I started quilting when I went to college in Minnesota.  Everyone, except me, had a homemade quilt on their bed! I immediately set about remedying that!  I was taught to embroider in school in second grade and learned to machine sew garments in junior high and also at home with my mother.  Quilting was just another skill to add to my "sewing basket."

One of my college roommates was also interested in quilting. Her grandmother, who lived in South Dakota, taught both of us how to hand quilt with a quilt on a large frame.  

I made the occasional pieced quilt, but mostly I did appliqué. Partly I worked with appliqué because I could take my blocks to the laundromat, partly because I was making quilts with animals or other scenes and appliqué was the easiest way for me to do that and partly…I struggled with templates. 

About 5 or 6 years ago I purchased a new sewing machine. That, plus the advent of the rotary cutter, made piecing and quilting so much easier.  For the past several years, I've been making about 12 quilts a year. They vary from lap to queen size and are mostly pieced but I do some paper piecing and occasionally some appliqué.  Some are from patterns but many are my own designs.

I started the blog when I retired. I quilt almost every day now and am having a great time learning new skills and techniques.