Category Archives: Alison Glass

Post Market Cool Down

May 19, 2015

Things have been quiet in this space for a week or so, but it hasn’t been so in real life. I’ve actually done more sewing in recent weeks in preparation for Quilt Market than I normally do in a month or more. I feel like I can’t even pack that whole experience into a single...

Show Hide 1 comment

My guide to buying quality fabric

April 29, 2015

Today I want to talk to you about buying fabric. Its something that is useful for every crafty person who needs fabric regardless of what your budget is. So let’s begin with budget. This is your beginning point, and its the bottom line. Some of us have very little to work with, and others have much...

Show Hide 7 comments

KayApril 29, 2015 - 2:35 am
This is a great post. I love Liberty too and would rather have something I love and will use carefully. I have previously bought fabric that was on sale because sit was a good price and then never used it. Now I am more careful with my money and fabric choices.ReplyCancel
Elizabeth JApril 29, 2015 - 12:13 pm
Great points! I myself am wary of “fabric clubs”. They sound really great, and I joined one for a year. I ended up spending money on fabric I didn’t love and have not used to this day! Then you have to resell it, or make a scrap quilt with all of your not-loved fabrics. Not fun at all!ReplyCancel
IvyApril 29, 2015 - 4:18 pm
Thank you for this. I am trying to be more of a curator, too.ReplyCancel
Lisa ClarkApril 29, 2015 - 4:40 pm
Thank you! I love all of your points.ReplyCancel
Carolynne GordonMay 1, 2015 - 7:09 am
Enjoyed the sentiments in this post. My mother was a fabric hoarder, and when she died we had to dismantle her sewing room. Aaaargh. I decided that day not to collect anything anymore. I became a quilter and learnt to trust that I would find what I needed, when I needed it. It’s become a metaphor for living. And as I buy second hand fabrics, mostly, from markets and thrift shops, it tests the premise further. And it generally works for me. Good luck, good nouse, along with a bit of magic.ReplyCancel
Letting go of burden of supermom: when life and crafting collide » Olivia Jane Handcrafted – BlogFebruary 14, 2017 - 6:42 pm
[…] I know this was a long post, but it is something that has been weighing heavily on my heart. I wish I would have had someone tell me this years ago when I was just discouraged and not doing anything well. Just remember it’s all a process, and your life and family is unique. If you could use some advice and encouragement about buying fabric (because the temptation to have every new line is real!), you can read this post about responsibly buying fabric. […]ReplyCancel
ArleneApril 12, 2019 - 7:43 pm
Thank you for such a wonderful post. :)ReplyCancel

Handmade by Humans

April 23, 2015

This post has taken a good bit longer for me to write than I anticipated, but its an important one. I hope that at the very least it will cause you to pause and think. Beyond that, I hope you can leave here inspired and more driven. I’m going to be using myself as an...

Show Hide 9 comments

CarlaApril 23, 2015 - 1:10 am
So many pretties here Meredith. You do lovely work! How is your friend? The one who is getting the Liberty quilt.
I just have a need to work with my hands. Love to create with fabric and wool.ReplyCancel
SarahApril 23, 2015 - 4:16 am
I loved reading this post, it really hit home with me. My man and I talk often about why we both pursue our hobbies, mine quilting & his painting miniatures, and I think the pleasure of allowing our creativity to have free reign is not to be ignored. I quilt as a hobby and I have a small Etsy shop and can attest to not waiting until retirement comes knocking before putting your plans in motion, I find great enjoyment working with my customers to make an heirloom quilt that their children will cherish just as I do making place mats for our table at home. For me it’s about broadening my creative horizons, legacy as you say & I simply get a kick out of working with beautiful supplies!ReplyCancel
Andrea MApril 23, 2015 - 8:39 am
Well said! People often suggest that I sell what I make. I sew and crochet because I love to (plus it’s a good way to relax and de-stress after a busy day of working full time and having 3 young kids). Nearly everything I make I give a way as gifts (making baby things are so much fun!). I do make things for my self once in a while, but I love gifting the items, whether they are appreciated or not. I love to see the mini quilt I gave my mother-in-law used as a table runner, or the tote bag I made my mom come to my house with her every time she visits, or my infant daughter chew on her lovey blanket I made her. Those images plus the personal enjoyment of the craft, make it worthwhile and incredibly important to me. Keep up the beautiful work, and thank you for encouraging crafters to think about why they create – it’s such an important part of the process!ReplyCancel
emilyApril 23, 2015 - 12:04 pm
what a thoughtful article! i’m looking at the patchwork pouch I bought from a few months back and it says “meticulous, beautiful and happy”!

