I live in Winthrop in the beautiful Methow Valley of Washington State and quilting is my favorite hobby along with reading, gardening, hiking and cross-country skiing. I also, co-lead a senior exercise group twice weekly (S.A.I.L. = Stay Active and Independent for Life). My husband and I are both retired, have 1 dog and 2 cats, and enjoy watching the wildlife all around us.
I have been sewing since pre-school when I went to Sewing Circles with my Grandmother and learned hand enbroidery. I made most of my own school clothes by the time I was in Jr. High. My first "quilt" was made in the 70's with two bedsheets and poly batting...tied with yarn. I remember wondering why anyone would cut up all that beautiful fabric just to sew it back together again. Boy have I changed since then! I started really quilting about 5 years ago, but didn't really jump in with both feet until 2010. So, I definitely consider myself a new, but avid quilter. I love batiks (can't buy enough of them) and enjoy dabbling with landscape quilts. I have found that I really enjoy the freedom of creativity available both with the fabric choices, placement and thread painting. My quilting "studio" is currently in a corner of our bedroom, but I am looking forward to moving into a large room in our daylight basement as soon as the woodwork is finished. I do all of my quilting on my Bernina Artista 200...including free motion quilting. A long-arm is definitely on my wish-list, but we will see (it may be a choice between a Europe Trip or the long-arm...hmmm). My stash is mid-size, but is definitely growing. (But, I am also weeding out the WalMart and JoAnn fabrics that I bought early in my quilting life.) I live in an area with 1 quilt shop 18 miles away, the next closest at 50+ miles, and the third closest is 100+ miles...so most of my fabric purchases are done in fits and bursts...or on-line. I buy most of my fabric from FabricDepot.com or ConnectingThreads.com. We have three grown sons and three grandchildren (currently teens to early 20's).