Grab a hot cuppa and settle in to be inspired by a new What’s in Your Sewing Bag with special guest Cheryl Brickey of Meadow Mist Designs!
I first ‘met’ Cheryl in the very early days of my quilting adventures. If my memory serves right, I believe I first stumbled upon Cheryl’s work by reading her blog which is chock full of quilty inspiration and tips. I then had the pleasure of participating in the 2016 New Quilt Blogger Blog Hop that she co-hosted with Yvonne of Quilting Jet Girl and Stephanie of Late Night Quilter. I learned so much through that challenge and have loved being connected with Cheryl ever since. If you love traditional-style quilts with a modern flare, then you’re going to love Cheryl’s work. One of the projects that always has me intrigued is here annual Mystery Quilt Alongs. How cool is that?!
You know I love introducing you to different creatives and I would feel remiss not including Cheryl in this lovely series. She’s classic, she’s talented and she’s beyond sweet. I can’t wait for you to get to know Cheryl better and sneak a peek inside her sewing kit!
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Introduction
Introduction – tell us a little about yourself! How did you get started on your quilting journey?
I have always been crafty trying my hand at cake decorating, cooking, and crocheting but always had a love for quilts (though there were no quilters in my family). When I had my second child, I had a baby and toddler in the house and was stuck in the endless loop of cooking, cleaning, diapering, and feeding when I saw on the internet a quote that said: “A women should do something every day that can’t be undone”.
I decided to make my daughter a quilt for her “big girl” toddler bed, so I went to Joann’s and bought a cutting mat, rotary cutting, and ruler and armed with my mother’s old 1980’a slant shank Singer and hours of visiting blogs and watching YouTube videos, I made my first quilt. I have been hooked ever since.
You had me at cake decorating, Cheryl! It’s not a skill I’m particularly good at, but it’s one I so appreciate when tucking into sweets 😉 I love that your quilting was inspired by wanting to create something that couldn’t be ‘undone’! Plus, I bet that first quilt is extra extra special since it was made for your daughter!
Sewing Bag
What kind of sewing bag do you have? (e.g. did you make it? Buy it?)
My sewing bag is a zipper pouch I was gifted many years ago by Beth of Cooking Up Quilts. It is made from some of my favorite Cotton & Steel prints.
Oh, I love that your sewing bag was gifted to you! I think that just makes any sewing session more enjoyable when you have a reminder of your quilty friends 😊
ALL-STAR ESSENTIALS
What are your all-star essentials? Your tried-and-true must-haves that you can never run out of?
My favorite quilting supplies are white fabric (my favorite is Moda’s Bella solids in White that I buy by the bolt), my 505 basting spray, and my Bloc-Loc rulers for half-square triangles and flying geese.
Gosh, this makes me think back to the only full bolt of fabric I’ve ever purchased, which also happened to be white! I just adore the clean and fresh feeling white fabric gives to a quilt!
FAVOURITE ITEM
What is your favourite item in your kit? Why?
My favorite item in my kit is my thimble. For years I tried all different types of thimbles and could never find one that was comfortable and the correct size. I even used a Band-Aid as a thimble until I found my favorite thimble.
We twin on loving these leather thimbles! I had similar issues as you finding the right thimble that fit and felt comfortable. But it’s so worth exploring the different styles until you find the right one!
SURPRISE ITEM
What’s one thing we’d be surprised to find in your bag?
There is nothing really surprising in my bag except maybe the number of binder clips. I have a large number so that I can clip an entire side of a quilt at a time.
We twin again – ha! I love pre-clipping my binding (although I do the entire perimeter) so I can just settle in for a quiet hand-binding session!
QUILT KITS WILL TRAVEL
When do you find yourself using your kit the most? (Travelling, on the sofa, attending sew-ins?)
My sewing kit is used mostly for binding quilts by hand. It has all my binding tools all together: binding clips, scissors, thread, thimbles, and needles. I will normally bring the quilt and kit downstairs to watch TV with my kids and bind a quilt.
Isn’t that the best? Getting to settle in with your family while watching TV and quietly stitching your binding down. Happy quilty memories!
TRAVEL MEMORY
What’s your favourite travel memory with your sewing bag?
I do not travel with my bag much, but having a dedicated bag just for binding is so helpful. With everything needed in one place, I do not need to hunt around my small (and usually messy) sewing room for all of the binding supplies.
So clever, Cheryl! Sometimes it’s these simple steps of keeping a sewing kit ready for hand binding at a moment’s notice that help keep the momentum going on a project!
WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU?
Tell people where we can find you?
You can find me at Meadow Mist Designs all over the internet.
- Blog: www.MeadowMistDesigns.blogspot.com
- Shop: www.MeadowMistDesigns.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meadowmistdesigns
Anything else you’d like to share?
I just kicked off my ninth annual free monthly mystery quilt along called the Malted Mystery. There is a sneak peek option, an active Facebook group sewing along, and tons of prizes.
That’s so funny that you mentioned your mystery quilt along as it’s one of the projects that I 100% associate with you! Thank you so much for participating in the WIYSB series, Cheryl! It’s been a joy reading your responses and learning more about your quilting journey. Keep up the amazing work!
For more What’s in Your Sewing Bag fun, check out these guests:
- Sharon from Sharon Holland Designs
- Ally from Ally Ryde
- Megan from Megan Collins Design
- Cristina from Ships and Violins
- Laura from PreQuilt
Happy quilting!
xo
Shannon
PS don’t forget to sign up for the weekly newsletter so you don’t miss out on any future WIYSB guests!
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Great interview with Cheryl. I have worked with her on a few projects in the past and she is the best. Her patterns are lovely – as is her personality!!
Oh, how lovely that you’ve had a chance to work with Cheryl, Bernie! She really is an awesome human 💕💕