MQResource

This week's quilter in the spotlight is Tracye Quinlan, who has recently been dubbed "Princess Hick Chick" in our forums, in honor of the really cool quilt she created and showed at the Machine Quilters Showcase this past spring.  Tracye managed to make her quilt look like leather, and it's even cooler in person than a photograph can show.If you would like to leave a comment or ask a question, you can head on over to the forum (you do have to have a forum account). A post can be found here.

I’m married to Norlan, 11 yrs this August, with 2 fabulous kids, Tanner 6 and Tehya 4. We have 2-3 horses (long story, mom owes me one of her broodmares so for now we “share” her LOL). Aprox 1.5 dogs (also shared w/mom thingy on the others) 2 cats and “today” 6 gold fish, but that could change by the time this comes out as they die like flies. 

There are 5-6 other horses, 2-3 other dogs and 9 surviving goats (from the fires that killed the rest of our herd) that belong to my Mom but live among us and ours.
My mom, grandma, and my family all live in our own homes on the same 160 acre property. 

MQR: Where do you call home?

We live outside of the town of Florence Colorado. Florence is between Pueblo and Canon City off of hwy 50 in the south central part of the state.

I’ve been quilting since 1999, and longarming since 2004.
In 1999 I lived on a 1000 acre alfalfa hay farm in the San Luis Valley of Colorado, 1 hour southeast of Alamosa, and worked 4 /10 hour days as a 911/State patrol dispatcher in Alamosa. This meant I had 3 days off every week. In the fall of that year my DH went to California for a month, starting up the business he now has, and I needed something to do for those 3 days alone in the middle of nowhere. Since I’m allergic to doing too much housework I went to Walmart and checked out the crafts section (that no longer exists in the same form). I’d taught myself to crochet and everyone I knew already had an afghan so I thought it time to learn something else. I bought a book on Knitting, and one on quilting called Make A Log Cabin Quilt In A Weekend by Marti Michell. I couldn’t figure out the knitting book but the quilting one made sense. My first 2 quilts were made that way.
Quilting has always been about never saying never. I started out with everything Marti Michell had about strip piecing. I’d make a complete lap size quilt every 3 days off. The folks at work were really impressed.
I picked up a block from a BOM at a quilt shop in New Mexico once that required me to make a template and it turned out so bad I SWORE I’d NEVER use templates. Then I had the chance to take a class with Marti Michell in Farmington, NM and it was using HER templates. Things were much better. I now use template.
It’s gone on like that. I’d NEVER paper piece, do it all the time now. I’d NEVER have a longarm! Why? Now, on my second machine, it’s my creative heart.

I’m mostly about the quilting. The piecing serves a purpose, either to create a canvas for the quilting, or someone needs a gift or, gasp, a quilt to use in the house.

Yes I have a business. I think the favorite part is getting to work on something I haven’t already quilted 5 different ways in my head, like I would have if I’d sat thru the piecing of it.

MQR: What is the most challenging part of quilting for you?

Not being stuck in a rut with the same designs over and over. Also creating what I really love is challenging. I love the traditional looking quilts, but it’s just not what I’m best at. I keep trying though, and in the meantime let myself be my odd self and do funky things.

MQR: What are your favorite quilting tools?

I love my rulers/templates, but I think my FAVORITE quilting tool would be THREAD. Thread can surprise you by taking your quilting farther than you expected.

There is something besides quilting? Just kidding. I don’t really have any others. I tried different things but nothing makes my heart sing like quilting.
I spend a lot of time herding cats…ahem, chasing kids, but I’m not sure it qualifies as a hobby yet.

MQR: Anything else to add?

Quilting, especially longarming, is my happy place. When life starts to suck, and I begin to get down, or feel overwhelmed, I can even just start imagining a longarming project, or technique I want to try/learn and escape if only for a little while.
I am so thankful for the amazing online communities we have. I totally attribute my creative growth and any skills I’ve acquired to what I’ve learned from all the fantastic quilters around the world who are as close as my computer screen, and more generous and giving than I could have ever imagined humanly possible.

 MQR: What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Vanilla with either, strawberries or hot fudge on top.

MQR: Do you prefer salty or sweet snacks?

Hmmm… I have to choose? Well, probably salty would win, but mixing them is also good (popcorn w/M&Ms in it, hence the size of my butt).

MQR: What is your favorite beverage?

Water is what I drink most, but if I had to pick a favorite it would be Limeade (the frozen Minute Maid kind), and Cosmos for adult beverage time.

 MQR: What is your least favorite food?

Bell peppers! Double yuck!!

 MQR: What are your favorite books/authors?

Janet Evonvich, Dana Stabenow, Kathy Reichs, Lisa Scottolini, Nelson Demille, Dan Brown, Barbara Kingsolver (her fiction is more my cup of tea, though she is very profound in her non-fiction)

 MQR: What are your favorite movies?

KPAX, American History X, The Birdcage, French Kiss, Armagedon, White Palace, Ant Bully, Wild Thornberrys (you know I only get to watch kids movies these days right).

If I could only have one it would be “Balance is the key to life”.
You know, I collect quotes, so want to add a couple of others I like.
“Everything is okay in the end. If it's not okay, then it's not the end.”

"Perhaps strength doesn't reside in never having been broken... but in the courage required to grow strong in the broken places." Unknown

"We are continually faced with great opportunities which are brilliantly disguised as unsolvable problems." Margaret Mead
Oh, and of course this one….
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world.” ~~ Marianne Williamson

Okay, I’ll stop…

MQR: What is one of your goals for 2008?

