Sharyn Craig

Sharyn is teaching class 7013

Matt: How long have you been quilting? What made you begin quilting?

Sharyn: I started taking my first quilting class through the local adult education program in 1978. At the time it was just a natural progression … the next step, for someone who had sewn and crafted forever. My youngest child started kindergarten and I started quilting.

M: Do you have a quilting studio? How big and is there anything unique that you keep in your studio?

S: My sewing room is about 12 x 20 … I’ve just never been able to think of it as a studio. I am fortunate enough to have enough wall space that I have the luxury of 2 large flannel walls, each about 8 feet by 8 feet. A very important goal for me in this space is that it be very organized so that when I have time to sew I can put my fingers on everything I need immediately. I like my fabric hidden from sight, with most of it being stored in file cabinet drawers, up on end, so I can see every piece of whatever color I want just by opening that drawer.

M: What do you consider your quilting “specialty” or what makes you unique in the quilting world?

S: Definitely Setting blocks is my favorite part. I love taking problem blocks, such as size issues, or color problems, and figuring out ways to fix those problems. I like to think that when it comes to setting my blocks together I take what our grandmothers did and move it to the next step. I’m definitely a traditional quilter, but I do march to my own drummer!

M: What is your favorite color schemes to work with?

S: Definitely the reds, greens, blacks, and warm beiges or even yellow tones.

M: What books or articles have you written?

S: Yikes, book number 17 came out in the Spring of 2010. My titles include: The Art of Classic Quiltmaking, Drafting Plus, Setting Solutions, Great Sets, Twist ‘n Turn, Quilt Challenges, Half Log Cabin Quilts, and Layer ’em Up (volumes 1, 2, and 3) There have been lots of magazine articles over the 30 plus years as well.

M: What do you do while you quilt? Listen to music?

S: I will only have music or tv on if I’m doing repetitive work that doesn’t require any thinking. I do like music (country to classical, and lots in between), but if I need to concentrate or create Ijust can’t handle any distractions.

M: What is your quilting inspiration?

S: In the beginning it was antique quilts. Old quilts are probably a source of inspiration today, although I don’t actively study old quilts any more, except when looking for a different sort of color scheme, or perhaps a new block. It was never for the exact quilt, but more often for the emotional feel I got from that antique quilt. That’s the sort of thing I wanted for my quilts … for people to have a positive emotional response.

M: What is the funniest moment you have had while you were teaching?

S: I’m not sure this counts, and at the time I sure didn’t think it was so funny … but here goes, I was part of a 3 person teacher panel at Houston Quilt Market. We were sitting on bar stool type chairs on a stage as the moderator asked us questions, then the audience got to ask questions. At a very inopportune moment a giant sneeze came out of me … causing my front fastening bra to come undone. If there hadn’t been a few men in the audience I would have immediately fixed the problem. Instead I had to sit there with my arms crossed for the rest of the questions, hoping everyone wasn’t thinking I was mad!

Another time … at another conference … when we left for lunch and I locked up the classroom, someone from maintenance came and changed the locks to my classroom, without telling anyone. The students thought it was hysterical … me? I was worried about how to fix this problem and retrieve all the quilts inside?

M: What was the best class you have ever taken?

S: I’d probably have to say it was that initial adult ed class … although the teacher wasn’t one of the best, and in 1978 there was still so very much to learn, but she empowered me to be able to do stuff on my own. She didn’t always have answers, but she gave me the tools I needed to find them myself. She helped me believe in my own abilities … as a student, a quilter, and as a quilting teacher. Within a year after I started taking this class I was working as her assistant. Within 2 years I was actually teaching the class on my own. Her encouragement was a critical part of that equation.

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Penny Haren

Penny is teaching classes 3005, 4005, 5005, 6007, 7006.

Matt: How long have you been quilting? What made you begin quilting?

Penny: I have quilted for 30 years. My grandmother was a quilter.

M: Do you have a quilting studio? How big and is there anything unique that you keep in your studio?

P: I am now an empty nester so I have turned the master bedroom into my sewing room.

M: What do you consider your quilting “specialty” or what makes you unique in the quilting world.

P: I am a math brain, so I incorporate that aspect into all my books, notions and fabric designs.

