Get to know the QQQ's - Nancy of Hartford Avenue Quilts

Hi! I'm Nancy Hovland of Hartford Avenue Quilts 

How did you come up with your shop name?
My shop name is the name of the street I live on.  Probably not very original but I like the name of my street and I thought it sounded better than Nancy’s Quilts!

Where do you live?
I live in St. Paul, Minnesota, and have been here since 1981.  However, I have lived in 8 states total in the U.S. during my life.  My family did a lot of moving. 

When did you start making quilts? Or, when did you become interested in quilt-related items (fabric, patterns etc)?

I took my first quilting class in 1980.  I started sewing at age 12 when I bought my first sewing machine and (tried) to make clothes.  But by adulthood I already knew I loved quilts and wanted to learn how to make them.  Back then it was cut every piece with scissors and quilt by hand. 

Tell us about your first quilt or other important first in your sewing life.

My first quilt was ugly by my standards today!  It was kind of a bright yellow and royal blue and was a sampler.  However, it was a completed project and I had it on a bed for many years.  I could look at it and see how far I had come since then.

What are your favorite colors and quilt blocks? 

I’ve always loved reds and if I was making a quilt for myself I’d always get some reds in there.  But depending on the project I will look at any color or pattern to see what works best.  Except for bright oranges. Not my favorite. 

What inspires you?

Others’ work inspires me and I always look at the quilting.  I aspire to get better at machine quilting!  I also love seeing barn quilts whenever I get outside the city into the country.  It’s a fantastic idea and I thank the people who got this movement started.

Do you have a favorite quilting tip?

The only thing I can think of is that when I’m ready to quilt and not sure what to do, I will Google machine quilting designs and click on Images.  I scroll thru and get some ideas that might work for whatever I’m working on.

Do you have any other hobbies? Pets? A garden, kids or volunteer activities?

Hobbies include a lot of reading (a lot!) and now that I’m retired I’ve been going to yoga.  I also am joining a local strength training program that’s for people 40+.  Which means I don’t have to wear spandex!  I do some gardening and I ride my bike daily in the warmer weather. 

Do you do any charity sewing?
No I have not done any charity sewing.

Running an Etsy shop means you wear many hats in one day. How do Etsy activities impact your other life activities, such as family, work, other activities?

I spend a lot of time sewing and am so lucky to have a dedicated space in my house for that.  Since I am retired I can pretty much pick and choose how I spend my day, throwing in errands, and whatever else needs to be done. 

How do you plan your projects?

I have a stack of projects I’d like to try and already have the fabric for some.  I am working on becoming more proficient on EQ7.  I bought it a while ago and took a class, however as with anything else if you don’t keep at it right away you lose what you’ve learned.  Which I did.  But there are videos on the program that are very helpful.  If I could find the class being offered somewhere again I’d take it.

Do you have any business skills to share?

My business skills are almost nil.  I have a lot to learn still, and sometimes it’s like learning a new language.  I was a social worker primarily in public education for many years, and terms like SEO and tag words are not part of that environment! 

Do you have any organization tips to share?
I finally spent a bunch of money to better organize all my stuff.  I went to the Container Store and bought a storage system that I love. Still kind of looks like a mess but it really is better organized.  Plus the baskets are metal mesh so you can see what’s in there.  And this is all in a big closet where I can hang finished quilts, there are shelves, and even an outlet so I can plug in the iron!  Much better than using my son’s old dresser for storage. 

Where in the world would you like to visit?

I really want to travel now that I finally have the time.  I’d love to go to Norway as that’s where my great grandparents emigrated from.  All of Scandinavia would be good!  Next summer I’m making a trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico, during an international art festival.  I’ve always want to go there too.  My friend who has arranged this trip has sent me links to various quilt shops there and I see that they have fabric that I don’t see where I live.  I imagine I’ll be shipping stuff home!

