Pod Insights Ologies Bonus Episode: How to Beat Perfectionism and Make a Quilt About this episode Our Culcitology (QUILTS) episode taught you why quilts are agents of rebellion, community, and chill vibes all in one. This bonus episode will tell you how to start and how to dive into anything creative without freaking out first, featuring advice from Joe Cunningham and Kule Haynes, plus dozens of friendly Ologies listeners/quilters. Cut up some scraps, pick up a needle, and make something. You never know where it might lead you, and who it could help in the future. Including you, kiddo.
Transcript Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.
0:00 Alie Ward? Oh, hey, it's still the guy whose outfit you want to compliment, but it would be awkward, Ali Ward. And as promised, here's a follow-up bonus episode from this week's Colesetology episode, all about quilts. And this one, little bonus, just a little bonus drop it in your feed. It's just chock-a-block with advice and encouragement and a call to action to make some cool stuff out of scraps in an effort to calm your nerves and buy less stuff and make more art. Now, QuiltCon 2026 happened just a few weeks ago in Raleigh, North Carolina. I've been tagged in so many posts from that since last episode. The scathing political quilts there, just brutally wonderful, beautiful, leave it to crafters to change the world. Highly recommend checking out some QuiltCon
0:44 Alie Ward? 2026 quilts. Last week, we went deep into the context and the history of quilt making with museum curator Olivia Joseph, author and quilter Joe Cunningham, and fiber fine artist Luke Haynes, who made me a quilt that is up on our Instagram. That's amazing. He also made a small quilt pattern for Ologite quilters, novice and expert alike, to try. That's linked in our show notes. Also in the show notes, links to Smologies, our short form and kid-safe episodes that live in their own podcast feed, wherever you get podcasts, ologiesmerch.com, which has new designs with protest art, with 100% of the proceeds going to the National Immigration Law Center. Also linked is our Patreon at patreon.com/ologies, where you can support the show and submit questions before we record. And that's like a dollar a month to get in.
1:30 Alie Ward? Also, thank you so much to listeners who leave reviews, which help boost the show so much. I do read all of them. And thank you, DNA Sprouse, for this recent one saying, "My small talk has never been more unhinged or informed. P.S.," they say, "I learned about nominative determinism from this podcast and had the humbling realization that my name is Danae, and I teach students about DNA all day." Make of that what you will. DNA Sprouse, Danae Sprouse, what's in a name? Apparently, all the information you need to build an organism. Thank you to sponsors of the show who make it possible also for us to donate to multiple charities this week. How's your ponytail looking? Maybe like a little thinner than it used to?
2:13 Alie Ward? We've talked about this in our menopause episode. At some point, it's bound to happen to all of us. So if you're ready for thicker, fuller hair, start your free online visit today at forhers.com/ologies for personalized care. So that's F-O-R-H-E-R-S dot com slash ologies. Individual results may vary. Featured products include compounded drug products, which the FDA does not approve or verify for safety, effectiveness, or quality. Prescription required. Price varies based on product and subscription plan. See website for full details, restrictions, and important safety information. Picture this: years of guaranteed research support and a vibrant scientific community that has your back. If you are a PhD student, postdoc, or early career faculty in the biological or biomedical
2:57 Alie Ward? sciences, that doesn't have to be a fantasy. HHMI has a program for you. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute supports scientists at every career stage with a people-not-projects approach, long-term support, and the resources for breakthrough science. Applications open now. You can find your program at HHMI.org/ologies. Father Ward, you say, "There's no way you would need a career coach. You have it all together." That's a lie, and you know it. I actually hired a career coach, and without them, I wouldn't have started Ologies. It was one of the best investments I've ever made. And if you're like, "I don't know where to find a career coach," I can help you. You need an experienced pro who asks the right questions, sets you down a path where you're most likely to succeed.
3:42 Alie Ward? And that's what you can expect from a coach at today's sponsor, strawberry.me. This is so cool. They match you with a certified coach who's been vetted to work closely with company founders. And yeah, sometimes I'm like, "Oh, wait, that's right, I am one." And if you're founding a business, even if you're along the way and you're maybe stuck in a rut, or you have to make a decision about expansion, or what direction you want to take your company, that's what I did. I went to strawberry.me and I was like, "Okay, can you help me pare down some stuff? I think I have too much on my plate. I'm not sure what to say yes to and what to say no to." And they were super helpful in helping me streamline, and now I get to sleep more, and I enjoy that. So get the help every entrepreneur needs. Go to strawberry.me/ologies. That's strawberry.me/ologies.
4:27 Alie Ward? You're the boss. Okay. It is lovely to hear how many of you listeners are quilters. And so I realized last night, I should ask listeners via patreon.com/ologies, what quilting advice you'd want to give to your fellow pod siblings. And I got so many tips for you on starting a quilt, machine versus hand stitching, how to acquire quilts, how to honor quilters who have passed, how to donate your time or craft to those in need, accounts to follow for inspiration, destroying perfectionist tendencies, creating community, neurodivergent socializing, and even how to quit an addiction. So please enjoy this informative, energizing life advice that also happens to involve quilting with so many colsetologists.
