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| Toby Thompson |
Toby Thompson
I began quilting after graduating from college in 1976 inspired by
my grandmother's hand quilting. After my first-hand stitched quilt,
(completed with her help), I pivoted to machine quilting.
In those days, my favorite was making log cabin quilts. Just a few years after that however, my career
path & children took all my time and sewing went on hold. 30+ years
passed. I retired from teaching in 2015 & had inherited my mother's
Bernina machine in 2013.
The machine intimidated me until this past fall when I desired to
make each of my 3 grandchildren (ages 1, 3 & 5) a cozy, flannel
quilt for Christmas to wrap them in my love despite our being 525 miles apart. Yes, 3 quilts to make simultaneously after 30+
nonsewing years! Because I was so
"rusty,” every step in the process required a lot of thought, research,
and input from more experienced folks -
selecting patterns, fabrics, batting, techniques, & even basics of how to
use my mother's machine, starting with how to load the bobbin!
I chose two baby quilt patterns that I found online (Fluffy Pinwheels and Lazy Logs) and enlarged them both. I selected flannel fabrics online and from an
incredible Amish fabric store, Miller's Dry Goods, about 50 miles from me in Charm, OH.
Acquiring all the fabric, cutting, piecing & sewing 3 quilt tops took
time! As much of an accomplishment as it was to finish three quilt tops,
I knew I was a long way from being finished and Christmas was quickly
approaching. I wanted to finish each quilt with a warm, lofty batting
& either hand-tie or stitch-in-the-ditch to a minky/cuddle fabric backing
to keep the quilts flexible and cozy for the children to wrap up with and read
their beloved books.
The batting choices in today's marketplace are overwhelming!
I was leaning toward another well-known brand's cotton batting until I
read on the internet about Dream Puff batting by Quilter's Dream. I even called
them to discuss the appealing description of Dream Puff for my project. I
received super-helpful, personal advice & was even provided a list of
stores in my area code that carry Quilter's Dream Puff, which included the
Amish fabric store where I had bought some of the fabrics. Whew!
The quilts exceeded my hopes of being soft, lofty, warm, &
cozy. My grandchildren love them, and I've made my presence in their daily
lives much more frequent than the miles allow. I'm getting ready to make another quilt, but
only ONE quilt at a time. lol