Shop:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/hartfordavenuequilts

Social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HartfordAvenueQuilts/

Twitter:     https://twitter.com/swnancy

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/hovlandnancy/

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Follow QQQ on: 
Team pages: https://www.etsy.com/uk/pages/quilts-quilts-quilts
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Blog: http://qqqteam.blogspot.com/

Quilt of the Month - January winner

Each month, the QQQ team has a contest with a theme.

For January the theme was 'Flowers and Foliage'.

We have a winner for January; Iryna of Quilted Miracle with her fabulous Red Poppy Art Quilt 

This piece of art would look great on a wall over a couch, dining room, office etc. 

CONGRATULATIONS IRYNA! Well deserved! 

Visit Iryna's shop to explore more of her gorgeous textile works. In Iryna's shop - Quilted Miracle - you will find small and big art/textile quilts. 

Shop:

Quilted Miracle

Social Media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Quilted-Miracle-696499390516730/ 

Pinterest: https://ru.pinterest.com/irinafomina1238/

Blog: http://quilt-travel.blogspot.com/

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QQQEtsyTeam/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/qqqetsy/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/QQQEtsy/

Blog: http://qqqteam.blogspot.com/

Get to know the QQQ's - Pamela of Quilty Pleasures Craft

Hello, 

I'm Pamela Drummond from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, where I am a law clerk by day and an avid crafter by night!. 

My career actually played a role in the naming of my crafting business - Quilty Pleasures Craft Company.  When I decided to make a career change into the legal profession, I had to attend college for two years on a full-time basis and one of the prerequisites for admission was typing at a minimum of 30 words per minute.  Well, I did not know how to type at all so, off to an evening class I went.  As I was learning, I had a terrible time with the letters "G" and "Q".  Whenever I had to type "guilty", it would come out as "quilty".  And hence, Quilty Pleasures was born!

I come from a long line of crafters, and was taught by the women in my family how to do basic knitting, needlepoint and embroidery when I was about six years old.  As time went on, I expanded my interests into sewing and quilting.  I was never super-great at sewing clothes, but quilting became a real passion.  I particularly enjoy selecting fabric and finding unusual or eye catching colour and pattern combinations. And as most quilters will agree, you can never have enough fabric!  My resolution this year is to try and use up some of the fabric I already have, and complete some of the projects I have been wanting to make for awhile. 

Since I am self-taught with respect to quilting, I have travelled the long road of trial and error.  When I look back at some of my earlier projects, I am pleasantly surprized at how much my technique has improved.  I recently took out a UFO that I have had sitting around for well over ten years.  It was a small project of placemats with mitered corners, and I thought I would quickly finish them up for my shop.  Well, lets just say that didn't happen!  I didn't own a rotary cutter when I started the project so many years ago, so not one piece of fabric was straight! And the pieces that were completed where misaligned and crooked. I salvaged what fabric I could and put it back into my stash with a smile on my face.

On a personal note, I have been married for almost 24 years, and have one daughter who is an adult herself (she is 32 - how did that happen?). She is a registered nurse and just completed a specialized masters degree.  Now that she has some free time, she has expressed an interest in learning to craft but hasn't decided what she would like to try yet.  Regardless, I am sure that the artistic trait that runs in my family has made its way to her.  I also have two beautiful dogs - Copper and Mabel.  Copper is a red-bone coonhound and Mabel is a Great Dane. Mabel likes to "help" when I take product shots, so I have to be extra careful when I package up my product for shipping that all of the dog hair is removed!

My other passion in life is my garden.  My husband and I own a pre-confederation farmhouse in the country on a half-acre property.  Every year, I expand the garden and make some sort of new feature.  This year, I plan to cover up our above-ground concrete cylinder well (a real eyesore) and plant some garden beds along our new fence line.  Oh - and make some throw pillows for my garden bench from some very special fabric from the Netherlands that was gifted to me by my Dad on my last birthday.