5:31 Alie Ward? Okay, let's start off with a guest from last week, quilter, artist, and author, Joe Cunningham, AKA Joe the Quilter on Instagram.
5:39 Speaker 01 Well, other folks, Shannon Patterson, Dave Langley, Haley Kirby, Alley Vessels, Protect Trans Lives, So Many Questions, Modori Libovitz, Mish the Fish, Spicy Native, Ambular, Heather Dykes, Byzanthemum, Ani G, Rachel Guthrie, Catherine Hampshire-Hensley, Empress of Smallwood. All of these folks, you have a new wave of people who want to get started. Haley Kirby said, "How to get started? I really want to learn to quilt, but I got overwhelmed looking into it."
6:09 Speaker 01 Wait, one of these people had such a funny question. Taylor Wade said, "Is there an easy way to cut out all the little pieces? This is literally my only obstacle to making a quilt." Which, that is a huge part of making a quilt, but I definitely understand.
6:23 Speaker 02 Well.
6:24 Alie Ward? Yeah. Any tips for starting?
6:26 Speaker 02 Yeah, there's a device that you can get, but I've never owned one and I've never used it. It's a flat bed. You lay your fabric on there and you have a certain, it's got die cutting things in there and you crank the crank and it cuts out all the little pieces for you.
6:42 Alie Ward? Wow.
6:43 Speaker 02 But.
6:44 Alie Ward? But that's part of the fun, right?
6:46 Speaker 02 It's not that hard. The tools involved in quilt making have matured. When I first got started, you would have a little piece of cardboard that you cut out from a cereal box and you would draw around that and then cut with scissors a quarter inch outside that. And so to cut a thousand of those, you've got carpal tunnel just right out of the box. And so now there's such a thing as a rotary cutter and there's clear rulers and a cutting mat. And if you use that stuff and look up some ways to do some mass cutting, you can cut hundreds of pieces really quickly.
7:20 Alie Ward? Side note, a rotary cutter, it looks like a pizza cutter, but for fabric and it's razor sharp. So don't use someone else's on paper or pizza ever unless you're thirsty for a fistfight. Also, patron and listener Mari Morrishead wants you to know, always close your rotary cutter, even between cuts. That thing is sharp, all caps, they say. This advice, especially helpful to Americans who avoid going to the ER so as not to become bankrupt.
7:48 Speaker 02 Somebody wanted to know how to keep them straight. It's very, very helpful to buy a quarter inch foot for your sewing machine. And then if you have them lined up, when you start, you can see how to keep them lined up and the foot will keep them lined up for you. So for the person that asked about that, yeah, cutting all the pieces, just get a rotary cutter and ruler and cutting mat and you'll be, and learn how to use it. Take a quilting class or, I mean, YouTube is a miracle, right? And of course, there's a lot of terrible information on YouTube too. So just call me and I'll tell you which ones. No, don't, don't.
8:26 Alie Ward? What about hand sewing quilts? If you don't have a sewing machine and you're looking for something meditative?
8:30 Speaker 02 Hey.
8:31 Alie Ward? Can you just do that? Can you just start doing, you know, 12 inch squares and sit and? Watch TV gab with your friends?
8:37 Speaker 02 Yeah. Yes, you can.
8:38 Alie Ward? Sweet.
8:39 Speaker 02 Yes, you can.
8:40 Alie Ward? That appeals to me.
8:41 Speaker 02 Oh, good. Yeah, yeah. Because you could see it's a clearly defined thing. It's gonna only take so long and yeah. Yeah, you can do that. Absolutely.
8:50 Alie Ward? Once I was at a barbecue and I had my whittling knives with me, including my cut proof gloves. Honestly, I found myself so much more relaxed having something to do with my hands. And a few girls there were like, what is that? Before you knew it, all the girls at this party and I were camped out around the bonfire working on carving spoons. If you need something to fidget with while socializing, highly recommend bringing your craft shit to parties. Who cares if you're the only one doing it? It's inspiring and it's a great way to pass the time. Also inviting friends over to quilt or make rag rugs, maybe planning a revolution while you're at it. You can see last week's full quilt episode for more on how that happens. Patron Stephanie Coombs gave the advice that it's really fun making the back of a quilt
9:35 Alie Ward? crazy with random old sheets and stuff. And they shared that they had a friend whose mom used to get all the kids in the family a new set of flannel PJs each Christmas and then would make a quilt from the old ones, which they all treasure. Stephanie also said that they laughed at one of the quilters, Luke, who said that they hated the binding process. Literally the worst, Stephanie says. So let's talk about getting into a bind. Little advice.
