Member Spotlight #5

Name: Nancy Lee

Flickr Name:  sewingnancyl

Blog:  www.withthreadinhand.blogspot.com  and  www.tenacresandapond.blogspot.com     

Area of Town:  Troy, MO but rehabbing our retirement home in Williamsburg, MO

Misc: Married with two married daughters and one son still at home and 5 grandchildren

What brought you to the STLMQG?

---I saw a message on the Quilted Fox newsletter that there was to be an informational meeting…I called a friend and we decided to check it out.I am so happy we did..I am so inspired at every meeting..

Do you participate in other guilds or bees?

---I belong to one other guild, Pike-Lin Quilt Guild in Clarksville, Mo and a redwork embroidery group.

When did you start quilting?

---I taught myself to sew in 1972 when my husband and I used our first tax refund money to buy me a small cheap sewing machine, pins and a pair of scissors. I made a pair of “slacks” (that’s what you called pants back then) out of brushed denim.. Not knowing what I was doing I pinned the pattern on, cut them out and sewed them together following the pattern instructions. No one told me that brushed denim had a nap to it so when they were finished, one leg looked darker than the other. ( they did fit perfectly though!!) I haven’t made an item of clothing since. Years and years later I made a baby quilt for my sister’s second child.  No one told me that gingham probably wasn’t a good choice of quilting fabric and all the seams just shredded as soon as it was quilted… I never could fix it.. Then my sister-in-law took me to Paducah 15 years ago during the Quilt Show I was overwhelmed, but fell in love with the large applique and Primitive style of Pat Sloan and Jan Patek .…and then a few years ago I stumbled across Oh’Fransson and I was hooked.  After finding the modern movement I was surprised to find that I had slowly been integrating the modern fabrics into my stash without even realizing what I was doing....

Why do you quilt?

---That’s like asking why do I eat?

What was your most recent fabric purchase?

---I bought some RJR solids in light gray and dark gray for my next quilt…and I just won ½ a layer cake of Sherbet Pips with a pattern and I can’t wait to use them.

 What is on your "I want to make this" List?

--- My list changes every time I browse through flickr…I would however like to finish the Civil War Love Letters quilt I am making my husband. It is 121 paper pieced 6 inch blocks and I am working on the sashing…

What is something you struggle with?

---  Finishing…I have so many UFO’s…Once I bargained with myself to not start a new project until I had finished a UFO…but it didn’t work.. I am such a pushover.. And I can't make anything that is stuffed ... they always come out looking weird..

  What do you do when you aren't quilting?

---  I love to do hand embroidery and read.  My husband thinks I like to drywall and paint..but he would be wrong..

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Here are some photos that Nancy wanted to share with you

 

Member Spotlight #4

Name: Jamie Mueller

Flickr Name:  Jamie Mueller  Blog:  www.jamiemueller.blogspot.com  and  www.sunflower-quilts.com  Area of Town:  Farmington

Misc: I am married to my wonderful husband Jon of almost 4 years who fully supports my quilting addiction.  We live with our three cats who love to lay on all of the quilts I make!

What brought you to the STLMQG?

---I love modern fabrics and the fresh outlook Modern quilters and designers have on quilting.  I live in Farmington where there isn’t a huge selection of quilt shops that carry modern fabrics. I wanted to be a part of a FUN, inspirational group of crazy quilters like myself to hang out with and share ideas with!  After our first meeting I was HOOKED and wanted to keep coming back for more.  I get so inspired after our meetings and LOVE the people I’ve met through this guild.  Kristy, our President, and Mary Claire, our Vice President, come up with awesome swaps, challenges and activities that keep this guild interesting!

Do you participate in other guilds or bees?

---I sew on Monday nights at my church and we work on quilts for World Relief.

When did you start quilting?

---I’ve quilted and sewn off and on for my entire life.  My Grandma does the most amazing embroidery and my Mom is the most talented quilter I know and I am so blessed to have them in my life!  My family owns SunFlower Quilts in Houston, Texas so you can say quilting is in my blood! J

Why do you quilt?

