Latest / The First Stitch: Every Quilter Has a Story / 19: Jeanne's First Stitch Story + Staying Organized With Multiple WIPs

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19: Jeanne's First Stitch Story + Staying Organized With Multiple WIPs · The First Stitch: Every Quilter Has a Story

• 0:04
  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.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: Plus, talk about some other fun quilty things along the way.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: This is your host, Lisa Donnelly from Wild Plum Lane.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: Let's get started.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_00: Today's quilter learned to sew from her grandma and her mother, just like so many of us.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_00: And her story includes one of my favorite details yet: a quilt made of tiny triangles that's still hanging in her home today.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_00: She's also got more whips going at once than she can count, so today's whip finishing tip is all about keeping multiple projects moving forward without losing your mind.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: Here's Jeannie's first stitched story, in her own words.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: Like you, I learned to sew for my grandma and mother through mostly sewing my own clothes.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: I remember my grandma coming to visit us twice a year with a checkbox full of sewing tools and a bag of fabric she was turning into small triangles.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: That quilt of small triangles is now hanging on a quilt rack at the end of my bed and includes some fabrics I had used to make my own clothes.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: Fast forward past raising three boys and working full-time with little time to sew.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: As they moved out on their own, I found time to start sewing again, and quilting became my go-to activity.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: I love piecing, and I'm exploring English paper piecing since it makes a good travel project, and very much reminds me of my grandma's small triangles.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: I now have two granddaughters and sew for them at times, and they each have more quilts than most people have in their homes.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: As for whips, it's too many to count.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: Right now it's a door hanger a month for my oldest granddaughter and charity quilts for our quilt guild.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: But on my table at home are two block of the months to start and material for seasonal quilts I want to make from my steer landing wall.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: I love your weekly planner and know it will help me stay more organized than just my list of to-do projects with deadlines.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: That's from Jeannie.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_00: Jeannie, that quilt of your grandma's tiny triangles hanging on your quilt rack made me smile.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: What a beautiful way to keep her close every day.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: And I love that you're already using a weekly planner, because that's exactly where I want to go next.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: Jeannie's situation is one I hear about all the time.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_00: A monthly door hanger for a granddaughter, charity quilts with a real deadline, a couple of block-of-the-month projects waiting to start, and seasonal quilts as well.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: That's a lot of fun projects, but also a lot of plates spinning at once.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: And it's exactly the kind of situation a planner is built for.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: Step one, let's get every active work in progress out of your head and onto one page.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_00: Not every single detail, just the name along with the very next step of each project.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: Cut binding, or start block two, is plenty to write.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: And in case you don't have it already, my free simple whip inventory can be a great place to start.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: I'll link that down in the show notes.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: Step two is to start by real deadlines first.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: A charity quilt due to your guild or a monthly door hanger for a granddaughter takes priority over a seasonal quilt with no due date.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: Step three is to give each project a day or time block on your calendar instead of trying to make progress on everything at once.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: Remember that even 10 or 15 minutes counts as forward progress.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: This is exactly the kind of system a good weekly planner makes effortless.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: So if you haven't grabbed one yet, it might be the missing piece for keeping all your whips moving, without the overwhelm.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: Since Jeannie mentioned English paper piecing has become her favorite travel project, I want to spotlight the project box I reach for whenever I'm taking a whip on the go.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: It's compact enough to toss in a purse or carry-on, but roomy enough to hold your fabric, templates, needles, and thread all in one place.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: So your travel project is always ready the second you have a few spare minutes.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: You can find a whole set on Amazon, or I've got individual ones for sale on my website, and they come with a few fun stickers to put on the outside.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: I'll link to those in the show notes too.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: If you're exploring English paper piecing like Genie, or just want an easy way to keep any hand searing project portable, this is a simple, affordable way to make that happen.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: Genie, thank you so much for sharing your story and for the speech shout-out about the weekly planner.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: And to everyone listening, if your work in progress list feels like it's too many to count today, I hope this episode will help you turn that overwhelm into steady, simple progress.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: And with that, we'll wrap up this episode of the First Stitch Podcast.
• 3:57
  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 too.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: By the way, do you have a story to share?
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: Every quilter has a beginning to their story, and we'd love to hear yours.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: Plus, over the years you might have picked up tips or tricks you could share with others.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: It might inspire another quilter, so we want to hear about it.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: Share your personal quilting journey, your best project finishing tip, or your first stitch moment.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: Your story might be read on an upcoming episode of the First Stitch.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: You can submit your story today by sending an email to First Stitch Podcast, all one word, that's first stitch podcast at wildplumlane.com, or use our quick submission form down in the show notes.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_00: I can't wait to talk with you again soon.