I hope you’re ready for a good sneaky peaky as there’s a new guest in the What’s in Your Sewing Bag series, and this time you’re heading to the USA to visit Jennifer Jones from Penelope Handmade.
We first connected many moons ago on Instagram. It’s been so long since we’ve been connected that I can’t put my finger on how I first stumbled across her work. What I love most about her quilty style is the classical feel it has. There’s a sense of nostalgia that I get whenever I see her creations. I got that same heartwarming feeling when I met her at QuiltCon. Now, every time I catch one of Jennifer’s posts on Instagram, I get that same warm fuzzy feeling just thinking about the kindness she exudes.
You know I love introducing you to amazing creatives that are sure to inspire you, and I couldn’t be more excited for you to learn more about Jennifer’s road to creativity, and the tools she loves working with to create her designs.
Read on for the quilty goodness!
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Introduction
Introduction – tell us a little about yourself! How did you get started on your quilting journey?
I started sewing in late high school with a class I took. We learned how to make a variety of items, but I most remember making a drawstring backpack and a lime green dress. Yikes. I had a grandmother who quilted but I never lived close enough to her to really learn. After she passed away, I had my first child and really wanted to make a quilt for him. I’m not sure what I made could pass as a ”quilt,” but it became the first of many I’d make for my children or as gifts.
Well, now I’m curious about this lime green dress! I remember taking home economics in high school and acing the sewing part. But, for some reason, I never saw it as something to continue to pursue. I love that you did! No doubt that helped set the foundation for your quilting adventures to jump off of 😊
Sewing Bag
What kind of sewing bag do you have? (e.g. did you make it? Buy it?)
I have a few really basic zipper pouches I’ve made. They’re all different sizes and kind of serve different purposes. One keeps my handquilting items, one keeps my EPP project that I like to neglect, and one is kind of a mishmash of things that I don’t know where else to put.
LOL – thank you for saying that you ‘like to neglect’ your EPP project! I have a similar EPP project that’s been on the go for years now and, while I love it, I often look past it while working on other projects 😉 Maybe having a separate bag would be a good idea, and I could just grab that bag while on the go.
All-Star Essentials
What are your all-star essentials? Your tried-and-true must-haves that you can never run out of?
I have to have a few things in my handquilting kit: thread, needle, thimble, snips. I’m still on the hunt for the perfect needles. I have a feeling reading glasses are soon to be added to this list though!
Oh gosh, I’ve been needing glasses for quite some time now. The good news is that they help – ha! The annoying part is keeping them clean. My hubz got me an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner and I can also clean eyewear in there – works like a charm.
It’s funny you should mention the perfect needles. I’ve been re-examining my hand quilting needles. These are my favourite for any type of blind stitch or needle turn appliqué, but I’ve been experimenting with different embroidery and Sashiko-type needles for my big stitch hand quilting. Let’s keep one another posted on where we land on our fave 😊
Favourite Item
What is your favourite item in your kit? Why?
I have a *deep* affection for my thimble and my thread. It’s hard for me to waver from them. My thimble is a Clover brand leather thimble. I’ve gone through multiple by now and once I found it, I got rid of all the other imposters. 😊 It’s just perfect for me. It fits perfectly and stays put and keeps my finger from getting poked. All things you need in a thimble!
The other item is my thread. I like to do big-stitch handquilting so I really am particular about the thread as it really makes a bold statement. My favorite is Perle Cotton no. 8 in Ecru. It goes with just about anything I make.
Ha – imposters! I get it though. I fell hook line and sinker in love with the leather Clover thimbles. They just feel amazing and work. I haven’t found anything that comes close to it.
Ecru is stunning! I love that it can be used in both traditional and modern ways. It’s one of the few colours that I’ve gone through several balls of thread. I fully understand and appreciate your deep affection for this particular shade!
Surprise Item
What’s one thing we’d be surprised to find in your bag?
I’m not very tidy, so perhaps all of the leftover bits from old projects: ends of thread, gobs of safety pins, you name it. I wish I had something more interesting to add though!
Love your honesty! I think we can all relate to having bits of thread and trimmings at the bottom of our bags 😉 If it helps, there’s currently a quilts worth of basting pins, and the same number of binding clips rattling around the bottom of my kit at the moment!
Quilt Kits Will Travel
When do you find yourself using your kit the most? (Travelling, on the sofa, attending sew-ins?)
I’m most apt to use my kit when I’m handquilting, and that gets done outside of my sewing space: on the sofa, in the car, or at a ball field.
All good places to settle in for some hand quilting time! Funnily I don’t stitch in the car. I’ve seen so many photos and videos of you and Sarah (catch her WIYSB guest post here) stitching in the car, and it makes me want to get in on it. But I have bad memories of getting car sick while reading on car rides when I was a kid. I think it scarred me – ha!
Travel Memory
What’s your favourite travel memory with your sewing bag?
A few years ago, our family took a really special trip to England, and I thought it would be fun to work on an EPP (English Paper Piecing) project while there. So that little bag came on all the adventures, and we have some fun photos of me sewing while there.
Oh, that sounds epic, Jennifer! What a lovely memory to have that you associate both with a special time with your family and your EPP project. I think it was with Sarah that we were talking about how extra meaningful a quilt is when you work on it while travelling. Interesting how crafts and life collide!
Where Can We Find You?
Tell people where we can find you.
I can be found on IG at @penelopehandmade or my shop can be found at penelopehandmade.com. But usually, you can find me running around after my kids. 😉
Anything else you’d like to share?
Thanks so much, Shannon, for the chance to share and reflect on my sewing journey! Hopefully, this really normal story will encourage someone else that making with your hands doesn’t have to be fancy or intimidating.
You’re just a gem! I didn’t find a single moment of reading through your responses to be boring. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing more about your high school sewing days, the notions you have a deep affection for, and finding out we’re both on a needle exploration for the ultimate hand quilting needle 😊 Keep up the amazing fabric curation that you do, and the gorgeous quilts that always have me wanting to reach out and snuggle them!
For more What’s in Your Sewing Bag fun, check out these guests:
- Cheryl from Meadow Mist Designs
- Karen from Just Get It Done Quilts
- Yvonne from Quilting Jet Girl
- Andrea from 3rd Story Workshop
- Sarah from Sarah Handmade
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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