A Summons from the Haunted Mansion

Have you ever received an invitation that you simply couldn’t refuse?

Not because it was elegant. Not because it was prestigious.

But because it may or may not have been delivered by a raven at midnight.

Well… I did.

This August 10th through October 31st, I’ll be participating in the Forgotten Rooms Halloween Quilt Along, and I couldn’t be more excited! As if stitching my way through mysterious hallways, hidden chambers, and long-forgotten corners of a haunted mansion wasn’t enough fun, I’ve also had the incredible honor of joining the Mansion Staff as a promoter.

I suppose that officially makes me one of the friendly ghosts.

Or at least one of the slightly fabric-covered ones.

As many of you know, I have a soft spot for Halloween projects. Give me creaky floorboards, flickering candlelight, mysterious doors, and things that go bump in the sewing room, and I’m a happy quilter. The Forgotten Rooms Quilt Along promises all of that spooky goodness wrapped up in fabric, thread, and creativity.

Of course, every haunted mansion has its secrets.

Mine usually involve missing rotary cutters, fabric that mysteriously shrinks between the quilt shop and my sewing room, and project piles that seem to multiply when nobody is looking. I’m convinced some of my UFOs (UnFinished Objects) have become sentient and are hiding behind stacks of Halloween fabric waiting for the perfect moment to emerge.

The Forgotten Rooms Quilt Along feels like exactly the kind of adventure I need. There is something magical about watching a mystery quilt unfold piece by piece. Every clue opens another door, every block reveals another room, and before you know it, you’re wandering through an entire haunted mansion built one stitch at a time.

And let’s be honest—there’s comfort in knowing that hundreds of other quilters will be wandering those spooky hallways right alongside me. If I accidentally sew a room upside down, I can simply claim it was haunted.

I’m especially excited to share this journey with all of you as the quilt along progresses. I’ll be posting updates, sharing my progress, celebrating victories, and quite possibly documenting the occasional encounter with seam-rippers, fabric gremlins, and other supernatural sewing phenomena.

If you’ve been looking for a Halloween project to sink your teeth into, this might be the perfect opportunity to join the fun. Whether you’re a seasoned quilter or simply someone who enjoys a good spooky story told through fabric, I think this is going to be a hauntingly good time.

The Forgotten Rooms Quilt Along

Want to join us in exploring the mansion’s hidden hallways and forgotten secrets?

Visit the official designer’s website for all the details, registration information, and quilt-along updates:

https://www.ajourneysewreal.com/forgottenroomsqal?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZnRzaASoDNhleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAaf6I4MYzX1XQsVm3OTSWNRM_86fr94jlaq6hmMRMHrA3rJ3Vd6M1TS_OOlRpg_aem_YWdncwCtbkU_H9Lyd3Dy9oOomY0O&brid=YWdncwHz_Ohv8PXsTFxQzZG_mefo

I hope you’ll join us. Just remember…

If you hear strange noises coming from your fabric stash late at night, don’t worry.

It’s probably just the ghosts.

Or your unfinished projects demanding attention.

Patriotic Bags, Creative Problem Solving, and My New Exercise Program

With the Fourth of July just around the corner, I decided I absolutely needed a large patriotic fabric bag. You know, something perfect for carrying all the essentials: snacks, projects, water bottles, extra snacks, and probably fabric I don’t actually need to buy but somehow always comes home with me.

For this project, I pulled out one of my favorite designers fabric collections, Sew America by J. Wecker Frisch for Riley Blake Designs. The vintage patriotic imagery in this line is absolutely wonderful, and the panels practically begged to become the focal point of a bag.

The panels were the perfect size and design for this project. Sometimes a fabric collection practically tells you what it wants to become, and this one was shouting, “Make me into a holiday tote!”

Of course, no sewing project would be complete without a little adventure.

Somewhere between my planning stage and my cutting stage, my fabric calculations and reality had a disagreement. Apparently, I was just a bit short on fabric. Rather than admit defeat, I did what quilters do best—I called it a design choice.

I added a large patriotic star to each side of the bag, and honestly, I think the bag ended up looking even better than my original plan.

That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

The quilting portion went surprisingly smoothly. I found the most perfect shade of blue thread that matched the fabric beautifully. You know those moments when everything comes together exactly as you imagined? This was one of them.

Naturally, the sewing gods couldn’t allow things to go too smoothly.

When I attached the handles to the outside of the bag, I somehow forgot to account for seam allowances. Apparently, my math skills packed up and left the room for a snack break. The handles ended up exactly where they weren’t supposed to be.

Out came the seam ripper.

I sometimes think my seam ripper should be considered a co-designer on most of my projects. It certainly gets enough use.

After fixing the handles, I confidently stitched everything together, turned the bag… and discovered I had sewn my turning opening closed.

Yes.

The very hole that was supposed to let me turn the bag right side out.

So once again, my faithful seam ripper made a dramatic return appearance. At this point, it was getting more sewing time than I was.

Eventually, after a few choice words, several cups of coffee, and some determined persistence, everything finally came together.

The finished bag turned out exactly as I’d hoped. Well… maybe not exactly as I’d planned, but sometimes those are the best projects.

Along the way, I also managed to knock an entire pile of sewing clips onto the floor. They scattered in every direction with impressive speed and efficiency. So if anyone visits my sewing room in stocking feet anytime soon, I recommend signing a liability waiver first.

Despite all the hiccups, the redesigns, the seam ripping, and the clip explosion, I absolutely love this bag. It’s roomy, patriotic, sturdy, and ready for summer adventures.

Sometimes the projects that fight you the hardest end up becoming your favorites.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go pick up approximately 347 sewing clips from under my sewing cabinet. Oh, and I have more of the panels from this line so let’s see what else I can create. Stay tuned…

Quilted Coats

Some people relax with yoga.

Some people meditate.

I apparently look at a pile of fabric scraps and think, “You know what this needs? Sleeves.”

At some point in my creative life, quilting stopped being confined to throws and beds and quietly wandered into my closet. What began as “maybe I’ll make a simple jacket” has evolved into me aggressively explaining batting weights to innocent strangers at fabric stores.

Quilted coats are a very specific kind of personality trait.

Normal people see a coat and think: "Nice jacket.”

Quilters see a coat and think: “Interesting… but what if it had hand-stitched binding, six different cotton prints, wool appliqué moths, and approximately 80 hours of emotional attachment?”

There is also no casual way to make a quilted coat. You don’t simply “throw one together.” No. You begin by cutting 4,372 tiny pieces of fabric while confidently saying things like:

"This will be quick.” Three weeks later, you’re sitting under a mountain of thread clippings questioning your life choices while trying free-motion quilting spirals at 1:00 a.m.

And yet… somehow… it’s worth it.

Because there is nothing quite like wearing a coat that feels like a walking art piece. A coat that says:

"Yes, I made this.”

"Yes, every seam took forever.”

"And yes, I absolutely did quilt through all those bulky layers without crying. Much.”

Quilted coats also attract attention in public in ways I was not prepared for.

People stop you constantly: " Where did you buy that?”

And there’s always a tiny moment of pride before answering: "Oh… I made it.” Which is secretly quilting language for:

"Please admire my persistence and my ability to wrestle a king-sized fabric sandwich through a sewing machine.”

The truth is, I love that quilted coats combine everything I enjoy: color, texture, storytelling, creativity, and just a slight amount of chaos.

Also, they allow me to wear what is essentially a blanket in public without anyone questioning it.

And honestly? That may be the greatest achievement of all. So here's to my next quilted coat, already in progress. 💖