Spotlight on Andrea Twiss-Brooks
Andrea was an occasional quilter for many years, and created her first quilt more than 25 years ago. However, her interest in quilting has really blossomed in the last few years. A serendipitous find at an estate sale in her childhood home town of Vernon Center, NY of several shoeboxes
containing the cut out pieces for the blocks for at least a half dozen quilts got her launched back into quilting. Each shoebox was marked by a $1 price tag, too! This find was further helped by receiving her grandmother’s vintage 1950’s Singer sewing machine. Using this machine, she was able to finish several quilt tops quite quickly. She really enjoyed the idea of adding to the work begun by the quilter from a previous generation. The Lady of the Lake pattern featured in the gallery of images now graces the bed in the guest room (which doubles as her quilting “studio”).
Andrea began sewing at the age of 9, and enjoys every step of quilting, from fabric and pattern selection through handstitching bindings. She likes the idea of making something pretty but also useful and gives away many of her quilts to friends and family. She likes to try and make the fabric or choice of design meaningful to the recipient. For example, she found fabrics featuring the colors of the Southwest, and the resulting quilt was shipped off as a surprise gift to her college roommate who lives in Albuquerque.
Both traditional and modern quilts are both favorites, and Andrea tends to find her inspiration in the fabrics. She buys fabrics from those fabulous
quilt shops but also loves to browse the remnant tables at the Vogue Fabrics on Roosevelt Road. Batiks in yard or more lengths often show up there. She recently completed a simple large block pattern featuring western themed fabrics for her son who lives in Phoenix. She also just
dropped off with a long arm quilter a Route 66 themed sampler quilt featuring blocks named for states and cities that Route 66 crossed through.
Featured blocks include Chicago Geese, Windy City, New Mexico, Road to California, and Missouri puzzle. She likes to piece the backs of the quilts, and the Route 66 quilt features a large panel of a map of the US.
If she has any advice to beginning quilters, it’s to just dive and trust your instincts. Even if you aren’t totally satisfied with the outcome, someone out there will love that quilt, and you can give it to them. Andrea says that she almost always has mistakes in her quilts, but she learns from each one.
Since she expects everyone to whom she gives a quilt to use it, when it wears out or falls apart, she’ll just make them another one.
containing the cut out pieces for the blocks for at least a half dozen quilts got her launched back into quilting. Each shoebox was marked by a $1 price tag, too! This find was further helped by receiving her grandmother’s vintage 1950’s Singer sewing machine. Using this machine, she was able to finish several quilt tops quite quickly. She really enjoyed the idea of adding to the work begun by the quilter from a previous generation. The Lady of the Lake pattern featured in the gallery of images now graces the bed in the guest room (which doubles as her quilting “studio”).
Andrea began sewing at the age of 9, and enjoys every step of quilting, from fabric and pattern selection through handstitching bindings. She likes the idea of making something pretty but also useful and gives away many of her quilts to friends and family. She likes to try and make the fabric or choice of design meaningful to the recipient. For example, she found fabrics featuring the colors of the Southwest, and the resulting quilt was shipped off as a surprise gift to her college roommate who lives in Albuquerque.
Both traditional and modern quilts are both favorites, and Andrea tends to find her inspiration in the fabrics. She buys fabrics from those fabulous
quilt shops but also loves to browse the remnant tables at the Vogue Fabrics on Roosevelt Road. Batiks in yard or more lengths often show up there. She recently completed a simple large block pattern featuring western themed fabrics for her son who lives in Phoenix. She also just
dropped off with a long arm quilter a Route 66 themed sampler quilt featuring blocks named for states and cities that Route 66 crossed through.
Featured blocks include Chicago Geese, Windy City, New Mexico, Road to California, and Missouri puzzle. She likes to piece the backs of the quilts, and the Route 66 quilt features a large panel of a map of the US.
If she has any advice to beginning quilters, it’s to just dive and trust your instincts. Even if you aren’t totally satisfied with the outcome, someone out there will love that quilt, and you can give it to them. Andrea says that she almost always has mistakes in her quilts, but she learns from each one.