10:01 Speaker 02 So a binding on a quilt, it's if you use a contrasting color, you'll see this quarter inch or half inch or more edge all the way around the quilt. And to me, it screams quilt, quilt, quilt. Look at this quilt. And my quilts, I didn't like the looks of that anymore. So I pull everything to the back. It's called a facing at that point so that it looks like art, art, art.
10:26 Speaker 02 But it's still a quilt. What I'm making is quilts that you could sleep under. Yeah, against the coldness of the universe. Yeah.
10:35 Speaker 01 Growing ever colder by the day, it seems.
10:37 Alie Ward? But together, we can stay safe and warm under our quilts. On that note, I have so much good advice from patrons who submitted tips to share, and we'll get to them after a quick break. But first, let's send some money to some good causes. And this week, listener Xander Lee told me about three great ones. Quilts for Survivors, which is a community-led initiative offering handmade quilts to Indigenous residential school survivors and their family. And we'll also send a donation to Project Linus, which provides handmade blankets to children in the United States who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need. And since 1995, Project Linus has delivered over 10 million quilts to kids
11:18 Alie Ward? in need. And thirdly, a donation will go to A Quilt of Valor, which awards quality handmade quilts to service members or veterans touched or injured by war. So thank you to sponsors of this show for enabling us to donate to a cause, or three, every week. And thank you to listeners for also making that possible. And thanks, Xander Lee, for those recommendations. How's your ponytail looking? Maybe like a little thinner than it used to? We've talked about this in our menopause episode. At some point, it's bound to happen to all of us. So if you're ready for thicker, fuller hair, start your free online visit today at forhers.com/ologies for personalized care. So that's F-O-R-H-E-R-S.com/ologies.
12:04 Alie Ward? Individual results may vary. Featured products include compounded drug products, which the FDA does not approve or verify for safety, effectiveness, or quality. Prescription required. Price varies based on product and subscription plan. See website for full details, restrictions, and important safety information. This podcast is brought to you by Squarespace. If you haven't heard me gushing about Squarespace for years, it's an all-in-one website platform. Whether you're trying to grow a business you have, or if you're just a baby business getting started, it has everything you need. That's where I secured my domain name. It helped me build a professional site. I can update it so easily. I've been using Squarespace since before. Before Ologies existed, after procrastinating for years, I literally built my website in one evening. They have templates, they have flexible editing tools. Squarespace also makes it easy to share your work. You can book clients, you can get paid.
12:49 Alie Ward? They have built-in tools for scheduling and invoicing and email all in one place. Whenever someone I know needs a website, whether they're a scientist that needs to put their work up or someone who's just starting a business, I'm like, dude, Squarespace. So head to squarespace.com/ologies for a free trial. And when you're ready to launch, use offer code OLOGIES to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. You can do it. Peppa Pig is your preschooler's best friend. Give the gift of bike riding confidence this year and help Peppa learn to ride her bike. Kids can imagine learning to ride a bike with the Ready Pedal Go Peppa Bicycle Playset. Put Peppa's helmet on, attach the push stick to her bike, and push to make her pedal.
13:33 Alie Ward? Ready Pedal Go Peppa and more from Peppa Pig are now available at all major retailers this holiday season.
13:43 Alie Ward? Oh, trips are full of unexpected discoveries. Maybe you see a sea slug, or you find out that your friend still sleeps with a stuffed animal. But when it comes to your vacation rental, there should not be any surprises. When you book a Verbo vacation rental, if what you expect isn't what you get, Verbo Care has you covered. If something's broken or just not right, Verbo will work to make it right. Plus, you get 24/7 live human support with every booking. Grab your stuffy, we're going on vacay. So book today on the Verbo app. If you know, you're Verbo. Terms apply. See verbo.com/trust for details.
14:19 Alie Ward? Listen, sometimes you get out of your routine. That happened to me recently when I went out of town and I realized I forgot my Ritual Essential for Women 18+. It's a multi that I've been taking for years. And guess who landed in another country without them? Me. Didn't feel right. They contain nine key nutrients, two delayed-release capsules designed for optimal absorption. But Ritual, why do I love them so much? They have a team of scientists. They poured over thousands of studies to figure out what are common Gaps that people need in their diet, but they don't actually consume. It's also designed to be gentle on the stomach. You can take it with or without food, which I love. Plus, I like that it looks like a tiny lava lamp. I tell you that every time, but it has these beads and oil and it tastes like mint. Easy down the hatch. I usually take them in the morning.
15:03 Alie Ward? And the reason why I've stuck with Ritual for so many years is because my schedule's all over the place. Sometimes I'm eating breakfast. Sometimes I'm running through an airport with one shoe. So instead of striving for perfect health, aim for supporting foundational health. Save 25% on your first month at ritual.com/ologies. That's ritual.com/ologies for 25% off your first month.