I truly wish that there were more hours in the day.  I have a full-time job that I love, a small hobby-business that I love, a family that I love, and a half-acre garden that I love!  My biggest challenge with respect to my Etsy shop has been getting seasonal product completed and listed in the right time frame, but my shop is still fairly new so I am sure I will figure out the right production schedule as time goes by.  My shop has given me a huge sense of accomplishment and achievement, and I am always so grateful when I custom-make something and my customer appreciates it. 

Shop:

https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/QuiltyPleasuresCraft

Social media:

Facebook: :  https://www.facebook.com/quiltycrafts/

Pinterest: :  https://www.pinterest.com/pamelaedrummond

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Follow QQQ on:
Team Pages: https://www.etsy.com/uk/pages/quilts-quilts-quilts
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/QQQEtsy/
Blog:  http://qqqteam.blogspot.com.au/

Get to know the QQQ's - Patti of Sleeping Cat Creations

Hi! I'm Patti Laird of Sleeping Cat Creations 

www.etsy.com/shop/sleepingcatcreations

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:

www.etsy.com/shop/sleepingcatcreations

Social media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/4SleepingCatCreations/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/sleepingcatcreations/

Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/pa_quilter/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SleepingCatCrea

Website:  www.sleepingcatcreations.com

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Follow QQQ on:

Team Pages: https://www.etsy.com/uk/pages/quilts-quilts-quilts

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QQQEtsyTeam/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/qqqetsy/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/QQQEtsy/

Blog: http://qqqteam.blogspot.com.au/

Get to know the QQQ's - Monique of Ladybug's Cabin

Hi! I'm Monique Kleinhans of Ladybug's Cabin

Where do you live?
I was born and raised in a small town in Montana near to Glacier National Park. I've lived other places during my life for school and have done a lot of touring with a theatre company based out of Seattle Washington, but Montana has been, and will always be 'home'.

When did you start making quilts? Or, when did you become interested in quilt-related items (fabric, patterns, etc) / Tell us about your first quilt or other important first in your sewing life.
My Mother started quilting the year that I was born, so I've been around quilts my entire life. In some ways I took them for granted. It wasn't until my friends started to get married and have children that I felt the call to make quilts as gifts. Once I understood that building quilts was very much like putting a puzzle together, I was hooked.  Then my Mother signed us up to take an art quilting class with the wonderful Ellen Anne Eddy.  During her workshop I learned about thread art and bobbin work and the light bulb not only went on, but pretty much exploded! Ever since I have jumped in with both feet to the art quilt world and enjoy exploring blending traditional and uncommon techniques in my work.  For the past two years I've also been designing applique and quilting patterns that incorporate adding 3-D elements or unique blends of art quilting and traditional piecing. I consider my patterns to be an invitation to let your inner child come out and play!

What inspires you?
I am most often inspired by nature. My windows here in the 'cabin' are the best television I've ever owned. Every day brings something beautiful or interesting to recreate into fabric, or color schemes that ask to be explored into quilts.

Do you have a favorite quilting tip?

Don't be afraid of doing what works for you. There are a thousand ways to do everything and often the new hottest craze begins when someone 'messes up' and finds a different way to complete a block or a task. This is something that I stress quite a bit when I'm teaching--"My way does not have to be your way.  Take what is useful and do what works for you!"  This is a lesson I learned from a very young age watching my Mom and her quilting. She was born with hands that don't work like most of us, and has always had to find a way to adapt. I couldn't believe the number of very well-known instructors who would start to chastise her for doing something in their class a different way from their instruction. My Mother would listen to their rant and just smile at them until they were done telling her that she was doing it 'right' or the way they told her it HAD to be done.  Then she would simply hold up her hands and say..."ok, show me how."

Do you do any charity sewing?
Yes. I am part of guild here in my area that has a wonderful outreach program. We make quilts for new parents, as well those going through chemo, dialysis, and also for Veterans. The guild that my mother is a part of also makes quilts for the Police and Fireman to hand out during emergencies as traffic incidents in Montana in the winter can be very cold and many times the quilt is not only appreciated by the victims, but helps to keep them protected from the cold.

