Hi! I'm Patti Laird of Sleeping
Cat Creations
How did you come up with your shop name?
My former husband came
up with the name because at the time, my cats were always hanging out with me
in my sewing room and were often sleeping. My cat, Biloxi, is my shop mascot
these days.
Where do you live?
I live in
Chambersburg, PA. I was born in Washington, DC, and lived in Maryland most of
my life. I relocated to Pennsylvania to take a job after my divorce in 2008.
After I quit that job, I considered moving back to Maryland, but I met my
current husband and decided to stay here. I still consider Maryland
"home," though. I could never live anywhere other than the East
Coast. I love that we have four seasons here!
When did you start making quilts? When did you become interested in quilt-related items (fabric, patterns, etc?
I've been sewing for
more than 40 years. My mother was a professional seamstress, and she taught me
to sew at a young age.
I began by sewing my
own clothes (as well as clothes for my dolls and Barbies). I sewed all my own
clothes through junior and high school and into college. When I married, I
sewed curtains for every room in our house and set about learning to make
slipcovers and do upholstery.
I took a basic
quilting class through my local Viking sewing dealer. The instructor quit
halfway through the class, but I was lucky enough to get some help later that
summer from a quilting instructor at Mid-Appalachian Quilters (MAQ). The
year was 2003 or 2004 (I didn't know then to put a label on my quilts!). Since then, I've taken dozens of classes, attended
many quilt shows, and some of my quilts have won awards, including a Best of
Show at the Frederick Fair in 2007 for my interpretation of McKenna Ryan’s
Storybook Farm pattern
I began teaching quilting in
2006 at my local Joann's store. I have since taught at several quilt guilds and
teach at local quilt shops. I also give lectures and present trunk shows.
I have made quilts in many
styles, but my focus these days is making "memory" quilts--quilts
made from clothing, that contain photos or other mementos, or that are made for
a special occasion. This is a quilt I made for my husband for Christmas in
2015.
In my business these
days, I make quilts and work on my original quilt patterns, which I sell
directly on Etsy and my own web page and that are distributed through
Checker Distributors to quilt shops.
What are your favorite colors and quilt blocks?
Purple is my favorite
color, and I often choose it for quilts I make for myself. Here are two quilts
I made that use purple. This one was a mystery class shortly after I began
quilting:
This one is a Round Robin. I made the center
block and then friends added rows. It's among my favorite quilts!
Do you have a favorite quilting tip?
As someone who has
taken and taught a lot of quilt classes, I always urge students to "try it
my way" during class. You may have a favorite way of making something, but
we can all learn new techniques. So, try it the teacher's way during the class.
If you don't like it, go back to your way after class. I also think you can
never stop learning; take classes whenever you can!
Do you have any other hobbies? Pets? A garden, kids or volunteer activities?
I love to read, and I
try to read some from a novel every day. I like traditional paper books, but
these days, I read on my Nook more than paper books. My eyesight is not what it
used to be, and I like being able to enlarge the font!
When my husband and I
met, we each had 3 cats. So, at one point, we had SIX cats! LOL Until recently,
that number had dwindled to 3. We vowed we would never have more than 2 again.
(Two are long hair, and the constant cleaning of cat hair is getting to us!)
However, over Thanksgiving weekend, my husband noticed a small kitten licking
up the grease under the smoker we had used to smoke the Thanksgiving turkey.
She was obviously hungry so we fed her for a few days. We eventually trapped
her, took her to vet, got her spayed and microchipped, and now we're the
kitty-parents of a 5-month-old kitten named Sparrow! :) Never say never, Of
course, given my shop name, I can't live without a cat or two for
company.
Do you do charity sewing?
Yes. My guild has
embarked on a 4-year project to make quilts for all the beds in a hospice in
each of the 4 local counties we serve. A friend and I have made a quilt each of
the first 3 years. This is a photo of our 2015 quilt. I also sew for Quilts of
Valor, Project Linus, and--most recently--Rare Bears.
Do you have any business tips to share?
Keep good records!
Hire a professional to help with taxes (and payroll, if applicable). Know
what's required to run a business in your state/county/municipality and follow
those requirements. I tried to do my taxes myself for a couple of years, and I
paid more in penalties for not doing it correctly than I would have if I'd paid
a professional. I now pay someone :)
Where in the world would you like to visit?
I want to go to
Australia. But the cost and the long flight deter me. When we can
"beam" around the world (a la Star Trek), that will be the first
place I visit :). I spent my last semester in college living in London, and my
roommate married an Aussie she met there and lives in Australia now. I'd like
to visit her and some other Aussie friends I've met via the Internet!
Other;
For the past 3
summers, we have traveled to visit family in Missouri and Texas. Along the way,
we stop at quilt shops and I collect the Row by Row patterns. I haven't gotten
around to making the 2015 and 2016 quilts yet, but here is my 2014 quilt.
Last summer, I was thrilled to go into a shop
and see that they were offering a class on one of my original patterns. The
shop owner asked to take a picture of me with the shop sample. It was so cool
to visit a place that sold one of my patterns!
Shop:
Social media
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pa_quilter/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SleepingCatCrea
Website: www.sleepingcatcreations.com
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Such talent Patti! So many beautiful pieces, and I love the name of your shop!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful article, how wonderful to learn about team members.
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ReplyDeleteOOOPS I thought the whole thing would delete ... I made some spelling errors typing too fast LOL So here it is again corrected
ReplyDeleteWonderful to 'get to know you' Patti, what a talented lady you are, and if you do ever get to Aus, don't forget to hop across to Tasmania for a visit :-)
Enjoyed getting to know you! You've accomplished a lot in the world of quilting, Patti!
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