15:27 Alie Ward? Okay, we got so much good advice and I learned so much about life from this. So, download the free Ologies pattern in the show notes. I mean, why not? It's free. And let's get hyped about hobbies and fiber arts. And to understand why this is so critical, listen to the saliogenology episode with Jewel Hots about why humans need hobbies, because it just might save your brain and your life. Okay, advice bag. If you would like to own a quilt, acquire one. Some listeners had tips. Michelle D. said, "If someone gives you a quilt, use it. They weren't made to leave in the back of a cupboard. Use it to lay on and watch clouds or stars, build a pillow fort with it, whatever." Elm says, "No advice per se, but wanted to say that homemade is always the best. I'm so lucky to have personally known my great grandmother,
16:12 Alie Ward? who not only ran a farm and made many quilts for her seven kids, she made one for every grandkid and every great grandkid." They say there's more than 40 of us. "And we each treasure our own personalized heirlooms." And Tiger Udi said, "Oh, and by nothing groups are a great resource." Book Sherpa said, "Definitely go to a quilt show. They're amazing. The one closest to me, they say, raffles off small decorative quilts as a fundraiser." I didn't know that. You could gamble and get quilts? Bring it on. Xander Lee says, buying advice, go to a quilt show. Some of the quilts on display will be for sale. There's often a charity auction of smaller pieces. There's almost always a raffle quilt. They also say, if you don't like any of the ones there, talk to the volunteers and organizers. They'll point you towards local quilters who sell or make on commission.
16:57 Alie Ward? Also, they say, follow quilters on Instagram and QuiltSky on Blue Sky because designers will announce some sample sales and other quilters post their work, too. Samantha Steelman wanted quilters to know, if you're the quilter of the family, label your quilts. They say, my grandmother has both gifted and made for herself dozens, honestly, possibly hundreds of different quilts. And they say, it gets difficult to remember what was made for who, when, and why. So for years, their grandmother has sewn a label on the bottom right corner of the back of the quilt with a basic format of made by, gifted to, for occasion, year, and the title of the quilting pattern. And they say, it's so wonderful to have the stories written on the items because a well-kept quilt will last generations. So, consider that, quilters.
17:42 Alie Ward? Patron L. Wink wanted us to mention traditions. For when a quilter dies, I didn't know this, but they've seen pews covered with a lifetime of their quilts and says it's incredibly moving. So I Google image searched quilter funeral, y'all. Whew, it's moving. All these pews, all these chairs covered in their quilts. Ah, it's also another great reason to take up quilting because you have a cozier memorial service and people's butts will hurt less on the hardwood. So if you are inspired, where do you get this fabric? Oh, we have advice. Mari Morrishead said, go simple to start. Don't pick any patterned fabrics that have grids or other directional sort of patterns because you will have to be super precise when cutting and sewing the blocks.
18:27 Alie Ward? So maybe skip the gingham this time around. Nancy C. says, as a quilter and sewer, it can be very difficult to get rid of any kind of fabric material. And they say, I'm notorious for hoarding jeans and old shirts. It's even harder to let go of now with the loss of Jo-Ann's and the crazy thrift store prices. But if your scrap pile keeps getting bigger and you are feeling overwhelmed, it's time. To donate and they post scrap bags for free on Marketplace to support local crafters. You can also drop off fabric scraps at community and senior centers. They often have a ton of great programs, including making quilts for hospitals and shelters and hospice care and animals. And Nancy C. says, I had a lot of surgeries as a kid and I'll never forget the moment I received a small quilt in the hospital.
19:10 Alie Ward? I still have it today, Nancy writes, and it's amazing how something as simple as a quilt can be so powerful. Just imagine if you started making quilts for people. Can you imagine? What a lovely thing to say, hey, I did that. Jamie Wirth says, there are a lot of people in organizations looking for donations of scrap fabric and quilting materials. And Jamie said, my mom was big into quilting and unfortunately she passed away in September. And while my dad and I haven't had the heart to go through most of her stuff, we will definitely be looking for ways to donate a lot of her materials. And Jamie says, a great thing about quilting is that it can make use of scraps of fabric that people may have just laying around their house from other projects. Jamie also mentioned the Netflix documentary, The Quilters, which we talked about in last week's episode and said, organizations like that are a great way to upcycle fabric that
19:54 Alie Ward? people may normally just throw out. Barbara M. says, save your scrap pieces for stuffing into like stuffed cube seats for children or pillows for animals in shelters. Tiger Udi said, buy nothing groups are a great resource for fabric. They say, it's amazing how many people have stacks of fabric they would be happy to see go to a good home. And patron Christine Trainee said, I've been quilting for eight years and an important part of my practice is finding ways to be low impact and consumption responsible. And it takes a lot of natural resources and questionable labor practices to manufacture fabric. So you can source all your fabric secondhand from thrift stores, yard sales, free on internet marketplaces. And they say this includes batting, like thin cotton blankets were great as batting.
