15: Linda's First Stitch Story + Finishing the Quilts That Are Almost Done

First Stitch Story: Meet Linda

In this episode, we meet Linda from Canada, whose quilting roots run deep. She learned the craft as a child, sitting at the big quilt frame surrounded by her mother and aunts, and that love of quilting has stayed with her ever since.

Quilting took a back seat for a while when life got busy, but listen in today to find out what brought her back to it. Now nearly 75, Linda quilts every single day and shows absolutely no signs of slowing down. Her story is a beautiful reminder that quilting has a way of finding us again exactly when we need it.

WIP-Finishing Tip: Tackle the Almost-Done Projects First

Today's WIP-finishing tip is inspired by Linda herself, who mentioned she has a quilt just waiting to be bound. Sound familiar? I share a simple strategy for identifying your closest-to-the-finish-line projects and making those your next priority, because there is nothing quite like a finish to build momentum for everything else on your list!

I also mention my free Simple WIP Inventory, which makes it easy to see exactly where all your projects stand so you can decide what to tackle next. Grab yours below!

Simple WIP Inventory (FREE download)

From My Sewing Room

In this episode I'm sharing one of my favorite things from my own shop: the Life + Quilts Planner. If you've ever wished you had a dedicated place to plan your projects, track your WIPs, and build a quilting rhythm that actually fits into your real life, this planner was made for you. Linda has been quilting consistently for decades and has built a beautiful, productive creative life. This planner is the tool that can help the rest of us get there!

Get the Life + Quilts Planner

Share Your First Stitch Story

Your story might be next! Every quilter has a beginning, and I'd love to hear yours. Whether it's how you learned to quilt, a project that brought you back to it, or a first stitch moment you'll never forget, share it with me and you could be featured in a future episode!

Send an email to: firststitchpodcast@wildplumlane.com

Or use the Quick Submission Form

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Hello, and welcome to the First Stitch Podcast, where we tell the stories of how everyday quilters just like you got started quilting. Plus, talk about some other fun quilty things along the way. This is your host, Lisa Donnelly from Wild Plum Lane. Let's get started. In today's episode, we're heading to Canada to meet Linda, a quilter who learned to quilt sitting on her grandmother's knee at the big quilt frame and has never really stopped. Her story spans generations, grandbabies, and over 50 years of marriage. Today we'll also talk about one of my favorite strategies for making real progress on your whips. That stands for works in progress for anyone new to the term, and I'm sure one of my favorite tools from my own shop that I think you're going to love. Let's jump in. Here's Linda's story in her own woods. I learned to quilt as a child from my mother, grandmother, and various aunts who would come to our farm, spend a week, and produce several beautiful quilts in the process. Each would come with their quilt blocks and it would go from there. I can remember sitting on my grandmother's knee at the big quilt frame and be shown how to hand quilt, and she would hand me the needle for my turn. I'm sure as soon as I slid off her knee, the scissors would come out and those stitches would be removed, but I was never told. In later years I would help my mother piece blocks for quilts, and then they would be sent to my older sister who had a long arm quilting machine. Then life got in the way with getting married, then two children, working full time, and various sports for the family. When I found out I was going to be a Nana was when the quilting became front and center. Crib quilts, then toddler bed quilts, and finally twin and queen size quilts. I have two granddaughters aged soon to be 21 and 16. I'm still quilting every day, and last Christmas, everyone got a quilt made by Nana. I'll be 75 this year and have no plans to slow down. I've presently got three quilts on the go and one at the Longarm Quilters, plus one waiting to be bound. I live in a small town in central Ontario, Canada, and have been married to the same wonderful man for 53 years. 54 in June. And that's from Linda. Linda, I love everything about your story. The image of you sitting on your grandmother's knee and quilting together is so sweet. And your aunts coming to the farm for a whole week just to quilt together? That sounds like the best quilt retreat ever. I also love how your quilting reignited when you found out you were going to be a nana. Turning 73 with three quilts on the go, one at the longarm and one to be bound? That's five active projects you're making progress on. You're an inspiration to us. And speaking of that quilt waiting to be bound, that brings me right to today's whip finishing tip. So let's talk about it. Linda mentioned something that I think a lot of us have in our own whip stacks. A quilt that's literally just waiting to be bound. I actually have two of those at the moment. It's done, it's quilted, and it just needs that one last step to cross the finish line. And yet, there it sits. So today's tip is this. If you have a project that's almost done, make that one your very next priority. Not because you have to, but because finishing is going to feel so good, and it will create a wave of momentum that carries you right into your next project. Here's how to think about it. Take a quick look at your whip list, or just do a mental scan of what you have going on and ask yourself, which of these is closest to the finish line? Maybe it needs binding like Windows. Maybe it just needs a label sewn on. Maybe it's a quilt top that's done and needs to be basted, quilted, and bound, or handed over to your favorite long armor. Whatever it is, that project gets to be your next finish. Here's a couple tips to get started. Option one is to set a timer for just 10 minutes and pull out that almost done project right now. You might surprise yourself with how much progress you can make in a super short burst. Option two is if you're not sure which project is closest to done, use my free simple whip inventory to take stock of where everything stands. Once you see it all laid out, the answer usually becomes pretty obvious. I'll drop that link in the show notes. There's something really powerful about finishing things. Every time you cross a project off your list, you remind yourself that you are someone who finishes quilts, and that feeling makes you want to do it again and again and again. So let's go find that almost done project and get it across the finish line. Okay, next today I want to share something from my own shop that ties perfectly with everything we've been talking about today, and honestly with everything Linda's story represents. Knowing what you're working on, staying organized, and actually making progress on the projects that matter to you most. It's my Life Plus Quilts planner, and it's one of my very favorite things I've created. This planner is designed specifically for quilters who want to balance their quilting life with everything else you've got going on. Because let's be honest, everyone is busy. It helps you plan your projects, track your whips, set your quilting goals, and build a rhythm that actually fits into your real life. Linda has five active projects right now and has been quilting consistently for decades. I have no doubt she has some kind of system going. But if you're someone who feels like your whips are a little scattered, or you just want a dedicated place to plan and track your quilting right alongside the rest of your life, this planner was made for you. You can find the Life Plus Quilts planner in my shop, and I'll drop the link right in the show notes so you can check it out. Linda, thank you so much for sharing your story with us today. I hope you have the most wonderful 75th birthday, and hope that the quilting that needs binding gets finished very soon. Congratulations also on 54 years of marriage with your husband. What a beautiful life you've built. And to everyone listening, if Linda's story resonated with you, I'd love to hear yours. Maybe you also learned to quilt from your grandmother, or maybe like Linda, becoming a grandparent yourself is what brought you back to it. Whatever your story is, this is the place to share it. You can email it to first stitch podcast at wildplumlane.com or use the quick submission form linked in the show notes. Thanks for being here. Now let's go find those almost done projects and finish them. And with that, we'll wrap up this episode of the First Stitch Podcast. If you enjoyed listening, I'd sure appreciate it if you'd hit the subscribe button in your favorite podcast player, write a review on Apple Podcasts, or tell your best quilty friends so they can listen to you.