“Anyone who works on a quilt, who devotes her time, energy, creativity, and passion to that art, learns to value the work of her hands. And as any quilter will tell you, a quilter’s quilting friends are some of the dearest, most generous, and most supportive people she knows.” ~ Jennifer Chiaverini
This website is dedicated to quilters everywhere. Here’s one of our own.
Our featured quilter says she was drawn to quilting by wanting to gift a quilt to her great nephew upon his graduation from high school. She had been sewing for a long time, but had not tried her hand at quilting which she says was intimidating.
“I had lots of anxiety while making it, but it was worth it when he opened up his present and I told him it was my first quilt and we both had tears in our eyes!”
Since then, she has made six family quilts in addition to lots of others. “I enjoy the creative process of putting quilts together. I mostly use techniques and not patterns. I’m not a piecer yet, I’ve worked on my skills by buying precut kits and enjoy just sitting down and not worrying about having to cut material so precisely. That may sound like cheating the “Quilting Goddess” but I really just enjoy sewing and not giving a lot of thought to measuring and cutting. This allows me to stay in the game of quilting longer. At some point in my process, “I thought, I don’t even like quilting, I mean there are so many rules — 1/4 inch sewing , cutting, measuring etc. and it just doesn’t stop there — it’s binding and mitering and the list goes on! But I just keep doing it, so I must like it. The Lone Star pattern is one she says is “so beautiful, but a real puzzle” for her.
Belonging to San Juan Quilters Guild gives her the opportunity to learn new techniques since she is self-taught. Besides the social aspects and friends she has made in the guild, she loves contributing to something that gives her a sense of purpose in life and although “scary at first”, she has jumped in to provide her support and talents.
Her Associates Degree in art provides another artistic outlet. She says, “I don’t spend enough time painting and now I choose to do it in cloth. I will go back to painting at some point and that’s why I won’t downsize my paints and brushes in my stash. Some quilters are using paints on their quilts and I want to experience that!”
Her favorite guilty pleasure is Rocky Road ice cream and one of her favorite sayings is, “more is more and less is boring.”
Many of you may not know that she spent a summer working in Yellowstone National Park before she left for college, ran a half marathon, and has traveled quite a bit.
Who is our Featured Quilter? Do you recognize her? Shhh, keep it under your quilt and come ready with your guesses to our next meeting when it will be announced.
Check back to see who it is!