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Hi Amy (and Amy's readers!) Thanks for having me!
1. When did you begin quilting?
I jumped into sewing not too long ago. I never had any interest in sewing or learning how to sew until all of a sudden I decided I wanted to make myself a few market bags. My mom gave me a little lesson on the sewing machine back in 2008 (the end of 2007? I can't remember!) and it's been non stop since then! At that time I also fell in love with fabric and started collecting pieces of my favorites. I think Flickr was what got me started on quilting. In looking up my favorite fabrics, I started seeing beautiful modern quilts made out of those fabrics. The first quilt I started was a cathedral window quilt (still unfinished! I should have picked something easier!) I finished my first real quilt in October 2008 -- a baby zig zag in fall colors. And after that, I was hooked!
I don't think I could pinpoint the exact reason I like quilting so much. There are so many parts of it that I enjoy. I love fabrics, of course, and I love looking at a pile of fabrics and seeing the potential quilts they could turn into. I also enjoy the freedom I have in quilting - I don't often follow patterns, and I really like the feeling that I'm free to cut and recombine the fabrics any way I want to. It makes me feel creative, which is typically not how I would describe myself.
3. What is your favorite quilting tip?
A quilting tip... let's see... I think one important thing in quilting is making yourself enough space for some sort of design wall or design floor. I spend a lot of time changing up the order of blocks, or the entire layout of a quilt, and it's really helpful to be able to stand back and see it as a whole - either on the wall, or on your floor - before sewing it together. I also almost always take a few photos of my final layout (or what I think is my final layout!). When I look at the photo on the computer, I see things that I don't see when I just glance at the quilt. This helps me make sure the layout is balanced, and that there aren't any areas with too many blocks of the same color.
4. What was your inspiration for your Quilt Festival quilt?
The quilt(s) I entered into the Blogger's Quilt Festival this year are quilts I made for Jenean Morrison to show the two colorways of her new line, California Dreamin'. I picked them because they were actually at Quilt Market at the time, so I thought it was only appropriate. It was fun, but also a bit nerve-wracking, to make something for a designer that would actually be seen by other people!
5. Do you sew other things?
I mainly sew quilts, but from time to time I've been known to make a few simple bags, pillows, pillowcases (tutorial posted here) and when Spring comes, I always feel the need to sew up a few simple skirts or dresses for my wardrobe. I always return to quilts though - they're definitely my favorite!
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Amy again! Ashley - thank you so much for sharing your quilts with us! I always love seeing how you use different fabrics, and how you put them together - thanks for the inspiration!
Amy
If you would like to nominate a quilter, to be featured, see this post for details.
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Grats! You do beautiful work :)
ReplyDeleteAshley was one of the first actual quilting blogs I started reading. I have quilted for 15 years but she has been instrumental in dramatically changing my quilting style in the past year. Thanks to Ashley, and thanks to you too, Amy, for the interview.
ReplyDeleteThis was a lovely interview! Film in the Fridge defintely inspires me .. it is one of my favorite quilting blogs.
ReplyDeleteCount me as another fan of Film in the Fridge. Thanks for the great interview, Amy!
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful quilts, serious talent Ashley! Thanks for sharing such great quilters!
ReplyDeleteI love her work! Beautiful! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteloved learning more about one of my favorite quilters and bloggers. thanks Amy and Ashley.
ReplyDeleteone question I've always wanted to ask Ashley is: how does she find the time?
I read Ashley's blog regularly, so it was fun to see your interview with her. Great feature! She sure makes a lot of quilts, doesn't she? I love how modern they are.
ReplyDeleteIt is always neat to hear more about one of the blogs that I read!
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that Ashley has only been quilting for a few years! I've been sewing and quilting for at least 30 years and I am so inspired by her quilts. She has a definite natural quilt ability!
ReplyDeleteI love her blog and her quilts. I'm inspired everytime I go there! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeletewow what great quilts! I love the first one. It seems like a cool breeze kinda quilt!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for introducing us to her!
Great interview and beautiful quilts!
ReplyDeleteI just found your blog and Wow! Love the interview idea and the pictures around town. I'll definitely be back ro read more and check out your tutorials. I'm having a giveaway at my blog this week for my birthday, 8 purty fat quarters!! Come check it out and have a little visit.
ReplyDeleteLovely write-up! I think Ashley has a great point, I really need to find a way to make some kind of design wall. I have found the same thing, viewing a picture on the computer screen helps me see the layout very differently. Now I just need a big enough wall to hang some batting for a design wall! :-)
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