ellengracequilts

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 it’s 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- 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 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 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 often come 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.