A Different Perspective - Sarah Craig

I am starting a new feature called A Different Perspective. This is going to be a feature where I introduce fellow followers of Qubee Quilts to you my reader. I hope that this is a way we can learn about other quilters like ourselves and know that we are not alone and maybe reach out and find a new quilting friend.

Today I would like to introduce you to Sarah Craig. She has been a reader of Qubee Quilts for a while now.

• Tell us a little bit about yourself?

First of all, I’m really honored to be interviewed here! I’ve enjoyed your blog for a while now and found lots of inspiration here. I’ve been blogging and quilting for about a year and a half - just kind of fell into both at the same time. Nowadays I can’t imagine spending my day without some sewing and some blog surfing - even on vacation! I’m blessed to get to stay at home with my 3-year old granddaughter four days a week, which gives me some freedom to sew - actually much more than I had when I worked full time. I work with a growing quilt ministry at my church that has distributed over 120 quilts to people in need over the past year and a half, and have the joy of teaching quilting to people who never thought they could ever sew, much less quilt. When our ministry began, none of us had made more than one or two quilts in our lives, and most had never made one at all. We’ve come a long way, baby!!

• What is your quilting background? (When did you first get started into quilting)

In Winter Snows - Original Deign

It’s funny - my grandmother taught me to sew and do all kinds of needlework, but she wasn’t a quilter - so I never made a quilt until I was a senior in high school. I made my first quilt using a quilt-in-a-day log cabin pattern (I must say it took a lot longer than a day to make!) and then never did much more with quilting until about a year and a half ago. I caught the bug then after organizing a quilting bee to make a quilt for a friend with cancer, and haven’t looked back since!

• Have you always been a quilter or did you start out doing something else?

I started out young - I learned to sew at age eight - and made all my school clothes for years at my grandmother’s house during the summer. She also taught me to do crewel and cross-stitch, knitting and crocheting. The cross-stitch took the best, I think - I went through a period of about fifteen years where that was my favorite craft. Alas, age and vanity caught up with me and when I started needing glasses in addition to my contacts to do stitchery, I put it aside......

• What inspires you?

I seem to find a lot of inspiration in architecture - I like the clean bold lines of good architectural design. I also find inspiration every day as I blog surf - there are so many talented quilters and designers out there!!

Caribbean Reflections

• What is your favorite color to use in your quilts?

By necessity, because most the quilts I make are charity quilts, I don’t always get to choose my favorite colors to quilt with. But given a free hand, I tend toward bright summery colors, with green usually being dominant.

• I was always taught that quilts need to be 100% cotton. Cotton fabric, cotton batting & cotton backing, but now am learning to use other types of fabrics in my quilts. Is this the case for you?

I’m afraid I’m kind of a purist when it comes to quilts - I really prefer to use cotton to anything else! But I’ll try anything once to see if I like it!

• What draws you to a certain type of fabric? The line, color, designer, etc?

Sue Ann's Quilt

Usually it’s color that draws me to a fabric first, then a design that appeals to me. I tend toward whimsical fabrics with contemporary color combinations. And it seems that I am drawn to almost anything with Kate Spain’s name on it!!

• What does modern quilting mean to you?

Modern quilting means fewer rules, more freedom, a chance to think outside the traditional box. I think that the modern quilting movement has allowed a lot of women to embrace the craft who otherwise would not have the time or energy to try it. Simpler quilts made with bold and interesting fabric - bring it on!!

• What is your least & most favorite part of quilting & why for each?

That’s a hard question. I love all parts of quilting, but if I had to say which parts slow me down the most, it would have to be cutting the pieces at the outset of a project, and preparing a quilt back. My GO! Cutter has eased the first problem. I’ve also learned that not every quilt back has to be pieced - sometimes it’s acceptable to put a whole cloth back on a quilt so that it can be finished and move on to its new home, with someone who needs the comfort it will provide. My favorite part? When I finish the flimsy, press it all nice and flat, and hang it over my quilting frame - seeing all that beautiful pieced goodness just waiting to be quilted makes my day!

Not Your Grandmother's Flower Garden - Original Deign

• When making a quilt do you follow a pattern or make it up as you go along?

I usually start with a design - either one of my own or someone else’s - but then I will adjust it to fit the size of quilt that I need, or the amount and numbers of fabrics I have to work with. Pieced quilt backs are another thing - those usually just grow on my design wall made from leftovers of the fabric from the front of the quilt. Now that’s fun - no rules, just creating!!

• Do you consider yourself a ruler breaker in quilting?

More of a rule-ignorer, I think! I never had any formal instruction in quilting, so no one ever told me the “rules”! If what I’m doing works and looks good, then it’s good enough for me.

• How can others find out more about you?

They can come visit my blog, Confessions of A Fabric Addict. There are several regular features there - Make-A-List Monday, Toddlerless Tuesday, Can I Get A Whoop Whoop Friday, and Surfin’ Sunday. The first two are basically for my benefit, to keep me accountable on my projects in progress. Fridays are for anyone who wants to celebrate their own progress to link up and share - then check out the links and provide encouragement to their fellow linkers! It’s a great way to meet new bloggers and get and give a little “attagirl”. And on Sundays, I try to feature a fellow quilt blogger who may be new to most of my readers.

Yarn and String

• Is there anything else you would like the readers to know about you?

Charity quilting is near and dear to my heart, and earlier this summer I hosted the Hands2Help Charity Quilt Challenge. Quilt bloggers are currently making quilts for Judi of Green Fairy Quilts to send to Romania to be distributed there during her husband’s annual trip. This is a great group of quilters and it looks like we will have in excess of fifty quilts to send to Judi as a result of this challenge. It’s too late to join up this year, but we’re hoping this will be an annual event - so keep an eye out for the next H2H challenge!!

Thank you Sarah, for taking the time to be with us today and letting us take a peek into your world of quilting. It has been a pleasure getting to know more about you.

If you would like be a part of A Different Perspective please drop me a line. I would love to showcase you here.


Until next time,