Episode 490: Count Your Quilty Blessings

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This week is Thanksgiving in the United States, so we have gratitude on the brain. If you follow us on social media, you've probably seen our daily posts the last two weeks asking everyone to share what they're thankful for in different categories: everything from handmade gifts you've received to tools you can't live without to your quilting community. It's been so uplifting, especially after how hard this year was for so many people, to reflect on the good things in our lives. On this show, our staff and some of our listeners are sharing the quilty things they're thankful for.

Joanna, the editor of Quilts & More magazine, dives into  different kinds of scissors and shears, so you can pick the best one for each task. She explores pinking shears, sewing scissors, dressmaker shears, embroidery scissors, and batting scissors.

Joanna then shares a project she's currently working on. She's making a quilt as a wedding present. She wanted to make a fast bed-size quilt so she decided on the pattern Winter Frost by Rebecca Lidstrom of Studio R Quilts. The pattern is in the Winter 2021 issue of Quilts & More (you can see a picture of this quilt on the cover of the magazine). It's made of only two simple blocks, so it should be easy to finish in time.

This question was submitted by Annie and Dorothy. They write: "Over the years we made several quilts we hang on the wall.  We have not washed them because we feel the original starch in the fabric helps it to hold its shape and hang flat. They are getting dusty with the passage of time. At some point we do want to wash them but we worry they may be wrinkled like the quilts we put on bed or use as throws. What should we do?"

1. You may not need to actually wash your wall quilts at all. If you're just worried about dust and dirt accumulation, there are some simple solutions. You can shake the quilt outside to remove any loose dust. Then roll a sticky lint roller over the quilt to remove any stubborn dust. You can also try vacuuming both the front and back of a quilt can help preserve it. Place a nylon hose or net over the end of a vacuum hose and gently draw the hose over the quilt's surface without rubbing it. It will suck up dirt as gently as possible.

2. If you feel like you need to give the quilt a deeper wash, we suggest hand washing the quilt in cold water, then laying it flat to air dry. This should help keep the quilt from shrinking or getting that crinkle that your bed quilts get after washing them. When it's completely dried, you can press the quilt with an iron to give it a crisp look.

If you have a question you'd like us to answer on air, just shoot us an email at APQPodcast@meredith.com. We're looking forward to hearing from you!

We know many of you started your holiday shopping early this year, so we wanted to give a few product suggestions to jazz up your gift wrapping this year!

• Tula Pink Renaissance Ribbon
• Lite Steam-A-Seam 2 (Letters, Numbers & Shapes) from The Warm Company
• Alison Glass' Holiday Set of Gift Wrap