M: What is your favorite color schemes to work with?

P: Anything that can be fussy cut.

M: What do you do while you quilt? Do you listen to music?

P: I enjoy to Talk and listen to T.V.

M: What books or articles have your written?

P: I authored: Penny Haren’s Pieced Appliqué, More Pieced Applique, Intricate Blocks Made Easy, and Week-end Projects, along with many articles.

M: Who is your quilting inspiration?

P: I would have to say Eleanor Burns.

M: What is the funniest moment you have had happen while you were teaching?

P: I recently said that scissors that had handles that were spore and organism resistant were “Sperm and Orgasm” resistant!

M: What was the best class you have ever taken?

P: I’m usually teaching – and haven’t had time to take classes in years!

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Pat Yamin

Pat is teaching class 5013

Matt: How long have you been quilting? What made you begin quilting?

Pat: I have been quilting for over 40 years. Moving from the Midwest to NY, it was very relaxing for me living in dowtown Brooklyn without knowing anyone.

M: Do you have a quilting studio? How big and is there anything unique that you keep in your studio?

P: I live in a 14 room Victorian house and tend to use all of the rooms. Each one has a different purpose. My home based office is in the Maids Room. When I first started the business in 1981 I taught classes in this room. Now it is filled with office work, computers and files.

M: What do you consider your quilting “specialty” or what makes you unique in the quilting world?

P: I design and manufacture templates to make the quilter’s lives easier.

M: What is your favorite color schemes to work with?

P: I truly love the colors of the 1880’s or lots of bright colors.

M: What books or articles have you written?

P: I am working on my 4^th book to be published by AQS, Two-Patched Quilts.

M: What do you do while you quilt? Do you listen to music?

P: When I am sewing or quilting I like it to be quiet. My creativity comes from this absolutely quiet time.

M: What is your quilting inspiration?

P: I get a lot of my inspiration from History. Old newspaper patterns, old textile, orphan blocks and quilt tops.

M: What is the funniest moment you have had happen while you were teaching?

P: The funniest moment I had was demonstrating rotary cutting to a group of beginning quilter’s . Taking a moment to talk between the demo I was flipping the 28mm rotary in my hand like a baton. Without realizing it, I was shredding the front of my blue and white seersucker pants@!

M: What was the best class you have taken?

P: I have taken so many classes and lectures there in not one that stands out, it’s the cumulative experiences that have driven me and the business.

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Pam Clarke

Pam will be teaching classes 1002, 1008, 2002, 2008, 4014

Matt: How long have you been quilting? What made you begin to quilting?

Pam: I have been quilting 40 years. I enjoy making quilts to hand down to my

family.

M: Do you have a quilting studio? How big and is there anything unique that you keep in your studio?

P: My quilting studio is 1500 square feet. I have many vintage quilts, toy sewing machines and vintage sewing notions.

M: What do you consider your quilting “specialty” or what makes you unique in the quilting world?

P: Longarm quilting make it look like it was done by hand.

M: What is your favorite color schemes to work with?

P: I love scrap quilts, so the more colors the better.

M: What books or articles have you written?

P: I have self-published over 25 sketch books – “Quilting Inside the Lines”

M: What do you do while you quilt? Do you listen to music?

P: I love country music – the older the better.

M: What is your quilting inspiration?

P: I love life and everything around me.

M: What is the funniest moment you have had happen while you were teaching?

P: I can’t think of one at this moment but I am sure there have been many.

M: What was the best class you ever took?

P: Ricky Tims

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Maria Tamaoka

Maria is teaching class 6036

Matt: How long have you been quilting? What made you begin quilting?

Maria: I made my first quilt in 1985. I visited an old classmate of mine, saw she made a quilt and thought, hmm, I like sewing, I’ll give it a try. I was hooked!

Matt: Do you have a quilting studio?

Maria: My “studio” is my store, Pinwheels, living room, bedroom, kitchen-wherever I find a free table and ironing board.

Matt: What do you consider your quilting “specialty” or what makes you unique in the quilting world?

Maria: My husband and I brought Daiwabo Taupe Fabric to the US in 2001. Since then, I’ve been called the Taupe lady. I love making “monochromatic” traditional quilts using Daiwabo Taupe Fabric.

