October 28, 2024

Biology First

Devotion for the week...

Yvonne, of Quilting Jetgirl, and her husband have a philosophy they refer to as 'Biology First.' You can hear Yvonne explain it herself on The Rev Biz Podcast with Sam Hunter. Essentially, their philosophy makes taking care of their physical needs a priority. That means they make sleep, food, water, rest, movement, and more a priority. It makes sense, doesn't it? Dealing with tough situations is even harder if we forget to eat or don't get enough sleep, our health goes downhill if we don't move our bodies, and we can't keep working without rest. Ever since I heard Yvonne talk about their philosophy, I find myself occasionally saying, "Biology First" when tempted to power through something without taking needed breaks. 

I was amused, then, to find an example of "biology first" when reading the Bible. In 1 Kings 19, Elijah is running for his life after being threatened by Jezebel.

Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, Lord," he said. "Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died."

Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, "Get up and eat!" He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again.

Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, "Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you." (1 Kings 19:4-7).

See that? The angel essentially said, "Take care of your self! You can't just nibble a little and expect that to be enough. Eat enough to fuel your body." 

How often are we tempted to ignore what our bodies need in order to 'get more done' or because we're so busy we're not even paying attention to our bodies? God knows we need to care for our physical needs, and He included examples of that throughout the Bible. We are commanded to rest (Exodus 20:8-9), and Jesus modeled resting, even going so far as to nap in a boat during a storm (Mark 4:38). When enduring his own storm on a ship, Paul coaxed the others with him to eat, reminding them that it would be for their own good (Acts 27:33-34). And, of course, Jesus fed a crowd of 4,000 men (plus women and children), after saying to His disciples, "I don’t want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way" (Matthew 15:32).
We'll be better able to face whatever 'journey' comes next if we take care of ourselves | DevotedQuilter.com
How or when are you tempted to ignore your physical needs? For me, I'm often tempted to stay up too late when my book is really good and I just want to keep reading, even though I know I don't do well without enough sleep. For you it may be that you forget to stop and stretch, or even to eat, when you're quilting. Whatever it is, our physical needs matter, and we'll be better able to face whatever 'journey' comes next if we take care of ourselves.

October 25, 2024

My First Quilt with Eva Saunders

It's a little hard to believe, but it's already the last Friday of October! Where did this month go? Since it is the last Friday of the month, that means we get to enjoy a My First Quilt interview. This month Eva Saunders of Gingerly Quilt Co is sharing the story of her first quilt.
My First Quilt with Eva Saunders | DevotedQuilter.com
Eva Saunders is a fabric artist and quilt pattern designer, who learned quilting from her grandma in her teenage years. She loves quilting and sharing her knowledge of everything sewing and art.

You can connect with Eva on Instagram.

And now, here's Eva's first quilt!
My First Quilt with Eva Saunders | DevotedQuilter.com

What year did you make your first quilt? What prompted you to make it?


The first quilt my grandma made with me in the 90s, I can’t remember (and I sadly don’t have photos), but my first OWN quilt without her help was in 2021, when I had a lot of fabric left after making masks for health workers. I was going to move cross-country and decided to use as much of the leftover fabric I can before the move. Needless to say it became a huge quilt! An extended queen size quilt, about 90”x 90”!
My First Quilt with Eva Saunders | DevotedQuilter.com

What techniques were used in that first quilt? Did you quilt it yourself?


The pattern was Three Step by Annie‘s. It was very simple piecing with rectangles and sashing. I had to lay the quilt out on our living room floor and still didn’t have enough space to see all the blocks at one time! It was quite a puzzle to arrange them in a pleasing manner. I sewed them together in rows, then attached the rows to each other. In the middle of that, we moved! At the new place, I had a little more space, so I was able to finish the top, thread baste it on the floor during a snowstorm (without power) and was ready to quilt it! Quilting was probably the hardest part, because I had never done it with a machine (my grandma had only taught me hand quilting) AND because I used high loft batting with my small  domestic machine… I decided to straight line quilt along the sashing, because there was no way I could do any intricate designs with my minimal throat space. It was quite a workout! But now I‘m very proud of this quilt (and will only do Throw sized quilts max going forward ;) )
My First Quilt with Eva Saunders | DevotedQuilter.com

Who taught you to make the quilt?


My grandma taught me how to quilt when I was a teenager.  She was a seamstress and quilted as a hobby. I loved being in her sewing room with her, a place that was truly her own, no husbands allowed… We spent a lot of summers together sewing quilted wall hangings and clothes. We never had enough time for a bed sized quilt, though, so my first larger quilt I made in my 20s.

