Quilting

Patterns, patchworks and projects

Spring Quilt Festival: My Entry

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Scarlett's Kennel Club quilt

Scarlett's Kennel Club quilt

This is my entry for Park City Girls first annual Online Spring Quilt Festival. Go here to see all entries. Time is running out (festival closes April 24th), so hurry and enter your own favorite quilt, I want to see it and hear the story behind it. 

The story of this quilt. I seem destined to make quilts for those who have had house fires. The Kennel Club quilt was my second fire quilt, the first was for my twin sister Charlotte. It’s a nice one too, but sorry sis, not my favorite.  

I actually took vacation time to finish this quilt. Have you ever done that? I was a proud member of the Kennel Club. The Kennel Club was created for the members (all women) to just have fun, that was the sole purpose. Once a month, the host had to come up with a game, anything from horseshoes to video scavenger hunts. It was great. Well, during this time a club member’s house burned to the ground, I mean nothing could be salvaged.

So in response to this horrible event, I had Kennel club members meet me at a local quilt store (only one had quilting experience), and I asked them to pick out fabrics they liked. They also had to pick out a dog that represented them best. I created the block for the recipient since this was going to be a surprise. Can you find her block? Her last name is Butts and her dog is showing its behind.

Also, I had my longarm folks Jubilee Quilted Creations (no online presence) quilt flames in her square. She loved it! As an aside, this is the quilt I was thinking of when I wrote my bio for this blog.

If you like this quilt pattern (which I think is great for club projects) you can find it in Q is for Quilt, by Diana McClun and Laura Nownes.

Comments

  2. This quilt is so happy! Bright and pretty….love the fact that it went to someone who had lost everything…lovely!

  3. LOVE it!

    I know I have weddings on the brain…But think of the possibilities for a wedding quilt! And putting the blocks together would make for a fun shower activity.

  8. I LOVE this. Puppies are the best. You might be interested in a group called Dogs on Thursday. You can find the link on my blog.
    Rachel

Have you read?

Hand Sewing: A Journey to Unplug, Slow Down and Learn Something Old – A Quilter’s Honest Look Inside the Book

I’ll be completely honest before we even start.

Hand sewing has never been my strong point. In fact, I have almost zero patience for hand quilting. I love the look of it, I admire the tradition of it, but sitting still long enough to stitch an entire quilt by hand has always felt like a test of endurance for me.

That’s exactly why I was curious when I started flipping through Hand Sewing: A Journey to Unplug, Slow Down & Learn Something Old. The title alone suggests something a lot of us probably need more of these days — a chance to slow down and reconnect with the craft itself.

After browsing through the book, it feels less like a strict instructional manual and more like an invitation to rethink how we approach sewing.

First Impressions While Flipping Through the Pages

One of the first things I noticed while browsing through the book is how calm and thoughtful the layout feels. The photography, the pacing of the instructions, and the tone of the content all lean toward the idea that sewing by hand is meant to be a slower, more intentional experience.

Instead of rushing through projects, the book encourages you to treat stitching as a quiet process.

And honestly, that might be exactly what makes it appealing.

Even for someone like me who usually gravitates toward a sewing machine and quick finishes, the book made me pause and consider the idea that hand sewing might actually be a way to slow my mind down a bit.

What This Book Focuses On

The book explores traditional hand-sewing techniques and projects that are designed to help you reconnect with slower sewing methods.

Rather than focusing only on large quilts, it introduces smaller projects and techniques that build confidence with hand stitching.

As I browsed through the pages, the emphasis seemed to be on:

  • Traditional hand stitching techniques

  • Mindful sewing and slowing down the creative process

  • Simple projects that highlight the beauty of handwork

  • Learning skills that have been passed down through generations

It feels very much like a return to the roots of sewing before everything became fast, digital, and machine-driven.

The Philosophy Behind Slow Sewing

What stood out most while flipping through the book wasn’t just the projects themselves — it was the mindset behind them.

There’s a clear theme running through the book that sewing doesn’t always have to be about speed or productivity.

Sometimes the act of stitching itself is the point.

For quilters and sewists who enjoy hand work, this philosophy will probably resonate immediately. For those of us who are used to finishing quilts quickly with a machine, it offers a completely different perspective.

And I’ll admit… even though hand quilting still tests my patience, the idea that it could be a way to quiet a busy mind is pretty appealing.

The Style of Projects in the Book

The projects inside the book lean toward simple, timeless designs that highlight the beauty of hand stitching.

Rather than complicated patterns or heavy piecing, many of the designs focus on techniques that allow the stitches themselves to become part of the visual design.

This makes the projects feel approachable, even for someone new to hand sewing.

You get the sense that the goal isn’t perfection — it’s enjoyment of the process.

Who This Book Is Best For

This book will likely appeal to:

  • Quilters who enjoy hand quilting

  • Sewists interested in traditional hand sewing techniques

  • Makers looking for slower, more mindful creative projects

  • Anyone wanting to step away from the machine occasionally

If you already love hand sewing, this book will probably feel like a natural fit. If you’re someone like me who usually relies on a sewing machine, it might just encourage you to try a few hand-stitched projects and see how it feels.

After spending some time flipping through Hand Sewing: A Journey to Unplug, Slow Down & Learn Something Old, I can see why the slow sewing movement has become more popular.

It reminds us that crafting doesn’t always have to be about finishing quickly. Sometimes it’s about enjoying the quiet rhythm of the stitches themselves.

Will I suddenly become a dedicated hand quilter overnight? Probably not.

But the book definitely made me think about giving hand stitching another try — if only as a way to slow my mind down for a little while.

And honestly, that might be the real value of a book like this.