Megan took a quilt class at the shop a handful of years ago and has produced so so many fun things since then, it only made sense to ask her to share her sewing journey!
~What types of things do you sew?
I mainly quilt but I also delve into other projects as I find new inspiration. My current fixation is English Paper Piecing and I just started a fabric pull for Tula Nova quilt.
~When did you first begin sewing?
I've sewn off and on for years but I really got into quilting in 2018. My boyfriend bought me a Project Runway Brother for Christmas and I made a t-shirt quilt of all of my old t-shirts from college.
~What was your inspiration to learn sewing?
I was wracking my brain for a Christmas gift for my mother-in-law and I decided on making her a quilt. I did a pixelated heart pattern with Kansas Troubles fabric and hand quilted the heart; that was the true beginning of my foray into quilting. My brain enjoyed the fact that I could cut up fabric and put it together in new and interesting ways. I also got really into free-motion quilting and I have tried out many techniques to try and bring my quilting to another level. Quilting is my escape from the hubbub of life.
~Do you have a favorite designer of patterns, fabrics, etc.? If not, what general themes or colors do you typically gravitate toward?
I'm really into Tula Pink fabrics at the moment but I typically gravitate towards more modern fabrics in bright colors. I was really into Kansas Troubles fabric for a while but it really depends on what catches my eye while I'm walking down an aisle or through a quilt shop.
~Tell us a little about the project you are most proud of or your favorite.
I'm really proud of the king-size rainbow Cabin Peaks quilt that I made recently. It's the biggest quilt I've made to date and I free motion quilted the entire thing on my domestic machine. I believe that it took me about 90 hours in total between piecing and quilting.
~What is the one sewing tool (besides your machine or hands) that you would hate to be without?
My wool pressing mat. I just can't get my seams to lay flat without it and I love that I can lay something heavy on top of my block while it cools down to lock in that flatness. I have both a small and large mat so I can have one with me wherever I go.
~Do you have a tip or trick that you would like to share with everyone?
Read the pattern twice. I myself have finished cutting a fabric piece only to realize that I read the pattern wrong and cut it too small. I also like to mark the ruler with painter's tape so I can make sure I line up each cut correctly.