Tour Pam Buda's Home

Designer Pam Buda of Heartspun Quilts relies on her intuition, antique collections, and experience to produce traditional quilt and fabric designs.

The depth of shelves on an old baby's changing table is perfectly suited for stacking quilts. Hanging in the cupboard is a purchased quilt from a folk art show.

Patterns shown:

Left: Nines in Blue quilt

Draped at front: Finger Paint

A glass-front biscuit box displays little quilts. Pam found the mini nightstand behind it at a tag sale for $10. "Antiques don't have to cost a lot to look cute," she says.

Patterns shown:

Left: Emma's Sewing Basket

Right, in drawer: Colonial Patches

A small quilt hides Pam's TV, which sits on an antique thread cabinet in her sewing room.

Patterns shown:

Hanging: Pleasant Prairie

Pincushion: A Stitch in Time Saves Nine bonus project

An antique sampler hangs on the wall in Pam's living room. Pam looks for schoolgirls' embroidered samplers that include the alphabet, the maker's name and date, and often a memorable saying. A house makes the sampler extra enticing.

Patterns shown:

On table, left: Sweet Rosie quilt

On table, right: Tin Pinkeep Pincushion Pattern/Kit and Blooming Hexagon Pincushion/Kit

Old advertising crates are good for style and storage. A small quilt and a needle-punch pillow soften this arrangement.

Patterns shown:

On crate: Four Around Nine

Balls of cotton strips and a small cross-stitched sampler stir up visions from the past. The dough bowl is prized for its original blue paint.

Pattern shown:

On the table: Seneca Falls

Pincushion in bowl: Blooming Patchwork Pinkeep

Pam's brother Jack built shelves along the sewing room ceiling, which leaves more room for a design wall.

This antique sampler is still in its original hoop. The maker wrapped cotton around the inside frame to make up for a missing tension screw and an outside ring that expanded over time.

A spongeware bowl serves up useful treenware utensils, including a butter paddle, strainer, and chopper.

This heart-shape chopper is rare and highly collectible.