10 Creative Ways to Display Quilts

Do you have some quilts are hidden away because you don't know what to do with them?  They may be tucked away in closets and drawers to keep them safe.  My mom keeps hers between the box springs and the mattress of her bed.

 

It's time to see them free!  Quilts aren't just some plain old blanket - they are works of art!  They were lovingly created to be used and seen.  They should be admired for the skill that created them and embraces the love that inspired them.  Chances are they have precious memories for you.  Let's get them out of hiding and let them share the love they hold.

 

I have quilts displayed in every room of my house except the kitchen.  I realize that may not work with everyone's décor, but hopefully, these ideas will inspire you to set your quilts free, where they can be appreciated.

 

 Hang them:

💖Wood hanger with marbles.

I love these hangers!  They come unfinished so you can stain or paint them.  To use you just insert the quilt upward in the slot past the marble.  To remove the quilt, pull out sideways.

💖Wall shelf with hanging sleeve board.                                                                              You can use these even if your quilt doesn't have a sleeve.  Just fold it over the board.

💖Use a decorative curtain rod.                                                                                            This a wooden one, but I have used metal ones also. Fold the quilt over the rod and secure it at the sides.                                                                           

💖Quilt ladder                                                                                                                            A quilt ladder is a great way to display several quilts at a time.                                                                

💖 Floor Quilt Rack                                                                                                                       There are a lot of these to choose from.  They can be painted or stained to fit any decor. They are great to set in a corner or at the foot of the bed.

💖Stack on a chair                                                                                                                     I have these stacked on an antique lawn chair on the porch.  When the weather gets cooler, we can just grab one and wrap up.                                                                                                         

💖Stack on a bookshelf                                                                                                              

I saw this display on the web.  Beautiful!

💖Fold in a basket                                                                                                                      A large wicker basket holds several bigger quilts.  This old picnic basket is perfect smaller quilts or table runners.

💖Coffee table                                                                                                                            This is a clever idea, the quilt is displayed on a coffee table under glass.  The shelf below holds more quilts to snuggle up in.

💖Use as a table cloth                                                                                                            

I'm sure with a little bit of creative thinking you will discover unique ways to display your quilts.  I'd love to hear about them, so drop a line in the comments section below!

 "Creative clutter is more blessed than tidy idleness."

Pretty in Pink Quilt

Yea!  I finished a UFO! 

One of my goals is to finish the UFO's (unfinished objects) in my stash.  This one was easy to finish, just needed the binding.  So I took a break from sewing facemasks and finished this beauty.  This pretty quilt has pink flowers and fuchsia roses, framed by wine and pink paisley print.   I really love the colors in this.

As I was sewing on the binding, Isaiah 35:1.-4 came to me.  I think it is a great description of this quilt and my prayer for whoever buys it.

The desert will blossom like a rose and rejoice!

Every dry and barren place will burst forth with abundant blossoms,

Dancing and spinning with delight!

My people will see the awesome glory of Yahweh,

The beautiful grandeur of our God.

Strengthen those who are discouraged, energize those who feel defeated.

Say to the anxious and fearful:

"Be strong and never afraid.  Look, Here comes your God!

He is breaking through to give you victory!"

The backing and binding are in a coordinating dusty pink.  What a wonderful gift for a special lady, even if that special lady is you! It would also make a lovely table topper or a picnic blanket.  Use it as a throw to curl up with a book or watch TV. 

Standard shipping is free!

Size: 52 x 52

Materials used: Cotton face and backing, polyester batting, poly-cotton thread

Machine pieced and quilted

Quilt can be purchased at jodelights.com or my Etsy store.  

Beautiful things come together one stitch at a time.

Workshop Tour

My sewing studio-Atelier 54

I am so excited to share my sewing space with you!  After months of working a bit at a time, my workshop, Atelier 54, is mostly ready to go.  I still have some finishing touches to do, but it is organized and set to sew! 

I'm blessed to have a large room in our basement to work with.  My husband wanted me to paint the walls a bright color, but I wanted to stick with white.  That way the true colors of the fabrics are seen and not compromised when I take pictures.  My office upstairs is painted apricot and every picture taken there has an orange tinge.

My sewing desk was in the room when we bought the house.  It must have been built in the room, because it is too big to fit through the door.  I  painted it and added a vintage sewing picture to the front.

Against the wall, i placed a board over another desk to hold a cutting board for  trimming and a small press mat.  In the corner of the two desks, I have a filing cabinet for patterns.


 Vintage thread and ironing advertisement decorate the walls with shelves for sewing treasures and supplies.

There is a pegboard in the corner to hold my quilting stencils.

The pressing station is a board covered with batting and heavy canvas set on top of a dresser.  The top drawer contains pressing aids and the bottom two has hopeful projects and UFO's.

The back wall has quilting fabrics colorized with the black fabric bins holding smaller pieces.

