Who are these talented ladies, you ask? Read on—and check out their blogs for more!
Pétra
Anderson
When I was growing up there was always
some form of art in my life. My Granny painted; my Mom did ceramics, sewed, and
eventually made art quilts. I received a BFA in painting from the Kansas City
Art Institute and continued my "art career" in the retail industry as
a makeup artist and working at Art Media after moving to Portland in 1993. Then
I ventured into teaching art to children, and also started an Etsy business making
knitting-needle holders.
Then everything turned into kids and family.
After my life calmed down a bit I was ready to be creative again. My goal
was to start painting again but then I made my first quilt and I was hooked! I
also started a blog in 2009 (here is my first post). I had no idea what I was doing,
or that there were other bloggers doing exactly what I was doing—and then I
found this wonderful community through PMQG.
My quilting philosophy stems directly
from my fine art background, where I painted a lot of abstract art landscapes
and had a bold use of color. I approach a lot of my quilts by starting with
sketches and also just improvising on my design wall with blocks of fabric. I
love improv piecing and quilting but I also enjoy working from patterns some
and focusing more on fabric choice and color. Of course I have always been
addicted to fabric and hope to take things a step further by getting into
fabric design in the future.
Blog: Sew Paint Create
Instagram, Flicker, Twitter:
@CreativeMomPDX
Jen
Carlton Bailly is a self-taught sewist who learned to
sew from online tutorials. Before she began sewing she graduated from the Art
Institute of Seattle in fashion marketing. Having a love of textiles, fashion,
and art, sewing/quilting was a natural progression and a quick addiction. She
finds inspiration in everything from an old dresser drawer to a run-down
Portland building. Currently working full-time from home as the communications
manager for the Modern Quilt Guild, she spends every free minute sewing.
Blog: bettycrockerass.com
Susan
Beal is the author of seven books,
including Modern Log Cabin Quilting, Sewing for all Seasons, Bead
Simple, and Button It Up. She’s also the historian for the Modern
Quilt Guild, a contributing editor at Stitch magazine, and the mother of
two little children, Pearl and Everett. Her Pearl's Rainbow Charm Bracelet
(quilted by Nancy Stovall) is part of the PMQG Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show
special exhibit for 2014, and a new version of the quilt pattern will be
published in Scraps, Inc. later this year.
Susan also teaches log cabin quilting
classes for Creativebug,
and her new book of sewing projects with Pendleton wool, Hand-Stitched Home,
comes out in September.
Blog: West
Coast Crafty
Instagram: @westcoastcrafty
Christina
Cameli fell in love with quilting as a folk
art more than a decade ago. She spends her sewing time experimenting with
fabric, using up scraps, and finishing her quilts on her home sewing machine.
She works primarily without patterns, enjoying the surprise of letting quilts develop
as they go. She loves to share enthusiasm for quilting with anyone who is
excited to try it. Christina believes
quilting is for everyone, regardless of budget or style or experience. She sees
quilting as an art—a living, breathing art that we are all creating together.
Christina's special interest is in
helping quilters become comfortable with free-motion quilting. She has a series
of free-motion quilting tutorials on her blog, and is the author of “First
Steps to Free-Motion Quilting: 24 Projects for Fearless Stitching”.
Blog: A Few Scraps
Rachel
Kerley
A founding member of the Portland Modern
Quilt Guild, Rachel has been quilting ever since she found some squares,
drafted her own pattern, and proceeded to make every mistake imaginable. After
making a couple of hundred tops, quilting and finishing a couple hundred more,
Rachel has grown her piecing and quilting skills and can easily communicate her
vision of creating simple, artful utility quilts. Drawing on her art education,
her love of Art Deco, and her ongoing delight with the simple circle, Rachel
designs most of her own patchwork and applique.
Rachel quilts freehand on an Innova
22" longarm machine. "I like the idea of the quilting being
uniquely mine, no quilt is ever repeated exactly the same. And the idea of being
able to reinterpret older quilting motifs from my own perspective gives me
great joy. Quilting is something that gives me a chance to connect to the
women before me, to connect with my own sense of Womanhood and to women around
me."
Rachel tends to work in series in
her home studio, making bed quilts of various sizes, with each quilt as an
opportunity to express herself. She has also collaborated with other
artists and worked for manufacturers.
Instagram: @2ndavestudio
Christina
Lane
I have
been sewing since I was a little girl, when my mom gave me many pushes to try
it. I can't say I was particularly interested, but I had a lot of fun
making things with her and my grandmother. I loved to dissect objects and
figure out how they were made and then make them myself, to my own
specifications. I started quilting in my teens, but really went full
force into it after my step dad died in my early 20s. It was my therapy,
and still is today. I especially love drawing graphic quilts, figuring
out the math and placement for a quilt top, and making it happen. I love
the whole process.
My
quilting philosophy: Enjoy the process. Society has this instant
gratification problem. We want it now. Quilting isn't an instant
kind of thing. It takes time. You have to figure out your pattern,
cut your fabric, sew your pieces, rip a few seams, square your blocks, assemble
the top, assemble your backing, sandwich the quilt, quilt it, bind it...
A lot goes into making a quilt. You're going to be working on it
for awhile, so you should enjoy the process. See the beauty in each step.
By taking your time and enjoying the process you will not only have a
greater love for quilting, but also an end product you are happier with.
Taking your time has never been a bad thing in any endeavor.
Christina is the author of Quilting Happiness (Aug 2013, Potter Craft)
Blog: Sometimes Crafter
instagram:
@SometimesCraftr
Cherri
Langley
I love surface design, unusual color
combinations and clever cutting and piecing techniques. I have made over 100
rotary cut, paper pieced or improv quilts. I love quilts with fussy cut
elements and traditional block designs reinterpreted in a modern way. I
appreciate quilts that are full of pattern and color and showcase quality
construction techniques.
