Tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised up North amongst the oaks and the apple trees in the state of Minnesota. I was fortunate to be raised surrounded by generations of my family. Growing up in the same yard as my great grandmother Lily and my grandmother Avis allowed me to learn and enjoy the creative process of handwork and sewing, just like my mother, Linda, did years ago. I was blessed beyond measure and inspired at an early age to create and inspire others by using and sharing my talents with others.

Through the years, my works have graced the pages of Quilt Sampler, American Patchwork & Quilting, along with many other Better Homes & Gardens sister magazines. I have enjoyed working in various mediums, but have grown to love working with wool and fibers. More recently I have also fallen in love with quilting (as I collect quilts and orphan blocks) and the creative process of designing fabrics and wool. I tend to like vintage inspired colors and small civil war prints that are found within my quilt collection. I am not afraid to go out of the box and mix cottons and wool in my designs for a fun and fresh twist on traditional quilting.  If you ever get the chance, you can see my work up close and personal in my 5000 square foot quilt shop Buttermilk Basin located just north of the Twin Cities!  Once you walk through the door, you’ll see why our shop was named a Top Shop in 2021! We recently celebrated 20 years of being in business.

I also LOVE to travel, teach and share my passion with others. There is no greater joy than seeing others learn your technique and fall in love with working with wool, for example. Seeing them bring you their finished pieces just warms my heart. I truly am blessed!

What inspires you?
I have many fond memories growing up surrounded with generations of family and celebrating the big and small moments in life. From sitting under the quilt frame poking the needle threaded with yarn, back up the quilt for my grandmother to tie off to creating memorable celebrations from simple to milestones, my heart is full!  It’s within those moments that I find my inspiration lies.  

Tell us about your fabric.
I love designing fabric and would love to do it daily and have lines coming out left and right!  There is something so fascinating about starting with a concept and creating it into a collection based on a color palette or an orphan block, for example. It’s the art of making it happen and having it be in the hands of others to create with that brings me so much joy!

Speaking of collections… I am grateful for the opportunity to create numerous lines for Henry Glass! We’ve just released “Memories on Redwork” which has rich red tones with vintage hand stitched motifs in a panel. I also have not one, but two stunning and versatile basic lines including “Buttermilk Blenders” and an upcoming line called “Timeless Linens”!  Both are classic and make perfect backgrounds and blenders!

I also have some vintage inspired seasonal lines on the horizon. They will be sure to warm your heart and rekindle those childhood memories we all hold dear to our heart of Christmas’ past, for example.

What makes my lines unique is that I tap into to passion for drawing. I love to draw panels and border prints into my lines.  Combine that with my love for vintage and you truly have a unique vintage inspired look!

What advice do you have for the new maker?
While teaching, I hear so many people worry about perfection and getting all their projects completed, etc.  I always tell them to relax and enjoy the journey!  Don’t worry about perfect stitches, that comes with practice.  If you find joy in “collecting” projects in hopes to make something one day, keep piling them up!  Just find your joy and embrace it!