---This is a tough question and it took me a while to be able to put it into words besides just to say that I love it!  Quilting is a family tradition for me and I don’t want that tradition to end!  I want to share the art of quilting with everyone that I come across! The process of turning a silly little idea in my head into a beautiful quilt is so much fun and amazes me to this day!  Quilting is what I enjoy doing and God keeps leading my heart and hands towards it!

What was your most recent fabric purchase?

---Amy Butler Soul Blossoms yardage.

 What is on your "I want to make this" List?

--- Geez my to-do list goes on and on and really doesn’t end…I’ll share a couple things

    -Spiderweb Quilt

    -I want to reinvent the Dresden Plate (not sure how yet, but I want it to happen)

What is something you struggle with?

---  Time!! Not only do I have my blog and Flickr to keep up with, but the shop’s blog/Flickr/Facebook/Twitter as well!!  Writing patterns is so time consuming and the hardest part of quilting for me!  I love quilting and it’s just so hard to find the time to do all the sewing I want!   
What do you do when you aren't quilting?

---  Besides all of the Internet stuff that I have/like to do, I love watching sports and being outside. I have a large family and love seeing them!  There always seems to be something going on, whether a birthday or a sporting event.  I love watching my little sister Erica play basketball and run track.  I love playing with my nephews and watching them grow up!  My family keeps inspiring me with new ideas of things to make and having a big family is a great excuse to make more stuff J 
Anything else you want to say?

I love hexagons!

I love cats!

Baseball is my favorite sport!

I’m from Texas!

I could eat steak and a baked potato everyday!!

I’ve designed 4 projects so far for Moda Bake Shop and the last one was just on March 9^th called Sugar Baby!  We currently have a giveaway going on through March 16^th on my blog (www.jamiemueller.blogspot.com) and the shop’s blog (www.sunflower-quilts.blogspot.com) for a FQ bundle!!  Go and check it out!!

Also, through March 16^th on www.sunflower-quilts.com we’re having 10% OFF your entire order so be sure to check that out!!

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Here are some photos that Jamie wanted to share with you

Member Spotlight #3

Name: Cara (aka Me? A Mom?)

Flickr Name: Cara {Me? A Mom?}
Blog: http://www.meamomblog.com/
Area of Town:  South City

Misc: I have three little girls (4, 2.5, and 14 months) who light up my world and make a terrible mess of my house.  Good thing they're so cute!

What brought you to the STLMQG?

---A desire for community. I'm self-taught and for many years I quilted in a bubble. I have a network of fellow modern quilters online but didn't know anyone local. I wanted to meet other local quilters who swoon over the same fabric I do and make beautiful non-traditional quilts.

Do you participate in other guilds or bees?

---I just joined my first online bee -- Sew Beautiful -- through flickr.

When did you start quilting?
---I started quilting in late 2005 as a hand quilter (mostly because machine quilting intimidated me. I hand quilted three baby quilts before I got a walking foot and moved to machine quilting. The majority of my quilting has been done in the past two years.

Why do you quilt?

---Five years ago, at the bewilderment of many, I gave up a great job at a prestigious international PR agency. The long hours and travel had worn me down, but more than that I think I’d just lost my way. I needed to rediscover something besides my job that could light me up without burning me down.

So I resigned without having another job (much less the prospect of a job) lined up. It was probably the most spontaneous (and some would say stupidest) thing I’ve ever done. I lived off some modest savings while I tried to discover what really made me happy.

One day, I went into a fabric store to look around. I’d never sewn but I had fond memories of my mom sewing when I was growing up. Well, my spirits immediately lifted as I took in the row and rows of fabrics. I couldn’t stop touching them. I was drawn to them. I picked up a couple of bolts and took them to the cutting table. When the woman asked how much I wanted, I didn’t even know enough to answer her properly. Um, about this much , I said gesturing with my hands. Heck, I didn’t even know what I was going to do with the material, how should I know how much I wanted?