Are the colours you chose for your first quilt ones you would still choose today?


The fabrics I used were selected from bedsheets that were donated from people in my neighborhood for mask making, so I selected the ones with colors that I liked. Oranges and teals, browns and beiges. I wanted the quilt to be colorful, but made of neutrals, so that it would fit into our new home, which we didn‘t know the decor and style of yet. There was one print that tied it all the solid colors together, so it worked out really well! After that I made quilts with cotton fabrics (instead of bed sheets), which have a nicer feel, but I still like the colors of my first quilt and its soo soft! In fact, I used the colors of this quilt as an inspiration when I made my company logo for Gingerly Quilt Co, which is orange!
My First Quilt with Eva Saunders | DevotedQuilter.com

Did you fall in love with quilting right away? Or was there a gap between making the first quilt and the next one?


I had fallen in love with quilting when I was a teenager, but stopped during high school when I didn‘t see my grandma as much anymore. I still used my sewing machine to alter clothes during college, but didn‘t get back into quilting until after making masks in  2020. Sewing masks got me back into sewing! And after that first large quilt, I was bit by the quilting bug again and made many more- and also started writing my own modern quilt patterns, which is how Gingerly Quilt Co was born in 2022. 

Where is the quilt now?


The quilt is tucked under my bed for whenever I‘m too cold at night! 

Is there anything you wish you could go back and tell yourself as you made that first quilt?


I wish I hadn‘t used high loft batting. Then I would have been able to quilt a little denser and make it a bit more sturdy!

Anything else you want to share about your first quilt?


This quilt just proved to me that you can do anything you set your mind to! ;)
My First Quilt with Eva Saunders | DevotedQuilter.com

Thanks, Eva for sharing your first quilt with us!

October 24, 2024

TGIFF - A New Burst Quilt Top

Welcome to the last TGIFF party for October! Being near the end of October means I am deep into my annual WIPS-B-GONE challenge, a challenge where I (along with everyone else taking part) try to finish some of my lingering works-in-progress. So far during this year's challenge, I've finished my three Merry Mini quilts started earlier this year, made a lot of progress on my Hexie Rainbow quilt top (this was yesterday's stitching), 
English Paper Piecing hexagons | DevotedQuilter.com
and on Tuesday (day 22 of the challenge), I finished a Burst quilt top. The Burst pattern is available in my shop as a PDF and a printed pattern.
Burst quilt pattern | DevotedQuilter.com
I thought I'd get to take pictures of the quilt top outside yesterday, hanging on my photography backdrop stand, but the wind was crazy, so it wasn't even worth trying. Taped up on the wall will have to do for now.
Burst quilt pattern | DevotedQuilter.com
This is my third Burst quilt. The first is the one on the pattern cover, made with my Island Batik scraps back when I was an Island Batik ambassador. The second was a Burst mini quilt, which I finished during WIPS-B-GONE in 2022, after it had been sitting partially quilted for two years.

I made the blocks for this throw size Burst over the past couple of years while teaching my Paper Piecing with Freezer Paper workshop, and finished the last blocks back in the spring. I'm happy to finally have them put together into a quilt top!
Burst quilt pattern | DevotedQuilter.com
Side note, if you'd like to learn how to use freezer paper for your paper piecing, and never again have to rip out the bits of paper after finishing your blocks, check out my on-demand workshop! I love the freezer paper technique, partly because I always hated removing the paper after making my blocks, and partly because I can reuse the freezer paper templates.

I love scrappy quilts! This one has fabrics so old I can't even remember where they came from, like this red one.
Burst quilt pattern | DevotedQuilter.com
It has a lot of Island Batik fabrics, too. The boxes of fabric they sent to ambassadors were so generous!
Burst quilt pattern | DevotedQuilter.com
On the other end of the spectrum, there are some newer fabrics included, too. This pink one is from a swap with the Canadian Modern Quilt Collective last year, for which we all received the same fat quarter bundle to make our quilts. You can see the quilt I made here, and the one I received here.
Burst quilt pattern | DevotedQuilter.com
Monday night I basted the cover quilt for the next Stash Artists pattern, so I don't have enough pins to baste this Burst quilt, which means it's going into the to-be-quilted pile unfortunately. That's a scary place for a quilt top to land, lol, as the pile just seems to keep growing and growing. I hope to spend a good portion of November working on some of those tops in the pile for WIPS-B-GONE, though, beginning with my Indecisive quilt, which has been basted and partially quilted for years. I pieced the top in February 2018 and basted it right away, and I think I started the quilting right away, too. That's almost 7 years ago! It's high time it became a finished quilt!

