Hello, my name is…
Shannon, actually. Not Quilt.
I live in CT with my husband and 2 kids. There are a million things I love and a million things I don’t love, that all add up to make me, me. I love rainbows, laughing, chocolate for every meal, bright colors, and random things. I love family walks after dinner, sunshine, bacon, naps, and coffee. I’m fluent in sarcasm. I love double spaces after a period (I don’t care what the kids are doing these days – don’t try to change me!!), Oxford commas, and ellipses. I super love kindness.
I don’t particularly love whining or feeling cold. I hate raisins.
In my previous life I was a research scientist. I started quilting as a hobby during grad school (20 years ago!) and for many years it provided the perfect balance for my day job. For the past few years, I’ve been a stay-at-home mom. While I sometimes miss the science part, I satisfy my love for math and puzzling through challenges with sewing now. Sometimes that means finicky or complicated piecing. Sometimes it means picking the perfect quilting design to complement the quilt top. I just like working through challenges and getting to that “Eureka!” moment.
My favorite part of making a quilt has always been the quilting step – it makes a quilt feel like…well, a quilt! I love the texture of it. I love the process of transformation from individual components to a cohesive whole. When I used to quilt on my domestic machine, I loved feeling the texture change right under my hands as I went. Even on the longarm, I always take a second to run my hand over the stitches for that quilty sensation. (Consider this your warning: I will absolutely pet your quilt!)
My mental file of quilts to make is ever expanding and I think I would have to live to be 247 in order to make them all. But by working with customers’ quilts, I find that I form a connection with their creativity – their color palettes, their patterns, their brilliant designs – that simultaneously inspires and satisfies my quilty to-do list. It is a joy and a priveledge to be able to quilt for my fellow makers. I love you, quilty friends and I can’t wait for our next collaboration!