20:39 Alie Ward? Same for sourcing a sewing machine. There are tons available secondhand. And next level, you can even dye neutral natural fibers at home using simple food scraps, like avocado pits and onion skins. Plenty of resources online for natural dyeing, Christine says. And they conclude, what makes a quilt beautiful is that you made it in your own way. I mean, stop it. How special is that? Andrea R. Thompson said that there's many craft thrift stores that specialized in donated craft supplies that are a fantastic place to find lots of different fabrics, threads, sometimes tools. Regular thrift stores can be great sources of fabric as well. You can check the Pillowcase Rack. And Alexandra says, "I rarely buy new quilting fabric and prefer the artistic challenge of working with limited quantities."
21:22 Alie Ward? If you are gonna buy fabric, Nicole S. says, "It's actually worth it to buy decent quality fabric because the cheap stuff frays and stretches." Not that you can't work with it, Nicole says, but if you're just learning, poor quality fabric can add an enormous amount of frustration. So again, secondhand, you might get higher quality fabric, too. Nancy C. again says, "Natural battings are your friend. Look for 100% cotton because polyfill and polyester is cheaper, but it won't hold its form with machine washings." I never would have known that, Nancy. Cody Prell says, "This advice caught me off guard, and I love it." Cody said, "Do not let mice or rats near your batting supply." They say, "I had a large mouse nest in my 20-yard roll of bulk batting, and it made
22:07 Alie Ward? for a very difficult removal process. Everyone was removed safely and relocated." And I will say, "I had a close relative who loved to knit until she found some mouse droppings in her knitting supplies, has not picked up a needle since." So if you want to make quilts for animals, maybe not the wild mice, but you do you. So you have some fabrics lined up, say. Maybe you even have Lucane's Ologies quilt pattern on your screen that you downloaded for free. But you need to get, like, pumped first. Do some shadow boxing. Put on some loud music. Grunt at yourself in the mirror. You can scream, "Oh, yeah!" like the Slim Jims guy into a pillow. Get inspired. What did quilting listeners say about Design Inspo?
22:49 Alie Ward? Okay, I thought these were great. Jaganator said, "To take a black and white picture of your fabric choices to get a better idea of their values, so this can help you balance out the intensities as you plan your quilt." So plan it grayscale, Jaganator. That's some good advice. I never would have thought of that. And Mary Toscano said the same thing. They take photos of their quilts in progress and change the photo. Photo to black and white so they can look at the values of each block and how they relate to each other. Geniuses. Lauren Tenenbaum said, "Give friends and family a plain muslin square to decorate, right? Like with fabric markers and then piece all those squares together for a quilt to snuggle under that is a physical reminder of everyone who loves you." And Lauren said they did this for their wedding instead of a guestbook and the quilt is my absolute favorite thing to be surrounded by.
23:34 Alie Ward? The plain muslin square? Have them decorate? Ugh, to be loved by a quilt that's made of love. Love it. Hester Melanie Jakin said, "If you haven't yet, look into the quilts from Gee's Bend," which, if you're like, "I don't know what that is," listen to last week's episode. We talk all about it. Sweet Annie also said, "Look up Gee's Bend quilters." Done. Listen to last week's episode. Also on our Instagram, @ologies. We put up a gallery of some Gee's Bend quilting. Xander Lee says, "Beware of AI slop patterns. Instead, follow other quilters on social media, subscribe to designers newsletters and Patreons and buy direct from them." So AI slop patterns, don't fall for it.
24:17 Alie Ward? They probably won't turn out anyway because they're not real. Who else should you look at? We'll link a bunch in the show notes. Bisabutler, B-I-S-A, butler on Instagram's work is gorgeous. We talked about her in last week's episode. Patron Moo wrote that their city has a quilting museum, the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles. Dee said their friend Katie makes quilts and upcycles old ones. There are Panic in Polka Dots on Etsy. Vera Axelrod said, "Go to a quilt show. They're all over the place. Their favorite is the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show in Oregon." Xander Lee says, "To find your people, try the guilds and the shops where you live, but some modern guilds also have online meetups and events, so check outside your area, too." And says, "Find your people and make what you want. I believe everyone can quilt."
25:01 Alie Ward? Xandra, we appreciate your confidence. If you already quilt and you want to feed your soul by helping others, Hannah Johnson said, "To check out the Loose Ends Project." This is also so sweet. Volunteers complete unfinished quilts for the loved ones of people who have passed away or for people who can no longer work on their own projects due to disability. And that's called the Loose Ends Project, which is so sweet and also like, great name. It's just a loose ends, like that's such a good name. Now, what if... You want to start quilting, mistakes make you panic, so you freeze and you don't finish stuff, or you don't try stuff. Get some of this advice tattooed onto your body.
