About Me
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I grew up in Northern Virginia in a very small town, Herndon, which has since become just another arm of Washington, D.C. It was a great place to live then--we knew our neighbors and felt safe. We could explore our environment, lay on our backs and see pictures in the clouds above, and we knew the value of contemplation. We also were close to museums and each year our school classes went to art museums, natural history museums or historic homes.That time is past and the ambience is gone; however, like all of us, I carry those things within and they influence my work today. Before I began quilting fulltime (about six years ago), I was a functional potter (isn't that what you DO with an English degree?). It was a very rewarding career but, eventually, my hands gave out (surgery was looming on the horizon) and I decided to move on.Well, my Bernina had been faithfully waiting for me and I was fortunate enough to join a group of fellow quilters who met weekly for conversation, food and a little quilting on the side. In this group I honed some of my skills and learned the importance of a 1/4" seam and why a #7 needle isn't especially good for hand quilting. I also learned the joy of sharing the quilting experience with those around me and enjoyed figuring out how to "do" things when the pattern wasn't exacty clear.With this group of friends, I flew out to Sisters, Oregon for the 25th anniversary of their outdoor quilt show. What an experience. We traveled the coast of Oregon and used the Quilter's Bible to find every possible quilt shop along the way. Then we went to the Pack & Post store to ship our treasures home so we got to enjoy it all over again when the boxes arrived a few days later! I also fell in love with the trees and flowers of Oregon and came to an appreciation of the applique and colors of many of the quilts from that area..And thus began my present day quilting journey. I'm still figuring out how to do things and I'm still going to quilt shows. And now, I also enter quilt shows and I teach others how to figure things out. Pretty good, huh?
Tillie
Swamp Hibiscus 86" x 87"
Swamp Hibiscus
***For the more personal side of my quilting journey, please visit my blog at http://judithheyward.blogspot.com