For now, though, I'm celebrating that I have a newly finished quilt top! What finish are you celebrating this week?

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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October 21, 2024

Shields Up!

Devotion for the week...

I've said for years that my mind makes the oddest connections between things in my everyday life and the Bible. This week's devotion is the perfect example of that! To set the scene, you should know that I love reading fantasy books. They've been my favourite since I read The Sword of Shannara, by Terry Brooks, when I was in grade 7, and they make up probably 2/3 of what I read now. A lot of fantasy revolves around the battle between good and evil, often set in an era where the fighting is done with swords, daggers, and bows and arrows. Last week I read the Ember in the Ashes series, by Sabaa Tahir (highly recommend everything by her!).

Also last week, I read the section in Ephesians on the armor of God:

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:10-17).

I got as far as 'hold up the shield of faith' and in my mind I was instantly in a scene from my book, where Helene and her group of soldiers were about to be attacked by a force of enemy archers who appeared on a ridge above them, and Helene shouted out, "Shields up!" Sitting there in my kitchen, I could almost hear the flurry of movement as the soldiers raised their shields so the arrows would sink into the wood rather than into their bodies.

Then I looked more closely at the verse. Do you see what serves as our shield? It's not the Bible, or God's love, or even His strength. It is our faith that will stop the fiery arrows of the devil.

Why, I wondered? Why would our protection from the enemy's arrows hinge on our faith? As I thought about it, though, I realized it makes perfect sense.

Without faith, we don't believe that God loves us, so we believe the lie that we are unlovable. 
Without faith, we don't believe Jesus died for us, so we believe the lie that our sins are unforgiveable.
Without faith, we don't believe God has a purpose for us, so we believe the lie that we are useless.
Without faith, we are wide open to his lies and they sink into our minds just like a physical arrow can pierce a body. 
Without faith, we are wide open to the enemy's lies | DevotedQuilter.com
It is our belief in God, in His salvation, and in His love for us that is the shield we raise to stop the lies our enemy shoots at us. It is our faith that catches those fiery arrows before they can hurt us.

Do you feel like your faith is weak, like maybe it isn't thick enough to stop those arrows? That's okay. Mark records the story of a father who brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus. The father said to Jesus, "Have mercy on us and help us, if you can" (Mark 9:22). You can hear his doubt in that 'if you can,' can't you? He wanted to believe Jesus could save his son, but it felt unbelievable.

"What do you mean, 'If I can'?' Jesus asked. 'Anything is possible if a person believes'" (v. 23).

Confronted with the possibility that Jesus could help his son, but only if he believed, this desperate father didn't lie about his faith. Instead, he cried out for more faith. "I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!" (v. 24). When the enemy's arrows threaten to find their way past our shield, we, too, can cry out to God to strengthen our faith. 

And next time we feel tempted to believe a lie, we can remember, "Shields up!" and counter the lie with our faith in the truth.

October 17, 2024

TGIFF - Prairie Points Pinwheel Pattern Release

Welcome back for another TGIFF party! I don't have a finished quilt to share this week, but I do have a finally-finished new pattern I can share 😊

A couple of years ago, I was a guest blogger on Amy Smart's Diary of a Quilter blog, and I shared the free pattern for a Prairie Points Pinwheel baby quilt. Ever since then, I've wanted to expand the pattern to include other sizes and get it put in my shop. Thanks to an abundance of time working on my computer last week, I can finally say it's done!
Prairie Points Pinwheel quilt pattern | DevotedQuilter.com
Prairie Points Pinwheel adds some 3D pizzaz by using prairie points for the pinwheels (did you figure that out??), which gives the quilt such a different look! Can't you see some toddler or child playing with those floppy pinwheels (or adult, let's be honest)?
Prairie Points Pinwheel quilt pattern | DevotedQuilter.com
In addition to the baby size I made, the pattern includes instructions to make a mini quilt and a throw quilt. I kind of want to make myself a throw size now. Not that I need another throw quilt, but you understand I'm sure.