25:42 Alie Ward? It's good for everything. Bex0289 said, "Don't be scared. I was so scared of it not being perfect. My first quilt is still my favorite. I put so much love and attention into every bit that I don't care if pieces aren't necessarily turned right, or you can see the stitches. I love it," says Bex. That was her first quilt. Mary Morrishead said, "Remember that no one will ever look at your quilts as closely as you do. If a small mistake can't be noticed at arm's length, it's totally fine. Also, that's how the people can tell the quilt wasn't made by a robot." Xandra says, "Don't believe the quilt police. If you can't see a mistake from across the room, it's good enough. And if you can, you can always say it was a design choice." Nancy Axe says, "There are no quilt police. Be fearless. Don't
26:24 Alie Ward? overthink." And I'm going to add that if someone is a quilt police, they suck. Ignore them. Mariah Ramsey says, "Don't obsess too hard over getting everything square and perfect. Imperfections in your craft show that you're human, and you took a bit out of your finite time on this earth to make something nice for someone you care about, which is existential, and I like it." Cut bangs, texture crush, make a quilt. Brandon Foster says, "Better done than perfect." Which is how I feel about this episode. I'm reading off a bunch of advice that I didn't write, and that's just dandy. Okay, but how do you get things done? Here's some practical advice. So if you're going to try it by hand, Resting Laurelface says, "If making a whole quilt seems daunting, but maybe you want to try your hand at a
27:08 Alie Ward? block, one or two blocks sewn with some light batting as the backing can be made as a little book cozy." Look at that. You don't have to make a whole quilt. You can make just a little thing. Just try it out. Katie says, "Glue basting in lieu of pins or clips is a thing. No, it's not cheating." Rowena Z says, "Keep lengths of thread shortish, like an arm's length or so, when quilting by hand. Not only does it keep your arm from tiring out, you also don't have to rip back as far if your stitches haven't gone all the way through all the layers by mistake." And they say, as a kid, their mom would frequently check our quilt quilting stitches because it's better to have big stitches than stitches that aren't going all the way through. They also say use a thimble for the hand underneath the quilt
27:51 Alie Ward? frame so you don't draw blood with the rocking stitch. Again, we don't need anyone going to the doctor. Now, machine heads, take note. Silks Monkey says you absolutely need an iron to get good results. Oh, and change the needle on your sewing machine way more often than you think you need to because it really can cause a lot of issues sewing with a dull needle. Brittany Chamberlain said, I started quilting last year. I finally bought starch and this has been a game changer at keeping the fabric nice and stiff when I cut and piece things together. And Nina Jacoby said, I like to use a softer fleece for my backing, but it ends up quite slippy for machine quilting, but starch is your friend. You can buy quilter starch or, Nina says, mix cheap vodka with water. Ta-da,
28:35 Alie Ward? I didn't know that was a thing. Alicia Noble says, if you use a sewing machine, be familiar with what the different feet and features do. I was on my seventh quilt, Alicia said, before I realized that not only I had a quarter inch foot, but that my machine had the option of covering the feed dogs so I can free motion quilt. I don't know what all that means, but Alicia does, and if you're a sewer, you probably get this. And Alicia says, up until then, I was rotating the entire quilt through the tiny little yoke every time I wanted to change direction. I had been quilting on hard mode without even knowing. So check the feet on your sewing machine. L. Wink says, invest in a good seam ripper. Get some graph paper and sketch or draw out your design. The graph paper helps you figure
29:16 Alie Ward? out measurements for pieces. And remember to add a bit of extra fabric, like a quarter inch or a half centimeter, to all your pieces for seam allowance. And practice making smaller pieces like placemats, especially if you want to play around or experiment. And also join a local guild. Free friends. Ray Holloman said that precuts can be your best friend and allow you a lot of options where you don't have to buy all the yardage. And Tiger Udi had some ergonomic advice. They say it may look like it isn't hard on the body, but it is. So go slow, stretch, use assistive devices, like a rotary cutter is so much Easier on the hands than scissors. Take breaks. Small sessions can be better than long ones. Especially stretch the neck back and shoulders and your hands and wrists.
30:02 Alie Ward? Yoga for carpal tunnel can be especially helpful. And Tiger Yee-Dee added, use a good chair with a butt pillow. If you start to get a headache, it might be time for some better glasses. It's fine work that takes focus and concentration. Also, good lighting. Your brain will thank you. Angela said, older person here, and I've found that investing in a good craft lamp with a magnifier to position over my work has not only been necessary, but a game changer. And they say, I was unmotivated to finish quilting projects because seeing was hard and I was limited to times of day that I could work. But now I can see so much better. I'm more motivated to work on them. Oh, and be prepared. Big quilts will take up your entire living room while you're working on them. If you have a craft room, great. But if not, if you're like me with all your furniture pushed out of the way to make space,
30:48 Alie Ward? that's a good way to lay out your quilt as you work on it. Sarah Mann says, before joining rows of squares, double check that they're the right way up. And they say, my grandma taught me how to quilt when I was eight or nine, and I still have my first lap quilt, complete with upside down rows. And if you're still reluctant to jump into the water, Xander says, try a few different kinds of making. Like if you don't have or you don't like a sewing machine, try English paper piecing or hand applique. If you want less math, you can try foundation paper piecing. It's more like paint by numbers. So those are good things to look up. English paper piecing and foundation paper piecing. So let's get a little more encouragement for starting. First, wait.
