April's Featured Sewist is Halle Edwards. I met Halle shortly after the shop opened. Quite possibly as soon as the shop opened. The first conversation I recall having was talking about her venture into her first quilt, Shimmer. Countless quilts and convos later, she has quite the quilting repertoire!
~What types of things do you sew?
For the most part, I’m a quilter. I have dabbled a bit in garment sewing and do enjoy some cross stitch from time to time, but quilting is definitely at the top of the list for me!
~When did you first begin sewing?
I started with garment sewing and altering thrift store clothing into more fashionable items when I was in high school. I sewed off and on for many years after that. It wasn’t until about four years ago I decided to give quilting a try. Since then I’ve been hooked and spend most of my free time either working on a quilt or planning my next one!
~What was your inspiration to learn sewing?
My mom taught me the basics of sewing clothes when I was younger, and I really enjoyed making unique things for myself. That love of sewing stuck with me, and when I found myself needing a creative outlet during grad school, sewing was the first thing I turned to. At the same time, I wanted to learn some new sewing skills, so I figured I’d try to make myself a quilt. From there, quilting became my creative outlet, stress reliever, and all around fun hobby!
~Do you have a favorite designer of patterns, fabrics, etc.? If not, what general themes or colors do you typically gravitate toward?
I do not have a “cohesive collection” of quilts, and that’s how I like it. Generally, I’d say my quilts have a lot of color in them, and I prefer prints over solids. I also gravitate towards quilt patterns with very little or no background fabric. This sometimes makes for some rather chaotic quilts, but I might love the chaotic quilts the most!
I call this one my "Comforting Chaos" quilt!
A quilt for my niece.
~Tell us a little about the project you are most proud of or your favorite.
I’m most proud of my first “real quilt” – the one that kicked off my love of quilting four years ago. Clearly my ambitious side had taken over the day I picked the Shimmer pattern by Cluck Cluck Sew off the wall of patterns at Stitch. Though it was “beginner friendly” I did not know what I was getting myself into! I think I had over 900 little pieces of fabric to sew together and keep track of, and I spent months working on that quilt. I had a very loose grasp on the ¼” seam allowance and so ended up ripping out a lot of seams when things just kept coming out the wrong size. I kept at it though, finished it, and will say it is probably one of the most difficult quilts I have attempted. And it is definitely one of my favorites!
~What is the one sewing tool (besides your machine or hands) that you would hate to be without?
I can say with certainty that I wouldn’t be a quilter if it weren’t for my rotary cutter. Have you ever tried cutting out tons and tons of little pieces of fabric with scissors? I have, and it’s the pits! Now I know why my grandmother was unsuccessful when she tried to teach me how to quilt – we never made it through the cutting stage!
~Do you have a tip or trick that you would like to share with everyone?
I try to always take my finished quilts out for a little photoshoot, so I’ll share some tips for taking quilt pictures.
- You don’t need a fancy camera, most phones are more than adequate.
- Usually, you will get the best pictures outside on a cloudy day or in a shady area. Lots of times, bright sunlight will wash out all the colors in your quilt top.
- Wash your quilt after taking photos. I LOVE the crinkly texture my quilts get after washing, but I’ve found the quilting usually stands out better in photos pre-crinkle.
