Kimberly Einmo will be teaching 3015C Lone Starburst on Wednesday; 4015C Bermuda Triangles on Thursday; 5014C Spinning Stars on Friday; and 6014C Variable Pinwheel Star on Saturday
Personal: Kimberly Einmo is a modern quilter who has been surrounded by men her whole life. She grew up in the small town of Canal Fulton, Ohio with two older brothers. Today, she is married to her husband, Kent, and they have two wonderful sons, ages 20 and 15. Kimberley and her family are all certified, PADI scuba divers. They plan their vacations and trips around great diving destinations.
How did you get started in quilting? My mother had grown up in the depression era and hated anything to do with sewing. But she had the wisdom to know I should have some basic sewing skills so she signed me up for some sewing classes when I was seven years old at the local Singer Sewing shop in Massillon, Ohio. I loved sewing from the start and it wasn’t long before I was making many of my own clothes. I joined a 4-H group when I was eight years old called “Buttons and Bows” where I learned even more about garment construction and crafts such as Christmas stockings, tote bags, and holiday décor items. I would enter my garments in the county fair every summer and I loved winning blue ribbons! For Christmas when I was 10 years old, my parents bought me a sturdy Singer sewing machine that had zig zag and hem stitches which at that time, were quite a big deal! They also surprised me with a cabinet to hold the machine. They were the best Christmas gifts I ever received! I still have that old Singer machine. However, it wasn’t until I walked into that quilt shop in Alexandria in 1991 when I realized you could piece blocks and quilt on a sewing machine.
Where do you find inspiration for your quilting? Everywhere! Nature, architecture, even bathroom floors! (There’s a story there……)
What is the one quilting tool you can’t live without? My sewing machine! Why? Because even though I can piece and quilt by hand, I love sewing on a sewing machine so much more! However, I also can’t live without a rotary cutter.
What was the latest award you won for your quilting? My quilt Fire and Ice just won the top award for BEST MODERN QUILT at AQS QuiltWeek in Chattanooga, TN. I was pretty thrilled about that!!
Where is the farthest you’ve traveled that was quilt related? I have taught classes at many international locations, but probably the farthest locale was the Czech Republic for the Prague Patchwork Meeting. I have taught there several times!
What do you like best about teaching? Getting to know the students personally! It makes me so happy to meet each and every student and find out a little bit about their life and why they like to quilt. I’m always blessed by meeting and sharing with others.
What is the funniest or most embarrassing moment that you’ve had while you were teaching? Oh my goodness, there are so many! But I can tell you about one very scary moment while I was teaching a class on a Friday night. The store was actually closed, but the front door was unlocked. A man walked in to the front counter and told the shop owner that he had a gun and had just committed an armed robbery and that he wanted to turn himself in to the police. I overheard this and grabbed all the students and locked them in a tiny bathroom while I called 911 and kept an eye on the shop owner and the man as she talked very calmly to him. The police arrived and took him away, but it was an incredibly tense situation. Afterwards, we all giggled from nervous energy about having crammed so many women in a tiny bathroom!
What do you want your students to get out of your class? I want students to have an open mind and be willing to try new things! I always encourage students to step out of their box and learn something new. It is my personal goal to make every class I teach a “stress-free” zone! I want students to leave my classes knowing they learned a lot, accomplished a lot of actual sewing, and to go home feeling relaxed, happy, and refreshed from a great day in the classroom!
What is your best quilting tip? Take your time and be very accurate as you cut and sew. Accuracy is oh-so-important to achieve great results!
You can find Kimberly at her web site and on her blog.
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[…] When it rains it pours….and for me, the good stuff just keeps coming this week. (Yeah!) I want to share this cool link with you all to the blog for ROAD 2 California! I think you’ll enjoy learning a few more fun facts about me in this interview! I invite you to check it out HERE. […]