Featured Crafter - msmcporkchopquilts

Today, we are sitting down with the very talented Amanda from msmcporkchopquilts.

FQ: Tell us a little bit about your creative journey? When did it start? Where you inspired by any particular person? I've always been interested in making things myself...I come from a long line of talented people, my grandmother was a painter, my grandfather was an architect, my mom is a chef/ceramicist, my uncle takes beautiful photographs...it's only natural to be curious about creating things from a young age when the people around you are building fantastic things. 

I went to college for art history & art studio with a focus in printmaking & painting but slowly burned out. It just wasn't for me and a semester before I could have graduated, I dropped out so I could focus on my small business, modernacorn. It was a lot of fun during the day, but I wanted to sew something *more*. 

I bought Amy Butler's Frenchy Bag pattern, some echino fabric and a few days later...I had a bag. I was stunned! I made a bag! And a bag that people COMPLIMENTED me on! It was sort of the boost of confidence I needed to tackle more and more complex sewing projects.

I started going to a local shop, Scottie Dog Quilts and sewing with the ladies there on an almost daily basis. They were so inspiring, sewing, laughing...just being great. With their help I learned how to quilt..before that I was completely self taught, so imagine all the short cuts I learned along the way!

FQ:Which part of the quilt making process is your favourite and why?

Can I cheat and say two parts?! The design process and the actual quilting. I love love love designing things and have sketch books filled with ideas. Half of the time I'd rather draw it on paper than actually cut it and sew it.
And quilting...quilting is just fantastic. Nothing pleases me more than quilting nonstop. I love straight line quilting, I love free motion, I love drawing with thread..it's very relaxing for me. I usually know how I'll quilt something before I even sew it. It's bad.

FQ: Do you have a favourite fabric designer?

This is so hard! I have a massive collection of Kaffe Fassett and his designer friends but I rarely sew with it...I place it on my shelves and admire from afar. I really love Heather Ross because I adore fussy cutting...plus I think it's neat that she was in Vermont and then lived in California...I can relate to that. I also am *really* in love with Riley Blake, Laurie Wisbrun, Lizzy House. It would be fair to say that I just love fabric! ;)

 FQ: Where do you draw your inspiration from when making quilts?
The things around me for sure. My husband and the adventures we go on...we take a lot of car trips all over the state, he's always getting me to look at things differently.. I love looking out the window...Northern California is a plethora of inspiration....mountains, ag fields, tons of wildlife, the lakes...everything is really neat to me.

I also love love love traditional quilt blocks and I'm always playing with them, I think there is a reason why they've stayed around so long...the design sense in them is brilliant. I love art history as well and enjoy playing with historical palettes of color and themes. And I work at the cutest quilt shop ever, Honey Run Quilters in Chico, CA...seeing all the new bolts come in & my talented coworkers projects is awesome!

FQ: Do you have a favourite quilt or other sewn item that you have made?

I love everything I sew...otherwise I wouldn't take the time to sew it...hahaha. But I like my hex bag, the pillowcases on my bed, my 5&Dime quilt because the quilting is intense, I made a wedding quilt for my husband that I'm pretty keen on, I loved sewing my oregon star, I enjoyed the design challenge of my Circa50 quilt...I tend to really like everything! I'm currently working on a lone star that's really got me hooked!!!

FQ: Are there any new creative skills that you would like to try in the future?
Garments! I'm very inspired by Karyn at the Workrooms dresses, she always adds an unexpected detail that woos me over!