Introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about where you are from, work, family etc.
I grew up in CT. I moved to FL on Halloween in 2008 to be with my love, Johnny, who I met in an online game. We were married that December on the Annabelle Lee on the St Johns River. I work from home for UnitedHealthcare as a Business Analyst. I have two fur babies, Miss Kitty Von Winkler and Lil Guy. They are avid quilt helpers.
Tell us about when and how you started quilting.
I started quilting in the Fall of 2011 when my husband bought us a Brother LB6800 from Costco. He had dreams of doing upholstery on his car seats. I decided that I should put it to use and took a basic sewing class at Joanns and a quilting class. I showed off my block I made to my niece Chloe who wanted it. I told her that she couldn’t have it, but I’d make her a quilt. She said that she wanted a “Blue Devils” one. I bought a t-shirt at Walgreen’s and had fabric made at Spoonflower. I had no idea that I should have fused down the t-shirt. I really need to see how this quilt has held up.
What’s your favorite part about quilting? Least favorite?
Favorite – I love starting a quilt and seeing it come to lif.
Least favorite – Borders. I really don’t like them. They are boring to put on and often don’t make the qilt look any better.
Any favorite technique or one you wish to learn?
Nothing comes to mind, but I like to learn so I’m always up for a new method or something I haven’t done before.
What fabrics are you drawn to? Any particular styles or colors?
Bright and colorful! I absolutely hate older ‘calico’ fabrics with little flowers. I used to say that I’d never quilt because it was too ‘country’. I really don’t have a ‘brand’ of fabric that I prefer. I also don’t like to buy fabric unless I have a plan for it. That isn’t to say that I haven’t bought fabric without a plan though .
Who is your favorite quilter (whether international, national or local) ? Any blogs you love to follow?
I don’t have a favorite quilter. I’ve taken a bunch of Craftsy classes and have become a fan of some of their instructors, notably, Leah Day, Joe Cunningham, Jacquie Gering and Carol Ann Waugh.
Tell us about where you sew! Your stash? Your sewing machine/s.
I have an awesome sewing room. Yes, it could be bigger, but it is more than adequate. I have a Koala Cabinet that my husband found on Craigslist. My batting is stored high above my homemade design wall. I have a peg-board wall to hold my notions and goodies. We installed a TV in the corner. My work chair rolls nicely from my office to my sewing room.
Machines – I still have the Brother LB6800 which has a small embroidery unit. I like to make labels with it. I may start taking it out and about more, but I have fears of doing one quilt on multiple machines and being able to keep the same ¼ inch. I guess if I practiced more I’d have a perfect ¼ inch regardless of machine used. I have no complaints about this machine except for the small harp space.
I bought my Janome 7700 with 11 glorious inches and a dual feed in December 2012 when I knew that the quilting ‘virus’ was never going to leave me.
For my birthday in 2014, I got an 12 needle felting machine. It is fun to play with wool roving.
I also have a Bernina Serger that was given to me by a lovely lady I knew from Calico Station. I mentioned that I was interested in playing with one and wanted to learn about them. She had it gathering dust in a closet as she had replaced it with a newer one.
Are you organized? Tell us, we won’t judge! If you are, what would you say the one thing that helped you
organize the most?
I am somewhat organized. Earlier this year, my husband built me some awesome shelving. That has helped a lot. I bought some nice containers for storage and then had some fun using the label maker (for the first time).
Please share a picture of your favorite quilt that you made, and tell us a bit about it.
Right now, my favorite quilt is the one I’m working on. It is “Toes in the Sand” by Jaybird quilts. I found it while on the Florida Shop Hop. The store had the fabric in a kit in the front of the store that caught my attention. Then when stamping my Hopport, I saw the completed quilt and realized it was made with the fabric that had caught my attention. I decided that it was meant to be. The fun part of this quilt is that each block is different. You also make two blocks at a time. If you already have a hexagon ruler and an isosceles triangle, you don’t need the Hex N More ruler I do suggest that you get a 12.5 inch isosceles triangle ruler.
Do you have a quilting bucket list?
I do! The list is below. I found it on the Internet this past February. I have no idea where though.
Anything else you want us to know?
I also love to bake bread. If you ever can, take a class at King Arthur Flour in Vermont.
Bucket list!
Visit a quilt shop.
Make a Nine Patch.
Make a Log Cabin.
Label a quilt.
Figure yardage for a quilt.
Learn about warp and weft.
Use a rotary cutter.
Use templates.
Paper piece a quilt block.
Hand applique a quilt block.
Make a Yo-Yo.
Embellish a quilt.
Try free motion quilting.
Stitch in the ditch.
Try hand quilting.
Bind a quilt.
Miter the corners of quilt binding.
Join the ends of quilt binding.
Sew diagonal seams.
Use a walking foot.
Attend a guild meeting.
Visit Houston for International Quilt Festival.
Have a quilt appraised.
Visit a quilt museum.
Go on a quilt retreat.
Try curved piecing.
Miter the borders.
Learn to do blanket stitch by hand.
See a local quilt show.
Put your quilt in a local quilt show.
Sell raffle tickets on a quilt.
Take a road trip with quilt friends.
Create a Pinterest board with quilts/
Make a 3-D quilt block.
Donate a quilt to a good use.
Make a sampler quilt.
Make an art quilt.
Try bobbin work.
Learn to maintain your sewing machine.
Add rick-rack to a quilt.
Design a quilt. (Remember, you don’t necessarily have to make the quilt!)
Change/tweak/alter a pattern to make it your own.
Make a color wheel with fabric swatches.
Chat about quilting with a stranger.
Go on a blog tour.
Give a quilt as a wedding/graduation/retirement gift.
Visit Paducah during the AQS show.
Take a class with a nationally known teacher.
Use some fabric you dislike.
Participate in Show & Tell.
Volunteer for a job in a quilt group.
Use a color you detest.
Make a quilt inspired by nature.
Get up early to quilt or stay up late to quilt.
Make a scrap quilt.
Make a tote bag.
Make a postcard quilt.
Make a baby quilt and gift it to a newborn.
Understand the basics of caring for quilts.
Borrow a quilting book from the public library.
Teach someone else to quilt.
Creatively piece a backing for one of your quilts.
Apply a piped binding, or some variation of it.
Post quilt pics to Facebook.
Install quilty wallpaper on your computer.
Put a quilty bumper sticker on your car.
Cuss mildly when you realize you’ve been sewing air (because you ran out of bobbin thread)
Read your sewing machine manual cover to cover.
Learn to thread baste.
Learn to pin baste.
Use basting spray
Help a friend make a quilt.
Make a quilt for a special child.
Make a quilt for a spouse or partner.
Make a quilt for a friend.
Include your quilts in your will (i.e. who gets them).
Determine your favorite thread for piecing.
Understand the concept of value.
Understand the mathematics of quilt blocks.
Apply a bias binding.
Take a guild speaker to dinner.
Comment on a quilt-related blog post.
Make a mystery quilt.
Take part in a block exchange.
Write how-to instructions for making a quilt block.
Watch a quilting video.
Know the difference between lengthwise and crosswise grain.
Know the parts of a sewing machine needle and why they matter.
Organize your stash.
Know the names of hand sewing needles used for different tasks.
Finish a UFO.
Purchase fabric on impulse.
Try sewing with precuts.
Trade fabrics with quilt friends.
Identify your ancestors who quilted.
Visit a quit shop while on vacation.
Sew on a treadle for old time’s sake.
Subscribe to a quilting magazine.
Become a regular reader of a quilting blog.
Go on a Shop Hop!
Thank you, Adele! Loved reading this and looking at the photos, that bucket list is right on!