Busy B Quilt Company

01/10/2026

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!

The Busy B is retiring as of today! It’s been over 20 years since I walked into Fabric Center with my husband to buy some fabric. I saw the brand new Handiquilter longarm machine and said “Someday I’d love to have one of these.” Abe replied “Well, let’s just buy one!” (I named her Hildegarde). The rest is history.
I’m so grateful to those first quilters who trusted me with their quilts. At first it was only a handful each month. Then a few more, and then even more.
Eventually it was more than 150-200 a year. I upgraded to a Juki along the way. I namer her Ruthie after my Grandma Ruth, who was a fun grandma! She was a real joker (dropping a green bean or a few peas in my glass of milk when I wasn’t looking)! By the way, Hildegarde moved to my sister’s house when I got Ruthie. She’s been very happy there!
Ruthie and I have had lots of fun together. Now we will slow down and together finish up the quilts I’ve made and set aside for “someday”. Someday is here!
THANK YOU ALL!! HAPPY QUILTING!!

12/17/2025

09/25/2025

Well the sun is shining a bit brighter today. Was expecting confirmation that maybe dementia was settling in. Praise the Lord it’s not! Will be working on what the specialist sees as anxiety and depression. Don’t know why, don’t know how, but the with the support of husband, family and friends and the Good Lord beside me I will move forward. I will be taking things slower, but don’t want to give up doing what I love. Call me if you have a quilt you’d like me to do for you. I’ll be honest if I’m not up to it I will say so. But my longarm Ruthie and I will move at a slower pace but not give up doing what I love.

09/18/2025

I am totally humbled by the outpouring of love from my quilting friends! I have loved every minute of quilting for all of you. I’m so thankful God gave me the talent to quilt and then He brought all of you into my life! I ask that you keep Abe and I both in your prayers. We’ve been together since high school, spent six years living out east while he was in the Navy submarine service, then living back in Illinois, Nebraska and back to Illinois, having two children, being foster parents and adopting one of them. God has been with us through it all and He continues to be our Rock and our Salvation.
I’ve done a little calculating and realized that I’ve quilted at least 2500 quilts over the years. Guess I’m due for a rest! Love to all of you! So blessed to have had you all in my life!

09/16/2025

It is with a heavy heart that I am giving up my longarming business. I have loved every minute of the past 20+ years of quilting for you quiltmakers!
I’ve been diagnosed with dementia and it’s hit me hard. Thank you again for trusting me with your quilts.
I hope The Fabric Center will be able to recommend someone for your quilting needs.
Please keep me in your prayers.

06/23/2025

Right outside my windows. Two hens and a total of 15 chicks…they are scattered all over.

06/23/2025

Did any of you drop off a wall hanging sized quilt featuring a pieced sewing machine? The check in sheet took a runner and I don’t know whose it is! First time ever!

06/23/2025

First time ever……the information sheet for this quilt is nowhere to be found. If this is yours please let me know. 815-357-1423.

06/03/2025

Abe and I drove to Aurora this morning to the warehouse to pick up an order of batting. Think I’m set for a while!

05/06/2025

Yes followers, I’m still here! Life sometimes get in the way, and sometimes I just forget!
All the trees on our 5+ acres have budded out and our view out the back windows is all green. We have a lot of squirrels, fox squirrels and gray squirrels. This year we’ve got a set of gray triplets and another of twins. They are so little but very lively!

One of my quilters asked me if we do much traveling. Well….we are coming up on our 55th wedding anniversary in three days. We met in high school in Marengo, Illinois. (He was a farm boy, and I was a preacher’s daughter.). Hubby Abe was in the Navy when we married so we started off in California. Next we headed east and lived in Virginia (twice), Maryland, Massachusetts and Connecticut. After his six year enlistment was up we settled in Nebraska where my family had moved to. Our oldest daughter was born in Virginia, our son in Nebraska.
In 1978 hubby Abe took a job with Exelon and we moved back to Illinois. We were foster parents for a few years and adopted our second daughter after fostering her from age of three months. So….those early years were a whirlwind but now we are content to pretty much stay put. Over thirty years ago we bought our 5+ acres of woods and built our house on it. Nine grandchildren later we are glad to have them visit us here in the woods!
We make an occasional trip to Nebraska to visit my brother and Texas to see Abe’s brother. Mostly, though, we are very content here in the woods!

Story time is over and I must get to work. The quilts are calling!

02/01/2025

I’m sooooo happy to see blue skies and sunshine this morning!
Have several quilts in line to longarm this coming week.
I’ve been cutting 4” squares from reds and grays in my stash. The goal is an extra large queen quilt for our bed. It’s a high bed so the quilt needs to be fairly large. Have no idea what the layout will be. I’m thinking of adding some 8” squares to the mix, maybe in black. It would sure add some drama!

Do you ever think outside the box and design your own quilts? I have an app on my iPad that I use to design quilts. Gives me an idea of what the end product might look like.

01/14/2025

It’s a blue sky day here but the thermometer says 16 degrees! We made a trip to the grocery store and stocked up for several weeks. We (hubby Abe, myself and chocolate Lab Daisy) are very content to hunker in this time of year. You can see Daisy loves to curl up with a quilt in her bed!).
I’ve got a big quilt on the longarm. If it was any wider my needle couldn’t reach the edges. It’s nice to start the year with some lovely quilts to do. In the evenings I’m relaxing with my crochet projects. I made cozy afghans for Christmas gifts and they went over well. I just have a hard time having idle hands while watching our evening tv shows. We favor British TV shows. Maybe because Abe and I can trace our family lines to England and Scotland.
Time for a cup of tea! Cheerio!