About Me

I started quilting when I was 13 when two friends invited me to go to a beginners quilting class at a local shop. We learned a basic 9-patch pattern, and even though my seams didn't match, and my binding was wonky, I loved the freedom of sewing long strips of fabric together, cutting them apart, and then sewing them back together to form fabulous shapes and patterns. 

I went on to make 9-patch quilts for all my grandparents, an ill-fated log cabin quilt, and a few others. However, there were some big barriers that made quilting frustrating for me: I didn't realize the importance of a 1/4 inch seam, so making my blocks and rows match up was difficult. Also, my quilts had the unfortunate tendency to start falling apart, partly due to that quarter inch seam deficiency, but mostly because I didn't know about free-motion or even walking-foot quilting, so all my quilts were tied with embroidery thread...not the best recipe for durability. Knowing that there were better ways to do things, but not sure what they were or how to access that knowledge, I stopped quilting in my late teens.

Then, in my late 20's, I started reading blogs and following the modern quilting movement, which exploded right about that time. With all the resources and tutorials and information available online, I was inspired to give quilting another try. My aunt loaned me her old Singer sewing machine, and I tentatively began to piece a Dresden Plate quilt together, following along with a tutorial from the Missouri Star Quilting Company, and quilting it with a walking foot. After it turned out beautifully (and still hangs on my mother's wall), I was hooked on quilting again. 

Back in the game! My Dresden Plate quilt, hanging on my mother's wall.

Since then, I've had many quilt finishes, invested in a powerful new sewing machine, and have begun to learn free-motion quilting. I love how quilting is always expanding and changing - there are new fabrics to use, new techniques to explore, new ways to put a twist on old traditions. I'm notorious for having a short attention span when it comes to hobbies, but I don't think I'll ever tire of quilting and the pleasure and possibilities I feel from doing it.