An interview with Elle

Gosh, the title makes it sounds like I’ve “made it big”, eh?

I’m not sure how many of you have run across this new “exercise” on other blogs – but it’s to have folks interview you. I think it’s cool to have to research other people on the net, come up with questions and learn all about them, so I asked a new friend on the art quilt list…Elle (I really dig her art style and the fact that she’s new to all of this like me!) to interview me, here are her five unique questions and my answers:

1. What do you like the most about making crazy quilts?

NO RULES! I would die if I had to measure, cut or piece something that had to be “just so”. I have NO attention span and love the exciting way you put fabrics together that have no apparent connection other than they look great together. On top of this I ADORE fabrics. ALL fabrics…I love the feel etc. I collected fabrics long before picking up a needle…I had them all over the house and had no idea what to do with them. My husband and I were talking about why I like hand sewing them better than using the machine..he thinks it’s a tactile thing that I love to hold the fabrics as I work with them and I have to agree.

2. What is your favorite type of embellishment and/or stitch to do on them?

So far, I really like most embroidery, needle-turn applique and beading, but again the limitless nature of crazy quilting is that I never have to have a favorite embellishment. I do love the feather stitch…it’s so versatile and fun…plus easy enough that I don’t have to get out the instruction book to figure out how to do it!

3. As a “stay at home” mom, are your children often involved in your craft and quilting projects?

Probably more my daughter than my son. Matey Moo doesn’t really seem interested…even when I’m working right in front of him. My daughter is always wanting to “watch me” (which can be good and bad). She helps pick out fabrics (and has picked out some spectacular ones!) and I let her play with pieces all the time (she uses them with her Barbies and dolls). I really hope she’s developing an interest and so far she seems fascinated. Who knows, maybe I’ll suck Matey Moo in at some point too.

4. What do you like the most about your crazy quilt group?

I love that we are an addictions group…not to CURE the addiction, but to support it. When we talk about buying heaps of beads or fabric just “because” – we all understand how it feels. I also felt bad not finishing projects (you know, pick a project, start and finish it) and yet all of the folks in the group are the same way. It seems to be fairly common in CQ to hop from project to project and even to jump around on a piece. It made me feel much less attention deficit.

The other fabulous part about it is how different we all are. Different styles, different tastes and yet VERY accepting and appreciating no matter how different we all are. Steve, our first guy, is a sane quilter and it’s been fun to see what he pieced for the round robin…he has a fantastic eye. Several of the gals are VERY Victorian and Leslie loves Brazilian and landscapes. My background (and still favorite art form) is Pop Art and maybe some graffiti art and yet I still feel accepted.

5. Restoring your grandmother’s quilt and UFOs has been very important to you. How did it make you feel and what do you think she would say about it?

I guess I remember moving all of these projects around (unfinished) for most of my life. Giving credit to my Mom who didn’t throw them out, I really always wanted to see something done with them. I loved finishing the pillow – the frankly unusual (you can read ugly here) background color made it interesting to find an attractive solution that actually looked good and made the whole thing usable.

As for the crazy quilt, I’ve actually stressed about it. I have some motifs picked out (family crests on spoons, her signature, etc) that I want to put on, but haven’t felt like my skills were up to par. She made this crazy quilt when her eyesight was failing and so just used the feather stitch on all the seams. But I wanted to add some more “flourish” to it. I have decided to keep just the feather stitch on seams, but add motifs to the middle. I have a feeling I’ll be working on it for a LONG time, but it’s fun and gives me a connection with past generations that is some-how very zen.

**If any of you want me to interview you like this, post a comment saying “Interview Me” and I’ll send you five questions. Then, post the answers to your personalized questions and include an explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post. I’m really looking forward to doing some interviews, so please let me! 🙂

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