How do you plan your projects?
I work a lot off of photos that I take or inspired from the animals or vistas that I view daily. Other times I'll have an idea start to take shape in my head and eventually work its way out into fabric.

Where in the world would you like to visit?
I've traveled quite a bit and have a deep fondness for Australia and New Zealand (both for the people as well as the landscapes).  I'd like to return to Europe and do a bit more exploring especially to Ireland.  And Iceland is on my bucket list so that I can see all the colors of the Northern Lights--not just the green parts that we see most often here.

Shop
https://www.etsy.com/shop/LadybugsCabin

Social media

Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/LadybugsCabin
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ladybugscabin/
Website: www.ladybugscabin.com


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Get to know the QQQ's - Susan of Susan's Passion

Hi! I'm Susan Murata of Susan’s Passion, https://www.etsy.com/shop/SusansPassion

How did you come up with your shop name? 

Stupidly, on a whim – I changed it from Maggie May and Me which didn’t sound correct, grammar wise. I didn’t quite think this one through –I am passionate about my work, but I realize now that my shop name sounds more like the name for a sexy lingerie shop. Maggie is my dog.

Where do you live? 

I live in San Tan Valley, AZ.

When did you start making quilts? Or, when did you become interested in quilt-related items (fabric, patterns, etc)?
I’ve been sewing since I was a teen, made some patchwork blankets throughout the years, but started quilting in 2007 after my husband and I retired.

Tell us about your first quilt or other important first in your sewing life. 
My first quilt was for my mother, a simple 9 patch block in pastel batiks. The blocks were huge so there was less piecing, and therefore less daunting for me as a first time quilter.

What inspires you? 
Looking at Pinterest or Google Images of quilts helps me get an idea of what kind of a project I would like to do next. Certain color combinations or designs will catch my eye and is great jumping off point.

Do you have any other hobbies? 
I have lots of hobbies, crochet, sketching, painting, card making, beading, jewelry making, but I mostly focus on sewing/quilting these days. 

Pets? A garden, kids, or volunteer activities? 
We have a Shepherd/Chow mix rescue, and a gray tabby cat (which was rescued from my daughter when she got married in 04). Thankfully they get along well together (the dog and cat. J )

I do enjoy gardening and lately have been growing birdhouse gourds with the intention of painting them…….. not enough hours in the day.  We have 2 daughters and 5 grandchildren, one boy and 4 girls, 2 of which are twins.

Do you do any charity sewing? 
Our local quilt group makes baby blankets for hospitals and this year Christmas stockings for fostered children of one of the church gals.

Running an Etsy shop means you wear many hats in one day. How do Etsy activities impact your other life activities, such as work, family, other activities? 
I am retired so it never affects work, however I treat my Etsy shop just like a business. I put in lots of hours, but since it is my favorite hobby, it never feels like a job.

How do you plan your projects? 
Once I have a project in mind I look for fabrics either in my stash and shop for the rest. I sometimes will tweak a pattern I’ve seen or create one of my own. Applique is a favorite and most often is done via my imagination.

Business tips: 

Always try to keep on top of the latest. It’s easy to get into a habit of listing an item and forgetting about it. Don’t list newbies all in one day – spread them out so your shop is constantly “busy” in Etsy’s eyes.

Organization: 
Bins and baskets! All shapes and sizes. I’ve been told I have “binitis”. I keep all my fabrics sorted by size. Yardage is on shelves by color, fat quarters in baskets by color, and then squares in labeled bins according to size and strips the same way. Any left overs between 1/8 yard and fat quarter size get folded and put into the fat quarter bins.

Leftover fabric from projects get thrown into a shoebox size bin and then eventually cut into strips or squares, etc. I hate having to go through huge bins to find the size or color I need, so this has worked great for me. 

SHOP:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/SusansPassion

SOCIAL MEDIA:

www.facebook.com/susanspassion

www.pinterest.com/susanspassion

www.instagram.com/susanspassion