Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting

In this issue, we spotlight tessellating and one-patch designs. Tessellating designs in quilts refer to patterns created by repeatedly fitting together shapes without gaps or overlaps to form a continuous, cohesive design. Angela Huffman cleverly employs straightforward patchwork techniques in her highly versatile, tile-inspired, Boho Bliss, while Jessica Halpin and Leah Malasky use color to bring one-patch designs vibrantly to life in Luminous Leaves and Tumble Mums. Staci Wendland uses shape and color in her fun Puzzle Parade, and Heather Long’s lovely Fall Floral Fantasy helps you achieve fast results with just three fabrics and super-easy piecing. Susan Deshensky’s Dresden plate Sunflower Sunshine will brighten your day—the quilt name says it all! And what Autumn would be complete without pumpkins? Debi Estleman’s Frost on the Pumpkin shows you how to…

Reader Share: Sunlight in the Window When Marg Phillips watched episode 4209 from Love of Quilting TV series 4200, she was inspired to make her version of Sharon Wasteney’s Sunlight in the Window design featuring folded dimensional Cathedral Windows patchwork. She says, “I just finished my wall-hanging, which I purchased fabric for after seeing it on the Quilting Daily TV program. I fell in love with it. I thought I would share my version of the wall hanging with you. Keep the great patterns coming—they inspire so many people!” QuiltingDaily.com/love-of-quilting-series-4200-episode-4209-sunlight-in-the-window Reader Share: Shark Bait Judy Donahue of Des Plaines, Illinois, said the Shark Bait pattern, “a pet bed shaped like a short fat shark,” in Love of Quilting May/June 2021, caught her eye. She made two of them. “Mine looked…

Needle Threader Caddy Whether for hand-sewing bindings, appliqué, hand piecing or quilting, English paper piecing, or the occasional “Honey, can you sew this button on for me?” it’s always helpful to have essential hand-sewing tools handy! This practical caddy includes a wood base with adhesive for your Clover or Bohin Needle Threader accessory (not included), a cute felted wool pincushion, and wooden dowel tall enough to hold both a thread spool of choice and a thimble—you can even choose your preferred wood and pincushion color! Deluxe versions add options for holding favorite glue products, a magnetic strip for Wonder Clips, and personalized engraving. etsy.com/shop/quiltsandclappers Art Gallery 2.5 Edition Binding Prints Finish your quilts with flair using specially printed Art Gallery fabrics designed with only binding in mind! Simply cut the…

Stash Stockings After a decade of quilting, I have a box full of leftover blocks and borders. My niece asked me to make Christmas stockings for her family, so I sewed several rows of leftovers together, and traced a stocking pattern on them. They are unique and fun—so much better than leftover blocks just sitting in a tub! Malisa McQuiston Fort Gratiot, Michigan Clearly Useful I lay a clear vinyl tablecloth over my quilt top and audition quilt designs by sketching with dry erase markers, which wipe off easily. Once satisfied, I take a picture with my cell phone. For quilting, I flip the tablecloth over to cover my table, allowing my quilt sandwich to glide more easily. One tablecloth, 2 uses! Lori Thursby Charlottesville, Virginia Get It Right Here’s…

Celebrating 25 Years of America’s Favorite Quilting Magazine A common notion is that “everything was better in the old days,” or the sentiment that “They just don’t make ‘em like they used to.” We might also believe that quilters of yesteryear, such as the Colonists, had it better, especially when viewing an antique Mariners Compass so fabulous it seems untouched by human hands. However, the truth is that right now is the best time in American history to be making quilts! History Worth Knowing Colonial days were a terrible time to quilt, unless you were rich. Chintzes, printed in India and imported to America via England, were costly, with each step inflating the price. Even the wealthy had to cut them apart to justify the expense, appliquéing motifs onto cheaper…

Cotton Went Away The popularity of synthetics from the 193?s to the 1970s made it a difficult time for quilting. Although the American Bicentennial of 1976 revived interest in quilts, finding 100% cotton was nearly impossible. Most people didn’t own a cotton garment apart from blue jeans. Despite this, women like myself used what little cotton we could find to make our first quilts. There were no quilting books, patterns, classes, guilds, shops, or conferences. We drafted patterns on graph paper, made templates from cardboard cereal boxes, cut fabric with scissors, and often sewed by hand. The American Quiltmaking Revival Begins Fortunately, Liz Porter and I weren’t alone in our interest in quilting. Across America, quilt making, begun in the early 1970s as part of a renewed national interest in…