I love participating in charity projects where my sewing skills and my mountain of scraps bring comfort to another person. For the second year, we are making and collecting quilts for Comfort Cases in collaboration with Stacey Lee Creative.

In this post, I'll share my favorite way to make a quilt for charity and use up my scraps at the same time. 

The Classic Patchwork Quilt

A simple patchwork quilt of 5" squares is a classic and super easy way to make a quick quilt. Grab a charm pack from your local quilt store, or cut up your scraps into 5" squares.

When cutting up my scraps I like to use my 6 x 24" ruler to cut 5" by WOF strips and then use my Stripology XL ruler to cut my strips down into 5" squares. You can cut a lot of fabric at one time with this tool!

I like to grab squares in one colorway and a few low volumes and play with the layout. 

For a baby size quilt I use 63 squares in a 7 x 9 square layout for a top that finishes approximately 30" x  40".

For a throw size quilt, I use 144 squares in a 12 x 12 layout for a top that finishes about 54" x 54" square.

Shop here for Patchwork quilt kits that are ready to sew!

What Quilts to Donate

• Patterns: Choose any kid-friendly pattern you love! Find free, easy patterns HERE!

• Sizes:

  • Big Kids: 50″ x 50″ (slight variations accepted)

  • Baby Quilts: 30″ x 40″ (slight variations accepted)

• Materials: Use high-quality fabrics—the kind you’d choose for your children or grandchildren. This ensures each recipient feels cherished and loved.

At Mashe Modern, we are collecting quilts to donate to Comfort Cases from now until May 1st. You can bring them in anytime during our open hours or ship them to:

Mashe Modern, PO Box 277, Dallas Center, IA 50063

There are a few things to consider when preparing your quilt backing for longarm quilting.

FABRIC OPTIONS:

• Cotton/Flannel – average width is 42”-44”, some Cotton’s are 58”-60”; wide-width backings run 100”-108”; Shop our selection of Wide Back Fabrics.

• Low pile minky – average width is 58”-60”; also available in 90” wide in a variety of colors. Shop our selection of Minky Fabrics.

• New Bed Sheets – Yes, I’ve quilted quilts with bed sheet backs! You’ll want to make sure the fabric content is comparable to your top; 100% cotton with a low thread count is best. Bed sheets require special attention – you must remove all edges and square up the sheet. It may not be cut square.

SIZE : Your backing MUST BE at least 4” LARGER all the way around than the quilt top!

• I need the additional space for clamps to load it on my machine. Also, quilting will sometimes go “off the top,” and to accommodate that, the additional backing fabric is necessary. 
  

If the backing you provide is not at least 4” LARGER (all the way around) the quilt top, I will contact you. Either you can pick up your quilt and address the issue, or I can send you options for how I can fix it. Please know that if I correct the issue, there will be a $25+ additional charge depending on what needs correction. We will always agree on this before quilting.

You can also use Robert Kauffman's Quilting Calculator to figure out the yardage you'll need for your back.

Choose the Backing and Batting option and add 4 to the Overage field. It will calculate the yardage you need to purchase.

SEWING YOUR BACKING TOGETHER:

• Please consider using a ½” seam allowance! A (pressed open) ½” seam allowance will be much more durable than a quarter inch. If you intend on matching your print for your seam, you will want to account for that and buy more fabric! 

• Remove the selvage! Why? Because the selvage is a much tighter weave and will cause puckering in your back and needs to be removed for a smoother back. You can also add snips in the selvage to loosen the weave.

Help Us Celebrate Our 1st Anniversary with a Charity Quilt!

On October 14, we’re celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Mashe Modern retail store opening in Dallas Center, Iowa. 

To help celebrate, we thought it would be fun for our customers to help us create a charity quilt as a way to give back by helping us create some quilts for charity.

To participate, make a block that meets the following requirements:

• Log Cabin block (see pattern inspiration below)
• The block must measure 12.5” square unfinished
• Use prints and/or solids in the cool color family (greens, teals, blues, purples, grays, whites) *If you're not sure on colors, check out my brand colors. They are a great example of cool colors*

Your Log Cabin block can be any style – traditional, modern, wonky, etc. Use any technique that works for you! Here is some inspiration for your Log Cabin block (not all measure 12.5” unfinished, so make sure you continue the pattern to reach that size block):

• Easy Log Cabin Pattern
• Piecing 101 - Make a Log Cabin Block
• Log Cabin Block and Tutorial
• Log Cabin Patterns by All People Quilt
• Wonky Log Cabin Quilt Pattern

Drop your block off at the store now through October 27, and we’ll give you a coupon worth $5 off your next visit!

If you are not local, and would like to mail a block to the shop, send it to:

Mashe Modern, 1412 Walnut St, Dallas Center, IA 50063

Be sure to include your name and email address and I'll send you the coupon code for your next online purchase.

