Departments Editor’s Letter
—Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
After the cold, dark days of winter, we're starting to see flowers poking through the ground and leaves budding on the trees. It's the time of year I look forward to the most. I'm energized and ready to tackle new projects—from spring cleaning to organizing my quilt room to planning projects (or completing those previously started).
I was thinking about the quilting process in general and what my favorite part of quilting is. For me, making the quilt top is my favorite part. I have a big stack of tops just waiting to be quilted. While I like to think that I will quilt these myself, I know that beyond a small project or possibly a throw-sized top, the chances are pretty good that I won't quilt them myself. That's where I turn to my longarm quilter. I asked Cara Cansler of Sew Colorado Quilting what she thinks longarm quilters want their customers to know before entrusting their quilts to them. She had some very useful advice that I think you'll find helpful in her article on page 92.
We are starting a brand-new series in this issue. Scott Flanagan has designed a beautiful fat quarter-friendly quilt, Prairie Star, that will run in each 2024 issue. I'll be sewing along, and I hope you'll join in the fun. We also have several more fat quarter-friendly quilts along with other fun designs.
I hope you find yourself energized this spring and ready to tackle some new (or finish) quilting projects.
Editor Carolyn Beam and Editorial Assistant Lisa Morlan share their views on products that are available for quilters. Please check AnniesCraftStore.com or your local quilt shop for products. If you can’t find a product, contact the manufacturer directly to find a shop in your area.