My Journey as a Quilter
A native of Texas, I grew up surrounded by women that would expose me to the art of quilting when I was young. My grandmother, Cloye was an avid quilter and seamstress. My childhood memories are filled with nights sleeping under handmade quilts in a bed that had a quilting frame hanging above it. My grandmother also made clothes for me throughout my childhood. Occasionally, my Chatty Cathy doll and I would get matching outfits.
My mother, Stella was also a seamstress and made clothes for me until I graduated high school. She started quilting shortly after I did. My mother continues to sew and quilt to this day.
In July 1982, I married my husband Randy and moved from Odessa, TX to Roswell, NM. I quickly decided I needed to find a hobby to occupy my time in this unfamiliar place. That year I made my first quilt from scraps from my childhood clothing. I pieced 8” squares together on a borrowed sewing machine. I tied the quilt with baby blue yarn and used a floral print sheet for the backing. I often share this quilt when I lecture and teach as a reminder that everyone starts from humble beginnings and to be patient and kind to yourself.
My first quilt. Pieced in 1982 as a Christmas gift for my parents.
In February 1983, I attended the first organizational meeting for what would become the Pecos Valley Quilters with 32 other women that were at least 20 years older that me. I was only 23 years old. Although no one knew me and I knew no one, I was selected to be the first treasurer. Dues were $6.00 a year. Over the years, I have served in every office at least once. Over 38 years later, the Pecos Valley Quilters are still active with over 100 members. These women were instrumental in teaching me the basic skills and knowledge needed to become a true quilter. I truly owe these women my heartfelt gratitude. Quilting quickly became my new passion.
I started hand quilting for the public to earn a little extra spending money. My first hand quilting job earned me $50. I remember thinking this was the perfect job. I was getting paid to quilt. I continued to hand quilt for others for almost 10 years. The first quilt tops I made were traditional blocks and patterns that helped me build my basic skills. In 1988, fueled by a desire to create something different, I began designing simple southwestern patterns that were inspired old weavings. I sold my original collection of patterns to a mail order catalog company which still produces them today.
In 1992, I opened a one room quilt shop, Quilt Talk and Sew Much More, inside a full service fabric shop in Roswell, NM. In 1994, I purchased the entire full service fabric shop and it continued to grow, providing quilting and sewing enthusiast with all the latest fabrics, notions, quilting supplies and workshops. I closed the shop in the fall of 1997 to spend more time with my family.
After closing the quilt shop, I began designing quilt patterns full time. My patterns were once again inspired by the beauty of the southwest and my surroundings. My patterns were being sold at quilt shops throughout the U.S.
In 1997, I designed my first fabric design to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the alleged UFO crash of 1947. The fabric was a silk screened 42” x 42” fabric panel, printed in small runs.
After years of collecting, drawing and photographing crosses, I had the opportunity to combine my love of quilting with my love of collecting crosses, when I wrote a book, The Quilted Cross published by AQS in 2003. In 2005, I gathered a unique collection of timeless southwestern designs, inspired by contemporary pottery, jewelry and woven textile into the book, Quilts of the Southwest published by AQS.
Fueled by a desire to expand my skills, I designed my first collection of southwestern fabrics, Spirit of the Southwest for Moda in 2007. I designed the Treasures of the Southwest fabric collection in 2009 and Simply Southwest in 2013.
I have enjoyed traveling throughout the U.S. since 2000, lecturing, teaching and vending at quilt shows.
While the biggest part of my pattern designs are still inspired by the beauty of the Southwest and my surroundings, some of my most recent designs are a series of easy to piece, jelly roll friendly and scrap reduction quilts. Each of these quilts were designed with simple messages of faith, hope, love and peace.
As my journey continues, I look forward to creating new patterns and sharing my designs, inspiring other quilters to try new techniques through workshops and lectures. I am even learning some new techniques myself. Over thirty eight years have past, and I still believe that I have the perfect job!
Thank you for being a part of my journey.