Robin is a founding member of our very own Jax Modern Quilt Guild and served as the very first President and also as Secretary later on. She goes out of her way to get to the meetings, help with anything that needs doing and is generous in sharing her knowledge of sewing with anyone who asks! She is also quite talented and is a HUGE Jacksonville Jaguars fan!
Robin was born in Jacksonville and was primarily raised here as well. Her father was in the construction industry so they did move around A LOT in her early years. She graduated from Ed White High School here in Jacksonville, has two brothers and one sister. Her five nephews are all in the military.
Robin’s creative journey began at a very young age as she watched her mother make Barbie clothes. It was in about 3rd grade that Robin started her own journey into sewing. Garment sewing was her first undertaking, specializing in bridesmaid dresses. Then, from 1999-2012 she had a custom window treatment business with Joanne Byrns called “Fine Fabricators”. When Joanne left the business, Robin changed the name to Robin McCallister Designs. She also loves to teach and spent some time teaching at FSCJ.
In October of 2012, Robin saw an ad for a “Creative Retail Sales Manager” at the Viking Gallery. At the time, she didn’t realize that Viking was a separate store from Joanne’s Fabrics, and was intrigued by the “creative” job title. She was the only one they bothered interviewing and hired her immediately!
It was at this point that Robin began quilting! All of her customers and co-workers were quilters and she decided she’d better learn how to quilt and boy did she excel!
Robin’s life in the last few years has brought her to a new journey and on a different path. She was diagnosed with uterine cancer in January 2013 and underwent surgery. She was being closely monitored over the next couple of years when in July 2016 she suffered a TIA (mini-stroke). In October of that same year it was discovered she had peritoneal cancer. Since then she’s undergone chemotherapy and radiation therapy and is still pushing through!
Robin has the BEST attitude. She loves her job and feels it was made just for her. She says that given a finite time, things need to mean more. Every quilt she makes has meaning and is always FOR something or someone. She doesn’t make just for the sake of making. She wants to stress to women the importance of taking care of their health and not to ignore signs that something isn’t right. She is also working on her Bucket List. This October she is going to Silobration (Chip and Joanna Gaines HGTV) in Waco. In November she is going to Italy for 10 days with her sister and a friend. After Quiltcon next year, Robin is going to Paris and the Amalfi Coast!
We just love Robin and appreciate all she’s done for our guild and sewing community. She is a great friend and human. If you’d like to follow Robin’s continuing journey, go follow her on FaceBook!
Go Robin. You are amazing and so talented and loved and admired by many. Beautiful
Great getting to know Robin! Thanks for this