here.

While this is a compact sewing space, I love it because it is bright and uncluttered (unlike my big sewing room, haha!). I can even turn the sewing table around and watch the family room TV from here. It was such a simple solution but it makes winter sewing more enjoyable.

#IGQuiltFest #IGQuiltFest2025 #IGQuiltFest2025day4 #patchworksampler #roadtooklahomaquilt #sewingspace

Besides great teachers, nothing has contributed mo

Besides great teachers, nothing has contributed more to my quilting success as having a good sewing machine.

In 1998 I bought a Bernina 1230. It was such a joy to use that it ended up being a career changer! Best of all, it works as flawlessly today as it did then.

Now I do most of my piecing on a Juki TL-98Q. This machine is an absolute workhorse. It's fast and powers through anything. I don't think they make this particular model anymore, but I would definitely buy a similar Juki if this one ever quits.

A reliable sewing machine can make all the difference not only in your sewing, but also in how much fun you have in the process.

#IGQuiltFest #IGQuiltFest2025 #IGQuiltFest2025day3
#patchworksampler #BerninaUSA #Jukiamericainc

This is not my first quilt, but the first quilt I

This is not my first quilt, but the first quilt I gifted. I made it in my first quilting class and gifted it to my mom. She still has it and uses it.

During a recent visit I photographed it and recreated it. It's such a sweet little design and I hope the person who receives this new one will love it for the next 35 years!!

#IGQuiltFest #IGQuiltFest2025 #IGQuiltFest2025day2

I'm Rhonda Roberts from Patchwork Sampler. Every M

I'm Rhonda Roberts from Patchwork Sampler. Every March I look forward to IG Quiltfest to discover new quilters and get inspired to make more quilts. Today's prompt is introductions, so here are five facts about me.

1. I started quilting in 1989, jumped in with both feet, and have been a prolific quilter since then.
2. My quilting mantra is cut accurately, sew accurately, and be done with it. I don't have enough years left to trim slivers from patchwork units!
3. Beautiful fabric provides inspiration. My heart skips a beat when I walk into a quilt shop.
4.Scrappy quilts made from traditional blocks are my favorites.
5. I'm always open to adventure. The photo above was taken at the Tah Mahal. A trip to India was never even on my radar, but when friends invited us to their wedding, we enthusiastically accepted!

Thanks, Amy @amyscreativeside for hosting again this year

#IGQuiltFest #IGQuiltFest2025 #IGQuiltFest2025day1

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