My Quilting Journey August 2026

My Quilting Journey

Each month, our My Quilting Journey page highlights one MPS member and their unique path in quilting. Through three meaningful quilts and the stories behind them, our featured quilter shares the experiences, inspirations, and growth that have shaped their creative journey. Feel free to leave a comment below. (You may click on any image to see a larger view.)

Marcia Sanderman

My First Quilt “Offset Log Cabin”

In the early 1980’s, when I lived in Pleasanton, California, there was a wonderful quilt shop called Going to Pieces. This was my first exploration into craft sewing as I had been a garment sewer prior. I think I took every class offered there from making this quilt, a Christmas Tree skirt that I still use today, a jointed teddy bear and several quilted jackets using the bargello technique as gifts.

In looking at this quilt now, the techniques were very basic. Solid fabrics are quite thin, there is a poly batting, and the backing fabric is brought to the front to bind it. I did hand quilt it, but my stitches are uneven and the knots were not hidden. It seems faded and I expect it was because I hung it on a wall – who knows how because there is no sleeve!

Recent Quilt “She Came to Her Senses”

This project started as a small quilt group project probably in the fall of 2023. I didn’t want a big quilt so I started by reducing the finished 3″ block by half, or 1 1/2 finished. After making about 30 little-little blocks, I tried making one the regular size and “came to my senses”. I made 144 of the 3″ blocks. I ended up making more of the little-littles to complete the border, but was much more selective in choosing which blocks to make…ie: ones with fewer pieces! As many of you know I have been a fan of Tilda fabrics for years. This quilt used my Tilda scraps in the blocks and on the back. This quilt was completed in June of 2024.

While it is not the most recent quilt I have made, it is the most recent one I have in my possession!. Most of my quilts have been gifts or donations to charity.

My Favorite Quilt “Flowerville”

I started this project in 2013, doing the embroidered blocks while recovering from hip replacement surgery. The embroidered blocks were preprinted on linen which I recall that I stabilized with some SF101. This was a block of the month where I purchased the blocks in a bundle. The blocks sat around for several years until I started completing them by making the 36 little dresdens and then looking for a backing fabric. I recall finding the backing at Fiddlesticks in Vancouver, Washington. Again, the dresdens and the piano key border were Tilda fabric. It was finally finished in July 2019.

I love the colors in this quilt and it makes me happy when I have it hanging in my house.