It’s that time again, time to sneak a peek inside the latest post for the What’s in Your Sewing Bag series! This time you’re heading to the USA to visit my quilty friend Victoria from Midlife Quilter!
I love connecting with fellow quilters and, beyond quilting, I’m always surprised by how much we have in common. And this holds true for Victoria from Midlife Quilter! We both discovered quilting a little later in life, we’re both self-taught, and we both have a true love for pretty fabric – shocking, I know – ha!
What I love about Victoria’s work is the fresh feel she brings to classic designs. There’s a softness and ethereal feel to her finished projects, and I’m just so excited for you to get to know her a little bit better too!
And now on to the fun of sneaking a peek inside her kit!
This post contains affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, if you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission.
Introduction
Introduction – tell us a little about yourself! How did you get started on your quilting journey?
I’m Victoria! I live in West Michigan with my family. I love all things traditional and cozy, but especially quilting. I taught myself how to sew and quilt in 2019, shortly after I turned 40. I made my first quilt using a jelly roll quilt kit and I basically never stopped after that. I was hooked! Now I own an online fabric shop and also design quilt patterns.
I love that you dove in and taught yourself, Victoria! While it probably took us a little longer to figure things out, I feel like learning on the fly sets you up to continue diving in and exploring 😊
Sewing Bag
What kind of sewing bag do you have? (e.g. did you make it? Buy it?)
My sewing bag was made by my quilting friend, Jen Levin! She hosted a cute little sew along and I won the prize of a sewing bag filled with things needed for English Paper Piecing. It’s so pretty and useful, that I’ve never felt the need to make my own.
Handmade bags are just the best! They always tell a fun story, and I bet whenever you look at yours, you’re reminded of Jen!
All-Star Essentials
What are your all-star essentials? Your tried-and-true must-haves that you can never run out of?
I need to have thread, needles, and snips. My trusty leather thimble is another essential. I will not do any hand quilting or hand binding without it! Another favorite is my wooden needle minder. It helps prevent, ummm, accidents, when I sit down with my quilts.
HAHAHA – remind me to tell you about the day I dropped a needle down the side of the sofa and canceled everything until I found it – I was so stressed that Pips (my cat) would find it before me 😉
Favourite Item
What is your favourite item in your kit? Why?
I would say it’s my little snips. They are super sharp and so convenient.
Never underestimate the importance of sharp snips (if you’ve ever worked with dull scissors, this statement rings so true)!
Surprise Item
What’s one thing we’d be surprised to find in your bag?
Probably the hexagon templates. Even though I love English paper piecing, I rarely ever do it. I just keep them in there with the idea and hope that someday I’ll be the kind of person who does English paper piecing on the regular.
Lol – I so understand this statement, Victoria! I really love the concept of EPP, but my hands don’t. I keep my English Paper Piecing essentials and my Mischief Quilt project in my travel sewing kit, so that should I find myself wanting to hand sew, I’m ready to go.
Quilt Kits Will Travel
When do you find yourself using your kit the most? (Travelling, on the sofa, attending sew-ins?)
It always travels with me and is rarely used when I travel. But I do use it often while sitting on the couch and watching TV. That’s my quilt binding time.
Ah, yes, I love that step in the quilt journey when you get to cozy up in front of the TV and settle in for some hand-binding time – the best!
Travel Memory
What’s your favourite travel memory with your sewing bag?
The time I took it on vacation and then completely forgot that I had it. I spent months assuming it was lost. Then I went on another vacation and found it.
Ha! At least you hadn’t lost it 😉
Where Can We Find You?
Tell people where we can find you.
I live on IG and Threads @midlife_quilter, but I also sell fabrics and quilt patterns on my website. Come browse the pretty fabrics at www.midlifequilter.shop. It’s fabric shopping made easy.
Anything else you’d like to share?
I really enjoy chatting with other quilters and love helping customers curate a bundle for their quilts. My goal is to help everyone build a stash of thoroughly useful fabrics. No wasted fabrics on my watch!
Oh, I love this mission! Having a well-curated stash that speaks to your individual tastes is beyond inspiring. My aunt was just over, and she peeked inside my fabric cabinet and was just amazed at all the pretty colours. She was also impressed with how organized it all was – ha!
Thank you, Victoria, for being an absolute gem and sharing more about your quilt journey. The only thing I’m surprised by is that Anges didn’t get a mention! For everyone reading this, Agnes is Victoria’s cat, and she makes regular appearances on her Instagram feed. You know my love for Pips, and so we’ve bonded over our love of ragdolls 😊
For more What’s in Your Sewing Bag fun, check out these guests:
- Sarah from Sarah Handmade
- Jennifer from Penelope Handmade
- Holly Clarke from Hold My Seam Ripper
- Janice from Prairie and Ocean
- Annie from Annie Tremblay
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!
This post uses affiliate links. For more info, visit the FAQ page.
Leave a Reply