We’ll piece all the blocks together, quilt it, and donate to charity. We’ll be updating our customers on the progress on social media, so make sure you’re following along.

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Thanks for helping us make our first anniversary so special!

At the start of every new year I strive to be more organized with my crafting projects. Over the years I have found a couple steps that work best for me. 

First, I have a spreadsheet to track each project and its progress. And, second, I have a project planner worksheet for each project.

I have tried to use paper planners in the past, and I just prefer the convenience of using my phone or computer whenever I am thinking about a project. I tend to forget things if I don't document them immediately.

Here is my spreadsheet I use to track my overall projects for the whole year.

I use the same spreadsheet each year and just add a tab at the bottom. I use the little paint can to color my boxes and track the progress. Google Sheets is super convenient for my spreadsheets because I can pull it up on any of my devices to add a quick note.

If you would like to download your own copy, there are two ways:

1. If you have a google account, you can make a copy of my spreadsheet by clicking here.

2. Or, you can download the CSV file to import in another spreadsheet app like Excel, Calc, etc. Other programs may change the formatting a bit.

I also like a worksheet to track each project individually! This is a Tracker designed by Moda Fabrics. I print copies and put one with each project.

You can download the free PDF here.

This is a project I started in a class by Tina Curtis at QuiltCon 2022. 

If you are interested in more Project Tracking resources, I have gathered a few in a Pinterest board!

I hope these resources make your year feel more organized and empower you to enjoy your crafting projects.

What is Longarm Quilting?

After you finish your quilt top, prepare your backing and cut to size your batting, it’s time to quilt! Quilting is the process of using thread to hold the three layers of the quilt together. There are several ways to quilt, including: by hand, on a domestic machine, on a mid-arm machine or on a longarm machine.

Tell Me More about How Longarm Quilting Services Work

A longarm quilting machine consists of a frame, often between 8-14 feet wide, rollers and a machine. There are two types of longarm machines – hand-guided and computer-guided. Hand-guided machines have handles and the longarmer (the person running the longarm!) controls the movement of the machine and needle over the fabric. In this instance, the longarmer can do free-motion quilting or can use rulers for straight line and geometric designs. This type of service is custom quilting.

Computer-guided machines let the computer do the stitching work all on their own. The longarmer sets up the design on the computer, which tells the computer what it will stitch out on the quilt. The stitch designs are called pantographs. Here are the pantographs I currently offer my longarming customers.

The longarmer reviews the pantograph and scales the design appropriately for the quilt they are quilting. The design runs from the left side of the quilt to the right side. This is called edge-to-edge quilting.

When a longarmer is ready to load a quilt onto the frame, they will place the backing on the machine first, followed by the batting and then the quilt top and carefully roll it onto the rollers. This means that only a portion of the vertical part of the quilt is available for stitching. After the machine quilts the first row from left to the right, the longarmer will advance the quilt so that the next section can be stitched. After the last stitches are added, the longarmer removes the quilt from the machine and it’s ready now for binding.

The frame size tells you how large of a quilt a longarmer can load and quilt on their machine. The larger the frame, the larger the quilt size the longarmer can accommodate. A longarmer can often load a quilt sideways so if the shortest side can fit the frame, the longarmer can likely accept your quilt. I have an 12 foot which means I can accept quilts up to 110” on the shortest side.

Why Would a Quilter Want to Hire a Longarmer?

Edge-to-edge quilting is typically faster than custom quilting services. The machine stitches on a consistent, steady pace, while the longarmer oversees the process. Longarm quilting services are a popular option for many quilters that don’t have the time, the space or don’t particularly enjoy this part of the quilting process. Whether a quilter lacks the physical space in their sewing studio or the throat space on their domestic machine, a quilter can utilize the services of a longarmer to finish their quilt projects.

Quilters of all genres – traditional, contemporary and modern – utilize longarm quilting services. The breadth and depth of pantographs available on the market today means there’s a stitch design that will work for all styles of quilts. Modern quilters are likely to look for a pantograph to complement and balance the pieced top design. A quilt design that has tons of sharp edges can be softened with simple curves or small curvy shapes. Quilt designs that are more organic can be tied together with overlapping geometric shapes. The Longarm League recently shared the Top 20 Modern Edge to Edge Quilting Designs and it’s worth scrolling through to see all the great quilt texture!

I’m Ready to Send My Quilt – Tell Me What To Do Next!

I invite you to follow me on Instagram @mashemodern to see the quilts I longarm for my customers. I also operate a full-service quilt store – I sell modern fabrics, including pre-cuts, bundles, yardage and widebacks. I offer a variety of batting options you can select when you book longarm services. You are always welcome to supply your own batting as well.

If you’re ready to book your quilt and utilize my longarm quilting services, please fill out this form. I look forward to working with you!