eReplyCancel
Cynthia WalkerApril 23, 2015 - 1:34 pm
Hi Meredith!
I’ve been a reader for a while now and have loved seeing the quality of your work and the lighthearted passion you put into it. It always seems like your quality control is impeccable and that you have a balanced and stress free way of accomplishing what you set out to do. Thank you, thank you, thank you for this post. I just posted my first blog post this week, with it being Kids Clothes Week, and your post really touches on some of the things I’ve been juggling with trying to learn to sew on my own and also pushing to get projects accomplished, sometimes at the cost of quality. In the last few months, with the assistance of some wonderful Oliver + S patterns :), I’m starting to have a more balanced and PATIENT! mindset to sew because I love it, and sew because I need to (my kid caught up to our hand-me-downs source who is 2 years older!). I’m also learning when to accept that I’m a student of sewing and when to get out the seam ripper and commit to a quality garment. I haven’t attempted quilts yet, but I loved your Anna Maria feather quilt. I hope to attempt one sometime before Christmas. You’re inspiring and your taste in fabric combinations and commitment to quality is top notch. I’m sorry you got some poor feedback. It’s a rare legacy these days to believe in taking care of what we have instead of just treating everything as disposable and to be so disciplined as to mindfully work even the smallest of tasks with a sense of artistry and craftsmanship. I look forward to your next post as it is 100% applicable to where I am with sewing!ReplyCancel
Terri AnnApril 23, 2015 - 3:51 pm
What a lovely well articulated post. I’m definitely in the category of creators where some thing I make are temporary but always for a reason, which is why I’m glad you pointed out that no style is wrong as long as consideration is put into it. I’m in a fortunate position where the cost of materials is “just money” and it’s my time that is more valuable. I will tinker with an idea to learn something from it and possibly not have a high quality product yield from that experiment. To me, that’s not only acceptable; I encourage that out of myself because that’s how I’ve always grown creatively. A series of mini failures is better than any school lesson I’ve learned and then from that craft room education I am able to take what I have discovered with my own two hands and apply it thoughtful to something more lasting and truly meaningful.

One lesson that touches on this topic is also to know when it’s okay to cut corners and “just finish” and when it’s time to really rip out those seams and do it over. I think it’s fascinating hearing different creators take on where that line is for them!ReplyCancel
Kelly O.April 25, 2015 - 8:26 pm
I create as therapy. And I love to belong to a community of quilters that get what they need from their craft as much as I do from mine for varied reasons… I saw a quote the other day that I love and I plan to have it made into a sign for my sewing room….
“They are all there in that quilt — my hopes and fears, my joys and sorrows, my loves and hates. I tremble when I remember what that quilt knows about me.”
Truthfully, my quilts are a part of me.ReplyCancel
RosieApril 28, 2015 - 11:22 am
Wow! I REALLY needed to read this today. Thank you so much for such true and sincere words. I am just starting out on this blogging/crafting journey and am in the process of seeing how viable it is for my family for me to pursue something like this full-time.

I feel so humbled by your words of using the best that you can and also doing your best work. I tend to rush through projects because I have so many bouncing around my head that I want to move on to the next thing, but I still need to do my best, because I really do want to create that legacy for my children. My inspiration came from my husband’s grandma and I love seeing my kids wrapped in creations that her hands made. I need to slow down and love the process of creating not just the finished product. Thank you!!ReplyCancel
My guide to buying quality fabric | Olivia Jane Handcrafted – BlogApril 29, 2015 - 12:02 am
[…] I want to you get from this post is really the same tone I set out to communicate in “Handmade by Humans”: be purposeful in the things you do. Don’t clutter your creativity with unneeded things. If […]ReplyCancel

HST Redux : The Kitchen Mat Tutorial

January 26, 2015

I don’t have pictures for our next step in the Opposites Attract QAL so that post will be up in the next day or two, but I do have a great tutorial for using up some of those HST leftovers! Be sure to cut those carefully, and you’ll have a precut project on your hands...

Show Hide 6 comments

Quilted Crib Sheets

January 13, 2015

Desperation can sometimes lead to nasty results. We may throw caution to the wind, and make compromises to gain a little ground. Then again, sometimes it works out well. I’m happy to say that my latest “desperate” project was actually a raving success. Well, sort of. Wallace has gotten used to being in our bed...