I took my fabric home and unfolded it and folded it – over and over again. And then I went back to the shop a few days later and bought more. Soon, I’d amassed a small little stash.

Baffled by what I was doing, the practical side of me decided I needed to find a way to put the fabric to use. Quilting seemed like a good way to use it up lots of fabric so I went to the library and checked out four books. Reading those books was like reading a book in Chinese. I couldn’t make heads or tails of it. (At that time, there weren’t – or maybe I wasn’t aware of — the amazing modern quilting bloggers.) I persevered and taught myself through trial and error. I made lots of mistakes but loved it.

Nowadays, quilting is my Great Escape. I quilt because it helps me feel centered. I can simultaneously unwind and challenge myself. And it gives me the creative outlet I crave. It may never be my career path but it definitely is my passion.

Ironically, my life has come full circle and I've just rejoined that same prestigious PR firm I left five years ago. This time, though, my career will not define my life. And that's a lesson I hope I can teach my girls many times over.

What was your most recent fabric purchase?

---Oh boy, I fell off the wagon recently and bought a bunch of things but I'm most excited about the new Alexander Henry "Heath" patterns. They were previously only available in home dec weight and now they come in quilting cotton and six wonderful colors.
 What is on your "I want to make this" List?

--- A baby quilt of various improv pieced houses

A really large string quilt

A wonky log cabin

An all-solids quilt

Anna Maria Horner's hide and seek color spectrum quilt

A wonky star quilt

Anything from Boo Davis' Dare to Be Square book

A spiderweb quilt using my collection of vintage sheets

The Single Girl quilt pattern or something equally fun like this 

A quilt-as-you-go quilt

The perfect bag -- still searching for this.

What is something you struggle with?

--- Finding the time to turn my ideas into reality and not getting frustrated when I can't. 

What do you do when you aren't quilting?

--- I'm love to blog, read blogs and connect with other modern quilters online. And, of course, I cherish spending time with my daughters and husband. That pretty much fills my time. Every once in a while, I try to sneak in some sleep. 

Anything else you want to say?

---Someone once told me: If you can’t see the mistake from across the room, no one will really notice it. In the past, I have let many a mistake or imperfection derail my creative process. Now I realize that I’m my greatest critic. Perfection is overrated! And sometimes mistakes teach you the best lessons.

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Here are some photos that Cara wanted to share with you

Member Spotlight #2

Name: Cindy Lammon
Flickr Name: clammon
Blog: www.hyacinthquiltdesigns.blogspot.com
Area of Town: O'Fallon, MO
Misc: I've been married for 34 years and have 2 grown children, a son who's a lawyer in Chicago (single) and a daughter who's married to a Marine with 2 daughters, ages 1 and 3.

What brought you to the STLMQG?

---I love modern fabrics and actually purchased some Joel Dewberry, Erin McMorris, and Amy Butler years ago, but had no idea what to do with them. When I found Modern Quilting popping up on the internet, I loved how they were using these fabrics and loved the simple graphic designs. Guilds are great because the ideas and inspiration you get is wonderful! 

Do you participate in other guilds or bees?

---I am the founder of a small guild in O'Fallon called Bound Together Quilt Guild. I've been the leader of it since we started 4-5 years ago. We're small and simple, but have lots of fun.

When did you start quilting?

---I attempted my first quilt when I was in high school. My Mom had a quilting magazine and I cut out a Double Wedding Ring quilt using tissue paper templates. Never worked out (I wonder why??). I took my first class 30 years ago when my daughter was a year old and I was working only part time. I made 3 quilts from that original pattern before I ventured into some thing new!

Why do you quilt?

---Hard to answer - I'm not really sure. I think quilts are really beautiful works of art. I love fabric, love putting the fabrics together, enjoy the design process and the math involved. Quilting is also very relaxing for me and now that I'm an empty nester - I happy that I have such a fun hobby to fill my days.

What was your most recent fabric purchase?

