National Sewing Machine Day: Interview with Jenny!

Recently I sat down with Jenny Doan in her studio to ask a few questions about an important tool of the quilting trade, sewing machines, in honor of National Sewing Machine Day on June 13. As a sewist of many years, Jenny shares the machines she prefers to piece on and some tips and tricks she’s picked up along the way, along with a few fun stories behind her sewing machine collection.

What is your favorite sewing machine?

So my favorite machine to piece on is the baby lock jane which now is called the accomplish, and it’s my favorite because it goes fast. It goes 1600 stitches a minute, and it goes very fast, it’s heavy duty. You’re not going to want to take it to a retreat but you are going to miss it if you’re used to sewing on it because it’s fast, I like to have my pedal to the metal and you know I like to sew fast. Every company makes a machine that’s like this, it’s like a kind of commercial-esque machine, like Juki makes one. I love the Juki [“What is the number on that Juki?” She asks me. I am sitting directly in front of a Juki machine, the “TL2010Q”.] Yep, that’s the quilting machine for Juki and I do like that one really well, I do have one of those as well.

Tell me about your first sewing machine.

My first only sewing machine was a Viking and it had cams to to change the stitches. At that time, I was into all the decorative stitches, because I was 14 years old and just starting High School and everybody wore the chambray button up shirts but they liked to decorate them with embroidery. Instead of embroidery, I would use my decorative stitches. And at that time, you would put in a cam and you’d have like, 4-5 stitches to choose from and they were color coded, so you’d turn all the knobs on the machine, if they were all orange, then they would do the orange stitch, you know, and if they were all blue, then they’d do the blue stitch. I had that machine for years and years and years and then finally it just wouldn’t keep its timing. I wish I still had it, but I think I just got rid of it because it didn’t work anymore. That was my first machine, and I loved it. 

Do you have a fun story of a machine you have acquired?

I do have a fun story! So I was in a Goodwill, and they have this little machine, sitting up by the counter and it had $9.99 on it, and so I started to unlatch the lid to look at it, and I got the lid up, about 2 inches, and I just slammed the lid down, buckled it up, and said to the lady working that “I am going to take this.” And so I was with Annie, I was with you [Editors note: Hi! Jenny and I go way back.], and when we got back to the car you were like “Grandma, what’s with that machine, I saw you just open up and close it.” And I said, “Well I don’t know what it is, but it is pink and so it has to be amazing.” I am not necessarily a pink lover, you know, but most sewing machines are not colored that way, especially older ones. And when I took the cover off, I discovered that it was a Morse machine and it runs great and it’s a gorgeous pink color. I keep it in my studio to this day because it was such a fun find and such a fun machine. I really love that one.

Jenny’s Goodwill find, a pink Morse sewing machine!

I’ve also found a bunch of children’s sewing machines that I love, and the hunt for those is really fun.  Because if you go to an antique store, out in the middle of nowhere, you could get one for $8 or you could get one for, you know, $100. You just never know what they’re going to be priced at and what you’re going to get. Those are really fun, they’re collectible and I do have a collection of those. 

And we do have a big collection of sewing machines at Missouri Star and there is also a huge collection at the Missouri Quilt Museum.

When and why did you start collecting sewing machines?

Well I actually started collecting irons first. I thought irons were really cool and I could get an iron every place I taught. In my mind, I really could only imagine a few different kinds of irons and then I started collecting them and literally I don’t think I have two that are the same, and I have an easy, I don’t know, hundred of them. They’re just amazing and cool. But the problem with irons is that you can’t carry them on [an airplane] and they’re going to add ten pounds to your luggage and if you mail them home, then it is equally as expensive. So I decided, once I had a fairly extensive iron collection, that I would start collecting children’s sewing machines. And the reason I decided to collect anything is that when you go teach, you fly in, you fly out. But if you have to go to an antique store, then there’s something you can do while you’re there. And you’re either going to go to the best part of town, or the worst part of town, but you’re going to go somewhere. And I have a hard time branching out and being adventurous, I just kind of tend to go and do my event and go home, and so this gave me a little bit of adventure, I was on the hunt for something fun to bring home from that place. And so after I got a few irons, I started collecting sewing machines, which are much easier to travel with, they let you carry them on. That’s when I started collecting those, and they are so fun. They [sewing machines (irons too!)] literally permeate my studio, my house. You’ll see one peeking through in lots of different places, they’re just darling. And there are so many different kinds.

A row of children’s sewing machines in Jenny’s Studio.

What’s a fun sewing machine secret or hack you have?

