Are you obsessed with cutting fabric and sewing it back together??
Same, friend! You are in the right place!
If you like all things quilty, fabric, quilt alongs, and gushing over crinkles, welcome WELCOME!
That’s exactly why I’m here!
I’m Melanie, and I write quilt patterns, host quilt alongs, and teach quilting. Whether you are looking for guidance or just inspiration, I’m here for you!
Meet + Greet
- Name – Melanie Traylor
- I’ve been quilting since 2008 and am self taught (which means I learned the hard way, which also means I have all kinds of tips and tricks)
- I write fun quilt patterns!
- I’ve written a book called, A Life With Quilts (my bestseller). Not only is there 5 quilt patterns and tips galore, but it’s a wire bound book that I’ve been told is handy and beautiful.
- I design modern quilt fabric that you’ll ONLY find at Meander + Make (that’s my fabric shop). I may a bit bias, but it’s both yummy and delicious!
- I teach self paced, online quilting classes at Quilt Class. Whether you are starting at the beginning or have made your share of quilts, I’m there for you with a variety of classes!
- I host quilt alongs several times each year. These are fun, prize filled, community events. Stay in the know by becoming a subscriber here. BUT if you’ve missed the events, that’s okay, I keep them all here if you want to do it on your own.
Fun Facts
no. 1
Within every quilt I make, the color peach is almost ALWAYS included! I looooovvvee the color peach!
no. 2
I use to hate hand binding and now I’m obsessed with it! Particularly, the chunky style.
no. 3
Before I wrote quilt patterns and taught, I sold made to order quilts on Etsy. 😅😭 At once point, I had 40 quilts on order. 😬
no. 4
I am pernickety about the way I press fabric and patchwork. So much so that I even annoy myself!
Pull up a chair…
My website is extremely well organized (if I do say so myself ;)), you’ll find everything you are looking for in the top directional heading.
If you are on a desktop, it’s pretty obvious.
If you are on a mobile device, click the 3 bars near the top of the screen. This will get you the topics. Almost every topic has an arrow beside it. Click the arrow and you get nitty gritty topics.
I’m quite obsessed with organization.
Stay in the know
I‘d love it if you were a subscriber! It is the best way to know what’s going on with new patterns, classes, fabric and quilt alongs.
PLUS +++ you’ll get access to the Free Pattern Library.
I have over 50k+ subscribers there. After you work through the welcome sequence, you’ll receive an email on the 1st and 15th of every month chatting all things quilts.
Come and follow me on Instagram. I’m there almost every day obsessing over all things quilty!
I’m also on Youtube if you like to hang there…
Questions I get asked all the time (FAQ)
What kind of sewing machine do you use?
All of my sewing and piecing is done on a Juki 2000qi . I have a review of it here. All of my free motion quilting is done on a Bernina q-20. I love and highly recommend both of these machines.
Do you pre-wash your fabrics?
No. If you did they would shrink a smidgen and rob you of that crinkly goodness on your quilt after you wash and dry it. That said, do as you please! There’s no wrong either way.
Where do you get your fabrics?
I have a fabric shop called Meander + Make that I opened up early 2019. It is online only.
What patterns of yours would be….?
- Easiest: Good Girl is the most basic pattern I’ve written, you only need to sew a straight line and all the pieces are big-ish.
- Most popular: Little Miss Sawtooth is my most popular pattern, but second place is definitely my book A Life With Quilts (it contains 5 VERY beginner quilt patterns: Mariposa, Lulu Louise, Sassy Granny, Hello Posy and Attic Window).
- I need ALL THE HELP: Trippy quilt and Patchwork Star Runner both have online classes available. In Patchwork Star Runner class there’s quite a bit of video instruction. It’s a small project, perfect for a beginner, AND the best part is that it includes both FMQ and straight line quilting demos, AND hand and machine binding demos. Trippy class also includes video instructions, but it only includes one of each of the FMQ and hand binding demos. Both of these classes are self paced.
- My personal favorite: Gosh so hard to choose! But I’d say Soulshine is at the top of my list with Lulu Louise, LaLa Fancy and Sugar Bear right up under it.
What is the best advice you can offer to a beginner?
There is a lot of learning in failing and don’t be afraid of it. Practically, I would say to get your seam allowance as close to perfect as you can get MATTERS more than anything! I offer this class if you are finding yourself frustrated.
Do you quilt your quilts on a domestic or a longarm?
The majority of my quilts are quilted by me on a sit down longarm. This one, to be exact. It is basically a domestic machine with LOADS of more throat space.
Do you visit guilds?
I don’t. Very introverted over here!!
How long have you been quilting?
I started quilting in 2008 immediately after purchasing my first sewing machine. I am completely self taught, but I learned how to work a sewing machine in 7th grade home economics class.
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