Matt: What is your favorite color schemes to work with?

Maria: Hmmmm…Taupe????

Matt: What books or articles have you written?

Maria: My first book was called Inspirations from Japan. I have also been published in Quilter’s Newsletter magazine, Quilt Mania and Patchwork Tsushin Japan.

Matt: What do you do while you quilt? Do you listen to music?

Maria: I love listening to Books on Tape.

Matt: What is your quilting inspiration?

Maria: The fabric inspires me.

Matt: What is the funniest moment you have had happen while you were teaching?

Maria: I’m sure there are many things, as we usually have a good time in class, just can’t think of anything right now.

Matt: What was the best class you have ever taken?

Maria: Hard to say the best class, but I remember my first class as it really started me quilting.

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Mary Lou Wiedman

Mary Lou is teaching classes 3011, 4502, 6702 and 8401

Matt: How long have you been quilting? What made you begin quilting?

Mary Lou: My grandmothers taught me 35 years ago.

Matt: Do you have a quilting studio? How big and is there anything unique tht you keep in your studio?

Mary Lou: My daylight basement is my studio. I have too much stuff.

Matt: What do you consider your quilting “specialty” or what makes you unique in the quilting world?

Mary Lou: Stories and “out of the box” techniques – I like teaching at principles to quilters who only know techniques.

Matt: What is your favorite color schemes to work with?

Mary Lou: Cheddar, Black and Red.

Matt: What books or articles have you written?

Mary Lou: “Quilted Memories”, “Whimsies and Whatnots”, “Out of the Box”, “Everyday Angels” and lots of book lets.

Matt: What do you do while you quilt? Do you listen to music?

Mary Lou: I listen to golden oldies, the blues and “Happy” music.

Matt: What is your quilting inspiration?

Mary Lou: Life and memories.

Matt: What is the funniest moment you have had happen while you were teaching?

Mary Lou: A lady choked on a mint and a good looking fireman came and everyone took photos.

Matt: What was the best class you have ever take?

Mary Lou: A class from a nun from Gonzaga about color and design.

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Martha Nordstrand

Martha is teaching classes 3007, 4007, 5008, 6009, and 7008

Matt: How long have you been quilting? What made you begin quilting?

Martha: All my life, but seriously for 30 years.

M: Do you have a quilting studio? How big and is there anything unique that you keep in your studio.

M: My family room is my studio.

M: What do you consider your quilting ”specialty” or what makes you unique in the quilting world?

M: Applique is my specialty especially using unusual tools! Plus embroider to embellish the piece.

M: What is your favorite color schemes to work with?

M: Pure colors plus lots of green.

M: What books or articles have you written?

M: Several articles for AQS and I have self-published my own books.

M: What do you do while you quilt? Do you listen to music?

M: Music, movies etc.

M: What is your quilting inspiration?

Martha: Nature and the natural world.

M: What is the funniest moment you have had happen while you were teaching?

M: A student spending 20 minutes trying to thread a pin!

M: What was the best class you have ever taken?

M: Sharyn Craig fixing uneven blocks. I am not a good piecer, so I need all the help I can get. She can make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear!

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Lisa Coulombe

Lisa is teaching class 4032

Matt: How long have you been quilting? What made you begin quilting?

Lisa: I have been quilting for 22 years. I took my first quilting class, a traditional sampler made entirely by hand using templates we drafted ourselves when I was 8 months pregnant with my first child. After all, every baby need a baby quilt and there were no quilters in my family.

M: Do you have a quilting studio? How big and is there anything unique that you keep in your studio?

L: Yes, I have a wonderful second story room, approximately 10 x 20 with lots of natural light and space where I create my art. My room is extremely organized with everything sorted by color. The most unusual thing in my studio is my “princess” pillow where my cat likes to sleep, although any fabric left on the floor is still fair game!

M: What do you consider your quilting “specialty” or what makes you unique in the quilting world.

L: I love to learn new techniques and to enjoy making up my own techniques to create the visions I see in my mind. My specialty is wearable art, but I dabble in anything and everything!

M: What is your favorite color schemes to work with?

