Episode 523: Unpopular Quilty Opinions

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We're spilling unpopular quilty opinions, both from our staff and our listeners. And they're so good! Some will make you laugh out loud, some you'll relate to, and some will really make you think.

Jody talks about the trend she' seeing of neutral color palettes when working with wool appliqué. A few years ago wool appliqué was primarily done with dark colors like navy, crimson, and forest green. Then we saw brighter colors such as fuchsia, aqua, and lime green. Lately she's been seeing designers use neutrals such as cream, tan, soft gray, and black in their wool work. Maybe the Farmhouse-style decorating trend has influenced the use of these colors.

Elizabeth shares about a Christmas quilt she's making. The pattern is called "Pony Express" from Missouri Star Quilt Co. and she's using a Gingiber fabric from Moda Fabrics. She plans to finish the quilt on a family quilt retreat in early October, so she can have it back from the quilters in time for the holidays.

Alison shares two stories of quilters making a difference in their communities.

Earlier this year when news came out about 215 Indigenous children being recovered from unmarked graves at a former residential school in British Columbia, Vanessa Genier wondered what she could do to help. Vanessa is a Missanabie Cree First Nation member who has been quilting for over 30 years. She created the Facebook group "Quilts for Survivors" in June to collect supplies, blocks, and more to help donate quilts to the survivors.

Earlier this year, a Kentucky law was put into place that allows individuals to leave newborns safely and anonymously at participating fire stations within 30 days of giving birth. When a group of women from St. Luke Church in Central Kentucky heard about the new law, they started making blankets for the Safe Haven Baby Box. The blankets serve as a keepsake for the baby that is placed in the box, so the child will be able to grow up with the blanket knowing that somebody cared. If you want to learn more about Safe Haven Baby Boxes and possibly make donations of your own, visit shbb.org.

It's flea market and rummage sale season, so Lindsay shares a few items to look for on your next thrifting trip that you can use in your sewing room as storage. We love the unique look that comes from using vintage items in your sewing space. And many of these items can be cleaned to be restored to their natural beauty – or even painted a fun color to match your space.

Check out a sewing room with flea market style here.