So one of the things that quilters complain about is that they literally sit at their machine and sew all day long and it makes their back hurt. So one of the hacks for that is that if you tilt your machine just forward, just a little bit, you use different muscles. And so actually I used to use a roll of masking tape, the 1” roll, you could also get those plastic door stoppers, and slide it under the back [of your machine] because if your machine tilts, then you move differently. You can also move your chair up and down, but I think as I get older, it’s generally those neck and back muscles that are what hurt me, and so I actually think that’s a really cool hack. If you just change the height of your machine, the height of your chair, if you lean it forward, lean it back, do something so that it switches it up. 

The other hack I have is that I rarely ever re-thread my sewing machine. I cut the thread, tie the two pieces (the new spool of thread piece to the piece that is currently threaded in the machine) together and just pull it through. And so that makes a cool hack, and a lot of times I’ll buy a really big spool of thread and I used to just keep a Mason Jar next to my sewing machine and I would just have that thread in there and run the thread out of it and then you can use as big a spool as you want, if your big spool won’t fit on your sewing machine. Which usually they are made for a pretty small spool, and so I would always get these giant spools because I hated changing my thread. I would have a light spool and a dark spool and then I would just use those. I would just tie the two threads together and pull it through, I would rarely ever change it.

Jenny’s son Josh found this pink and brown sewing machine for $2.50 at a yard sale. $2.50 for the machine and its wooden cabinet! What a find!

A woman I was talking to once, she was telling me she was saving up to get a machine and I said, “Go to a thrift store, go to Goodwill, because the older machines, they are generally running great and people get rid of them because they didn’t know how to use them. You can find a great machine if you’re looking to save your pennies at a thrift store or garage sale or something like that. – Jenny Doan

Family Football Traditions

The Doan Family celebrating last years big game in February 2020.

Does your family have football traditions? Here in Hamilton, Missouri we love to celebrate our favorite Kansas City football team and we are so excited to see them bringing more attention to the great state of Missouri once again. Whether your family goes to the backyard to throw around the pig skin or serves up an incredible halftime meal, we hope that you have a chance to enjoy your festivities of choice safely!

For those of us looking to make changes this year and celebrate smaller, there are still plenty of fantastic options to do so! What football fan wouldn’t want to celebrate the final victory of the year under a warm and cozy Blipper? Get crafting with a quick turnaround in mind with our Last Minute Gameday Projects featured HERE!

Missouri Star Quilt Co. employees gathered last year to show their support by wearing red.

Football is a big deal in the Doan household, as Misty stated in a recent issue of BLOCK Magazine, “Every Sunday is a party at our house when it’s football season – and more importantly, when the Chiefs are playing! We all wear red, of course, and everyone brings food to share, from delicious barbeque to tasty Mexican dishes and cute little appetizers. We also have a floating Chiefs football helmet that has become part of the gameday superstition. My husband Jake likes to say, ‘if it’s spinning, we’re winning!’ I LOVE FOOTBALL!”

While we can’t gather in the big groups we once did, you can still make the big game extra special. If you’re crunched for time, surprise your household with a simple treat straight from Misty Doan’s kitchen!

Misty’s Chicken Hot Wing Dip recipe from BLOCK Magazine Volume 7 Issue 5.

However you’re celebrating this weekend, we wish you all the best! If you’re planning to spend your time quilting rather than cheering (or a combination of both for the multi-taskers out there) we hope you share your football creations with us by using #msqcshowandtell on all of our social media pages!

Take a Look Behind the Scenes of BLOCK Magazine and Join Us for a BLOCK Party TONIGHT! 🎉

BLOCK Magazine is an “idea book” designed, produced, and published by Missouri Star Quilt Co. As you flip through each glossy page you’ll find gorgeous photography, fun patterns, brilliant ideas, and one-of-a-kind stories! For seven years – hard work, creativity and pure love has been poured into each issue!

SUBSCRIBE TO BLOCK MAGAZINE

Go Behind the Scenes

Q: How many people does it take to make an issue of BLOCK Magazine?
A: It takes a team of about forty people!

Here’s how they do it:

Each issue of BLOCK starts with thoughtful planning months in advance. First, the design of a quilt is put together by Jenny Doan and her daughter, Natalie Earnheart. They choose patterns and themes and then request the fabric they want to use. Once the fabric arrives, they team up with our sewists to complete the quilt tops.

Next, the pattern writers break the design down into steps, figuring out precut fabric and yardage requirements, and noting when any tools or templates are needed. Then, they outline the sewing process, piece by piece, so you have a visual of how the block comes together.

