Here is the continuation of the interview with our new friends at Plum Easy Patterns!
What inspires you most?
Beautiful fabrics and color. Simple designs and easy sewing. I love when we find a new tool that makes our sewing experience easier. When I give a demo and people connect with what I’m showing, that is rewarding and inspires me to design more patterns.
I love finding shapes, motifs, and color pallets outside of quilting and asking myself if it’s possible to translate that into the medium of fabric. I love looking at the traditional technique for creating a particular quilt block and seeing if I can find a way to get the same look with a faster and easier method of sewing.
Are you more motivated by color or pattern?
Both but if I have to pick one, it would be color. If I see a great pattern and it’s in a color I don’t care for, it is not as tempting.
Pattern most of all. Most quilters I know purchase their fabric and then figure out what pattern to use. I’m the opposite. I get moved by patterns foremost and then agonize over the color selection.
If you had to make only one type of project going forward, what would you choose – quilts, wearables, home décor?
Quilts if you define them as any size quilted project. That can include quilts and also table runners, bed runners, place mats, wall hangings, pillow shams, table cloths, etc. For me, quilting encompasses many types of sewing. I sew pillows for my living room, curtains for my kitchen, pillow shams and quilts for the beds, art quilts for decorating. I am not as interested in wearables, yet. But quilting and home décor for me are inseparable.
Quilts, hands down. I’ve always been very practical. My favorite thing about quilts is that they’re so useful. I love that they cover (no pun intended) one of the most primal needs of humans: staying warm and safe at night. I love knowing for certain that what I’m making will be used by real people to make their lives a tiny bit better, even if it just to keep them warm.
Finish this statement: To me, success is….
To look back on my life and know I did my best. Success is not one thing as in an event you win. It is how you got where you are and how you accomplished it. Success is using whatever talents or special gifts God gave you to the best of your ability and doing that with joy, caring for others, and honesty. Not having excuses for why you didn’t try. Success is being faithful to do the day-to-day things and keep your home and family a priority. There is a saying, “what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?” Success cannot be measured in monetary gain alone. I feel the most successful when my grandchildren are giving me hugs and my family is happy.
Staying true to ourselves as an artist. It’s so tempting to try to create patterns for the sake of making more money or trying to hitch our wagon onto a “scene” within the quilting industry. A lot of times it feels like we don’t fit very well into the Quilting and Sewing world. We’re not considered Modern, or Traditional, or Art Quilters. Every time we try to draw inspiration from what others have had success with it’s been a disaster for us. When we design from our hearts, making what we love and sharing it with the world, that’s when we are the most successful.
What are the next steps in your business adventure?
- We are working on a book to teach advanced techniques with our Folded Star Stencil.
- We have a new pattern coming this spring that is an art quilt for beginners. This will be very different for us but we think it is going to connect with customers.
- We are creating precut fabric kits for Morning Star Hot Pad Pattern to sell to specialty gift stores, where a person doesn’t need to have all the sewing supplies, only an iron and sewing machine to make the pattern.
- Another big dream is to design and write a book about wind socks. We will have our first windsock pattern this year. This will be the most fun project since our hot pad.
- We are gradually translating our patterns into French and this year we will have two more that are bilingual. We might go to France to their largest stitching festival in September.
- As for new fillings, we are looking into offering larger sizes of filling and a new fragrance for unscented walnut shells.
I’ve got a million (ok like, 8) quilt designs bouncing around in my head that I’m dying to translate into fabric and thread. Like with most of my projects, I’ve got the pattern figured out but I’m having a hard time choosing fabric. Mom and I are aiming to launch these quilt designs as my own line of patterns for PlumEasy.
What a great story! The passion they have for their work is contagious! I am excited for what PlumEasy comes up with next!
Check out their blog, they great projects and excellent step-by-step tutorials.
Thanks to Deborah and Bethany, we are so glad you are our new friends!
Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.
~Harriet Tubman
Until next time…Use QT to create something that is fabulous…something fantastic… something FABTASTIC!
On the QT 