If you've never made prairie points before, you might think they're complicated, but they're not at all. It only takes a couple of folds to get a prairie point ready to sew into your block. In fact, it's probably faster to make a pinwheel with prairie points than with HSTs!
Prairie Points Pinwheel quilt pattern | DevotedQuilter.com
Prairie Points Pinwheel uses fat eighths, or you can use fat quarters or scraps. Add yardage for the background and you're ready to start making some 3D pinwheels!
Prairie Points Pinwheel quilt pattern | DevotedQuilter.com
I had a bit of fun playing with other colour choices for a Prairie Points Pinwheel baby quilt. Rainbow would be fun.
Prairie Points Pinwheel quilt pattern | DevotedQuilter.com
Or maybe black, grey, and pink.
Prairie Points Pinwheel quilt pattern | DevotedQuilter.com
Or maybe an ombre look. Of course I tried the ombre look with blues!
Prairie Points Pinwheel quilt pattern | DevotedQuilter.com
You can get the Prairie Points Pinwheel pattern in my shop! Will you make the mini, baby, or throw size first?

That's my finally-finished project for this week. What's yours? Link it up below, then be sure to visit some of the other links to celebrate their finishes, too.
Prairie Points Pinwheel quilt pattern | DevotedQuilter.com




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October 15, 2024

How to Sew Bulky Seams With a Hump Jumper

I have a quick tip post today, featuring a little tool you may already own and, if you're like I was, you have no idea what it is or what it's for! Allow me to introduce you to the hump jumper, also known as a seam jumper.
Hump jumper sewing tool | DevotedQuilter.com
Did one come with your sewing machine? One was included with the various notions with my Janome 6700, but I had no idea what it was, so it sat in the box untouched for years. I can't remember where I finally discovered its use, but now it is one of my favourite things and I hope you'll find it useful, too. If you don't have one, you can buy one or just fold a piece of cardboard to achieve the same effect.

A hump jumper is designed to help your sewing machine deal with thick seams by raising the back of the presser foot so the foot is level. I've been using it this week while sewing the blocks for a Burst quilt top, and I snapped a couple of pictures to show you how it works. First, here's the thick seam at the corner where I need to start sewing.
How to use a hump jumper | DevotedQuilter.com
As you can see, there are quite a few layers there, and my sewing machine struggles to start pulling it through without a bit of help. To give it that help, I place the hump jumper behind the needle and lower the presser foot onto it, with my blocks right in front of the needle, ready to be sewn. The hump jumper has two ends, one thick and one thin, so choose whichever one matches the thickness of your seam best. I'm using the thinner end for these blocks.
How to use a hump jumper | DevotedQuilter.com
Then I just start sewing. The feed dogs move the hump jumper back as they pull the fabric through; you don't have to move it out of the way. The front of the presser foot isn't pressing onto the blocks quite as hard as usual, so you'll want to pay extra attention to keeping the block straight, but other than that, just sew as normal.
How to use a hump jumper | DevotedQuilter.com
After a few seconds, the hump jumper will be pushed out from under the presser foot and will likely fall off the back of your sewing machine. Try not to jump when that happens 😂 I definitely jumped the first few times, startled by the sound of it hitting the table behind the machine.
How to use a hump jumper | DevotedQuilter.com
The hump jumper works just as well if the bulky part is in the middle of the seam. Just stop before you get to it, raise the presser foot to put the hump jumper behind the needle, and keep sewing the seam.

That's all there is to it! The hump jumper is a nifty little notion, and I'm glad I learned how to use it 😊Is the hump jumper new to you?
How to use a hump jumper | DevotedQuilter.com

October 14, 2024

Not That Important

Devotion for the week...

Today is Thanksgiving here in Canada, and I'm giving thanks for the wonderful turkey dinner we ate yesterday at my sister-in-law's house, a turkey dinner that I didn't have to cook! 

Leading up to Thanksgiving, both our school and our church have had food drives for our local food bank, like many other places do. It's always beautiful to see the accumulated donations, but also sobering to know there are families who wouldn't eat without those donations.

Our food bank runs a used clothing store that funds the food bank (in addition to donations), and Aiden and Zach have both spent summers working there. I remember asking Aiden once what actually goes into the food hamper a family receives. Though he did list out the various categories of things they try to cover in each hamper, his initial response was, "Not enough to last until they get the next one." Doesn't that make your heart hurt?

In Galatians, Paul tell us to "Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important" (Galatians 6:2-3). I have to admit I love this passage for the real-talk style 'You are not that important.' It feels like that line should be delivered by a sassy friend who might laugh as she says it, but you both know she's speaking truth at the same time. 

Sharing each other's burdens can be applied in so many ways. Sometimes it might mean picking up some extra peanut butter or cereal to give to the food bank. Other times it might mean sitting with someone who is grieving. Right now it might look like sending quilts to those who are distributing them to people who lost everything in the recent hurricanes.
We are not so important that we are above helping others | DevotedQuilter.com
No matter what it looks like on the outside, though, it always starts with an acknowledgement that we are not so important that we are above helping others. 