---Amy Butler's Soul Blossoms and a box of 100 Kona Solid FQs. (A nice birthday gift).

What is on your "I want to make this" List?

---I'd like to make a quilt from Cherri House's book "City Quilts". My son lives in a very modern high rise in downtown Chicago - I think one of those would be perfect.

What is something you struggle with?

---Paper piecing - just can't get that. I also struggle with getting things finished. I'm great at starting a quilt, but once I see what it's going to look like, I have to push myself to finish. I'm ready at that point to use the newest fabric and start the next project!

What do you do when you aren't quilting?

---Honestly - I'm quilting a lot. I also love to garden, cook, decorate, and read. I hang out with my grand daughters every chance I get (and that involves frequent traveling).

Anything else you want to say?

---Random things:

1. Quilting things I'm proud of: 3 books published by Martingale & Co; quilts in several magazine publications; many beginning students that are now accomplished quilters.

2. I watch way too much HGTV. I could redecorate my house every month.

3. I'm challenged by photography and hope to become much better. 

4. I love word puzzles.

5. Almost all of my friends are quilters - they're the best!!!

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Here are some photos that Cindy wanted to share with you

Member Spotlight #1

Welcome to the 1st ever STLMQG Member Spotlight, and who better to start off with than our Vice President!

Name:      Mary Claire
Flickr Name:      SplendorFalls
Blog:      splendorfallsmc.blogspot.com
Area of Town:      Metro East
Misc:    Married with one super cute daughter

What brought you to the STLMQG?
---I was excited when I found out that the STLMQG was starting up because it seemed to suit me more than a traditional guild did. I love all the fresh fabrics and love the no rules approach to quilting. It's fun to interact with my online friends, doing swaps and trading emails, but having the human element is always a good thing.

Do you participate in other guilds or bees?
---I participate in one online charity bee called do.good.Stitches and have done several online swaps. I currently only belong to the STLMQG.

When did you start quilting?
---I made my first quilt tops in high school and then picked up the hobby again earlier this year. My Mom's been quilting as long as I can remember; I blame her. {wink} As a kid I never really had the patience to sew. I wanted to sew but things just never seemed to turn out the way I imagined.  Somewhere along the line I sprouted some patience and was able to enjoy the hobby so much more. I'm still not sure how that happened! =)

Why do you quilt?
---I quilt because I love that it covers so many of my favorite things: fabrics, designing, organizing, sewing, geometry and mathematics, multitasking and creativity.

What was your most recent fabric purchase?
---My most recent fabric purchase was a few lines from MoMo's It's a Hoot. Those oval polka dots are
ca-ute!  This just changed; after the last guild meeting I had to order some Riley Blake Wishing Flower!

What is on your "I want to make this" List?
---Something I am looking forward to making is a half square triangle quilt with the Dream On line and an orange solid.

What is something you struggle with?
---I'm not good at attaching binding on the machine instead.  I'm not good at remembering dates either, seriously...I have to ask my husband how long we've been married!

What do you do when you aren't quilting?
---When I am not quilting I am hanging out with my family, working, thrifting, scrapbooking, or listening to music.

Anything else you want to say?
---Here are some random things about me:

• My favorite ice cream of all time is Caramel Chocolate Crunch from 31 Flavors.
• I am a Libra.
• Archaeology was something I seriously considered as a career and worked at for a few years in college.
• I have a jukebox that plays 45's.  My favorite song to play is 'Proud Mary' by Ike and Tina Turner, followed closely by 'Crazy' by Patsy Cline.  These songs sound so much better on the jukebox!
• Vintage glassware is a weakness of mine.
• When I was a very little girl I had a crush on Kenny Rogers.  Ha!
• Thank you.  Goodnight!

STLMQG President here:  Just wanted to add that Mary Claire's "Warm Front, It's a Cold Front" quilt was one of the winners in the Modern Quilt Guild Inspiration Challenge #1.  You can see and read all about it here.  Go Mary Claire!

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Here are some photos that Mary Claire wanted to share with you