Since she expects everyone to whom she gives a quilt to use it, when it wears out or falls apart, she’ll just make them another one.
Spotlight on Leslie Kolkmeier
Leslie's fiber "office"
Leslie’s quilting motto: 'On a galloping horse at midnight will this error be visible?' If the answer is yes, I go with 'It's a design element'.
Leslie got started quilting as an offshoot of her knitting, spinning, weaving and embroidery, and learned the basics at a class at The Great American Coverup in Plano, Texas. She was attracted by the long history of quilts, the richness of fabrics available today, the colors, and unlimited creative opportunities. Feeling a part of a long line of quilters and the downright usefulness of the end product are some of the things she likes best about quilting. Like many of us, she also finds that the hardest thing about quilting is resisting the temptation to buy more fabric!
Leslie has some favorite quilters including Gwen Marston, but finds things to love in most everyone's work. She also singles out Sarah Nishiura, Jacqui Gering, and Amish quilters everywhere as particular favorites.
For a workspace, Leslie has appropriated a bedroom in her home which she refers to as her 'office'. She uses a sewing machine for piecing because she feels the work is sturdier, but likes hand quilting. During the winter, Leslie may spend 20 hours a week on quilting, but in the summer usually has other activities to occupy her time.
Where does she find her inspiration and materials? She has no ‘favorite’ colors, but chooses whatever catches her eye, and has found that over the years she experiments with a changing palette of colors. Leslie buys her fabrics from any quilt, fabric or thrift store. In addition, she is using more repurposed clothing these days, incorporating fabric from clothes worn back when she had a 'real job'. Right now, Leslie is working on a queen size bed quilt, placemats, two twin size bed quilts and a table runner...short attention span anyone?
Leslie still does a lot of non-quilting fiber arts. “I have an over active fiber gene,” she says.
Her second quilt was a king size bed quilt for a co-worker. She does wonder if the recipient realized the number of hours that went into it. To become more comfortable with asymmetry and her own designs are among her goals as a quilter.
Leslie’s love of fabric extends to other treasured possessions. She has a recently found a lace blouse that belonged to her great-grandmother (“It actually fits me!”).
Leslie got started quilting as an offshoot of her knitting, spinning, weaving and embroidery, and learned the basics at a class at The Great American Coverup in Plano, Texas. She was attracted by the long history of quilts, the richness of fabrics available today, the colors, and unlimited creative opportunities. Feeling a part of a long line of quilters and the downright usefulness of the end product are some of the things she likes best about quilting. Like many of us, she also finds that the hardest thing about quilting is resisting the temptation to buy more fabric!
Leslie has some favorite quilters including Gwen Marston, but finds things to love in most everyone's work. She also singles out Sarah Nishiura, Jacqui Gering, and Amish quilters everywhere as particular favorites.
For a workspace, Leslie has appropriated a bedroom in her home which she refers to as her 'office'. She uses a sewing machine for piecing because she feels the work is sturdier, but likes hand quilting. During the winter, Leslie may spend 20 hours a week on quilting, but in the summer usually has other activities to occupy her time.
Where does she find her inspiration and materials? She has no ‘favorite’ colors, but chooses whatever catches her eye, and has found that over the years she experiments with a changing palette of colors. Leslie buys her fabrics from any quilt, fabric or thrift store. In addition, she is using more repurposed clothing these days, incorporating fabric from clothes worn back when she had a 'real job'. Right now, Leslie is working on a queen size bed quilt, placemats, two twin size bed quilts and a table runner...short attention span anyone?
Leslie still does a lot of non-quilting fiber arts. “I have an over active fiber gene,” she says.
Her second quilt was a king size bed quilt for a co-worker. She does wonder if the recipient realized the number of hours that went into it. To become more comfortable with asymmetry and her own designs are among her goals as a quilter.
Leslie’s love of fabric extends to other treasured possessions. She has a recently found a lace blouse that belonged to her great-grandmother (“It actually fits me!”).