American Patchwork & Quilting – October 2019

WHAT IS YOUR

FAVORITE

ORGANIZING TIP?

I have a chest of drawers

in my sewing area where I

store rulers, thread, notions,

and many other items. I’ve

considered painting it a fun

color and adding fancy pulls

to complement my space.

I could even stencil the

drawer fronts with what

is inside.

Char Hopeman, designer

Crossing Through, page 

I keep all my rulers in a

rectangular basket. If they

came with instructions,

the instructions go in the

basket, too.

Denise Russell, designer

Autumn Picnic, page 

At least once a year I take

inventory of my unfi nished

projects. It prompts me to

get back to work on them.

Sherri McConnell, designer

Fall Dash, page 

I practice what I learned as

a teenager at my fi rst job at

McDonald’s: Clean as you

go. I put away scraps when

I’m done cutting fabric, I

keep blocks organized while

assembling a quilt top,

and I refresh and clean my

tools when I’m done with

a project. This keeps my

sewing room under control.

Heather Black, designer

Modern Arrangement, page 

Follow us on Instagram @sewmorequiltsmom and @allpeoplequilt.

LETTER FROM THE

E tor

nyone who has seen

my desk at work or

sewing space at home knows

I. Need. Help. I definitely

enjoy the process of making

quilts more than cleaning

up after. There comes a time,

however, when I need to clean

and organize my work space.

That’s when I want all the

storage and organization tips

I can find. Knowing that some

of you may have the same

dilemma, art director Elizabeth

Stumbo and producer Leslie

Poyzer investigated ways

to incorporate storage and

organization into a sewing

space. Turn to page 22 to see

what they discovered.

Do you decorate for the

seasons? There are several

autumn-inspired projects in

this issue, including the cover

quilt, Fall Dash by designer

Sherri McConnell, on page 76.

It is composed of Churn Dash

blocks that have Maple Leaf

or pieced pumpkin units in

the centers. The soft creamy

colors would go well with any

decorating style.

Designer Denise Russell’s

Autumn Picnic, page 54,

reminds her of the many times

she’s taken her family to the

pumpkin patch. It might do the

same for you!

And the featured pincushion,

on page 38, is Night Owl

by designer Kathy Schmitz.

She uses seven different

embroidery stitches in a

whimsical design that will

allow you to expand your stitch

repertoire.

What is your favorite

organizing or storage solution

for your sewing space? Send

me a note at apq.editor@

meredith.com. We love to hear

from our readers!

My favorite way

to store ta

lts is fl at on

an unused bed,

with a sheet

covering them

to discourage

fading.

A

4 APQ • October 2019