I have been quilting for 40+ years. I started as a self-taught, book-learned
quilter in 1976 during the Bicentennial when historical crafts became the
rage. I muddled through my first few
quilts, then took a few classes, and was swept up in the possibilities of
quilting!
I have taken some great classes and learned from some great
quilters. So I was musing, at a four-day
retreat this weekend, who has influenced my quilting life the most?
Indirectly, Jinny
Beyer
I took my first formal classes from a quilt shop owner who
had studied with Jinny Beyer. Sadly, I
have forgotten her last name, but her first name was Kathy and she owned a shop
in Everett, Washington. She taught us so
well that I still use the techniques in every quilt! This was before the rotary cutter revolution,
and we learned to make and cut templates (with scissors) and to be
accurate. We hand-pieced,
machine-pieced, hand quilted, hand-appliqued, machine-appliqued, used
traditional blocks, and designed our own.
This was in my “hunter green and coral” period and the first quilt I
completed in her class is still part of my collection. Thanks, Kathy and thanks, Jinny, for starting
my quilting journey!
I'd like to point out that this is hand-pieced and hand quilted!
Karen Kay Buckley
I took a class from Karen Kay Buckley in Ripley, West
Virginia in the 1990’s and she taught me the basics of machine quilting on a
domestic machine. I do a LOT of
free-motion quilting on my Elna and she might be pleased to know that she is
partly responsible for MANY quilts for Project Linus. I love to FMQ simple designs; it’s
mesmerizing. I have not taken the time
to become an expert with custom designs.
I love the meander look and I don’t get too far from it. Maybe a few pebbles, some flowers, tendrils,
and leaves. I made a bunch of pillows
for kids a couple of years ago and quilted their names into the corners of the
pillows for a subtle touch.
Sarah Porreca
Sarah was a local quilting teacher in the Durham area of
North Carolina. I took classes from her
in the 1990’s and a miracle happened – I learned to make a SQUARE log cabin
block! She also taught me to miter the
corners of my binding, to crazy quilt, and to be fearless! Sarah said, “If you make a mistake on a quilt
or accidentally cut a hole in the top, applique a heart over it and the
recipient will think you’re a genius.”
She was right!
Sharyn Craig
Oh, my goodness, I learned a lot from Sharyn Craig about
quilting efficiency!! She surely is the original
queen of chain piecing. She had us slicing
and dicing and preparing our pieces and units.
In piecing order on the left side of the machine and stacked for
action! And she came around to coach us
and make sure we were set up for success!
I have used her techniques ever since and I have become a prolific
quilter (ask my friends…). When I sit
down to sew I can put nose to the needle and go like the wind!! She also taught me the value of pressing the
seams “as they are sewn” first, before opening the seam to press again. What a big difference in the crispness of my
blocks!
Quilters Newsletter
Magazine
I was an early subscriber and thrilled that there was a
magazine just for me! With real news
about the quilting world plus patterns and GREAT ADVICE! I still go back and look at old issues – now that
the magazine has ceased publication the old issues are like gold. More than anything I think QNM taught me that
I can make every quilt my own, whether using a traditional design or a modern twist. Thanks to the editors and contributors to
this magazine for the leverage they provided all of us into quilting for the
love of it.
My Aunt Dollie
She taught me to thread a needle and embroider and do crewel
work when I was just a tad. Every time I
thread a Chenille needle with pearl cotton I think of her. She used to take care of me when my regular
babysitter was unavailable or I was sick.
She had a cat named Kilroy. We
spent many hours with needle in hand and she was so patient and
comforting.
My high school
boyfriend’s mother
My own mother hated sewing.
Clara opened the sewing world for me – taught me to make clothes, use
the features on my machine, and most of all to embrace creativity! She was one of those people who could take
down the drapes and make a ball gown.
Without a pattern. And it would
be beautiful. I was sewing in a vacuum
until she mentored me; without her I would not be a quilter.
Yes, I have taken a lot of classes from a lot of quilting
teachers over the years and learned something from every one. But I think of these people when I am using
basic techniques and being thankful that I know how the machine works, how
important accuracy is, and how to enjoy the process.
Who were your quilting mentors? Drop them a note of appreciation. It is too late for me to thank everyone who
has guided my quilting journey but I remember their good advice and will pass
along the techniques to young quilters.
It’s a form of quilting immortality.