L: I am consistently drawn to bright clear colors whether they are pastels, medium values or intense dark fabrics.

M: What do you do while you quilt? Do you listen to music?

L: I listen to books on tape while sewing. Any genre will do: mysteries, romance, fantasy, thrillers.

M: What books or articles have your written?

L: I have had 3 vests and a jacket published in McCall’s Quilting and I wrote an article for them on free motion quilting on lamé.

M: What is your quilting inspiration?

L: As an artist I feel it’s important to keep a journal or inspirational photos and clippings. What inspires me the most is color. I’m always on the lookout for a new exciting color combination. I also love the challenge of figuring out how to do something. I rarely read directions, but prefer to figure it out on my own way.

M: What is the funniest moment you have had happen while you were teaching?

L: I was teaching a free quilting class at a senior center when a new student came in during the lesson. I asked her name and welcomed her then continued with the lesson. I was quite flattered at first with the interest she took and all the questions she asked. A few minutes later I realized that she was drinking rather freely from a bottle she kept tucked inside a paper bag and was pretty much out of it. Fortunately she wandered off on her own soon.

M: What was the best class you have ever taken?

L: I took a class from Ruth McDowell where we learned how to draft our own designs. It was very freeing and lots of fun.

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Linda Thielfoldt

Linda is teaching classes 1006, 1012, 2006, 2012, 3014, 4014, 5016, 5018, 8601, 8602

Matt: How long have you been quilting? What made you begin quilting?

Linda: I started quilting 37 years ago because my older sister was having a baby and I wanted to make a quilt for her – I was 13 but had been sewing since I was 9.

M: Do you have a quilting studio? How big and is there anything unique that you keep in your studio?

L: Yes, actually I have two places – one is where I work and is known as my studio – it is fairly large and was custom built for my business. The other is where I play and is known as my sewing room. The sewing room is 12 x 15 and the studio is 15 x 38. I keep 25 different kinds of batting at hand.

M: What do you consider your quilting “specialty” or what makes you unique in the quilting world?

L: I am a very traditional quilter who does not take the whole process too seriously. I do lots of feathers but with a company name like “The Quilted Goose” you might expect that. I am known for my wearable art.

M: What is your favorite color schemes to work with?

L: Warm colors – but I do love weird combinations too – especially reproductions from the mid 1800’s.

M: What books or articles have you written?

L: I have written for Threads Magazine and have written many articles for On Track magazine , which is published by the International Machine Quilters Association. I usually have one or two in each issue.

M: What do you do while you quilt?

L: Usually I have TV on for background noise if I am piecing, if I am quilting I listen to talk radio or music. I am very into contemporary Christian music and listen to the internet station K-Love.

M: What is your quilting inspiration?

L: Traditional quilts of the past – I find them so interesting and when I think about what they came up with and how primitive their tools were compared to today I am just blown away. Here n MI we have the Susan McCord collection at The Henry Ford and those are just jaw dropping beautiful! All made at a time when just doing the laundry took all day and the lighting came from burning something!

M: What is the funniest moment you have had happen while you were teaching?

L: Well, one was funny and one was scary… The funny one was when a pregnant student’s water broke… and the other was when a student cut the tip of her finger off with a rotary cutter only minutes after me going through the whole safety thing about using them. What is really amazing is that 1) I don’t do blood and yet managed to get a wet paper towel and pick up the finger, wrap it in the paper and at the same time help the student get off to the emergency room 2) she had never taken a class before and didn’t want to miss a minute of it – she got 13 stitches and CAME back to the (all day) class! She and her friend actually got quite a bit done in spite of all the excitement. 3) After class I felt like throwing up when I replayed the day in my mind. Another funny moment was in a DSM class when a student sewed her top to the quilt she was working on and had to take it off to unsew it – that was interesting.

M: What was the best class you have ever taken?

L: Well I am mostly self taught and I have not taken that many classes. When I started there were not many options for learning and I had to do it the old way – you know lots of mistakes and a success here and there just to keep you going. I did take quite a few long arm classes in my early years and one that does come to mind is a drawing class with Janet Fogg several years ago. Just hearing how her mind works in regards to the design process was worth the price of admission.

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Linda Taylor

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