My daily life is filled with quilts and fabrics as a designer of both. But my love of quilts and fabrics began many years ago. It seems like I have always been drawn to needlecraft. My earliest memories are filled
Debbie Maddy
Hello everyone, My name is Debbie Maddy and I live in a small town in north Texas with my husband of 38 years. We have two grown sons. Probably like many of you, I learned to sew as a young
Sue Hauser, Alderwood Quilts
Welcome to my blog! My name is Sue Hauser and I was thrilled when Michele asked me to be a guest blogger. I am the owner of Alderwood Quilts, which is an internet quilt shop. I live in Oregon in
Lesley Riley
What fun to be a guest blogger on Quilting Gallery. My name is Lesley Riley. I am a life-long resident of the Washington DC area, mother of 6, grandmother of 5. I began quilting in 1971, a baby quilt for
Shirley Paterson
I am really pleased that I have been invited to become a "Guest Blogger". I have been interested in creating different types of art work ever since I was a child. I taught watercolour and oils here in Calgary for
Holly Elam
Hi, my name is Holly Elam. I live in north west Alabama. I am a stay at home mom of three rambunctious boys. Who definitely keep me on my toes. A lot of people wonder where I find the time
Debbie MacLeod
My name is Debbie MacLeod and I live in Island Lake, Alberta, Canada. My blog shares my quilting projects and my website showcases my quilting business. I am excited to be a guest blogger – thanks, Michele, for the opportunity!
Cary Kornegay
Hi! I am so grateful for the opportunity to share a few memories with you! I grew up in a family full of talented women. My mother is a brilliant florist- she takes a simple flower and turns it into
Fabric Storage Thoughts from Benita Skinner of Victoriana Quilt Designs
Timing (or ‘life’) often plays in our decisions. When I received this guest post invitation (Thank You Michele!), I happened to be converting my storage system for my fabric stash & offering Stash-busting pattern ideas as my free Block of
Terri Thayer, Author and Quilter
My journey, from quiltmaking to writing novels about quilters, started at the library. I’ve always been a voracious reader, so it was a natural place for me to learn about quilting. Twenty-five years ago, I checked out a book on
Linda M. Poole
Author to Turkish Delights to Appliqué, Bended Bias Appliqué and Quilted Fairie Tales. Thanks Michele for having me as Guest Blogger this month, it’s such an honor, and a warm welcome to all the bloggers out there for taking the
Jackie Kunkel
Hello everyone, my name is Jackie Kunkel and I have been quilting for about 17 years and really love every aspect of it. From the fabric shopping right down to the binding! I started because my husband encouraged me to
Grace Lambie
When Michele first asked me to be a Guest Blogger on Quilting Gallery, I was extremely flattered .. then nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs .. EGADS!!! ME?!?!?!?!? I’m not anyone famous, just a person
Heidi Kaisand
Quilting is so personal to me. From the reason why I started quilting to the reason I quilt today, quilting is personal. In my 15 years of being the editor of Better Homes and Gardens American Patchwork & Quilting magazine,
The Many Blogs of Me
Normally, as a former English teacher, I wouldn’t write a title like that, but it seems to fit, since that’s what I wanted to write about for my guest blog. I have three blogs, you see, and some people think
Ralitza Boneva from Bulgaria
Greetings everyone! Here is something about me and making quilts in my corner of the world. Cheers from sunny Bulgaria! It is a beautiful country with the oldest processed gold on the planet and talented people.
Julia C. Wood
I am currently almost 6 months into my self-imposed challenge to go an entire year without buying any fabric. Am I crazy? Maybe a bit. But I realized that every time I bought new fabric, I tended to use it
Ginny Hildreth and her Daughter, Torrie
Thank you Michele for allowing me to be a guest blogger! I was thrilled when I found out what day I got to blog! I thought of all of the things I could say about my love of quilting and
Cathy McKillip
My name is Cathy McKillip and I have been the owner of Wish Upon A Quilt for the last 9 months. After spending 20 years in the corporate world (healthcare and software development), I decided to take the plunge (I’m
rachel griffith
hey yall. i’m rachel from p.s. i quilt i’m SUPER excited to be a guest blogger on quilting gallery. {thanks michele.} let’s see…where to begin… it all started when i was 16 in home ec class. i thought that our
Kathleen Murphy
I started quilting in 1993 as a way to get out of the house :) I had two little kids and was living in a new town. The guild was newly formed and had just 20 or so members. I
Susie Monday
Angels, saints, sinners, strange beasts. Fire eye-browed women and prickly landscapes step out of the air and into my work. I can’t help it. These odd characters and scenes aren’t predetermined, they just happen. I don’t use patterns, rarely make
Deborah (Stout) Brine
“Busy hands are happy hands,” so Grandmother always said, patiently teaching me how to thread a needle, as I fumbled with the thimble. I have long since abandoned thimble-usage. My rough, calloused thumbs are proof. My grandmother’s example as she
Pam Holland
your own quilting history, how did you get started quilting My introduction to quilting was a bit like a religious experience…. Well, I’m not too sure what a religious experience is like because I’m not religious, but…. I’ve seen it
Annie Unrein of Patterns by Annie
Greetings, Quilters! I’m so pleased to be invited to be a guest blogger (thanks, Michele!) and to connect with other quilters. I am Annie Unrein, a pattern designer and teacher who lives in St. George, Utah, and Sitka, Alaska. (Yes,
Shannon Menninger
Hi All! I am Shannon Menninger and I have been quilting for about 6 years now. I am not a professional nor have I written any books on quilting. I have designed one quilt myself and completed it. I sent
Shawn Bailey
