A Brief Personal Quilting History

I have been through many stages in my quilting career. In my first quilting class we learned how to draft our own blocks from traditional patterns, cut them out with scissors and hand sew them together. Naturally I hand quilted those first quilts.

Then I moved to California for the first time and took a class in making a school house quilt. We used sewing machines and it was awhile before I learned about that all important 1/4 inch seam allowance! Those first house quilts are pretty shaky, LOL.

We moved to Virginia where my next challenge was miniatures. My favorite quilt shop had a class called miniature madness. It was a kit class and by the end of a days sewing we each had a good start on 3 mini quilts. We also learned some new techniques along the way.

Miniatures naturally led to clothing where the scale is smaller. It was also around this time that Judy Murrah came out with her first Jacket Jazz book. The cool techniques in her books really struck a chord with me and the rest is history.

I currently have over 85 jackets and 5 long coats in my closet. And who's counting all the vests, skirts, dresses, etc. as well as the wearables I have given as gifts to family and friends. I'm very glad to have found my niche and that it allows me to try out almost all of the latest techniques. (Don't tell anyone, but I'm a technique junkie!)

I'm visiting the past right now making mini blocks again. This time I was inspired by the Dear Jane book although many of my blocks are my own creations (not that they haven't been thought of before) and they're smaller. That's right, these are 3" finished blocks, all based on a 9-patch grid. Pictures soon.

Lisa