Latest / The First Stitch: Every Quilter Has a Story / 15: Linda's First Stitch Story + Finishing the Quilts That Are Almost Done

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15: Linda's First Stitch Story + Finishing the Quilts That Are Almost Done · The First Stitch: Every Quilter Has a Story

• 0:01
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, and welcome to the First Stitch Podcast, where we tell the stories of how everyday quilters just like you got started quilting.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_00: Plus, talk about some other fun quilty things along the way.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: This is your host, Lisa Donnelly from Wild Plum Lane.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: Let's get started.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_00: In today's episode, we're heading to Canada to meet Linda, a quilter who learned to quilt sitting on her grandmother's knee at the big quilt frame and has never really stopped.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: Her story spans generations, grandbabies, and over 50 years of marriage.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: Today we'll also talk about one of my favorite strategies for making real progress on your whips.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: That stands for works in progress for anyone new to the term, and I'm sure one of my favorite tools from my own shop that I think you're going to love.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: Let's jump in.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: Here's Linda's story in her own woods.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: I learned to quilt as a child from my mother, grandmother, and various aunts who would come to our farm, spend a week, and produce several beautiful quilts in the process.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_00: Each would come with their quilt blocks and it would go from there.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: I can remember sitting on my grandmother's knee at the big quilt frame and be shown how to hand quilt, and she would hand me the needle for my turn.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sure as soon as I slid off her knee, the scissors would come out and those stitches would be removed, but I was never told.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: In later years I would help my mother piece blocks for quilts, and then they would be sent to my older sister who had a long arm quilting machine.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: Then life got in the way with getting married, then two children, working full time, and various sports for the family.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: When I found out I was going to be a Nana was when the quilting became front and center.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: Crib quilts, then toddler bed quilts, and finally twin and queen size quilts.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: I have two granddaughters aged soon to be 21 and 16.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: I'm still quilting every day, and last Christmas, everyone got a quilt made by Nana.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: I'll be 75 this year and have no plans to slow down.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: I've presently got three quilts on the go and one at the Longarm Quilters, plus one waiting to be bound.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: I live in a small town in central Ontario, Canada, and have been married to the same wonderful man for 53 years.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: 54 in June.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: And that's from Linda.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: Linda, I love everything about your story.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: The image of you sitting on your grandmother's knee and quilting together is so sweet.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: And your aunts coming to the farm for a whole week just to quilt together?
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: That sounds like the best quilt retreat ever.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: I also love how your quilting reignited when you found out you were going to be a nana.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: Turning 73 with three quilts on the go, one at the longarm and one to be bound?
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: That's five active projects you're making progress on.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: You're an inspiration to us.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: And speaking of that quilt waiting to be bound, that brings me right to today's whip finishing tip.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: So let's talk about it.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: Linda mentioned something that I think a lot of us have in our own whip stacks.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: A quilt that's literally just waiting to be bound.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: I actually have two of those at the moment.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: It's done, it's quilted, and it just needs that one last step to cross the finish line.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: And yet, there it sits.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: So today's tip is this.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: If you have a project that's almost done, make that one your very next priority.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: Not because you have to, but because finishing is going to feel so good, and it will create a wave of momentum that carries you right into your next project.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: Here's how to think about it.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_00: Take a quick look at your whip list, or just do a mental scan of what you have going on and ask yourself, which of these is closest to the finish line?
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it needs binding like Windows.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it just needs a label sewn on.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's a quilt top that's done and needs to be basted, quilted, and bound, or handed over to your favorite long armor.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: Whatever it is, that project gets to be your next finish.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: Here's a couple tips to get started.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_00: Option one is to set a timer for just 10 minutes and pull out that almost done project right now.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: You might surprise yourself with how much progress you can make in a super short burst.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: Option two is if you're not sure which project is closest to done, use my free simple whip inventory to take stock of where everything stands.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: Once you see it all laid out, the answer usually becomes pretty obvious.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: I'll drop that link in the show notes.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: There's something really powerful about finishing things.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: Every time you cross a project off your list, you remind yourself that you are someone who finishes quilts, and that feeling makes you want to do it again and again and again.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: So let's go find that almost done project and get it across the finish line.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, next today I want to share something from my own shop that ties perfectly with everything we've been talking about today, and honestly with everything Linda's story represents.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: Knowing what you're working on, staying organized, and actually making progress on the projects that matter to you most.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: It's my Life Plus Quilts planner, and it's one of my very favorite things I've created.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: This planner is designed specifically for quilters who want to balance their quilting life with everything else you've got going on.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: Because let's be honest, everyone is busy.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: It helps you plan your projects, track your whips, set your quilting goals, and build a rhythm that actually fits into your real life.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_00: Linda has five active projects right now and has been quilting consistently for decades.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: I have no doubt she has some kind of system going.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: But if you're someone who feels like your whips are a little scattered, or you just want a dedicated place to plan and track your quilting right alongside the rest of your life, this planner was made for you.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: You can find the Life Plus Quilts planner in my shop, and I'll drop the link right in the show notes so you can check it out.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_00: Linda, thank you so much for sharing your story with us today.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you have the most wonderful 75th birthday, and hope that the quilting that needs binding gets finished very soon.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: Congratulations also on 54 years of marriage with your husband.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: What a beautiful life you've built.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: And to everyone listening, if Linda's story resonated with you, I'd love to hear yours.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you also learned to quilt from your grandmother, or maybe like Linda, becoming a grandparent yourself is what brought you back to it.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: Whatever your story is, this is the place to share it.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_00: You can email it to first stitch podcast at wildplumlane.com or use the quick submission form linked in the show notes.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for being here.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_00: Now let's go find those almost done projects and finish them.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: And with that, we'll wrap up this episode of the First Stitch Podcast.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_00: If you enjoyed listening, I'd sure appreciate it if you'd hit the subscribe button in your favorite podcast player, write a review on Apple Podcasts, or tell your best quilty friends so they can listen to you.