The Five Favs Series with: Alison of In The Light Quilts
Episode 15
The Story behind Five Favs
This series developed out of my love of movies, and specifically, movie lists. Critics and film geeks alike spend hours pouring over lists, ranking everything from best movies of the year (pretty standard fare) to top five music documentaries (getting a little more granular) to top five movie characters that shaped who you are (pretty personal and specific!). I thought it would be fun to play with this idea in the quilting world. Since we spend so much time in our sewing spaces, they contain interesting snapshots of who we are as creators, and can offer a sneak peek into other aspects of our lives, too. And so- the creation of The Five Favs Blog. This is a top five of the guests favorite items in their sewing space.
For April’s Five Favs, I am delighted to have Alison from In The Light Quilts. When I first came across Alison’s work, I was immediately smitten with her use of color (the pinks! the jewel tones!!). It also helps that her patterns are absolutely gorgeous. With great tutorials and so many helpful tips, Alison will get you motivated to dive right into your next quilting project. I hope you will enjoy what she creates as much as I do!
Welcome Alison!
About Alison
“My name is Alison and I am the quilt pattern designer and writer behind the scenes of In the Light Quilts. I am excited to show you my sewing space! I made my first quilt block 6 years ago when I joined a ‘block of the month’ subscription, and I was hooked right away! I started designing and writing my own patterns 4 years ago and it brings me so much joy to get to share the art of quilting with others.”
Where Alison Works
“My sewing space is a bedroom in my home. When I started quilting, I had my sewing machine on top of a (very wobbly) folding table in a dark corner of my bedroom, so I feel so grateful every time I step into my dedicated sewing space that I have now! I have a large window that gives lots of natural light to the space and right outside the door is my living room where my kids play so I can keep an eye on them while I am working. As a mom of young children, it has been so wonderful to be able to keep projects ‘out’ in my sewing room and hop in for a quick minute to iron or trim something and then close the door to protect the project and little fingers from sharp tools without having to totally put everything away every time.”
Fav 1 - OttLite Lamp
“While I do have a large window in my sewing room, I do not always get the chance to sew when the sun is up, which is where this light comes in! Over head lighting can really only help so much when you are looking closely at a project and trying to cut precisely, etc. I can tilt this light and adjust the angle of the lights depending on what I'm working on or where I'm working in my sewing room. I use it almost everyday and can't imagine trying to work in the evenings without it!”
Fav 2 - Clover Slim Hera Marker
“I got this little Hera marker when I first started quilting and I still use it every time I am sewing! It is smaller than a lot of Hera Markers, but I find it to be helpful in so many ways. It marks lines on fabric very well and it is very sturdy despite how small it is. When I am sewing I am always reaching for it to use the pointed end to guide my fabric under my needle rather than getting my fingers so close to my needle and risk injury.”
Fav 3 - Magnetic Fabric Swatch Wall
“I order most of my fabric online, so having small swatches of fabrics is so helpful when planning colors for a new quilt! I like to use solids for the most part in my quilt tops, and looking at online swatches is not always helpful. Not only can I see what the colors actually look like, I can rearrange them and try different color combinations together. I got my magnetic Art Gallery Fabrics Pure Solids swatches from Woven and Wooly and I cut up a Kona swatch book and added magnets on the back for the rest!”
Fav 4 - Desky Table
“I have always had a hard time finding a sewing table that sits at an ideal height for me (tall girl probs! ha!) so I asked for two of these tables for my birthday last year and they have been amazing. You can press the arrow buttons and the table will lift or go down instantly to adjust to the exact height you prefer. I have one for cutting and one for sewing, and when I am completing a quilt top or binding a quilt, I can put them at the same height so I basically have a really long sewing space.”
Fav 5 - Kwik Klip
“I really don't know how quilters use safety pins to baste without this tool! When I first started quilting, my fingers would get so sore after pinning my layers together to baste. This little tool saves your fingers by helping you to close and open the safety pins. It is so easy to use and it also saves so much time! I use it first to baste and then I keep it next to my sewing machine as I am quilting to open and take off the safety pins as I am going along. It's really a game changer!”