October 07, 2024

The Plan

Devotion for the week...

I've mentioned in a devotion before that we're fans of the show The West Wing. There's one episode where the press secretary, CJ, had to have an emergency root canal, so she can't do the press briefing. Josh takes her place, but Josh doesn't have nearly the same understanding of how to deal with the press, so when they ask if the president has a plan to fight inflation, Josh quips, "24 PHDs on the council of economic advisors, Katie, they have a plan to fight inflation." Of course, that prompts another reporter to ask if the reason he won't tell them about this plan is because it's a secret. Josh, bumbling along sarcastically, says, "Yeah, Danny, we have a secret inflation plan," and the room goes crazy because now all the reporters want to know about this (non-existent) secret plan to fight inflation!

Two weeks ago, that scene was what popped into my head when my pastor shared a message about God's plan, probably because it's what comes to mind whenever anyone talks about a plan 😂 My pastor went in a totally different direction, but I thought about the fact that God did have a plan and it wasn't a secret. In fact, He laid His plan for salvation out clearly for anyone to read about and encourages His people to share it with anyone and everyone.
God did have a plan and it wasn't a secret | DevotedQuilter.com
"For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him" (John 3:16-17). That's the plan. God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins so that anyone who believes can have eternal life. There's nothing secret about it, and no hidden agenda or hurdles we have to clear to be included.

Who shared God's plan for salvation with you? Have you shared it with anyone lately?

October 03, 2024

TGIFF - Three Merry Minis

Welcome to another Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday! Today I'm celebrating my first, second, AND third finishes for this year's WIPS-B-GONE challenge. That's right, the challenge only started on Tuesday and I already have three finishes! Of course, they're all mini quilts that only needed binding, but that's not the important part here. The important part is that they're finished!
Merry Mini quilts | DevotedQuilter.com
If you're not familiar with WIPS-B-GONE, it's my annual challenge to finish up some lingering works-in-progress during October and November. Check out this post for all the details or go here to join the fun.
Merry Mini quilts | DevotedQuilter.com
You can find the Merry Mini pattern in my shop. I made these three Merry Minis during the Merry Mini Christmas in July QAL. I mostly kept up with the QAL (I have a tendency to fall behind even when I'm the one hosting, lol), and when I did fall behind I got caught up again...right up until the end. The last few days of July were too hot to spend in the sewing room, which is on the upper floor of the house, and my parents were here visiting, and Paul and I were getting ready to head across the country for our anniversary trip hiking in the Rockies. July ended and my Merry Minis were not finished.

When we got back from our trip, I jumped right in to working on Tiered Treasure in preparation for its release to Stash Artists members (Join the waitlist here. Stash Artists doors will be opening again next month!). I've looked at the minis a few times since then, thinking I should get them finished, but I always found a reason to put it off.
Merry Mini quilts | DevotedQuilter.com
If I'm being honest, once the QAL ended, there wasn't the same urgency to get them finished. There was no deadline anymore, and I've learned that I work best when I have a deadline. It's one of the reasons I find the WIPS-B-GONE challenge so helpful. Sure, it's a me-made deadline, and there are no real consequences if I don't meet it, but telling people I'm going to work on certain projects makes me feel that urgency again, so I actually do work on them.

And shockingly, when I work on things, I finish them! Case in point, three lovely Merry Minis bound and ready for display come December. One will be mine, though I haven't decided yet which one I'll keep - embroidered, crayon, or fabric marker. I love them all! The others will be Christmas gifts, and this is by far the earliest I have any handmade Christmas gifts finished.

It's only the Merry Christmas that is either embroidered, done with crayon, or with fabric marker. Here's the crayon one,
Merry Mini quilts | DevotedQuilter.com
the fabric marker one,Merry Mini quilts | DevotedQuilter.com
and the embroidered one. The fabric panel of this one got a bit discoloured when I washed away the Sulky Sticky Fabri-Solvy I used to transfer the text. It's not super noticeable in person, especially when you only look at this quilt, not at all three together.
Merry Mini quilts | DevotedQuilter.com
All the other projects I plan to work on during the WIPS-B-GONE challenge will take a lot more work than these minis did, but it still feels great to start the challenge with a bang.
Merry Mini quilts | DevotedQuilter.com
Merry Mini quilts | DevotedQuilter.com
One more thing before you link up your own finishes and head off to visit some of the other links. If you'd like to learn to sew curves, I just opened registration for a Conquering Curves workshop on November 2nd. Go here for all the details.

Okay, now you can link up your finishes so we can celebrate with you!


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