While in Kansas City

I just spent a full week in Kansas City, visiting family. I stayed with our daughter, hubs, and two teenage grandsons, while also getting to visit with our son and two 11 year-old and teen grandsons, my Dad, sister/BIL, and two great-nieces - pretty much a sweep of family! I had a great time with everyone, enjoying every moment of being with them. We don't do this often. 

Also while in KC, I wanted to be sure to visit KC Maker Studio and Fabrics, a shop I follow on Instagram and from where I get Painter's Palette solids. I met KC Maker Studio owner Pat at QuiltCon in Atlanta, and have jumped on her unexpected one-day sales of PP solids (watch for them on IG). I spoke with Pat at the shop and learned she has signed a contract to be a vendor at the next three QuiltCons, in Raleigh (2026), Atlanta (2027), and who-know-where in 2028. Even she doesn't know where that show will be. 

Let me just say that KC Maker Studio is pretty much the largest quilt shop I've ever been in. And though I've been to Hancock's of Paducah, by comparison KC Maker Studio has the most extensive variety of fabrics (not just quilting cottons), and notions I've ever seen in one place.

This was my first impression walking in the store. I had to stop for five minutes to take it in. 

I tried to capture it all in a panorama photo, but even that doesn't do the shop justice. It's simply BIG! 

I was blown away by the fabric collections, beginning with Kaffe Fasset at the front. 

Both sides of the tall aisles were full of Kaffe. Though I'm not a Kaffe lover myself, I could sure appreciate the beautiful view!

So much Kaffe color!

Then there were the Tula Pinks. Again, I'm not a fan, but was impressed by color.

Here are Anna Maria Parry fabrics.

Marcia Derse fabrics.

Alison Glass fabrics.

And then I looked up. Fabric as far as I could see to the back wall! To give you an even better understand of the store size... the women's bathroom has three stalls! 😀

The opposite (left) side of the store repeats the size and structure of this right side (!) with the left side stocking wide backs, canvas, knits, and garment patterns. Seeing it all was overwhelming. 

Being a linen-loved, I was delighted to see how much Fableism she stocks. If I'd known what I wanted to make with it, I would have bought some.

In the end, though I meant to visit the shop only to browse (Who was I kidding?) these are my purchases: 

1. 8 ½" X 11 Ultimate Appliqué Freezer Paper - for foundation freezer paper piecing
2. brown .005 micron pigma pen - for marking seam lines when using my Inner City template
3. 4 spools of thread - 1 Aurifil and 3 Scanfil (Scanfil is my new favorite thread)
4. a skein of #2 cotton yarn - for making a crocheted amigurumi teddy bear
5. and, fabric:

• 2 yards of a wideback for the Posh Penelope quilt I'm working on
• blue lollypop print - Ruby Star, Eye Candy, to make a Cielo Top
• ½ yard pink - Benartex Sunny Day by Christa Watson 
• ½ yard pink/aqua stripe - Michael Miller Fly By Butterfly

The pink and striped pieces are mean to go with the Pick-a-Decade Challenge Quilt I've just started.

I recently finished this atomic-looking 20" block. I had thought to surround the teal and pink circles with bias tape, but that was a big fail. I ended up making circles, pillowcase-style, so all the circles have a turned under edge. No raw edge appliqué.

I made the pink circles first, with white fusible on the back (sew right sides together; clip raw edges of the circle; slit the interfacing; turn right side out) press to fuse onto black fabric; machine appliqué, then make a pillowcase circle with black fusible on the back. Fuse and machine appliqué the double-circle to a background of Oyster Painter's Palette. Whew. It worked. I achieved the 1950s vibe I was going for.

Anyway, the pink print and stripe will work into this project nicely. I don't know where at this point, but having these prints gives me options, even if it's to use the stripe as binding. 

About the threads I bought... At QuiltCon, I bought a three-pack of Scanfil thread - 50-weight/2-ply - that's made in the Netherlands. I love it! It's fine, practically lintless, and machine pieced beautifully in my recently finished Diagonal Scrap Quilts. It's also organic, if you're into that sort of thing. The spool itself is wood. So, seeing all the colors on a store shelf made me happy. 