Hmm…a goal?…do the laundry BEFORE it’s as high as my butt, like only to my knees….Well, maybe that’s a bit too much… Oh, here’s one, do another leather quilt, not quite as torturous as housework, but almost.

All photographs were provided by Tracye.

Tracye's Webshots:  http://community.webshots.com/user/tracyeq 

Don't forget, you can visit the forum here.  if you would like to comment.

Thanks for playing along, Tracye! Tune in next week to see who will be the next Quilter In the Spotlight! 

This week's quilter in the spotlight is Janet Murdock, our very own Little Miss Sunshine.  Janet has got some beautiful work to share with us, we need to convince her to post quilt pictures more often! 

MQResource: First, tell us about your family!
 My DH Chad and I have been married 9 years this month.  I can honestly say he is my best friend.  I have two grown children, Chad has 3 of his own plus two adopted step children from his first marriage and together we foster any teen that shows up needing a home.  We joke that we are a yours, mine, hers and theirs family.   We have also been known to take in a few families.  I can’t say no.  Our fur babies are Princess the cat and Abby the dog.

MQR: Where do you call home?

We live in the Portland Oregon area where it is nice and rainy.  There is nothing better than a cold overcast day in my book.

Quilting seems to be in my family’s blood.  We go back at least 6 generations that we know of.  My 5 sisters, my brother and I all learned to sew by 6.  In my first sewing class in Jr. high we were told to sew a simple square pillow.  I turned in a skirt with a zipper and snaps, and a vest with buttons and received an F for not being able to follow directions.  I think that’s why I like quilting.  There are no quilting police!  My first quilting memory is lying under a quilt that was being hand quilted for my soon to be married sister.  The younger kids took turns pushing grandma’s needle back up to her.  The ladies got to giggling and giving my other newly married sister sex advice, forgetting we were under the quilt……we didn’t know whether to laugh or throw up.  I’d never seen this side to these normally dignified ladies.  Ahhhh memories.  Sorry back on track…. I’ve been LAing about 7 years.

I’ve recently started piecing again.  But I tend to do simple get’er done tops.  I’ve pieced around 6 quilts this year which is more than the last 3 years combined.   (Truth be told, 3 were very small)

If so, what is your favorite part of quilting for other people?  Yes I do have a quilting business and my favorite part would be seeing all the different tops coming in.  I love being inspired by their quilts.  I’ve been blessed with great customers.

MQR: What is the most challenging part of quilting for you?

I can get stuck in my box.  I know I can get it done fast and the next one loaded.  To keep it fun I need to take the time to think outside the box and get creative.

MQR: What are your favorite quilting tools?

Rulers and loud music.  For some reason a song with a good bass beat pounding through the floor clears my head and lets the creative juices flow.  I used to listen to DVD’s but I’d end up watching all the good parts and made very little money quilting.  Then I read a thread here about listening to music.  Now I’m hooked.  AnnMarie gave me some Bobbin Genies to try this week and I have to add those to my list!

Hmmm, I think I’m boring; I like to hang out with family and friends.  I’d say we are pretty social.  I enjoy beading or trying any new artsy thing.   I started a book club 5 years ago but usually listen to audio books rather than read.  I live for Halloween so we can go to corn mazes and haunted houses, the scarier the better.  If you are ever in a corn maze and find your self being followed by the grim reaper or a clown……that would be us.  I’m obsessed with Belly Dancing DVD’s.  I try to follow along, but what I’m doing and what they’re doing is not even remotely similar.  I get a good workout from trying and my DH gets a work out from laughing.  

MQR: Anything else to add?

 Um, just that I feel lucky to come from a family of quilter’s.  We are all close and love going to quilt shops together when ever we see each other.  Almost all my sisters are in the business in one way or another, either designing fabric lines, patterns, writing books or teaching/lecturing.

 MQR: What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

 I’m not a big ice cream eater, but if I do I LOVE Coffee Haagen-Dazs.  YUM.

 MQR: Do you prefer salty or sweet snacks?

Sweet all the way.

MQR: What is your favorite beverage?

Water because it’s good for me and then diet Coke because it is the nectar of the Gods.

 MQR: What is your least favorite food?

Any seafood.  Double yuck.

 MQR: What are your favorite books/authors?

I was on a Dan Brown kick.  Right now it’s Jane Austen, J.K. Rowling and Stephenie Meyer.  I think I am drawn to YA books because they don’t have heaving bosoms and bulging manhood’s…..oh, can I say that here?  I don’t like smut……just a light hint at it, tee hee.   My book club gets me to branch out, but these are my favorites.

 MQR: What are your favorite movies?

I love a huge variety of movies, Sense and Sensibility, Anne of Green Gables,  all the Harry Potter’s, Ponette (French), Hell Boy,  North and South (The cotton mill one, not the war one), Pride and Prejudice, The Others…...It’s hard to narrow it down.   We go to the movies just about every week.

To despair is to turn your back on God. 

MQR: What is one of your goals for 2008?

Finish all my UFO’s started prior to this year or toss them and step out on a limb and try new things when opportunity knocks.  (Like inchies, noodles and postcard swaps…and answering Suzanne’s questions when she asks me to)

Don't forget, you can visit the forum here if you would like to comment.

Thanks for playing along, Janet! Tune in next week to see who will be the next Quilter In the Spotlight!