When Elaine Tried Quilting (and survived the Iron)
We had the great idea of swapping roles — although if I’m honest, in the last post I was the one who put Marlene on the spot and threw in a cheeky twist.
This time it was my turn....
Marlene wanted to test her instructions for making 16 half-square triangles (HSTs), and I was a little nervous. I hadn’t used a sewing machine in about 15 years — let alone Marlene’s super-duper Janome. And then there were all the tools… which, to me, felt like a foreign language. Marlene had to show me how to use them properly: how to place my hands so the ruler doesn’t slide, how to cut accurately, and how to press the seams.
The ironing part made us laugh, because the iron is something I avoid in my own house!
So there I was: fabrics together, lines drawn, stitching either side, cutting down the middle… and then — like magic — it started to make sense. There were a lot of giggles and a few “Ja, it’s easy for you to say it’s easy” moments… but before I knew it, I had 16 HSTs sitting in front of me.
Honestly, it blew my mind!
At the beginning I couldn’t visualise how those steps would turn into neat little units — and then suddenly there they were. Marlene really is the quilting queen in Quirky Quilt Art… and watching her do the same method for 32 HSTs was even more impressive.
Quilting isn’t naturally “my thing”, but doing this made me appreciate it in a whole new way — all those puzzle pieces, stitched together into something that becomes bigger than you expected.
It was also such good bonding time. I loved spending time in Marlene’s world.
And the surprise? It made me curious. I actually want to try a simple little quilting mini-project — something easy, step-by-step, that I can follow and finish without getting overwhelmed.
So I asked Marlene to set me a small task…
Watch this space for more sister shenanigans!
With colour and craft, Elaine & Marlene 💖
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