Sue Koblin
November, 2007

1. How did you get started in quilting?

I had dabbled with sewing  - “stretch and sew” for quite a while. I had just moved here from Columbus in 1987 when I took a class from Terri Johnson at Carol’s Fabric Art shop.  It was a sampler quilt.

2. What accomplishments are you most proud of?

I would have said “learning how to appliqué” but I just remembered a “wedding quilt” that I thought up literally during the night.  I had taught Lamaze for 20 years with another woman.  This woman’s daughter was getting married and all the people who worked with the woman wanted to give a daughter a special gift for the wedding.  All decided it should be a quilt and none of them were quilters so they told me to plan it and they would help where they could.  So here is what I dreamed up one night – a dimensional quilt with 4 grapevine wreaths representing each of the four seasons. The grapevine wreath that represented spring had apple blossoms; the summer grapevine had pink roses (and the bride had pink roses for her flowers; the fall grapevine had buckeye trees (the couple was from Ohio); and the winter grapevine had red berries (all dimensional).  The center of the quilt had a large basket of all types of flowers (all dimensional)  Around the perimeter of the quilt was wire ribbon with a bow at the top and two bluebirds (bluebirds of happiness).  Everyone one of the women who worked with the bride’s mother helped pick out the fabric and cut it.  I put it all together.  I made an elaborate paper pattern that I rolled up and took with me back and forth to Columbus (hadn’t totally moved to this area) to work on the quilt while I was in Columbus and up here on the weekend.  I am so proud of this quilt.    I think we need to see a picture of this quilt!  Come on Sue – bring it to the next meeting!

3. Have you ever put one of your quilted pieces in a quilt show?

Yes – a crib quilt for my granddaughter won Best of Show at Kaleidoscope.  I have also entered quilts at the Sandusky County Fair.

4. Finish these sentences:
• I still can’t get the hang of . .

Hawaiian appliqué

• The biggest enemy of creativity is . .

TV

5. What was your worst quilting disaster?

I had worked on a king size Dresdon Plate patterned quilt and took it to be machine quilted.  The machine quilter used blue chalk to mark it.  I assumed it was the “blue washout” type so soaked it in the bathtub when I got it back.  It was supposed to be “dusted off”.  The water  set the color blue into the quilt!  Eventually most of it came out. 

6. Which quilter’s work do you most admire and why?

Anita Shakelford  - she does exquisite appliqué.  Her creativity and artistry are amazing!  She also knows a great deal about antique quilts.

7. What creative endeavor do you plan to learn next?

Free form bias covered curves.  I am not really very creative; ( I don’t think too many of us will believe that after hearing about the wedding quilt you dreamed up and executed without a formal pattern) I need some idea to start with.

8. What advice would you give to someone starting out in quilting?

Buy lots of tools.

Take classes

Push your boundaries – move out of your comfort zone.

Keep an open mind..