Hello from the beautiful west coast of BC, Canada! My name is Shawn and I’m pretty much a ‘newbie’ in the quilting game when compared to many of the wonderful quilters out there. My first quilt was made during my
Wrap Up for the First Half of Guest Blogger Month
In case you’ve missed any, here’s a list of all the fabulous guest bloggers for the first half of Guest Blogger Month. Meg Cox Seeks Quilters to Take a Survey, and is Giving Away Books Bonnie McCaffery Talks About Vidcasts
Joanna Norman and Forever Green Quilts
Thanks, Michele, for inviting me to share some of my quilting story and thoughts. Quilting is intricately connected to my personal values of family and community. My mother and grandmothers all sewed and did needle work. They got me started
Adding Borders to a Quilt by Deb Geyer
On this Valentine’s Day, I’d like to share with you a method that I have found works great for adding borders to a quilt. I used to hate adding borders to my quilt tops. I would tell myself that I
Roses, Romance, and Sweet Revenge
Ah, Valentine’s Day! A day for candy and cupids, hearts and flowers, dreams come true, and love that never ends. How romantic! But, wait… Is that the music of violins I hear? Or the skeptical guffaws of those who know
Amy Williams and Seven-Stitches
For my spot as a guest blogger, I thougt I’d share the story of how I began quilting. I first wrote about it when I started my blog Seven-Stitches. I had always been aware of quilting. I have memories of
Incorporating Silk Flowers into Your Quilts
Greetings Everyone! My name is Ebony Love, and I am the owner & artist of LoveBug Studios. I started my business about 4 years ago, and focus on custom quilts and other items. I really love trying out new techniques,
Crazy Quilter Patricia Winter
My name is Patricia Winter and I live in Indiana near the Dunes of Lake Michigan where I gather mermaid tears (sea glass) and inspiration for my work. I am a crazy quilt addict and enjoy stitching in my garden
Anne Maundrell in Brunei
Thank you Michele for including me in your guest blogger spot and I hope that people will be interested to read a little about quilting in the tropics. I am originally from England but have lived overseas for many years.
Caron Mosey
In 1983, I wrote my first quilting book, America’s Pictorial Quilts, on an Atari computer. It was not connected to the Internet because the Internet did not exist, and everything I wrote was saved on a cassette tape that was
Lights, Camera, Action on Quilting Arts TV by Virginia Spiegel
My adventure in the world of TV started with a request from Pokey Bolton of Quilting Arts to tape a small segment for Season 3 of Quilting Arts TV. Pokey and the producers of Quilting Arts TV planned to tape
Eileen Casey Gianiodis
For me, quilting has always been about connections – connecting pieces of fabric with other fabric and trying to make it perfectly square again. I’m kidding. The absurdity, however, of cutting fabric into pieces, then being upset when they aren’t
Becky Olsen
“It’s the year of the quilt!” That phrase has rolled off my tongue time and time again for the few months. I just started quilting early last summer and have loved every stinking moment of it. Sure there are a
Laurie Breadmore, Quilting Around the World
Hi, I am Laurie Breadmore I have been residing in Dubai for 2 yrs and have just returned to Rotorua, New Zealand. “I really don’t remember the first piece I stitched. My mother stitched doing embroidery, quilting and crochet, and
Free Twirl Skirts Pattern from YouCanMakeThis.com
As crafters, we know how fun and satisfying it is to make and give a handmade present, especially when the recipient is a child. Remembering back to our own girlhoods, some of our most cherished gifts were handmade clothes for
Kay Sorensen
Hi, My name is Kay Sorensen. I was honored to be invited to be a guest blogger. I began blogging in September to share my quilts with more people. I don’t particularly like to write so didn’t think I’d enjoy
Tsoniki Crazy Bull
My name is Tsoniki Crazy Bull and I have a crafty blog at me being crafty. I’ve been sewing and quilting since I was a young girl – sewing when I was very young and quilting when I got older.
Kay Mackenzie, Appliqué Enthusiast
Thank you for this opportunity to tell you a little about myself and my endeavors. I grew up in North Carolina, went to school in Colorado, then lived in Los Angeles for a number of years. During all that time
Yes, I’m a Newbie Quilter by Sharon Hanks
As a new quilter, I have been plugging away with trial and error methods and have spent countless hours with Google by my side as I try to understand the ins and outs of quilting. Whether it be terminology, methods,
Anne Sutton, Bunny Hill Designs
Hi everyone! I’m Anne Sutton from Bunny Hill Designs and I’m delighted to be a guest blogger for Michele! Thanks to her, we have a site where quilters can all connect. For those of you who don’t know me, my
Robyn from Australia, Hearts and Hexagons
Hello Everyone. My name is Robyn and I currently live on the outskirts of Sydney Australia with my husband and son, our 2 dogs and 1 kitty cat. I’ve been sewing since I was young (I’d say about 10 years
Quilt Historian Judy Anne Breneman
I hadn’t given quilts much thought until I was a young adult and my mother gave me a quilt wrapped tightly in plastic. It was a variation of a nine patch quilt. She told me my great grandmother Hanna Balster
Jennifer Rogers Ofenstein
What a lovely opportunity to get to know more of the online quilting community! Thank you so much for the invitation, Michele. Hmm, well, where to start? My name is Jennifer Rogers Ofenstein. I’m a native Texan and have been
Margaret’s Hope Chest by Carin Vogelzang
My name is Carin Vogelzang and I am so excited and thankful to Michele for the opportunity to blog today and share a small glimpse into my quilting world. I have the privilege of being the founder and co-director of
Bonnie McCaffery Talks About Vidcasts
Hi Michele, Thanks so much for inviting me to be a guest blogger. I started quilting in the traditional way over 25 years ago – all by hand. I think it all starts when you become a mom – at