Then the quilts are sent over to our Machine Quilting department to have batting and backing added and are quilted up on big longarm quilting machines. Afterwards, our sewists carefully stitch on the binding and voilà – a completed quilt ready to star in BLOCK!

This magazine isn’t just quilt patterns though. There’s so much more to discover like, inspirational stories, educational articles, and amazing photography.

The copywriters for BLOCK collect the memoirs of Missouri Star family members and employees as well as inspiring stories from quilters from all around the world. They then use those to create story prompts and begin crafting beautifully written stories that will make you laugh, cry, feel inspired, or overjoyed. Our copywriters truly have a way with words and you’ll get all the feels with the stories they whip up!

When I write stories, I often get to reach out to people, Jenny included, and ask them about their own stories. It’s so much fun to hear their stories and bring them to life in BLOCK. I love writing, so it’s all fun to me.– Nichole Spravzoff

The team also follows up with the latest trends and performs a ton of their own research in order to share with you the most top notch techniques in quilting and sewing!

Once all the quilts are quilted and the stories are written, our photographers help piece it all together by providing a scene that will bring the quilt to life.

The photo team is very resourceful when it comes to finding or crafting props and they have the most intuitive eyes for seeking out the right location for each quilt. When food is involved, they even prepare meals such as a Thanksgiving turkey for a fall scene or baking cookies for celebratory backgrounds.

Once the photography is done, everything is then tied together to build out proofs to be sent over to the printer. Each issue is then shipped out and ready for you to enjoy!

Together – several different departments work together here at Missouri Star to bring to you a quality magazine at a great price.

Fun Facts

  • The first issue of BLOCK was printed in 2014
  • It takes 4-6 months to create each complete issue of BLOCK
  • BLOCK is published locally in Missouri
  • All the quilt designs, stories, and photography are original works of art
  • BLOCK doesn’t require ad revenue, it relies on subscriptions from readers like you
  • Over 60 original quilts and other fun projects are made each year for BLOCK

SUBSCRIBE TODAY

Join us for a BLOCK Party!

Join us tonight (Friday, November 20) at 4:00 PM CT for a LIVE BLOCK Party with Jenny and Natalie to get a sneak peek into the next issue!

Until then, enjoy this message from Jenny and a behind the scenes look at the cover shoot for the December 2020 issue of BLOCK Magazine.

SHOP BLOCK FRIDAY DEALS

Misty’s Into the Woods Kit – Make this Beautiful Quilt with Missouri Star

Meet Misty Doan

Misty Doan is many things. She’s a mom, wife, city councilwoman, model, quilter, Missouri Star LIVE host, and now… a designer!

Misty recently created this quilt pattern, Into the Woods! Check it out HERE!

Get to know Misty and all about her inspiration behind her latest creation and her favorite holiday traditions!

Where do you look for inspiration in your work?

Inspiration strikes in all different ways for me. But, everything I make or design is usually with a specific person or purpose in mind. So I think a lot about that- Who is it for? What do they love? What would make this quilt meaningful to them? What would make this project stand out? I like to challenge myself during the design process by asking lots of questions and that helps guide me to the final result.

What are your must have tools for working on quick kit projects?

Before I sit down to start on any quilt project, I always make sure I have my diagonal seam tape on my machine, a seam guide handy, and a few bobbins wound and ready to go. I do all my cutting first, label my pieces with trusty post-it notes, and then I can just sit and sew, sew, sew!

What tips do you have for new quilters?

Finished really is better than perfect. Take your time, enjoy the process, and remember- it’s only fabric and thread. Jenny always says, “Sewing is a learned skill. Sew an hour today and tomorrow you’re an hour better!”

What are your favorite holiday traditions?

There are almost too many to name. We try to make every holiday special at our house, but Christmas is especially magical. We always decorate the day after Thanksgiving- singing along to our favorite Christmas music and decking the halls together. The kids also make handmade gifts for each other every year that they exchange on Christmas Eve, so Jake and I love helping them with that. (It’s always a trick to keep their plans a secret from the others.) 

Which projects do you work on specifically for Christmastime? 

I always try to make handmade gifts for a few special people each year. What I make is different each year, depending on who it’s for, but there’s something truly special about making time to make something with someone special in mind.

What inspired Into the Woods? Why did you choose those three blocks?

My boys have been spending a lot of time playing in the woods behind our house lately. They’re always adventuring and exploring- bringing back treasures that they find and building forts. I recently made a quilt with my daughter and loved spending time helping her- so it seemed like it was time to make something that the boys would love. The quilt really seemed to design itself once I started. I knew I wanted to use the simple wedge to make the rows of trees, so that’s really where it all started. Then, I decided to include the log cabin blocks as a nod to the ramshackle fort that they’re so proud of building. And lastly the bearpaw blocks just naturally seemed to tie it all together.

