Nimble Thimbles: Member Spotlight

I would love to start blogging some member spotlights so we can get to know each other better. I will start with me for an example. If you are interested in being featured, please cut and paste, then answer questions below and email them to me at nimblethimbles@gmail.com as soon as you can along with at least one picture of you and at least one picture of a quilt or your sewing area, family, etc. whatever you want to share.

Member Spotlight–Angela (or Andee)

Talkin' Turkey

I live in Chandler with my partner, five dogs and two cats. I am a sign language instructor and interpreter. I love books, reading, hiking and sewing! I have three grown children--Coleman, Hannah and Mackenzie. I am crossing my fingers for grandchildren in the next few years.

Mac with Scrappy Mountain Majesties, Hannah with My Blue Heaven in purple, and Coleman with Moth in the Window.

Q: When did you start quilting?

A: I learned to sew when I was twenty and made a few quilts (sans rotary cutter and mat) then but since I didn’t know what I was doing, I used cheap thread and they fell apart quickly (I had been sewing crafts and had no idea!) so I didn’t sew another quilt for many years. Then in 2003 or so I decided to make a baby quilt for my good friend’s first grandchild. That quilt (a spider web) got me hooked and I have been quilting ever since! This is also when I found Bonnie Hunter--searching for Spider Web examples.

Q: What would you tell a newbie that you wish you had known when you started?

A: HA! Don’t use cheap thread!

Q: What kind of a quilter are you?

A: I started out sewing with a line of fabric where everything was matchy matchy most of the time. I bought fabric for each pattern and did not have a stash. I didn’t really like scrappy quilts. Over time (mostly reading the Quiltville blog) my tastes changed! I suddenly was inspired. I reorganized my fabrics into Bonnie’s scrap system and found the joy of scrap quilting! I also love modern quilts, antique quilts and civil war fabrics. I am not sure what category I would fit into. I also quilt by check for the most part.

Q: What’s your favorite sewing/quilting tip?

A: You can do anything step by step. I would never have attempted some of the quilts I have made if I had known how complicated that would be (I love mystery quilts) and now that I have done several complicated quilts one step at a time, I know any quilt can be done.

Q: Do you have a favorite quilt block, pattern or designer?

A: I am Bonnie Hunter's #1 fan (along with many other folks) and I love most anything she designs.

Q: Do you have a favorite notion or tool you can’t quilt without?

A: My ruler that helps me set my needle for the perfect quarter inch no matter what machine I am on.

Q: Do you quilt your own quilts?

A: I do straight stitch quilt or tie some of the baby quilts or smaller quilts, I don’t really enjoy that part of the process so I mostly quilt by check. My friends Ros Atwood and Barb Barrow quilt most of my quilts and they always look so much better than I expect!

Q: What’s your favorite part of the quilting process?

A: Picking up the quilt. I love the piecing.

Q: What part of the quilting process do you dislike or struggle with?

A: Not crazy for binding but love seeing a project through to completion. I have always said I have very few UFO’s because I am a finisher--however this year I was challenged to list out what UFO's I do have and realized there were far more than I expected. I have been spending a lot of time this year seeing those to completion. I have had several people gift me their UFO's and so those are seeing completion too!

Q: Do you design your own quilts?

A: My answer used to be No! I always say I am a pattern follower. I sometimes have an idea but just don’t have that creative mind to turn it into anything. I am so thankful so many folks are talented beyond belief so I will always have lots of great patterns to choose from. Recently I decided to try to do a modern quilt medallion--making up the rows as I go. I have been stuck on this awhile but it got me out of my box. I also took a class inspired by two gals at quilt camp to make my own cactus landscape quilt. I am still at the beginning stages of that.

Q: What inspires you to create?

A: I have a hard time doing “nothing” so I keep pretty busy and I think that drives me to sew.

Q: Do you do any other crafts? Which ones?

A: I used to do counted cross stitch, I went through a basket weaving phase and a stamping phase, I made scrapbooks for each of my kids upon their high school graduations (I DO NOT recommend waiting til senior year!). I also crochet some and love to knit.

Q: How many quilts have you made?

A: Around 300.

Q: What are you working on now?
A: Straits of Mackinac Rainbow BOM, Pat Sloan's Children's Library BOM, a UFO randomly drawn from All People Quilt each month, binding En Provence and finishing up UFO's!

Q: What do you wish you knew how to do (quilt related) and hope to learn?
A: I want to learn just about anything and everything.

Q: Do you have quilt related business that you want to share with us?

A: Nope but I do blog at The Modern Diary if you want to visit me there.
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Here is the cut and paste part if you want to do one too!

Member Spotlight–

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