In this week’s live chat, I shared a little bit of everything: a finished project that tested my patience, what I’m planning next, what I’m learning as a new longarm quilter, and a few honest opinions about fabric shopping, quilting software, and whether a quilting side hustle is actually profitable in the beginning. If you enjoy quilting, sewing, creative experimentation, and real talk about the ups and downs of the process, this recap is for you.

For those who may be new here, I’m Geri and I’ve got a “Live” video on my YouTube channel on Sunday evenings at 8 p.m. EST which is 7 p.m. CST. I share how I’m expanding sewing from a hobby into something with both personal purpose and financial potential as I work toward supplementing my retirement income. I also love talking with other makers who are wondering whether their hobby might become something more.

Finished at Last: My Sunbonnet Sue Quilt

The biggest finish on my frame this week was my Sunbonnet Sue quilt, and I’m relieved to say it is finally done. This project began in 2024, got pushed to the back burner toward the end of 2025, and only recently made its way back onto my longarm. What started as an interesting gray-and-white idea with a pop of yellow turned into one of those projects I simply had to push through. There was a point when I stepped back, looked at it, and realized I did not like it at all. Even so, I kept going, finished it, and in the end it turned out far better than I expected.

What makes this finish especially satisfying is that it marked the end of my unfinished-project backlog. Since getting my longarm this year, I’ve spent my time working through every quilt top and partially completed piece I had waiting. Now, for the first time in quite a while, I have no unfinished quilting projects sitting around. Nothing is cut. Nothing is halfway done. Everything ahead is brand new!

One unexpected detail came at the very end: I realized I had not added a label. I did not want to open the binding or sew something onto the back, so I got creative. I put the quilt back on the longarm and stitched my signature directly onto the front near the bottom, the way an artist signs a painting. The thread blends in so well that you almost have to know it’s there to see it, but I loved the result. In fact, I think this may become one of my favorite finishing techniques going forward.

What My Gray Sunbonnet Sue Quilt Taught Me

One of the most valuable things I learned from this quilt is that quilting over appliqué does not ruin the appliqué at all. When you focus on the quilting, the appliqué fades into the background. When you focus on the appliqué, the quilting does the same. That was a powerful lesson for me, and it gave me confidence to stop worrying so much about quilting over detailed work in future projects.

I also learned that sometimes progress comes from doing something a little differently than expected. Re-loading the quilt just to add a signature showed me that not every task requires a perfect setup or a long process. I only needed the relevant area flat and smooth, not the entire quilt perfectly arranged on the frame. That kind of experimentation is how I grow. I try to follow equipment instructions carefully to protect the machine, but when it comes to projects, I learn a great deal by testing ideas, making mistakes, and discovering what actually works in practice.

Upcoming Projects: Americana, Family, and the 250th Anniversary of the USA

Now that my unfinished projects are behind me, I know exactly what I want to focus on next: Americana quilts. For the rest of this year up to January, my personal sewing will center on patriotic projects inspired by the 250th anniversary of the United States. This theme feels especially meaningful to me because military service and patriotism run deeply through my family. My son is a Marine Corps veteran who served in Afghanistan, my son-in-law is currently an active-duty Marine, and my husband is a Vietnam veteran who later spent his career working with military aircraft. These projects are not just decorative to me; they are tied to memory, gratitude, and family history.

One project I’m especially excited about is an American flag quilt pattern that I plan to keep for myself and eventually make available to others. I’m designing it with outdoor summer use in mind: July 4th picnics, beach days, and any occasion where you want to bring a patriotic quilt into public spaces and celebrate the USA openly. I rarely make large quilts for myself, so this one feels special.

Working on Customer Quilts as a New Longarm Quilter

I’m still very new to longarm quilting, but I’ve already completed several customer projects in addition to my own. I intentionally charged a very low rate in the beginning because these first quilts were part learning experience, part service. I wanted practice with real-world customer quilts, different construction styles, and the responsibility of quilting something another person made with care and intention.

That experience taught me a lot. It helped me get past the fear of making mistakes on someone else’s quilt. It also taught me practical things, such as how long loading takes me, what kinds of finishing details I do and do not want to include at this stage, and how much variation there is from one customer’s expectations to another. Even when I had to stop and remove stitches, it was all useful. Every project improved my confidence and clarified what kind of quilting service I may eventually want to offer.