Backing fabrics  are in the black shelves with serger, on top.

Novelty fabrics are housed in cubbies with thread  racks on top and small see through tubes that contain notions.

Under shelf is storage for interfacing, batting, bins for yarn and needlework projects, etc.

I'm not a fabric hoarder.

 I am the curator of an extensive textile collection!

Cutting area has pegboard for rulers and cutting tools.  I also have clips to hang notes and book holder if I am using pattern from book or a magazine.

Next to the cutting area is my design area.  The design wall was made from foam board, batting and covered it in flannel.

Completing the design area is a desk for quilt design, art journaling and scrapbooking.

There was an old fashioned pencil sharpener  already mounted to the wall.  That is perfect since I am always losing my sharpeners.


A bookcase holds my collection of quilting and sewing books and magazines.









I hope this tour inspires you and gives you some ideas for your space.  I can't wait to get started sewing in this space!  You can see a bit of my first project on the design wall, a quilt I'm calling Fan Dance.
I'll post here when the pattern and quilt is available.

Until next time...

Abe's Birthday at the David Davis Mansion

 The David Davis Mansion was built in 1872 for U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Davis. Davis who also served in the U.S. Senate was a friend and political ally of Abraham Lincoln.  His influence on Abraham Lincoln's legal and political career was crucial to President Lincoln's success.  His wife Sarah's influence on her husband shaped his political career and their lives.

My daughter and I celebrated Abraham Lincoln's birthday at the home of his friend, David Davis.  After cake and punch, Abe regaled us with stories of his life as a circuit judge in Illinois.  Then we were given a tour of Judge David and Sarah's home.  I took some pictures of the quilts she had on their beds so I could share with you.

This bed was covered in a lace top, not a quilt.  But check out the sewing machine sitting by the bed.  The sewing machine was invented around 1830.  1880's they sold for about $100.00, that would be about $2000.00 today.

This room was their daughter, Sally's.  The quilt is appliqued.  The room was roped off so I couldn't get closer to take the picture.

The Churn Dash is a very old 9-Patch quilt block pattern, originating between 1800 and 1849. Its name is a result of the resemblance of the triangle and rectangle perimeter of the block to a butter churn and the center square to the stick (or “dash”) of the butter churn.

This one is Aunt Eliza Star with sawtooth borders. Beautiful!

I love the hand quilting.  I hope you enjoyed the tour. 
Until next time,

A bed without a quilt is like a sky without stars.

The Purge is Done!

I'm so excited to announce that step one of reclaiming my space is done.  All fabrics have been gone thru twice.  The first  time was an easy sort.  The second was a little bit harder.  I didn't want to give up ANY piece of fabric, but I decided I couldn't keep it all.  So I asked myself these questions…

• Do I like it?
• Do I love it?
• Will I use it in the next 2 years?
• Is it big enough for a project?
• Why am I keeping it?
• Can someone else use it?

I ended up purging about 1/3 of my fashion fabrics, which was easier than my quilting cottons.  I only purged about 1/8 of my those fabrics.  As I organize what is left, I'll probably be able to let go of some more.  My goal is to know what I have and make room for more of what I will actually use.

I'll be sending some of the fabrics to a group that make quilts for charity and the rest will go to the Idea Store.

Now onto step two, getting it all organized!  I've been scouring Pinterest for ideas and will report back to you what works and doesn't work.

 Until then, 

The best kind of sleep beneath heaven above

Is a under a quilt, handmade with love.

Prayer for the Anointing of Bezalel

Lord, I ask for wisdom and skill, intelligence and understanding, and knowledge in skilled craft of quilting. Guide my heart and hands that I may preform this work with excellence. As the opportunity to teach others comes, I ask for the ability to teach with clarity, patience, and compassion. 

30 Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord called by name Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; 31 and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom and skill, with intelligence and understanding, and with knowledge in all [areas of] craftsmanship, 32 to devise artistic designs to work in gold, silver, and bronze, 33 and in the cutting of stones for setting and in the carving of wood, for work in every skilled craft. 34 He has also put in Bezalel’s heart [the willingness] to teach [others the same skills], both he and Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. 35 He has filled them with skill to do the work of an engraver, of a designer, and of an embroiderer, in blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and in fine linen, and of a weaver; makers of every work and embroiderers of [excellent] designs.

Atelier 54

 I am so blessed to have a space for a craft/sewing/?? studio.  I have named it Atelier 54.

Atelier is a word that means artistic workshop or studio. 

In biblical numbers, the number 5 is for Grace, the number 4 is Creative Works.  5 plus 4 equals 9 with is the number for completion.

Therefore, Atelier 54 is my artistic workshop where there is grace for creative works to be completed for God's plan and purpose.

In this blog, I'll share the projects that come from there, tips and tricks I learn along the way, and whatever i feel God is leading me to do.

I hope you will join me on this new journey!