so, my friend was due with her 1st baby & i was talking to her about what i was going to make for him... i usually crocheted baby blankets for all of my friends' kids, but i had been tossing around the idea of trying my hand at a quilt & she was all for it... after borrowing my friend's sewing machine (thanks marilyn!) & after LOTS of questions (thanks google, youtube & aunt jane!) i was ready to dive in... i have always been artistic & crafty, good at math, a perfectionist & a lover of good design, so quilting fell into place pretty naturally.

there is something very enjoyable about each part of the process for me (well, ok, maybe not the ironing...) i love buying fabric & searching for patterns & schemes that will work together... i enjoy cutting out the blocks- something about that precision & quiet concentration feels very purposeful... i think it's fun to lay out the pattern & decide where each block looks best- it's kind of like putting a puzzle together & it's the first "real" look at the vision that has been in my head... piecing the front is exciting as i watch it all start to come together & i often keep working long after i planned to take a break because i just can't wait to see what its going to look like... pinning the quilt sandwich with the back & batting is another part where the perfectionist in me gets a lot of satisfaction & then it's FINALLY time to start the actual quilting! i put on some great music or podcasts & settle in for several hours of sewing straight lines back & forth- i try to get very Zen with the quilting & it usually doesn't take long to get into a good groove... then all that's left is the binding & when it's all done i literally RACE to get it into the washer & out of the dryer so it can achieve its "official quilt" status- all crinkly & sweet... 😊

all of my quilts are made by me in my cute little brooklyn apartment... my bedroom is finally fulfilling its destiny as a fabric & supply stash & my cutting mat fits PERFECTLY on my desk from iowa that i have dragged around with me since 1994... it's about time that desk started living up to its potential... i do all of the actual sewing at my kitchen table. i waitress 4 nights a week & have always been a night owl, so i typically don't go to bed until 6am & i'm often happily sewing into the wee hours of the morning...

i'm a big fan of re-using & upcycling things that still have plenty of life in them- that's probably the iowa girl in me... I'm always up for thrift shopping to find fun & colorful men's button down shirts to incorporate. i also love to use vintage bed sheets in my quilts- they are just so sweet & soft & well loved... i am always coming across floral patterns that remind me of sheets i had or that my parents had & there are several striped ones that i remember on my brothers' beds... i really like mixing that sense of the past with contemporary design & modern quilting... i think it makes for a lovely combination of "now & then" with a classic & timeless appeal.