I’ve been a quilter forever, it seems, but I’ve only been
blogging for about a year. So, I’m participating in the 2014 New Quilt Bloggers
Blog Hop.
Let me introduce myself – my name is Jan. I’m a wife, mom of one grown son and DIL; daughter, sister, friend. I live in the greater St. Louis MO metro area. I started sewing as a child and always wanted to be a fashion designer, so I majored in fashion design in college. I’m retired from a career in apparel, textiles and footwear product development, where I worked as a pattern maker, designer, material librarian and color specialist. Now I’m focusing on quilting as part of the next chapter in my life. I have a small book in the works with AQS, to be published next year.
I’ve been piecing and quilting since the early 1990’s. I’ve been a member of
Circle in the Square Quilters since 1992, and their hand piecing group since
2000. Like many long-time quilters, I started with traditional quilts. Since
then my skills have improved and my tastes have changed, so now I design my own
quilts and they’re more original and/or more modern-ish. I love EQ7 for designing!Although I don’t
consider myself a Modern quilter, I am a charter member of the St.
Louis Modern Quilt Guild.
Here are some of my favorite quilts:
Legacy, 2007, made for my dad’s 80th birthday. The words printed in each block are the titles to memoir stories that he wrote. Machine pieced and machine quilted by me. Twin bed size.
Legacy
Loop in Motion
Celtic Lullaby
Charmed Snowballs, 2013, tutorial here. Just a fun little quilt
made for no particular reason, but I like the way it turned out. Machine pieced
and machine quilted by me.
Charmed Snowballs
Big Print Beauty, 2014, twin bed size. Long arm quilted by Darlene Pratte. Made to illustrate a lecture I gave about working with large scale prints; pattern available.
Everyone participating in the New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop has been asked to offer a blogging tip and a quilting tip, ask a question of other bloggers, and tell a random fact about themselves. So, here goes:
Blogging Tip: Sharing the oopses can be more beneficial than
showing the latest finish, although those are satisfying to post,
too. I always learn from the comments people leave about my mistakes or challenges, and I always appreciate their input.
Quilting tip: Master the scant quarter-inch seam, which should be one thread-width narrower than the 1/4" mark on your ruler. This is to accommodate the thickness of the fabric as it's folded over when pressed. Piecing comes out so much better: correct measurements, nice points, flat and square flimsy (not wavy or bowed) when the piecing is done with a good scant 1/4" seam.
Question: What do you like and not like about the content of
the blogs you follow? Instruction? Finishes with glamour shots of projects?
WIPs? Project oopses and design challenges? Occasional life and general chitchat? Other?
Random fact about me: I white-water rafted through the
Grand Canyon.
Please visit the other New Quilt Bloggers participating in
the Blog Hop. Here are the links to the bloggers posting today, and you can click on the button on my sidebar for links to additional participants.
Sarah @ http://www.berrybarndesigns.com/
Kristyn @ http://melonpatchquilts.com/
Rachael @ http://www.quiltineering.com/
Since my blog is very much a work in progress, I'm linking up with WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced.
OMG! No one ever explained "why" you need to do the scant 1/4" this so makes sense now. This i can visualize which is important for me, needing a reason not just a rule. Love your loop in motion quilt, the color blending is beautiful
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the book! That sounds exciting!
ReplyDeleteI love all the quilts you've posted here, but I think my favourite is the snowballs! Your quilting just makes it; it looks great!!
For content I don't like, that's hard to say! I guess too many tutorials can get tiresome; but only because I only find them relevant if it's something I want to make. Since I usually have plenty of my own WIPS and UFOs it's very rare I see a posted block tutorial and stop everything for it. Of course tutorials are great in the times i do want to make something from them though! I guess if a blog became tutorials tutorials tutorials all day all the time, I'd keep the blog bookmarked for reference but wouldn't be regular reader.
Hi, Jan! I can't wait to see this book you have coming out. In terms of what I look for in blogs that I read, I love to see the process, mistakes and all. I love to see lots of pictures, especially of the finished product. I look at the blogging world as a large classroom where I can learn from others. it is so nice to "meet" you and I look forward to seeing what you have for us in the future!