31:30 Alie Ward? The Other Maya wrote out a bunch of advice, not for quilting things, but for quitting things. And the Other Maya, the fact that you sent this anyway makes me so happy. And I'm going to read it. So addictive things like cigarettes, you can wean yourself off by waiting as long as possible to pick up the pack and never finish the cigarette. Only take as many drags as it takes for the panic to go away and then put it out. The time between cigarettes will vary, but if you continue to wait, the time will decrease. It took the Other Maya a year, but they did it and they've been clean 10 plus years. So wait as long as possible. To pick up the pack, never finish a cigarette if you're trying to quit smoking. The internet, how to quit it, cold turkey, baby, don't put the app on your new phone. Okay, as for quitting jobs, the other Maya also has advice on this.
32:15 Alie Ward? If you don't like it and the social network is one that you can burn, if you can burn that bridge, read them down when you put your notice in, read them all the way down. Oh, Maya, I like that. Or just walk out and leave a note about the legal timeline for your last check. But Maya says, if you do like your job, but you still need to quit, two weeks to six weeks notice, work with your team to find coverage to hand your work off to, be very nice about it, and share personal contact info. So there you go. You can quit cigarettes, you can quit the internet, you can quit a job. With other Maya's blessing, Baloney Shoes also had some quitting advice. Try things, but only stick to them if you like it. There are other crafts out there.
32:58 Alie Ward? Okay, so that was our accidental quitting advice, but let's get back to starting advice. Imagine the following listeners are standing all around you, they're holding signs saying, in Laura Devine's words, "Start small." It can be fun to pick a pattern or a lap quilt or one you can use on a bed, but practicing on a smaller scale can help you practice with seam allowances and pressing. And they say, "I made several baby quilts when I first started, which helped me gain confidence." Also, fabric shopping is the best. Look for remnants at craft stores that are odd sizes. Perfect for quilting. Michelle D. said, "Just try it. I know so many people who make their own clothes who are afraid of quilting because it looks too hard, and if you can use a sewing machine or a needle, you can quilt."
33:42 Alie Ward? Jeanette Hobbs, again, just start. Make your first one a lap quilt size so you're not overwhelmed. There's a series of pattern books, they say, called Three Yard Quilts that have easy-to-follow instructions. And reminder, we have a lap quilt pattern free to download, it's linked in the show notes. And Eleanor Molschine says, "Try improv quilting. It can be a good way to push you outside of your comfort zone. No measurement or planning needed, just sew some fabric together, cut it apart, and sew it back together. You can use secondhand fabrics." And something called Sewing Through Fog has a list of secondhand fabric stores across the country. That's Sewing Through Fog. And Kristin Bouvier says, "My advice is to start, do it badly, and do it on the cheap.
34:24 Alie Ward? Your first quilt will be all about learning and will probably look like crap, but who cares? You're getting started. That's the hard part." Kristin? Agreed, wholeheartedly. I also, of course, asked Luke Haynes of last week's episode for some encouragement. Any flim flam, any myths that you want to bust about what you do or about the art?
34:44 Speaker 02 Oh.
34:45 Alie Ward? Anything you think people should know?
34:47 Speaker 02 Gosh, um, Mr. Bust. Well, here's the thing that I do want to say to anyone who will listen. Quilting is such a fun thing, and it is, it feels so impossible. Go start one, but start small. So many quilters start and they think, okay, a quilt is the size of a bed. I better make that. And I think probably 30% of the quilters that I know, who have either done it for a long time or doing it professionally, still have that one unfinished, because the first one, if you make a massive thing, is so daunting, and you're gonna really screw it up, because you don't know better, and that's okay. But, you know, my thing to say is like, absolutely start. Try it. Sew your name on a jacket,
35:28 Speaker 02 whatever. The barrier is much smaller than you think, but also know that there is a learning curve, and be gracious with yourself, and try it, and ask questions. Ask me. Send me a DM. I'll answer any question you want about quilting, because I think it's so interesting, and it is such a beautiful medium. I think that there's just, a lot of us can get so much joy from it, but I think that there's a fear to starting that is grounded, but unnecessary.
