I began sewing when I was 12 years old. I did not take up quilting until the fall of 2002, when I signed up for an adult-ed class offered through the local school district in Northport, NY. Joan Papa was the instructor and she emphasized accuracy in cutting and matching seams. From the start my color selections elicited comments and excitement in our class. Soon my classmates began referring to Becky Colors when someone would add some especially bright or bold fabrics to their quilts. My friend, Debbie Cuneo – an artist and professional illustrator, helped me immensely in learning about color value and hue.
My first quilt was a small crib-size nine-patch done in Halloween colors of black and light orange. The hand quilting design featured a cobweb done from a stencil. My second quilt was a much larger one done in bright colors for my older daughter, Rachel, to take with her to college.
I really love the process of piecing the top of the quilt together. One has to measure and cut accurately, then sew the pieces together with a 1/4′′ seam allowance. Any points or intersections should be precise, and one has to be careful not to cut off points by taking too large a seam.
When the top is complete, then the quilt sandwich (top, batting & backing) has to be quilted together. I have done some quilts by hand with needle and thread. This is a slow, laborious process which I really don’t care for. Another option is using my home sewing machine to do the quilting with some sort of design or pattern. I do this occasionally on small pieces which will fit under the arm of my sewing machine without too many manipulations. Straight lines or grids aren’t too complicated here.
The third option is to have someone else do the quilting on their long-arm quilting machine. Some people have computer-aided machines and can do a very nice allover design over the entire top. This is a not-too-expensive option, especially down here in the Ozarks where there are numerous long-arm quilters. I use this type of quilting on most of my quilts.
The final type of quilting is custom quilting done by a professional on a long-arm machine. When I have a top which I feel is show quality due to the fabric choices, pattern, and time & effort involved in the piecing, then this is the choice I make for my quilt. The extra cost for this is worth it to me.
QUILTS FOR SALE: To view all my quilts currently for sale, visit my Etsy Shop