When I Stop Shopping at a Local Quilt Shop

I also shared one of my strong opinions this week: if a quilt shop repeatedly smells moldy or musty, I probably will not go back. For me, this is partly a comfort issue and partly a health issue, because I have a mold allergy. I understand that humidity and fabric storage can be a challenge, especially in places like Florida, but a strong musty smell is a red flag that makes me question how inventory is being stored and maintained.

From what I researched, a musty smell does not automatically mean fabric is ruined, but it does suggest past moisture, poor airflow, or storage problems. Mold can weaken natural fibers such as cotton and linen over time, and even if the visible mold is gone, the damage may remain. My takeaway is simple: be practical. Inspect suspicious fabric, wash it if appropriate, test its strength, and if it still smells bad or feels weak, let it go. Fabric that makes you anxious or compromises your project is not a bargain.

This is also one reason I do not keep a large fabric stash. Living in humid conditions has made me more selective. I would rather buy fabric with a purpose than maintain a large inventory and worry about moisture, airflow, and deterioration. Mold prevention is far easier than mold recovery.

A Small Moment of Inspiration

One inspirational moment this week came during a walk with my dog, when I noticed a red, white, and blue quilt draped over a neighbor’s porch railing. It had stars, patriotic color, and such a welcoming presence. I had never really thought about displaying a quilt that way outdoors, and it instantly sparked new ideas. Inspiration sometimes arrives quietly, in the middle of an ordinary day, and reminds us that quilts are not really meant to be stored or gifted. They can also be part of how we live, decorate, and express what matters to us.

My Quilt Confession: I Shopped Fabric at Walmart and Michaels

Here is my confession for the week: I took a serious look at fabric from Walmart and Michaels. I handled the fabric, compared it mentally to recent quilt-shop purchases, and came away with a different perspective. In my opinion, the quality was more comparable than I expected. Quilt-shop fabrics still had more interesting prints and more appealing color stories, but in terms of feel and usability, the gap did not seem nearly as wide as I previously experienced.

I never believed every quilt must be made from the most expensive materials available. Many of the quilts I make are gifts, and once I give them away, people will use them however they choose. Some quilts are treasured. Some are used hard. Some are not treated gently at all. That realization made me more relaxed about materials. Lower-cost fabric can still make a beautiful project, especially if you shop thoughtfully, buy a little extra for shrinkage or imperfections, and stay open to experimentation.

Is My Longarm Side Hustle Profitable Yet?

The honest answer is no, not yet. I charged a low introductory amount for my earliest customer quilts because I was still learning, and once I account for thread, electricity, wear on the machine, and time, I am definitely not operating at a profit. But profitability was not the only goal at this stage. I wanted experience. I wanted variety. I wanted to understand what it feels like to quilt for someone else and what systems I need before charging more seriously.

Learning has value. I now know that loading a quilt carefully takes me about 30 minutes. I know thread choices matter more than I first realized, especially when buying cone thread for a longarm. I know special-order supplies can slow turnaround time. I know I am getting more comfortable with customer communication. And I know that building a side hustle is not just about charging money; it is about developing a process that is sustainable, clear, and worth paying for.

My Spicy Opinion on Quilting Software

I know quilting software can produce beautiful results, and I absolutely understand why many quilters love it. But at this point, I am not interested in making that investment. My opinion is that relying on software too early can create dependency before a quilter really understands the machine, the movement, and the process. Right now, I want to keep learning what my longarm can do, what I can do by hand-guided free-motion quilting, and where my natural style is taking shape. Later, I may revisit purchasing quilting software. For now, I want that decision to come from experience rather than impatience to produce ideal results. Right now, I have this time for learning and tremendous growth.

Finishing Up

This week was full of reminders that growth in quilting does not always look polished. Sometimes it looks like finishing a project you almost gave up on. Sometimes it looks like charging too little while you learn. Sometimes it looks like questioning where you shop, how you store fabric, or whether you really need the newest tool right now. For me, quilting continues to be a place where creativity, practicality, and personal history all meet.

Are you working on Americana quilts, learning free-motion quilting, considering a longarm, or experimenting with budget-friendly fabric sources? What are you making right now, and what are you learning along the way?