35:56 Alie Ward? So start, start, start, start, start. If you don't think quilting is for you, but you love the anti-consumptionist vibe of reusing and recycling and not lining anyone's pockets by buying things, I recently started a rag rug out of old socks. All I can think about on most days is that I just want to be working on my rag rug. If you go to my Instagram, @AllyWard, you'll see a picture of our daughter, Gremlin, who's a dog, sitting on it. I just, I had some socks, and I was walking with them to the garbage. You know when you have too many socks, and like, a lot of them have holes, and, but you're like, oh, we have so many memories, especially if you have like, a lot of patterned socks? Half my socks are Halloween socks. I was walking them to the garbage after I did a
36:40 Alie Ward? big sock call, and I was like, oh, I'm sad to see these go. Also, Fabric, what a waste. So I cut these old socks into strips and then I braided them together using this easy slip knot trick and then wound this big, long braid into coils and I'm hand stitching those coils together. It's like a giant, soft, sleeping, coiled-up snake. That's a rug. I love it. Zero dollars. My friend Dr. Tegan Wall made me the most gorgeous crochet blanket I will treasure forever. But you can also embroider, you can mend clothes with visible stitches or little designs. There's also great fiber art studios if you like, if you need some hands-on instruction, like there's Tuft House in LA
37:25 Alie Ward? where you can make rugs of your own design. So hello, I know some of y'all there are listeners and I would like to come and hang out and make a rug. But look for classes at Community Centers 2. You can gather some friends with some old clothes and some scissors just to watch a YouTube together and try something. Working on things with your hands keeps you away from your phone. It gives your brain time to think, listen to a podcast. Hey. And socializing in a group when you are working with your hands, it's like my favorite way to hang out. Also, it can help you plan a social movement. If we want the world to change, we gotta do it together. Listen to last week's episode if you haven't
38:09 Alie Ward? about the foundations of quilting to understand how many social movements started because of people in quilting circles. So ask helpful people helpless questions because honestly, it is human nature to help each other. Thank you to every patron who submitted advice for your fellow Craftiologites. You can find Olivia Joseph on LinkedIn. Luke Haynes is online as Entropies, E-N-T-R-O-P-I-E-S. Joe Cunningham is Joe the Quilter on Instagram and we will link them as well as the charities we supported this episode in the show notes. I will also link our website, which has links to a bunch of other things we mentioned in this one. We are at Ologies on Instagram and Blue Sky and I'm at Ally Ward on both.
38:52 Alie Ward? And heads up, there is a special dedicated Facebook group. They're called Crafty Ologites that you can join to meet other artists and crafters and probably a lot of new quilters. So there's that, too. As far as our main Ologies podcast Facebook page, thank you, Erin Talbot, for adminning that. Aveline Malik makes our professional transcripts. Kellyard Dwyer does the website. Noelle Dilworth is our warm-hearted scheduling producer. Susan Hale threads the machine as managing director. And artistic assemblers are editor Jake Chaffee and lead editor Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio. Nick Thorburn handcrafted the theme music. And if you stick around to the very end, you know I may tell you a secret. And this week, I guess as long as we're talking about old socks, let's talk about it. Washing my face at night, least
39:32 Alie Ward? favorite thing to do. I hate it. It's cold, it's wet, I get soap in my hairline. But the worst thing is when you're washing your face and then water trickles down into your sleeves, especially if you're wearing pajamas and you just have like a trickle of wet to your elbow and you go, I hate this. I hate this so much. So what I did, I realized that I've hated this my entire life and I only identified this disgusting sensory nightmare in like a few months ago. I was like, oh, that's why washing my face at night always feels like I'm embarking on tax season every night. So I took some, you know, like gym socks, like longer ones that are elastic-y, and I just cut off the tops of them, put
40:14 Alie Ward? one on each wrist when I wash my face, so the water absorbs into this, you know, cut-off sock cuff on my wrist. Doesn't get into your pajamas, doesn't go into your shirt. Costs nothing. So old sock sleeves to guard your wet wrists. I imagine this would also work for, I don't know, washing the dishes or something. Enjoy. Tell your socks I said hello and thank you for everything that they do for you. Okay, goodbye.
41:04 Speaker 03 Mr. Monopoly here. Miss me? Monopoly is back at McDonald's with millions of prizes. A 2027 Jeep Cherokee, a Carnival Cruise Vacation, gift cards from DoorDash, and Best Buy. Feel and play in the McDonald's app. Get your bag.
41:21 Speaker 04 No purchase necessary. 50 U.S. and D.C. Age 18+. See playatmcd.com for rules and playatmcd.com/amoe for info and playing without purchase by mail by November 2nd. Chance card game ends November 8th. Game ends November 22nd, 2026. See rules for prize details. Monopoly is a registered trademark of Hasbro.
Previous Quantum Ontology (WHAT IS REAL?) Encore with Adam Becker Next Coloproctology (COLON CANCER + BUTT FUN) with Carmen Fong Page updated October 31, 2026 · transcript and summary are machine-generated