ReplyDeleteHi Jan, so glad to get to know you better! I agree about the scant quarter inch seam allowance. Learning that has definitely helped my piecing accuracy! Congratulations on the book, that is really exciting and I look forward to learning more about it. :) In blogs, I like honesty. Whether that is real life anecdotes and discussion or the oopsies, I like feeling like it is coming from a friend and all just part of a conversation. I also really love photographs. :)
ReplyDeleteI have been quilting for over twenty years, and my style has definitely evolved. I love your use of color, and that you do hand piecing. I have hand pieced two mini quilts, but would love to start a bigger one.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the book - very exciting! I'm fairly varied in my reading preferences on blogs - I liek to see a bit of everthing. I dilikes lots of photos of a finished item with no info as how it was made and what part was enjoyable and what was not. I like in process stuff!
ReplyDeleteI am always looking for inspriation, so great pictures draw me first, then content, do you tell me the pattern name and where to get it, and lastly some humor. Congratulations on the book, I can't wait to see it.
ReplyDeleteLovely to meet you Jan! I too have been quilting for years, but really got addicted in the last few years. I love you loop in motion quilt!
ReplyDeleteWhat do I like about the content of the blogs I follow? Everything you mention! Nice to meet you, Jan!
ReplyDeleteHi Jan! I like reading blogs that show the warts and all :) Like you I learn soo much from them as more often than not, I have done the exact same thing! I also love to read people's process in designing their quilt and fabric choice and seeing that evolve from post to post. Wanda over at Exuberant Color does an amazing job of this. It also doesn't hurt that she uses a lot of Kaffe Fasset fabrics that I can totally drool over as well :)
ReplyDeleteVisiting from the New Quilt Bloggers Hop, thanks for sharing your quilts!
ReplyDeleteCarole @ From My Carolina Home
Congratulations on your up and coming book - sounds very exciting! I love your Charmed Snowballs quilt ... might have to give that one a go :)
ReplyDeleteI love instruction and just sharing the process. It is so nice to meet you!
ReplyDeleteI agree, sharing the oopsies are just as important as sharing the finishes! I'm also in awe of your hand pieced Celtic Lullaby! Amazing work!
ReplyDeleteRosemary B here!
ReplyDeleteI like your blog. You are talented and knowledgeable I prefer that, reading blogs that have information so I can learn. I am still learning this whole quilting thing. I can sew everything and I have made a lot of stuffff but I just stared this quilting and learning not to be sloppy
Thanks for sharing all about yourself
Your quilts are all so beautiful! I love blogs that share a little of everything, quilting finishes and mistakes, life in general, recipes, whatever the blogger wants to share, really.
ReplyDeleteJan, I love your Loop In Motion! You have some beautiful quilts, and I'm not surprised with your experience and expertise. I love blogs that are clean with great images, and I tend to follow when the blogger shares more than just finishes. I don't need to know every detail of some strangers' life, but it's nice to feel like you're getting to know someone through their blog as they share little glimpses into what makes them tick - especially if they're humorous - a warm, friendly blog definitely keeps me coming back : )
ReplyDeleteHi Jan, thanks for the introduction. Your quilts are beautiful, I especially love the snowball one (and will definitely check out your tutorial!) I like to see a little bit of everything in the blogs I follow, finished quilts, works in progress, mistakes, inspiration, and some non-quilting posts and chit-chat. I would love to go white-water rafting in the Grand Canyon, I've never been there, but I love the southwest.
ReplyDeleteI love your Loop in Motion quilt and I'm excited to hear more about your book!
ReplyDeleteYour quilts are lovely! I like lots of pictures and not so wordy posts. When I'm tired or just checking in quickly I don't like to read essay about each project. So I prefer simple style :-) Nice to meet to Jan. Just a fun info, in my country Jan is actually name for man and my father has the same name as you :-)
ReplyDeleteI love that Loop in Motion quilt, it's beautiful!
ReplyDeleteYou make beautiful quilts! Thanks for sharing ... :) Pat
ReplyDeletelovely to meet you Jan. Your quilts are gorgeous - I love the snowball one especially. And white water rafting through the Grand Canyon sounds amazing :-)
ReplyDeleteYour Celtic Lullaby quilt is beautiful. Great intro post for the blog hop. I'm still trying to catch up on everyone. I like pictures (who doesn't) and font size is important to me. If I struggle to read the post, I'm usually apt to drop that off my reading list, no matter how interesting he/she is.
ReplyDeleteA big congratulations on your upcoming book!! I never gave any thought to why we do 1/4" seams but of course that makes sense. :0 And I absolutely agree about sharing the boo boos along the way - we're all still learning something, so why act like everything goes perfectly all the time?
ReplyDelete