Thread Trivia

KC Maker Studio charges $9.29 for a spool of Scanfil; and $15.95 for a spool of Aurifil. I thought to do a price per yard comparison. 

• Scanfil - 500 yards is .0186 per yard
• Aurifl - 1422 yards is .0012 per yard

• Scanfil is .0074 per yard more expensive than Aurifil.
• Scanfil is 66% more expensive than Aurifil. 
• If Aurifil was priced the same as Scanfil, you'd pay $26.45 for a spool of Aurifl. 

I will continue to use Scanfil - it's that nice - and I'll keep using Aurifil too.

After an hour or so at KC Maker Studio - I could have spent much longer! - I met up with my friend, Carla. She and I met 16 years ago through our blogs, and in September 2010 (when I lived in Iowa) we met for the first time in person in KC! I blogged about her HERE. She blogged about me HERE. Maybe you remember Carla when she blogged at  Lollyquiltz.blogspot.com? 

I treasure our special friendship. Even though we haven't seen one another for about six years, when we're together we pick up right where we left off and could talk for hours and hours. 

As wonderful as it is to get away, it's also good to return home. I feel reenergized and invigorated about getting to work on projects, though which project is the biggest dilemma. I want to keep going on the Pick-a-Decade Challenge; and make eight Posh Penelope blocks to meet my July self-imposed quota; and make that Cielo Top; and begin crocheting an amigurumi "Cuddle Me Bear;" and do some diamond painting.

There's also Saturday morning's Central Florida MQG meeting to attend, and Maria Shell's Improv For Everyone: Scrapbuster's Edition virtual workshop Saturday afternoon. 

There's nothing like jumping in with both feet, right? I can do it all! Linda

Diagonal Scrap Quilt Finishes

Did you notice the blog title? I used the plural of "finish"? FinishES. Yep, I got double-the-fun, and used-up double-the-scraps making two Diagonal Scrap Quilts over the past couple months. By my calculations, between the two pieced tops, two pieced backs, and pieced binding, I used 20.36 yards of fabric!

The first quilt I made was the black and white version. It's 72" X 79". 

From the front, my quilting isn't very visible.

Even on the back, it was difficult to photograph quilting because of all the prints. But I found a spot where you can see the allover "Whisps" design I used. My go-to place for domestic machine quilting designs is Esther Frenzel's blog (I subscribe) I Patch and Quilt, and she's also on Instagram @ipatchandquilt. Esther is a lovely person. She and I met-up briefly at QuiltCon Phoenix in February, but we could easily have visited for hours over a cuppa.

Before starting, I wouldn't have guessed I had enough black and white prints to make both the front and back of this quilt. 

The second version of the same Diagonal Scrap Quilt pattern is super-scrappy. My favorite! It measures 66" X 75".

For this one, I selected an all-over design called "Swirl Hook." It was made popular by Angela Walters (it's in one of her books), and Esther shared it on her blog with credit to Angela. I've used this design before and like it a lot.

Battings in both quilts is Quilter's Dream 100% cotton, Request (lowest loft). 

Something I did differently with the scrappy version of this quilt, is binding. Though I still used my favorite method of attaching binding, and machine-sewn binding corners - "No Tails Binding: Mitered Corners by Machine" - I didn't hand sew down the binding as I typically do.

In a timely email, Bernina had just sent a link to a We All Sew machine binding method, so I thought I'd give it a try. 

Here are notes for my Bernina 770QE:

1. Sew binding to the quilt back.
2. Use the Bernina #10D foot (the one with a guide).
3. Choose #9 blind stitch.
4. Select mirror image.
5. Move needle to the right, to #3 position.

settings for Bernina 770QE

1. Turn binding to the quilt front. Clip.
2. Position the 10D foot guide on the seam. 
3. Sew.

If you click the photo and zoom-in, you can see the small zag stitch bite into the binding. 

For a knock-around quilt, a machine-sewn binding seemed appropriate. I'm glad I tried it. 

If you like this Diagonal Scrap Quilt pattern, buy it on Etsy from Maryline Collioud Roberts, MaryandPatch. It's available in English and French. I found this pattern because I follow Maryline on Instagram @mary_and_patch. She has other great designs too!

So, two quilts on the "finished" pile, and more used-up fabric prints. Just the way I like to roll. Linda