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The American Patchwork & Quilting Bucket List is a 50-item inspiration checklist for quilters who want a new project, skill, habit, or way to connect with other makers. It is a menu, not a course: choose an activity that fits your time, supplies, and appetite for a challenge, and personalize the last three entries with goals of your own.
AllPeopleQuilt credits the checklist to American Patchwork & Quilting Editors and says it was updated January 8, 2021. The page describes the list as a way to try new things, meet quilting friends, and get more sewing done. It invites readers to download and print it.
Read the American Patchwork & Quilting Bucket List on AllPeopleQuilt.
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- David&Charles 50 Fat Quarter Makes Book
- David&Charles 50 Fat Quarter Makes Book- Tuck into this feast of sewing projects all made from fat quarters.
- From simple ideas using one fat quarter for the beginner to stunning designs using up to 10 fat quarters make this the ultimate fabric stash-busting collection.
- All 50 projects are accompanied by clear instructions, diagrams, and tips for success.
- Designs include: bags, pillows, playmats, clothes, and more.
Choose an idea that fits your next quilting session
Start with what you want from the time you have. A short maintenance task can be satisfying when a full project is out of reach; a class or guild meeting can make quilting more social; and a defined project can help you turn scraps or an unfinished object into something complete.
- Have a little time? Try sewing for 20 minutes a day for a week, tidying your workspace for three minutes after sewing each day for a week, organizing fabrics and scraps, or reading the full pattern before you begin.
- Want a technical stretch? Experiment with foundation piecing, curved piecing, English paper piecing, hand quilting, appliqué, decorative machine stitches, or an embroidery stitch.
- Want a project with a clear endpoint? Make a pincushion, a pillowcase to donate, a solids-only or two-color quilt, a quilt from scraps and stash, or a Christmas project finished before December.
- Want company or fresh inspiration? Attend a local quilt-guild meeting, join a quilt-along or block exchange, take a class, visit a new quilt shop or quilt museum, or go on a shop hop, retreat, or trip to a national quilt show.
All 50 activities, grouped by purpose
The following grouping keeps the original checklist’s activities while making it easier to find a useful next step. They are options, not a prescribed order.
Rank #2
- Advocate for the art of quilting and highlight the value of handmade quilts in bringing warmth and comfort. Great for crafters and quilters.
- Hardcover journal with 240 line-ruled pages (120 sheets)
- Built-in elastic closure and ribbon bookmark
- Includes an expandable inner storage pocket and a pen holder
Try a technique or change the design
- Use acrylic or paper templates to piece a block.
- Try foundation piecing.
- Try curved piecing.
- Sample decorative machine stitches.
- Try English paper piecing.
- Add appliqué.
- Learn an embroidery stitch.
- Hand-quilt a project.
- Make a solids-only quilt.
- Make a two-color quilt.
- Alter a pattern’s size or colorway.
- Piece a backing creatively.
Make progress and finish something
- Sew for 20 minutes a day for a week.
- Make a quilt from scraps and stash.
- Make a pincushion.
- Make a bed-size quilt.
- Quilt your own project.
- Finish an unfinished object (UFO).
- Finish a Christmas project before December.
- Make and donate a pillowcase.
- Sew a quilt for charity.
- Take handwork to an unexpected location.
- Stay calm when the bobbin thread runs out.
Care for tools, workspace, and finished quilts
- Organize fabrics and scraps.
- Change a needle, replace a rotary-cutter blade, or clean a machine.
- Solve a problem in the sewing space.
- Read the sewing-machine manual.
- Tidy the workspace for three minutes after sewing each day for a week.
- Wash and store quilts safely.
- Change quilts seasonally.
- Buy an appealing quilting tool.
For any supply-related activity, choose items that suit your project and equipment: the checklist names acrylic or paper templates, needles, rotary-cutter blades, and a quilting tool, but it does not specify particular models or sizes.
Connect with quilters and share your work
- Attend a local quilt-guild meeting.
- Take an in-person or online quilting class.
- Join a quilt-along.
- Go on a quilt retreat.
- Meet a quilting hero.
- Attend a national quilt show.
- Visit a new quilt shop.
- Visit a quilt museum.
- Go on a shop hop.
- Join a block exchange or swap fabric.
- Teach someone to sew.
- Submit a reader tip.
- Share a quilt photo.
Record and personalize your quilting life
- Label a quilt.
- Photograph or journal each year’s quilts.
- Fill in three personalized quilt ideas.
Make the checklist manageable
Pick one activity rather than treating all 50 as obligations. Match the choice to a practical constraint: use stash for a low-supply project, choose a short habit when time is limited, or try a class or guild gathering if you want to meet other quilters. If a listed challenge does not fit your interests, skip it; the three blank entries are there for goals the printed list does not name.
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- Advocate for the art of quilting and highlight the value of handmade quilts in bringing warmth and comfort. Great for crafters and quilters.
- Hardcover journal with 240 line-ruled pages (120 sheets)
- Built-in elastic closure and ribbon bookmark
- Includes an expandable inner storage pocket and a pen holder
Some ideas are quick tasks, while others—such as making a bed-size quilt, attending a national show, or going on retreat—require more time or planning. You can still make them useful goals by defining a smaller first step, such as choosing a pattern, finding an event, or setting aside a regular sewing session.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Advocate for the art of quilting and highlight the value of handmade quilts in bringing warmth and comfort. Great for crafters and quilters.
- Hardcover journal with 240 line-ruled pages (120 sheets)
- Built-in elastic closure and ribbon bookmark
- Includes an expandable inner storage pocket and a pen holder
Rank #4
- Advocate for the art of quilting and highlight the value of handmade quilts in bringing warmth and comfort. Great for crafters and quilters.
- Hardcover journal with 240 line-ruled pages (120 sheets)
- Built-in elastic closure and ribbon bookmark
- Includes an expandable inner storage pocket and a pen holder
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