Christal Carter
Christal is teaching class 6005 Matt: How long have you been quilting? What made you begin quilting? Christal: My “Kansas” grandmother taught be to hand-piece a ninepatch when I was a teenager, and I was hooked. I didn’t actually complete a quilt until 1971 for the birth of my second daughter, Catrina. By 1980 I had begun designing and teaching. I still LOVE it! M: Do you have a quilting studio? How big and is there anything unique that you keep in your studio? C: I have a lovely country studio in Calley Center, CA. It is about 600 Sq. feet and has 2 decks outside among the giant oak trees. The floor below is a quest house and art studio. We included built in bunk beds for overnighters… the grandchildren love it! M: What do you consider your quilting “specialty” or what makes you unique in the quilting world? C: I am known primarily as a designer of the ‘log cabin’ block picture quilts, including the traditional squares as well as diamonds, triangles and hexagons. I also design appliquéd pictorial quilts and geometric quilts. I use many techniques, often combining hand & machine work. M: What is your favorite color schemes to work with? C: My favorite color schemes tend to be the warmer colors; I love reds, pinks, oranges and purples. I love all colors, however, and am able to experiment with color blending when I do my oil paintings. M: What books or articles have you written? C: Books: Holiday Happenings, Quilts for All Seasons, A Child’s Garden of Quilts, The Log Cabin Design Workbook. I am a contributor in these books: Decorating with Quilts and Decorating with Quilts and Collections. My quilts have appeared in numerous periodical publications since 1983. M: What do you do while you quilt? C: When I am quilting, I am usually very focused, so music is a great background for that. I sometimes do hand appliqué while watching television. M: What is your quilting inspiration? C: Everything! It doesn’t take much… a comment by a grandchild, a flower in the garden, memories from childhood, just a swatch of fabric can send me spinning. M: What is the funniest moment you have had happen while you were teaching? C: While teaching in Washington State one year, my husband was invited along. A well-known national teacher invited us to stay in her vacation guesthouse. When we arrived back at the house after giving the lecture, we found that the key did not work in the lock. Since our hostess lived some miles away, we borrowed a ladder from the neighbor and climbed into an open second story window with quilts in tow! That was great for so many laughs and wonderful memories! M: What was the best class you have ever taken? C: I loved learning from some of the men in quilting. My favorite was Michael James.. quite the artist! And Geoffrey Gutcheon, quite the quilt rebel at the time. They were both great teachers and very different.]]>

Bonnie Hunter