Behind the scenes of BLOCK Magazine – August 2020

A Note from Jenny

Dear Quilters,

This year has been so completely out of the ordinary, and challenging in so many ways, that I find myself simplifying again and experiencing great joy in the things that I have often taken for granted. Now, preparing for the holiday season is less about the hustle and bustle of finding just the right present, but taking the time to help create a warm, welcoming spirit in my home and in my community. 

As I contemplate the spirit of generosity, I recognize that giving comes in many forms. Some give of their time and energy, some share love abundantly and easily, some can listen for hours, some give the biggest hugs, and some create handmade gifts to share. There are many ways to be generous and no matter how you like to give, your intentions absolutely matter. As we’ve experienced, the simplest gift from a child—a crumpled flower, a scribbled picture, or a sloppy kiss—can mean so much. Their intention comes through, as does ours. Never give in to the thought that your offering is insufficient. If you’ve given from the heart, that’s all that truly matters.

Considering the state of our nation, we could all use an extra boost of kindness. Let’s make this season a time to truly give from the heart and reach out to our loved ones. Let’s slow down, savor the simple moments with friends and family, and do the things that bring us joy. Please remember, you’re always welcome at Missouri Star and you are all family to me.

Love,

Jenny


WHAT IS BLOCK MAGAZINE?

BLOCK Magazine is a great way to become a part of the Missouri Star Family. The goal of this “idea book” is to empower others to learn, get inspired, and create! With more than 10 quilting projects in every issue, plus stories that warm your heart, BLOCK Magazine is sure to deliver something for everyone and become a trusted source of inspiration for your sewing room!

Produced and published right here at Missouri Star – each issue comes to you completely ad-free. We incorporate personal stories from our family and our dear readers, provide tips on favorite notions, and teach skill-building techniques.

“I don’t usually feel the need to contact the company of the magazine I purchased, however, this is a different circumstance. I just received my first issue of BLOCK Magazine. I wanted to let your company know how thoroughly impressed I am! The quality of the magazine is far more than I have come to expect from different companies. The quality of the images right down to the print stock… just fabulous! Thank you for putting so much thought and effort into your product. This is the type of publication that you hold on to. I am just so very pleased, I had to let you know.”

Lora Andera, BLOCK Magazine subscriber

WHAT’S IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF BLOCK MAGAZINE?

  • Planning ahead for the holidays with Christmas decor patterns and a Halloween bonus!
  • Learn English paper piecing and how to make a pincushion with Sue Daley!
  • Get helpful tips and tricks for fun with fusible appliqué.
BLOCK Magazine Volume 7 Issue 4 August Issue
  • In Jenny’s Journal, join her in her home studio to see what she’s been working on for her friends, grandchildren, or just for herself and her home.
  • Several quilt patterns such as Pop Stars, Diamond Terrace, and Dresden Blooms.
  • Plus part three of our Ruby Sensation Sew-Along >>>
It’s not too late to join in the fun!

HERE’S A LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES OF OUR NEXT ISSUE!

When you flip through BLOCK’s fresh, glossy pages you’ll find gorgeous photography, fun patterns, brilliant ideas, and one-of-a-kind stories! Those are all brought to you by a team of almost 30 people who bring BLOCK Magazine to life! Take a peek into all the hard work, creativity and love that is poured into each issue:

Natalie and Jenny working together to plan for BLOCK Magazine
The BLOCK Magazine copy-writing team working hard

“When we were reviewing the quilts for this upcoming issue of BLOCK, there was concern expressed that the advent calendar project was not reading as a tree in the center with the first fabric choice made (as seen below)! We decided to see if the sewing team could redo the project using different background fabric. With deadlines coming quickly, that seemed very concerning. Luckily, our team is filled with creatives that are always thinking up innovative solutions”

– Christine Ricks, Creative Director of BLOCK Magazine

“I pondered this for about six hours. Then, while driving home from dinner with my husband the ah-ha moment struck. I kept thinking about the Triple Play that Natalie, Jenny, and Misty did using hexies. Misty turned her hexies around and used the back for the front, so it dawned on me that we could turn around those red hexies to the front. We did it, and the tree is much more defined (as you can see above)!”

Courtenay Hughes, Missouri Star Academy instructor

Subscribe by Monday, July 27 to receive this next issue to your doorstep (with no shipping cost!) by mid-August! Pst! You’ll also receive April and June’s digital issues completely FREE so you can jump right in to our Ruby Sensation sew along without missing a beat!

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!